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Reason #4510 to hire a copywriter: Sushi Tacos

Seriously. I’m not kidding.

The first time I saw them on the menu, I thought, ewww, no. I thought, I can’t do that, there’s something wrong there.

But the second time? Oh, the second time. That’s the time I just let myself live.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I could live on sushi. The only problem with Japanese food, as far as I can tell, is that they don’t use butter. But to be honest, I’m not really above shmearing some on my next salmon avocado roll.

This past weekend, when I was in New York City, I ate sushi (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 – give me a sec, counting on my fingers) six, yes, six times. And, one of those times, I fell in love with a little something called a Sushi Taco at Nobu.

How ‘bout I break it down for you:

  • Homemade taco shell, thick (like 5 or 6 wimpy Tostito’s thick), just enough oil to leave a fine sheen on your finger tips, perfect crunch, divine salt crystals scattered about, about 4 inches in diameter (if flattened)
  • Filled with little pieces of either salmon (raw), tuna (raw), lobster, crab or seviche…tossed in some kind of asiany-cilantroy-stunning marinade that made you want to sing
  • Covered in salsa verde that was purely savory, not tongue burning whatsoever

There was not one thing about this sushi taco that was wrong. I didn’t even miss the guacamole, and that’s saying a lot because I have a pretty intense relationship with the avocado. The melding of the flavors, the textures, the size, the beauty – all right, right, right.

But it should’ve been all wrong. When you think sushi, you think rice, not corn, and certainly not tortilla. When you think taco, you think melted cheese and chili powder saturated beef, not raw fish. (Yes, I know there are fish tacos wondering around in this world, but those are just tacos in fish’s clothing, tacos with fish cooked with mexican spices – like a beef substitute).

But this, this…this masterpiece was still inherently Japanese. It still tasted, looked and felt like Nobu.

They took their basic signature product (sushi) and added a spin (taco/mexican) that pushed the envelope, the reputation, the flavor, the brand to a new place.

That’s what you want your copywriter, marketer, blogger to do for you. Use the tools, use your stuff, but add that something that will take it to a whole new dimension. In a way that only you can do it.

I ate 4 of those dimensions…and I want many, many more.

Yes, I know, I know – I should have taken a picture of the tacos, but A) I’m a horrible photographer and the camera on my new Blackberry curve SUCKS, and B) those tacos were made for eating and eating alone – I was consumed by the edible experience and could not pause to document it. So…Image credit: NicoleLee

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