Springfield's best sushi rolls

Monster roll from O'Hana

When I offered a coworker a piece of O'Hana's Monster roll, she said, "Oooh, sure. I haven't had monster in ages."

But what happened afterwards was even funnier. My coworker, a woman of exacting tastes and an infinite distrust of most local eateries, looked at me and said, "Wow, this is pretty good."

Now let me back up a minute here and tell you that the Monster roll is eerily similar to the Las Vegas roll at Hinode: smoked salmon, cream cheese, crab stick and avocado all rolled up and deep-fried in tempura batter. This is their signature roll, a very popular menu choice, and the kind host wanted this to be their submission. What this round-up lacks in variety, it makes up for in veracity. So it goes.

And if you also recall, I detest smoked salmon. The host put in the order and I thought, "Well, here's hoping the taste is as undetectable as the Las Vegas roll's." It was, and in some ways, it was even better.

The Monster was, ironically, a little smaller than the Vegas, thus making it easier to eat. The accompanying sauces were a delicious amalgam of sweet and salty, with a subtle spice way in the background. It hit all the tastebuds and set them off, without the need for wasabi. I definitely tasted the smoked salmon more in this roll, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing if you are a fan. It was a subtle smokiness that worked well with the other flavors. It was also less heavy than the Las Vegas roll due to a lighter hand with the tempura batter.

Although similar, the two rolls were different enough that they both incited distinctly different reactions. Vegas was less fishy, but Monster was easier to eat and had those delicious sauces. I call this one a draw.

Grade: A-
Price: $12