Roll Story puts a casual, quick spin on gourmet Japanese fare.

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With the addition of Roll Story Sushi on the corner of Division Street and Second Avenue, it’s now possible to satisfy three major cravings in just one stop. Located next to Froyo Earth and Starbucks, Roll Story is hoping to piggyback on the success of its mini-mall neighbors.

“People can order, get a coffee and come back. It’s easier for us, too,” says Roll Story’s manager, Sun Kim. Looking for dessert or have a picky kid that doesn’t like sushi? No problem. Down some sushi or a bento box and then go next door for frozen yogurt.

“We are marketing our sushi as fast food,” says Kim. He wants people to think of sushi as an alternative to grabbing a burger-and-fries combo. “It can be light, and it doesn’t have to be expensive.” Most menu items are under $10.

I’ll take Roll Story’s seaweed salad ($3) over a fast-food burger any day. Served in a smoke-blue martini glass garnished with lemon, this elegantly presented salad combines sesame seed-flecked seaweed with angel noodles, clear spaghetti-like noodles also made from seaweed. The result is a cool, refreshing blend of textures and flavors.

Roll Story’s menu features a couple of Bento boxes (complete meal combos), a dozen kinds of nigiri sushi and an equal number of rolls, most of which appear tailored to Spokane’s affinity for imitation crab, avocado and cucumber. The Crunchy Roll ($7.50) contains these three ingredients, along with tempura shrimp. What sets it apart is that the flavors of each element are present, from the creamy avocado, to the crisp cucumber and crunchy shrimp. Lunch arrived with a cup of miso soup, a pleasant surprise since it’s not even listed on the menu.

Roll Story has some great synergy going with its neighbors. So far, 70 percent of their business is take-out, with customers grabbing some sushi along with their coffee or yogurt. Now, if they could just figure out how to do drive-through.

Sushi Reimagined

Roll Story puts a casual, quick spin on gourmet Japanese fare.

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