In the first Godzilla movie, unforeseen nuclear fall-out from the United States bombing of Japan in World War II created a monster.  Godzilla movies began a genre of merged Eastern and Western cultures in cinema that is still found in Jet Li and Jackie Chan movies today.  It is in his spirit that the Godzilla Roll was aptly named as a delicious blending of East and West.  As namesake menu items go, the Godzilla Roll does an admirable job.

From the East, this side item is Japanese through-and-through.  This is sushi served with prerequisite chopsticks, ginger and sinus-clearing wasabi.  This dish also has a morsel of pepper tuna and avocado in the middle, encapsulated by rice, which is held into a delicate round shape by a seaweed lining.  On top is a smattering of spicy orange mayonnaise, chili sauce and fish eggs for good measure.  The influence from the West was that my roll came to me fried in vegetable oil, as so many American foods are.  I was suspicious, but when I tasted it the first bite was familiar and wonderful.

The roll was initially sweet and crunchy, but the texture quickly turned to the steamed rice falling apart in my mouth, followed up by a nice, creamy tang of spicy mustard and fish eggs that went down smoothly.  By the way, my favorite unadvertised activity was tonguing the fish eggs from in between my teeth and then biting down on them to get a satisfying pop that only I could hear.  I felt a little like Godzilla, biting down on some poor, unlucky person’s delicious-tasting head in a movie.  ROARRRR!!!  *POP*

The delectable blending of Eastern and Western cultures was well worth the $9.99 it cost at Cryster Asian Diner, although due to the inherent prep-time of the artful sushi chef, you’ll probably be most of the way through your entrée by the time it’s served to you.  This keeps the Godzilla Roll from being appetizer or even a dessert.  Instead, think of it as a food genre all its own, just like the Godzilla movies.

Cryster Asian Diner: 4731 Northwest Hunters Ridge Circle | (785) 246-4466 | dine-in / delivery / carry out

[June 2010 | Boone Smith | photo by Leah Sewell]