Lemon roll: a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, food for your soul, what the Hubs and I look forward to on San Diego trips.

My first time at Tokyo Sushi Loha was back in 2006. It was the closest sushi place to my grad school apartment and they passed the spicy tuna roll test (When trying a new sushi restaurant, I always try my go-to roll: the spicy tuna roll. If I like it, I can eat there again.). I found myself frequenting the restaurant, often bringing guests and getting take out for evenings in. In the process I was able to try a number of their rolls. Then along came the Lemon Roll. Nobody makes it quite like Tokyo Sushi Loha. Nobody. The closest you can get to it in the Bay Area is a 49er roll, but it’s not the same. Trust.

Ingredients:

• California roll base
• Fresh salmon and yellowtail
• Thinly sliced lemon, rind on
• Green onions
• Cracked black pepper
• Sesame seeds
• Special sauce (crack sauce)

The rind is kept on the lemon, but it’s not bitter! It’s actually kind of sweet. I’ve tried for years to get their secret. Do they boil the lemons in sugar? Do they use a special type of lemon? Supposedly they simply cut the lemon really thin, but I’m still convinced they do magic to them. Here are a few lemon rolls through the years – Always consistent. Always tasty.

2012

2016

2018

2019

What’s your favorite sushi roll? Share below!