Fish and rice: when those two simple ingredients come together, they create something magical.
It’s magic when you take that first bite of a spicy tuna roll and the flavors dance around your mouth. The slight stickiness of the rice mixed with the spice of the fresh tuna and spicy mayonnaise filling, it’s a delicious combination that keeps you coming back for more, stuffing the bite-size pieces in your mouth until you finish the whole roll in record time.
It’s no easy feat to create this magic. From the quality of the rice to the vegetables that are sliced up and added to the roll, it takes immense talent to create sushi that makes those nervous about raw fish forget their apprehensions from the first bite.
Local chef Jin Jeon knows what it takes to create that magical feeling.
For years, Jeon has mastered the art of making sushi. He's worked at various sushi restaurants around town, picking up all kinds of tips and tricks from different chefs.
Now he’s taking matters into his own hands and serving up sushi rolls that’ll make you appreciate the two simple ingredients.
Jeon and his wife Seong Yoon An have opened Flakes Express, located at 1031 N. Park Ave., a new sushi restaurant that offers tasty rolls, poke bowls and bingsu.
After working for others for years, Jeon was ready to become his own boss and began toying with the idea of opening his very own sushi place. He knew he wanted a place somewhere in the downtown area.
Luckily, a spot opened on North Park Avenue, where he can catch the attention of hungry University of Arizona students walking to and from classes, giving them the option to have high-quality sushi at a fraction of the cost for lunch.
After seven months of hard work, Flakes Express has finally opened their doors. While they are still working on a few things, getting a quality meal is a guarantee.
At Flakes Express, you can get classic appetizers like crab ragoons, edamame and gyozas. They also serve a variety of poke bowls, nigiri, salads and donburi, which are rice bowls served with different toppings like spicy tuna and spicy yellowtail.
When it comes to the sushi rolls on the menu, they have all the fan favorites like California rolls and shrimp tempura as well as rainbow rolls and Vegas rolls. The best part: no roll is over $11.
The spicy tuna roll is made with chopped up pieces of tuna mixed with a spicy mayo or sriracha, all rolled up in rice.
Aside from the California roll, another classic roll seen in every sushi spot is the spicy tuna roll. Flakes Express' spicy tuna has the perfect amount of spice to add a nice kick to your usual sushi roll.
Spicy tuna rolls are usually made with chopped pieces of tuna mixed with a spicy mayo or sriracha, all rolled up in rice. The one at Flakes is flavorful without an overly fishy taste. You can tell the ingredients are fresh.
Jeon has truly found the perfect balance: it's not too much rice or not enough fish. You get equal parts rice and fish, which makes each bite better than the last.
Noticing the popularity of Hot Cheetos, Jeon made sure to add a Hot Cheeto roll to the menu. He saw a few of these special rolls on social media and decided to try it out, adding his own twist on the unique combination.
Last month marked the opening of Flakes Express, a new sushi restaurant that offers tasty rolls, poke bowls and bingsu.
Typically, a Hot Cheeto roll comes with imitation crab, avocado and cucumber, all wrapped in rice and topped with crushed Hot Cheetos. At Flakes Express, you get all of that plus a few slices of jalapeños, so the spice is really packed in.
I know what you're thinking: “That seems like a lot.” I’m proud to say it is the opposite. The crushed Hot Cheetos add a nice crunch to the roll, not overpowering the already flavorful crab and jalapeños. It is the perfect roll for those who need to have some heat in their meal.
But good sushi is dependent on the rice, Jeon said. He makes sure to use high-quality rice to ensure the best flavor. Of course, he also uses fresh fish so his rolls leave a lasting impression on customers.
The sushi is good, but you’ll want to leave room for dessert so you can try the bingsu, Korean shaved ice that will change your life as soon as you take a bite. To make the treat, milk is put into a machine that produces flaky, fluffy shavings. Think of it as a flaky ice cream.
It’s then combined with sweetened condensed milk and whatever flavoring you chose. Mine was covered in fresh strawberry slices and topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
One bite and I was in love. The snow-like texture along with the strawberry flavor tastes so sweet and tropical, it reminded of one of my favorite treats: fresas con crema.
The next time you’re walking around campus and craving that magic sushi moment, know Flakes Express is right around the corner.
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