Video: The Japanese Approach to Fish

Discover the three key aspects of the Japanese approach to fish preparation in this video featuring Chef Chikara Sono of Kyo Ya restaurant. Watch as the chef demonstrates the traditional ikejime technique for butchering a live fish.

What makes the Japanese way of preparing fish so special? I tackled this question with Chef Chikara Sono of Kyo Ya restaurant at a workshop we did last fall at Saveur magazine. I just got my hands, at long last, on a video clip from that fascinating evening, and I thought to share it with you. In it, I talk about the three key aspects of the Japanese approach to fish. After I spoke, by the way, Chef Sono went ahead and butchered a live fish using a traditional technique called ikejime. Unfortunately the video of that was unusable -- I'll get that on tape someday! Here's the video...