Side Note: Western Style Sushi in Ibaraki!?

When I lived in America and went to a Japanese restaurant in Miami, I would usually order sushi. I would have my choice of different rolls like the California roll, Boston roll, Miami roll, Cuban roll, and the list goes on. I honestly thought that this is how sushi is in Japan. Then I moved to Japan and learned two important lessons: 90% of sushi is nigiri sushi, fish over rice, and kaiten (rotator belt) sushi is an amazing invention. This completely blew my mind and I fell in love with real Japanese sushi. I enjoyed my new outlook on sushi and my new obsession with a Tsuchiura kaiten sushi restaurant called Kaneki Sushi. But then I started feeling nostalgic for my old California rolls and Miami rolls. They weren't Japanese, but they were delicious. I looked around Ibaraki and there were rare times that I would find California rolls at a rotator belt sushi restaurant. It wasn't the same though. Yes, they were tasty, but not the same. I was ready to give up and give myself over completely to the nigiri sushi way until one day at the Village Market Tsukuba, a beacon of California roll light lit up the park and beckoned for me to try them. This beacon of light was a food truck called Fast Sushi, and I am glad I found them.

Fast Sushi

Fast Sushi is a food truck from Chiba that has recently been making the rounds around Ibaraki, mainly the Village Market Tsukuba. The owner of Fast Sushi lived in Canada and learned how to make uramaki sushi. Uramaki sushi, meaning rice outside the seaweed, is famous in Western countries. I am sure everyone reading this post knows what a California roll is, which is not from Japan but a Canadian invention (I know, I thought America invented it too). This is the kind of sushi that Fast Sushi makes.
I was able to try Fast Sushi a month ago at the Village Market Tsukuba. Unfortunately, I was alone on this food adventure. I checked out their menu and they had six different rolls: California Roll, Vegetable Roll, Alaska Roll, Salmon Avocado Roll, Rainbow Roll, and Anago Dragon Roll.
Before I go into what I had from Fast Sushi, you should know that I had three different types of rolls. Each of the rolls set brought around six to eight rolls which was awesome. I talked to the owner of Fast Sushi and let him know who I was and what I did. I said I would make a special exception for his food truck since it was from Chiba. He then replied, "Maybe you should call yourself Chibaraki Eats." This is the second time I have heard that and might have to give it some serious thought.

California Rolls

This was the first roll I ordered from Fast Sushi, the California Roll. This roll brings crab meat, avocado, and cucumber with sesame seeds on top of the roll. This is the most famous Western-style sushi in the world and it is tasty. Fast Sushi did not disappoint with their California Rolls. Popping one of those rolls in my mouth brought back a lot of memories of my days at American Japanese restaurants. The avocado was fresh and creamy, the crab meat delicious, and the added treat of the crunchy cucumber was heavenly.
This was a nice starter to what would be my huge sushi breakfast and lunch.

Alaskan Roll

Some people do not like cream cheese in their uramaki sushi. I, on the other hand, love it. When I saw that the Alaskan Roll brought cream cheese, I had to try it. This roll brings cream cheese, crab meat, tuna, cucumber, avocado, and sesame seeds on top.
Biting into this roll, I was hit by two distinct flavors first. The cream cheese and the tuna. That pair went so well together and made me so happy. It reminded me of Boston Rolls back in Miami. All the over flavors came after the cream cheese and tuna. I will say that the cream cheese does take over most of your taste buds when you have this sushi. The avocado is already creamy so it just brings the creaminess level of the sushi up to an 11. It was an interesting roll and I would love to have it again. The next roll, however, captured my heart.

Rainbow Roll

This roll brings back a lot of memories. Besides the California Roll, this is the roll I would always have back in the States.
The Rainbow Roll is basically a California Roll with one delicious and awesome twist. Different kinds of sashimi are wrapped around the top of the uramaki sushi making a beautiful presentation of different colors. Hence the Rainbow Roll. Fast Sushi had an awesome presentation of their Rainbow Roll and I couldn't wait to pop those colorful-looking bad boys in my mouth. My first roll had maguro (tuna) and salmon sashimi wrapped on top. I took a bite of that roll and felt myself going back to the first time I ever tried a Rainbow Roll. Just like then, I was mesmerized by all the different fresh flavors that small roll had to offer. It was fantastic and I couldn't stop eating the rolls, then and now. I am definitely having the Rainbow Rolls again from Fast Sushi.

After having three different sushi sets in one day, I couldn't eat anymore. I couldn't really eat anything else. I thanked the Fast Sushi owner for his delicious uramaki sushi and vowed that I would get sushi from him again.

So if you are in Chiba or Ibaraki and see a food truck with a picture of sushi rolls for wheels, you have just found Fast Sushi and are in for a great sushi treat. Who knows, you might see me there, enjoying the Rainbow Rolls while wondering what other rolls I am going to try.
Enjoy!

For more information on Fast Sushi, check out their Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/fast_sushi_house/