Fuji, Jacksonville

While admiring Fuji Sushi's sloped, wooden tiki roof, hardwood floors, and bamboo-hued walls, one might think the entire restaurant was carved from the trunk of an enormous tree. Yet the timbered eatery isn't afraid to play with fire—chefs toss morsels of fresh salmon, chicken, and steak into flames on kitchen hibachi grills, where crunchy vegetables also sizzle to form well-rounded Japanese entrees. Hot and cold sake, wine, and beer take the edge off hunger as guests watch sushi artisans slice sashimi and insulate rolls with shrimp, fish eggs, and sea urchin. After dining on curls of steaming fried noodles, patrons can sate sugar hankerings with a sweet Japanese dessert or donate their gently used chopsticks to the Toddler Fencing Association of Jacksonville.