Heike Sushi review

Use your fingers, not your chopsticks, to tackle the aptly named sushi sandwich at Heike Sushi. What looks like a miniature sandwich is cut into four large, flat triangles, with black sesame-seeded soy paper serving as "bread," and, inside, a layering of spicy tuna, eel and avocado. The combination of flavors and textures works beautifully, with the whole transcending the sum of its parts.

You want everything at this trim little strip mall spot to work on this level, but it's more of an up-and-down affair. The ocean roll (spicy blue crab meat and salmon with wasabi tobiko and spicy mayonnaise) comes together nicely enough, but the rice and fish are way too cold. On another evening, however, the temperature is exactly right in a "crazy tuna" roll that features both black pepper-seared and spicy tuna. And a simple peanut-avocado roll excels.

From the kitchen come duck fajitas — a standard at Asian restaurants, these days. These are flavorful enough. The signature crabcake, on the other hand, comes up dry, crunchy, flavorless.

A lovely surprise is a generous, beautifully plated chirashi, an assortment of finfish served with seasoned rice. But sushi, served as part of a bento box, features fresh fish undermined by its frigid temperature.

The kitchen shows skill with a perfectly fried shrimp and vegetable tempura that crackles when bitten. And again with tuna teriyaki, the fish seared "black and blue," as requested, the sauce just sweet enough. Another hit is tofu teriyaki, its light crunch overlaying a creamy center. But chicken katsu — a thin, breaded cutlet — is overcooked to near leather.

Redemption takes the form of seafood udon noodles, fat toothsome pasta stir-fried with assorted shellfish, everything imbued with a lovely smokiness.

There's fried ice cream for dessert, and fried banana as well. Better yet is green tea mochi, a commercially made frozen Japanese dessert featuring ice cream enrobed in glutinous sticky rice. It's what you want after your chirashi or tempura — something simple, refreshing and just plain good.

SEE PHOTOSHeike Sushi