For this week of Local Lunches, we went to Sushinista, located right across the street from Berkeley High School. It is a traditional Japanese family-run restaurant, and their recipes come all the way from Kyoto, Japan. As a result, you get a super yummy traditional and fusion-style vibe, and their menu is super broad. They have tons of options, from their sushi burritos to takoyaki, which are creamy fried octopus balls. When we went there, we decided to try one of their sushi burritos. We ordered the Uma Uma Beef, and it was a great choice. Inside, there was tender, seasoned sukiyaki beef paired with crispy yam tempura, crunchy red radish, pickled ginger, a fresh cabbage mix, tempura flakes, and a sukiyaki butter sauce. The beef was flavorful and slightly sweet, the tempura added a nice crunch, and the sauce tied everything together. Overall, we really enjoyed the burrito and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something filling but a little different from the usual. They have nine sushi burritos on the menu, but if these premade options aren't what you want, you can just build your own, or even base yours off one on their menu. Plus, the location is conveniently right across the street from campus, which makes it an easy and quick stop for lunch.
To go with the burrito we also tried their sakura mochi. Another staple in Japan, mochi is pounded sweet rice that has a sticky, stretchy texture that's enjoyed both sweet and savory. It was super delicious, with light flavors that were an awesome palate cleanser. The sakura mochi is made with a fermented cherry blossom leaf. Even though the fermented leaves sound weird to some people, it didn't have a distinct flavor, and the mochi was really good.
We also got some of their onigiri, also called rice triangles. They are a staple lunch food in Japan, and the ones Sushinista serves are also a staple for BHS students. We decided to get unagi eel, spicy karaage chicken, and tempura shrimp. All of them were delicious and fresh, and at the counter they had almost 50 pre-made ones so you could grab and go at lunch. They were super fresh and had generous portions, making them filling, which is hard to find with onigiri sometimes. The karaage chicken and tempura were still crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The sushi rice was perfectly seasoned with the seaweed still crisp because of the little plastic wrapping around the rice triangle. To many people, however, it can be hard to open these, but you really just have to follow the instructions and have a bit of finesse with the seaweed and you're good.
Overall we would highly recommend this place for sure, and there is really no place like it. We give Sushinista a 9.5/10 overall rating. This is because of the quick service, delicious food, unmatched quality, and pretty reasonable prices. Whether it's for a quick snack or treat, or for lunch, there is nothing like it in the area.