Hiromi's Hands

Review
By Northwest Asian Weekly

In Hiromi’s Hands, a daughter yearns to be a sushi chef just like her father. The story begins in Japan, where Hiromi’s father rises from humble beginnings to become the apprentice of a well-known sushi chef in Tokyo. After several years of arduous training, Hiromi’s father immigrates to New York, where he works day and night before opening his own restaurant, Akasaka. It isn’t long before Hiromi asks her father to teach her the art of making sushi, even though Japanese tradition does not encourage girls to become sushi chefs. The delectable rendered images of sushi rolls — from the meticulously wrapped negi maguro (scallion and tuna) to the brightly colored balls of ikura (salmon roe) — are enough to pique the appetite of the youngest sushi connoisseur. The author’s note provides a brief history of sushi that is both informative and insightful.