From barbecue sauce to deep fried goodness, give these Midwest-influenced rolls a try<\/h5>\n

Words by Giuliana LaMantia<\/span><\/em>
\nPhotos by Madison Ottenbacher<\/em><\/p>\n

Among other things, the Midwest is known for corn, fried food and barbecue sauce. It\u2019s not necessarily known for sushi, a stylish food that\u2019s currently popular among young adults. Even so, you can find some delectable sushi at restaurants in Middle America. When the restaurants mix their Heartland charm with these trendy little rolls, the result is magical.<\/p>\n

If you find yourself in the Des Moines area and you\u2019re in the mood for something with a little more pizzazz than the typical California roll, try out some of these fancy sushi dishes with a little Midwestern twist.<\/p>\n

BBQ Beef Roll<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Blue Thai Food and Sushi
\n<\/a>Ingredients: Barbecue beef, cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, spicy mayo, unagi sauce
\n<\/p>\n

The BBQ Beef Roll at Blue Thai Food and Sushi is served with endless ribbons of the sweet and spicy barbecue covering the plate. As for the inside of the rolls? Beef, covered in even more sauce. Somehow, all that barbecue seems like not enough, and you\u2019ll find yourself scraping the plate. The flavor blends perfectly with the all-too-familiar taste of sushi rice, and the spicy mayo gives it the perfect kick.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder why Midwesterners love a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray\u2019s. It goes with anything and everything.<\/p>\n\n

Sunset Roll <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Blue Thai Food and Sushi<\/a>
\nIngredients: Salmon, asparagus, spicy mayo, honey sriracha
\n<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to believe there\u2019s even a vegetable in the Sunset Roll, because it tastes like it\u2019s straight out of the State Fair.<\/p>\n

The scrumptious treat isn\u2019t just deep fried once. The inner ingredients are cooked to a crunch, and then the entire roll is fried once again from the outside. After all, this is Iowa. The more fried, the better.<\/p>\n

The honey sriracha is the spicy icing on the cake.<\/p>\n\n

Iowa <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Miyabi 9
\n<\/a>Ingredients: Deep-fried pork cutlet, carrots, asparagus, lettuce
\n<\/p>\n

The Iowa is basically a hearty, home-cooked meal in sushi roll format. Even so, it\u2019s not for the faint-hearted. If you\u2019re more of a California kind of person, this roll will not be your speed. You\u2019ll be stuffed after two bites and wishing you stuck to your usual Shrimp Tempura (which is far more impressive at Miyabi 9, and a much better representation of their magic than this roll).<\/p>\n

Our consensus: Skip the Iowa, and go somewhere for an actual fried pork meal instead.<\/p>\n\n

Rolling Pig <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Akebono 515
\n<\/a>Ingredients: Spicy tuna, bacon, cucumber, cream cheese and topped with avocado, bacon, tempura flakes, green onions, eel sauce, sriracha
\n<\/p>\n

When you think about the Rolling Pig, think of Lady Gaga talking about Ryan Murphy: \u201ctalented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping\u201d \u2014 and the list goes on.<\/p>\n

The Rolling Pig is fresh. It\u2019s spicy. It\u2019s an exotic mix of unexotic items. And that makes it all the more delightful.<\/p>\n

Are you still in the Midwest? Or were you whisked to an island getaway? You\u2019ll never know.<\/p>\n\n

Iowa <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Akebono 515
\n<\/a>Ingredients: Pulled pork, cream cheese, corn, tempura fried, topped with kochijan BBQ sauce
\n<\/p>\n

While the concept of another Iowa-themed sushi roll in Iowa may not be groundbreaking, Akebono\u2019s take on \u201cIowa\u201d is, in fact, just that.<\/p>\n

The crunch is unparalleled. Miles of crispy, delicious tempura make it impossible to eat a piece in one bite. The middle is filled with tender pulled pork, and the outside is covered in \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 sweet barbecue sauce.<\/p>\n

It tastes more like a barbecue pork sandwich and less like sushi. And in this case, that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n\n

Iowa Surf n\u2019 Turf <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Sakari Sushi Lounge
\n<\/a>Ingredients: Bacon, tempura shrimp, cream cheese, topped with seared top sirloin steak, spicy mayo, unagi sauce, scallions and bacon crumbles
\n<\/p>\n

If Ron Swanson had a favorite sushi roll, it\u2019d be the Iowa Surf n\u2019 Turf. The rich, smoky flavor is almost too much for a mere mortal. The steak and shrimp combo can only be described with the \u201c100\u201d emoji.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a meat connoisseur, a tempura lover and prefer your sushi slathered in sauce, this one will do it for you.<\/p>\n\n

Kobe Roll <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Sakura Sushi
\n<\/a>Ingredients: Shrimp Tempura, avocado, and cream cheese topped with seared beef and eel sauce
\n<\/p>\n

Do you enjoy the classic shrimp tempura roll? Are you a fan of beef? Then the Kobe Roll will blow your mind.<\/p>\n

The thinly sliced beef is sweet, saucy and seared to perfection. The cream cheese thrown into the mix is delightful. Tempura can be heavy, but this roll feels light and refreshing. The simplicity behind it is truly innovative.<\/p>\n\n

Mountain Roll <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Sakura Sushi
\n<\/a>Ingredients: Crabmeat, cream cheese, jalape\u00f1o, cilantro, deep-fried and topped with spicy tuna
\n<\/p>\n

Can you handle the heat?<\/p>\n

If you want to take on the Mountain Roll, you\u2019re going to have to. Out of all the rolls, this one will satisfy your spicy craving the most. Mixing jalape\u00f1o and sushi is absolutely genius.<\/p>\n

This roll is highly recommended for adventurers. Each piece has a literal mountain on it \u2014 a little mound of crispy, tempura deliciousness. If this is what mountain climbing was actually like, we\u2019d be there everyday.<\/p>\n\n

L.A. Roll <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Sakura Sushi
\n<\/a>Ingredients: Smoked salmon, mozzarella cheese, avocado, deep-fried and served over special sauce
\n<\/p>\n

The ingredients in the L.A. Roll might not seem that odd for a sushi roll. Upon first glance, it doesn\u2019t appear all that unique, or worthy of being on this list. Don\u2019t be deceived. This roll is truly special, because the center is filled with gooey, melted, mozzarella goodness.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like your own mini sushi-pizza. This makes it the best, because pizza is the only food that\u2019s even more delicious than sushi.<\/p>\n\n

UFC <\/strong><\/h6>\n

Samurai Sushi and Hibachi<\/a>
\nIngredients: Steak, cream cheese, avocado, and crabmeat, rolled in soy paper
\n<\/p>\n

Simple. Chewy. Flavorful.<\/p>\n

The steak is, in a word, incredible. It\u2019s not smothered in overbearing ingredients, spices, or sauces that distract from its beauty. Some say that less is more, and the UFC is the epitome of this statement. It\u2019s all about the meat, and that\u2019s what makes it a breath of fresh air amongst the unique sushi rolls of Des Moines.<\/p>\n

The best part? It\u2019s pink.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From barbecue sauce to deep fried goodness, give these Midwest-influenced rolls a try<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n