Detroit — There’s soy sauce on the tables, but upbeat Latin music playing from the speakers at Vernor Highway’s newest destination restaurant.
Sushi Los Toritos opened in April, serving massive maki rolls that look like a mega-sized version of the Japanese cuisine, but with Mexican flavors. The colorful, modern restaurant offers dine-in and carryout service of their concise menu of rolls that are smothered in cheese, Cheeto dust and bright green avocado.
Co-owner Stephanie Vargas says they don’t serve “traditional sushi.”
“Once you get the roll, you see it’s big … almost like a burrito,” said Vargas, who owns Sushi Los Toritos with her husband, Rogelio Vargas, and his sister, Jimena Vargas. Rogelio made this kind of sushi in Mexico, and the family decided to bring it to Detroit.
Instead of chips and salsa for the table, as you get at many of the family-owned neighboring restaurants in southwest Detroit, Sushi Los Toritos welcomes guests with deep-fried wontons and two styles of soy sauce, one a bit sweet and the other served with jalapeno peppers for a spicy kick. Don’t overlook the crab salad seasoned with cream cheese and jalapenos, which pair wonderfully with the crunchy, golden wontons.
The menu pays homage to Latin music stars. One of the best-selling Latin artists in history, Juan Gabriel’s roll is deep-fried and topped with melted cheese and pieces of bacon. The heat from the deep frying makes the inner roll’s cream cheese and avocado soften and blend well with the shrimp and julienne carrots and cucumber.
For something more crisp and cool, the Bad Bunny roll is topped with layers of bright green avocado and a dusting of sesame seeds. It’s rolled so large that it would be hard for most people to get a piece down with one bite. I had to take mine in a few bites, but the roll stayed together pretty well thanks to the packed-in steamed rice.
All the rolls start with cucumber, carrots, cream cheese, avocado and shrimp inside and then get their own personality with the toppings. Some are adorned with Tajin, plantains, Hot Cheetos and a variety of sauces. Rolls run $15-$20.
There is also a rice bowl, fries, and a kids’ menu that offers chicken nuggets or fried cheese on a stick, which I’d say is like a house-made mozzarella stick.
There’s no bar at Sushi Los Toritos, but they have horchata, tea, Jarritos, Topo Chico and Coke products, including Mexican Coke.
The clean dining room is decorated in a lot of red, white and black decor, including a mural from local artist Luis Martinez. There are a few cute sayings here and there, like a faux-neon sign that reads “feed me sushi and call me pretty” and napkin holders that advise (in Spanish) “sushi never disappoints — people do.”
Sushi Los Toritos, 8340 Vernor W. in Detroit is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tues.-Sun. Call (313) 686-3865 or visit the Instagram at instagram.com/toritos_sushi.
mbaetens@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Mexican sushi has landed in Detroit at Sushi Los Toritos
Reporting by Melody Baetens, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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