In the streets of Andersonville, storefronts wage war over the wallets and eyes of affluent passersby. In the midst of this battle, there's a neutral party content to let its food do the fighting while Anteprima and Calo slug it out. It may be easy to overlook the Sunshine Cafe—the plastic-wrapped displays of menu items in the front window don't exactly fight for your attention—but the huge portions of Japanese comfort food inside will have you happy for a ceasefire.

The typically packed room feels comforting; in an odd way, it recalls a church basement or the rec room of a friendly cultural center. The wood paneling, fluorescent lighting and faux-dojo decor won't ever inspire Architectural Digest to do a feature, but it's hard to care, especially once you've met the friendly and unpretentious staff. Let them recommend a dish, and you may start with the onigiri, essentially a rice sandwich wrapped in seaweed with a pickled plum in the center ($1.50). Other starters hover around $4-$5, with standouts like the perfectly cooked gyoza stuffed with pork and the steaming hot shu mai, a dumpling filled with shrimp. Make room for a huge, hot bowl of udon noodles, with vegetables, pork, chicken or beef for $8. The hearty wheat noodles are thick, and the vegetables soak up the flavor of the broth nicely.

Sunshine Café is a BYOB haven for refugees fleeing from the concept sushi restaurants dotting Clark, and offers up true Japanese home-style eating at an incredible value.

Centerstage Reviewer: Bill Burman