How much of tip reaches the sushi chef?

Shortly before my neighborhood sushi bar roundup ran in Ticket, I got an e-mail from reader Nelson Christensen, who asked: "I wonder what the tip-splitting arrangement is at Seattle sushi bars.

There typically is a server who brings you utensils, sake, etc., but the chef, who is working right in front of you and talking to you, really seems to deserve the principal tip.

"Years ago I sat next to a 'regular' at the sushi bar in Honolulu who told me to roll up a fiver, put it in the chopstick cover and give it to the sushi chef.

" I do that occasionally, but I still want to know how I should tip at a sushi bar if the chef is to get treated right."

Given my insatiable taste for sushi, that's a question I've often wondered myself. At least once a week I find myself bellying up to a sushi bar and putting myself in a sushi chef's hands, relying on servers to do little more than refresh my drinks, clear the occasional plate and deal with the bill. I usually leave a 20 percent tip, hoping it will be split fairly and appropriately — though I have no idea what's considered fair or appropriate.

Occasionally, when service has been exemplary or I'm feeling generous, I, too, will slip the sushi chef a fiver. Am I doing the right thing? As you can see, I'm as much in the dark on this issue as my reader. Intent on getting to the bottom of the "who-gets-what-and-how-much-do-they-get" question, I turned to a couple of pros for guidance.

"Every sushi restaurant has a different system," explains Ryuichi Nakano. As owner and head sushi chef at Kisaku (2101 N. 55th St., Seattle; 206-545-9050), he's instituted a 70/30 split: 70 percent to the servers, 30 percent to the sushi chefs. At I Love Sushi, where Nakano was employed for 10 years before opening his Green Lake-area restaurant last year (and where half the area's sushi chefs seem to have worked at one point or another), the split is 50/50, he says. As at I Love Sushi (1001 Fairview Ave. N.; 206-625-9604 and at 11818 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue; 425-454-5706), the split at Kisaku involves those servers working the dining room as well as the sushi bar.

At Fremont's Chiso (3520 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle; 206-632-3430), owner and sushi chef Taichi Kitamura's servers tip-out 3 percent of their sales to the sushi chefs. He explains the practice: "If they ring up $1,000, they'd give us $30." When Kitamura worked under his mentor, Shiro Kashiba, at Shiro's Sushi in Belltown (2401 Second Ave., Seattle; 206-443-9844), a percentage system was also in place. Though Kitamura says he never knew exactly what that percentage was, he notes that tips were distributed among all the chefs, that Shiro-san didn't keep tips for himself, and that seniority played into the cut. "His head sushi chef and the kitchen chef would get better tips than a new guy would," he says.

At Saito's in Belltown (2122 Second Ave., Seattle; 206-728-1333), sushi chef Yutaka Saito explains that the waitress working his sushi bar splits her tips with the sushi chefs 50/50. Those working the dining room tip-out 20 percent: 10 to the sushi bar, 10 to the kitchen. For patrons inclined to slip the sushi chef a few bucks, there's a tip jar — er, black ceramic vase — placed discreetly in a corner of Saito-san's sushi bar. Its presence ensures that the chef keeps his hands from being sullied. In its absence, that paper chopstick-cover idea is a swell one (Thanks, Nelson!)

"Sure, we appreciate a tip in addition to the one that's put on the tab," says Chiso's Kitamura, "but we're not going to feel like we're being mistreated or unappreciated if that doesn't happen. Some customers give me a $5 or $10 bill, but I would feel bad if that was the only tip they left — and if it was, I'd give it to the server, or at least split it."

So, what's a generous soul to do? Short of asking your server, "How much of my tip are you going to give your sushi chef?" it's safe to assume that the chef is being fairly compensated and that a little "extra," while always welcome, isn't necessary. And what of the practice of buying your sushi chef a drink, then toasting his health and culinary prowess?

"In Washington state, sushi chefs are not allowed to drink while on duty," notes Nakano. "In California, it's a tradition to buy beer or sake for the sushi chef and do the whole 'Kanpai!' thing. Here, it's illegal."

That's true, says Saito, but it's perfectly legal to buy a libation for your sushi chef to enjoy once the "Closed" sign is up and the door is locked. Just ask your server to add the drink to your bill. Tipping on that is at your discretion.

Douglas spreads himself around

Seattle, it seems, can't get enough of Tom Douglas, owner/chef of Dahlia Lounge, Etta's Seafood and Palace Kitchen. Lucky for us, there's plenty of Tom to go around, with this Saturday presenting a rare opportunity to engage in "All Tom! All the Time!"

Start the day with brunch at Etta's Seafood (2020 Western Ave., Seattle; 206-443-6000) and don't leave without picking up that hot-selling cookbook, "Tom Douglas's Seattle Kitchen," Tom Douglas Rub with Love spice rubs and Tom Douglas Redhook Barbecue Sauces. Whatever you do, be back in the car by noon when you can tune in to 710 KIRO-AM to catch the premiere of a two-hour weekly call-in show, "Tom Douglas's Seattle Kitchen."

Highlights will include discussions about the city's hot new restaurants, food-focused segments from Tom's frequent road trips and (be still my beating heart) "Review the Reviewer," in which Tom, guest restaurateurs and listeners have their opportunity to weigh-in and bust some chops. Can't wait!

Neither, says Tom, can he. "I'm a sensitive guy. I've had my share of bad reviews — long before I was ever capable of working my way through them. I can take my licks, but you can't fight back in those (review) scenarios. This is going to be a hoot!"

If Tom's tasty talk makes you hunger for, say, a big bowl of mussels, high-tail it home by 4 p.m. when KCTS-TV presents its new 13-week national cooking series "Chefs A'field." Showcasing regional foodstuffs and celebrated chefs across the land, today's show stars — guess who? — our very own Tomboy.

Nancy Leson can be reached at 206-464-8838 or nleson@seattletimes.com.