Fresh isn’t always best
People expect sushi fish to go straight from the boat to the plate. Some of it should. Spot prawns and scallops are best the day they land. But a lot of fish tastes better after a few days of rest in the cooler, the same way a steak does.
What resting does
Right after it’s caught, fish is firm and tastes mostly of the sea. Over a few days the texture softens and the flavour gets deeper. Albacore is at its best around day four. Sablefish gets a kombu cure overnight before it ever sees a knife.
How we do it
Whole loins go into their own cooler, wrapped and labelled with the day they came in. We check them every morning. Nothing sits past its best, and if we get it wrong, it doesn’t get served.
So when you ask what’s fresh
Ask what’s good instead. Ren will tell you what’s peaking tonight, and sometimes it’s the fish that’s been waiting since Saturday.
