The inspiration behind Rainbow Roll (紅彩壽司) follows a boomerang trajectory. The chain was founded eight years ago in Tokyo, but its menu features “American-style” sushi-like avocado-and-crab meat stuffed California rolls and, of course, rainbow rolls (the restaurant’s version is made with a colorful assortment of vegetables). Taipei’s branch of Rainbow Roll is located in the three-month-old Sogo Tianmu; the sleek and elegantly decorated space is on the department store’s eighth-floor food court.
Diners who were first introduced to American-style sushi in the US might find Rainbow Roll’s versions surprisingly light (and perhaps a bit bland). The spicy tuna filling in some rolls doesn’t sear the nostrils and the California roll is crafted with only a smidgen of mayonnaise, as opposed to a giant dollop. But even though Rainbow Roll’s American-style sushi isn’t particularly American, the carefully balanced ingredients in each meticulously crafted roll are as pleasing to the palette as they are to the eye.
The freshness of the ingredients recommends itself. Even on a slow Monday evening, there were no browning chunks of avocado, wilting lettuce leaves, mushy sashimi or congealed sushi rice. We began with the deep-fried Hiroshima oysters (NT$290), which came as part of a set meal with rice, salad and pickles. Each of the plump oysters was lightly breaded and fried, and served on top of a pile of shredded yam crisps. The shellfish was mild and sweet and the crunchy coating was rich without being oily.
After we finished the oysters, Rainbow Roll’s efficient wait staff brought our sushi rolls in quick succession. The California roll (NT$220) came first, stuffed with imitation crabmeat, julienned cucumber, avocado, lettuce and sprinkled with crunchy red tobiko roe. The imitation crabmeat managed not to be cloyingly sweet and the cucumber added some welcome texture against the soft, rich avocado.
Our next two rolls, the spicy tuna (NT$180) and tuna tempura roll with spicy miso sauce (NT$220), paled in comparison to the rest of our meal. The minced tuna was not particularly spicy and seemed lost amidst sushi rice, sesame, cucumber and carrot. The tuna tempura roll was very pretty (sliced okra in the middle of each piece looked like little blossoms), but was just as lackluster. The tuna tempura roll was supposed to be served hot, but came lukewarm. A layer of fried tempura batter, which in turn was wrapped in seaweed, surrounded the tuna; both layers were moist and chewy instead of crisp. Fortunately, the intense flavor of our last roll, made with scallop, avocado and spicy-mayonnaise sauce (NT$280), made up for its blander cousins. Each piece was carefully topped with a slice of sauteed garlic and a dot of very spicy mayonnaise, which brought out the sweetness of the scallops and avocado.
In addition to its signature rolls, Rainbow Roll also serves sashimi and appetizers, including amberjack carpaccio with tomato salsa (NT$280) and citrus marinated salmon with yuzu pepper dressing (NT$260). The restaurant has an abbreviated drinks menu — just a few domestic and Japanese beers are available, along with a short list of sake brands.
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