My Debut: 鱸薄造り (Thin Sea Bass Sashimi)

My restaurant serves fugu (pufferfish) and so I'm learning how to slice fish and plate it according to how fugu is done. The picture is what I did today. I cut it and plated it all by myself, Mom! It seemed to impress the bosses enough to talk about me starting to study for the fugu test in a year or two. For how simple sashimi looks, it really requires a lot of know-how and technique to make it look good. It's like sports; it looks effortless when a pro is doing it and it becomes obvious how difficult it really is when a rank beginner is at it. I'm pleased with myself today.

By the way, 鱸 (すずき、sea bass) is an excellent fish for sashimi. It has a firm texture, with almost a 'crunch' to it, and absolutely no 'fishy' taste. The one I did today was for us to eat; it was a gift from a server's father, who is a fishmonger.