- Justin Fox Burks
One of my favorite rolls at Sekisui Pacific Rim isn’t actually on the sushi menu. The Stop, Drop, and Roll is listed as an appetizer — most likely due to the fact that it contains neither seaweed nor rice. Yellow fin tuna, avocado, cucumber, and romaine lettuce are wrapped in rice paper, sprinkled with cayenne pepper, and served standing in a puddle of ponzu sauce (made from soy, lemon juice, and rice wine vinegar). Believe it or not, what holds this roll together is mayonnaise. Yes, mayonnaise. But not just any mayo. It’s Kewpie, a special, Japanese variety often found in Sekisui’s rolls. The “mouth feel” is magnificent. The crispiness of the romaine and cucumber superbly balances the delicious squish of the avocado and melt-in-your-mouth premium tuna. The cayenne pepper gives this wrap a fiery touch, hence the reference to fire safety in the roll’s name. Feel free to treat the ponzu sauce as your personal fire extinguisher.