This is not a food blog. My first attempt at blogging was a food blog back in 2005 that was so cringeworthy I've taken it offline. That being said, I'm subjecting you to back-to-back food posts. Why? Because I'm sitting in San Francisco and just discovered Sushiritto.
In NYC, I've seen plenty of Asian and Mexican food fusion over the past decade. The first wave was more of a cultural fusion than a food fusion in the form of a fast food-ish type spots all over New York called Fresco Tortillas. They were Mexican food places run by Chinese people, affectionately dubbed "Chexican" by a former roommate. Their ratings weren't amazing, but the fajita meat was real, and the food was cheap. They were enough that I resolved to never eat at a Taco Bell again.
Fast forward to the recent influx of fusion food trucks. There's Kimchi Taco Truck, Korilla BBQ, among others. Creating tacos out of Korean-preparation meats (Bulgogi, Spicy Chicken, Short Ribs) has become all the rage. It's not quite Fresco Tortillas cheap, but damn, it's good.
Last night at a sushi dinner, a friend started talking about sushi burritos. Apparently there was a place that created hand rolls on steroids, making massive, seaweed-wrapped masterpieces. Fast forward 12 hours and I was standing in line.
The setup looked just like a Chipotle, except with tempura flakes instead of pinto beans (jalapenos did seem to be a consistent element). There were three of us, and we tried a variety, ranging from a Tonkatsu Curry version, to one with Teriyaki Salmon with Tempura Asparagus, to the most "sushi"-like one, filled with hand-caught Yellowfin Tuna.
I'm still amazed that the seaweed managed to hold everything together, but it did. The combinations were fantastic and one burrito was more than enough. I can't deny, I kind of also love the company's mission:
To challenge the status quo of sushi restaurants through creativity and innovation of flavors, form, and sourcing.
The concept works. Sushiritto, please come to New York.
