As a California transplant, I've steered clear of Chicago sushi joints. The Windy City isn't exactly land-locked—water makes up a huge part of our geography here—it's just that no one seems to be chomping at the bit to eat sashimi fished out of Lake Michigan. The aviation industry easily satisfies the demand for fresh seafood, but should tuna really have so many frequent flyer miles?

Since tasting the flopping fresh fare at South Coast Sushi, I don't really care how far my unagi traveled. This Near South Side hotspot offers staples of maki, nigiri and sashimi that could go head to head with the best of the West Coast. As the sister restaurant to Bucktown's uber-popular Coast Sushi, the place has something to prove. Favorites like spicy scallop and crunchy maki anchor the extensive menu, but South Coast has plenty of inventive options as well. Vegetarians will be especially pleased with the sweet potato tempura and the shitake tempura roll, while those feverish for shellfish attack multiple orders of the Coast Crab Roll. For dessert, the place has created a banana maki concoction that, while not exactly authentic, will hook you for life. Japanese cuisine purists will love that the wasabi here is actually fresh, not made from powder like at most sushi joints.

The hip interior boasts minimalist decor, music played at maximum volume, and a boisterous crowd of scenesters with soy sauce perpetually dripping down their chins. Word on the street (okay, word from the other side of the sushi bar) has it that a liquor license is on its way, but for the time being the place is proudly BYOB. Insiders will tell you to beware the $5 corking fee, and to buy your booze on the way because there isn't a liquor store anywhere near this restaurant.

Average cost: $31+

Centerstage Reviewer: K. Tighe