Food review: Hamachi sashimi (yellowtail)

Restaurant: Zushi Puzzle (San Francisco)
Food description: Raw slices of yellowtail hamachi sashimi
Food rating: 6.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

It's really hard to go wrong with hamachi. This was my second favorite sashimi after the butterfish. I didn't like the chunky blocks that they cut the fish into, but it didn't affect the flavor, so I won't dock it. The cut was actually more fatty than other hamachi that I've had (notice the color), which made the flavor extra rich and buttery. The texture was semi-firm and smooth. Unlike the hamachi at Sushi Time, they removed all the skin, thankfully. Unfortunately, like the butterfish, I tasted traces of onion on the fish, probably due to being cut with an oniony knife. It is these little things that make me question whether I'm going to come back to this place. Although it didn't change the flavor drastically, it's not what I was expecting (plus sushi chefs are supposed to be more conscientious than that). It's a real shame too, because the hamachi was actually pretty good aside from that.

Food review: Hamachi sashimi (yellowtail)

Restaurant: Sushi Time (San Francisco)
Food description: Raw slices of yellowtail/hamachi sashimi
Food rating: 7.5 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

I'm going to give a big bravo to the hamachi sashimi at Sushi Time. It was the best out of the trio and was unbelievably fresh, compared to the on-its-way-out shiro maguro counterpart. The color of the fish was perfect and was so fresh, the juice was literally oozing out of it-- something I can't say I've seen before. The texture was firm yet smooth, and cut from the edge of the fish to include some of that nice darker meat. The resulting flavor was creamy and rich and lasted long after you swallowed it. One downside of the hamachi was the presence of a thick piece skin lining the edge that is slimy and tougher to chew than the rest of the fish. It doesn't taste that good and kinda grosses me out thinking of where the outside of that fish has been. I assume the chef has included the skin for a reason, but I'm just not at the point where I can appreciate it, so I'd rather have it removed. Other than that minor nuisance, the hamachi had a mouthwatering effect on me, and exceeded the salmon and maguro by quite a bit. If only I'd known this beforehand, I would've said "screw the other sashimi!" and just eaten a triple serving of hamachi.

Food review: Hamachi sashimi (yellowtail)

(hamachi is white)

Restaurant: Red Box Sushi (San Francisco)
Food description: Raw slices of yellowtail sashimi
Food rating: 6 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

Judging purely by looks alone, I thought the hamachi was going to be stellar, but was surprised when the texture left something to be desired. Each piece was strewn with chewy tendony tissue, usually more common in tuna than hamachi. I'm not exactly sure the exact cause of this--I think it has something to do with the area of the fish--but it's something I'm very critical of and think chefs should be ultra conscious about. These inferior cuts of fish are totally fine when used inside sushi rolls, but shouldn't be served alone as sashimi. On the bright side (though my jaw was a little tired afterwards), I enjoyed the freshness and delicious flavor of the hamachi and would love to see if the chef uses a better cut the second time around. It definitely has a lot of potential, but is difficult to recommend after this first pass.

Food review: Hamachi sashimi (yellowtail)

(hamachi on left)

Restaurant: Sushi Delight (San Francisco)
Food description: Raw slices of yellowtail hamachi sashimi
Food rating: 8 out of 10
Times ordered: 10+

What can I say but YUM!! One of the best things on the menu at Sushi Delight and a staple of my diet. It always tastes so fresh, it's hard to tell if it was actually frozen (like much sashimi) or not. The flavor is rich and buttery, but not oily like salmon. It's less fatty than some other hamachi, but barely noticeable. The texture is semi-soft and melts in your mouth. The cut is consistently great and is just the right size. A must-try for any hamachi fans. Oh, and did I mention it's a great value ($7 for 6 pieces)?