July 22, 2025—When asked which roll best represents the bold concept of his newly relocated and expanded Buzz Sushi spot, Octavio “Tavo” Guerrero’s arm shoots out like it’s spring-loaded.
His finger zooms to the menu, landing on the Alcatraz Escape, with spicy tofu, “shrimp” tempura and cream cheese, topped with faux salmon, avocado, jalapeños, spicy mayo and eel-free unagi sauce.
The inspiration: This roll showcases a number of flavorful elements—egg-free mayonnaise, plant-based salmon, plant-based shrimp, marinated tofu among them—in all their vegan glory.
“That one has everything plant-based in a special combination,” he says.
It hints at a bold concept: A fish-centric spot with largely soy-based proteins. (With some creative seafood seafood rolls too.)
But it doesn’t get at the big reveal: The “salmon” almost melted on the tongue.
This fish never swam. That made the experience satisfying to a surprising, maybe shocking, degree.
The reason his guidance comes in clutch: There’s an overwhelm of items to consider, even for a relatively straightforward front-and-back menu.
Sixteen starters range from Moon’s Carpaccio to poke nachos to yellowtail collar (when available). Seventeen nigiri plays like tobiko, inari and shiro maguro provide more decision-making moves, as do a selection of sashimi, donburi and Buzz specials.
Twenty-five completely vegan rolls leap from the Missing Piece (with shiitake mushroom, steamed asparagus, nuts, avocado and the ubiquitous “unagi” sauce) to the Pollo Feliz with vegan chicken, yam and avocado.
“The quantity of items is intentional because, once you have everything for that day—you’re ready—you have to find new combinations to create flavors,” Guerrero says.
He cites a steady stream of new dishes, like recent debut Cuerno de Chivo (aka “goat horn”) with steamed pumpkin, avocado, shish, fresh garlic and spicy nuts, with spicy tofu, jalapeño, green onion and the house Buzz dressing on top).
The flavor profiles, Guerrero notes, don’t come from his own vegan desires, but his preference for sushi that’s less intense.
“I adapted to my taste—I grew up in a place where it was hard to eat raw fish,” he says. “So when I started as a chef doing flavors that were less fishy.”
The vegan identity, meanwhile, doesn’t emanate from his own dietary code—though he did skip any animal product intake for several years himself—but locals’ desire for a solid plant-based sushi play.
“For our Santa Cruz vegan community, there’s not many options,” he says.
He does add 20 real fish sushi rolls (“The Buzz Rolls”) because ultimately this is an inclusive push.
“It’s good to have Buzz Rolls because a member of the crew or family will come with someone who is vegan, and everyone can have a nice sushi dinner with unique flavor,” Guerrero says.
He clocked that while learning the craft at Akira Sushi, who he understood was far too popular to risk the expense and time investment to go hardcore vegan.
“When you’re already as stable as them,” he says, “it’s not worth it to change or add a bunch of vegan items—it’s still a difficult thing to find and make good vegan and gluten-free ingredients.”
He demurs on naming his sources and techniques for competitive reasons, but concedes he shares the details with regulars.
“Going vegan is harder but not impossible,” he says. “We keep searching for good products and have the knowledge to create them.”
That’s especially relevant in a wider foodscape where sourcing remains iffy, and a sushi industry where irresponsible practices remain pervasive.
This bolt of good news, then, is welcome: After starting off as a pop-up operation amid COVID, then taking on a short-term lease on Pacific, Guerrero and Buzz now have a long term home, with several years ahead and an option for more.
When I told a colleague I was heading over to see how the new spot was doing—and how Buzz was embracing a lot more space, though it’s still cozy, in a good way—her response was skeptical.
That made the Alcatraz Escape surprise that much more meaningful. And means I’m taking her there.
The Buzz Sushi | 1005 Cedar St. Santa Cruz | thebuzzsushi.com.
About the author
Mark C. Anderson, Edible Monterey Bay's managing editor, appears on "Friday Found Treasures" via KRML 94.7 every week, a little after 12pm noon. Reach him via mark@ediblemontereybay.com.
