Half-priced Sushi At The Upstairs Bar Recipe

Rinse and cook rice

Rinse 2 cups short-grain sushi rice under cold water until the runoff is almost clear (about 4–6 rinses). Drain well. Combine rinsed rice and 2.2 cups water in a rice cooker or heavy-bottomed pot. If using a pot, bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Prepare sushi vinegar

While the rice cooks, whisk together 4 tbs rice vinegar, 2 tbs granulated sugar and 1 tsp fine sea salt until the sugar dissolves. Warm gently if needed but do not boil.

Season rice

Transfer hot cooked rice to a wide shallow bowl (hangiri or large baking dish). Gently fold the sushi vinegar into the rice using a rice paddle or wooden spoon with cutting and folding motions—do not mash. Fan the rice as you fold to cool it quickly to room temperature; this gives the rice shine. Cover with a damp towel and keep at room temperature until assembling (up to 1 hour).

Prepare fillings

Slice the salmon and tuna into long strips about 1/2 inch wide for rolls or into thin slices for nigiri (if making nigiri, keep pieces slightly larger). Shred or flake the crab into bite-sized pieces. Julienne the cucumber, slice the avocado thinly, and thinly slice the scallions. Mix 3 tbs mayonnaise with 1 tsp sriracha if you want a spicy mayo; reserve remaining mayo for milder options.

Set up rolling station

Place a bamboo mat on a work surface and optionally wrap it in plastic wrap. Cut nori sheets in half for 6–7 inch rolls (hosomaki) or use full sheets for standard rolls (maki). Wet your hands with water mixed with a little rice vinegar to prevent sticking.

Make maki rolls (4 rolls)

For each full roll: place a nori sheet shiny side down on the mat. Spread a thin, even layer of sushi rice over the nori leaving a 1/2-inch strip at the top edge free of rice. Sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the rice if desired. Arrange fillings along the center: 2–3 strips of salmon or tuna (or a line of crab with avocado and cucumber). Add a small drizzle of mayo or spicy mayo and a few scallion slices. Lift the edge of the mat closest to you and roll firmly but gently into a tight cylinder, pressing to seal the nori edge. Repeat for remaining sheets. For inside-out rolls (uramaki), place plastic wrap on the mat, spread rice on the wrapped nori, flip nori, then add fillings and roll so rice is outside.

Make nigiri (optional)

Wet your hands, take about 2 tablespoons of seasoned rice and form a small oblong mound. Lightly dab a little wasabi onto a slice of fish and press the fish gently over the rice. Repeat to make desired pieces.

Slice and finish

Using a sharp, wet knife, slice each roll into 6–8 pieces with a single clean stroke for each cut (wipe the knife between cuts). Arrange pieces on a platter. Garnish with pickled ginger, a small dab of wasabi, toasted sesame seeds, tempura flakes for crunch, and microgreens or pickled daikon as desired. Serve soy sauce on the side for dipping.

Place pickled ginger and wasabi in small dishes for guests. Offer soy sauce to taste. If serving at a bar for a happy hour, keep sushi chilled until serving, display attractively on a chilled platter or wooden board, and label which rolls contain raw fish. For half-priced Happy Hour service, prepare a mix of rolls with and without raw fish to accommodate preferences and rotate batches every 30–45 minutes to ensure freshness.

Storage note: Consume sushi within 4 hours if kept at room temperature (best) or within 24 hours refrigerated (wrapped tightly) but do not refrigerate raw fish once assembled for more than a few hours. Keep raw fish chilled until assembly.