A Beacon Hill resident successfully tried his hand as a sushi chef last month, ranking top in a competition that allowed Whole Foods Market customers to design their own rolls.
Ned T. Sahin submitted his award-winning roll in the contest held by the Cambridge Street store and was named among three finalists. Sabin then bested his two rivals in a two-day taste test, earning 45 percent of customers’ votes.
In describing his sushi concoction, Sahin wrote, “It is a sweet and spicy albacore roll. The soft and nutty albacore is paired with the subtle nuttiness of avocado, and mango and spicy ginger lend a sweet southeast Asian zest. The inside-out maki roll is finished with tangy unagi sauce and a spicy cream sauce.”
At the competition, Sahin had to improvise, making a last-minute addition of ungai sauce when he was informed that his preferred dressing wasn’t available.
“I can’t know how that affected people’s votes,” Sahin wrote, “but for sure, I did some real-time sushi designing as part of the competition.”
For his efforts, Whole Foods awarded Sahin free sushi for a year, and the market is slated to begin selling his roll around the Boston area in the coming weeks.