My good friend Tom and I were in the mood for some sushi, so we checked out Sakura in Cross Lanes for something different.



Sakura has a little bit of everything - hibachi, sushi, udon, etc.



They have about 30 specialty rolls, but I decided to go with the namesake Sakura: tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, cream cheese, avocado deep fried and topped with crunchies, eel sauce, mayo and spicy mayo.







Crab rangoons are a must everywhere I go. These were creamy!



Gyoza, on Tom's request.



Sakura Roll is totally deep-fried.



West Virginia Roll - tempura shrimp, avocado, cream cheese, topped with tempura crab meat, spicy mayo and eel sauce.

What's your favorite item on the menu?

Who doesn't love a good Chinese buffet? This one, located in South Charleston, is large and commanding of attention with a bright orange facade.



You actually pay up front and take your receipt to the hostess, who then seats you.





Always a snake.



Honey chicken is always a go-to.



Crab cheese rangoons on the corner there.



Coconut chicken, stuffed mushrooms, and breaded clam shells always dominate my plate.



Sushi, too.





Have you been?

Sesame chicken


Crab rangoons


Very creamy crab rangoons!

Miso Soup


Japanese lunch box with 3 pieces of California roll, vegetable & shrimp tempura, chicken teriyaki, and house salad (with a tasty garlic dressing).

General Tso's Chicken



California Roll



Hushpuppies

Morgantown has poke rice bowls and sushi burritos at RocKa Poke Noodle Bar!





"California Poke" sushi burrito with crab meat, cucumber, carrot, edamame, red cabbage, avocado, green onion, seaweed, sesame seeds, and spicy mayo sauce.







"Hawaiian Classic" poke bowl with ahi tuna, cucumber, carrot, edamame, avocado, green onion, sweet onion, seaweed, sesame seeds and chili flakes ponzu sauce.

Red Fire Asian BBQ & Japanese Steak House brings to mind one word: "extra."

From the inflatable dragons outside, to the automatic "welcome" voice when you open the door to the flashing colors, Red Fire Asian BBQ is a little taste of Vegas right in Charleston, West Virginia.

Under the same direction of Su-Tei, Red Fire Asian BBQ has a swanky vibe and a similar menu.

Service was prompt and friendly, and I was seated in my own little rounded booth with a full people-watching view.

The menu has some interesting rolls with everything you could think of - certainly not traditional, but fun nonetheless.

One in particular that caught my eye was a roll that was on fire - that's right. Literally on fire.

It's called "Moon Fire," and it has shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado, topped with three pieces of shrimp, sriracha sauce, eel sauce, mayonnaise sauce, "served with fire." So, obviously I needed to see what this was about.

The roll came wrapped in foil, with a mini fire underneath. The waitress simply swirled the foiled roll to put out the flames.

And voila, there was my roll. I unwrapped it, and the first thing I noticed was the mass of sauce on top of this roll. Not complaining - it's tasty - but it's a new sort of fusion I've not seen before.

The roll was decent - a little warm, as you might expect. But lots of creamy, sweet and sour sauces that aren't traditional. Tasty, though? Yes.