FUSIAN just announced its seventh collab series. This time, the Ohio-based casual restauranter — with multiple regional locations servin’ up sushi rolls and bowls — will work with Eli’s BBQ.
The dish won’t roll out until Dec. 3, but your tastebuds can anticipate traditional sushi rolls with a twist — they’ll be stuffed with barbecue goodness.
Past collabs have been with Cincinnati’s Dan Wright (who co-owns Over-the-Rhine’s Senate) and Columbus, Ohio’ Hot Chicken Takeover. This edition will feature Eli’s classic pulled pork nestled beside pickled jalapeños, shallots and daikon and wrapped in white rice and a soy wrap. They won’t skimp on the sauce: Eli’s homemade barbecue sauce will top the dish along with a crunchy blend of tempura and spices.
With a purchase of a collab roll, customers will get a voucher for one of the barbecue joint’s signature drinks with the purchase of a combo meal. (They can be used at any Eli’s BBQ location.)
Stephan Harman, FUSIAN’s co-founder, said in a release that they “exist to connect people through collaboration, culture and cuisine. The Japanese word ‘sushi’ (literally translated) refers to the rice we make in our restaurants, and we are constantly looking to evolve our dining experience with unique and familiar flavors.”
He went on to say that they’ve followed the journey of Elias Leisring — the founder of Eli’s (which started at Fountain Square in 2011) — since FUSIAN’s flagship opened in 2010.
“Eli’s is a collaborative company at its core,” Leisring adds. “Having met the FUSIAN guys a while back, I knew working with them would be great and pair perfectly with our ethos to have some fun while serving good food to our communities”
If you get your hands on a roll and want to snap them for social media, the brands encourage the hashtag use of #fusianxelis.
This article appears in Nov 28 – Dec 5, 2018.
