As I unwrap my first-ever rice sandwich and then cradle it in my hand, an important question comes to mind. Do I hold it like a traditional sandwich, or do I rotate it 90 degrees, so I cradle it like a taco? After one bite, the answer becomes all too clear. In order to best catch the loose pieces of rice, the taco-hold is the way to go.
So, let’s back up a few minutes. I walked into the two-weeks-old Okinawa Onigiri, and was greeted with oh-so-summer decor. Surfboards adorn the entranceway and are hung from the walls. The vibe is definitely endless summer.
What is onigiri? It’s rice that’s shaped and wrapped in seaweed. It can be formed into balls, triangles or, if you’re really daring, something that resembles a taco shell. That’s what’s on the menu at Okinawa Onigiri; rice sandwiches. And that doesn’t mean there’s rice inside the sandwich. No, it means that the rice is replacing the bread/tortilla.
In true Pacific Island fashion, Spam is celebrated as if it’s foie gras. A co-worker asked me if people who love Spam ever notice the coating of weird jelly that’s evident when a person first opens up a can of the stuff. And, my mind spoke to me, but in a Homer Simpson voice. “Meat… jelly…”
I order the Okinawa classic, which is egg, Spam, cheese and a sweet mayo that almost tastes like a good donair sauce. What I note right away is that the egg, folded inside the sandwich, is perfectly done. It’s soft, but cooked through. The consistency of the egg remains the same throughout the sandwich. The Spam is salty and wonderful, because Spam, despite my co-worker’s misgivings, is freaking awesome. The rice holds together well enough that you can make it through the sandwich, but there are chunks of it that fall away with each bite. You need to have delicate hands to ensure that this will not be a messy endeavour. I do not possess delicate hands.
For less than 10 bucks, you can get an Okinawa Onigiri sandwich. To, me, that’s a great deal. Surf’s up, dude.
Okinawa Onigiri
Downtown | 10011 102 Ave. NW, Edmonton | 825.925.3388 | okinawaonigiri.ca
