Spicy Salmon Taco Sushi Came across a banner about the new Kenji Taco Sushi outside the Kopitiam food court of Northpoint City the other day — taco sushi are pretty much of a rare find locally; it has been noted that there were establishments in Singapore that used to serve up taco sushi in the past. This would have included Hokey Poki previously when they were still operating out of the FOMO food court at Sultan Gate in Kampong Glam (they have since moved to a shop unit in the basement of PLQ Mall at Paya Lebar, though they seem to have stopped serving taco sushi as well), and the now-defunct MEZCLA Taco & Tequila Bar which was located at Craig Road (the said shop unit is now home to the upcoming Hearth that is officially launching soon). Therefore, it is more the surprising to find an establishment such as Kenji Taco Sushi operating out of a food court — definitely a sort of cuisine which we would have least thought about finding in such a setting. Whilst the newer outlet situated at the Kopitiam food court in Northpoint City is integrated into the fruits & juices stall, it appears that Kenji Taco Sushi does have at least another outlet which operates out of the Monster Chili Grilled Fish & BBQ Seafood stall at the Bagus food court in the same mall. With the stall’s main focus being their taco sushi, patrons can either pick between the eight (8) different pre-designed flavours off the Taco Sushi section of the menu or go with the Mix & Match DIY Your Own Taco Sushi menu where one can pick between the original or spicy seaweed taco shell and pick-and-choose their desired toppings and sauces to go along with it. Apart from taco sushi, Kenji Taco Sushi also serves up Japanese Hyogo Oysters — patrons can either order by piece, or in sets of three (3), six (6) or twelve (12) pieces.
After skimming through the Taco Sushi section of the menu, we noticed that they do have a healthy variety of Taco Sushi meant to cater to most folks — there are Taco Sushi that features cooked elements such as the California (Seafood), Chicken Teriyaki, and the Prawn Furai, while there also what seem to be more “green” options for those who are likely to opt for Taco Sushi that comes without the meat; think options such as the Chuka Wakame, and the Mango Avocado. The Spicy Salmon Taco Sushi we have opted for would appeal best to those who love their raw seafood — especially that of salmon sashimi. Featuring diced cubes of salmon sashimi, the spicy salmon sees the cubes of raw salmon being drenched in a Japanese spicy pepper sauce; the taco sushi coming with other condiments such as corn nibs, lettuce, and Takuan (i.e. Japanese dried and pickled Daikon) — all coming with layer of sushi rice than lines the crispy, fried seaweed taco shell whilst the top is finished with some ebiko and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and spring onions.
Apart from the fact that the Taco Sushi is a mess to eat given whichever method one would choose to go around it, the Taco Sushi was actually much of a joy to have otherwise — the fried seaweed taco shell very much reminds us of how a deep-fried maki sushi would be like; the seaweed taco shell being all crisp without being particularly greasy and holds its shape well.It is being lined up with sushi rice here that comes at room temperature; we did like how the sushi rice comes sufficiently sticky, yet carries a subtle hint of sweetness that runs at the back of the tongue for flavour. The other elements such as the lettuce and the corn nibs give a refreshing crisp texture and a naturally sweet bite — both of which balancing out the carbs beneath them and the raw fish above. We liked how the raw salmon was diced to a good size here — enough for one to bite through and creates a bit of a textural contrast against the other elements going on in the taco sushi; the raw fish can also be said to be pretty fresh considering the sort of establishment that we are visiting. Much of the spiciness as promised in its namesake would come from the Japanese spicy pepper sauce which the cubes of raw fish were marinated in — this reminds us exactly of Omote’s Sanshoku Chirashi Don. The sauce here evokes an untamed spiciness that is atypical of Japanese cuisine one that would tickle the tastebuds for those whom have lower tolerance to spiciness in general — it carries a fragrance of the peppers that go into it, but also carries a nuanced note of black pepper that runs in the background and intensifies with every bite; something that kept us going on with the taco sushi.
Having tried both the Truffle Scallop and the Spicy Salmon Taco Sushi, we must say that we are pretty surprised to have found an interesting pocket-friendly eat that one would not have expected to be served in a food court in not just one, but two food courts within the North. The Truffle Scallop Taco Sushi was a winner on its own too; itself featuring quite a generous load of raw scallops which are also reasonably fresh considering how Kenji Taco Sushi is just a small stall located in a food court — the Truffle Mayo carrying just enough of a whiff of truffle that makes it evident without being overpowering while the consistency of the sushi rice and the taco shell is being maintained at the same level as it was with our Spicy Salmon Taco Sashimi. All in all, it does seem like Kenji Taco Sushi is a hidden find that is indeed worth checking out — we are only hoping that they do the taco sushi with cooked elements as well as they would with those that feature raw seafood. While prices of the food from Kenji Taco Sushi might be considered high as compared to other local fare served within the food court, the items off the “Taco Sushi” menu are priced reasonably between $4.80 to $6.80 — pretty competitive prices to other establishments serving up Okinawa-style Onigiri. For those who are into Onigri or Taco Sushi — Kenji Taco Sushi is definitely a spot to add to the list to check out.
