(November 2007)

By Warren Rojas

Good sushi, naturally, requires fresh seafood. Great sushi requires exceptional seafood and the watchful eye of an expertly trained sushi chef.

So, what’s required for great carryout sushi? Merely calling over to Hooked to make sure chef Yoshi Katsuyama is working.

This nautically themed newcomer does nothing but seafood, which it does pretty well. But the real lures are Katsuyama’s enticing raw fish arrangements, ranging from the basic (fatty tuna on rice) to bountiful (the house Las Vegas roll combines crab, lobster and caviar sprinkled with a sweet marinade).

The fresh scallop roll summons lengths of meaty mollusk draped across their steamed rice bedding. New York roll ties together salmon and crisp apple with a blast of mustard (sounds weird, tastes great). Jumping coasts, the Malibu roll appeases seafood lovers with hunks of white meat crab wrapped around thick-cut asparagus, with bright orange roe poured over to fill in any gaps (impressive). Likewise, a special dragon roll surrounds tuna, spicy mayo and more caviar with a soy-soaked eel (soy provides the sweet, while the spicy mayo plays cleanup).

Want something a little more substantial to pad those tired old bones? Miso-marinated sea bass yields a lily-white medallion of fish with a honey-like finish. Heat seekers can savor the dozen or so medium-sized, lightly battered (thin breading barely coats the pinkish prawns beneath) shrimp tossed in a terrific hot sauce. Or fill up on the chifa rice, a Chinese-style, fried rice blend packed with seafood (shrimp, mixed fish, scallops) and just a touch of cumin.