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| The owner and
sushi chef, Mr. Kim Joo came to the United
States 30 years ago to study cooking. During
the 4 years in college he studied nutrition,
and learned everything about the basics of
ingredients and the effects of it. In order
to apply what he learned, he trained at various
Japanese restaurants after graduation. Japanese
food uses a lot more raw fish compared to
other countries. Therefore, it is really important
to take great care when handling fish. Again,
the distance between yourself and the customers
who sit at the sushi counter is very small
compared to other foods. Although a little
nervous because a sushi chef is constantly
under the radar of the diners, he eventually
came to be fascinated by the occupation of
the sushi chef. He states that “the
best part of being a sushi chef is when the
customer smiles with the sushi you make.” |
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Chef Kim’s
daily routine is to sharpen his knives. This is an
essential ritual to him, and also an unusual trait
in sushi chefs this day in age. Sharp knives not only
help your daily work run smooth. They also affect
the way they cut the fish, and therefore how the fish
tastes. Chef Kim knows this, and his routine proves
it |
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He is also particular about fish selection. Chef
Kim always goes to his friend’s fish market,
the “Pacific Fresh Fish,” and carefully
chooses the best fish. For one that handles seafood,
it makes it much harder if the fish market is
not the one you trust. And you only want to use
the fish you selected. It is necessary to build
a relationship with the fish market to obtain
the best ingredients. This is Chef Kim’s
philosophy. |
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| During the 24 years,
he learned sushi and now he creates sushi. “I
want fusion and tradition to co-exist,”
he smiles. He intends to expand more in the future. |
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