These Detroit Chefs Make Sushi That’s Ethical, Environmentally-Friendly

Do you know where your fish comes from? Dr. Sushi uses sustainable seafood — like the invasive Asian Carp.

Shiraz Ahmed / WDET
Shiraz Ahmed / WDET

Chef Nick George has been making some of Detroit’s best sushi with his regular pop-up dining nights called Dr. Sushi

Not only do his menus offer creative takes on sushi and Asian-inspired dishes, but George wants to introduce Metro Detroit sushi lovers to new, more sustainable fish.

For that, he’s teamed up with master sushi Chef Hajime Sato to bring sustainable sushi dining to the region.   

Sato says there’s a lack of public knowledge about how many fish species commonly offered in sushi restaurants are on the brink of extinction. 

“We’re eating some endangered species and we don’t know about it.” – Hajime Sato, chef

Shiraz Ahmed / WDET
Shiraz Ahmed / WDET

“In the world of seafood, first of all, people don’t know too much about it and what’s going on in the sea,” Sato says.,

George says one of the more difficult aspects of striving to use more sustainable fish in his sushi is finding a supplier who knows where their fish are really coming from. 

“Asking these relentless questions to the fishmongers and trying to get them to tell me “where was this fish caught?” and “how was it caught?” George says. 

Sato, the founder of Seattle’s first sustainable sushi bar, Mashiko, plans to open a similar concept in Metro Detroit, as does George. 

Get involved in Dr. Sushi pop-ups and classes here.

Click the player to hear George and Sato talk about why delicious and sustainable sushi options will be the future of the cuisine. 

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Author

  • Amanda LeClaire
    Amanda LeClaire is an award-winning host and producer of CultureShift on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. She’s a founding producer of WDET’s flagship news talk show Detroit Today, and a former host/reporter for Arizona Public Media. Amanda is also an artist, certified intuitive and energy healer, and professional tarot reader.