Anthony Bourdain Loved Sushi But Said You Should Avoid Buying This One Type

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In 2016, as times changed within the culinary world, Anthony Bourdain was widely considered a rebel chef to the point that he had some fellow, well-respected celebrity chefs who disagreed with him. Feel what you will about the man, when he spoke, you listened. Throughout his career, Bourdain had some hard stances on television chefs like Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, and the Food Network as a whole, as well as some politely put complex feelings on vegan and vegetarianism. Among those savage, culinary takes Bourdain held firm on, one that should be heard is his advice on sushi, as he advised to never order discounted sushi at a restaurant.

Although he only followed that advice by admitting to the inability to think of a better food to avoid than "bargain sushi," digging a little deeper, one may agree. In "Kitchen Confidential," Bourdain once stated that he doesn't recommend ordering fish on Mondays, although he later retracted that statement in 2016. What matters more is the freshness and where you order the sushi from. You may be fine not worrying about the day if ordering it along the coastline, but you should probably still avoid hitting up the dive bar variety wherever you are. The restaurant may still try and score a profit by putting seafood and sushi on sale, but this is a likely red flag, as it's also unlikely that the chefs have gone shopping or received their orders on Sunday or Monday. 

Aside from knowing when not to order sushi, Anthony Bourdain also informed fans and the culinary world that you're likely dipping sushi the wrong way. Of course, sushi and soy sauce are something of a Batman and Robin combination; so next time you're enjoying them together, remember to dip it fish side down. Otherwise, you may turn your soy sauce into soy rice soup. Additionally, when you're scoping out the city for good sushi, pan-Asian restaurants may not be the best choice, according to Bourdain. This makes sense — while these kinds of joints may offer sushi, since it technically would fall within the "pan-Asian" category — finding a proper sushi bar would be best. Here, sushi chefs will prepare the food within view of the patrons, allowing for a deeper appreciation of the food as they watch the masters at work.

Although Anthony Bourdain sadly passed away in 2018, much of the Rebel Chef's advice still holds true long after. He loved people, food, and especially sushi. His rules of enjoying it were simple, and came from a lifetime of experience and passion. In tandem with Bourdain's advice, the best tips to enjoy sushi are to understand the importance of quality, don't get excessive with soy sauce and wasabi, never be afraid to ditch the chopsticks and use your fingers (the proper way), and order more than just a California Roll. Yes, it's a classic, but there's just so much more out there.