California Roll Factory
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 11:18Once in a while, I get the hankering for some non-traditional Japanese. And of course by this I mean quirky rolls. You know, the ones with Philadelphia cream cheese, perhaps some garlic, or covered with some mayo-based sauce. Of course, when dining at such establishments, you probably aren’t going to be getting Nozawa or Urasawa type fish, but the novelty of being able to create your own rolls or trying what someone else made up is the draw of California Roll Factory.
Located on a mini-restaurant row stretch of Santa Monica Blvd., there is no fancy setup or decor. You could probably show up right after a hard work out and not feel out of place.Â
Upon first glance at the menu, one can be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of different rolls. Imagine how many combinations of shredded crab, soft-shell crab, shrimp tempura, and the various types of sushi fish you can make plus with all the extras that come with rolls. Depending on your preferences, some sound better than others.Â
           Â
 
As for the taste, the rolls are quite good. The ingredients are fairly fresh and the presentation is interesting. The combinations worked pretty well in the rolls we tried. By far the best for me was “Da Bomb,” which is avacado, crab meat, and salmon tempura wrapped with sweet tofu skin. My only beef is that the rolls can be somewhat sloppily made resulting in them slightly falling apart when picked up.Â
What did surprise me was the size of the rolls and how quickly I became full. My girlfriend and I ordered four rolls and were absolutely stuffed. We were also quite hungry beforehand, which was even more amazing. The rolls averaged $8-10, which I consider a bargain for the size.
Afterwards, we realized that although the sheer size of the rolls is definitely a plus, it can also sour the experience. We grew tired of the taste of each roll after consuming eating the second massive piece. I’ve always felt that the greatest part of eating sushi is the ability to sample different types of seafood in a single meal. The concept of a roll is that one combines the different flavors and condenses the meal. I think that if we had had a group of four, whereby each person had one piece, I would have enjoyed the meal much more.
Nevertheless, the meal was a fun break from the traditional approach to sushi and given how busy the place usually is, I can safely bet that others feel the same as well.
California Roll Factory
11629 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
By Jeff (see more of his posts).
Jonah says:
January 17th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I use to go here from time to time and I think you nailed it with your description. California Roll Factory would probably turn the stomach of sushi purists, but can be a fun dinner at a good price.
You call the fish “fairly fresh” and that is also accurate. Sometimes I get the feeling that the fish isn’t all that great, but I don’t think you will get sick there.
I would recommend this place to people who aren’t looking for the most divine sushi experience or who are on a budget and want mass amounts of rolls. I don’t know if I have ever had nigiri or sashimi here.
Kari says:
January 17th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
i just went there for the first time a couple days ago.. it’s quite good even i am not a big fan of sushi (as i can’t stand the rare fish).. i am surprise by the size of the roll and the decent price..
must go again sometimes soon, fortunately i just work and live nearby ;)
MaxMillion says:
January 17th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Do you think they would do ‘half-sized’ rolls?
Just one of those rolls would fully satiate my hunger and I think I would get weary of it long before it was consumed.
I suppose going with a party of 4+ would be the ideal solution.
BTW — that looks like fake crab to me in the middle picture. Was it?
TaraMetBlog says:
January 17th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I just wrote about California Roll Factory on my blog with pictures too: http://tarametblog.com/index.blog?entry_id=1611312 I love this place and their HUGE unique rolls
Jonah says:
January 17th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Max-
Going with large parties is one solution to palette fatigue, although it’s a small space so more than four would be tough to seat. As for the krab, I’m almost certain that it’s imitation. This definitely isn’t the place for the high end experience, it’s really about size and creativity.
Doughboy says:
January 18th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I’m happy to read that there’s a reason this place is always packed at night - but a word or two of caution: my limited knowledge of the place one visit myself, two others by friends) has been uniformly really bad. When I went for lunch, the rice was both noticeably too hard and not adequately vinegared - and since having improperly cooked rice is, right next to having bad fish, a the biggest of no-nos in sushi, I haven’t been able to bring myself back there.
One friend believes she got sick there, another just thought the rolls were sloppy and unappetizing.
But judging from the pleased crowds, they’re doing something right — but if you’re on the picky side about your sushi, I’d recommend steering clear.