Judith Davidoff
At some point, sushi restaurants in the United States seemed to migrate towards specialty rolls — mega rolls that often mix one, two or three kinds of fish with such ingredients as cream cheese and shiso mayo. For me, sushi perfection comes in the form of Muramoto’s negihama roll. These are tight rolls, classically prepared with the nori wrap (seaweed) on the outside. Inside, a layer of soft, sticky rice envelops a mix of yellowtail — a sweet fish known in Japan as hamachi — and scallions — or “negi.” If there’s a small amount of wasabi, as the menu says, I didn’t see or taste it. These rolls are melt-in-your-mouth tender and each piece transfers from chopstick to mouth easily — no spills, no cramming. Owner and chef Shinji Muramoto has expressed frustration with how much soy sauce Americans typically use with their sushi: “If you use too much, you don’t taste the fish,” he told Madison Magazine. Take his advice with these rolls, you definitely don’t want to drown them in soy sauce. They are too good.
