Sunday, January 25, 2009

The 8th Annual Sushi Blowout: Recap

Just in case you missed it, the Sushi Party was last night.

If you have to ask, "Uhh...which Sushi Party?", then you missed it.

Now in it's 8th year, the Sushi Party started as a small festivity, a gathering of a few friends to celebrate the Gonger's birthday in the dead of winter. What once occupied the dining room of a modest downstairs apartment has blossomed into a fete that takes over entire homes in the Juneau area, garages included.

Over the years, new tricks and treats have been hauled out for the amusement of tout le Juneau at the Sushi Party. Pastry cones filled with poke, topped with watercress. The famous Surf n' Turf roll, featuring a seared strip of New York steak nestled in with a King Crab leg, topped with grated horseradish. The Tuna Explosion roll, described as "tuna, with chopped tuna, wrapped in tuna". The Gonger's signature art sushi. Every year we try to bring something new to the game, and the Gonger does his part to advance the art as well.

This year we brought the Ika-Ika roll. Squid, stuffed in squid, topped with sea salad. Strange looking, but oh so tasty. Not to be outdone, the Gonger spent a small fortune on a block of Bluefin chu-toro, as well as 3 pounds of premium maguro. Copious amounts of nigiri-zushi were put to offer by the Gonger, while we held down the makizushi and uramaki end of things with our ninja-like rolling skills. As with any good Sushi Party, sake was consumed by the gallon, and rice beers were to be had at every turn.

Images from the evening.

The calm before the storm.


Hamachi in yuzu-soy, topped with tempura serrano chiles.


The Gonger's maguro.


Chu-toro...otherwise known as fatty bliss.


Our "Greasy Eel" roll...Unagi, cream cheese, and avocado.


Have some sushi with your tobikko, mmm? Sockeye roll.


Tunirvana Roll. Tuna and unagi on the inside, tuna and avocado on the outside.


Ika-ika roll. Chopped squid and rice, stuffed inside a squid tube.


The Gonger and his art sushi.


Chicks dig sushi.


Fisheye roll. Maguro and tobikko.


If you haven't cooked with a torch, you haven't really cooked. New York steak with sesame oil, yuzu, scallions and ginger...5 seconds with the torch.


The aftermath.



Sushi Party '09 is in the bag...that must mean that spring is on it's way.

Kampai!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

that's some damn tasty shit. you made me jealous allright.

Tansoku said...

tasty shit? Japanese food is not tasty shit!

Unknown said...

hey numnutz, I wasn't raggin on jap food. Even if my words were not so elgantly put, I was trying to decry sashimi, sushi and other japanese delicacies as epicurean delights.

you mean you couldn't deduce all that from the "damn tasty shit" comment? LOL

Wes C. Attle said...

mmmmm... Maguro. Me so hungry.