Temaki Society

Spicy tuna and blue crab are great, but we also appreciate a handroll filling that goes a little wild. And that’s what Temaki Society does best. The tiny, counter-service spot Downtown has 12 varieties on its menu and each one is dressed with more flair than a member of KISS. There’s salty soy-marinated shrimp mixed with kimchi and a “banh mi” roll with a thick, diamond-shaped cut of albacore coated in fish sauce and crunchy garlic. The “bossam” arrives with a pickled perilla leaf stuffed with mackerel and fermented bean paste (it looks like someone put dolma on a nori sheet). Though the disposable plastic sleeves used to keep the nori crisp might make you think otherwise, these rolls are on the pricier side. But you’re paying for a touch of excitement—not unlike KISS.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Brant Cox

Bossam

If there's a more unique hand roll in the city, we haven't found it. Cured mackerel and fermented bean paste are wrapped inside a pickled perilla leaf with a dollop of confit garlic on top. It's sour, briny, and delicious.

photo credit: Brant Cox

Banh Mi

This handroll could easily all gimmick, but instead, it's one of the best on the menu. And yes, it does taste like a banh mi sandwich.

photo credit: Brant Cox

Creamy Uni

Temaki Society excels at simple handrolls too, like this luxurious one loaded with creamy uni and pickled wasabi for $18.