Happy hour is a period of time during the day that restaurants offer half priced appetizers, drinks, and sushi. Pay attention to the menu or advertisement because some places only offer happy hour in the bar area or are only Monday through Friday.

Listen below are some of the best happy hour deals in the Valley.

Stingray Sushi
Biltmore Fashion Square &
Old Town Scottsdale
Monday-Friday 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
Menu

Stingray Sushi

Ra Sushi
Mill Ave, Tempe &
Old Town Scottsdale
Happy Hour Monday through Saturday
3 p.m.-7 p.m.
Happy Hour Prices

Sushi Roku
7277 E Camelback Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85251-3319
(480) 970-2121
Daily Happy Hour from 5-6:30 p.m.

Kona Grill
Chandler Fashion Square,
5310 E High St
Phoenix, AZ 85054 &
Scottsdale Fashion Square
Happy Hour Monday to Friday 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
Monday to Thursday 9 p.m.-11 p.m. &
Friday to Saturday 10 p.m.-12 a.m.

In Massachusetts, anything similar to happy hour is illegal so I was estatic when I learned I could enjoy sushi on a college budget. But whether on a college budget or not, everyone likes to save a penny or two especially when you can enjoy a nice half priced drink as well!

Speaking about saving money and eating sushi, a new invention called Sushi Poppers recently came out on the market. Sushi Poppers are portable tubes of pre-rolled and sliced sushi that you push from the bottom to eat. It is similar to a pushpop with veggies and fish instead!

People are excited about them because they are a nutritious and fast snack for on the go. They come in several flavors and can be ordered online. They have been featured on Fox News, Today, Unwrapped, and food Network.

Sushi Poppers can be stored in your freezer for up to a month and are eaten at room temperature. They are gluten free and offer option for those who do not want raw fish in their roll.

When eating at a sushi restaurant you should sit at the sushi bar and interact with with sushi chef. They are always entertaining and pleased when you enjoy their food. The chefs put a lot of effort into each roll, carefully making sure that the proportions are correct so that the flavors and taste are perfect.

When eating sushi you normally use chopsticks. Chopsticks can be difficult and testy, but do not be afraid to test them out. These instructions may aide you in learning how to properly use them.

You should eat the whole piece in one bite or the roll may fall apart and will become hard to finish. It is also considered bad form to eat only a piece. You should try to finish everything on your plate because in Japan it is rude to leave food on your plate.

If you are 21-years-old, sake, beer, or tea taste good with sushi. Fruity varieties usually overpower the taste of the sushi.

When ordering sushi, do not be afraid to ask the chef recommendations. The chef knows what is the freshest and and also the special of the day. Rolls are prepared and served in six to eight pieces and will be served with pickled ginger and wasabi (green horseradish). You mix the wasabi in the soy sauce to give it a little spice.

Try not to dunk or smother your roll in soy sauce. The rice absorbs soy sauce very quickly and will overpower the flavors of the fish and other ingredients.

Pickled ginger is eaten in small amounts between the varieties of sushi to cleanse the palate.

Sushi chefs do not handle money so in appreciation offer a drink or leave a tip in a jar located at the top of the sushi bar. Comments and feedback are always welcome, they enjoy hearing the compliments of their work. For them, this is considered an art.

Hopefully these tidbits on sushi etiquette encourage you to test new endevors at the sushi bar!

Until next time, どうぞめしあがれ (douzo meshiagare) or ‘enjoy your meal’!

Deep breathes!

You can find an easy step-by-step book to show you how in a local Asian grocery store or online. A common site to find a sushi kit is Amazon. The kit includes all the non-perishable ingredients needed to make sushi. Below is a picture of the one I bought.

Sushi Chef Sushi Making Kit

To make maki with fish or nigiri you will need to purchase fresh sushi grade fish. You can find this and other sushi items at a specialty store.

There are a number of Asian groceries in the Valley. Some include:

Super L Ranch Market
668 N 44th St # 188
Phoenix, AZ 85008-6578
(602) 225-2288

House of Rice Store
3221 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale
480-947-6698

New Tokyo Food Market
3435 W Northern Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85051
(602) 841-0255

Fujiya Market
1335 W University Dr Ste 5
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 968-1890

Kholer Created gives a very detailed step-by-step sushi rolling process with pictures! If you dare to roll your own maki you should definitly check out their site.

I attempted to make my own maki. I visited Super L Ranch Market and bought salmon and tuna sashimi and cooked ebi (shrimp). I also picked up some green tea ice cream because I always crave ice cream after sushi! Another delicious flavor is red bean. Do not be turned off by the name it tastes like a rasberry sorbet! And the green tea and red bean ice cream together is an amazing mix! A little bit of heaven to finish off a succesful meal.

I made several makis and you can roll several ways. I tried rolling with the nori outside and also with the nori inside the rice. My favorite was the salmon and tuna together with a dab of spicy mayo on top. I also made spicy tuna, spicy tuna with ebi on top and a vegetarian roll which included carrots and cucumbers. Surprisingly the maki was not that bad. Considering it was my first time attempting to roll my own sushi I assumed I would make a few mistakes.

Process of making maki

I’ll definitely be making my own sushi again, there’s tons of room to improve! I’ve researched new tips like rolling the maki in plastic when cutting it so it does not fall apart and using less rice. Next time I think I’ll try something daring like adding items I usually don’t order in my rolls.

Sushi Maki

Visit maki recipes for some ideas.

First off, my love for sushi began a couple of years ago. To be honest, I was petrified of the weird and different textured thing that my mother and younger sister ate constantly, but when i was forced against my will to try, I fell in love.

This blog will cover health facts and sushi, restaurant reviews, facts, personal experiences, and tutorials. I hope to change minds, enlighten, and learn more about sushi.

Now to the fun stuff!

On Tuesday night to celebrate and kick off the blog I dined at Sushi Roku in Scottsdale, AZ. It was phenomenal to say the least.The staff worked in unison, there was a perfect amount of time in between each course and our waiter, Ron, was more than pleasant taking the time to give us his recommendations and explain different items on the menu. They also prepared special request maki roll that I normally order back home!

Chef at Sushi Roku entertains guests by joking around with peace signs as he creates an edible masterpiece

I learned at Sushi Roku that there are three ways to order sushi other than the most commmonly know: Nigiri, Sashimi and Maki. The three other ways are Chirashi, Inari, and Temaki

I was also pleased to hear that Sushi Roku receives shipments daily with their sushi grade fish. They get their shipments from Los Angeles, CA and customers who have visited both restaurants in California and Arizona say that the fish in Scottsdale tastes fresher than in California!

Ron mentioned that their inventory is based upon demand and also seasonal items such as oysters. Sushi Roku also offers meals on the menu that are not sushi related, which is enjoyable for guests who have sushi lovers and those who are weary to try.

The atmosphere was upbeat yet relaxing as modern, hip, soft techno music played. It was definitely a pleasant experience and surprise especially from a chain restaurant. It’s nice to know that each restaurant keeps up to par with the standards the first chain started.

Sushi Roku is on the pricey side. I’d give it about $$$ out of $$$$$. If you’re looking for a new place to try or something different Sushi Roku is more than worth it.

A more detailed review with pictures of Sushi Roku is located under Restaurant Reviews.