Sleep With The Fishes

Most people have heard of “breakfast in bed.”  Now you can also have “sushi in bed,” thanks to an enterprising U.S.-based venture that “strive[s] to find the harmony between food and art.”

The Original Sushi Pillow is the brainchild of Cindy Tomm and Mel Maghuyop, two actors who came up with the idea while touring North America with the musical Miss Saigon. One day Cindy mused that she wanted a pillow that looked like a sushi roll. Not finding any vendors offering such a product, Mel drew on his artistic skills to create one from scratch. The rest, as they say, is fish-tory (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

Their catalogue features both flat and tall rolls (including the ever popular California roll), and even a specialty ikura (salmon egg) roll. There’s also a series of pillows in the form of nigiri – a nugget of rice topped with seafood or sweet egg that is bound to the rice with a thin strip of nori (seaweed). If you’re not a rice fan, how about edamame mini and body pillows? Yes, I’m talking about plush, pale green pillows shaped like those delicious boiled soybeans you can snack on in many Japanese restaurants.

Sushi lovers know that soy sauce is to sushi what ketchup is to french fries – a match made in gastronomic heaven. It’s only natural, then, that the newest addition to the catalogue are soy sauce pillowcases. Pillowcases shaped like salmon and ebi (shrimp) are also available.

The pillows and accessories ship internationally and range in price from US$30 to US$69.

There’s at least one famous fan of these quirky bed and sofa accoutrements: English author Neil Gaiman (“American Gods”), who is seen in a photo on the website surrounded by an assortment of sushi pillows. Oh, and click here to check out The Original Sushi Pillow’s YouTube commercial. If nothing else, I promise you’ll get a few chuckles out of it.

— Eva Lam