Big Island: Monstera Sushi

Last year, I asked Norio Yamamato for his favorite dish at his Big Island restaurant, Monstera. A year later, I finally got to try it.

Did it live up to expectations?

It did. Slices of tuna wrapped around thinly shredded daikon and onions, seasoned with ponzu and a bit of chili aioli, made for a perfect bite.

Also fun: the Chuck Norris roll, which Yamamato, when he was working at the Fairmont, created just for Norris when he came to eat. It's a tempura fried roll with avocado and crab, but the ahi takes the place of rice. Apparently, Chuck Norris is so tough that he doesn't need rice with his sushi.

We also tried the Caramel Monstera for dessert, curious about the ice cream topped with caramel and "baby coconuts." They turned out to be blueberries. Delicious with the ice cream and dried crunchy coconut, but a letdown at $10.50.

$17.95 tuna tataki; $14.50 Chuck Norris roll; 68-1330 Mauna Lani Drive, Suite 111, 887-2711, monsterasushi.com