New Memphis Handroll Bar Opens in East Memphis, Pairing Cone-Shaped Temaki With Omakase Service
A new sushi concept arrives at Poplar Collection
A cone-shaped handroll restaurant has opened in East Memphis, introducing a temaki-focused format that centers on sushi prepared and served in a single handheld piece. The restaurant, Maru Handroll Bar, opened on Thursday, January 22, in the Poplar Collection development at 4615 Poplar Ave., in a two-story, roughly 1,400-square-foot space previously occupied by Cotton Row Antiques.
The team leading the project includes Vuthy “Tee” Srey, Pat Vong, Ann Nguyen and Jackie Lee. The restaurant is positioned as a sister concept to Red Koi, expanding a local operator group’s footprint with a format that emphasizes handrolls rather than conventional roll-heavy menus.
How the space is structured
The restaurant’s layout splits service into two distinct experiences. The ground floor is built around a dedicated handroll bar, designed for counter-style dining focused on made-to-order temaki. Upstairs, a mezzanine level is used for a chef-led omakase offering—served as a fixed-price sequence of small courses selected by the kitchen.
This separation reflects a broader shift in how sushi concepts are being organized nationally: combining a faster, bar-driven option with a more formal tasting-menu format under the same roof.
What “handroll” means—and why the cone matters
Handrolls, often referred to as temaki, are typically formed into a cone shape that can be held and eaten immediately. In practice, the format places a premium on timing and texture—particularly the contrast between warm rice and crisp seaweed—because the product is meant to be consumed quickly after assembly.
While temaki is widely known in Japanese cuisine, specialized handroll bars have become a distinct category in U.S. dining, often emphasizing counter seating and a tight set of offerings compared with broader sushi restaurants.
Location: 4615 Poplar Ave., East Memphis (Poplar Collection)
Opening date: Thursday, January 22
Concept: cone-shaped handroll bar with an upstairs omakase service
Team: Vuthy “Tee” Srey, Pat Vong, Ann Nguyen and Jackie Lee
From concept to opening
The idea for the restaurant has been described by its owners as originating in a dream, a personal detail that has become part of the restaurant’s backstory as it enters the market. Beyond that origin story, the operational choices—dedicated handroll service downstairs and an omakase component upstairs—signal an effort to serve multiple dining occasions, from quick counter meals to curated tasting experiences.
Maru’s opening adds another option to Memphis’ expanding sushi landscape, with a format that relies on counter service, immediate consumption, and a structured chef-led tasting menu.
What to watch next
In the near term, the key indicators for the concept will include how consistently it can execute high-volume handroll production at the bar, and whether the mezzanine omakase program develops into a distinct destination experience. Together, those two tracks will determine whether Maru becomes a niche offering or a durable new category in Memphis dining.