Dining This Week
California Roll
by Sherley Buckland
Joseph
Carabott of
California
Roll, which is at
You
come in the restaurant, sit down at a table, take a deep breath and feel all
the tension leave when you exhale. If
Joseph’s friendly smile and “down under” dialect doesn’t keep you at
ease, Daniella’s genuine hospitality and attentiveness will.
Do
yourself a favor and turn the phone off when you sit down, that way you wont
be distracted when lunch arrives.
During
my visit to California Roll I was first treated to a cup of white miso soup.
This is a traditional soup made with spring onion and organic tofu.
The soup is a simple broth that compliments the sushi and is a great
way to start your meal.
The
“Hollywood Lunch Box” was next. It is one of many specials they offer that
gets you familiar with the menu, and contains a four-piece roll, three pieces
of Nigiri and Sashimi salad.
Because
the dish—like everything at California Roll—is prepared fresh, if you go
there two days in a row and order the lunch box, there may be slight
variations in the contents.
For my
visit the four-piece inside out (or inverted) rice roll was made with salmon,
avocado and a spiced sesame seed crust topped with a touch of Japanese mayo.
I
believe avocado goes with everything; it especially goes with salmon and rice,
yum! The spiced sesame seeds give
the roll a special hint of flavor, and the Japanese mayo should be sold by the
jar.
Nigri
is small balls (or in this case rectangles) of sushi rice topped with
something. The three pieces of
Nigirizushi presented to me included Tamago, which is a Japanese omelet, sea
bream topped with flying fish caviar and shrimp.
The
Tamago is my favorite. The
Japanese omelet is a dense egg creation that is made with Mirin (rice wine),
which gives it a sweet flavor. I
could order just a plate of Tamago and be very happy.
The sea bream topped with flying fish caviar had a mild clean taste,
and the butterfly cut shrimp over the rice has an excellent flavor accented by
the low sodium soy sauce. 
The
sashimi salad is a zesty creation of fresh fish of the day coarsely diced and
tossed with pickled ginger, toasted sesame seeds, wakame (seaweed salad),
daikon (Japanese radish) and a light soy sauce.
If you are not proficient with chopsticks, ask for a fork, you will not
want to risk dropping a morsel of the flavorful salad.
Next,
I was treated to a sampling of the daily variety of gluten free rice paper
rolls. Four rolls of lettuce and
marinated vermicelli noodles are rolled with a chosen flavor of the day and
served with sweet chili and lime dipping sauce.
Today’s flavors included shrimp, avocado and Thai beef.
The
spicy, savory Thai beef roll is absolutely wonderful and very filling.
The shrimp and avocado roll is a delicate mix of flavors.
The
menu at California Roll is so extensive and so affordable, everyone who visits
will find something they will love. They
even have a children’s menu that is sure to please.
All of
the menu selections, including the children’s menu, are healthy.
I know one regular customer who has lost 15 pounds in two months, and
the only thing he is doing different is eating at California Roll.
California
Roll prepares amazing party platters and Joseph is available to do private
sushi parties in your home or at your next holiday gathering.
Can you imagine how cool it will be to have a party in your own home with your very own sushi chef? My kitchen is definitely big enough; let’s book a date.
Location:
Phone: (252) 240-1364
Hours: Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to
6 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Payment options: Cash, MasterCard, Visa,
American Express, Discover.
Reservations: Only needed for private
parties.
12/08/06
See the previously reviewed restaurants on the Restaurant Archive page
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