Check out Matunga's new veg sushi cakes

Few traditions have withstood the test of time as enduringly as the ritual of blowing out candles cutting a cake and if fortune isnrsquot on your side getting your face planted in your birthday cake But if yoursquore ordering a cake from Matungabased home chef Amee Parikh we recommend you skip the usual shenanigans Here the complimentary candles are swapped out for neatly packed chopsticks and the lsquocakersquo comprises 16 pieces of sushi Rs 1200 all vegetarian arranged in the form of letters or numbers for special occasions ready to be devouredWe order a cake into the newsroom on a rainy afternoon which also leads to our first encounter with possibly the first chauffeurdriven cake in the city ldquoWe prefer delivering via Uber to ensure the cakes arenrsquot damaged in transitrdquo Parikh had informed us while confirming the order The cake arrives in style and to our and Parikhrsquos relief in shape In the box is an assortment of vibrant blue and white coloured sushi a colourcoordinated coincidence for the midday newsroom that is gearing to celebrate its 45th anniversaryThe sushi cake comes packed in a paper box with the condiments packed separatelyWe tuck into the colourful concoction beginning with the blue pea sushi that packs edamame avocado and cream cheese in bitesized pieces tinier than wersquod have expected While the generous serving of cream cheese leaves the avocado and edamame fighting for attention the avocado has its own moments where its freshness and just the right amount of ripeness make for a pleasant surprise for our taste buds With a choice of dips including homemadeJapanese spicy mayo and chilli oil soy sauce and wasabi at hand we unleash the alchemist in us to crack the code to the perfect drizzle of spice Over a call with Parikh later we learn that the blue tint comes from a natural process where dried blue pea flowers are boiled in water and later used to cook the rice ldquoThe goal was to use minimal food colouring for the healthconscious patrons who are becoming increasingly wary of what their family especially children consumerdquo she adds One of the few elements that use food colouring is the vibrant blue and white cream cheese frosting that lines the arrangementThe second offering an exotic vegetablesushi made with baby corn zucchini asparagus and topped with a tempura fritter divides the foodies in the newsroom While this writer feels the tempura fritters and crisps made from common flour complement the softness of the rice and balance out the delayed hit of spice that comes from the chilli oil others find it an unappetising touch that couldrsquove been done without Parikh however is not wary of experimentation ldquoTwo original creations mdash Italian and Mexican sushi mdash are my bestsellers I use chipotle sauce bell peppers and avocado for the Mexican variant and olives and cheese to achieve Italian flavoursrdquo she shares excitedly For those chasing a slightly more flavourful experience the chef suggests these experiments in culinary fusion that offer a more diverse flavour profile While the flavours we tried couldrsquove used a tad more oomph Oishi Sushi deserves a shoutout for its inventive approach and breaking ground with its vegetarian vegan and a Jain sushi option that swaps the seaweed sheets out for rice sheets If yoursquore up for a fun change to liven up the usual celebrations this option makes for an innovative gastronomical experiment As for the others well let them eat cake Oishii SushiLOG ON TO oishiisushi6 on InstagramCALL 7045330005 for orders and queriesFinding sushiCheck out these home kitchens in the city for your sushi fixgtgtThe Sushi CollectiveLOG ON TO thesushiicollectiveCALL 9619537207gtgtThe Home PantryLOG ON TO _thehomepantrygtgtBijalrsquos Food CreationsLOG ON TO bijalsfoodcreationsCALL 8369824942gtgtSushi and MoreLOG ON TO sushiandmoreindiaCALL 9930937285gtgtFood Per KgLOG ON TO foodperkg Exceptional Excellent very Good Good Average Oishii Sushi didnrsquot know we placed the order The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals