In the morning, the fishing boat returns from a fishing trip lasting from 4am to 10am at the area we all know as Main Point, Arugam Bay, a reef-bottom surf break highly regarded by surfers all over the world. The fresh Yellow Fin Tuna fish is delivered via tuk-tuk to the Spice Trail kitchen, where the preparation commences ready for that evening.
Chef Kasun handles the gutting of the fish, taking care to remove the scales and fins first. He leaves the head, whilst cutting the first loin (essentially one quarter of the fish). This filleting process takes approximately 1 hour.
From here, Head Chef Nuwan (who has over 25 years of experience, with specific Japanese culinary training living in Thailand, Singapore, Maldives and the U.A.E.) manages the process of rolling the sushi with the specially prepared rice.
For this he uses a bamboo rolling mat and dried seaweed (nori) sheets. This nori is edible, and is toasted for flavour and texture. The Japanese have recognized seaweed as a food of longevity, and it has more recently become well known as a ‘super-food’ due to its impressive nutritional profile rich in potassium, fibre and proteins as well as iodine.
The 12 piece sushi and sashimi platter we serve at The Spice Trail has a variation of cuttlefish, prawn, vegetables with homemade pickle, tomago (egg omelette) and yellow fin variations served with wasabi mayo and ginger.