Tenka Japanese Cuisine, Bloomingdale

It's easy to see the freshness of the Japanese fare at Tenka Japanese Cuisine. That's because sushi chefs chop, roll, and embellish rolls behind a sushi bar within customers' eyesight, creating staples such as the fire cracker—a six-piece roll filled with ebi, salmon, jalapenos, and cream cheese all fried in a tempura batter. They use freshly caught fish and seafood to craft both their rolls and their sashimi, which they pair together with bowls of miso soup for meals that evoke the scents, tastes, and sights of the East. Outside of their sushi bar, hibachi chefs fire up their flat, sizzling grills to cook up steaks, lobster, and calamari in the teppanyaki fashion. All meals are served in an stylish, modern dining room with cherry wood floors, black, candle-lit tables, and sleek, off-white chairs with magic soy sauce-repelling powers.