Star Kebab's sushi roll kebab in Akihabara is no longer on the menu but don't let that stop you

When a restaurant stops selling your favorite dish, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

THE norimaki kebab (sushi roll) at Star Kebab is our Japanese-speaking reporter Ikuna Kamezawa my favorite thing to eat in the Akihabara district of Tokyo. In fact, at least one other member of our team can second that statement, because tasting this experience was life-changing. It seems much of the population also agrees, especially after the restaurant said it would close its doors permanently in February last year citing coronavirus-related losses and poor health of its owner, and then reopen immediately afterwards. more than a month later, amid many well-wishes from longtime devotees.

The food in question is an original Star Kebab creation that fuses two different cuisines into one by way of a sushi roll (rice in an outer nori wrapper) filled with kebab meat and pickles. The resulting taste is a harmonious blend of delicious flavors and textures that always keep Ikuna coming back for more.

That’s why she was dismayed when she last visited Star Kebab to discover that the norimaki kebab was no longer on the menu.

▼ Star Kebab’s norimaki kebab from yesteryear

She asked the employee if the item was really missing, to which he confidently replied “yes.” She couldn’t figure out the reason for her departure because of some loud noises on the street, but it seemed like this development had happened within the last six months. “But it was SO delicious…WHY??!!” Ikuna groaned in his head.

She then started blaming herself for not going to the store for so long, as if that was the deciding factor. However, what’s done is done, and she can’t change the past. The norimaki kebab wasn’t going to magically reappear, no matter how much she wanted it to.

Suddenly, she saw a section of the menu featuring side dishes, including pickles, one of the main stars of the norimaki kebab. The wheels begin to turn in his mind.

What if she bought pickles and kebab meat alone, then combined them into norimaki herself at home? This seemed like an interesting idea…so she asked for a box filled with these two toppings and paid 1,000 yen (US$6.35) for it. Weighing it when she got home, the delicious mixture weighed 248 grams (8.75 ounces).

That’s when she noticed something unfortunate: They weren’t pickles mixed with the chicken, but jalapenos. Oh dear…

She attributed the error either to her poor pronunciation or to a cruel twist of fate. However, as a seasoned writer, she knew she had to adapt to unexpected challenges that came her way. She prepared the only two other ingredients she needed – nori and cooked white rice (she recommends keeping it slightly firm) – along with an inexpensive bamboo rolling mat from a Japanese 100 yen store .

In fact, it was the very first time that Ikuna had prepared any sort of norimaki in his life. She wasn’t sure if she was putting it together correctly, but so far the spread looked okay.

She encountered some problems while trying to use the bamboo mat. The content didn’t want to come together easily at all.

She reduced the amount of rice inside and tried again.

No, he still wasn’t cooperating.

A new solution came to her mind and she decided to try increasing the surface area of the nori.

Ikuna was finally able to roll it up!

A little cautiously, she took a bite…

…and tasted a norimaki kebab very similar to the menu dish of his memories! Well, almost, except jalapenos replaced the pickles. But dare she say it, she might like this version even more.

Finally, the chicken and jalapeno mix she bought was enough to make about three norimaki kebabs – so it was not only delicious, but also cost-effective. This cooking tip will definitely come in handy when she has a huge appetite but isn’t near a Lawson Store 100 to pick up one of their dekamori items.

Restaurant information
Star Kebab to go / スターケバブテイクアウェイ
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Sotokanda 1-8-10
東京都千代田区外神田 1-8-10
Open: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

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(Read in Japanese)