Sushi may be a 500-year-old Japanese tradition, but its future would be unrecognizable to the shoguns and samurai of ancient Edo.
Case in point: cheese in sushi. And not just any cheese, but grilled Manchego, wrapped around sliced jalapeño, shrimp tempura and chipotle sauce. If that sounds more Mexican than Japanese, that’s because it is.
The creation of Andres Mier y Terán and his two business partners, who happen to be his brothers, Mexican sushi isn’t in any danger of being confused with familiar sushi-bar staples.
“We started with pure Japanese recipes and integrated our favorite flavors of Mexican culture,” Mier y Terán told The Daily. “But that doesn’t mean we are just adding chili powder to everything.”
Indeed, the list of unconventional sushi ingredients ranges from tortilla chips to mangoes to fried plantains.
The Mier y Terán brothers own a successful chain of more traditional sushi bars in Mexico City, and dreamed up Mexican sushi in a quest to distinguish themselves in the crowded American market. Their first outlet is Taka Taka, in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.
Inside, a conveyor belt snakes around the dining tables, allowing newly converted Mexican sushi aficionados to pick up whatever looks appealing, be it a shrimp and chile piquin roll or a mango, avocado and cheese roll.
Of course a new sushi needs a new kind of soy sauce, and at Taka Taka, the traditional Kikkoman has been reimagined with lime and orange juices and even some fish skin flakes. It’s a lighter, sweeter soy sauce — well suited for cutting the spice of a jalapeño roll.
Speaking of cutting the spice, the restaurant is armed with a potent array of synergistic libations. The Michelada, for instance, substitutes soy sauce for the usual Worcestershire sauce, and instead of Modelo or Tecate, it’s all about the Sapporo.
The flavors do take some getting used to, and obviously an affection for both Mexican and Japanese cuisine is helpful.
“Without completely changing the recipes, the goal is to make you think of both cultures,” explained Mier y Terán.
Case in point: cheese in sushi. And not just any cheese, but grilled Manchego, wrapped around sliced jalapeño, shrimp tempura and chipotle sauce. If that sounds more Mexican than Japanese, that’s because it is.
The creation of Andres Mier y Terán and his two business partners, who happen to be his brothers, Mexican sushi isn’t in any danger of being confused with familiar sushi-bar staples.
“We started with pure Japanese recipes and integrated our favorite flavors of Mexican culture,” Mier y Terán told The Daily. “But that doesn’t mean we are just adding chili powder to everything.”
Indeed, the list of unconventional sushi ingredients ranges from tortilla chips to mangoes to fried plantains.
The Mier y Terán brothers own a successful chain of more traditional sushi bars in Mexico City, and dreamed up Mexican sushi in a quest to distinguish themselves in the crowded American market. Their first outlet is Taka Taka, in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.
Inside, a conveyor belt snakes around the dining tables, allowing newly converted Mexican sushi aficionados to pick up whatever looks appealing, be it a shrimp and chile piquin roll or a mango, avocado and cheese roll.
Of course a new sushi needs a new kind of soy sauce, and at Taka Taka, the traditional Kikkoman has been reimagined with lime and orange juices and even some fish skin flakes. It’s a lighter, sweeter soy sauce — well suited for cutting the spice of a jalapeño roll.
Speaking of cutting the spice, the restaurant is armed with a potent array of synergistic libations. The Michelada, for instance, substitutes soy sauce for the usual Worcestershire sauce, and instead of Modelo or Tecate, it’s all about the Sapporo.
The flavors do take some getting used to, and obviously an affection for both Mexican and Japanese cuisine is helpful.
“Without completely changing the recipes, the goal is to make you think of both cultures,” explained Mier y Terán.
PHOTO: Bryan Bedder/The Daily
Taka Taka's take on shrimp sashimi is marinated in lime and served in a cilantro and serrano chili sauce.
