It was mid April 2005. Late on a Wednesday afternoon. A perfect spring day with clear, blue skies.
I was headed back to my restaurant for dinner service after a game of squash. Hungry, I decided to
grab a sandwich. I ran into a Subway on K Street and ordered an Italian sub with toasted bread, no
mayo, and extra pickles.
As I was giving my order -and choosing just how I wanted my sandwich- I was struck by lightning.
“Why not offer sushi rolls this way?” A restaurant focusing solely on maki sushi: freshly made,
quickly prepared, reasonably priced … and with plenty of options?
A restaurant in Osaka that was the first place I worked was famous for its futomaki (“big roll”). It
had seven ingredients, including eel, egg, mushroom, cucumber, jellyfish... The fantastic, eclectic
ingredients came together to make that futomaki a satisfying, healthy meal in itself. Add a cup of
miso soup or a fresh salad, and you were definitely set for the day.
