Hooked Seafood & Sushi, Sterling

It's early in the day when the airplanes land on Virginia soil, bearing fresh seafood from such far-off places as Maine, Hawaii, and Japan. Lumbering trucks transport the cargo to the town of Sterling, where Hooked chefs await to fillet and prepare the catches for the night's dinner. The sushi chefs carve plump morsels of tuna and yellowtail in traditional Japanese style before rolling them into intricate rolls adorned with mango, caviar, and tempura. Meanwhile, the kitchen chefs tend to grills of sizzling teriyaki dishes and simmering pans of lemongrass halibut and hand-cut steak. The Hooked team has been crafting these fresh dishes and innovative specialties for the last seven years, earning accolades from Northern Virginia Magazine and Taste of Reston in the process.

Vibrant photographs of the chef's dishes flash across the flat screen in the sleek dining room, casting a glow across the contemporary dining room. Cushy booths surround vibrant red tables, and glimmering curtains dangle above the dining room. On the outdoor patio, a dancing fountain gushes with streams of water alongside a central fireplace roaring with flames. The staff strives to recreate an apropos oceanic atmosphere at the restaurant, lighting up seating areas in shades of turquoise and sea-green and requiring all servers to master basic seal calls.