Maguro!!!

Some things don’t change… one of them is my fondness for Japanese food. Specifically tuna, as sashimi or sushi. Unlike a large majority of people in this part of the world who love to eat salmon sashimi, for me the best sashimi is maguro or tuna.

Years ago, I’ve always wondered how dolphins could end up in a can of tuna. I’d used to think that it was dumb or something… a dolphin is huge and grayish, black even, whereas tunas would generally be silver and a lot smaller.

All that changed one-day when I realized there are a large variety of tunas in the world and they come in many sizes. D’uh, obvious rite? Now I understand and am also glad for the dolphin safe tuna fishing in use now.

• Albacore -- A high-fat variety, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the albacore has the lightest flesh (white with a hint of pink) and is the only tuna that can be called white. Its mild flavor and prized white flesh make it the most expensive canned tuna.
• Yellowfin -- Also called ahi, the yellowfin tuna is usually larger than albacores, reaching up to 300 pounds. Their flesh is pale pink (it must be called light), with a flavor slightly stronger than that of the albacore.
• Bluefin -- Among the largest tunas are the bluefin, which can weigh over 1,000 pounds. Young bluefins have a lighter flesh and are less strongly flavored, but as they grow into adulthood, their flesh turns dark red and their flavor becomes more pronounced. Bluefin tuna is used in sushi and sashimi and is not canned.
• Skipjack -- Similar in flesh to the yellowfin, skipjack get their name because they seem to skip out of the water. They can weigh up to 40 pounds, but are more typically ranged from 6 to 8 pounds. This variety is also known as arctic bonito, oceanic bonito, watermelon and, in Hawaii, aku. Skipjack is the most commonly canned fish.
• Bigeye – Known in Hawaii as ahi, bigeye tuna are similar in general appearance to yellowfin tuna and are the deepest occurring of all tuna species, with the depth range of greatest concentration at 150 to 250 fathoms. With its mild flavor and desirable fat content, the bigeye is often used in canned tuna.

Last year, when the boys and I went to Japan, we dropped by Tsukiji, one of the largest wholesale fish market in Japan. That was when I really saw how big tunas can get, up close. They were huge, measuring easily up to and more than 1.5m. I was so amazed at the sizes of these fishes. At Tsukiji, I’m certain it is literally every seafood lover’s heaven to see the varities of fresh seafood they had to offer. The sushi and sashimi we ate right outside the market was the freshest one will ever find. It almost made me want to stay there and not come back. I guess it’s one of many reasons why I’m trying to find every single excuse to go back again. Definitely on my to-do list for 2006!

Although we went there for other reasons, I was hoping to drop into some fancy Jazz bar like the New York bar made famous in the movie Lost in Translation at the Park Hyatt Tokyo. That didn't happen as the boys were too busy hunting for r/c parts or stuffing down ramen.

The other reason was obviously to eat as much Japanese food as I could while I was there. Indeed the delicious food became the highlight of the entire visit. My personal favourite was when we were in Shizuoka where we had krill in a variety of dishes and cooked bonito. Yummmm…

Of course DC was obsessed with the ramen, which we ended having many times including once at 2am after getting back to the hotel after a long day out. I wasn’t complaining, I mean, there we were in Tokyo, what else did you expect?

Well, that was Japan… last year... otaku tendencies, glorious sashimi, seemingly free-flowing sake, late nite ramen, forgotten passports and boring radio-controlled planes. But it was one very memorable holiday, as far as food was concerned. Unfortunately for now, I’ll have to stick to my usual places for Japanese food in KL, like Spring Hatsuhana, Genji or Kampachi. There are a lot of others with great Japanese food, but I guess being a creature of habit, these are the ones I usually gravitate to.