Sushi, a centuries old dish embraced and evolved by the Japanese is no longer as exotic as it used to be many years ago. Western cultures have embraced this tasty dish and you can find a sushi restaurant almost anywhere in the world. It's no wonder that the love of sushi has reached the shores of a tiny twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Who knew vinegared rice and seafood rolls would be such a trend!
We begin our sushi journey in the south land, at a little place called Roll! located at South Park Mall, Tarouba. I wouldn't call Roll! a traditional sushi restaurant, it's really a mix of Western and Eastern aspects from sushi to shisha to pasta and of course Trini 'liming' culture. At the time of day we visited,mid afternoon, it wasn't very crowded and there was a slow trickle of patrons coming in as the evening drew closer. It really seemed like a good spot to hang out and have a few drinks before heading to the cinema that is opposite the establishment. The ambience was nice, I felt it catered more to the late teens and 20 something sort of age group as this was the crowd I observed coming in but there was also a something for everyone vibe.
Now to the part we've all been waiting for, how was the sushi? First of all, we were greeted and seated by a very friendly and warm female server, menus were handed over quickly and we got a nice corner booth with comfy seats. Even though the space was small and the tables a bit close together, it didn't feel intrusive or congested. The menu had a few asian appetizers such as edamame, miso soup and pot stickers. We decided to try the edamame and pot stickers. The dishes were served rather quickly, an upside to the small amount of dining guests at the time. The edamame was crisp, spicy and fresh, the pot stickers on the other hand although soft and tasty I felt like the portion size and the pricing didn't quite add up.
For the Sushi rolls, we chose the Crazy Californian (yes a bit generic of us but it was on the affordable side) and The Philly Roll. These dishes were also quickly delivered to our table. They looked good aesthetically, smaller than I expected but cute and bite sized, great for someone watching their carbs. The taste and texture was also acceptable. The Californian Roll was mild, but crunchy and the crab meat had a pleasant and tasty texture. The Philly Roll was a bit more bold and flavourful, the salmon and cream cheese combo never fails. The rolls were eight pieces each and split between the two of us, we felt like it was a nice light meal including the appetizers. We did have some confusion at the end of our meal due to our server being absent and went up to the counter to pay instead.
What's the verdict? Personally I would recommend this establishment for a quick bite of sushi or otherwise and drink before or after mall activities. However, I wouldn't visit often for sushi alone but it is in the mid range of affordability overall. If you love a full on sushi and authentic Japanese experience, this is more like an express version as it is only a fraction of the restaurant's appeal. They have a lot of other daily specials and promotions that people would enjoy such as Tequila Tuesdays and Happy Hour. In addition, the customer service at the time was great, it was also very clean and our table was cleared quickly between dishes. On The Move gives this establishment a 3.5 out of 5 as a general liming and hang out spot.
So where should we head next in South for sushi? Stay tuned and feel free to drop some suggestions and tell us about your experiences at Roll!
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