While I’ve sat at the bar at many sushi restaurants, I’ve never experienced a “roll bar.” No, I’m not talking about the accessory on a convertible car, but a bar-like restaurant featuring Japanese hand rolls. Since my daughter volunteers in Hollywood, I took the opportunity to meet her at Sōgo Roll Bar.
The Japanese roll bar concept caught my attention because it is a less formal and less expensive way to enjoy a sushi-like experience. Hand rolls usually feature fundamental items such as California, Salmon, Spicy Tuna, Yellowtail, mixed vegetable, and others. You won’t see exotic things like sea urchins and quail eggs.
Parking in this area is challenging. After circling the site a few times, I parked in a residential area a couple of blocks away. Walking up to their establishment, I found that Sōgo Roll Bar shares a beautiful patio space with Go Get Em Tiger, a popular place for coffee drinks.
Both Sōgo Roll Bar and Go Get Em Tiger have signs on their front window indicating that dine-in customers must show proof of vaccination. Otherwise, diners are limited to the patio. Since the bench seats lacked tables, I was happy that we had our vaccination cards and could dine inside.
The interior is clean, modern, and inviting. Since the property is narrow, Sōgo Roll Bar is limited to bar seating. My daughter and I were the only customers dining inside for quite some time, and I watched many orders delivered outside.
They have a wine/sake/beer list. From that, I selected the Akitabare Koshiki Junzukuri “Northern Skies,” Junmai sake. I was happy with this selection as it was dry and paired nicely with seafood. They delighted me by serving the sake in a beautiful Japanese ceramic sake pourer.
My daughter selected a few of their rolls. The nori seaweed wrap is exceptionally fresh, and the sushi rice is tasty. After tasting our selections, we both agreed that the Albacore Kari Kari was our favorite. This unique hand roll consists of fresh albacore, brandy, garlic, ginger ponzu, and crispy onions.
Their Mixed Sakana Donburi is a rice bowl with Albacore Kari Kari, Salmon, Spicy Tuna over rice. The fish was incredibly fresh and tasty to eat. I also found the rice to be of high quality, and I ate more than I should have.
While I enjoyed the dine-in experience, you can easily order the sushi rolls for take-out and walk to nearby Barnsdall Art Park. You can enjoy the sights of the city and some of the city’s best sushi rolls.
Sōgo Roll Bar, 4634 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027; 323.741.0088; sogorollbar.com