Maki Maki claims to have Edmonton’s largest selection of sushi rolls and, no doubt, it’s hard to be skeptical when, after 40, you’ve stopped counting its list.
Chances are though, if you’re here at 2 a.m., you’re already going in with an open mind, ready to taste the Oilers rolls (prawn tempura, asparagus and capelin roe-mayo, $14.95) or the Erotic rolls with four combined seafoods and something called “ecstasy sauce” ($16.95).
I recommend the Nut’s So Crazy roll ($9.95). It’s more than a bad pun and bad grammar; the sweetness of the papaya blends with the heat of the smoked salmon, and it’s finished with the crunch of crushed almonds. And, somehow, the eel and fruit combination of Mango Tango rolls ($13.95) works as a refreshing and tangy snack.
So, no doubt, the late-night, off-Whyte restaurant definitely earned its name, which translates to “roll roll.” But there are more than rolls. Dozens more. Nigiro, pho and udon more. In fact, you could order a different dish for six months straight without facing a repeat.
Should you dare such a bizarre campaign, let tako sunomono ($5.95) be your kick-off. Called a salad, it’s more like a soup, with two octopus chunks, cucumbers, noodles and wakame seaweed in a cold, sweet broth.
If you want a hot soup, the spicy lemongrass beef noodle bowl is unlike anything you’ve tried before, and not just because the chilies kick-box your taste buds. Thicker noodles, instead of vermicelli, make it a hybrid of udon and pho.
So, let the real hunger games begin. (8109 101 St., 780-438-8298)
