California rolls, Philadelphia rolls and all the other Japanese American sushi rolls you can dream of—here's where to get them in Hong Kong
Hong Kong loves Japanese food. From Michelin-starred omakase, to hundreds of ramen joints, authentic Japanese food can be found in almost every district of the city. American sushi, however, is a different story.
What is American sushi? Often considered a downgrade from authentic Japanese sushi, American sushi is vastly different from the traditional maki. While we’re using the term “American” to describe this type of sushi, it’s also popular in other countries such as Canada.
Instead of a simple sushi roll where the mantra “less is more” is reflected in its appearance and high-quality ingredients, American rolls tend to be bigger in size. An abundance of creative ingredients such as crab meat with mayonnaise, avocado, and even cream cheese can be found inside the roll. Some famous American rolls include the Philadelphia roll, which is packed with cream cheese and smoked salmon, or the California roll, where you’ll often find imitation crab meat and avocado inside.
That’s not to say that the ingredients used in American sushi rolls are always lesser in quality. American rolls can also be made with high-quality sashimi and ingredients, as you’ll find out in the article below.
See also: The Best Sandwiches in Hong Kong
Rollie
American-Japanese hand roll sushi bar, Rollie, is Wil Fang, aka Cookie DPT founder’s newest project. Specialising in open temaki, expect modern flavours influenced by West Coast culture in the hand rolls.
From the classic minced toro hand roll, to the Wil.i.roll—the rice is layered with avocado and topped with bits of spicy tuna, yellow radish and fried garlic, and the Dragon Hand Roll, which plays on the classic American dragon roll, with prawn tempura, tamago, avocado, grilled eel and drizzled with teriyaki sauce. Other dishes such as mini uni don, yaki onigiri, karaage, the Bu-Crab-Ke udon and takeaway bentos are also available.
Rollie, 32 Cochrane Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2845 9244, instagram.com/rollie.hk
See also: Wil Fang Opens First Cookie DPT Cafe and Hand Roll Bar Rollie In Central