Sushi Schooled

Katsuya Uechi, sushi master for SBE's Katsuya restaurants, Katsu-ya in Studio City, and Izakaya Katsu-ya on 3rd Street, is launching the Sushi Institute of America downtown next month. Because there's a shortage of quality sushi chefs in the U.S., Uechi wants to take things into his own hands: "Seasoning and flavors are changing a lot, compared to the traditional way. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. The good part is that we are dealing with American tastes so we should adjust flavors, and some people do it well. But some fish, some sauces, some vegetables don't match sometimes. That's the bad part. If I can teach how to make sushi well, that's good." [LAT]