April is a challenging, transitional month for wardrobes—too late FOR sweaters and boots, too early for linen and sandals. Diners can be likewise stumped—weary of heavy dishes and comfort foods, not quite ready for summertime salads. The answer: season-spanning fabrics in your closet, light but satisfying sushi on your restaurant radar. Nashville has plenty of choices when it comes to our favorite Japanese export—here are the five we like the most.
Shintomi
Framed photos of Music Row celebrities with owner/sushi chef Tomiji Takizawa—known as Sunny for his ebullient personality—decorate the restaurant he opened 15 years ago in the heart of Green Hills. But stars come and go, and it’s the legion of regulars that make Sunny smile. He’s even named a roll in the neighborhood’s honor—the Green Hills is eel, avocado and crunchies. “Fresh and rich” is the English translation of Shintomi, which apparently also means “Best Sushi in Nashville” according to the numerous diner-voted awards it’s earned over the years. One of the larger sushi restaurants in Nashville, with 15 seats at the bar, two dining areas and several curtained-off rooms for private celebrations, it also boasts an extensive menu of Japanese dishes. But it’s the hand-drawn signs on the wall touting “homemade green tea layer cake with white frosting” that settles Shintomi firmly in the South. Shintomi, 2184 Bandywood Drive.
Ru San’s
If you’re in the mood for quiet conversation, a cozy room, calm ambiance, simple presentation and a soothing cup of green tea, give Ru San’s a wide berth. The Gulch outpost of the Atlanta-based chain explodes with light, sight, sound and selection, with a frenetic energy that has more in common with an anime video game than a restaurant. Techno music provides audio adrenaline for the staff shouting in Japanese, urging on customers who vie for Sake Bomb supremacy in heated sudsy slap-downs. The nine-page menu, which claims over 500 items, is enough to provoke an ADD outbreak. Without question there’s something for everyone at every price point, from the $1 sushi roll menu to the elaborate Udon Bird’s Nest Lobster Cake. You don’t have to like sushi to love Ru San’s, even if it’s just a one-night stand. Ru San’s, 505 12th Ave. S.
Fujiyama
Tucked incongruously into the same Charlotte Pike strip center that’s home to Strike and Spare Bowling, Fujiyama is also landmarked by the Costco directly across the road, an anchor of the rapidly developing West Nashville. One of the newest members of the sushi community, its popularity is rising as aficionados discover its tranquil ambiance, understated elegance, exquisitely fresh product and pristine flavors. The menu is more succinct than most, with an emphasis on sashimi, nigiri and rolls. Regulars know to ask for the daily specials, which are handwritten in a red spiral notebook. If it’s available, woo your sweetheart with the Lover’s Roll—heart-shaped compositions of spicy diced tuna, snow crab and strawberries, wrapped in thin slices of tuna. Then turn the heat up with the seafood salad—a bowl of sashimi, julienned carrots, cabbage, cucumber and daikon tossed with a spicy sauce. It’s not on the menu, you just have to know. Fujiyama, 3736 Annex Ave.
Samuri Sushi
For three decades, thanks to the presence of the Exit In, Elliston Place has been known as Rock Block. When Yun Choo took over the tiny Samuri Sushi across the street, it might have been re-named Rock and Roll Block, thanks to Choo’s introduction of soon-to-be-superstar rolls using decidedly non-conventional ingredients for their playlist. Chief among them is the Choo Choo Roll—broiled freshwater eel, crab, salmon, avocado, strawberries, soy glaze and pine nuts. That’s not the only play on words inspired by young Yun’s surname—the band of Samuri warriors who fight fiercely for one of the restaurant’s 32 seats are known as Chooistas, and when they convene en masse, it’s typically on a Choosday night. Samuri Sushi, 2209 Elliston Place.
Virago
Let’s be honest—sushi-specific restaurants can be, well, cold, Spartan and aesthetically challenged. Sometimes you just want a martini, some cool music, stylish people and sex appeal with your sashimi. Some of the prettiest people in town hook up with the prettiest sushi in town at Virago, finding instant gratification minus the lasting consequences of fried chicken or foie gras. The cuisine is contemporary Asian fusion, but sushi wins the popular vote, with the Hottie Award going to the Fire Crunch—shrimp, tempura crunch, cream cheese, rolled in rice and nori, sliced and topped with two sizzling sauces. Virago, 1811 Division St.