Do you ever find yourself torn between two foods you love? Or have trouble picking what to eat for dinner? Pizza or Chinese takeout? Thai or Mexican? Deciding what to eat can be quite the ordeal. Thankfully, fusion foods can sometimes make these decisions a lot easier. You don't have to choose one when you can have both. I've recently discovered a fusion of two cuisines that speak to my soul: Dominican and Japanese, specifically the existence of Dominican sushi. Now, this doesn't mean sushi made by Dominicans (although it could be), I'm talking about traditional sushi with a Dominican twist.
It all started with a Pero Like video called "Dominicans try Platano Sushi For The First Time." Here, the channel's resident Dominicans, Gadiel and Julissa go to MamaSushi, a restaurant known for their Latin-Asian fusion and "More than Sushi" concept.
MamaSushi's menu is pretty extensive in terms of their fusion rolls, so there's really something for everyone. It is more on the upscale side, evident by the decor, service, and prices. The prices for house rolls (meaning their Latin-fusion rolls) range from $12-$16 per roll, with the most expensive being a roll called El Tolete for $20. They also serve traditional rolls with prices ranging from $6-$14, so you can still enjoy a California roll for not much of an extra expense.
Conveniently, MamaSushi is located in New York City, where I live, and as a Dominican who is also a sushi-lover, I just had to try it for myself. My friends and I found ourselves making the trip to MamaSushi's Dyckman location within a few weeks of watching the mentioned video, and we were not disappointed.
What We Had:
El Montro
El Montro, which translates to, "the Monster" consists of hanger steak, chicken tempura, fried white cheese, sweet plantain, and pico de gallo. It was like a party in my mouth with all these different flavors dancing together. The best part is that it really tastes like a dish my grandmother would make me, but it still felt like I was eating sushi.
Tre Golpe
If you ever wondered if it's possible to have sushi for breakfast, the answer is YES. Inspired by the Dominican breakfast of champions, "The Three Hits," this sushi roll consists of mangu (plantain puree), crispy salami, crispy white cheese, fried egg, avocado, red onion, and escabeche. My sister raved about this roll the entire time we were there.
MamaSushi
Of course we had to try the roll named after the restaurant itself. Consisting of chicken tempura, bacon, cream cheese, and sweet plantain, this roll was both tasty and filling. It was so good that two of my friends ordered it.
Gyoza Dumplings
Now this isn't sushi, but it's important to note that MamaSushi's appetizers are worth checking out. Our table got two orders of chicken dumplings and one order of shrimp dumplings, and they were delicious. They made me forget how hungry I was for a bit while I waited for my sushi.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience at MamaSushi and have a new found love for Dominican-inspired sushi. I definitely recommend trying it; I would 100 percent go again. Be sure to look for any other places that make Dominican sushi if this one isn't in your area. I'm also open to any sushi fusions that happen to come my way. It's always nice to try something different, especially a twist on something you already love.