The Kitchen Appliance TikTok Swears By For Making Nobu's Copycat Spicy Tuna With Crispy Rice

Since 1994, the Japanese fusion restaurant chain Nobu, co-founded by film actor Robert De Niro and chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, has set the standards for upscale Japanese cuisine in the US. What began with a single restaurant in New York grew to 21 restaurants nationally and a global empire that includes luxury hotels. 

Nobu's reputation for freshness and innovation reimagines classic dishes like spicy tuna sushi rolls, adding more texture, flavor, and interest to the plate. A popular appetizer on its menu — Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna — is a deconstructed version of the classic, with six skewers of crispy sushi rice cubes, ponzu dipping sauce, and tuna tartare. The elegant lollipops are pricy at $33, but customers don't seem too put off.

Luckily for fans of the dish, TikTokers have reverse-engineered the recipe for a fraction of the expense. Using a common kitchen appliance most of us use for weekend brunch, Nobu's copycat spicy tuna with crispy rice is a must-try, hitting all the right notes — here's how to do it.

Traditionally, crispy rice is made by packing cooked sushi rice into a greased sheet pan until the rice has set. Cubes of rice are then individually deep-fried, resulting in tender, sticky rice with a crispy golden shell. However, TikToker Alexa Santos creates the crispy rice using a mini waffle iron.

@alexawhatsfordinner

Giant crispy rice... waffle? 🧇🤔 it's very delicious & fun, although a little difficult to eat if you don't cut it up! Recipe is on my 🔗 #waffle #crispyrice #sushi #sushiwaffle #foodtok #foodie #foodvideo #easyrecipe #homemade #homecooking #sushilover #spicytuna #crispy #satisfying

♬ I Can't Go For That – Instrumental – Reelsoul & Martin Wilson

To prepare the dish, cooked sushi rice should be flavored with rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and mirin before being loaded into a preheated and thoroughly greased waffle iron. Once the exterior has been browned, the rice waffle will release easily from the iron. While you're waiting, combine cubes of sushi-grade tuna with rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha, and honey. Customize the dish by adding creamy avocado, wasabi paste, sesame seeds, and spicy mayo (mayo and sriracha). 

When consuming raw fish, rely on your senses to determine if the fish smells, looks, and tastes safe enough to eat. This spicy tuna with crispy rice recipe is perfect for a light lunch or hearty appetizer at well under Nobu's prices.