News and notes from the San Antonio food scene
On Monday, January 30, Tennessee-based Krystal Hamburgers will usher in its new restaurant at 6446 NW Loop 410 at 10 a.m. The oldest fast-food chain in the South will give away a year’s supply of Krystal Hamburgers or any “big taste” item of your choice for a week to the first “Sackful” of customers in line. The catch is, Black-Angus zealots must gather outside up to 24 hours ahead of time. In Krystal-speak, a sack equals 12 hamburgers, so the first 12 customers 18 years or older will score the booty. The Krystal Crave Cruiser, a 9-by-45-foot trailer will serve as a second kitchen for the hamburger frenzy during the franchise’s first week. Fred Exum, chief executive officer, says, “For our San Antonio customers, the Crave Cruiser will be perfect for those who can’t wait to get their hands and mouth on our famous Krystal burger.”
There’s no crab with a K at Whole Foods Market, 255 E. Basse. On January 16, the grocery added fresh sushi to its diverse fare, available in the cooler around the corner from the grocer’s other pre-prepared treats.
The special spicy rolls — tuna or salmon — add a buzz to a lunch break.
If you are feeling ambitious, try the spicy tuna hand roll, equally piquant and lovely, while the sesame-seaweed salad is refreshing and light. Other choices include nigiri eel, rock ‘n roll, and rainbow rolls, sashimi tuna, and yellow tail. Vegetarians, don’t despair: There are tofu spring rolls and vegetable rolls with shiitake mushrooms and cucumber. Kikka Sushi, the southern California-based company providing the sushi, which is prepared onsight fresh daily, uses organic white rice and brown rice in its rolls. So far, the latter is more popular with the female customers. “Most lady customers like brown rice sushi,” says Simon Chaniago of Kikka Sushi. “They think it’s more healthy, and the kernel size is bigger, so it tastes better. It has more flavor.”
In other news, we are sad to report that Espuma Cafe, 1127 S. St. Mary’s, has closed. Landlord Steve Yndo says he has five or six potential tenants chomping at the bit, and expects the café to reopen under new ownership soon.
Compiled by Francesca Camillo
