Meet
Tandra Froehlich, ICHI’s very own server, photographer, and metalworker! She’s
incredibly knowledgeable about our fish selection, so we decided to talk with
her about that and her life outside of ICHI’s walls!
You know so much about fish! What has changed about the way you
eat sushi since working at ICHI?
At ICHI, I have learned about so many different fish outside of
the tuna and salmon that I was used to. I have learned to appreciate the fish
and savor its flavors instead of masking them by stuffing the fish into a fancy
roll or drenching the fish in a sludge of wasabi and soy sauce. Since working
at ICHI, I have become extremely picky about the sushi I eat. When I go out to
eat I order more fish and less rolls. Whereas, I used to order only rolls. Soy
sauce has also become a thing of the past. Even when I eat rolls, I hardly use
it anymore. I have also become more conscious about the fish I eat in terms of
sustainability and health.
I discovered that seasonal and often local fish is the way to
go. Nothing beats local Shiro Toro (albacore tuna belly) when it’s in season.
Well, except maybe the Akamutsu (deep sea grouper) from Japan, which is so rich
and delicious, it melts in your mouth. Kinmedai (golden eye snapper) is my
third favorite, it’s lighter than Shiro or Akamutsu, but not when it comes to
flavor.
When it comes to food, nigiri is my biggest love. I eat it every
chance I get, whether I’m working or not. ICHI has given me the chance to try
things that I would never have thought to order before. I never liked Ikura
(salmon roe) before I tried it here. I always thought it was just fishy
tasting, but at ICHI they clean and marinate the roe making it delicious. I
also hated Uni (sea urchin) for the longest time. Tim encouraged me to keep
trying it, and then one day, the Japanese Uni came in, and now I’m hooked. I
crave it.
Those are are your photos up in ICHI; tell me about them, your
schooling, and your life as an artist —
The large photo is part of a series that I did for my senior
show. It was taken from the end of the Berkeley Pier and shot with an 8x10
camera. It was a 12-minute exposure, which is why you see the streams of light,
which are airplanes. I graduated from California College of the Arts with a BFA
in 2009.
My major was photography, but I really love metalworking as
well. Right now, I am teaching photography on Saturdays for a program called
First Exposures while I also work on a second degree to become an art therapist
for children.
Thank you
so much for sharing, Tandra!
