Sushi By Angel: A local pop-up restaurant experience

I returned to Sedona Bistro Sunday for a one-day event they were hosting: Sushi by Angel, a pop-up restaurant.

Pop-up restaurants my seem like a new fad, but the concept has been around since the 1960s when they were known as "supper clubs." Pop-ups are temporary restaurants which may be quick one-day events or at a location for several months. They may be hosted by established brick-and-mortar restaurants (such as Sedona Bistro) or found at festivals, abandoned businesses, building rooftops, private homes, etc. The location possibilities are endless considering the ability to safely prepare food exists and appropriate permits obtained. In fact, the day after I attended the pop-up at Sedona Bistro, Singapore Airlines opened reservations for their own pop-up, Restaurant A380 at the Changi Airport, aboard the world's largest passenger plane-the Airbus A380. They offered reservations for four tiers of meals ranging from $39 for economy and $474 for the luxury first-class experience. They sold out within 30 minutes of opening reservations and have answered the demand of curious gastronomes by adding two more days to the event.

Pop-ups allow hopeful future restaurant owners to test the market, build a reputation and possibly garner the attention of investors without the overhead and financial risks. They also provide experienced chefs space to be creative and showcase their skills while testing new concepts.

Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

I learned about Sushi by Angel after seeing photos of his previous pop-up hosted by Chef Lisa Essmyer at her unique kitchen studio, Fudio, earlier this year. The pre-pandemic event was a hit, but Carrasquillo's momentum stalled as we adjusted to social distancing and COVID-19 restrictions. When I discovered his event on Facebook, I noticed something interesting on the sushi menu: musubi. Musubi is a popular snack in Hawaii but after learning the ingredients I wondered, "why?" Musubi is Spam and rice wrapped in nori (sheets of dried seaweed). You read that right, I said Spam. The meat in a can is a popular ingredient in a place known for being a tropical paradise. Go figure. Spam musubi was created by the late nutritionist and Colorado State graduate, Barbara Funumura more than 35 years ago in Honolulu, Hawaii. That was several years after my family left Oahu and returned to the mainland. Customers initially laughed at Funumura's creation but within a year, Spam musubi could be found everywhere in the state — from popular restaurants to corner gas stations. This pop-up would be my chance to partake in what seemed like an oddball ingredient on a menu that included fresh fish, crabmeat and veggies.

I was a bit intimidated when I arrived to find a full parking lot. Sedona was conducting business as usual and Carrasquillo was set up in a small banquet room behind a couple of tables lined with an array of ingredients and tools of the trade. The thing about pop-ups is, you don't always know what kind of turnout to expect. Between dine-in and carry-out orders, I could see Carrasquillo had his hands full. He was nice enough to humor me with some conversation but I didn't want to slow his roll. Get it? Sushi roll ... slow his roll? I know, another dad joke. Please forgive me. I filled out the order form, placed it on the stack and returned to my table in the main dining room.

Submitted by Mary Ann Castillo

I ordered the Cardinal roll, shrimp tempura, California roll and musubi. Don't worry, I wasn't alone in this endeavor. The shrimp tempura and California rolls are our "go to's" — we knew we would enjoy them, and they were delicious as expected. The chef's special Cardinal roll was described as having shrimp tempura, crab, asparagus topped with tuna, eel sauce, tempura crumbs, radish, sprouts, masago and Japanese mayo and was our splurge for the day. Lastly, the piece de resistance, musubi.

Everything was fantastic. My favorite was the Cardinal roll and I now understand the island musubi obsession. It's the perfect option for those on the fence about trying sushi. Repeat after me: Sushi does not mean raw fish. Carrasquillo said musubi was added to the menu at the request of a friend so I am just going to throw this out there: Maybe a sushi burrito? I had to try, right?

How can you find out about his next pop-up and similar unique dining opportunities? Keep your eyes and ears peeled for press coverage, fliers, posters and social media to get the inside scoop for your next foodie adventure.