Sampling RA Sushi's New Menu

Jarret Streiner

RA's signature "RA"ckin' shimp, sweet onion salmon sashimi, RA chips and salsa, and kaisen ceviche in the center.

​By Dori Zinn

The Outback of maki rolls RA Sushi unveiled it's new menu this week. All three South Florida locations - Palm Beach Gardens, Pembroke Pines, and South Miami - will be slinging new dishes, which Charlie sampled at media dinner this Monday. The menu rollout - an annual fall occasion - brings some kinky new names, but not all of them are anything special.

New appetizers - the better part of the added items - included Sweet Onion Salmon Tapas, Ra Chips and Salsa, and Kaisen Ceviche. The sashimi tapas ($7.50) were pretty spectacular: salmon with marinated red onions and a sweet onion dressing. If I had only eaten this the entire night, I would have been perfectly happy.

Luckily, I got my hands on the coolest Japanese twist on an American craze: chips and salsa. Made with tuna tartare, cucumber and fresh salsa, RA's version ($8.50) was spicy, but not overpowering. Enough punch to make me want more of it.

The Kaisen Ceviche ($9.50) was a little disappointing, with a total onion takeover in the salsa. The shrimp, scallops and squid were all cooked perfectly, but I missed their flavor because the onion was too busy stealing (and ruining) the Ceviche show.

Jarret Streiner

From left to right: spicy lobster roll, hot mess, RA's famous "Viva Las Vegas" roll, and the "RA"lolipop.

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New sushi rolls included the Hot Mess ($13) - crispy rice balls topped with king crab mix, baked, and then topped with the "hot" jalapeno. Not as messy as one would think going into it, but RA went a little heavy on the rice balls. The main act was the king crab mix and there could have been more emphasis on that.

Cute new roll "RA"llipop ($15) is for those who are looking for the roll without the rice. Made with a combination of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and a spicy tuna mix, the roll also includes cucumber, lettuce, and asparagus all wrapped in lobok - a Korean root vegetable that's almost like an Asian radish. The presentation was cute with skewers in the roll like an actual lollipop, and it was a great way to eat sushi sans carbs. However, unlike its spiffy name, the taste was good, but wasn't anything spectacular.

Jarret Streiner

Banana maki roll.

​For dessert, the Banana Split Maki ($6.75) was delicious. Fried banana maki, topped with whipped cream, strawberries, kiwi, and mandarin oranges surrounded by drizzled chocolate and raspberry sauces. It was rich, but not overwhelming. It was light enough from the fruit that the sauces made the flavor sweet without being heavy. It was a great way to end the RA experience without feeling like you need to put on sweatpants when you get home.