How about New England Seafood Company?

Call the Fish Guy on Elston. They usually have some. If not, then Sea Ranch in Evanston or Wilmette.

Dirk's sells prepared sushi and this page on their website seems to indicate that they sell a lot of sashimi-grade fish.

As spinynorman99 said, The Fish Guy is another option.

I would have suggested Dirk's as an option, but OP indicates he has already struck out there.

BR wrote:I would have suggested Dirk's as an option, but OP indicates he has already struck out there.

Right. I was pointing out that since they sell prepared sushi, and their website indicates that they sell fish suitable for eating raw, it seems fishy that the OP was told that they don't sell sashimi-grade fish.

Darren72 wrote:

BR wrote:I would have suggested Dirk's as an option, but OP indicates he has already struck out there.

Right. I was pointing out that since they sell prepared sushi, and their website indicates that they sell fish suitable for eating raw, it seems fishy that the OP was told that they don't sell sashimi-grade fish.

Even if it's out of stock, they will special order anything you need at Dirk's (although they normally have it on hand).

x

Darren72 wrote:it seems fishy that the OP was told that they don't sell sashimi-grade fish.

http://instantrimshot.com/

You can always try calling Reverend Moon:

http://www.trueworldfoods.com/

spinynorman99 wrote:You can always try calling Reverend Moon:

http://www.trueworldfoods.com/

Which brings us full circle when discussing why we can't (I repeat, CAN'T) get quality sushi in Chicago. When will someone come along and order some great quality fish from another source. I'll continue my rant elsewhere.

I've had great luck with the salmon at Dirk's. We went through a phase where once a week we would slice it thin and top it with a thinner slice of lemon, let it sit for a couple minutes; then enjoy.

In New England Seafood Company's email update yesterday, they listed "Sushi Yellowfin Tuna" on special at $23.95/lb (normally $26.95). No idea if it's any good or not, but it's an option.

I did some shopping around yesterday. Mitsuwa had hamachi for $33 a pound, and salmon for $26 a pound. Dirk's hamachi was $32 a pound, and salmon at $16 a pound. I went with Dirk's hamachi, and they sliced it up for me, which saved me quite a bit of prep time. Topped it with a drizzle of nuoc cham, a grapefruit olive oil mixture, diced strawberries, and micro greens.

Update: For about two years now we have been purchasing 'sushi grade' Yellowtail Tuna from Fresh Farms. They sell in large sections(2#'s or more) usually at $20/# or less if on sale. I purchase whole sections cut up and freeze myself in freezer paper. Cut up requires knowledge of how to cut for proper presentation and of course the proper knife, so it may not be for everyone. I would not expect the staff at Fresh Farms to be able to properly cut up smaller quantities. Storage time in a home freezer is about one month before some oxidation takes place on the surface which does affect eatability but only color. Quality is good and we have never been ill. It's the only 'sushi grade' fish they sell.
H-Mart quality continues to be (visually) substandard.
Mitsuwa continues to set the standards. That is where i purchase the rest of what I need in 'sushi grade'.-Dick

G Wiv wrote:Tensuke
3 Arlington Heights Rd
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
847-806-1200

Mitsuwa used to be my go to for sashimi grade fish, now it is Tensuke.

Tensuke has a nice little lunch counter which I've been frequenting about once a week for the last 10 months--ramen isn't up to Santoku standards but isn't bad at all and the sushi combos are fresh and well-prepared. Not necessarily a destination but if you're in the area and have a hankering for sushi/sashimi, Tensuke is a nice option.

I took a sushi-making class at Dirk's a few years ago and Dirk was quite dismissive of designating fish as "sashimi-grade" or the like, stating that any fish he'd want to eat cooked should be fresh enough to eat raw, and even extended this to the king crab legs he receives seasonally. Ever since then, I haven't bought fish from standard grocery stores, even if it is marked for sushi. I'm wondering if someone at Dirk's specifically told the OP that their fish shouldn't be eaten raw, or just that it wasn't labelled as "sashimi-grade". I have bought tuna on several occasions over the years from Dirk's to serve raw in a salad with ginger dressing, and have never experienced them being out of it.

I bought some amazingly good Scottish-farm-raised Atlantic Salmon from Dirk's last week ($16/lb - not bad at all). Most of the piece was cured and smoked, but since Dirk's noted that this is the salmon they use for their homemade sushi, I gave some of it a try raw. It had a great texture and a full, rich flavor.

I'm planning to try to make sashimi and sushi with some friends this weekend. Any current suggestions on where to pick up fish suitable for eating raw? Any suggestions on good websites or cookbooks with "how to's"? Is there a particular kind of soy sauce I shouldn't live with out? Condiments I should hunt down or make myself? I've made veggie maki before, but this is my first venture into dealing with raw fish and we're up for putting some extra time into the details.

I know Dirk's has some sashimi grade fish - that's where I've gone. They usually have at least a few varieties at a time. I just noticed some sashimi grade sea scallops the other day that looked beautiful.

As for soy, look for a Japanese soy sauce. The best ones will be graded "special" and then perhaps even "extra select." Mitsuwa would be a great source for soy, fresh wasabi, ginger, etc. But if you're serving a few varieties of fish, you might also want to try out some citrus, shiso leaf, daikon and other elements other than soy. Also, I'm a big believer in moderation with all of the condiments - if the fish is good enough to serve raw, I want to taste just how good it is, with the condiments merely accenting the flavor.

Mitsuwa is my go to place for sashimi grade fish.
Sahimi grade must be treated as such from the catch to the table. It is not enough to just look at a fish and say, I will sell or serve it as sashimi garde because it loooks good.
I have had good luck with the tuna sold as sashimi grade by Fresh Farms.
As to shoyu, the best are the Japanese artizen made aged in cedar vats sold at Mitsuwa but be prepared for a price shock.
Condiments, palate cleansers are gari(ginger) and shiso leaf which i am particularly partial to.
Yuzu rind for hirame, clam, shrimp and wasabi ranging from fresh(Mitsuwa) to a range of prepared styles and powder. Mitsuwa includes a small pack of prepared wasabi with fish that is kept refrigerated and is quite good. All but the fresh root probably has horseradish as the main or an additive ingrediants.
You must have short grained rice grown and sold for sushi. Apprentices spend years learning how to make sushi rice.
You will have to develop your own method which will include variation for your climate, water, rice and method.
Your local library may have books on preperation. There are many on the market but simple and pictures to start with are best.
A sharp and I mean sharp knife is essential for clean cuts, rolls and other preperations.
Watching a classically trained sushi chef is also a good idea. Kuni and Katsu come to mind.
I would start with sashimi, then chirashi(scattered sushi), rolls, temaki are fairly easy and blocks before nigiri sushi.
Cleanliness is very important.
Good luck.-Dick

If you go with Dirk's call first. Then they can be sure to have what you want when you want it, or let you know that they won't.

TheJapanfoodchannel on YouTube has lots of instructional videos for sushi-making .

Thanks all for the advice. We ended up making a trip to Mitsuwa, which was as fun as the sushi making itself. I assumed it would be more like H-Mart. I really enjoyed that the shopping was on a smaller scale and the food court was bigger. I got some rolls for lunch and my friend got one of the udon noodle dishes. There was a very long wait time for the soup, but we were able to fill it with shopping and browsing.

They had a great variety of sashimi grade fish. We ended up getting tuna and salmon. We also picked up some veggies for tempura, some squid, sweet shrimp, roe, and some salmon skin. We deep fried the salmon skin, which was beyond delicious. On its own and in the rolls. My house smelled like a fishmonger for three days, but it was worth it.

I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who is thinking of making the trip.

A few days ago the first Tuna auctioned this year, a 507 lb. Blue Fin, sold for $70,000 in Tokyo. The same purchaser paid 20 times as much for the first fish last year. Many people thought the fish would garner close to $2 million based on the $1.76 million price paid for a 489 lb. Blue Fin a half year ago. The first fish of the year has a lot of status attached to it, and is thought to predict the direction of the Tuna market for the remainder of the year. Even at $138/lb , it was a heck of a deal, and a major disappointment to the fishing industry.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asi ... story.html

d4v3 wrote:Even at $138/lb , it was a heck of a deal, and a major disappointment to the fishing industry.

But bluefin tuna everywhere are rejoicing that sustainability efforts are making them less desirable.

veghound wrote:My house smelled like a fishmonger for three days, but it was worth it.

I'm not sure why, but when your kitchen smells like the food you cooked, leave out a dish of apple cider vinegar overnight and that smell seems to go away.