ROL Hand Roll Bar - Irvine — Restaurant in Irvine

ROL makes the sushi you know and love with splashes of pizazz and whimsy across the menu. Always fresh and always delicious with brisk but pleasant service, it's designed to get your fix efficiently with a decent price tag.

The bar is dark and chic, and the menu is pretty simple. You have any number of standard to more luxurious rolls to choose from. This ranges from spicy tuna, toro, salmon, and all the way up to uni with truffle. The ingredients are simple but the quality is undeniable. Also, if you want to experiment with flavors, you have to order the Yuzu Kosho. It is a divine, addictive sauce that packs an incredible citrus and peppery punch. I was tempted to slurp it by itself!

If you're looking for something a little more unique, you can get sushi fillings in the now trendy Inari sushi, a traditional Japanese kids' sushi of basically sweet, thin fried tofu wrapped around sushi rice. These are nice and fat, and the sweet tofu goes well with some of the punchier fish (like spicy tuna) that don't get lost in the sweet notes.

The drinks are fantastic (as with any Kei Concept restaurant), including your favorite flavors like Ube, coconut, and yuzu.

Most of the rice bowls are fairly basic (selected protein with rice and some supplementary, light toppings), but it's the Lunch special that delivers here.

You will want to make the afternoon visit to try their Kaisendon. Not only is it incredible value at $19 and 6 variety of fish atop rice, but as you approach the bottom half or third of your bowl, you must request their special miso halibut bone broth. It's light, citrus-y and has a pleasant sea-aroma. This experience locks this dish in as the best dish at the restaurant, by far. Twelve out of ten! The only downside is that it is only available during lunch.

Desserts also look delicious (eyeing out the Hojicha Purin and Cookies and Cream Panna Cotta) and are on my wish list to try on the next visit.

You can't go wrong with ROL if you're looking for a fresh, reliable source of sushi to fulfill that craving for the ocean's...

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...

I've been here for lunch with coworkers multiple times, and the food is always fantastic. A quick but important tip for anyone dining in: this is bar seating only, so it's best for smaller groups. It gets busy, so on weekdays I highly recommend getting there or joining the waitlist before 11:15 AM. If you wait until after 11:30 AM, you can definitely expect a 45+ minute wait. I recently tried the take-home hand roll kit and absolutely loved it. The quality was just as good as eating there, and it easily feeds 3-4 people, making it a great value. My only recommendations for the take-home kit would be to order extra seaweed, as you'll likely want more than what's included. Also, while the sauces are delicious, the portions felt a bit small for what you pay. Overall, this place is a gem. Whether you're dining in or taking it home, the quality is top-notch. Just plan ahead a little, and you'll have an...