Battle On Burnet: Roll On Sushi Diner vs. Peached Tortilla

Going into this event I knew it would be a fun bacon filled evening. As far as the «battle» goes, I love both restaurants so I mostly savored all 6 plates and watched the chefs in action.
Roll On Sushi is the perfect place for such an event. With it’s U shaped diner style seating, it creates a fish bowl effect of the chefs. It was neat watching the Eric’s crew in orange and Chip & Chad’s crew in black whirling around producing beautifully plated food. The restaurants made it easy to remember whose dish was in hand as Peached plates were served on either yellow or green plates while Roll On was served on the red and white plates.
With bacon as the main ingredient I was wary it would be to rich and filling. They did a great job balancing out each dish and my little pork belly left happy and content. The dishes were creative and I hope to see some of them on both restaurant’s regular menus. Eric from Peached Tortilla brought out Mom’s Wontons for the battle which I was pleased to see later in the week he added to his daily special for the moving target food truck. I really liked the touch of their soy peach BBQ sauce that was drizzled. One thing I would love to see on Roll On’s regular menu is the B.L.T.G. which was bacon, romaine, fried green tomatoes, nori and sushi rice topped with house made guac, red and yellow cherry tomatoes then drizzled with wasabi aioli and bacon vinaigrette. It had a great smoky flavor. It was served with a mini bloody sake which I have a feeling will be added to their drink menu.
The desserts were delectable. Roll On served their beloved Elvis roll which I was already a HUGE fan of. If you haven’t tried it, it is a must. Peached treated us to Krispy Kreme’d pork belly, it was amazing.
The drinks served were perfect as sake and beer complimented the food well. It was my first time tasting Hops and Grains’ Alt. It was also my first time tasting Gekkeikan’s sake.
If they do another event, do your self a favor and attend. It was well worth the $ 30 which included 2 free drinks. As if feeling good about the food, great company and eating «local» that evening wasn’t enough, we all felt good that a portion of the profit went to a good cause.

The best part of this event for me was hanging out at the Draught House afterward with Chip and Chad Reed from Roll On Sushi Diner, and talking about Austin’s restaurant biz. I’ve noticed people in the service industry lead interesting lives, and I enjoy hearing their stories. Incidentally, it’s hard to believe Roll On has been around for only four months, I think it’s a tribute to them that it seems much longer than that.
I tend to approach these charity-​type events as simply fun times with good people, and if the food is superb, it’s a bonus. I thought our 8pm seating was a hoot, with some of my fave Unilocalies — Amy, Jesse, Staci, and Ryan — and I only regret missing Nathan, who was at the 6pm show. The plan of the evening seemed to be to sit, booze, eat, and have a great time. Works for me.
With the exception of Roll On’s classic Elvis Roll, both Peached Tortilla and Roll On were playing with new dishes, and that made the night fun and unique. FWIW, neither of the two apps blew me away, and in the second course, I thought PT’s braised pork belly chunk with pineapple was pretty damn perfect, while RO’s «BLTG» roll could be the next big thing on their everyday menu. I am familiar with RO’s Elvis Roll, I order it for people when I’m eating there, but only take a token bite for myself when it’s around because seriously — did you see what Elvis looked like toward the end? And finally, I thought PT’s Krispy Kreme’d Pork Belly was hilarious — I don’t think I’d ever order one in real life, but you gotta admire creative chefs with a sense of humor.
I’ll tell you who the winner was at this inaugural «Battle on Burnet» — it was me. I had a blast, I was with people I like being with, and the entire theme of the night by the people who made it happen is exactly what makes Austin Austin. If you ever want to do some serious sushi with me sometime in this town, cool — let’s whip out $ 200 for the Omakase at either Uchi or Uchiko. But in the meantime, I hope someone remembers to give me a call when the next «Battle of This, That or Whatever» happens, because I’m there.

This was such a fun event! Tons of familiar faces, good food and drink, and a fun atmosphere. Can’t wait for the next one!
I’ll start my review off with the bad parts — of which there were only a couple… such as the inaccurate marketing, which promised «six courses». There were actually only three courses, with two dishes in each course, so, not nearly as much food as I expected. Also, I was disappointed at the portion sizes. For my $ 30, I expected to leave satiated, but instead, my date and I went out to eat afterwards because we were both still hungry.
Okay… I’m done complaining. Now on to the good parts. First of all, the service was excellent. Everybody was in such high spirits and super friendly. The chefs, the wait staff, the hosts, the photographers… everybody was clearly happy to be there. I was also really happy that we got to watch each of the dishes be prepared. It was like watching a culinary ballet. We got to see each dish be assembled bit by bit, then marvel at the beautiful presentations they came up with as they plated each sample. That, in and of itself, was pretty damn entertaining.
And then came the tasting! My mouth has never been so happy. Every dish was excellent and packed with surprising flavors from unexpectedly clever combinations of ingredients. My friends and I all unanimously agreed that Peached Tortilla’s «Mom’s Wontons» clearly won the first round. They were stuffed with shrimp and pork-​belly and drizzled with a tangy peach BBQ sauce. SO GOOD! I just wanted to stop right there and eat those for the rest of the night. But then Roll On hit back in round 2 with their «BLTG Roll», which is hands-​down the best sushi roll I’ve ever had. With just the right amounts of veggies, spices, bacon, and rice, topped with a delicious guacamole and served with wasabi aioli and bacon vinaigrette; this dish REALLY needs to be on their standard menu. It would certainly be enough to keep me coming back. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Sake Bloody Mary they paired it with, but then again, I’m not a huge fan of sake or bloody mary, so that’s no surprise.
Round 3 was dessert, and this is actually the round that I was most disappointed with. I don’t think either of the competitors’ dishes were terribly creative, although Roll On’s «Elvis» eggroll (peanut butter, bannana, and bacon in a crispy eggroll shell) had absolutely beautiful presentation. Peached Tortilla went with pork-​belly sandwiched between Krispy Kreme donuts, which sounds like cardiac arrest waiting to happen. I knew it would be tasty — because how can a chunk of fat between two pieces of fried dough NOT be tasty — but I was actually very surprised at how well the flavors went together. It wasn’t too sweet, or too savory, or even too fatty. It just worked. Really well. So I totally gave this round to Peached Tortilla. I also gave them my vote for overall winner.
And so, a fun time was had by all. And it’s too bad we had to leave immediately afterward to make room for the next seating, because we would have gladly stayed and ordered more food. Oh well… I guess I just have to go back some other time. Maybe by then, the BLTG roll will be on the menu. A guy can dream, can’t he?

I’ve tried to figure out what exactly could possibly be the downside to two local restaurateurs pitted against each other in an Iron Chef-​like contest, where the secret ingredient is bacon, and we get to judge six different fusion dishes whilst swigging beer and sake. The answer? There *is* no downside. The only part I lament is that this hadn’t been done sooner.
I was lucky enough to have snagged up a ticket to the event for the 6 PM seating, where I’d be joining my friend and fellow Unilocaler Catherine T. It appeared I had bought up the last one. I guess God took a minute from his usual duties (e.g., showering Tim Tebow with mountains of undeserved praise, or leading a Lunatic Round Table with the Republican presidential candidates, etc.) to remind me He actually does take an interest in rewarding my foodie fanaticism.
I arrived at Roll on Sushi Diner around a quarter ’til 6. Catherine gives a pretty good description of the bizarre scene of loud, crying weirdo children that greeted me upon my arrival. The only silver lining about that little incident was getting to talk and laugh about it with the owner, Chad Reed, who was very welcoming to us as we waited in line. He had to turn away more than a couple people who hadn’t realized the place was closed for the event, but he did so in the nicest way possible.
We were seated at the corner of the wrap around diner counter closest to the door and received (4) drink tickets, (2) for beer and (2) for sake. I was liking this already. Catherine and I perused the menu-​ballot that was placed before us and immediately knew we were in for a treat when the words «pork belly» appeared repeatedly (bacon sen at Uchi, anyone?). There were 3 courses, each with one dish from Roll On and Peached Tortilla; after sampling both, we were to circle which had won.
Both Chad and the owner of Peached Tortilla, Eric, made opening remarks and informed us that the event was basically born out of a bar conversation that at first was a joke, but eventually coalesced into reality. With limited days between the planning and the reality, paired with virtually no marketing, it still sold out. Of course it did. This was Austin; this city is virtually made for events like this.
OK, so here we go. Sorry, Catherine, in the interest of time I am shamelessly copying your format:
***ROUND 1***
MOM’S WONTONS (Peached Tortilla): Shrimp and pork belly-​stuffed wontons with soy peach bbq sauce
Vs.
PORK BELLY NEGAMAKI (Roll On Sushi): Grilled asparagus and green onions wrapped inside Dr. Pepper citrus-​braised pork belly served atop shitake and candied bacon-​fried rice with Asian slaw.
The wontons were simple, but delicious. RO’s pork belly was flavorful, if not awkward to cut. However, the complex use of all the ingredients impressed me. I chose Roll On (but only barely).
***ROUND 2*** (after swigging a generous amount of sake provided by Gekkeikan)
PORK BELLY DUO (Peached Tortilla): (1) Braised pork belly, caramelized pineapple, cilantro and Chinese bbq sauce. (2) Braised pork belly, Asian slaw and Chinese bbq sauce served in a Chinese spoon.
Vs.
BLTG ROLL (Roll On Sushi): Togarashi-​dusted bacon, romaine, fried green tomatoes, nori and sushi rice topped with homemade guacamole, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, and drizzled with wasabi aioli and bacon vinaigrette.
The pork belly duo was easily my favorite dish of the evening. It was tender and succulent, and the burst of pineapple flavor that accompanied it worked like magic on my taste buds. The bite highlighted the amazing bbq sauce. This wasn’t to say I didn’t also enjoy the roll, which was also flavorful. Attention was paid to presentation, but they went a little heavy on the aioli for me. The clear winner was The Peached Tortilla.
***ROUND THREE***
KRISPY KREME’D PORK BELLY (Peached Tortilla): Krispy Kreme donut, braised pork belly, sweet Thai chili sauce, and finely-​chopped bacon.
Vs.
THE ELVIS (Roll On Sushi): Peanut butter, bacon and banana wrapped in a crispy eggroll, served with chocolate and ancho chili dust.
The first dish was why I had gone to the gym earlier that morning. Delicious in a potentially artery-​clogging sort of way, and it was truly the kind of quirky fusion I was looking for. But the winner, the champion – the King, if you will – was The Elvis. The three distinct flavors melded perfectly, and the presentation was the best of the night. I even ate Catherine’s since she was wary of a possible banana allergy, but I assured her while devouring her plate that the Elvis won the round.
My overall winner was Roll On Sushi, and they also won the contest. Not that Peached Tortilla didn’t put up a fight, and piqué my interest for a future visit.
I would go to an event like this every month if they offered it. I’d like to thank both restaurants for an amazing time. 5 Star fun!

A new lesson learned: These culinary duels are quite the good time, and can make non-​ticket holding people quite jealous.
A learned lesson echoed last night: A certain non-​ticket holding person threw quite the fit last night when he learned he couldn’t have his sushi roll and eat it, too. Said person was a 6– or 7-​year-​old tyke there with his mom and sister. The Roll On Sushi owner informed them that they would not be able to eat there that night because of the event, and the imp threw a hissy. The rest of us thought he was kidding at first, as he whirled around the sidewalk, screaming like a tea kettle. But then he hit his sister and ran inside the restaurant, folded his arms and pouted, refusing to leave. Roll On owner promised the brat a free roll next time they came in. Mom made several excuses for her son, but I noticed she never, at any point during her son’s tantrum, used anything resembling discipline. And this reminded me why I will never procreate. Never, never, never.
But anyway…
So Nathan I. and I were seated at the counter and given tickets: two tickets for beer, and two tickets for sake. I honestly don’t remember what style of beer we were given, but I can tell you it was dark and delicious, and I’m very excited to say that I’ll be going on a tour of the Hops & Grain brewery this Saturday.
As far as the sake, I’m not really a sake fan, but last night’s helping of Gekkeikan cold sake had me jumping in my DeLorean time machine to 1968 Burbank yelling, «Sake to me!»
***ROUND 1***
MOM’S WONTONS (Peached Tortilla): Shrimp and pork belly-​stuffed wontons with soy peach bbq sauce.
There wasn’t much to this dish, but I really, really liked the peach bbq sauce and the tenderness of the pork belly.
Vs.
PORK BELLY NEGAMAKI (Roll On Sushi): Grilled asparagus and green onions wrapped inside Dr. Pepper citrus-​braised pork belly served atop shitake and candied bacon-​fried rice with Asian slaw.
This dish provided a lot of complexity, but the pork belly was very difficult to cut through. As in, I nearly requested a chainsaw. Lots of flavors and bit of spice worked well together, but the Dr. Pepper sauce was too friggin’ syrupy for my palate.
MY WINNER: Peached Tortilla
***ROUND 2***
PORK BELLY DUO (Peached Tortilla): (1) Braised pork belly, caramelized pineapple, cilantro and Chinese bbq sauce. (2) Braised pork belly, Asian slaw and Chinese bbq sauce served in a Chinese spoon.
(1) This was my favorite dish. The pork belly was tender, juicy and delicious, and the pineapple complemented it very well. Sweet and savory. (2) This dish was simple, yet typically delicious of Peached Tortilla. Had a nice, subtle spice to it.
Vs.
BLTG ROLL (Roll On Sushi): Togarashi-​dusted bacon, romaine, fried green tomatoes, nori and sushi rice topped with homemade guacamole, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, and drizzled with wasabi aioli and bacon vinaigrette.
The presence of guac irritated but did not deter me. I was able to eat around it. The bacon was a bit too hard (That’s what she said). The dish had a light spice to it, but no real flavor outside of the wasabi aioli and bacon vinaigrette.
MY WINNER: Peached Tortilla
***ROUND THREE***
KRISPY KREME’D PORK BELLY (Peached Tortilla): Krispy Kreme donut, braised pork belly, sweet Thai chili sauce, and finely-​chopped bacon.
They kinda lost me here. The sweet and savory flavors didn’t match up too well on the first several bites, but it somehow came back strongly and deliciously at the end. But it was definitely my least favorite dish of Peached Tortilla’s three.
Vs.
THE ELVIS (Roll On Sushi): Peanut butter, bacon and banana wrapped in a crispy eggroll, served with chocolate and ancho chili dust.
This whole round really was a throwaway round for me. I didn’t actually eat this dessert. I wanted to, but a possible banana allergy that I have yet to accurately test kept me from it. Banana was definitely omnipresent in this roll, much like the Kardashians everywhere else. So I gave mine to Nathan, and he gave it higher marks than the Peached dish. Since I’d voted for Peached in the first two rounds, I felt it only fair to give this round to Roll On, especially since I was too chicken-​shit scared to try the dish.
MY WINNER: Roll On Sushi (but only sort of)
MY OVERALL WINNER: Duh. Did you really have to ask?
The actual winner in the contest overall was Roll On.
Eric Silverstein told me that he and the Roll On owners were sitting around drinking one night when they came up with this Iron Chef-​ish idea, and put it all together in just a couple of weeks. I told Eric that they should do this more often, with different featured ingredients. Hell, I think other restaurants should get into this sort of contest, too. It’s fun for everyone, free advertising for the restaurants, and god damn is it a good value!