Advocating for Avana Sushi - Boston

Someone should take a stand. Patient advocates speak for the sick and injured, lobbyists champion their organizations, and politicians represent…themselves? I advocate for Avana. I stand for this little random-Chinatown-in-store-food-court sushi stand. I wove through the strange hallways and braved the lack of tables and Styrofoam plates to uncover this hidden gem. And what a gold mine it has turned out to be.

The Rainbow Roll is one of my faves and was the only thing on the rolls list with raw fish until recently. If they like you, they'll even sprinkle some tobiko and spicy mayo on top. They like me a lot.

The Volcano Roll is just too much, but if you're craving the gooey baked crabstick topper, which I am...always...share with a friend. Choose a lighter option like the rainbow roll if you have no friends.

The Caterpillar and Dragon Rolls are pretty interchangeable in my book. I prefer the dragon - more is more when it comes to eel. I tried the Eel with Coconut roll once too. The coconut lends an interesting sweetness to the roll. Glad I tried it, wouldn't try it again. Something about it doesn't quite jive.

If you're up for plainer fare, opt for the straight-up Spicy Salmon, Spicy Tuna, Spicy White Tuna, Salmon Avocado +/- mango, etc. Even the plain rolls are twice the size of any roll you'd get elsewhere AND they feature eight whopping pieces rather than the standard six. Size matters at Avana…and so does number of pieces…

I don’t even know what’s in the Spicy Seafood Roll but it’s one of my faves, and that’s all I need to know. I’m sure the chopped up octopus bits help…

Props to Avana for one of the better breadths of vegetarian rolls. Armed with an arsenal of mango, avocado, cucumber, oshinko, cream cheese, and tofu/inari headliners, the permutations are endless.

So in the end, it is I who advocate for this ultra-chill, no-frills sushi bar. I favor the somewhat limited fish menu as today’s chefs joust for bigger, more exotic fish. And when it comes down to the melee for who can make the biggest, richest, fresh roll for less, Avana wins as cleanly as the knife slices the sushi, with no need to hide behind the cult following it has gained.