Beyond Sushi opened in 2012 with its tiny 14th Street shop, serving vegan sushi rolls like the Spicy Mang, which features black rice, avocado, mango and English cucumber. The menu has expanded over time to include salads, wraps, noodle soups and even seasonal dumplings. But this fall, their 134 West 37th Street, West 56th Street and Nolita locations will be getting ten new fall dishes that push the boundaries of the “sushi” in the local chain’s name.
Executive chef and owner Guy Vaknin will be venturing into truffle risotto, made with Porcini mushrooms, arborio rice, baby bellas, shiitake caps, oyster mushrooms, thyme flowers, chervil and fresh shaved truffles; stuffed artichoke hearts with turmeric ground seitan, celery root purée, green pea and mint sauce; spanakopita with flaky phyllo, spinach, feta, smoked paprika and dill caper dip; and an artisanal cheese board for sharing featuring the aged cashew cheeses of local maker Dr. Cow out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn—and they expect to add more vegan cheese selections soon, too.
“Since we opened, our sushi has been the main focus but Asian flavors were not,” Vaknin tells me. “We always viewed sushi as the perfect vessel to deliver consistent bites of flavor from all around the world. Our signature La Fiesta Roll is packed with Spanish flavors and our Chic Pea Roll has Middle Eastern flavors inside. Our food isn’t bound to any one region, but is about celebrating plant-based cuisine in all flavors and techniques I acquired over the course of my career. Because of my Israeli background, the European influence is felt greater than others on our new fall dinner menu.”
