Mentaiko Monday ($32.90)!
Aburi mentaiko salmon sushi platter with tobiko and a side of mentaiko tamago. $32.90.
A Mentaiko Monday set, $32.90. 😍😋👍🏼
What was in the takeaway boxes:
- Two trays of aburi mentaiko salmon sushi: nigiri base, salmon slices torched on top, mentaiko mayo crowning each piece, finished with bright orange tobiko (flying fish roe) for crunch
- Middle tray: mentaiko tamago bites: sliced torched omelette with mentaiko cream on top, layered on rice
- A neat plastic-tray box format meant for delivery, with the pieces lined up like a slow-motion gif
Mentaiko (spicy cured pollack roe) is the Kyushu speciality that anchors a whole category of Japanese comfort food. Mixed with mayo, torched on top of salmon, the heat melts the fat and the roe sauce becomes the bridge. The tobiko on top adds that pop-pop texture that mentaiko alone can’t deliver.
The aburi technique (torch-sear the surface) is the move that elevates standard salmon nigiri. The fat renders just enough to take on the smoke, the mentaiko mayo caramelises slightly at the edges, and the rice picks up the warm-cold contrast that raw nigiri can’t do.
The takeaway box format means you eat within 30 minutes of pickup or the rice firms up and the salmon loses its slick. Worth the rush.
The 5/5 visuals (those neat ridges of torched salmon, the orange tobiko coverage) are exactly the Instagram-bait shot the mentaiko-set genre was built for. The taste delivered too.
Overall: 4.4 / 5. 😍😋👍🏼 Solid mentaiko-Monday treat, would re-order for the aburi pieces alone.
