Sushi 51 Serves Sizzling American Sushi Rolls in Japan
American sushi rolls take center stage at Sushi 51 in Zama, Japan, where a California-trained chef serves sizzling rolls until October. Read more here.
Prajakta Sanjay Warwadkar 
ZAMA, Japan, June 17, 2026 — A small sushi restaurant in Kanagawa Prefecture is serving American sushi rolls that stray far from the traditional Japanese template, including one dish that arrives sizzling on a hot plate. Sushi 51, in the city of Zama, builds its menu around the California-style rolls its chef encountered while training in the United States.
The restaurant stands out in a country where sushi usually follows long-held convention, and its run is now limited. Sushi 51 closes at the end of October 2026, giving diners a narrow window to try the rolls.
American Sushi Rolls That Rewrite the Menu
The bilingual menu, written in Japanese and English, opens with familiar sashimi and nigiri before shifting to a lineup of elaborate American-style rolls. The California Roll starts the range at 610 yen, or about US$4.27.
Pricier options include the Aburi seared salmon roll at 1,320 yen and the deep-fried cheesy "Dolce & Caliente" at 1,080 yen. The Crunch Dragon, priced at 1,430 yen, packs eel, cucumber and avocado under a topping of crispy tempura bits.
Side dishes carry the same fusion theme, from Cajun Chips at 420 yen to a 200-yen ara-jiru fish bone soup. Home cooks can also explore a collection of sushi recipes to try the style themselves.
A Sizzling Roll Called the Volcano
The menu's most unusual item, the Volcano, lands on the table on a hot plate at 1,540 yen. A mound of cheesy sauce covers the rolls underneath, releasing the aroma of seared mayonnaise as diners dig in.
Japanese food site SoraNews24, whose reporter Takuya Inaba visited the restaurant, described the creations as ones that "make California rolls seem tame." The outlet reported that the heated dish reverses the usual balance, treating the sushi almost as a partner to the rich sauce.
Visiting Sushi 51 Before It Closes
Sushi 51 sits at Sagamigaoka 1-17-47 in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture. The restaurant opens from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and closes on Mondays and the third Sunday of each month.
Diners can find the full menu on the restaurant's official website. marks the venue's final month of service.
Reporting based on a SoraNews24 visit to Sushi 51 and the restaurant's published menu and location details. Verified by HospitalityCareerProfile.com.
