The Right Way To Eat Sushi, According To Renowned Japanese Chef Nobu Matsuhisa

Nobu Matsuhisa, owner of Nobu Restaurants and Hotels and author of "Nobu: A Memoir," shares how to eat sushi the traditional Japanese way.

Following is a transcript of the video; it has been edited for clarity.

Nobu Matsuhisa: I’m Nobu Matsuhisa, owner of Nobu Restaurants Group and Hotels.

Chef Matsuhisa opened his first restaurant in 1987 in Los Angeles; today he owns 47. And there are six Nobu hotels around the world.

Matsuhisa: You don’t need extra wasabi. Wasabi is always inside, between the rice and fish.

So you can use chopsticks or your fingers — it doesn’t matter. Use what's more comfortable.

OK, here is wasabi and the ginger. Normally, people take the wasabi and dip soy sauce here, right?

But for me, it means a more traditional way. A piece of the fish, dip — put the soy sauce and wasabi on the middle of the fish. Then not much soy sauce.

So these are the three ways: sashimi, nigiri, and roll.

Nigiri sushi. Make half-turn, take the chopstick and put soy sauce on the fish side. You can see no rice. Just a touch of the soy sauce on the top of the fish.

But now, ginger. A piece of ginger, after one bite, if you try the next one, some tuna or shrimp or whitefish, take one piece of the ginger. Clean the salmon taste, then try the next pieces.

So, the sushi roll. Take this one, and this is no choice. Put the soy sauce in the rice but just a little. Just a little, then one bite. So everything is one bite. Don’t bite two bites.

I think it’s better to eat more the light, then a little bit heavy. It means more fatty fish at the end.

The final sushi may be better as a roll, even more — a cucumber, not like a fish. So cucumber roll, oshinko roll, and sour prawns. This is my way. I like that.

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[letteralex]

I like how he said this is the "traditional/my way" instead of the "right way" or "correct way" unlike business insider

[kellievo]

I really like that he's still respectful of other ways of eating sushi. He doesn't say "now the RIGHT way to eat sushi is...", instead he says "the traditional way of eating sushi" or "my way of eating sushi".

[shi]

mad respect for saying "my way" and "the traditional way"

[steinfakinaway]

1:34 "dont shake it, shaking is for the men in the men's room" - Naomichi Yasuda

[draaxus]

"Doesn't matter, more comfortable way"

T H A N K Y O U

[xt]

Good that he clarify things not what the dumb title stated. "This is my way how I eat sushi" every Japanese eat sushi differently to classify it is just dumb

[rc]

Most of the comments here are so disrespectful towards what the Chef has presented.

[jblove]

I love how Americans try to tell japanese how they're eating sushi wrong

[evilherojain]

He didn’t say how to eat sushi the right way he showed it the traditional way.

[millzimatt]

That's funny, I'm going to nobu with my girlfriend on Saturday lol

Edit: we broke up.

[Monkeman]

Me:
Brain at 3 am: You need to know how to eat sushi.
Me: Why?
Brain: You just need to.

[jadecoolness]

"One bite, not two bites."

My mouth is tinY I’M SORRY CHEF ;-;

[beautifulvillian]

I like it when he said "but for me, in more transitional way". He doesn't judge others who eat sushi right or wrong coz even Japanese people eat sushi with they comfortable way. I follow many Japanese YouTubers and see them eat sushi in different ways they want. Korean eat their sushi or sashimi or nigiri in the different way too. For me, I like to eat transitional way, but (in some place) when chef don't put wasabi under the fish, then I ask for extra. Depends on place, time and opportunity.

[flipmanonline]

Just finished eating my sushi. Now this popped up in my YT... Great... Real great!

[manayeager]

I like him and his way of explaining. This is a great video!

[longliveitachi]

This was beautiful. Even with broken English he still speaks with elegance.
Much respect sir.

[hybby]

This guy just leveled up my Sushi eating habits. I'll have to go to the sushi restaurant to my building soon and try this out. And then learn how to make sushi once again at home

[TheBeast-gskw]

I tried Sushi when I was three and I loved it. 🍣😏

[eatmysass]

He seems nice. Explains how *he* eats/traditional way to eat and I'm sure there are reasons for it. I can see how eating the fattier fish at the end makes sense. The way he dips probably enhances flavor, or is to prevent the soy sauce from overpowering the flavor of the fish. Cleanse your palate with ginger to savor the flavor of the next fish!

[ellacarlson]

I love your way of how to eat sushi and sashimi. It's very helpful. Thanks you for sharing