Costco Sushi (Bento) California Roll Review
Author’s note: These are my own weird little opinions. I have no affiliation with Costco or Bento. Not a paid or sponsored review, as always.
Beam me up, Scottie!
My local Costco finally got sushi. Yay.
This is delivered to the store, pre-packaged (by Bento brand), rather than made in-house.
I imagine it magically materializing on the shelves, like Captain Kirk beaming aboard the Starship Enterprise.
Sushi varieties
My Costco only offers three sushi options:
- Salmon Deluxe
- Spicy Combo
- California Crunch Combo
Two of the three include raw fish, so I bought the only option that doesn’t: California Crunch. It’s just california rolls with crispy fried onions and spicy mayo.
Condiments
Here’s where Costco is doing things differently: the sushi comes with the condiments packed individually, rather than just squirted into the tray. I got two sealed packets of ginger, one packet of wasabi, and two packets of soy sauce. Very space-age.
PLUS, two packets of the crunchy fried onions! You add them yourself right before eating. This is a first for me. It was really nice to avoid soggy bits in my meal.
In fact, this was probably one of the freshest-tasting pre-packed sushis I’ve had in a while. Hooray.
Wasabi!
The only downside to the condiment packets: it’s a small amount.
Look at this teeny glob of wasabi. It was plenty for my meal, but if you’re an absolute wasabi fiend, you might cry a little.
But this is very intense wasabi! You might cry anyway!
You won’t need much of it. I was very pleased to see it is made with natural coloring (turmeric and spirulina), and even includes some genuine wasabi. Instead of just sneaky horseradish. You know.
(Useless fact: I almost named this blog “Wasabi Nose.” From an unfortunate wasabi encounter. But that’s a story for another day.)
Pickled Ginger
The pickled ginger is more natural than most brands I’ve seen. No weird pink color or icky stuff. Moderate vinegar taste. Soft, with a slight crispness. But teeny, tiny flakes. I don’t mind this — it’s easy to scoop some up and pile it on top of a piece of sushi.
Not enough Soy Sauce, you monsters!
Maybe I have a problem (and need to seek help), but two soy sauce packets were not enough for me. (But it’s better than the ONE packet I got with my Sam’s Club sushi! Hmmph!)
Fortunately, I ate this at home where my own giant bottle of soy sauce resides. BTW, the packets are real Kikomen Soy Sauce! Yay.
Krab
I liked the moistness and flavor of the Krab mixture. The crab is finely shredded and mixed with lots of seasoned mayo. (It almost gives pimento cheese vibes. Somehow?) It’s made from Alaskan Pollock fish, and I was surprised to see real sake (miren wine) in the ingredients.
It seems like a bit less krab than Sam’s Club sushi. But not a bad amount.
Spiiiicy mayo
Half of my pieces had spicy may squeezed on top. And half did not. If you’re a spicy mayo fanatic, you probably won’t be getting as much as you wanted. Like Star Trek re-runs, there is just never enough.
(P.S., definitely not “hot” spicy. Just nicely seasoned.)
There’s also teriyaki sauce and chili sauce added, but I didn’t really taste this much.
Rice
The rice strikes a good balance between chewy and soft. And sticky — it holds together pretty well, without being mushy. And, there’s a relatively slim layer of rice in proportion to the innards. I like this. It has less vinegar tanginess than other brands.
Seaweed & Veggies
The seaweed is in very thin sheets, which makes it easier to bite through. But, less seaweed flavor. Alas. I had an appropriate amount of cucumber and avocado in mine. The cucumbers were crisp, and have the skins on them.
Sad, lonely sesame seeds
Bad news if you looooove sesame seeds: there is a scroogish sprinkle. Hardly worth acknowledging.
Ingredients in Bento California Crunch Sushi
Here are the ingredients from the label:
- Seasoned Rice (Water, White Rice, Sushi Seasoning [Sugar, Water, Diluted Vinegar, Rice Vinegar, Salt, Brown Sugar], Glutinous Rice, Canola Oil)
- Imitation Crab Meat (Alaska Pollock, Water, Cane Sugar, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Egg Whites, Sea Salt, Mirin Wine [Sake, Sugar, Salt, Water, Yeast Extract], Canola Oil, Natural Crab Flavors [Swimming Crab and/or Snow Crab], Citric Acid, Paprika Oleoresin, Lycopene)
- Cucumber (Cucumber, Ascorbic Acid, Salt, Citric Acid)
- Avocado (Avocado, L-Cysteine Hydrochloride, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate)
- Mayonnaise (Canola Oil, Soybean Oil, Whole Eggs, Apple Cider Vinegar, WAter, Egg Yolks, Salt, White Mustard [Distilled White Vinegar, Water, Mustard Seeds, Salt], Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sugar, Dextrose, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Natural Flavors, Spices)
- Teriyaki Sauce (Water, Sugar, Soy Sauce [Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt, Citric Acid], Modified Corn Starch, Salted Sake [Water, Rice, Salt], Salt, White Distilled Vinegar, Caramel Color, Onion Powder, Citric Acid, Xanthan gum)
- Roasted Sesame Seeds
- Chili Sauce (Chili Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Invert Sugar, Water, Salt, Corn Syrup , Garlic, Less than 2% Soybean Oil, Canola Oil, Xanthan Gum, Acetic Acid, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, To maintain freshness: Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate)
- Roasted Seaweed
Condiments:
- Fried Onions (Onion, Palm Oil, Wheat Flour, Salt
- Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt, Sugar
- Sushi Ginger (Ginger, Water, Salt, Sugar, Acetic Acid, Citric Acid, Malic Acid)
- Wasabi Style Paste (Water, Horseradish Powder, Mustard, Rapeseed Oil, Wasabi, Citric Acid [Acidulant], Mustard Extract, Turmeric [for color], Spirulina Extract [for color]
This isn’t a perfect ingredient list, but it’s better than other pre-packaged sushi I’ve tried.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1/2 the tray and contains 440 calories. You get 15 grams of fat (3.5 grams saturated fat) and 10 grams protein. There are 66 grams total carbohydrates, of which 4 grams are fiber and 14 grams are sugar (12 grams “added sugar”). You get 50% your daily value sodium, and just 3% your daily value cholesterol per serving. Plus, 8% each potassium and iron.
Price and Servings
My 18.7 ounce tray cost $10.99 at my local Costco. Since there are two servings per package, each serving would cost $5.50.
(Two servings? Who are they kidding? I ate the whole tray. I ate like a tribble stuck in a quadrotriticale grain bin.)
Considering both Publix and Sprouts have $5 Sushi on Wednesdays, this is only a bargain the other 6 days of the week! But, it IS cheaper than the Sam’s Club version, which was $11.58. The price gauntlet has been thrown down! Set your phasers to “stun.”
Shelf Life
Mine was dated for the day after I bought it. Eat up!
Dramatic Conclusion
This was delightfully fresh-tasting sushi. Packaging the condiments separately is a potential game-changer. ESPECIALLY the crispy onions. It’s a good value. But there’s not much variety to choose from. I appreciated the “slightly” more natural ingredients. Which might help you live long and prosper.
The Awesome-o-Meter rates this a solid “Yaaas.” I’m certain I will buy it again!
The End.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other reviews I’ve written. Or don’t. Meanie-pants!
