A Sushi Burrito Experience

When I first heard about Sushirrito, a sushi burrito shop in Soma, I fantasized about huge Chipotle-sized flour tortillas stuffed with tangy guacamole, spicy salsas, melted cheese, and.......sashimi?  I wasn't sure what to expect, but the combo of Mexican and Japanese sounded acutely amazing. 


So, this past Monday, I ventured down to this hole in the wall off New Montgomery Street, and discovered that a sushi burrito is really a giant sushi roll, stuffed with baby arugula to balloon it to the size of a burrito. 

I ordered the "Casanova" which came with salmon sashimi, arugula, daikon radish, tomatillo salsa, avocado, toasted pumpkin seeds, green onions and a "White Soy Ponzu" sauce.  Look at all that arugula!:

It turned out much better than I expected - all of the fresh veggies went well in the burrito, the pumpkin seeds provided a nice crunch and the sauce gave it a little kick. It was sweet and tangy and complemented the fresh sashimi well. Also, the burrito had a good balance of rice, which didn't override the other ingredients. The shop had a pretty efficient assembly line going, so although the line was long, it moved quickly.


I will probably come back, but only when I'm in the mood to spend some money ($9.50 for a burrito! - to be fair though, a roll at any Japanese restaurant would be priced similarly).  Now we just need a brown rice sushi burrito spot....
  

Lots of Indians Is Always A Good Thing

I can't think of a better first post to begin with than the Chaat Cafe in Crocker Galleria, my favorite lunchtime indulgence.  It is situated on the top level of the Galleria, and at lunchtime during the week, is always packed with people, particularly Indian clientele.  Which can only be a good thing in any Indian establishment.  Aside from the thrill of potentially running into a long lost cousin, the food is very clean, tasty and fairly affordable for a Financial District lunch. Lunchtime food ranges from Indian-style sandwiches and salads to authentic thalis, lassis and chaat food. 

My favorite is the chicken tikka plate:

It comes with 3 generous portions of tandoori chicken, basmati rice, a side of dal or curry sauce, a garlic naan and a cucumber salad (hidden underneath the mountain of naan in this picture).  The chicken is incredibly tender, the sauce is sort of spicy, but you can fire it up with chutneys from the chutney bar, and there is more rice and naan than the average carb-starved San Franciscan can handle, all for $8.

When I go with a group of people, I also like to share the Bhel Puri appetizer:



It consists of rice puffs, crispy noodles, potatoes, green chili, and onions mixed together with tamarind and mint chutneys.  It's basically a mixture of crunchy, tangy, sweet, tart, and spicy all in one, an explosion of flavors all in one bite.  It's not the best Bhel Puri I've ever had, but is pretty good regardless. Good luck going back to work after this one. (Best Bhel Puri = Vik's Chaat House in Berkeley)

Chaat Cafe has 2 locations in SF, one in Berkeley, one in San Jose and one in Fremont.  And of course they use only fresh Halal chicken and lamb and source only organic vegetables.

If you time your lunch right, you can catch the Thursday Farmer's Market at Crocker Galleria and grab some fruits or munch on samples:

Restaurant:	Chaat Café Express
Location:	Crocker Galleria, 50 Post St. SF, CA
Items ordered:	Chicken Tikka Plate with Curry Sauce; Bhel Puri
Pricing:	Under $10
Grades:	Taste: A-; Cleanliness: A; Service: B+