The spider roll is one of those concoctions like fried ice cream, the California Roll or powdered wasabi, which you suspect (or hope) doesn’t exist outside Japanese restaurants in the United States. (And yes: like ginger, wasabi is a root best served freshly grated.) But it almost always tastes so good that you want to believe bits of soft-shell crab are being French-fried all across Japan—then served, as they are here: wrapped with sushi rice, bits of chopped carrot, and the crucial peppery daikon sprouts. Regardless of origin, it’s the perfect creation: complicated and spider-y enough to frighten away the more timid California roll lovers—but not as demanding as, say, Kinokawa’s sweet shrimp sushi, which arrives with the heads French-fried on the side, guaranteed to stab you in the mouth with their pointy bits. The two active ingredients in the spider roll are the crab and the daikon sprouts, fronds of the gentle, giant white radish. Any more daikon—say, the white grated strands you see so often as garnish—and it might overwhelm the crab. Daikon sprouts (which resemble clover) have just enough pepper to play off against the heavier fried crab—and the Asahi that you’ve ordered.

KINOKAWA 1607 E WARDLOW RD | LONG BEACH 90807 | 562.427.8737

Tags: Food, japanese, kinokawa, Long Beach, sushi