Living in Tokyo, I’ve had the chance to encounter exotic variations of sushi unavailable in other parts of the world – raw horse meat, cod sperm (shirako) and live, still-thrashing ebi come to mind.
But sushi…dessert? That was a new one. I was recently introduced to the imaginative nigiri creations at Koi Sushi, a tiny husband-and-wife run shop in Nakameguro. After a parade of highly innovative nigiri (such as raw beef “shabu shabu” nigiri – raw, tender beef placed over a ball of sushi rice, then drizzled with sizzling hot olive oil to cook the beef on the spot), we were served our dessert: a ball of sushi rice, wrapped with nori, then topped with half a strawberry and a tiny scoop of mango sorbet, then drizzled with condensed milk.
The verdict? Cool, sweet…and yet still sushi. I think my mouth was confused. The jury’s still out on whether it was delightful or just strange.
Even if ice cream with nori and vinegared rice isn’t your thing, the delicious, innovative sushi creations at Koi Sushi are worth a visit!
– Deb
