Harbor Docks’ Chef Shares Sushi Secrets
By Robbyn Brooks
Daily News columnist

DESTIN — The kitchen was Yoshi Eddings’ playground.
  
“I was born in it,” Eddings said. “I grew up in it.”
  
But the Tokyo-born sushi chef didn’t always have a love for cooking.
  
“When I was young, my father was very demanding. He wanted things to be perfect and I couldn’t play. I had to help him in the kitchen,” Eddings said.
  
Eddings and her husband, Curtis, moved to the United States in 1988 and shortly after, she found herself in the local restaurant business.
  
“After I got married and had children, I started having fun with cooking,” Eddings said. “I wanted to see their happy faces because of something I made.”
  
Now Eddings sees many more happy faces on a daily basis. She’s been a chef with Harbor Docks in Destin for 15 years.
  
In fact, she’s the one who introduced sushi and other Japanese fare to Harbor Docks patrons and the rest of the Destin area.
  
“People seem to love the sauces and dishes,” Eddings said. “This is what I like to do.”
  
Among the most requested sushi are California Rolls and Spicy Shrimp Rolls.
  
“It seems like everybody likes those dishes,” Eddings said.
  
That’s why Eddings chose to prepare them during her appearance on “Emerald Coast Chefs” that airs on Beach TV.
  
Although she said technique is a big part of preparing sushi, ingredients are just as important.
 
“You really have to use good quality seaweed and fish to make it taste better. You also have to cook a good rice,” Eddings said.
  
And there is another secret Eddings didn’t mind sharing.
 
“You have to cook with love,” she said. “I cook with my soul.”
  
Although she loves to please the crowd, Eddings said she loves to watch other chefs in action, as well.
  
“I can learn so much by watching,” she said. “It’s learning every day.”
 
Eddings also likes to create new tastes; however, she said the old styles remain the most requested.
  
And Eddings aims to please the taste buds of all her customers.
  
“If I can make people happy with my cooking,” she said, “then that’s great!”
  

Back Down Roll

(Named after Capt. Gary Jarvis’ boat) ½ sheet seaweed paper, nori Cooked rice Cream cheese Spicy sauce Shrimp Cucumber, julienned slices Avocado slices Fresh yellowfin tuna Crab salad Green onion Wasabi Pickled ginger, gari Soy sauce

 

Place seaweed paper on top of a rolling mat and spread rice evenly over the seaweed by pressing with wet fingertips. Flip the seaweed so that the rice is on the bottom. Place cream cheese and spicy sauce in a line across the seaweed paper. Arrange portions of the shrimp and cucumber in a horizontal line down the center of the seaweed paper. Roll the sushi tightly with the sushi mat to form a neatly packed cylinder. Squeeze firmly to make sure the sushi roll is tightly packed, but don’t squeeze too hard. Add the avocado in a line across the sushi. Squeeze the roll with the sushi mat. Cut the tuna across the grain and lay pieces on top of the roll. Squeeze the roll with the sushi mat. Cut each sushi roll into 8 pieces using a sharp, damp knife. Remoisten the knife after each cut. Garnish plate with a little crab salad, green onions, wasabi and ginger. Serve with soy sauce.
  

California Roll

½ sheet seaweed paper, nori Cooked rice Wasabi Avocado slices Crab Cucumber, julienned slices Smelt roe

 

Place seaweed paper on top of a rolling mat and spread rice evenly over the seaweed by pressing with wet fingertips. Flip the seaweed so that the rice is on the bottom. Place a small amount of wasabi in a line across the middle of the seaweed paper. Arrange portions of the avocado, crab and cucumber down the center of the seaweed paper. Roll the sushi tightly with the sushi mat to form a neatly packed cylinder. Squeeze firmly to make sure the sushi roll is tightly packed, but don’t squeeze too hard. Dip roll into smelt roe. Cut each sushi roll into 8 pieces using a sharp, damp knife. Re-moisten the knife after each cut.
  

Panko Fried Shrimp with Uptown Sauce

Oil Tempura flour Water Egg white (if desired) Shrimp, peeled and deveined Panko bread crumbs, unseasoned Green cabbage, shredded

 

Heat oil to 325 to 340 degrees. Don’t get the oil too hot because the panko breadcrumbs are very susceptible to burning quickly on the outside. Mix tempura flour and water to form a batter. An egg white may be added to the batter if desired. Dip shrimp into batter and then into bread crumbs. Place in oil and fry. Drain well. Place cabbage on a plate and top with fried shrimp. Serve with Uptown Sauce.

Salsa with Fresh Tuna

Yellow pepper Red pepper Purple onion Green onions Tomato Jalapeno Cilantro Fresh yellowfin tuna, cubed Lime Fried tortilla shell, bowl shaped Green cabbage, shredded Avocado, diced

 

Dice peppers, onions, tomato and jalapeno. Season with cilantro. Add tuna to salsa with the juice of a lime and mix well. Place cabbage inside the taco shell and top with avocado. Place the salsa and tuna mixture on top. Serve with tortilla chips, pita bread, toast or crackers.

Harbor Docks

538 Highway 98 East
Destin, FL 32541
(850) 837-2506

Hours of operation

• Open for lunch and dinner daily
• Lunch: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Dinner: 5 to 11 p.m.

Other information

• Sushi bar & hibachi grill
• Seafood market
• Live music every Thur-Sat
• Live music Sun-Wed on special weeks