|
With MoscowТs restaurant market
saturated with Japanese eateries
and Muscovites consuming raw fish
for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it
was only a matter of time until
someone came up with the idea of
teaching sushi lovers to make their
favorite cuisine in the comfort of their own kitchens.
Enter the Aka-te sushi school,
where sushi-loving amateurs can
learn the same skills as those kimono-clad speed demons behind the bar serving up their favorite dishes located just a few steps from Kurskaya Station, Aka-te employs professional sushi chefs to teach students each step of the process, from rice preparation to those final touches that make a plate of rolls a work of art as well as a meal. УThereТs a lot of mystique surrounding the sushi making process,Ф said Yelena Filatova, the schoolТs owner. УWhile it certainly isnТt easy, itТs an art that can be mastered by anyone willing to work hard.Ф
My day as a guest student at Aka-te started out with an introduction to my fellow sushi-making aspirants. The class was small that day Ц in addition to myself, there was a
|
 | |
 |
|
Cuban gentleman who was head
chef at a prominent Moscow restaurant
and a young lady opening a café in
Novorossiisk. Both were there to learn sushi-making for business reasons, a trend that Filatova said is relatively new at the school.
УUntil recently, we mostly had sushi lovers and housewives who wanted to make sushi for their husbandsФ, she sad. УLately, though, weТve been seeing professionals who want to learn sushi-making to enhance their careersФ.
After an hour-long discourse on the history and traditions surrounding sushi, we were taken to the kitchen and placed in the care of Alexei Kim, a sushi chef and our instructor for
|
the day. Kim gave each of us Japanese-style headbands and showed us to our workstation - high wooden tables on wheels that were equipment with all of the implements needed for sushi construction. Before long, we were molding rice, making wasabi and slicing raw fish Ц of not like professionals, then at least like the enthusiastic amateurs that we were. When we had filled our tables with a dozen or so imperfect yet still tempting sushi rolls, we were led to a Japanese-style dining room, complete with a low table, pillows for sitting and rice paper lamps. It was here that we sampled our creations, accompanied by green tea and sake. Once we had finished our |
 |
 | | |
|
repast, it was back to the kitchen for more lessons.
So how hard is it to make sushi Not that hard Ц when youТre ina fully equipped kitchen with a friendly sushi chef directing your every move. However, things may get a bit dicier when youТre on your own. Proper tools, including a rice cooker a hangiri (large wooden bowl for mixing rice) and a makisu (bamboo mat for shaping the rolls) are essential, as nori (seaweed), among others. All of these items can be obtained at Dzapro, a Japanese supermarket on Prospect Mira, where you can expect to pay a pretty penny. As for the actual sushi making, Aka-teТs instructiors say that is a skill perfected only by repeated practice, and they are always available to answer questions from alumni.
The one-day corse costs 150 conditional units, and the two-day course costs 260.
1 Bolshoj Kazenny Per.,
917-07-28 www.aka-te.ru
M.Kurskaya.
|
 | |
