See Social House's John Chien Lee Make the Ultimate Roll

Welcome back to Chef in the Kitchen, a recurring Eater photo feature where we boldly go where few diners have gone before — into Las Vegas restaurant kitchens — to get a sneak peek of the chef du jour hard at work.

Grid View

• Social House executive chef John Chien Lee slices Alaskan King crab for the inside of the Ultimate Roll.
• Alaskan King crab is laid in the middle of the roll.
• The roll is wrapped.
• Kobe beef is laid on top.
• Social House executive chef John Chien Lee tightens up the roll.
• He slices it into nine pieces, one more than the average roll since it's so big.
• Sweet soy sauce is drizzled on top.
• Seared scallops go on top.
• Black tobiko caviar is applied with metal chopsticks.
• Gold flakes go on top.
• The Social House Ultimate Sushi Roll.
• Social House executive chef John Chien Lee with the Ultimate Sushi Roll.

Throw everything decadent on the menu onto one roll and you get the Ultimate Roll, Social House’s most expensive on the menu at $40.

King crab, seared Kobe beef tenderloin, lobster, seared scallop, spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, white truffle oil and gold flakes make the roll. “The Ultimate Roll is pretty much all the goodies we have put into one roll,” says Social House executive chef John Chien Lee, who starts by slicing Alaskan King crab for the inside of the Ultimate Roll, then preps the seared scallops and Kobe beef, both sauteed earlier.

Then 2.5 ounces of rice gets spread evenly over seaweed, with sesame seeds spread evenly on the outside. Cucumber, fresh sliced avocado, spicy tuna and a special Social House sauce join the King crab on the inside. Lobster follows.

“This is our most expensive roll so we try not to be stingy,” Lee says.

Lee uses a little grapeseed oil on his vinyl gloves so the rice won’t stick to his hands. He suggests that home chefs use plastic wrap on top of the rice as they roll it to help it keep its form.

He applies nibbles of Kobe beef to the top before slicing it into nine pieces. “This roll is bigger. If we make a big roll, many women can't eat it. It's too big,” he says.

Sweet soy sauce gets drizzled on top, followed by the scallops. A sprinkle of crispy garlic dust follows, then black tobiko caviar applied with metal chopsticks. The white truffle oil then gets dropped on with a brush. To garnish, gold flake at $96 a bottle.
· All Coverage of Social House [~ELV~]
· All Coverage of Chef in the Kitchen [~ELV~]