A California roll is an inside-out sushi roll which became popular throughout the United States in the 1980s. Born and raised in California, Alan Wong brought this Californian-style sushi to China in 2001 at his first Hatsune restaurant in Beijing.

The inverted sushi roll has become so popular over the last two decades that it can be found on the menu of almost all Japanese-style restaurants in China.

"It looks good and it tastes good," says Wong. "It uses a small amount of sauce that has a strong flavor, but is not so strong that it overpowers the ingredients."

Wong held a sushi class in Beijing on June 20 at the SKP branch of Hatsune, teaching guests how to make three basic types of sushi－temaki, hosomaki and the California roll.

The class began with Wong teaching everyone how to cover their hair properly and how to wash their hands thoroughly. "Pay attention to hygiene, it is the key to making sushi," says Wong.

"There is a bowl of clean water to wash your hands during the sushi making, and please do not lick your fingers or the rice will stick on your hands," Wong says.

Temaki (hand roll) is the first and the simplest of the three－it's a large cone-shaped piece of nori wrapped around a layer of rice and other ingredients which spill out of the wide end. Unlike other sushi rolls, where the set quantity of the ingredients has to be strictly adhered to, temaki is more casual and liberally filled.

Hosomaki (thin roll) was the second roll the class was taught how to construct. It is a basic roll and can only hold a limited amount of the filling on the rice.

"The key is to put exactly the right amount of rice onto the nori and use your hand to make it even," Wong explains.

The California roll is the most difficult roll for an entry-level sushi class to prepare. So each table, one at a time, carefully watches him perform the steps of its manufacture.

"The trick is to use plastic wrap to cover the rice that has been rolled around the outside of the nori, and after rolling it, do not remove the plastic wrap until the roll has been cut," Wong says.

Wong used to work for a Japanese restaurant when he was studying philosophy at California State University, Sacramento. During those four years he learned how to make sushi, especially California roll.

He moved to China in 2000 and opened Hatsune the following year. Hatsune Japanese restaurant is China's original Californian-Japanese fusion concept eatery, serving Japanese cuisine infused with Californian culinary creativity.

The name Hatsune－meaning the first sound of spring－elicits images of fresh, cool, running water that has recently melted and flows down from the snow-peaked mountains of Japan.

Always on the lookout for culinary inspiration and for sourcing quality raw ingredients, Wong and his sushi team aim to perfect each of their sushi roll recipes through travel, experimentation and play.

In 2002, Wong was inspired to create an updated version of the caterpillar roll on a flight from the US to China.

The caterpillar roll is often characterized by intricate layers of thinly sliced avocado placed on top of the roll, which resembles the back of a caterpillar. Wong's version places the sliced roll like a butterfly which shines a spotlight on the unagi－grilled eel－with the crispy shrimp tempura.

The dream roll is another popular creation of Wong's team. A Valentine's Day special in 2014, the stunningly presented roll, featuring thick slices of avocado and a host of tasty ingredients, soon became one of Hatsune's most popular dishes.

Besides his sushi class, Wong also hosts sake tasting dinner parties and a chef's table dinner, which helps him to engage more with his customers.

"The sushi class is an opportunity to share my passion for food, hospitality and sushi," says Wong.