Super secret sushi

James Chong doesn't like listening to the rules. He prefers to make his own. He doesn't want anyone to know about Tokyo Dori, except the regulars."I tell my regulars all the time, 'don't tell anyone about us,'" he said. "We want to keep this place a secret."Tokyo Dori moved just a few storefronts down to the corner lot at Sierra College Boulevard and Rocklin Road's shopping center. Chong said everything is just honky-dory as the addition of a couple thousand square feet to his restaurant has allowed him to really stretch out. The Japanese cuisine hot spot now sprawls more than 4,000 square feet, but Chong would still like to keep things hush-hush.Perhaps Chong has just been too busy to get the word out about his much improved sushi bar and restaurant. He is in the midst of opening two large eateries in El Dorado Hills and Downtown Sacramento.He said he wants it all to be perfect and come out just right. But, the perfectionist's eyes show a record of long hours of running a recently relocated business and building two more."I'm extremely business these days. It's a lot of hard work, but I think it will all be worth it," he said.Chong said he has never been one to stick to the rules. He does what works for him and that's plenty enough."If someone says I need to do this, this and that," Chong said. "I say 'no, I don't,' because it just isn't practical."The real secret to his success can't be seen, because it isn't on the menu. Sushi chefs at Tokyo Dori take pride in being able to serve up anything on the fly, without a recipe. Head chef Hao Gong loves to whip up a roll with just a couple ingredient requests from customers."We like to combine new flavors," Gong said. "We don't want to do the same thing every time. It has to be different."Most dishes are served in a typical Japanese style, with a minimal amount of distraction from the plated food. A unique, seasonal sauce may accompany some of the more elaborate rolls. Gong said he changes his sauces at least once a month.Many of his inspirations for sauces and improvised rolls come from French and Western cuisine. The hard part is ordering one, as these off-the-menu items usually don't have a name yet."I'm usually in here once a week at least," said Jared Booth, 20, a Sierra College student and faithful Tokyo Dori customer. "It's good food for a good deal. The friends that I've talked to always like to come here, too."When hungry customers are first seated at Tokyo Dori's sushi bar, they are given a small dish to mix wasabi and soy sauce, chopsticks and an oshibori, a hot towel to clean your hands.For those who find chopsticks more than a little tricky, each server is equipped to create a simple chopstick trainer. A rubber band, a straw wrapper and a set of chopsticks can make even the biggest novice fit in with the pros. But guests shouldn't feel awkward just diving into a roll with their hands as it is a traditionally accepted method of eating sushi.The bar also offers a selection of beers, domestic and imported, is available on tap and by the bottle. The Japanese beers are only available in the bottle.