Blue Ocean, Chicago

Blue Ocean's chefs craft an expansive menu of contemporary Japanese fare, pairing plates of savory gyoza with specialty maki trimmed with elegant ornamentation. Behind the sushi bar, chefs slice "as-fresh-as-it-gets" yellowtail and salmon sashimi, according to Gayot, which ranked Blue Ocean as one of Chicago's top 10 sushi restaurants. Chefs also prep and dice rolls, blending conventional victuals with inventive fixings such as mozzarella cheese, pico de gallo, or an entire wild-caught piñata. The interior contrasts muted, contemporary furnishings with vivid murals of neon coral and lighting fixtures evocative of the luminescent sea urchins that brighten the streets of metropolitan Atlantis.