Written by: Mehr Jan
Posted on: June 04, 2021 | 
The Crispy California Maki and Original California Maki
Those with a love for seafood, would know how sushi is the ultimate ‘holy grail’ when it comes to treating the taste buds to authentic and delicious cuisine.
For a very long time, it was considered an exotic food. People would not be able to savor this one-of-a-kind specialty unless they had connections to the high-end places, which would consciously create a few limited pieces, given their resources. The concept of ‘raw fish’ was intimidating for some. And this is more so in Pakistan where raw Salmon or Tuna were once not easily available in restaurants.
But times have changed, the era of authentic, international cuisine being delivered right at your doorstep has arrived. Islamabad is already home to a plethora of home-based eatery businesses selling a variety of food which are high on flavor and quality. Thanks to the fierce competition, coupled with eagle-eyed netizens on social media, home chefs need to be on their toes all the time.
Sushi by Asma's Sushi Boxes
Our craving for sushi led us to a quaint and specialized home-based project of Asma Mujahid. An Indonesian National, Asma has been creating sushi and serving enthusiasts in the twin cities since October 2020. Asma knew she would need to muster a lot of courage to start off her home-based business, especially when it comes to importing ingredients and creating the final product which has to be at par to international textures and flavorings.
When it comes to getting fresh, marine nourishment, Karachi may have the upper hand. But it’s good to know that there is affordable and readily available sushi is in Islamabad for anyone who has intense cravings for it. Moreover, with the pandemic limiting our options to dine out indefinitely, getting food at home is an option worth exploring.
A Close-up of the Sushi
Speaking to Youlin, Asma said her aim was to bring authentic sushi to the public, which will also be reasonably priced. “I’ve always loved sushi, but its availability is limited to the high-end restaurants that I myself couldn’t afford. I wanted to change that. This is how the idea of Sushi by Asma came into the picture”.
Currently Asma is offering 2 signature creations: crispy California maki at Rs.900 a box, and original California maki for Rs.800 with Wasabi at Rs.120. The dual creations are her best sellers, served completely fresh with the chef’s special home-made spicy Japanese mayo and soya sauce. I ended up ordering the crispy California Maki. It consisted of shrimp, crabsticks and a touch of cucumber. But the main ingredient on which most of my expectations and hopes were pinned, was the special sushi rice.
In fact, sushi itself means ‘it’s sour’ in Japanese, as the dish gets its flavor from its vinegared rice. Sushi chefs in Japan have to undergo years of training to ensure they roll out the perfect rice inside the seaweed. Sushi by Asma consists of carefully constructed ingredients, placed in utmost precision. I loved how all the 8 pieces in my box looked almost identical. That just makes for consistency in taste.
Uniformly Cut Maki
The first bite took me to my days as a resident living by the sea, as it was a moment of bliss to bite into authentic sushi. However, I was a little let down with how the crispy version of the very popular California Maki, wasn’t as crispy as I hoped it would be. And yet, Asma’s craft reflected through her work of precision. While sushi rice is prepared with vinegar and certain other seasonings, the rice I tasted here wasn’t big on flavors, but it definitely had the right texture.
The Crispy California Maki
The makizushi style, rolled inside out with its simple ingredients inside, was the closet thing I’ve been able to savor since moving to Pakistan, although I do hope that in the future, there is more variety of Japanese food for offer in the twin cities. Prioritizing quality over quantity for now, Asma said she hopes she can further extend the business to Peshawar, Karachi and Lahore in the near future, as she gets requests from these cities quite often. She is currently delivering to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Follow her page @sushi_by_asma to know more on her meticulously crafted maki.
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