ROL Hand Roll Bar - Irvine

Gregory Simmons 3 weeks ago

There is a sushi place on every corner and this one sticks out as it focuses on maki. Most sushi places treat maki as the "cheap" option. Here is it the highlight so they fancy it up. Typically the seaweed wrap is cold and damp making is slightly rubbery. Here they toast it so it is warm, crisp, and has a nice flavor. For fillings, they have all the standards. The scallops were great. Most places use way to much mayo. The toro was lacking a bit of flavor and the crab had a bit of a can tuna taste. I tend to drown my sushi in soy sauce and wasabi, but here I was eating half my bites without any. If anything, this place is a good alternative to the standard sushi place and nice to put in your rotation. Due to lack of variety and my general love of rolls and nigiri, not sure I would make this my main.

Eunkyung Yangha a month ago

This small restaurant specializes in hand rolls, with an open kitchen in the center surrounded by a dining counter. The setup makes for a fun and unique dining experience. I especially recommend the Kaizen-don lunch special.

Christina Ng a month ago

Love the handroll bar concept. I wasn’t too hungry and opted for the 5 handroll set. They allow up to 2 substitutions but I stuck with the original menu. My favorite was the scallop and yellowtail handroll. If I were to visit again, I’d probably skip the substitute the blue crab for another scallop instead since the crab flavor didn’t do much for me. I love that the rice is served warm and the nori is super crispy. They recommend eating the handroll within 15s after you’re served. Service is great and we were lucky there was no wait when we visited on a Sat.

Tony Chen 2 months ago

ROL Hand Roll Bar was exactly what I was craving, California-style Japanese hand rolls done really well. We ordered a variety of hand rolls, and every one was fresh and satisfying, but the standout was definitely the Toro Uni Hand Roll. The rich, buttery toro paired beautifully with the creamy uni, making it an easy favorite of the meal. We also ordered the Kaisen Don, which turned out to be a fun experience. About halfway through, you can place your bowl on the counter and they’ll pour hot broth into it, transforming the remaining seafood and rice into a comforting ochazuke-style finish. It was a great way to end the meal and made the dish feel like two courses in one. The fish tasted fresh, the hand rolls were made to order, and the whole meal hit the spot. If you’re in the mood for California-style Japanese hand rolls in Irvine, ROL is definitely worth checking out.

Alex Lee 11 months ago

All the KEI Concepts restaurants are amazing and ROL isn't an exception. I've eaten here a few times and every time I end up doing an uncontrollable food dance while eating my rolls. This location is very small, with a U shaped counter top being the only available seating. You can see all the hand rolls made in front of you and the cooks place them on your plate as soon as they finish them. The pacing can feel kind of slow at times so make sure to savor each item. Every time I go here I start with a Salmon Hand Roll and then a Shrimp Tempura Hand Roll. I also always get one of the A5 Wagyu Hand Rolls. Its pricey at $25, but the steak is so tender and delicious. Definitely worth it if you want to spoil yourself a little bit. The Crispy Rice Tartare is also a must order. The rice has just the right amount of crunch and the fish is packed with flavor. On my most recent visit I also ordered Yellowtail Hand Rolls, an Unagi Hand Roll, Toro Inari, Salmon Inari, and Miso soup. All the fish tasted super fresh. Ill probably add the Unagi Hand Roll to my list of must order rolls.