Hong Kong restaurant review: Chotto Maki, Central - inventive giant sushi rolls are made fresh to order at this lunchtime favourite

Tucked away in an  alley off Queen’s Road Central, a new takeaway sushi shop provides an inexpensive option for hungry office workers in Central business district. 

Serving up jumbo maki rolls in a dizzying range of flavour combos, Chotto Maki on Li Yuen Street West doesn’t claim to have the healthiest – or most authentic – sushi around. But the restaurant’s offerings are an interesting variation on the bite-size, ready made sushi that is a common lunchtime standby in Hong Kong. 

We managed to find some standing room in the small space despite visiting during the weekday lunch hour rush, and were able to watch the cooks prepare the rolls. Food preparation was brisk and efficient, even though it was peak time, we collected our orders after a 10-minute wait.

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In addition to customised rolls where you choose your own ingredients from an impressive array of fillings, sauces and toppings (starting at HK$78), the menu offers a number of  signature rolls with fusion flavours, such as beef teriyaki with tofu skin, avocado,  tobiko (flying fish roe) and garlic chips; and salmon with mixed greens, asparagus and sakura shrimp, which all cost HK$68.