Beyond Sushi

"If you had told me five years ago that one day we would have a real company, with real people working for it, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you had told me that these people would semi-regularly eat vegan sushi for lunch, I would have punched you. But it’s happening. And it’s good. As a matter of fact, Beyond Sushi’s entirely-vegetable sushi creations are excellent, and you need to try them. If you don’t like it, you can send us a mean email." - chris stang

"Delivery sushi sucks. Not 100% of the time, but in a solid 7 out 10 instances, it tastes like it may or may not have been outside since yesterday. And no amount of spicy mayo, crunchy tempura flakes, or pop rocks can get rid of that taste. That's why ordering from a new sushi place on Seamless is a risk on the same level as attempting to domesticate an owl. You might be successful, but if you're not, you're probably going to have to move. Well, we have a solution. And when you first hear it, you're not going to like it. Vegan sushi. I know. Let us explain. Beyond Sushi is a little spot specializing in "vegan sushi" and some other healthy plant-based, Asian-inspired foods. Questionable as that may sound, a lot of the food turns out to be extremely satisfying. And tasty. And this is coming from someone who thinks people should receive a Nobel prize nomination for finishing a bottle of green juice. Bear with me. I'm converting you to vegan sushi, not Scientology. The rolls combine things like mango and avocado and the occasional pickled carrot, for a result that tastes surprisingly like... sushi. Think of it as what you're probably looking for when you order from your local delivery, but removing the likelihood it'll be kind of funky. We mostly rely on Beyond Sushi for delivery, and they know what they're doing in that regard. The spicy mayo-type concoction that accompanies bunch of the rolls comes in a little squeezable vial, a practice that all sushi places should immediately adopt. If you want to dine-in, there are tables, and even real plates off which to eat. We're talking here about the space on 14th Street, but there are also locations in Chelsea Market and on 55th and 6th, so get that into your midtown lunch rotation stat. If you think a piece of mango sushi topped with vegan wasabi mayo sounds egregious, your qualms are entirely understood. But if you order the right things, it's better than the $7.50 3-roll special at that place you recognize from Seamless but have never actually seen in real life. Food Rundown Spicy Mang Roll This is hands down the best thing here and the one we come back to. It comes packed with avocado, slices of mango, and cucumber, and is topped with a spicy vegetable mush. It oddly kind of tastes like a spicy tuna roll. Pickle Me Roll The second best roll comes with gobo, carrot, pickled daikon, avocado, and a carrot ginger sauce. Seaweed Salad Nigiri It works kind of like a little side salad. Very cute. Kind of want to keep it as a pet. Mango Nigiri It's almost like dessert. With some wasabi stuff on top. Nutty Buddy Wrap This comes packed with soba noodles, spicy peanut butter, and... you guessed it, vegetables. Pretty damn into it." - Hillary Reinsberg

"Beyond Sushi is open for takeout and delivery right now, but they’re also sending plant-based, kosher meals to healthcare professionals. You can learn more via their GoFundMe page here." - hannah albertine

"Beyond Sushi makes vegan sushi, and if your reaction to that is, “Does the world really need vegan sushi?” we get it. We were skeptical too. But it turns out these rolls, filled with stuff like avocado and spicy mango, are actually pretty enjoyable. They make rice paper wraps and some salads too." - hillary reinsberg

"Let’s try a mental exercise: imagine there was a place that served affordable, healthy, satisfying sushi that you knew would never end up tasting like it had been sitting out for three days. Where the spicy tuna was never at risk of being stringy and the yellowtail was never a little too hard. Such a place exists, and here’s how they do it: they don’t serve tuna or yellowtail at all. Beyond Sushi is vegan, and once you get over the general blasphemy of that fact, it actually turns out to be really, really good." - bryan kim, hillary reinsberg, matt tervooren