CBD Sushi Finds Its Way Onto This Miami Menu

There are plenty of ways to enjoy sushi, but at one Miami restaurant, there's a new specialty roll menu you won't find anywhere else.

For Inari Sushi Fusion owners Elena Borroto and Pedro González, CBD (AKA cannabidiol) has become the focus of an experimental menu the couple launched in April.

The locally owned family of restaurants recently began experimenting with creative ways to up their fusion game, and its adventurous new CBD menu presents the perfect way for curious diners to venture beyond the basics.

Borroto and her husband, González (who also functions as the restaurant's menu creator and head chef), got the idea for the CBD menu after trying a few CBD cocktails during lunch at a Miami restaurant.

"We've always been into fusion, exploring different flavors and textures from all over the world. I began reading about the benefits of CBD, and we decided to see if it could work with sushi," Borroto tells New Times.

Over the past few years, cannabis has worked its way into the hospitality industry via boundary-pushing operators who peddle everything from infused coffee, candy, and ice cream to cocktails and "mocktails."

The mainstreaming of CBD in food is newer in Miami. Only a handful of restaurants have ventured to tinker with the additive that boasts an ever-growing list of purported therapeutic abilities, from fighting inflammation to alleviating pain and anxiety.

For the uninitiated, think of CBD as cannabis' legal, non-psychoactive chemical compound cousin, a relative to the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) found in marijuana. For many in the food industry, CBD is just another addition to a movement toward plant-based dishes or herbal additives focused on health and wellness —  similar to establishments purporting the benefits of other natural ingredients like turmeric, matcha, and mushrooms.

"For me, the CBD gives a very pleasant experience. I feel very relaxed, and it was a nice way to enjoy a meal," says Borroto. "It's not going to get you high. It's supposed to just be relaxing."

The couple chose TayCo Farms, a family-owned business based in Texas that produces all-natural CBD, to create their CBD-infused menu items, including several specialty sushi rolls and a handful of cocktails.

"We love them because they are 100 percent all-natural, and their CBD is flavorless, so it's not going to change the flavor profile of the food or drink," adds Borroto.

Available for both lunch and dinner, the CBD menu items are served with a one-milliliter syringe of CBD oil per order, allowing the customer to add as much — or as little — as they want.

Priced at $33 per order, they include the "Hungry Chef," a deep-fried roll that combines white fish ceviche, cream cheese, goat cheese, and shrimp tempura topped with bacon, aji amarillo aioli, and a balsamic glaze, or the "Happy Rainbow" a nori roll with cream cheese, tuna, salmon, white fish, and avocado topped with yuzu aioli.

The CBD-paired items are also available for the restaurant's in-house special discounts, including 20 percent off the entire food bill every Thursday, as well as happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. when patrons can order half-priced beer, wine, and cocktails, including the CBD menu's $17 "Happy Sake" mojito.

"Everyone has been loving it so far. We've had a lot of positive feedback, and we've trained our staff to explain everything from the possible benefits to how it could make you feel, and little by little, we're seeing more people give it a try," sums up Borroto. "We're very excited to see how it goes from here."

Inari Sushi Fusion. 240 NE Fourth St., Miami; 786-422-5800; inari-sushi.com.