Rock N' Roll Sushi is EXACTLY what the name declares

A good sushi roll has unique and distinct parts that are separated visually and physically. Through the magic of chewing, all of these separate flavors, colors, and textures come together in a human mouth to create something spectacular. Very much like a simple sushi roll, Rock N' Roll Sushi (3069 William Street in Cape Girardeau) has two components to its name: Rock N' Roll and sushi. This has to be the most explanatory and honest name in the history of restaurants, because Rock N' Roll Sushi goes hard on both components.

Like a fool, I tried to go to Rock N' Roll Sushi on opening day. A 30-minute wait time was quoted to me, which isn't bad for an opening night, I have to say, but I was trying to make a movie and wasn't sure if I had enough leeway this time. The next day, last Tuesday, I went back at around 3 p.m., my normal time to eat lunch/supper, a.k.a. lupper. This time, there was no wait time, and only about three tables were full. Perfect!

My server was the most delightful, bubbly, talkative lady I could have asked for. I sat at the bar, and she filled me in on the stuff on the menu that only the insiders knew. Like the fact that you can get any sushi roll baked, even if it wasn't normally baked. My mind was blown. What in the heck was a baked sushi roll? I asked, with what I'm sure was a lost, confused stare. So, true to form, it was exactly what it said: a sushi roll that's been made like normal, tucked into a foil packet, and baked for a hot minute. What this accomplished was warming the sushi roll throughout. I'm not going to lie; it sounded a little gross to me. Most sushi rolls have hot and cold components, raw vegetables that crunch or raw tuna that is chilled. But I am never one to turn down a weird food, and this sounded weird to me, so a baked sushi roll was in the cards for me.

She also talked me into an appetizer, Twisted Tuna, which was tuna tartare (raw tuna), mixed with a bunch of seasonings, wrapped with avocado, and served with house made wonton chips. If you've never tried raw tuna before and would consider it, this is the way you should try it first. No indication of anything raw here. The texture was wonderful, smooth and rich, the chips were delicious and tough enough to cut and scoop the thin avocado slices. Expand your horizons and give it a try.

As I waited for the sushi rolls, I took in the ambiance. Rock music was playing, noticeable but not over the delicate edge of too loud. There were lots of neon lights and TVs playing music videos, even in the bathrooms. And that's why I need to take a moment to apologize for the pictures that may accompany this article. The neon lights were painting my food lurid shades of green, pink, and blue, so please don't let that turn you off.

The Punk Rock Roll, whose strawberry topping will have you humming "Strawberry Fields Forever."Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

I ordered a Legends Roll and a Punk Rock Roll. A friendly cook told me that the Punk Rock was one of the most popular rolls so far, so that was a solid choice, it seems. I ordered the Legends Roll baked to give a baked sushi roll a fair shake.

My goodness. Americanized to be sure, but this sushi was good. Not too large to get the whole piece in my mouth, the Punk Rock had shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, cream cheese, was wrapped in seared tuna, and topped with a strawberry, avocado, jalapeño, and cucumber salad. Not even spicy enough to make my mouth burn, the sweet strawberry complemented everything so well. It just worked.

The Legends roll was soft-shell crab tempura with baked crab meat, wrapped in avocado, with a mango, jalapeño, spring mix, and sweet chili sauce on top. The salad stuff on top was added after baking, and the roll itself was warmed through and absolutely delicious. The warmed rice and fried crab took on a whole new flavor with baking, and I couldn't believe that baking that roll worked as well as it did.

All of the people working there were friendly, seemed not to be stressed, and were smiling, even amongst themselves, which was nice to see with a new restaurant opening. Maybe it was the excellent music.