I am not a particularly squeamish eater. I’ve cheerily eaten various cuts of offal, griddled octopus tentacles – hell, a few weeks ago I ate beef heart tartar. I see adventurous items on a menu almost as a gauntlet thrown down to me. Bring it on.
And so it was with sea urchin. Once I’d seen it on the menu at Bamboo Sushi (my current favourite sushi in Bath), I couldn’t not order it. Also, I felt like I could hardly call myself a sushi fan if I didn’t. Uni – sea urchin – is renowned as a delicacy in Japan, served as nigiri sushi atop a small block of rice, with a strip of nori around the outside edge to keep it in place.
I can see why it’s got a reputation as an acquired taste. Salty without being overtly ‘fishy’, it has a texture more akin to a set custard than anything I’d usually associate with sushi. It wasn’t unpleasant, although I’m unsure if I’d order it again.
More pleasing to my coddled Western palate was this somewhat less traditional rainbow roll – another first for me – and some tako (octopus) nigiri. But I’m not going to lie: I do feel like I’ve earned a few sushi stripes now.
Something New Each Week 