Los Sushi Lovers makes sense of Mexican fusion

Other than the word sushi itself, there’s usually not much to learn about a sushi restaurant by looking at its name. Sometimes, if there’s a Japanese word, you can run it through an online translator to gain some understanding about the brand. But you’re more likely to discover the word doesn’t translate, because it’s simply the name of the chef who opened the place. Which may tell you who’s slicing the fish, but not much else.

However, in the case of a sushi food truck that’s been parking outside a small corner market in National City for the past few months, its name offers a subtle yet telling character clue. If this truck merely called itself Sushi Lovers, you might expect to find the usual allotment of rolls featuring salmon and shrimp and maybe crunchy fried tempura batter.

Instead, the truck is named Los Sushi Lovers, and the addition of that little, three-letter article changes everything.

I’ve been excited by the prospect of Mexican fusion sushi in the past, only to be let down by meager nods to a spicier palate of Mexican cuisine. A familiar roll might add sliced jalapeño, for example, or swap sriracha-infused spicy mayo for the spice of chipotle peppers. And to be fair, Los Sushi Lovers does stuff like this. The dozens of rolls on its menu include many sushi standards, made with salmon and shrimp and crunchy fried tempura batter, and no attempt to add a latino twist to the maki tradition.

But, obviously, I’m not going to focus on those items. It’s much more fun to look for ways this bilingual business makes light hearted references to taco trends, or to a marriage of fruit, chili, and seafood that delights mariscos fans.

Which led me straight away to the signature, Lovers Roll ($14). Inside, it’s imitation crab and cucumber, while the top of the roll is packed with salmon and avocado. What makes it distinct is what’s tossed on top of the roll: diced mango, strawberry, jalapeño, and cilantro.

Now, I’m a guy who’s still not a hundred percent convinced krab and salmon belong together in the same roll, so embracing a pile of fruity garnish truly took some faith. But it works. In fact, after my first couple bites, I tried a piece without the fruit, et al., and it tasted lacking by comparison. Okay, it tasted exactly like a salmon, krab, and avocado roll should taste, but just like that I missed the brightness the berries and peppers provided.

A second roll I could not possibly resist ordering was the Don Cheto ($11). It takes shrimp tempura — rolled up with crab, cucumber, and cream cheese — and tops the thing off with a slew of sauces, jalapeños, and what’s become a latter day taco shop add-on: the unmistakable bright red dust of crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos.

I was spotted eating this one by a couple customers waiting in line, and when they asked what I thought, all I could come up with is: it tastes like regular sushi, just with a little added kick.

Closed Mondays, the truck parks the other six days a week in front of the small Don John market and carnicería (431 North Highland Avenue, National City) where its dedicated space is at least permanent enough to warrant a Los Sushi Lovers mural on a storefront otherwise painted with the colors of the Mexican flag. It entertained brisk business on a weekend afternoon while I waited to order and eat, some of it in the form of pre-ordered catering trays, some of it going out with delivery drivers.

While I sat, I definitely heard more sushi being ordered in Spanish than I have in my life, which lets me know this peculiar food truck is finding its audience. But no one else seemed willing to take a chance on the most peculiar sushi roll of the bunch.

The Pio Pio roll ($10) features cucumber and either tempura shrimp or chicken inside, and is topped with long slices of — no kidding — fried banana! I’ve never heard of any dish combining banana and fried chicken, and though the sweet and salty, crunchy meets creamy roll didn’t invoke the sushi experience as I tend to think of it, its creativity did win me over, and I would really — again, no kidding — order it again.

But even more so: I can’t wait to see what else the folks behind Los Sushi Lovers come up with.