Eat This Now: Friends Roll at Friends Sushi & Bento Place
Friends Roll at Friends Sushi & Bento Place // Photo by Maisie VanSlander
Sushi isn’t top of mind when considering Kansas City’s quintessential cuisine.
However, I find Friends Sushi & Bento Place rises to the Midwest challenge by marrying traditional, quality sushi with the portion sizes of a value-driven hole-in-the-wall. Their signature Friends Roll represents the flavor and pricing I look for in my local sushi spot, while keeping my wallet as full as my stomach.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, any landlocked seafood restaurant makes me a little nervous, so I found great relief when the sushi restaurant just outside my door was one of the best Kansas City had to offer.
The first thing I ordered when I moved to the city and walked into Friends was their Friends Roll ($10.95 lunch special, $13.95 dinner), and I have never looked back. I am the type of person who loves to get the same thing every time and never try new dishes, but I’m convinced I have actually found the best dish on the first try.
Whether you’re new to the area or a lifelong resident, it’s restaurants like Friends that keep neighborhoods alive and well fed. Opening in 2005 and staying operational for take-out during COVID, consistency often gets overlooked during a time when restaurants are closing by the handful every month.
Now for the actual food.
Miso Soup // Photo by Maisie VanSlander
I first get their miso soup ($2.45). This is a warm, powerful opener before the main event. Friends does not reinvent the wheel with this soup, but it works splendidly as a foil to the Friends Roll. Still steaming when it arrives at my table, I take pleasure in slowly blowing on my spoon and savoring the salty, comforting flavor profile. Warm broth soaks the scallions, seaweed, and the odd tofu chunk; each sip breathes life back into me. The heat from this dish is very appreciated, warming the body and preparing it for the temperate roll to come.
I’ll get the elephant out of the room first: the Friends Roll is big. The word that always comes to mind is girthy. It is a standard maki roll, with large pieces of salmon and avocado engulfing it. Small mouths beware. However, this big roll brings big flavors. Sitting at the heart of the roll is a combination of both spicy shrimp and crab.
The Friends Roll has a two-stage flavor profile.
At first, there is a sweet and fatty note; this comes from the fresh salmon and avocado on the outside. Working through the piece, the spicy center takes over with a subtle but present heat. To introduce a bit of salt to the roll, try dipping it in the soy sauce; this will accompany the sweet note at the beginning of the bite. The flavors are rich, but never overbearing, thanks to the rice. As the flavors are processed, the texture of the roll comes from two unlikely candidates. The first is the spicy crab in the center, offering a meaty crunch, while the second is the garnish of sesame seeds on the outside. These two textures break up the monotony of chewing such a large piece.
With such a big roll, it gives you time to take in your surroundings. Instead of looking at your phone, take note of the poorly photoshopped vinyl graphics on the wall. Look up to find fake neon stars on the ceiling and Christmas lights lining the moulding. Instead of scrolling Instagram, catch an old episode of House Hunters or My Strange Addiction on the two TVs.
Pay attention to the small things, the service, the candies they give you with the check.
Speaking of small things… the bill. For the price of most fast food orders, you can sit and experience a landlocked sushi phenomenon.
Friends Sushi & Bento Place has become my “sitcom restaurant.” It is the place I bring all my friends, debrief my biggest dramas, and celebrate my proudest achievements. Friends is to me as Monk’s Cafe is to Seinfeld or Paddy’s Pub is to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A restaurant I can romanticize my own life in is a restaurant I will keep coming back to.
Friends Sushi & Bento Place is located at 1808 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64111.
