<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thank you all who responded to my sushi inquiry.  I think for those of you
who enjoy sushi, the consensus is to call ahead and check to make sure the
ingredients are gf.  Here are some of the responses...

Four people wrote that it is perfectly safe, one said the fish is safe but
the ginger may contains barley.  Someone else wrote that some places now are
using wheat in the rice vinegar.  Two people were concerned about cross
contamination.  Someone else wrote a very informative and detailed response
that I am just going to copy  (note:  it's lengthy)...

    Obviously, any particular item of sushi is safe to eat if and only if
it contains no gluten-containing ingredients.  While Americans often
equate "sushi" with "raw fish", the essential ingredient of sushi is
actually seasoned rice.  The essential seasoning is "sushi su" or
"sushi vinegar".  Sushi su is rice vinegar to which MSG and sometimes
related flavor enhancers have been added.  MSG produced in the US must
be derived from corn or soy (see www.celiac.com) and so should be
safe, but sushi su may be imported from Japan where the origin of the
MSG cannot be guaranteed.  According to my best understanding, _pure_
MSG should be safe even if derived from wheat or barley, but of course
there is always a possibility of contamination for grain-derived
compounds.  Now, with no personal experience, I feel uncomfortable
making any recommendation, but unless someone else has a better
recommendation, I suspect that you could try sushi su once to see if
you react to it.  It is _probably_ safe.

Another usual ingredient of sushi is "nori", the green seaweed
paper-like wrapper used on "maki" or sushi rolls.  The basic nori
contains only seaweed that has been skimmed off the ocean and roasted
dry is obviously GF, but some sushi preparations are coated with
teriyaki sauce or other flavorings, and would expose you to the usual
wheat or barley component of soy sauce.  But almost all sushi rolls
are created with plain nori, so you need only verify that the nori is
plain unseasoned, and it will almost certainly be safe.  (Nori is a
healthy, vitamin and mineral rich food, by the way.)

The other ingredients of sushi are extremely varied, and therefore,
harder to characterize.  The primary ingredient of some sushi is raw
fish, for others cooked fish, others are essentially egg omelets,
and still others feature various kinds of vegetables, sometimes
pickled and sometimes not.  Most of these ingredients should be safe,
with the obvious considerations of other ingredients used in
preparation.  You are apparently already aware about "imitation
seafood" and "imitation crab", and also about the various soy-based
sauces that are standardly used in the preparation of certain fish.
You need to avoid these, obviously.  However, all of the basic
plain-raw-fish sushi should be safe (assuming the su and nori are
OK).

Now, here's the important point about sushi restaurants.  It is best
to visit a real sushi restaurant, with a sushi counter and one or more
chefs behind the counter.  In Japan, and at better establishments in
the US, the sushi chef in addition to being an artist is expected to
converse with his customers at the counter.  In Japan you would pay
extra to sit at the counter (compared to a regular table in the
restaurant) but you get to observe the chef's artistry and have
pleasant conversation in addition.

This possibility of conversation could be a blessing for you, because
it gives you a natural opportunity to discuss your special needs with
the sushi chef!  Most sushi chefs in America will have passable
English, and since the tradition of customer service in Japan is very
high, the chef should be more than willing to do whatever it takes to
accommodate you.  (Of course, this doesn't work if you are visiting a
sushi-boat or "smorgasbord" restaurant -- very low-class by Japanese
standards -- where the sushi chef is not visible and available.)  I
would suggest establishing a relationship with a local sushi chef by
making you initial visit at some very unbusy time -- before the dinner
rush on some midweek evening -- sit at the counter and discuss your
needs with the chef.  You will probably be able to develop an open
relationship and he will be able to offer you a wide variety of
delicious and healthful items with little risk.

Another hint: Certain important Japanese foods are fermented with an
aspergillus fungus called "koji" (e.g. sake and miso, but miso itself
contains wheat or barley unless you obtain special brands).  Koji
cultures can be grown in rice, or in barley, and there is the
possibility of a small (but significant [?]) amount of contamination
from barley-derived koji.  I have contacted the Takara sake company in
America, who assured me that all koji used to ferment sake for their
products (sake and "mirin", a sweet rice cooking wine) in America is
maintained on rice cultures and should be free of barley or wheat.  So
you should be able to consume Takara sake safely while at a sushi
restaurant.  This may also be true of other brands as well, but I
haven't checked.

By the way, the Japanese word for wheat and barley in various
combinations is "mugi".  So you should initially explain to the chef
that you cannot consume even a trace of mogi in anything you eat.

One more hint: "Shouyu" (soy sauce) is an essential ingredient of many
sushi preparations.  As you know, most shouyu contains wheat or
barley, so you might bring your own bottle of GF soy (e.g. San-J
brand), explain to the chef that this particular shouyu does not
contain the forbidden "muugi".  politely ask that he use this shouyu
for anything he prepares for you, even though this may compromise his
standard of preparation.

Thanks again for all the input.

Krista