This page describes how we make our shari (vinegared sushi rice) and why we have chosen the methods we use.
Think of how a wine's bouquet fades as the glass warms — the volatile aromatics simply drift away. The same thing happens with shari. When we mix vinegar into cooked rice, fragrant compounds form, but the warmer the rice stays, the faster those compounds escape. Our goal is to keep the shari as cool as possible throughout the process and raise the temperature only at the very last moment, just before it reaches the guest. We are trying to deliver as much of that aroma as we can.
Note: When vinegar meets hot rice, compounds called acetate esters form. These esters contribute to much of shari's distinctive fragrance. They volatilize readily as temperature rises, and we believe they dissipate particularly quickly above 60°C.
Rice
Why we blend two varieties
Our shari is a blend of two rice varieties: Milky Queen and Ryū no Hitomi. Milky Queen has a natural sweetness and stays soft even when cooled. Ryū no Hitomi has grains roughly 1.5 times the size of standard Japanese rice varieties, giving each grain a more substantial bite.
By combining the two, we are trying to achieve something that is normally difficult: rice that remains tender at low temperatures yet still has a firm, distinct bite. We aim to bring both qualities together in a single piece of sushi.
In-house milling
We purchase brown rice and mill it ourselves at the shop. The degree of milling affects how sticky or firm the cooked rice becomes, so we adjust the polish level to bring out the best characteristics of each variety.
Water and soaking
We use ultra-soft water with very low mineral content. Hard water can leave minerals on the surface of the grains, affecting both texture and color after cooking.
We soak the rice at a low temperature for 24 hours. A typical 30-to-60-minute soak softens the outside of the grain but can leave the core slightly firm. By extending the time, we aim to let water reach the center of every grain so that all grains start cooking from the same state, reducing unevenness.
Cooking
Cooking at 105°C
We cook our rice at approximately 105°C, which is higher than a standard rice cooker achieves at atmospheric pressure. By applying pressure, the boiling point rises, and the heat penetrates deeper into each grain.
Thoroughly cooking the core of the grain at high temperature serves two purposes.
First, it helps the rice resist hardening when cooled. Rice naturally firms up as it cools — a process called retrogradation. By cooking the grains more completely at 105°C, we are trying to slow that process so the rice can be chilled to 2°C without becoming excessively firm.
Note: Retrogradation occurs when gelatinized starch reverts toward a crystalline structure as it cools. A more thorough initial cook slows this reversion, which is why our rice can withstand being stored at 2°C.
Second, it means we can reheat the rice at a lower temperature before serving. Because the grains were fully cooked the first time, there is no need to subject them to high heat later. Keeping the reheating temperature low is critical for preserving aroma.
Note: Acetate esters volatilize rapidly above 60°C. Because our rice is already fully cooked, we aim to keep the reheating step entirely below 60°C, preserving the fragrant compounds.
Cooking in small batches
Although we have only seven counter seats, we cook rice three times a day rather than once. Our shari recipe uses less water than usual, and if we increase the batch size, some grains end up above the waterline and do not cook properly. Instead of scaling up, we cook more often to maintain consistency.
Vinegar blending
A blend of four vinegars
We blend four different vinegars to shape the balance of acidity and fragrance.
We also weigh the cooked rice each time and calculate the vinegar amount accordingly. Rice absorbs different amounts of water depending on the season and storage conditions, so the weight of the finished batch varies from day to day. By adjusting the vinegar to match the actual cooked weight, we are trying to keep the flavor as consistent as possible.
Rapid cooling after mixing
Immediately after mixing in the vinegar, we cool the rice as quickly as we can. The aromatic compounds form at the moment vinegar meets hot rice, but if the rice stays hot, those compounds escape into the air. By bringing the temperature down fast, we aim to retain as much aroma as possible within the shari.
The traditional method of fanning with an uchiwa takes time, and aroma continues to escape throughout. We believe the key is to minimize the time the shari spends at high temperature.
Temperature management before serving
Reheating 14 pieces at a time
After rapid cooling, we store the shari at 2°C. When it is time to serve, we reheat just enough for about 14 pieces — two per seat across our seven-seat counter.
If we kept a large batch warm throughout service, the aroma would gradually fade. The first guest and the last guest would receive noticeably different shari. By reheating in small portions timed to each course, we are trying to serve every guest the same experience.
For reheating, we wrap the shari in sarashi (a traditional fine-weave cotton cloth) and measure both the temperature and moisture level of the cloth each time. We start with higher heat to bring the temperature up quickly, then switch to lower heat before the temperature rises to the point where aroma dissipates more quickly, gently bringing the shari to its target temperature. Our goal is to warm it evenly throughout without overheating the surface, which would drive off the fragrance.
Nigiri
Shaped to loosen gently in the mouth
We want each piece to hold together when lifted with chopsticks, yet release softly the moment it enters the mouth. That is what we aim for.
We control the moisture in two places: the tezu (vinegar-water on the chef's hands) and the nikiri (seasoned soy sauce brushed onto the topping). Our nikiri is deliberately less viscous than usual, so it penetrates from the topping into the shari more easily. The combined moisture from tezu and nikiri, together with the warmth and saliva in the guest's mouth, is what we rely on to make the shari come apart softly.
Choosing the rice, milling it, selecting the water, soaking, cooking, blending the vinegar, cooling, storing, reheating, shaping — through every step, we are trying to carry the aroma of the shari all the way to the guest's palate. It is an ongoing effort, and we have not perfected it. But this is what we are working toward.