For The Tuna:
8 oz. Yellowfin Tuna
1 Tablespoon Crushed Black Garlic

For the Cucumber Salad:
½ Cucumber, peeled and seeded
½ Red Onion, small, thinly sliced
1 oz. Pickled Ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

For the Mango Nectar:
½ Mango
1 teaspoon Sugar, Superfine
¼ Cup Water
(Puree all ingredients to form smooth sauce)
For the Aioli:
2 Teaspoon White Soy
1 teaspoon Wasabi Powder
2 Egg Yolks
4 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped fine
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cold water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the Sticky Rice:
1 cup Japanese rice
1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 pinch salt

Rub Tuna with Aged Black Garlic and Sear in Hot Sauté Pan.
(Aged Black Garlic- is a new ingredient to our restaurant.  It is tender like roast garlic with undertones of malt and molasses, and an overall sweet garlicky flavor and none of the acrid bite of raw garlic.. The garlic we have is air dried for forty days over aged soy sauce.  It's an ingredient that is slowly gaining ground in the culinary arena. Apparently in some circles it is now trendy to dip the black garlic cloves in chocolate for the the true garlic lover to enjoy. )

Cucumber Salad Instructions:
Peel and seed cucumbers and cut on the diagonal into thin slices. Toss the cucumber pieces with sliced red onion, pickled ginger, kosher salt, transfer to a colander, and let drain for 1 hour.
Toast white sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they’re golden brown. Whisk together rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Rinse the cucumber slices, pickled ginger and red onion thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Toss the cucumbers with the dressing and toasted sesame seeds.

Aioli instructions:
Add the garlic and salt to the mortar bowl and grind slowly with the pestle, moving in one direction only.  You can do this first step in a food processor if you'd like, then transfer the mixture back to a medium sized bowl. Whisk in the mustard first, then the egg yolks. At this point you can transfer the mixture back into the mortar or use the whisk in the bowl.

Now you will add in half of the oil.  This must be done very slowly or the oil will not emulsify and your sauce will not thicken.  Add the oil in a slow, fine stream while either whisking with a wire whisk or using your pestle.  Once the first half of the oil is incorporated, then add the water and the lemon juice, and mustard,   whisking or stirring constantly with the pestle. Then slowly add the rest of the oil.  The mixture will thicken as you continue to blend it. The mixture should be slightly thinner than commercial mayonnaise.  If it becomes too thick you can add a bit more warm water, one teaspoon at a time. Season with White Soy and Wasabi Powder

Sushi Rice Preparation:
After washing and soaking Japanese rice, cook and let it steam. See How to Cook Japanese Rice.
Prepare sushi vinegar (sushi-zu) by mixing rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan. Put the pan on low heat and heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool the vinegar mixture.
Spread the hot steamed rice into a large plate or a large bowl. Please use a non-metallic bowl to prevent any interaction with rice vinegar. It's best to use a wooden bowl called sushi-oke. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold the rice by shamoji (rice spatula) quickly. Be careful not to smash the rice.
To cool and remove the moisture of the rice well, use a fan as you mix sushi rice. This will give sushi rice a shiny look. It's best to use sushi rice right away.

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