Sushi in Channahon

Glossy floors and shiny wood walls line the room, setting the stage for UKAI Sushi & Chinese's centerpiece—a burbling fountain, home to a towering plant and cascading waters flowing down a rock formation. Though the scene is captivating, the main attraction is the menu, covering both Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Drawing on Japanese traditions, the chefs craft specialty rolls, some with surprising ingredients. For instance, the Angel roll pairs sliced apples with shrimp and crab meat, and the Snow White roll wraps up coconut sauce and tuna without attracting evil queens. Conversely, they specialize in Chinese-American staples, as well as a lineup of chef's specials, including coconut shrimp drizzled in coconut sauce and honey-walnut shrimp.

Chefs at Aodake Sushi & Steak House dispatch sushi and hibachi-seared steaks beneath hanging lamps and glowing globes. Meat, vegetables, and seafood make for multicourse meals, and a variety of kitchen entrees bolster the thronged dinner menu. At the bar, more than 20 vodkas alchemize into a variety of martinis or blocks of pure gold.

With 15 years of culinary experience, Sushi Train's chef feels equally comfortable pan-frying traditional Japanese entrees and crafting attractively assembled rolls draped in sauces and decorative toppings. In addition to drawing from a menu that features an extensive selection of familiar maki, the chef also crafts a number of signature sushi creations that incorporate such ingredients as salmon tempura, mango sauce, and Cajun-spiced king crab. Semicircular, high-backed booths line the dining room's gently lit walls, which feature large photographs of sushi entrees. For a distinctly transpacific ambiance, the room also boasts silk screens and bamboo shoots stolen from a panda's pantry.

G-In Sushi & Grill’s team of sushi savants whips up a diverse assortment of Japanese and Chinese dishes and populates a menu with traditional and specialty sushi rolls. Appetizers goad feverish palates into quickly escorting savory pot stickers ($5.99) down esophageal hallways before fire-sauce-slathered G-in salmon ($7.99) ignites the sprinkler systems of hungry mouths, which can only be shut off by janitorial tongues. First-rate specialty rolls—including the shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, and eel-sauced G-In crunch ($13.99 each)—lead a coterie of more traditional cast mates such as california ($5.39) and spicy-tuna rolls ($5.39), which are all available in white or brown rice. For dinner options beyond cartouche creations, the full dinner menu beckons appetites with Nama Sake Don ($16.99)—a flavorful pairing of salmon and rice—or mongolian shrimp ($12.99).

Traditional Japanese recipes and cooking styles continue to inspire the chefs at Shinto Naperville. Mushrooming bursts of flame erupt from stainless-steel hibachis as they sear diners' orders tableside. In between shuffling platefuls of scallops or 28-day-aged filet mignon across the steaming surface, the chefs entertain their hungry audience by juggling utensils, tossing small pieces of food into guests' waiting mouths, and correctly guessing everyone's least favorite astrological sign. Measured doses of house-made teriyaki sauce or herb-infused butter lend even more flavor to the carefully caramelized entrees. Meanwhile, the chefs behind the sushi bar avoid grills entirely as they roll specialty maki with premium ingredients, including tempura lobster and jalapeño.

Filet mignon, marinated beef short ribs, and lemon-doused shrimp all meet the same fate when they hit the sizzling surface of a hibachi grill at Bistro Nami. They cook to perfection, joining sides of fried rice, grilled veggies, salad, miso soup and a gyoza as an appetizer. But that's not all Bistro Nami has to offer—the menu also includes ample sushi options, from succulent cuts of striped bass on rice to intricate rolls. The Chanel No. 5 roll combines super white tuna with jalapeno, cilantro, and two kinds of spicy sauce, which, like an angry donkey, delivers a kick to the mouth.