Springfield's best sushi rolls

Hawaii Five O roll at Ocean Zen

Arguably the most photogenic of the bunch, this also clocks in as the most high-concept. The Hawaii Five O is Ocean Zen's east-meets-farther-east fusion of tropical and Japanese flavors. The roll is peppercorn-crusted, seared-rare ahi tuna atop a roll containing crab and avocado. A mound of cucumber-pineapple salsa is piled on top, and then finished with a sweet Thai chile sauce. There was nothing subtle about this puppy -- big in size, big in color and big in flavor.

While really delicious in its components, it was not very sushi-like. Well, it was a roll with rice and fish and such, but the flavors were more Polynesian. Hawaii is a polyglot of Asian cultures -- Japan being a big contributor -- but this roll showcased more of the indigenous flavors of this archipelago, rather than those introduced through globalization. The pineapple salsa was a little overpowering in its sweetness and could have used another element -- something spicier than the chile sauce -- to cut through the clutter. The wasabi and soy sauce certainly helped, but I found myself scraping most of the salsa off to enjoy the simpler flavors of the roll buried within.

Perhaps it sounds like I'm being a hater -- I am not. As I mentioned, the ingredients in this roll were amazing, and the presentation was pretty awesome. I found that the best way to enjoy this item was to deconstruct it -- eat the roll with a little wasabi, and then munch on some salsa right afterwards. This way, you can taste the fresh ahi and the creamy crab and avocado, and then take your palate to a more adventurous place with the sweet finish of the salsa. Aloha, baby.

Grade: B
Price: $14.95