Lovers Point Roll

Züm Sushi

When they say “open,” you say “how wide?” That’s too often the experience when faced with American specialty sushi rolls – those overwrought, overloaded and oversized things that defy chopsticks. Again and again we fall prey to rolls piled with so many ingredients it’s impossible to collect all the flavors in one bite.

Fortunately the chefs at Züm Sushi haven’t heeded this trend, at least when it comes to their Lovers Point roll. Oh, it’s not a tidy roll – tobiko and slivers of pickled seaweed clutter each slice. But they are not bloated. Each piece conveys the chef’s vision in one go, which in this case comes with an unexpected twist.

The Lovers Point is essentially a spicy tuna roll – a cushion of fish with a dash of grumpy heat. Both are, however, cast in a supporting part to a fluffy quilt of salmon draped over the top of each slice. Laced with fat, there’s a plush sensation that billows over the palate leaving vague traces of that unique quality in the air where ocean surges onto the land. Everything else swirls around this: A hint of grassy tang, an earthy sweetness, a fresh crunch, pops of salinity and – at the finish – a low rumble of spice.

That’s balance in one bite, without going overboard.

ZÜM SUSHI, 159 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. 372-8700.