Are Sushi Doughnuts and Burritos a Gimmick?

Sushi doughnuts and sushi burritos are actually things that restaurants serve. For some, this new and rapidly growing trend — thanks, Instagram! — may come as a surprise, and for others, it’s the best thing to hit the internet of late. The sushi shapes do look beautiful after all, but they also kind of deeply insult the very definition of sushi. Share your take in the comments below or over the tipline.

WWeek was likely the first media outlet to cover Portland’s sushi burritos, with a review of the version served at Teppanyaki Hut in February 2017, writing, “[It] has the potential for fast-food brilliance, with none of the gut-bomb feeling caused by classic burritos.”

Today, the Merc’s Andrea Damewood revealed her take, more or less defining the sushi burrito as a super-sized sushi roll. “The result,” writes Damewood, “is a cheap and filling lunch for anyone who can ignore the thousands of years of craft that preceded it. (Don’t worry, I totally can.)” The review also makes it apparent the trend is growing fast, with a whopping five food carts now making sushi burritos in Portland.

Yelp/Jason C.

But is it fair to so quickly redefine something like a doughnut, just because another dish can be molded in its shape? And is something still a burrito if it’s wrapped up in nori instead of a tortilla? And further, does salsa taste good on a sushi doughnut?

Neither the food critics at the O or PoMo have so far deemed to tackle the issue, as more and more sushi shapes develop. If you’re looking to try one, Wasabi PDX, the food cart that claims to have brought the sushi burrito to Portland, is one of the few spots serving sushi doughnuts in Portland, and now it’s launched — wait for it — sushi bagels. Perhaps the sushi burger is next?

• A Sushi Burrito for Everyone [Merc]