I mix up the soy sauce and wasabi in the little dish, pick up a whole piece, hold it in the mixture for between 1-5 seconds (depending how much of a kick I want) and pop it in whole. Sushi , to me is a social meal, and so I make sure to at least take a drink between pieces. Some edamame or miso soup between bites is also a good idea.

I never mix the wasabi on the soy sauce. Instead, I take a bit of the wasabi, put it on the piece of sushi, and then dip it into the soy sauce. And repeat for every piece. Almost ritualistic =)

Miso soup is definitely a good idea between bites, and don't forget the pickled ginger - it's a palate cleanser!

I think it is best to eat it as they do in Japan- with a purposeful progression. Start with the lightest fish (like hamachi or kanpachi) and move through to fish like salmon, otoro and chutoro. End with something slightly sweet. As you eat, think about the flavor progression and what makes it work (or no). Take time in between types of fish to enjoy a bite of pickled ginger as a palate cleanser. Hope that helps!

This might help, sushi dining etiquette

http://www.sushifaq.com/howtoeatsushi-etiquette.htm

I second the above. Additional items add variety to the meal, and the contrast in flavors is nice. Seaweed salad, tempura, gyoza, miso soup, etc. Also, you can ask the server to bring you your dishes as they are ready, which will slow you down (generally, if you sit at the sushi bar itself, they will serve your rolls and pieces as they are ready). And a sip of sake between each bite never hurt anyone, right?

Oh, and it's generally considered an insult to the chef to drown your sushi in wasabi and/or soy sauce. If you must, don't sit at the bar, where they have to see it. I've worked in a place where the sushi chef actually refused to serve a customer that adulterated every item he put in front of him.

The artful itamai-san will have cut the fish just thick enough so that it quite literally cooks on the tongue. As Rachael said, eat purposefully, experience the change in texture and taste.

Oh, I thought my hubby and I were the only ones who did this! Bringing our 3yr old along with us slows us down some but I'm always surprised at how quickly we are done compared w/our restaurants.

It's hard to slow yourself down with all of the yummy sushi, but sake helps! Also, focus on the flavors and enjoy some good conversation.

This has nothing to do with etiquette, but I highly recommend ordering spicy ponzu sauce to replace the soy sauce/wasabi combo. My hubby and I love the spice so we add wasabi to the spicy ponzu sauce and it's perfect!

Rolls are sometimes awkwardly large to eat whole, and fall apart if you try to eat them in 2 bites...

I prefer nigiri pieces of sushi - you can bite them in half (which is totally acceptable), and eat a little slower.

Make a concerted effort to make conversation.

The people I know who eat the fastest are those who are unable to take breaks from chewing to talk.

Haha or try using your chopsticks left-handed. I'm sure that will slow you down.

Do you eat all your meals at a fast pace? I would guess that you do if you think that all that slows you down normally is cutting your food.

Get in the habit of pausing at brief intervals. Sit back, put down your fork (or chopsticks), drink some water or savor whatever other beverage you're drinking.

And don't forget to talk! I know so many people who put their head down and shovel food in for the entire time they eat. Conversation comes to a halt. It's frustrating to the people with them, and they always complain about being too full after the meal. Although, they are better than the people who talk and eat at the same time!

i am pretty clueless when it comes to sushi but when i was treated to this dinner at sugarfish in LA, they schooled me:

http://theactorsdiet.wordpress.com/2010/10/30/sushi-school/

I would probably agree with akay. The way I remember to pause during meals (of any type) is my rule of thumb that if there's something in your mouth, there should be nothing in your hands (i.e. put down your fork/chopsticks). This makes each bite deliberate and individual. That, plus good conversation, will make any meal last long enough!

I'd recommend consciously making an effort to chew more. It's good for digestion (and some say weight loss, since you'll have more time to notice if you're full), and it makes you slow down.

chew your food slower. i read that you're not supposed to take more than two bites per sushi piece. here's some sushi etiquette for ya: http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Sushi-Etiquette. one thing that page doesn't mention is that pickled ginger is there to cleanse your palette between different types of food, not to put on top of pieces of sushi. don't remember where i read that tip...

My biggest peeve is when the sushi is cut so big that I can't hardly chew without opening my mouth. At that point, I feel I'm going to choke on the sheer volume of food I'm trying to chew.

One idea would be to not order all your sushi at once... order a plate, share, then order another, share... repeat.

Sushi is such a treat for my partner and I that we really savor it when we can afford to go. Usually we end up chewing thoughtfully on each piece, trying varying amounts of different toppings until we find the "perfect" combination, and keeping a running commentary on our thoughts. I think we end up looking like wine tasters or something!

But seriously, approaching it like a wine tasting might be a good idea. The the emphasis on really thinking about the flavors of a single sip or bite and how they change in your mouth seems to be the key similarity. You wouldn't think about a tray of small tasting glasses in the same way you think about one big glass (though maybe doing that is the key to eating mindfully in general).

I find my sushi is best enjoyed when I savor each piece - let the play of the different flavors of textures roll across my palate. I enjoy the chewiness and sweet flavor of the rice, the sensation of the raw fish sliding across my cheek, the crisp taste of the ginger and so on.
I think I remember reading somewhere that sushi was meant to be eaten as a type of bar food to compliment your drink. So, treat it more as a wine & cheese thing, and allow yourself to enjoy the flavors as opposed to attaining the goal of satiating your hunger?

I always have some appetizers with it that I ask the waiter to serve at the same time the food is. Some fried rice or yakimeshi are nice too or even pickled cucumbers. I love sushi!

This instructional video is one of my favorites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b75cl4-qRE

(and, yes, it's a parody done by a Japanese comedy duo :D mmmmm panda)

Now I'm craving sushi!

I love sushi and though sometimes i do have it with wasabi, i actually prefer to eat it on its own. Then i can really savor the taste and differences of each one without any other elements.

Mmm, thinking about it makes me hungry now!

Thank you so much for these great ideas! I am a chronic fast eater -- I think this is common for my stage of life, mother of two young daughters, always wolfing my food in between jumping up to pour milk or wash dishes. But I know I need to discipline myself to eat more slowly, and these tips are very helpful. Can't wait to try them out!

If you make it at home, make it one roll at a time. You won't eat as fast or as much since the rice will expand and fill you up faster. Kind of the same concept as ordering one roll at a time.

If I eat alone I sometimes have this problem, whatever I'm eating, and for me the best solution is to have someone interesting to make conversation with. Just relax and enjoy it!

I'll second the reference to this site:
http://www.sushifaq.com/howtoeatsushi-etiquette.htm

When I eat sushi, I like to focus on the separate flavors and textures. Each fish is a little different, some are smooth, some grainy. The rice has an almost malty, sweet and sour to it. And, with each piece I take time to pay attention to the separation, then the merging as I chew.

Even after swallowing, I give it time to let the flavors fade, then a sip of tea, and a little soup.

I only use a bit of gari when i change fish or flavors.

Finally, I highly recommend going to a traditional sushi bar and asking the chef for omakase (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omakase). Hopefully, the chef will provide you the pacing and order that best represents their art.