Kitcho, San Mateo

At Kitcho, some of the food actually looks like art. Flowers and herbs prettily garnish sushi rolls, and long, green leaves cradle orders of gently seared scallops. A carved-out cucumber even serves as a whimsical sauce-holder for the Ika-Maruyaki—a whole squid, grilled and neatly cut into slices.

At first, you might feel the food is too pretty to eat. Don't worry, though; you'll probably stop caring after the first bite. The seafood here is bound to taste mouthwateringly fresh, because it's sourced from Tsukiji Market in Japan—one of the world's largest and most renowned fish markets. Kitcho's buyers inspect each fish to ensure that it meets their exacting standards for freshness, choosing only the best specimens from the most reputable schools, and passing them on to Kitcho's chefs, who can take something as simple as red snapper and transform it with a little olive oil, ponzu sauce, jalapeno, and garlic. Even if you're not in the mood for sushi, Kitcho has plenty to satisfy your hunger, including teriyaki bowls, noodles, and skewers of bacon-wrapped scallops or crispy chicken skin.