How many of you have ever tried FUGU?

[Bigblu10]

Poison puffer fish, considered a luxury food in Japan. What is it like?
Did you have concerns when you ordered a plate? Thoughts.

[Magwitch]

Not me, but I have heard some chefs leave a bit of the poison part on the fish, maybe for flavor, or to tickly the dragon's tail.

I'd like to try lion fish but that's not likely until it pops up as a special at Arby's.

[Abdullah71601]

I've had fugu. It's ok. Left my tongue a little numb, but fulfilled a bucket list wish.

Lionfish is very good. Ice the spines and they are easily removed. Find a spear fisherman in Florida to get yourself a cooler full. They are a nuisance species in US waters, so keep all you find.

[SearChart]

I'd like to try some.

[AK797]

I heard the agi, taste, is nothing special, it's just the joyous relief of surviving that tastes good.

[tng11]

I've had it. Doesn't have a unique or special taste, much like a generic white fish sashimi. It's become a lot more ubiquitous - some supermarkets in Japan sell it!

[KrismanX]

My stepmom frequents Japan and has had her share... As others have said it is more for the taboo than the actual flavor. Slight numbing in the mouth from what she shared. Interesting experience for sure, and if you're an adventurous eater, definitely a box to be ticked.

[Wesley Crusher]

Yes, I have when I visited Japan about 8 years ago. At the time, the restaurants that served fugu only served fugu. I had fugu sashimi, grilled fugu, fried fugu skin, and fugu soup.

My tongue and throat were left middle numb, but that's about it. The flavor was good, but as previously mentioned, it is very similar to generic white fish.

If you get the chance to eat it, do it!

[ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ{Adventure!)]

I agree with everyone here. Tasty whitefish, but it’s more for that nervousness/thrill you get when you first feel the numbness/extremely faint tingling in your mouth. Definitely a fun thing to cross off the bucket list.
It’s also getting more reasonably-priced nowadays, but I don’t mind paying a premium for it.

....after all, how much you pay is Both a show of respect to the artisan preparing your meal as well as a bribe to ensure you don’t die.

[AK797]

Training as a fugu chef is more fun, the final test is that you have to eat the fish that you have cut.

Black Cod is still my favourite white fish.

[MonBK]

No but I've had a Big Mac.

[Bigblu10]

Originally Posted by MonBK

No but I've had a Big Mac.

Yum!!

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by MonBK

No but I've had a Big Mac.

That's more dangerous to your health than fugu... you rock!

[locutus49]

I lived in Japan for 7 years and never got around to it. Usually ate hire-katsu, the best of ton-katsu, and various noodle bowls. I'm not very adventurous when it comes to food.

[Gaijin]

Ok great fugu story. I'll try to keep it brief.

About maybe 20 years ago I was dating a flight attendant. At the time I was a cop on the West Coast.

So she flew Japan a lot. I jumped on one of her flights, was upgraded to first, great flight, settled into the Nagoya Sheraton.

We both wanted sushi but it was late. Like after 9 pm when we got settled in. The front desk staff recommended place A and drew us a map. We could not find it and asked several people on the street who also did not know where it was and had never heard of it.

I'm freaking hungry at this point.

So I see three Yakuza leaning on a black BMW in front of a soapland ( Japanese kind of prostitute house. )

So I say to my girl who is Japanese "I'm going to ask those guys," She begs me not to...

I walk up to them and in polite Japanese show them the hand drawn map and ask them if they know where this sushi restaurant is.

They said no, and the one with the shaved head pulls out his phone and calls another place. "Are you still open?' " I'm sending a foreigner down and take good care of him." My then girlfriend cowering about 30 feet away.

The Yakuza then flags down a taxi, tells the driver where to take us and hands the driver 5,000 Yen.

Taxi takes us there and we walk in. The place is empty and appears to be closing,

The owner greets us and says "Oh you must be so and so's friend", seats us at the counter and has pre-prepared a huge plate of fugu for us on the house.

Rock star night. Don't judge a book by its cover.

[Bigblu10]

Originally Posted by Gaijin

Ok great fugu story. I'll try to keep it brief.

About maybe 20 years ago I was dating a United Airlines cabin attendant. At the time I was a cop on the West Coast.

So she flew Japan a lot. I jumped on one of her flights, was upgraded to first, great flight, settled into the Nagoya Sheraton.

We both wanted sushi but it was late. Like after 9 pm when we got settled in. The front desk staff recommended place A and drew us a map. We could not find it and asked several people on the street who also did not know where it was and had never heard of it.

I'm freaking hungry at this point.

So I see three Yakuza leaning on a black BMW in front of a soapland ( Japanese kind of prostitute house. )

So I say to my girl who is Japanese "I'm going to ask those guys," She begs me not to...

I walk up to them and in polite Japanese show them the hand drawn map and ask them if they know where this sushi restaurant is.

They said no, and the one with the shaved head pulls out his phone and calls another place. "Are you still open?' " I'm sending a foreigner down and take good care of him." My girlfriend cowering about 30 feet away.

The Yakuza then flags down a taxi, tells the driver where to take us and hands the driver 5,000 Yen.

Taxi takes us there and we walk in. The place is empty and appears to be closing,

The owner greets us and says "Oh you must be so and so's friend", seats us at the counter and has pre-prepared an huge plate of fugu for us on the house.
Rock star night. Don't judge a book by its cover.

Quite the story, but did you have any idea what Fugu was? Did you like?

[Gaijin]

Originally Posted by Bigblu10

Quite the story, but did you have any idea what Fugu was? Did you like?

Yea, I did know what it was, I had no interest in trying it but as it was such a great service to us of course I ate it all. I would never pay for it I think. It was kind of just like a whitefish to me.

Many Japanese swear by it. I have since had it tempura style at a work party and that was pretty darn good. But what isn't battered up and fried!?

Every year in Japan though people die eating it. You gotta roll the dice I guess if you like it.

[James K]

I won't do it. We often have a porcupine puffer in our aquarium, too much of a pet to see it as edible. I'll live through others for the experience of it.

[Etschell]

never had it. lionfish is tasty but the species is invasive and ruins other fishing.

best fish in florida and bahamas is hog snapper.

[Alexwwjd]

Originally Posted by Gaijin

Ok great fugu story. I'll try to keep it brief.

About maybe 20 years ago I was dating a flight attendant. At the time I was a cop on the West Coast.

So she flew Japan a lot. I jumped on one of her flights, was upgraded to first, great flight, settled into the Nagoya Sheraton.

We both wanted sushi but it was late. Like after 9 pm when we got settled in. The front desk staff recommended place A and drew us a map. We could not find it and asked several people on the street who also did not know where it was and had never heard of it.

I'm freaking hungry at this point.

So I see three Yakuza leaning on a black BMW in front of a soapland ( Japanese kind of prostitute house. )

So I say to my girl who is Japanese "I'm going to ask those guys," She begs me not to...

I walk up to them and in polite Japanese show them the hand drawn map and ask them if they know where this sushi restaurant is.

They said no, and the one with the shaved head pulls out his phone and calls another place. "Are you still open?' " I'm sending a foreigner down and take good care of him." My then girlfriend cowering about 30 feet away.

The Yakuza then flags down a taxi, tells the driver where to take us and hands the driver 5,000 Yen.

Taxi takes us there and we walk in. The place is empty and appears to be closing,

The owner greets us and says "Oh you must be so and so's friend", seats us at the counter and has pre-prepared a huge plate of fugu for us on the house.

Rock star night. Don't judge a book by its cover.

What a story!!! I want to go to Japan

[Chewbacca]

never had it.

but, on a simpsons episode, it almost killed homer.

so, i figure its dangerous.

[RW16610]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

never had it.

but, on a simpsons episode, it almost killed homer.

so, i figure its dangerous.

I'll never forget that episode

[justdate]

Originally Posted by Gaijin

Ok great fugu story. I'll try to keep it brief.

About maybe 20 years ago I was dating a flight attendant. At the time I was a cop on the West Coast.

So she flew Japan a lot. I jumped on one of her flights, was upgraded to first, great flight, settled into the Nagoya Sheraton.

We both wanted sushi but it was late. Like after 9 pm when we got settled in. The front desk staff recommended place A and drew us a map. We could not find it and asked several people on the street who also did not know where it was and had never heard of it.

I'm freaking hungry at this point.

So I see three Yakuza leaning on a black BMW in front of a soapland ( Japanese kind of prostitute house. )

So I say to my girl who is Japanese "I'm going to ask those guys," She begs me not to...

I walk up to them and in polite Japanese show them the hand drawn map and ask them if they know where this sushi restaurant is.

They said no, and the one with the shaved head pulls out his phone and calls another place. "Are you still open?' " I'm sending a foreigner down and take good care of him." My then girlfriend cowering about 30 feet away.

The Yakuza then flags down a taxi, tells the driver where to take us and hands the driver 5,000 Yen.

Taxi takes us there and we walk in. The place is empty and appears to be closing,

The owner greets us and says "Oh you must be so and so's friend", seats us at the counter and has pre-prepared a huge plate of fugu for us on the house.

Rock star night. Don't judge a book by its cover.

Good story!

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by AK797

I heard the agi, taste, is nothing special, it's just the joyous relief of surviving that tastes good.

Kind of like certain peoples cooking

[Old Geezer]

I travel to Japan at least twice a year. I’ve had it on several occasions. Aside from some numbness / tingling in my mouth, it was just another fish. I think the allure comes from its reputation, not necessarily that it has some great or unique flavor. YMMV.

[sensui]

Originally Posted by Gaijin

Ok great fugu story. I'll try to keep it brief.

About maybe 20 years ago I was dating a flight attendant. At the time I was a cop on the West Coast.

So she flew Japan a lot. I jumped on one of her flights, was upgraded to first, great flight, settled into the Nagoya Sheraton.

We both wanted sushi but it was late. Like after 9 pm when we got settled in. The front desk staff recommended place A and drew us a map. We could not find it and asked several people on the street who also did not know where it was and had never heard of it.

I'm freaking hungry at this point.

So I see three Yakuza leaning on a black BMW in front of a soapland ( Japanese kind of prostitute house. )

So I say to my girl who is Japanese "I'm going to ask those guys," She begs me not to...

I walk up to them and in polite Japanese show them the hand drawn map and ask them if they know where this sushi restaurant is.

They said no, and the one with the shaved head pulls out his phone and calls another place. "Are you still open?' " I'm sending a foreigner down and take good care of him." My then girlfriend cowering about 30 feet away.

The Yakuza then flags down a taxi, tells the driver where to take us and hands the driver 5,000 Yen.

Taxi takes us there and we walk in. The place is empty and appears to be closing,

The owner greets us and says "Oh you must be so and so's friend", seats us at the counter and has pre-prepared a huge plate of fugu for us on the house.

Rock star night. Don't judge a book by its cover.

Lol nice Tom, true Gaijin style.

In regards to the question, I've had fugu many time in Japan in past trips. It's got a great base taste for broth and the texture is more crustacean'ish than normal fish.....a bit more like a shrimp if you will, slight elasticity. Great stuff, just make sure the person/restaurant preparing is legit.

In regards to the tingling in your mouth statements....that has only happened to me when I had it in San Francisco once.....I've never had those type of sensations in Japan and when asking about it, they look @ me like are you ok? I would be careful of places that serve fugu that gives you that kind of sensation......

[swils8610]

Can it be breaded and fried? Lol. I’m not a fan of any raw or sushi style fish.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Gaijin]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Can it be breaded and fried? Lol. I’m not a fan of any raw or sushi style fish.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Yes, the best I had it was tempura style which is Japanese panko breading and fried. At a company party. It was so good I had to ask what it was.

[antbkny]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Can it be breaded and fried? Lol. I’m not a fan of any raw or sushi style fish.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

yes. That’s the way I’ve tried it.

[Bigblu10]

Originally Posted by sensui

Lol nice Tom, true Gaijin style.

In regards to the question, I've had fugu many time in Japan in past trips. It's got a great base taste for broth and the texture is more crustacean'ish than normal fish.....a bit more like a shrimp if you will, slight elasticity. Great stuff, just make sure the person/restaurant preparing is legit.

In regards to the tingling in your mouth statements....that has only happened to me when I had it in San Francisco once.....I've never had those type of sensations in Japan and when asking about it, they look @ me like are you ok? I would be careful of places that serve fugu that gives you that kind of sensation......

Doing a Google search says it is not legal in the US, but there are a pretty considerable amount of US restaurants listed as serving it, the majority in NYC