Sushi

Mr. Fuji takes 25 grams of cooked rice and gently squeezes it into a rectangular mound. A perfectionist, he gives the rice a second shaping, making sure it is the correct consistency for the sushi he is creating. Next, he tops the rice with dab of wasabi, the green horseradish condiment that gives much sushi its familiar kick. An assistant places a thin strip of raw fresh fish atop the preparation, and then Fuji takes over again, gently wrapping the piece in cellophane. Elapsed time . . . three seconds.

I confess. For years, I have had a secret passion. For reasons of self- protection, however, I have rarely revealed my love affair, not even to my closest friends. Now I'm coming out of the closet: I love sushi. Or at least, I did. In case you are not familiar with it, sushi is a meal of cold, neatly designed raw fish, often sculptured into beautiful packages containing white rice, sea weed, pickles and other tasty morsels. A few spicy sauces usually accompany the dish. Heaven!

I have often heard these tales of sushi nirvana, where the adventurous diner and master chef exchange a knowing nod, and a spontaneous feast of jewel-like dishes unfurls, bursting with stunning flavors and breathtaking surprise. Don't even look for them on the menu. They are not there. Just sit across that gleaming glass case of fish, announce your generous budget, and say, "Make me something special. " But alas, I had never experienced this scenario with any satisfaction until I walked into the new sushi and sake bar opened by the Genji chain in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where, in the ornate lobby lounge, chef Toku Naga was more than eager to oblige.

SINCE SUSHI, by its very name, is all about the rice, that's the bulk of this recipe. Once you have "sushi rice" ready, you can make many varieties, though we'll focus on nori rolls, the most well-known format in this country.   Optimally you should use Japanese rice, found at specialty stores, but short-grain rice works, too. Avoid long-grain varieties; they aren't sticky enough. Here's a basic, but versatile, recipe. The vinegar mixture can be adjusted to taste.   VEGAN SUSHI   3 cups rice 6 cups water 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt Several sheets of nori (seaweed paper)

Nobody likes a find more than a restaurant critic. So when you get a hot tip from a colleague, you check it out with all the fervor of the Miami Herald chasing down the rumors of Gary Hart's sexual escapades. Tiny Tokio is easy to miss. There is no sign. The "grand opening" banner had disappeared before my second visit. So, too, had the lone window dressing, a pale blue fish lantern. Inside, the two young Japanese owners, Hashimoto and Bruce, are turning out some excellent food.

The elaborately sleek, wood-clad space remains largely untouched from its brief life as Maia. But memories of that short-lived Main Line star are bound for a quick-fade if its replacement, Azie on Main, continues to serve sushi as pristine as this. The raw seafood, emphasized here more than at its sister Azie in Media, is certainly a highlight of the fusion menu. And this hot oil "carpaccio" of kumamotos is a perfect example. Three delicate West Coast oysters are topped with a zippy mince of garlic, ginger and kelp, then drizzled just before leaving the kitchen with a smoking hot glaze of sesame and olive oil. The "searing" effect creates a beguiling contrast of hot and cold, tightening the surface of those oysters with just the right amount of heat and texture, while the rest of the mollusk is still snug and cool in its shell, lending a briny raw bar lusciousness to the finish of every bite.

It can't always be a big-ticket splurge at Morimoto when I get that sushi craving, which happens all too often. But Aki proves that sushi value doesn't always come in modest surroundings, either. Owner Tom Lau added a major decor upgrade when he took over (and renamed) the old Aoi space earlier this year, transforming it with a layered stone wall, velveteen booths, and the glowing tile of a sleek fusion lounge. The big draw, though, has been Aki's sushi deals - a pair of rolls (plus soup and salad)

Gil Seagraves tackles sushi as if it were a construction project. Lay a strong foundation - in this case, a sheet of nori (dried seaweed), followed by a trowelful of properly sticky rice. And then build layer upon carefully thought-out layer of "mortar" - salmon, avocado, asparagus, carrots, sesame seeds. He can't stop! "I make things for a living," the Havertown resident offers by way of explanation for his skyscraper sushi. Must be a guy thing, 'cause across from Seagraves in the recent "Secrets of Sushi" class at the Learning Studio in Malvern is Mark Scafaria of Wayne, who is also building no-holds-barred sushi.

These sushi-style tea sandwiches might have shocked the Victorians, but they're a pick-me-up on a hot July afternoon on the Main Line. We found them at Philadelphia Lobster & Fish Co., where the sushi chef spikes sushi-grade ground tuna with chile-mayo, then stuffs it between rice triangles for a tuna sandwich that bites back. Not-too-sweet tea Finally, an iced tea for those of us who prefer the taste of tea to the taste of sugar. Snapple has busted out three new flavors of crisp black teas - Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Orange Pekoe - each with just a smidge of sugar, only 8 grams per 8-ounce serving.

She doesn't know exactly how her love affair with sushi began. She thinks it was two years ago, when she first tried a California roll. Now, Khaliah Ali, 24-year-old daughter of America's most famous boxing champ, Muhummad Ali, says she can't do without it. On a recent Thursday night, I joined Ali and her sister, Jenna, an 11-year-old ice-skating prodigy, at Nagano on Chestnut Street near Front. Ali, a Main Line resident, is a regular at this modern Japanese sushi house.

I'm ever-skeptical of the Asiaplex, those strip-mall restaurants that promise equal tastes of Chinese, Thai, and sushi. Hungry on the way back to Philly from a southern jaunt, though, we took a chance on Le Shio Asian Fusion Cuisine on Wilmington's northern edge - and were delighted. Not only were the open-ended Taiwanese potstickers unusual and excellent, the tempura was light and crispy, and the sushi was notable, too, both for quality of fish and originality. My favorite was the Fusion Tenno roll, its core of spicy tuna and crunchy crab wrapped in a band of white tuna drizzled with spicy-sweet miso sauce.

HERE are some well-loved sources for fish-free sushi, the "Top Five," though there are many places around town. Vegans and vegetarians should confirm the absence of fish-based "dashi" broth.   Fat Salmon (719 Walnut St., 215-928-8881, fatsalmonsushi.com ). Despite the name, this is one of the vegan-friendlier sushi places around, with three signature "veggie" rolls — the "Old School," the "Tofuholic" and "Lipstick Trace. " Terryin (358 Snyder Ave., 215-218-2888)

SINCE SUSHI, by its very name, is all about the rice, that's the bulk of this recipe. Once you have "sushi rice" ready, you can make many varieties, though we'll focus on nori rolls, the most well-known format in this country.   Optimally you should use Japanese rice, found at specialty stores, but short-grain rice works, too. Avoid long-grain varieties; they aren't sticky enough. Here's a basic, but versatile, recipe. The vinegar mixture can be adjusted to taste.   VEGAN SUSHI   3 cups rice 6 cups water 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt Several sheets of nori (seaweed paper)

SAY THE WORDS "vegan sushi" to your average fine-diner and you're likely to get a blank stare. How, after all, can anything be called sushi without raw fish, the very meaning of the word itself? Actually, the word sushi does not refer to raw fish, but to the key ingredient, vinegared rice. That's what makes sushi, sushi. This comes up now for two reasons: One is that these hot July days are a perfect time to enjoy the cool pleasures of this Japanese staple; the other is that the fish-free-sushi envelope is being pushed in a big way by the appropriately named Beyond Sushi, which opened this month in New York City and is drawing crowds.

I'm three months into a new relationship and living a charmed existence. Wherever we go, whatever we do, things just seem to work out for us. A free cab is turning around the corner, our discount tickets happen to be center orchestra, and the best table in the restaurant is just paying their bill.   We have such good luck, I feel guilty, which proves I'm my mother's daughter. "So how was last night?" my mom said into the phone one morning. I hadn't told her I'd had a date, but she infers it whenever I miss her regular goodnight phone call.

Movies Opening This Week Bully See Steven Rea's preview on H2. The Cabin in the Woods When five friends visit a remote cabin, they suffer the fate that befalls most movie characters who visit remote cabins in the woods. What were they thinking? The Deep Blue Sea A distraught British woman who has been socially ostracized after leaving her husband, a highly respected judge, and entering a failed relationship with a Royal Air Force pilot, finds the will to live with the help of an outcast neighbor.

If you can land one of the prized 10 seats at Sukiyabashi Jiro, a tiny Tokyo restaurant located in a subway corridor, and if you're willing to pay a king's ransom, you can savor what may be the world's finest sushi. Jiro Ono, the octogenarian proprietor of this three-star Michelin operation, is the subject of David Gelb's delectable documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi. " It's the story of a man with an exquisite palate who has spent many decades seeking perfection in a very circumscribed field - sushi is all he serves.

At a recent lunch at Fuji in Haddonfield, we arrived to find master chef and owner Matt Ito poised behind the sushi bar. I turned away for a moment and he was gone through the kitchen curtain. Within seconds, though, another chef named Ito emerged and stood in his place - a virtual carbon copy, but 36 years younger. Long knife in hand, Jesse Ito evokes the image of his dad. And while his father still crafts the exquisitely creative kaiseki tasting meals that for three decades have made him one of the region's greatest chefs, Jesse has been Fuji's head sushi chef for nearly three years now. As he prepared us a spontaneous chef's choice of the freshest raw fish, it was clear he had inherited his father's magic touch.

TOKYO - Fishermen who lost their homes and boats in Japan's tsunami now fear that radioactive water that had been gushing into the Pacific Ocean from a crippled nuclear plant could cost them their livelihoods. The contaminated water raised concerns about the safety of seafood in the country that gave the world sushi, prompting the government to set limits for the first time on the amount of radiation permitted in fish. Authorities insisted that the radioactive water would dissipate and posed no immediate threat to sea creatures or people who might eat them.

What the experience meant for these local contestants. Age: 31 Local connection: Doylestown Show/result: American Idol, Season 1 (2002)/ Runner-up Occupation: Singer/entertainer. "It was really just a continuation of what I'd always been doing, and it allowed me to go to the next level - to be not just one of a million performers in America. It allowed me to be singled out and ultimately do what I love to do every single day, which is entertain people.