Sushirrito (Sushi Burrito)
B loves watching documentaries. He’s watched ones about planet earth, about mountain climbing, and of course about sushi, and constantly tells me to watch them with him. I’ve wanted to watch the sushi documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, forever and finally found some time while on a plane flight.
The documentary talks about Jiro, one of the world’s most prominent sushi chefs, who, at over 90 years old (!) still runs his 3 star Michelin restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro near a Tokyo subway. The documentary captures his essence perfectly – how mind works, his mannerisms, his approach to sushi, and most of all, his impressive work ethic. I can’t think of anyone who works are hard as he does for 83 years(he started working in restaurants as a child) – you just have to respect his discipline and admire his passion. I may be OCD about details, but he is quite like no one else in his quest for perfecting the art of sushi
My foodie cousin actually ate at Sukiyabashi Jiro on her honeymoon and said it was so worth it (planning for a 3 month reservation time, $400 for a 20 piece meal). He serves sushi to some of the most prominent people in the world. I’m not sure I could ever get myself to spend that much on a meal (even when I have a real salary after residency), nor is my palate probably refined enough to tell the difference between great sushi and perfect sushi…. but if he’s still working when he’s 100 years old, and I’m around Tokyo, I really need to check it out.
We may never eat with Jiro, but B and I did eat at one of his apprentice’s sushi restaurants in NYC (Sushi Nakazawa) to celebrate B’s birthday! Daisuke Nakazawa was one of Jiro’s protoges; in the documentary he talked about how he cried of happiness when after months of failure with 200 rejections, his tamago (egg omelette) is finally approved to Jiro’s standards. His restaurant is slightly more afforable’s Jiro, and it’s more laid back than the extremely formal atmosphere of Jiro’s restaurant.
When you eat at his restaurant, you can at the bar where the chefs work (more expensive, and you eat each piece one by one) or the regular dining room (where they bring out sets of sushi). The meal is predetermined by the chef based on the market’s availability. The fish is paired with interesting flavors like mint or smoked to give it an interesting flavor. His tamago was excellent – practice pays off.
Like starstruck fangirls, we asked to take a picture with Chef Nakazawa, and he kindly obliged. (B even practiced his Japanese with him)
Here is our bastardized version of sushi, the sushi burrito, inspired by when I ate Sushirrito in California. Chefs Jiro would probably be mortified to see this, and my rolling technique is certainly lacking, but I think I did a pretty good job!
Sushirrito (Sushi Burrito)
Ingredients
Salmon sashimi or tuna sashimi
1 cucumber, cut to matchsticks
1 carrot, cut to matchsticks
1/2 avocado
1 stalk green onion
white sushi rice
4 sheets of roasted sushi seaweed (nori)
sesame seeds
siracha mayo (recipe below)
Directions
Lay sushi mat on your counter; place parchment paper under a sheet of roasted sushi seaweed. Spread cooked rice on top thinly, covering the surface of the seaweed. Lay your sliced avocado, sashimi, carrots, cucumbers, and green onions on top of the rice. Finish with sesame seeds and spicy mayo. Roll up sushi burrito with the parchment paper around it and slice diagonally. Use a rubber band to keep it wrapped. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Spicy Siracha Mayo
Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1-2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
1/2 lime, juiced
Directions
Mix mayonnaise, sriracha hot sauce, and lime juice together in small bowl. Serve immediately
What a smart idea to make a sushi burrito! So much easier for devouring than individual sushi rolls 😉
wrapping is can be tricky, but once it's in your hand, it's very easy to eat quickly hehe 🙂
Yayy! I have yet to try the Sushirrito place in CA but have always wanted to–I love that you made your own! 😀
I couldn't ever justify spending that much on a meal (nor is my taste that refined either), but part of me would love to try it someday because I adore sushi. 😀
It's like all my favorite things wrapped up in one… I've been waiting for one of these places to open near me, but never thought of trying it at home!
I've seen these trendy wraps and have been curious about them! I love even more that I could DIY them. Woo hoo!
I am so excited to try to make this. I am trying to think of a good lo/no-carb substitution for the rice that tastes right and will still stick together some.
I have never seen this before! What a fabulous idea, and a great way to add a little more to your sushi! I always feel like I am still hungry after I eat sushi…maybe this will fix that problem! =) Thanks for sharing!
Very healthy and delicious! I cant wait to make this again with you!
I've never heard of this documentary but have just added it to the list!! This sounds fascinating, and I love a good pieces of Tomago sushi and live close enough to NYC to try out the restaurant you mentioned. Thanks for the share!!
what a clever idea and what a cool experience!
Yum! I tried this in San Francisco and would love to try making it at home – thanks for sharing 🙂
OMG this is my dream come true….. Why have I never heard of this or tried this before?!
You should check it out when you go back to the Bay Area – personally I like the Geisha's Kiss best, which has tuna :D. There's one near Stanford
I don't live by any either, just saw it when visiting (it wasn't open back then when I was at Stanford, darn), but hopefully they'll pop up in more places. Until then, it's DIY!
DIY is certainly more economic in this case. You skip the lines too!
Hmm, I would just add more vegetables and avocado. Since your wrap it with a parchment paper and hold it in your hand, it doesn't have to be as perfect as if you were making rolls 😀
A big burrito will cure that hungry hehe
😀
Oh it's worth seeing – the videography and music is lovely. Jiro was in his mid 80s when it was filmed, and he's still going in his 90s!
Hope you enjoy!
Yes I think it started in the Bay Area. I tried mine in Palo Alto, when I visited Stanford. The lines hopefully are better than back then
You're missing out 🙂
I love sushi and even more can be consumed in a burrito! The siracha mayo will come in handy for sure. Now just to find some good quality fish..
Sukiyabashi Jiro sounds amazing, but I'm with you…my palate isn't refined enough to be able to tell the difference. Besides, I could eat A LOT of sushi for $400! I love that you made your own version of the sushi burrito, and it looks fabulous
We get ours from Costco since it's the only place we trust (the date of packaging is listed)
Thanks Karyl! It's way less than $400 for sure 🙂
Omg… I'm drooling over this! This looks AMAZING.
I try to eat a mostly plant based diet, but I'm going to save this recipe for the days I can eat regular! mmm can't wait!!
xx nicole
You could replace the salmon with tofu if you want to keep it vegetarian, but the occasional salmon is always great too 🙂
There's a food truck in SoCal that makes amazing sushi burritos that I've been craving, so I can't wait to try this. Thank you for sharing!
I can't get enough of your recipes! I was thinking of making the exact thing today and now you've just made it easier for me! thank you
Such a creative recipe. I should try that.
omg the pictures are making me hungry! I hope I get to try Jiro's sushi some day. It's on my bucket list. I watched the documentary about him a while back and was in awe.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is such a great film. My husband and I really want to check out Sushi Nakazawa next time we travel back up to NYC. Lately we've been obsessed with poke and sushi burritos, a few good spots have opened up in our area. You've totally inspired me to make my own!
This looks amazing! I have been seeing sushirritos on Instagram and social media and I would LOVE to get my hands on one. There aren't any places in my neck of the woods that have them but now I can make them at home!
What a creative and brilliant idea, I'm definitely going to try this today!
I love even more that I could DIY them. Thanks you!
Awesome blog. I enjoyed reading your articles. This is truly a great read for me. I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles. Keep up the good work. boston sushi chef