Uni not for sushi snobs, but still fun

In June, Marie Laveau's tucked away the pajamas of its wait staff, retired its beignets and dethroned its namesake queen of voodoo to resurrect itself as a "sea urchin." Uni Noodle and Sushi Bar came on the dining scene in July and it was a concept that had, at best, a very short shelf life. Somehow the salad bar norms did not translate well to the noodle bar. Sushi, however, was a whole other story.

In September it was doing business as Uni Bar; its signage has yet to catch up with its moniker.

Uni is the Japanese term for sea urchin. Sea urchin "roe" to be exact, but to be precise, it is not the actual eggs of this spiny sea creature that are eaten. Cultivated in Santa Barbara, uni is the favorite food of sea otters. It is the signature dish at Uni but was shipped frozen at the time of our visit and therefore, not ordered.

Uni is a funky kind of a place, with low-slung tables that will surely test your agility, not to mention your servers' dexterity. It offers an extensive collection of sakes and a saketini menu; Asian beers such as Export 33 from Vietnam, a pilsner-style beer, actually brewed by Heineken; and Asian-sounding Rogue Mori Soba Ale, which is made in Oregon.

There is no "sushi bar" to speak of and if you crave an omakase experience (where the chef prepares what he thinks is best and serves you), Uni is not your place. The disciplined serenity of sushi temples like Nobu or Masa is not the template for the Kulicks, owners of Uni. This is not the place for performance sushi and sashimi art.

But what it is, is fun, and like an authentic sushi bar, Uni caters to its neighborhood. It has melded the sushi experience to its Lowcountry location and has had a good time with it.

Sushi is vinegared rice. It was designed as a preservation method to keep fish fresh. It is frequently confused with sashimi. Sashimi is raw fish. Sushi is created in various manners and a name is given to each method. So nigiri is sushi with a "finger" of warm rice topped with seafood. At Uni, the prices for Nigiri range from $3.75 to $8. This is "sushi finger food" as it is loosely formed rice topped with fish. You swipe, not drown, the fish gently through the soy sauce and eat it in one or two bites.

Wasabi is used as a condiment to sushi. It has tremendous microbial powers and that is why it is served with the sushi and sashimi. The FDA has solved the parasitic issue for U.S. consumers by requiring that all fish be frozen before being sliced for sushi or sashimi. The freezing process kills parasites. It is probably a good thing because the bright green "wasabi" served in many sushi restaurants is horseradish and green food coloring and not the true hon-wasabi grated on a piece of sharkskin.

Gari, or pickled ginger, is offered as a palate cleanser between types and styles of sushi.

For the sushi averse, Uni offers Noodle Salads ($5), Spring Rolls ($6), Egg Rolls ($7), Dragon Wings ($7) and Tempura ($7).

The egg roll was quite pleasant, filled with barbecued duck, Napa cabbage and carrots. It was grease-free and cut into four ample bites. Fish Balls ($7) wear a Lowcountry mantle in that the kitchen poaches ground flounder in coconut cream and finishes with hot chili oil. Krab is spelled with a K and we take that to mean imitation and a surimi derivative. It can be yours in a Border Roll ($4), Rainbow Roe ($6.50) and Spring Roll.

The owners have had fun with this menu and their creativity is witnessed in titles and ingredients.

The sushi chef is not Japanese. But he is male — in Japan, it is believed that women's hands are too warm to make good sushi.

Our guests found that the Thai Chili Vinaigrette served over the Spicy Tuna Maki ($5.75) overpowered the flavor of the tuna. Don't miss the Hawaiian Roll ($5.75) — think of an inside-out roll with coconut standing in for rice. Yellowtail, pineapple, Flying Fish roe, green onion and cilantro are rolled in coconut and served with a chili sauce. It was the surprise favorite of the evening.

Nodding to local foodways, the Johns Island Roll ($4.75) combines barbecue pork, spicy slaw and deep frying for a crunchy maki.

The Philly Roll ($5.50) honors its namesake cream cheese; and the Arachnophobia (spider) Roll ($10) humors a fried soft crab, cracking and crunching with its legs akimbo all the way to its Ponzu sauce.

Thin-rolled HosoMaki ($2.50-$3.50) tuck the rice inside, the nori out and are one bite, small morsels with traditional Kappa (cucumber) used as a palate cleanser.

The sake list is remarkable for its depth and breadth. Unfortunately, the servers are not well-schooled in guiding you through this rice wine menu maze. You can sample small carafes or order full bottles. It is a popular misconception that sake is drunk warm; our Joy Genshu "G'Ginjo ($9, small carafe) arrived slightly chilled and as it came to room temperature its flavors were reminiscent of a sherry. Uni could benefit from sake education classes both for its servers and customers together. It could be a fun event on a slow night.

Desserts are made by Sublime Pies and Cakes and feature a coconut cheese cake ($8) that gave four guests the perfect ending to our meal. They also serve chocolate-dipped biscotti sparked with chile but the ideal would be a trio of simple Asian-inspired ice creams: umeboshi plum, green tea, lemon grass , ginger or even traditional mochi. But since they like to have fun, why not come up with some "sushi" fruit desserts?

Seki, a New York sushi chef, has said "sushi is so simple that each element must be perfect and the elements must be balanced, like pizza."

We found Uni unique. A fun neighborhood spot, harboring no pretension of sushi precision and for that we say kampai!