Ask Sushi: Deep-Fried Dreams and a Fast-Casual Future in Queens
In a small corner of Maspeth, Daniel Hernández is serving deep-fried sushi rolls with Latin flair—and redefining what fusion means in Queens. Discover the journey from home kitchen hustle to one of NYC’s most exciting new fast-casual spots.
From Home Kitchen to Local Favorite
Inside a cozy storefront on 69th Street in Maspeth, Queens, the scent of freshly fried tempura and tangy eel sauce lures customers in from blocks away. A fast-casual sushi spot with a Latin twist, Ask Sushi is the kind of place where regulars know exactly what to order—and newcomers leave with a mental list of what they’ll try next time.
At the heart of it all is Daniel Hernández, who moved to New York from Venezuela a decade ago with his daughter and a deep appreciation for sushi fusion. “In Venezuela, sushi is huge,” he said. “We have our own take on it—fried, creamy, colorful—and I saw the potential to bring that here.”
Before opening Ask Sushi, Daniel sharpened his skills in sushi restaurants back home and later in Manhattan. But when the pandemic hit, like many restaurant workers, he found himself out of a job. With little more than his knives and creativity, he turned his Queens kitchen into a makeshift sushi lab and started posting videos of his dishes on Instagram. “I didn’t even have an Instagram before,” he admitted, “but I started experimenting, learning, sharing. People started showing up outside my house to pick up orders.”
That momentum carried him through a ghost kitchen phase and, eventually, into a brick-and-mortar space of his own. “We started with no capital, just ideas,” he said. “But we believed in the product, and step by step, it grew.”
Fusion Rolls That Changed the Game
Ask Sushi’s menu is packed with crowd-pleasers, but it’s the creative, approachable fusion rolls that keep people coming back. “A lot of people are scared of raw fish,” Daniel explained. “So we deep-fry it. We make it delicious, crispy, and totally different.”
Top sellers include his tempura-style deep-fried rolls, like the signature Ask Sushi Roll—a packed roll of shrimp tempura, salmon, imitation crab, and cream cheese, topped with crab salad, seaweed salad, avocado, and a drizzle of divine sauce. Another favorite is the Hollywood Roll, where flame-seared salmon meets cream cheese, avocado, and cucumber, finished with crab salad, chives, and eel sauce.
Then there’s the game-changing Banana Crunch Roll, where plantains replace rice for a sweet-savory twist that’s as photogenic as it is flavorful. “It sounds crazy, but it works,” Daniel said. “And people love it.”
Always experimenting, Daniel recently began testing a chicken-based sushi roll—a crispy fried roll stuffed and topped with chicken, cream cheese, and avocado, all glazed in house-made teriyaki. “No one in New York is really doing that yet,” he said. “We tested the flavors, and it just makes sense.”
Building a Brand, One Detail at a Time
From the beginning, Daniel knew it wasn’t just about the food. “People want to take pictures, to enjoy the whole vibe,” he said. So he designed Ask Sushi’s interior to be as inviting as the rolls themselves—with eye-catching murals, music, and warmth.
Still, he wears every hat in the operation, from sushi chef to front-of-house greeter. “We’ve got six tables, three staff members, and I’m here every day,” he said. “But it’s worth it. Seeing customers from all over—New Jersey, Long Island, even Connecticut—come just for our food? That’s everything.”
What’s Next for Ask Sushi?
Growth is on the horizon—but on Daniel’s terms. “I don’t want to grow just to grow,” he said. “I want to make sure this first location is strong, and that when we expand, it’s with the right people and values.”
He’s also thinking about how Ask Sushi can give back. “If we grow, I want it to benefit my team,” he said. “They should be able to take food home, feed their families, and feel proud to be part of something bigger.”
For now, Daniel continues to focus on perfecting every roll, every order, and every guest’s experience. “I dreamed big,” he said, “but with my feet on the ground.”