California Roll Factory

California Roll Factory: L.A. is a city with a famed notoriety for excess.  It consists of over-the-top burgers, creative California-style pizzas, humongous burritos, and ultra-sugary-sweet smoothie-shakes. Sushi rolls are no exception to La-La land’s obsession with decadence.

In the 1970’s, a sushi chef in L.A. invented the simple California roll. It was deliberately invented to appeal to American tastes. Leave it to Los Angeles to reinvent the sushi roll and make it their own. The Americanized sushi roll has gone through some major evolutionary changes.  Restaurants utilize tempura, baked fish, and mayonnaise-based sauces to pump up the volume.

What should I eat at California Roll Factory?

The California Roll Factory has achieved the pinnacle in execution of these wacky, crazy rolls. The restaurant itself is fast-food casual. Service is at tables or the counter. Behind the counter, an assembly line of sushi roll chefs create your order at lightning speed. Covering the walls are menu item listings of rolls with creative names such as “Hole in One,” “Yammy Jammy,” and “Picasso.” Some rolls, such as “The Michael” and “The Marty,” are named after the loyal customers credited with inventing them.

The Chenzo roll consists of shrimp tempura, crab, and avocado with a tempura crumble topping. The roll has an eel sauce which is a thick teriyaki-style sauce. This combination creates an amazing fusion of tastes and textures. The sweet-crunchy exterior and creamy interior harmonize well with the cooked shellfish.

The Mike roll has a cooked tuna and crab filling and comes with a side of secret sauce. This deep-fried roll tastes like a dish that one might find on a dim sum cart in Chinatown. In addition, the secret dipping sauce has a savory flavor, but with an inexplicable creamy underlying texture.

Unlike typical sushi rolls, the rolls served at the California Roll Factory are enormous. Two orders are more than enough for a hungry appetite but it’s best to go with others so you can try several different rolls at once.

Even though the California Roll Factory deserves an entrance into the annals of LA-style Roadfood, ultimately it’s still a concept that sushi purists love to hate. *Original post by Dale Fine*