Elite Event: Newbie Elite Meet & Eat @ Torpedo Sushi

My first Elite event!
I wasn’t sure to expect, but Nique and Shirene were so welcoming! The ice breakers were good conversation starters when meeting other newbie Elites.
As for the food, the rolls were fresh and the staff kept them coming! My favorites were the Big Shrimp on the Block and the Firecracker Chicken. Not only was each roll was delicious, but Torpedo Sushi makes an effort to protect the environment and support responsible fishing which makes their rolls even better.
Thank you to Nique and the staff at Torpedo sushi for a memorable first Elite event. I will definitely be returning to Torpedo Sushi in the near future. Until my next Elite Event!

My first Elite event as a newly minted Elite. Set in downtown Oakland at Torpedo Sushi. This place couldn’t have been any better to help newbie’s like me mingle with other newbies. The location was fairly small but it encouraged communication. There was an ice breaker and my person found me! Yayy.
When we walked in, we were given our choice of a beer mug or shot glass, bottle opener and some «Elite» socks. I didn’t have a chance to talk till Nique till the end because I walked in late but it was fun regardless. Nique is sweet and very down to earth. Looking forward to my next elite event.

This was such a great event, especially for a «Newbie» as myself. I felt super welcomed as I walked in the door and was greeted by Nique, handed a beer mug and a piece of paper with a clue about a fellow Unilocaler that I had to find.
Definitely an intimate setting perfect for mixing and mingling. But before I started chatting folks up, I headed straight for the food! Selfish, I know, but I JUST got off of work! There was about 6 different types of torpedos — large sushi rolls. I didn’t get to try it all but I can for sure remember I really enjoyed the Firecracker Chicken [chicken] & Hot tail [Tuna]. And there was also beer at the event, I don’t exactly remember the name. Definitely good food and drinks for mingling.
A majority of the folks that night were new Elites, and there were also a sprinkling of vets there, so a good mix. It was great meeting folks, everyone seemed to have been in agreement that this event really encouraged them to look into attending future events, so overall I’d definitely say that this was a success!
Much thanks to Nique, Shirene and Torpedo Sushi for putting this event together!

Torpedo was a cute spot for hosting this small Unilocal gathering. The room was small but filled with a lot of fresh faces.
There was sushi a plenty for everyone: each piece was big and filling. I went right for the vegan option, which was more complex than my usual go-​to of avocado rolls and inari.
I admire the creativity that goes into the sushi here: the Torpedo chefs know how to make flavors work well together to create unique rolls.
Thanks for the sake, which was memorably tasty, and for all the good vibes from the staff and our Unilocal hostesses.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Nique, Shirene, and Luis for hosting this super fun event at Torpedo Sushi! It was lovely to meet online and new friends, and it’s such a thoughtful way to introduce us newbie Elites to the wonderful world of Unilocal Elite.
The ice breaker was really fun, and while I’m still slightly upset that I never found my person (mostly because one of the clues was that she «likes to poke dead things with a stick» and I’m sure we would’ve gotten along beautifully), the fantastic company and innovative food made up for that and more.
The sushi «cupcakes» were quite good, and I thought it was a nice way to have everyone sample everything. The beer on tap had a pretty awesome name, which I’ve unfortunately now forgotten (something to do with toads maybe?), and was really tasty. It didn’t have that bitter aftertaste, and the color was a beautiful reddish gold. The filtered sake that came in a keg (how cool is that?) was really smooth and tasted almost like the kind of fermented rice wine that’s sold at Asian supermarkets; sweet and went down really well poured in with the beer in a rough copy of sake bombs. Mmmmm.
Lastly, thank you to the lovely staff of Torpedo Sushi, and especially to the female server behind the register who was super sweet and hilarious (I am so, so sorry I didn’t get your name, but you were awesome). Until next time!

First Elite Event! Whoop whoop! This event was for Elite Noobs, so I met a lot of wonderful people just like me ;)
I arrived. Nique was super friendly and awesome. I got my name tag, checked in, received a cool *yelp* beer mug, and I was handed a piece of paper that read, «find a globetrotter with 18 check ins». (Not exactly, but close: P)
I went straight to the… Food. There were 5 or 6 different types of Torpedos (california inspired fresh-​filling roll tasty thing).
Torpedo (noun): A handheld, uncut sushi roll stuffed fat with fresh ingredients and bursting with California-​inspired flavors. Made to order. Built for speed. Sure to demolish your hunger.
(I was close!)
I love that the rolls had fresh crunchy veggies and a delicious sauce.
I tried:
California-​100% Snow Crab, Carrots, Green Apple, Hass Avocado,
Jalapeño, Cilantro, Lime Crème Fraiche
Super tasty!
Veganator-​Crunchy Sweet Potato, Shiitake Mushrooms, Spicy Jicama,
Zucchini, Pickled Turnip, Peanuts, Carrot-​Miso-​Ginger Sauce
Good, but I like meat!
Firecracker chicken-​Chili-​Lime Shredded Chicken, Jalapeño, Zucchini, Pickeled Carrots,
Crunchy Potato Sticks, Cilantro, Lemon-​Ginger Aioli
Wow. It was great and a lot of people would agree with me!
I didn’t try:
Big Shrimp on the Block
Shrimp Salad, Fresh Asparagus, Cucumber, Red Cabbage,
Tempura Flakes, Ginger-​Teriyaki Sauce
Tombo Tuna Sashimi, Hass Avocado, Carrots, Radish,
Green Cabbage, Sesame Seeds, Preserved Lemon-​Spicy Aioli
Those are what I remember.
Anywho, awesome friendly elites+free (delicious) food+great people all around, I’m glad to be Elite!
See ya at the next event!
Ps– Cindy L was my globetrotter :)

Thanks for organizing this great event Nique! This was surprisingly intimate, low key, and stress free!
My favorite sample tonight would be the Hot Tail. The California roll comes to a close second.
I might come back Wednesday night to to see Chris Z’s creation roll out :)

I had a great time at my first Unilocal elite event even though I’m not an Elite… yet! Thank you Nique for organizing this event. Shout out to Luis, the owner, for hosting. There was a lot of free things that were given away including beer glasses, shot glasses keychains, and lots of food. Upon entering and hearing that there was free beer and sake, it was a no brainer that sake bombs were going to happen. Aside from the free drinks, there was free food!
The assortment of samples included: Hot Tail, Vegetarian, California, Fire Cracker Chicken, and Big Shrimp on the Block. All of them are wonderful in their own regard due to the wide variety of ingredients that go into each one. My favorite out of the bunch was the Hot Tail because I am a sucker for raw fish and sesame seeds. While I enjoyed the torpedo, I think that they could improve how they put them together to decrease the rate in which they become soggy.
My favorite part of the event was mingling with everyone else that attended the event. I met with a lot of people and got to learn more about who they were and their interests. I bookmarked a few places on Unilocal after they were recommended by other people there.
P. S. I can’t wait to try the new roll!

Had a great time meeting new people at my first Unilocal Elite event! Big shootout to Nique for organizing the event and making sure that us newbies were welcomed properly. Also, a big thank you to Luis for closing his restaurant to host a private event for us and provide us with the whole shebang — torpedo (sushi burrito) samples, beer, and sake!
Me and my +1 (Chris Z.) arrived first and got the chance to get acquainted with Nique before everyone else started to show up. Such a great start to my Unilocal elite experience as we were walked through the basics and had all of our questions answered.
Not gonna lie, I didn’t expect so many free things, but I’m not complaining! Me and my friend had a great time, I hope to see everyone again soon!

Great evening with great people. For being open for only four months, Torpedo’s already found their own style and a home in Oakland.
Don’t come here if you’re looking for traditional sushi rolls. But definitely do come here if you’re looking for an adventurous, flavor-​packed roll! We got to sample the Firecracker Chicken, Big Shrimp on the Block, The Veganator, Hot Tail, and California Roll. Beyond the unique textures (peanuts in sushi? :O) and flavors, the sushi is not meant for single-​bite dining. Unless you’re trying to escape conversation for a good minute or so. My favorite was the Veganator (yep, peanuts in sushi), but everything tasted delicious and the staff did an excellent job catering to us eager newbies. While the interior has a modern, classy hole-​in-​the-​wall feel, it was a bit of a tight squeeze and I found myself blocking access to the bathroom or sushi table at times. Sorry guys!
Loud snaps for Nique and Luis for hosting this event and getting us to interact in vivo — Happy Unilocaling!

TL;DR? Ah-​mazing of course! My first Unilocal Elite event (as Maggie’s +1) is as every bit dreamy as I imagined. Fresh food, bangin’ booze, & gorgeous Unilocalers!
Food Quality, Service, Location/​Ambiance: A
Prices: Free ;)
The best thing is being a Unilocal Elite member. The second best thing? Being a Unilocal Elite’s +1 yayuh! Big thanks to Nique, Shirene, & Luis (owner) for hosting the event and Maggie X. for bringing me along :) It’s located in/​near downtown Oakland so parking was a little hectic. Street parking is your best bet. As we stepped inside the restaurant, we were immediately, warmly greeted by Nique and Shirene. They situated us with what was going on and introduced the awesome free food and goodies. Goodies included choice of Beer Mug or Shot Glass (after check-​in), Unilocal bottle opener keychain, and red Elite socks. I was blown away! Afterwards we started to mingle around and tried the free sushi rolls and drinks. My personal faves were the Hot Tail and Firecracker chicken. The Hot Tail seems to be one of the roll and for a good reason! Via website descriptions,
Hot Tail: «Tombo Tuna Sashimi, Hass Avocado, Carrots, Radish, Green Cabbage, Sesame Seeds, Preserved Lemon-​Spicy Aioli»
Firecracker Chicken: «Chili-​Lime Shredded Chicken, Jalapeño, Zucchini, Pickeled Carrots, Crunchy Potato Sticks, Cilantro, Lemon-​Ginger Aioli»
The tuna sashimi was a big winner in my book– fresh and flavorful while cradled by a bed of vegetables and their aioli. I have NEVER had chicken in my sushi! To my astonishment, it was a spice with a kick as Shirene described it to me and right on the nail– loved it, great innovative concept. The event had an ice-​breaker where clues of other Unilocalers were given and we had to mingle to find them. There was also a sushi roll creation contest and applause to Christopher for winning it. Luis (owner) made a casual welcoming speech and we continued to sample their sushi and guzzle their drinks. If I visit Oakland and am feeling sushi, I will definitely stop by here. Bravado Torpedo Sushi!

Yay! Thank you Nique for organizing another spectacular event! Thanks also to Luis and all the employees at Torpedo Sushi for being so awesome, the food was great!
I’ve been wanting to try this place, i like the concept. Thanks for the sample sizes !
Really enjoyed the Firecracker chicken roll and there was a spicy one i really enjoyed as well.
It was nice meeting all the noob eliters! :) Hope to see you all again soon!

Amazing Elite event! Thank you Nique!
I would have never ventured into this place but now that I know how delish their rolls are I’ll be back with friends for sure.
I love how intimate this event was and how friendly everyone was too!
Yay elites!!!

Amazing first Elite event! Big thanks to Nique and Luis (owner of Torpedo). This place was perfect for an introductory event for newbies in the Elite world. Can’t wait for more events and seeing familiar faces. Oh! And thanks for putting another sushi spot on my radar whenever I’m in Oakland! Torepedo is great and the staff are the friendliest. Definitely will recommend this spot to friends.
Thanks again and see you soon Torpedo!

Omg what an amazing time I had for my first «Elite» Unilocal event! Nique you were an amazing host, my brother and I enjoyed ourselves.
Torpedo Sushi is a must try! Lots of variety and super fresh ingredients. Lager in size than your normal sushi roll and perfect for «to go».
My favorite is the Spicy Chicken and Big Shrimp on the Rock!
They also have happy hour which is always a plus.