by Kara Johnson
The Nosh has several dining options, but none are made as healthy, fresh, and fast as Hybrid Sushi (WildBlue). Hybrid Sushi is a modern Japanese kitchen located on the right side of The Nosh that serves fresh sushi rolled daily and their signature tonkatsu ramen. I fell in love with the first bite 16 weeks ago, and nothing has come close to the warmth I feel when I eat their ramen.
Hybrid Sushi is made to order on all ramen orders, so you know that you’re always getting it fresh and hot in record time. On the other hand, if you ordered at the WoW Café, Dish Dish, or Pizza Hut and they make your order from scratch, it will likely take much longer. These restaurants also tend to have long lines, not helping your time.
At Hybrid Sushi, there’s almost never a line, which I theorize is because people are less used to eating traditional Asian foods as opposed to American fast foods. However, Hybrid Sushi is very non-Asian friendly, and being a born and raised African American St. Louisan, I can say that I’ve never had a problem. You aren’t expected to know how to pronounce the menu other than saying ramen, pork, or chicken, and you can just go up to a sliding glass door to get a variety of pre-made sushi rolls.
Hybrid Sushi prides itself on having the highest quality dishes, only using the best and most eco-friendly ingredients with authentic Japanese methods. Every ramen bowl is roughly 1,150 calories, with a lot of nutrition packed in. They have green onions, corn, and an egg in every bowl. According to gurunavi.com, what is typical for a traditional Japanese diet is often “well-balanced, with plenty of vegetables and fermented foods. It involves little highly processed food and lower overall sugar intake. Basically, the Japanese diet is low in calories and extremely nutritious.” It may also improve digestion, aid weight management, help you live longer, and protect against various diseases. This is more than I can say for its American fast-food-inspired competitors, which are known for their history of impacting “blood sugar and blood pressure, increasing inflammation, and [this] may mean an individual does not eat enough necessary nutrients. In the long term, a diet rich in fast food could lead to issues with digestion, immunity, inflammation, heart health, obesity and more…” (medicalnewstoday.com).
There is also a ready-made salad bar with various other treats available at The Nosh, but sometimes you’re hungry for more of a hot meal, which Hybrid Sushi provides. If you’re not already convinced, know that at least at Hybrid Sushi, you’ll have more variety with just one bowl than the same old processed foods that the other Nosh restaurants have. Also, since ramen is technically already in a soup, you don’t necessarily need to buy a cup of juice with it, so it’s also a money saver. Hybrid Sushi is a hidden gem at The Nosh and is truly underrated.