Art is symmetry, balance, creation, finding and losing oneself. Because of this, art is everywhere and can be found anywhere as soon as you look for it. One successful restaurant owner knows this as he serves his art on a plate for his customer’s enjoyment. 99FM’s MYD Art sat down with Master Makhoshi of Daisho Sushi & Wine Bar to find out how art can be found everywhere, including in the making of sushi.
Sushi making is surely an art as anyone who has tried making it at home would know. The perfect balance and symmetry is required to get the vision in your mind onto your plate. Master Makoshi and his wife, Thandiwe Mhlanga, the proud names behind, Daisho Sushi & Wine Bar sat down with 99FM’s MYD Art to talk about why sushi making is an art and how it could become your creative outlet of choice if balance is your creative talent.
According to Master Makoshi, to make sushi is to make art because you are carefully balancing elements to create something that is appealing to both sight and taste. Master Makoshi explains “when I am making sushi and especially on nights when I need to make a lot of sushi, like for example on our bottomless sushi nights, I get into a zone, I stop thinking about anything else and 
I’m just focused on making the sushi. My mind is free.”
Being a craft that is done with one’s hands, Master Makoshi explains that to create the perfect sushi, you need to balance your elements and make sure your proportions are perfect as the key in sushi is balance. “Rice is the main ingredient in sushi and this is where the process of balancing begins. You have to ensure your rice is cooked perfectly and that you add the exact right amount of vinegar to the rice.”
“Sushi is not like cooking food where you can work on measurements, it is more based on instinct. Obviously there is a learning process but after that you start to understand what is needed to create the perfect balance and then it becomes instinctive.” says Master Makhosi
Master Makhosi explains that in terms of the contents of the perfect roll of sushi, in the traditional Japanese sense, sushi usually only include rice, seaweed and fish. It is only with the introduction of sushi to Western palates that it started to include items such as avocado and cucumber however this has added to the colourful appeal for a wider market.
When asked what the secret ingredient in their success has been, Thandiwe explains that “at times it can be very stressful in the Daisho kitchen because Master Makhosi is a perfectionist when it comes to the quality of his art. However the stressful behind-the-scenes atmosphere is quickly dissolved when our customers report their delight in the quality and taste of our sushi. This is what gives us peace and joy.”
Daisho Sushi & Wine Bar are running their bottomless sushi nights on almost every Tuesday in the month of June and July. Contact them by calling +264 (0) 61 249 502 or +264 (0) 81 685 6810 to make a booking.
The team at Daisho now also offer sushi making classes for team building or events. They can also come to your event and make sushi for you there, if you’ve decided to throw in the sushi rolling mat.
Click here for the Daisho Sushi & Wine Bar Facebook page : Daisho Sushi & Wine Bar
Written by Kirsty Watermeyer