Rice & Fish

Rice & Fish
22, rue Greneta, in the 2nd Arrondissement. 01 73 70 46 09.
Mon–Sat, 12 p.m.–6 p.m.; Thurs–Sat, 7:30 p.m.–11 p.m.
“You have to go,” said my very pregnant friend. “I’ve been twice in one week.”
“For sushi?” I replied, with a skeptical eye directed down at her belly.
I’d been hearing a lot about Rice & Fish in recent months, but it wasn’t until my pal admitted to putting her fetus in danger that I decided to make the trip. Anything that could cause an expectant mother to throw caution to the wind must be awfully delicious.
I arrived at this Sentier spot and immediately liked the space—bright colors on the wall and a long window seat with a view of the neighborhood scene. On the menu: a long list of interesting maki, including lots of vegetarian options. I guess the pregnant friend isn’t so reckless after all . . .
I started with Le Krunchy, a roll that normally combines avocado, secret sauce and tempura shrimp. They substituted scallops on this particular day, much to my delight. The first roll looked enticing, tasted exciting and was even fun to say.
More spectacular was the Sumo roll—an unlikely combination of tempura pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, violet potato, miso and fennel. It packed such a technicolor punch that my next roll, futomaki (tofu, avocado, radish, cucumber), seemed wan by comparison. Next time—and there will be a next time—I’ll be sure to begin with the delicate flavors and finish with over-the-top tastes like the b4 (tempura fish with piment d’Espelette) and La Chenille (marinated eel and avocado shaped in the form of a caterpillar).
In a nutshell: Hit Rice & Fish when you need to take a break from French food. The bright and clean flavors will hit the reset button on your over-bistroed palate. Your wallet, too, will feel the relief—a full meal will run you less than 20 euros.
If you like the sound of Rice & Fish but want less CAL and more JAPAN:
Kaiseki
7, rue André Lefebvre, in the 15th.
01 45 54 48 60.