Eat These Now: Dragon Roll and Volcano Roll

By Jackie Fender on November 25, 2014

I'm going to be frank here, not Frank a dude, but to the point when I say I approach chain restaurants with some hesitation - specifically chain sushi restaurants. This, of course, does not mean I'm not pleasantly surprised on occasion, which was the case after every meal at Trapper's Sushi in Tacoma's Sixth Avenue neighborhood.

Trapper's is approachable sushi for the masses with fun monikers for locals such as the Puyallup Roll, Mt. Rainier or Bonney Lake. Trapper's excels at texture, especially in their sushi rolls. Crisp tempura crumbs accompany many of the more adventurous rolls as well as cream cheese, which is to say they are tasty - let's face it, deep fried crunchies and cheesiness is just so dang delicious.

On my most recent Trapper's visit I had both the Dragon Roll ($10) and Volcano Roll ($10.50). The Dragon - a solid decision at most sushi spots - features shrimp and cucumber topped with eel and avocado. It's one of the least "fishy" of options and has a texture that won't scare off sushi newbies. The Volcano Roll is delivered with spicy tuna, cream cheese, jalapeno and cucumber, fried in tempura, covered in avocado, then topped with a sweet chili sauce, warrior sauce and green onions. The name Volcano eludes to spiciness with sweet chili sauce and warrior sauce (spicy mayo), but it's doesn't bring a lot of warmth. The roll does have loads of texture and is a flavorful and fun combo.

Trapper's prices are fair; the quality of the product is spot on.

The intimate dining area does not lend itself well to conversation on a busy night. The tiny space leaves little room to buffer conversation.

Surprisingly (yes, Trappers is full of pleasant surprises), the rolls travel well to my humble abode.

TRAPPER'S SUSHI, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, 3118 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.891.2046