The Dish: Tanaka roll
Where to Get It: Buredo, 825 14th St. NW; (202) 670-6770; eatburedo.com
Price: $10.75
What It Is: A supersized sushi roll with apple-broccoli-broccoleaf juice pulp from Jrink Juicery as its star ingredient. The vegan roll is also stuffed with shredded carrot, shredded raw butternut squash, avocado, edamame, wasabi pea crunch, and a sweet and spicy sauce.
What It Tastes Like: The juice pulp looks kind of like salad that’s been chewed up and spit out with a texture that’s simultaneously mushy and gristly. On its own, it has a faint apple taste. Combined with the other (equally mild) ingredients, the sweet and spicy sauce provides the predominant flavor.
The Story: Buredo owners Mike Haddad and Travis Elton were interested in collaborating with Jrink Juicery because of their like-mindedness and similar clientele. The local juice brand has a lot of byproduct left over from cold-pressing fruits and vegetables, and both parties liked the idea of reducing waste by putting that pulp to use. The Jrink team describes their fiber-rich ingredient as “almost a secondary rice component, while adding a subtle freshness to the overall flavor.” Haddad and Elton experimented with a number of veggie combinations and also developed a new vegan-friendly sauce for the roll. “We have a pretty huge demand from vegans. They’re always coming in and modifying their rolls so they can feel good about eating it,” Haddad says. The Buredo team plans to open a second location in Dupont Circle this spring with more collaborations to come.
Photo by Jessica Sidman