Japanese Roseville Restaurants: Where Can You Enjoy Great Sushi?

If you hear the term “Japanese food,” chances are high that sushi is the first thing that comes to your mind. This is due primarily to the dish’s growing popularity in America over the past couple of decades. According to Post Bubble Culture, a blog site from the College of William & Mary in Virginia dedicated to studying contemporary Japan, the number of sushi bars and restaurants in the U.S. increased five-fold between 1988 and 1998. Sushi has become so ubiquitous that you can see the dish virtually everywhere—even memorialized in nonedible forms like clothing, earrings, and fridge magnets.

Since it first caught the public’s eye during the 1970s, sushi has become a status symbol of sorts owing to its exotic origins. Much has changed since then, however, as many sushi variants are no longer authentically Japanese but rather derivatives of original recipes designed to satiate the American palate. Sushi’s appeal in the Sacramento area in particular is mostly thanks to the efforts of top-rated Roseville restaurants like Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar.

Before you try out a popular sushi restaurant, though, you may want to educate yourself a bit on the history behind sushi. Most America-based sushi restaurants serve uramaki-style sushi, a method involving wrapping sticky rice around the meat. The more traditional nigiri method features a ball of rice topped with a single piece of raw fish, and is more commonly seen in Japan. American sushi tends to be a lot more complex, as it includes ingredients like cucumber and cream cheese, which the Japanese may find a bit exotic.

The fresh ingredients used in sushi are also beneficial to health, as they are great sources of protein, omega-3, isothiocyanates, and other nutrients. With the addition of gluten-free ingredients like wasabi and ginger, sushi is also one of the best-tasting food options for those with celiac disease.

Lately, things have come full circle as various types of Western sushi – most notably California rolls – are beginning to be noticed in Japan as well. Here in the states, the wide array of fusion twists to the more classic Japanese rolls can make for an interesting night out with friends at Japanese restaurants in Roseville, CA.
Given the kind of impression this particular style left in the U.S., there’s no question that sushi will remain a staple in America’s culinary consciousness.

(Source: Kaitenzushi: Sushi makes the rounds from Japan to America to Japan again, Post Bubble Culture, March 27, 2011)

Warm Up with Yummy Curry at Sushi Restaurants in Roseville, CA this Fall

Alongside sushi and teriyaki, karé (Japanese curry) is one of the most popular dishes in Japanese cuisine. It’s so popular that the book Japanese Soul Cooking by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat has an entire chapter dedicated to its history and culinary significance among the Japanese culture. The Wall Street Journal recounts the story of this dish and points out that much has changed since the British first introduced curry to Japan more than a hundred years ago.

Frequently made with beef, Japanese curry also comes in pork, lamb, fish and straight-up vegetable versions. Regional examples showcase local produce; recipes invented by naval chefs have even been known to include Cheddar cheese or coffee. Mr. Ono developed a miso curry for his cookbook. It has the red wine and beef of a French stew combined with Japanese items like burdock root, daikon and two types of miso paste, which give it a marvelous, savory intensity and saltiness.

Predictably, karé has also made its way to U.S. menus. Japanese restaurants in Roseville, CA like Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar have since given their own spin on the dish. While curry can be served at any time of the year, diners should be more eager to eat karé during the fall months, as this season provides an opportunity for chefs to finally get their hands on fresh batches of carrots, onions, and other vegetables. Mikuni Sushi’s own beef curry recipe, for instance, follows tradition by including these seasonal vegetables, plus an optional serving of breaded pork cutlets (tonkatsu).

Arguably the biggest reason why karé is so popular among the Japanese and the British is that it’s quite a versatile dish. It is said that most Japanese families have their own version of karé, and each recipe uses varying combinations of fruits, vegetables, meat, and sauce. In addition, combining the dish with another food staple is bound to produce great results. For instance, topping karé with tonkatsu results in a tasty katsu-kare, while adding noodles into the mix creates kare-udon or kare-ramen.

Nowadays, even amateur cooks can make their own karé, thanks to curry roux blocks sold in many markets and Japanese grocery stores. Karé is also much easier to cook, as Ono and Salat are quick to point out, since it does not rely on ground nuts and pureed vegetables for thickening. However, the best Japanese restaurants in Roseville can create the most authentic, great tasting karé, given their years of experience and consistent use of seasonal vegetables and spices.

 

(Source: Comforting Japanese Curry Recipes for Fall, The Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2014)

Experience the Sacramento Area Nightlife without Killing Your Diet

What you eat can play a huge role in how healthy your body is. Not surprisingly, the Boston Medical Center says that about 45 million Americans go on a diet each year in an effort to shed excess weight.

Of course, sticking to a diet requires a lot of willpower and discipline, and, unfortunately, your well-laid eating plans may be derailed when your friends or colleagues invite you to dine at one of the many restaurants in Sacramento. But don’t decline the invitation just yet – there are things you can do to make dining out a healthier experience:

Choose Your Restaurant Carefully
Research local eateries and see which of them offer diet-friendly menus. For instance, Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar has a Karui menu which features healthy dishes that are all 500 calories or less. By carefully choosing Sacramento restaurants to visit, you can enjoy scrumptious food without sacrificing your diet.

As You Like It
If the choice of restaurant is not yours to make, Reader’s Digest says that you can ask servers to prepare your food in a healthier manner:

Dining out is no time to be a meek consumer, notes Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and coauthor of the book Restaurant Confidential. “You need to be an assertive consumer by asking for changes on the menu,” he says. For instance, if an item is fried, ask for it grilled. If it comes with french fries, ask for a side of veggies instead. Ask for a smaller portion of the meat and a larger portion of the salad; for salad instead of coleslaw; baked potato instead of fried. “Just assume you can have the food prepared the way you want it,” says Dr. Jacobson. “Very often, the restaurant will cooperate.”

Pace Yourself
According to experts, it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you’re already full. If you feel like the meal you ordered didn’t quite hit the spot, don’t order seconds right away – give your tummy a chance to send its “satiation signal” first.

So Long, Sodas
You may be watching what you eat, but are you also watching what you drink? Consider this: A single can of cola has about 139 calories, or about 7% of your daily caloric needs. Keep this in mind the next time you eat out, and just go with water.

(Source: 20 Tricks to Eating Healthy While Eating Out, Reader’s Digest)

Good Restaurants in Elk Grove, CA Can Cater to Your Gluten-free Needs

Celiac disease is a digestive and autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with the way the body absorbs nutrients from food. A gluten-free diet is the universally accepted treatment for those who have the disease, although this particular diet choice is also growing in popularity among the rest of the population who don’t suffer from the condition.

 

 

According to a study done by the Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health, about 1 in 141 people in the U.S. have celiac disease. However, many medical and nutritional experts believe that the number of people with undiagnosed gluten sensitivity is potentially much higher. The Celiac Disease Foundation estimates that 2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications.

Millions of people around the world have eliminated gluten from their diets and have reported an elimination of subclinical symptoms of poor health they didn’t even realize they had. Bloating and gas after meals disappearing; brain fog that hit every afternoon suddenly lifting; going from several mild colds each year to zero for years; dramatic improvements in acne conditions without drugs; elimination of migraines; and much more.

Do you plan to go gluten-free?

Going gluten-free is a big transformation, and the road toward completely changing your lifestyle is laden with difficulty. After all, gluten is inherent in a lot of our most common foods—breads, pancakes, muffins, and pasta, to name a few. Fortunately, the path to being gluten-free is made easier thanks in part to the increasing number of gluten-free establishments, especially some popular restaurants in Elk Grove, CA like Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar.

Enjoying gluten-free food

If you have the skill to whip up a gloriously delicious gluten-free meal at home, then a little trip to the grocery store will provide you with all the ingredients you need. However, if like most people, you don’t have the time, knowledge, or skills to cook certain dishes, don’t worry. Restaurants in Elk Grove, CA like Mikuni Sushi are ready to serve you with culinary creations that are in line with your gluten-free lifestyle. Take your pick from a variety of healthy, delectable sushi and salad combinations that will surely make you forget you’re following a special diet.

A word to the wise

Some people who choose to be gluten-free, whether for health or personal reasons, tend to miss out on certain essential nutrients. Combat this by supplementing your gluten-free diet with daily multivitamins. With these tips and tricks, you can be well on your way toward having a healthier diet, with notable restaurants like Mikuni Sushi helping you achieve your goals.

(Source: Going gluten-free? Don’t forget your macronutrients, Fox News, Sept. 07, 2014)

No Worries with Sushi Served at the Best Restaurant in Elk Grove, CA

When a China-based news story about a man’s body being riddled with worms after eating raw fish went viral recently, many Americans who read it began to wonder if the same thing could happen to them. According to articles covering the story, the man went to a hospital complaining of stomach pains, and when his body was x-rayed, the doctors discovered the horrific reason.

If you’re one of those wondering whether you too are at risk of contracting parasites from eating sushi, the answer is promising: You have nothing to worry about – and that’s from Oprah’s resident physician, Dr. Mehmet Oz. Here is an excerpt of the respected physician’s interview on the issue, published in Oprah’s website:

Can eating sushi lead to parasites?

In a word, no.

Dr. Oz says you can eat all the sushi you want without worrying about getting a parasite. “There’s no question when the fish die there are often parasites in the gut that will go into the meat,” Dr. Oz says. “But all the fish—sushi—that’s served in this country is supposed to be frozen before you eat it. … It keeps it tasting fresh but it also kills the parasites, which is why they do it.”

If for some reason the fish wasn’t flash frozen, Dr. Oz says any well-trained sushi chef should be able to identify it as possibly harmful.

The law has got you covered

The Food and Drug Administration requires all fish (except tuna, which are inherently very low in parasitic incidence) that are meant to be served raw in U.S. food establishments, such as your favorite Elk Grove restaurants, be frozen at a temperature of -4°F or below for a minimum of 7 days or -31°F for 15 hours. Both of these methods ensure that any parasite that may be inside a fish will be destroyed.

Ensuring your safety

For your safety, it’s very important to go to a restaurant or market that specializes in raw fish if you want to make your own sushi. Most home freezers don’t have the capabilities that industrial freezers do, so there is always a possibility that parasites will survive the process if you choose to prepare your own sushi at home. Alternatively, your chances of contracting a parasite in the best restaurant in Elk Grove, CA for sushi are so miniscule that you can easily dismiss the issue.

This is great news for sushi-lovers, who can now eat all the sushi they want without worrying about unwanted parasites. Just make sure your sushi is prepared by trusted restaurants with well-trained sushi chefs like Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar.

(Source: Dr. Oz Answers Your Questions, Oprah.com)

One of the Best Restaurants in Sacramento Suggests Something New: A Dinner Party

Dinner parties are a great alternative to dining out. To begin with, the atmosphere is not only more relaxed (the venue is your home, after all); it’s also more intimate, since all the diners are your friends. But what’s a host to do if he or she has no idea where to begin planning a dinner party?

Luckily, there are some resources out there for you. Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar, one of the best restaurants in the Sacramento area, offers the following life-hacks that will help you throw a smashing dinner party, even if you’re not exactly Martha Stewart.

Hire a Chef for the Night

If you’re not too handy in the kitchen, you don’t have to settle with serving cheese and crackers for dinner. These days, some renowned Midtown Sacramento restaurants, like Mikuni Sushi, have “rent-a-chef” programs, in which a personal chef will actually go to your home and take over the cooking for you. With this method, you can wow your friends by serving restaurant-quality dishes without breaking a sweat.

Make it a BYOB Affair

Don’t know what drinks to serve? Here’s a simple solution: Let your guests bring their own alcohol! This article from Food52.com even offers a nifty trick for quickly chilling their wine bottles:

First, toss your ice with a handful or two of salt, and distribute it evenly. Place your bottle in whatever vessel you’re using, then dump the ice over it…

Then fill your bucket with cold water, as high as the neck of the bottle, so that it is surrounded by a mixture of salty, ice-filled water.

Why does this work? In order for your wine to cool, heat (energy) needs to move out of the bottle and into its surroundings… Liquid transfers heat more quickly than the pockets of air that sit between ice cubes, which is why water is key here. The salt helps to lower the freezing point of your ice-water mixture… This way, there’s more ice melting in the mixture; melting requires energy, and the closest place to find that energy is your bottle.

Minimize Cleanup

Once your dinner party has – hopefully – gone off without a hitch, you now find yourself confronted with a mountain of dishes that need washing. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize cleanup. If you’re intent on serving appetizers, go for food that can be eaten using napkins and toothpicks. No plates and utensils necessary means no dishwashing for you! Also, label your guests’ straws or glasses so they don’t end up using three or four different glasses over the course of the dinner – this tip also works for backyard BBQs featuring plastic utensils and cups, to avoid unnecessary waste.

(Source: How to Chill a Bottle of Wine Faster, Food52.com, June 4, 2014)