It’s time for handrolls again! This time, I tried a place called Uoichiba Handroll Bar – handrolls with dry aged fish! Located in DTLA inside Joint Seafood, you can easily get to this handroll bar by taking the train. Street parking is also an option. When I entered the building for lunch, I was slightly confused. It was hard to tell whether there was a line or who I was supposed to go to to ask for a seat. Eventually, I made eye contact with the staff behind the bar and she guided me to a seat at the bar.
I loved the lighting inside the building – there was so much natural light! There is also a container of ginger in front of you, so you can grab more ginger without needing to ask. It was a bit on the saltier side though. You can also see the dry aging fish as you eat!
The menu had handroll sets, a la carte handrolls, sides, and dessert. The a la carte handrolls sounded pretty tasty and interesting, but I decided to go for one of their OG Handroll Sets: Xtra Medium (lean tuna, fatty tuna, steelhead salmon, whitefish, prawn, and a special crunchy crab) for $38.
Xtra Medium (6 Roll Set)
Lean Tuna Handroll – Mmm…the lean tuna handroll came first. The nori was crispy, and every bite left me wanting more. Unlike other handroll places I’ve been to, the staff did not say which roll it was when placing the handroll (until a few rolls in). The setup was also interesting – the staff prepared the roll at the bottom of the U-shaped bar, then walked it all the way to where I was sitting (at the top of the U-shape).
Fatty Tuna Handroll – I don’t remember if I’ve ever had fatty tuna immediately after lean tuna, but I did on this day. I thought the lean tuna handroll was great, but the second this fatty tuna landed on my tongue, I knew the handroll can only get better. You really can’t go wrong with a fatty tuna handroll. I also loved the seasoned rice with each roll.
Steelhead Salmon Handroll – I would say this steelhead salmon handroll tasted just as I expected, nothing more, nothing less.
Whitefish Handroll – This handroll did not need soy sauce at all. There was already yuzu kosho, making the flavor citrusy. I probably would not have thought to order this handroll on my own, but I enjoyed this handroll and was glad it was part of the set!
Prawn Handroll – This was my least favorite roll. The shrimp was on the sweeter side, and hard to bite apart.
Crunchy Crab Handroll – This is not just a regular crab handroll. This handroll came with a shiso leaf and some rice crunchies! Personally, I would have preferred it without the rice crunchies, but I definitely liked the crab and shiso! This was also the “special” roll from the Xtra Medium Set and the staff mentioned that it could also be replaced with any of the a la carte rolls except for the chu toro.
After lunch, I walked a few steps over to check out the cafe. I ordered their Matcha Latte. The cup had a sticker on it! The matcha flavor was a bit light and the drink was on the milkier side.
Overall, this was a great meal, but I was a bit surprised the bar was not packed during lunch time. My favorite was the fatty tuna, followed by the whitefish, crunchy crab, lean tuna, steelhead salmon, and finally the prawn handroll. Next time, I would want to sit closer to where they make their rolls so I can watch them. They also have a 12 handroll set that sounded very good but also a lot of food (and it says no sharing!). I’d get some a la carte rolls next time too.
Should I grab something from the seafood market next time?