Having been made homeless, securing a residency and now a must-visit stand at one of Aberdeen’s most popular street food pop-ups, The Sushi Box Aberdeen has seen it all.
And owner Atisaya Aitcheson, who launched the business in 2016, can’t be more complimentary of the pop-up venue, Backyard Beach Collective at Aberdeen beach, which has proven a lifeline for her business over the past few months.
One of the first vendors to sign up, hundreds of people have been queuing all summer to get their hands on Atisaya’s dishes.
Having been formerly based in the Aberdeen Market, which was closed back in early 2020 and left the business with no home, Atisaya and her team are enjoying cooking back out in view of customers.
She said: “Backyard has gone really great. When we were at The Tippling House I didn’t really see many of our customers as I was hidden in the kitchen, but at Backyard I get to see everyone – it is very similar as to how I worked in the market in getting to see all of the customers.
“It has been so nice seeing familiar faces coming to get food. I missed my customers a lot during lockdown and the pandemic, so it has been great to get back to doing what I love.
Cooking is in her blood
Perfecting the art of sushi-making, Atisaya’s food influences come from her family who all work in the industry and are passionate about cooking.
“We specialise in sushi, but I love Japanese food so I incorporate that into our offering. I was introduced to Japanese cuisine when I was young and I got to know about the culture. There’s so many cuisines I love to take inspiration from,” said Atisaya.
“I grew up with a family who surrounded me with food. My mother is a Thai food chef and she and my father run a food business.
“My grandparents, my mother’s father, is a Chinese food chef and I’ve been surrounded by this growing up.
“Our daily discussion is really about food. We are a big family so it is really a big part of my life. My parents live in Thailand and I’m the only one who lives in Aberdeen.
“I moved to Aberdeen in 2007 to be with David, my husband who I married in 2008. I met him in Thailand and I’ve now been in Aberdeen ever since.”
Crab is king
Focused on offering up top-quality sushi, with ramen and rice bowls, not to mention a range of specials and other items, the entrepreneur has tried to accommodate more dietary requirements over the years, and has also looked at ways to introduce raw fish in an appetising way to the public.
She added: “The Sushi Box was focused on sushi with ramen and donburi, which is our rice bowls. We want to offer the people of Aberdeen a taste of sushi and Japanese cuisine and I think we do that well.
“Our vegetarian offering wasn’t too big when we first started out, but I am trying to accommodate dietary requirements more now and make it available to others. It is more seafood and meat heavy just now, but we do have some veggie options.
“The spicy crab is definitely the best seller. We have a spicy crab one, or a tuna one, but the crab always outsells the tuna. We’ve swapped tuna for salmon now for a bit of a change.
“The spicy crab can also be served with cucumber as maki and not just in a bowl. When you think of The Sushi Box, it is spicy crab you think of. The crab meat is from a local supplier in Aberdeen and I think people really like that, too.
“Our raw fish sushi is also really popular as well. For some people who don’t think they like raw fish, the rice bowls and ramen are great.
Supporting local
Using local businesses to source her ingredients, Atisaya says by doing so she can keep the menu fresh and offer the best of the best sushi to her customers who are hungry for more.
“Supporting local suppliers is really important to me,” she said.
“We’ll see what seafood or what ingredients we can get our hands on and use them in the sushi and the dishes.
“We like to experiment with things and have even launched pink sushi as well.
“Street food is really trendy just now. I think people, nowadays, just want something quick and something delicious, too. It makes it an experience and people enjoy it more as they can almost watch it being prepared in front of them.”
Map of street food vendors in the north and north-east