Little Sakana

FOOD

Salmon comes in several guises at Little Sakana: plain nigiri, citrus soy, garlic ponzu, sweet soy and umami oil. Tuna has garlic-ponzu and sweet-soy options of its own, while seared-tuna crunch adds another preparation to compare. A couple of these beside plain salmon or tuna make the range clear without needing a specialty roll. The menu gives the seasoning almost as much attention as the fish.

Yellowtail and yellowtail jalapeño extend that comparison, with mackerel, albacore, squid, octopus and surf clam among the broader nigiri choices. Shrimp and eel add cooked alternatives, while smoked salmon provides another preparation. The Ex-Boyfriend is a no-rice preparation listed alongside the nigiri; it’s another reason to read that section closely. Eel and certain dinner specials carry order limits on the San Diego menu.

Sashimi has a separate role. The San Diego add-on lists salmon, tuna, yellowtail, albacore, seared tuna, mackerel, shrimp, squid and surf clam. Katy’s dinner sashimi section includes tamago among its choices. These selections leave out the nigiri’s mound of rice, but they don’t follow one shared inclusion rule across the group. Choose the local sashimi offer deliberately, especially if it’s the main reason for dinner.

The Lemon Roll pairs a krab-and-avocado filling with salmon, lemon slices and citrus ponzu. Hawaiian puts tuna and avocado over spicy tuna and cucumber, finished with citrus soy; Sunflower uses salmon over that sort of filling. Those fruit-and-citrus combinations offer an appealing alternative to the rolls finished with spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce. Little Sakana uses the spelling krab for its imitation-crab ingredient.

Shrimp tempura provides the foundation for many of the fuller rolls. All Star adds spicy tuna and avocado inside, then tuna and jalapeño above. Lotus Flower combines shrimp tempura, spicy tuna and avocado with salmon and fried onion on top. Dragon uses eel and avocado over krab and avocado, while Tiger brings together shrimp tempura, krab, eel and shrimp. These are different constructions, so the names alone aren’t the best guide to choosing between them.

The baked selection is especially enthusiastic. Baked Scallop puts spicy scallop and masago over krab; Louisiana brings spicy crawfish and crunch. Bomb.com combines shrimp tempura, spicy tuna and avocado with baked krab and jalapeño, leaving a raw component beneath its cooked topping. Heart Attack, in the fried section, wraps spicy tuna, krab and cream cheese in jalapeño without rice. A cooked finish doesn’t always make the entire order a cooked-fish choice.

The kitchen has enough to merit more than a passing glance. Agedashi tofu, beef gyoza, baked green mussels and fried takoyaki offer several preparations beyond rolls. Shrimp Bomb combines shrimp, cream cheese and krab in a fried appetizer, while furikake fries bring a familiar potato side into the Japanese menu. Salmon kama and yellowtail kama add fish-collar choices, subject to supply and local dinner limits. Monthly chef’s specials supplement this standing menu; their ingredients and availability can change.