Menu Musings: Finally, the Sushi Burrito Hits Westchester

After California foodies started flaunting their sushi burrito hybrid #foodporn, New Yorkers had to wait a full year for the trend to hit the city. And now the overnight Midtown Manhattan delicacy has made its way to Northern Westchester in four varieties, thanks to the Inno Sushi by James counter at Exit 4.

Inno has been offering trendy and well-received poke bowls ($12-$15) since Exit 4 opened last year. but wanted to experiment further. “We wanted to be innovative, to keep progressing the menu and Inno wanted to stand out,” Exit 4 manager John Flynn says about the idea to offer sushi burritos. While at first customers did not really know what it was, the hefty sushi item was soon discovered, and it “caught fire really quickly,” according to Flynn.

I tried the shrimp tempura sushi burrito, which was like one amazingly fresh, giant hand roll made with spicy tuna, cucumber, avocado, mixed greens, caviar, carrots, red pepper, and crab meat. As you can imagine, that’s a lot of ingredients for one thin seaweed leaf, so the first bite is difficult, as you have to find a way to pierce the seaweed to get a clean bite and keep the rest of the ingredients from falling out all over your plate.

“It is not for rookies,” Flynn admits. “You have to be really eager to get in there, pick your corner, and navigate around.”

Despite the small challenge of keeping it together, it was worth it. Each bite had a perfect mix of ingredients and the sushi and tempura were super fresh.

The sushi burritos are not yet listed on Exit 4’s website, but are available at the Inno counter in the below varieties:

• Classic Sushi Bu: salmon, tuna, avocado, cucumber, caviar, mixed greens, peppers, seaweed salad, mango sauce – $13
• Shrimp Tempura: spicy tuna, cucumber, avocado, mix greens, caviar, carrots, red pepper, crabmeat – $13
• Tuna Carpaccio: mixed greens, cucumber, avocado, peppers, caviar, panko – $13
• Spicy Kani: spicy kani, shrimp tempura, egg, mixed greens, avocado, cucumber – $15

Exit 4 also just added another Asian-fusion favorite to its menu: crispy rice topped with spicy tuna and slices of jalapeno for $15. “After the first day of offering the crispy rice, people started coming in to taste it and it has already gained a following,” Flynn explains.

Oh, and if you are interested in those popular poke bowls, they offer six different kinds, priced from $12-$15:

• Sashimi Bibim Bob: salmon, tuna, carrots, cucumber, cabbage
• Spicy Tuna: creamy togarashi sauce
• Spicy Yuzu Salmon: yuzu koshu sauce
• Jirashi: mixed vegetables, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, white fish, soy sauce
• Eel Dub Bob: eel, seaweed salad, cucumber, oshinko
• Tuna Carpaccio Dub Bob: seared tuna, mixed greens

Inno Sushi by James at Exit 4 Food Hall

153 Main St., Mount Kisco

(914) 241-1200; www.exit4foodhall.com