Roe Japanese serving up health on a platter

For an authentic Japanese culinary experience with a Manhattan feel, Roe Japanese Cuisine Restaurant in Sovereign North is the go-to spot, with a fine dining style to match. A simple name that's easy to remember, Roe means 'fish eggs'.

According to part owner and core fitness proprieter Selena DeLeon, "To me, it speaks to new beginnings and growth." Dubbed as the new Nobu of Kingston, DeLeon states, "The feel of the space is a cross between cosmopolitan LA style and Japanese modern chic, that takes you away... without the plane fare. The theme was a simple modern space which provided fresh specialty food. We went for the slick LA style modelled off the popular Nobu restaurant chain found in Miami, London and New York. We are that cosmopolitan sushi restaurant in Kingston - the place that you want to go to with your girlfriends, on your birthday, on your date night," she ended.

As a fitness instructor, DeLeon explains that food and fitness go hand in hand, hence why she ventured into the restaurant biz. "I decided to go into food because, even though my first love is fitness, I also understand that food plays a big part in those goals, both on the level of aesthetics and performance. Food is a natural phenomenon of goal-oriented fitness, and the Japanese culture has a deep understanding of the benefits of natural, fresh raw food to our health, she ended.

The restaurant was recently expanded, which gives it an authentic, traditional Japanese dining experience. A novelty aspect of the restaurant is the new, sunken dining area. The idea of that dining space is that people remove their shoes upon entering this area - according to Japanese etiquette.

With the newly expanded space comes a newly expanded menu, featuring fusion Japanese Jamaican specialty rolls such as the Tessanne Chin 'Bread an Butta Roll', the 'Dis Wi Do Mi' Roll with mango and shrimp, and the Surrey Roll featuring home-grown Pickapeppa sauce. "We have used Jamaican food items and made them into Japanese creations by incorporating them into the sushi rolls," explained DeLeon. "Our most popular roll is the Marilyn Monroll, which uses raw salmon with fried plantain infused with lime. Another specialty roll fuses ackee with salmon skin and Scotch bonnet pepper. And who doesn't love ackee and rice? It was a perfect marriage," DeLeon tells Food.

Takeout and delivery are available, 29 Barbican Road, Sovereign North, Kingston 6. Tel 632-6669 or 812-7779.