Last time I tried a sushi trailer, it was mid-June. The air undulated with heat waves, sweat beaded on my forehead, and even clocks melted onto the ground. “Uh-oh,” you say. “Food poisoning?” Surprisingly, no. Sushi A-Go-Go’s rolls were solid then and are now. But before the sweltering weather comes calling again and anything raw from an outdoor space sounds a little fishy, take this opportunity to try the new kid in town: SushiBox.

Don’t miss the tuna sashimi, a well-balanced lunch of seared tuna slices in a chili marinade, served over tsuma salad, a microgreens salad with shredded carrots, cucumber, and rich, caper-looking Japanese sansho peppercorns, accompanied by a ginger salad dressing and two crunchy, peppery lotus-root chips. Though the sansho peppercorns didn’t have quite the magical tongue-numbing effect I was expecting, the entrée was delicious and satisfying.

If you’re craving some sticky rice, pair it with one of their excellent rolls. I liked the spicy tuna, with a sizable, solid nugget of red flesh and crunchy cucumber, Japanese white onion, and a daikon sprout peeping out of each piece. The chili aioli sauce on top was tasty, though too mild. The avocado roll, with ground pink peppercorn, lemon zest, volcanic salt, and black and white sesame seeds, made a great vegetarian option, the fresh, lemony flavor brightening up a somewhat basic roll.

Even the octopus and soba noodle salad was nice and light, with flavorful, marinated octopus bites and long buckwheat noodles. The overly acidic yuzu sauce on top was a slight downer, but overall, the special of the day worked well.

And I’m always a sucker for salmon nigiri. Served with a dollop of wasabi hiding under the fish and a hint of lemon zest, the fresh fish and tasty rice packed a wallop of flavor.

Next time you’re downtown, stop by this chill (and chilled) recycled shipping container, constructed by the same folks who brought you La Boîte. Executive chef Ben Crockett, who has been rock and rolling with sushi for seventeen years and has worked in the food industry with heavy-hitters like Wolfgang Puck, spends all day in the trailer’s kitchen, churning out sushi that’s ready to go and/or made to order. I myself can’t wait to go back: Word on the street is that his next batch of sansho peppercorns is strong enough to tingle your tongue into a coma.

215 Congress Ave. (512-851-0001). Open Mon–Fri 11–3. Closed Sat & Sun.

Posted by Megan Giller

Tagged: downtown, sushi, SushiBox, Trailer Thursday

I braved a sushi trailer in June and lived to tell about it.

Starting today, I’ll be posting a weekly Trailer Thursday edition of our Eat My Words blog to let you know which food trailers are toothsome and which are tasteless. For my initial foray, I picked one that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention yet: Sushi A-Go-Go, located in the parking lot of a gas station and convenience store in Central Austin.

I confess, I expected to find sushi that didn’t quite compare to the prepacked stuff from Whole Foods. But the Japanese couple that owns the trailer serves around thirty fresh, delicious rolls. Of the four I tried, the highlight was the Sunshine—salmon, avocado, and just-ripe mango. My second-favorite was the Surf and Turf roll: tempura shrimp and grilled beef accompanied by cilantro and green-leaf lettuce. Candied jalapeños lining the inside delivered a spicy-sweet kick, but the slightly bland jalapeño mayo topping didn’t impress. My least-favorite was the fake-tasting “krab salad” in the Fat Samurai roll (honestly, what was I thinking—”krab salad”?). But the Rock ‘n Roll redeemed the experience, with crispy shrimp, carrots, and sprouts.

Although I could have sat down to eat at one of the picnic tables (with umbrellas) beside the trailer, I took everything home, since the smell of the gas station next door was just a little too hard to ignore. One last tip: Be prepared to wait, or call ahead, as rolls are made on the spot.

(Trailer Thursday will report mainly in Austin, where locals are opening more mobile eateries each week than we thought possible. But we’re always on the prowl for new places in other cities or feedback about tried-and-true ones, so add a comment to our site or send us an e-mail.)

Tagged: food trailers, sushi, Trailer Thursday