Karai Hand Roll Bar X Ramen – Closed

When HiroNori Craft Ramen’s sister restaurant Nandomo closed in 2023, the beautiful little glass-enclosed space inside Rodeo 39 Public Market remained prominent – and ready for another tenant. Thankfully, it became Karai Hand Roll Bar x Ramen, a Japanese-Korean restaurant that continued to offer a handful of noodle soups, bolstered by a large collection of sushi options (and some very good fried karaage chicken).

As the name suggested, you could make an entire meal from hand rolls: Several different sets were available in the $20 to $35 price range, graduating from tuna and salmon up to very fresh and tasty blue crab and lobster rolls, each also available a la carte. Yubu – sweet inari pockets stuffed with rice and either raw fish or bulgogi beef – were also available and particularly excellent here, either individually or as discounted add-ons to other meals. Two types of sashimi, salmon and yellowtail, were offered in citrus soy sauce or vinegared oil as carpaccio plates.