The Sneak: Sneako Maki

Perhaps the best argument I can make for eating sushi in a movie has nothing at all to do with its actual properties and more to do with the mystique that surrounds it. The best resource for useful and entertaining information about sushi that I've found is Dave Lowry's The Connoisseur's Guide to Sushi, a thin but eternally readable volume. Lowry and I disagree over a major point, however: the avocado. He says it has no place in any sushi, ever. I say it's a welcome addition here in the Midwest, where the fish is never going to be up to the standards of an exacting Tokyo-trained chef, anyway. It's tasty, damn it! Last time I checked, Japan imported all of its asparagus, too.

And here's the problem with sushi: Everyone has something they love but will not order in front of someone else if they are eating sushi together for the first time. There is a secret shame attached to liking the taste of something that's not exactly sophisticated fare.

In the dark, no one can see your Philadelphia Roll.

So what's the best way to bring your sushi into the movie intact? How do you prevent tragic separation of fish and pillow finger of nigiri rice, how do you keep slippery rods of cucumber ensconced in their rolls? Behold, half of an egg carton. The poor man's bento.

Each compartment hold two pieces of maki comfortably and can be stacked up to four high if you're careful about opening the top. Nigiri can be nestled into the cups individually or parked like pink and red cars across the flat "top" section with the cratered "bottom" holding them in place. Cut in half again to produce a single line of 3 egg cups. This makeshift bento will fit in any coat pocket. The whole 12-egg carton will fit in the bottom of a larger bag or, if appetite and fashion demand, in a the deep interior pocket of a knee-length winter coat.

This fine example sushi came from Blue Ocean Sushi, which has better sushi than anyone has any right to expect at a place with an all-you-can-eat option. They have recently added a surcharge to ikura (salmon roe) out of, I believe, direct response to the consumption habits of myself and the Doctor, my mysterious longtime gentleman caller. Some couples have a song - we have a piece of sushi.

In conclusion, a haiku:

Like leaves in a pond,
Vermilion layered on white.
Dinner in my coat!

Dara Strickland is a leading expert on sneaking food and drink into the movies. She reports on her exploits for Gut Check (from an undisclosed location) every Monday.