Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

That’s what I’m temaking about

Sushi hand roll bar prevails by keeping it simple

Toro temaki, made seconds earlier
Toro temaki, made seconds earlier

The next sushi trend to conquer America could be something way simpler than we’re used to: the dedicated hand roll bar.

Place

J/Wata Temaki Bar

4646 Convoy St #103, San Diego

To many, the sushi means sushi rolls, a.k.a. maki, wherein fish, rice, and sheets of nori seaweed are rolled into airtight tubes, then sliced into bite size wafers that are easy to dip and share. Most famous would be the California roll, a mix of crab, cucumber, and avocado.

One of San Diego's best examples of vegetarian sushi

Decades ago, that was conceived as a clever, North American twist to traditional maki preparations, but today it’s considered boring; a starter roll for the sushi novice. Now, virtually every sushi restaurant offers a litany of elaborate “special rolls,” creative maki stuffed with multiple kinds of fish.

Sponsored
Sponsored
A blue crab hand roll at J/Wata Temaki Bar

To the chagrin of my friends and family, I tend to skip these in favor hand rolls, or temaki. Neither sliced nor intended to be shared, these loosely rolled maki, are usually cone shaped, and filled with a single type of fish, rice, and maybe sauce plus a vegetable or two. A couple of hand rolls typically cost less than a special roll, and I appreciate the simplicity.

It's all bar seating at J/Wata

A couple years ago, I got to visit KazuNori, an L.A.l temaki bar claiming to be “the first restaurant of its kind.” Inside a wraparound bar, a couple of very active sushi chefs prepared one hand roll after another — no cut rolls or nigiri. They were not preparing cones, but slender tubes, each the size of a fat cigar, with freshly toasted seaweed wrapped around warm rice and minced fish.

The key was freshness. Tasting menus offered fixed courses ranging from three to five rolls apiece, but the temaki come out one at a time, meant to be eaten immediately, so the nori remained crisp, the rice warm, and the fish cool. When the chef noticed you’d finished one roll, you would get another.

Here in San Diego, J/Wata Temaki Bar soft-opened on Convoy Street in May, closely replicating the KazuNori model (as have bars in New York and Chicago). J/Wata occupies the same strip mall as sister restaurant Pokirrito, which begs the question: are these temaki different enough from Pokirrito’s sushi burritos to warrant a separate restaurant? A thousand percent yes.

I started with the $13, three-course San menu: negi toro, spicy salmon, and blue crab rolls. I watched the chef toast the nori over an open flame, then quickly fashion a roll that he handed to me immediately. The longest step in the entire process was my slowly chewing to linger on the terrific combination of flavors and textures. Fatty bluefin tuna with sesame, then lightly spiced salmon, then tender, shredded crab.

Following the fixed menu, I tried one of several vegetarian temaki from the a la carte menu, called takuwan shiso. The takuwan is Japan’s version of pickled daikon radish, rolled here with julienned cucumber and an aromatic shiso leaf in this $3.75 roll. Despite following all that glorious fish, this veggie roll held its own, the sweetness of the daikon playing well off the simultaneously mint-, basil-, and cilantro-like shiso.

That might be the most complex temaki of the bunch. Compared to Pokirrito’s sushi burritos, it’s tempting to relate these as sushi street tacos, and there are similarities both in their simplicity, construction, and immediacy. But there’s nothing street about these temaki. They offer a specialized sushi experience, more mindful of ingredients than any sushi burrito. And unlike most taco shops, I could easily spend 30 bucks in one J/Wata sitting, and crave more.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Frank Barish will keep running for president until he wins or dies

He believes in the American way, even if America has lost her way
Next Article

Live Five: Deaf Club, Ed Kornhauser, Little Dove, Kinnie Dye, Adam Wolff

Residencies and one-offs in Little Italy, Del Mar, Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Coronado
Toro temaki, made seconds earlier
Toro temaki, made seconds earlier

The next sushi trend to conquer America could be something way simpler than we’re used to: the dedicated hand roll bar.

Place

J/Wata Temaki Bar

4646 Convoy St #103, San Diego

To many, the sushi means sushi rolls, a.k.a. maki, wherein fish, rice, and sheets of nori seaweed are rolled into airtight tubes, then sliced into bite size wafers that are easy to dip and share. Most famous would be the California roll, a mix of crab, cucumber, and avocado.

One of San Diego's best examples of vegetarian sushi

Decades ago, that was conceived as a clever, North American twist to traditional maki preparations, but today it’s considered boring; a starter roll for the sushi novice. Now, virtually every sushi restaurant offers a litany of elaborate “special rolls,” creative maki stuffed with multiple kinds of fish.

Sponsored
Sponsored
A blue crab hand roll at J/Wata Temaki Bar

To the chagrin of my friends and family, I tend to skip these in favor hand rolls, or temaki. Neither sliced nor intended to be shared, these loosely rolled maki, are usually cone shaped, and filled with a single type of fish, rice, and maybe sauce plus a vegetable or two. A couple of hand rolls typically cost less than a special roll, and I appreciate the simplicity.

It's all bar seating at J/Wata

A couple years ago, I got to visit KazuNori, an L.A.l temaki bar claiming to be “the first restaurant of its kind.” Inside a wraparound bar, a couple of very active sushi chefs prepared one hand roll after another — no cut rolls or nigiri. They were not preparing cones, but slender tubes, each the size of a fat cigar, with freshly toasted seaweed wrapped around warm rice and minced fish.

The key was freshness. Tasting menus offered fixed courses ranging from three to five rolls apiece, but the temaki come out one at a time, meant to be eaten immediately, so the nori remained crisp, the rice warm, and the fish cool. When the chef noticed you’d finished one roll, you would get another.

Here in San Diego, J/Wata Temaki Bar soft-opened on Convoy Street in May, closely replicating the KazuNori model (as have bars in New York and Chicago). J/Wata occupies the same strip mall as sister restaurant Pokirrito, which begs the question: are these temaki different enough from Pokirrito’s sushi burritos to warrant a separate restaurant? A thousand percent yes.

I started with the $13, three-course San menu: negi toro, spicy salmon, and blue crab rolls. I watched the chef toast the nori over an open flame, then quickly fashion a roll that he handed to me immediately. The longest step in the entire process was my slowly chewing to linger on the terrific combination of flavors and textures. Fatty bluefin tuna with sesame, then lightly spiced salmon, then tender, shredded crab.

Following the fixed menu, I tried one of several vegetarian temaki from the a la carte menu, called takuwan shiso. The takuwan is Japan’s version of pickled daikon radish, rolled here with julienned cucumber and an aromatic shiso leaf in this $3.75 roll. Despite following all that glorious fish, this veggie roll held its own, the sweetness of the daikon playing well off the simultaneously mint-, basil-, and cilantro-like shiso.

That might be the most complex temaki of the bunch. Compared to Pokirrito’s sushi burritos, it’s tempting to relate these as sushi street tacos, and there are similarities both in their simplicity, construction, and immediacy. But there’s nothing street about these temaki. They offer a specialized sushi experience, more mindful of ingredients than any sushi burrito. And unlike most taco shops, I could easily spend 30 bucks in one J/Wata sitting, and crave more.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Luxury addiction treatment on Country Rose Circle

Encinitas dry-out spa protected by federal law
Next Article

World Naan Festival, Central Valley Reptile Expo

Events November 16-November 20, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader