Mexican Roll

Sometimes newspapers inform readers, and sometimes readers inform newspapers, and that’s a good thing.

This newspaper editor picked up a dining tip from a reader last week that led my wife, Nancy McClain, and I to El Tataki Sushi Fusion, where we spent a good portion of our Saturday date night nodding wordlessly to each other with big owl eyes and mouths crammed full of surprising flavor combos.

El Tataki, which weaves together foods and flavors from Japan and Mexico, opened less than three weeks ago in the Grand View Shopping Center at the corner of Crater Lake Avenue and Roberts Road, a neighborhood strip mall that seemed an unlikely location for a culinary discovery.

The reader who intrigued us, Larry Marshall, established his bonafides as a credible food guide by telling us he started the Oriental Banquet Society years ago while living in New York City, so we didn’t let the location deter us.

“We had the most wonderful, innovative dining experience,” Marshall’s email assured us. “Very unique, high quality, traditional and fusion menu items as well as gorgeous preparation, generous portions and ample, experienced, and friendly staff.”

Check, check and check, Mr. Marshall.

Looking at the menu, I was initially intrigued by the soft-shelled crab tacos and scallop tacos, but we decided to go with El Tataki’s Fusion Special Rolls on this maiden voyage.

Nancy and I started with an appetizer called the Fire Craker, which made the editor in me want to take out my red pen and write “Fire Cracker” on the menu. Made of large jalapeños split in half, they were stuffed with cream cheese and spicy tuna and topped off with a chef’s sauce.

They were attractive on the plate, playful on the tongue, and provided an informative introduction to the meal about to unfold. They were so stunning in presentation — a theme that repeated throughout the meal — that the party next to us ooh’ed and ahh’ed and asked us what we had ordered, and we did the same as plates arrived at their table.

We went with the simple-sounding Mexican Roll, which was anything but simple on the tongue.

The rolls combined shrimp, imitation crab, avocado, paper-thin lemon slices, cucumber, pico de gallo and a hot sauce which for us had the perfect temperature. Listing the individual ingredients doesn’t begin to capture the synergy of the whole, and the Mexican Roll got our vote for the Best of Date Night.

The chef’s special Saturday night was a Lobster Roll that layered several kinds of fish and lobster into a stunning presentation that spurred more nodding and owl eyes.

The Hot Cheetos Roll was a revelation, as well, with tempura shrimp, avocado, imitation crab and cucumber wrapped in sushi rice and nori and covered in hot cheetos crumbs. No words I can layer will adequately capture what the palate wordlessly absorbed, so I won’t waste space trying.

I’m not a drinker, so I can’t testify to the excellence of the mango margarita rimmed with salt that Nancy ordered, or the watermelon margarita rimmed with Tajin that our table neighbor enjoyed, but they offered their endorsements.

Nancy provided similar approval for her dessert of Fried Banana Ice Cream drizzled with fudge sauce.

Other items on the menu targeted for our next trip include the Tuna Tataki Roll, Table Rock Roll and Cancun Roll — or maybe the Crystal Palace Roll. It’ll be a tough choice.

The menu has lots of other items as well, including salads, bentos, soups, sushi burritos, combination plates and entrees such as beef bulgogi, stone pot bi bim bop and chicken katsu.

We plan to try it all. Thanks for the tip, Mr. Marshall.

El Tataki did not yet have a website when we visited. The address is 2105 Roberts Road. For information, call 458-225-9378.