Before sushi proved how delightful rolled-up food could be, fish had been served folded over rice and woven into a basket. Experience cylindrical fare with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of southeast Asian cuisine, sushi, and drinks at Box Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar in Jersey City.

The culinary masterminds behind Box Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar spice up traditional Southeast Asian dishes for meat, seafood, sushi, and veggie lovers alike. Fresh appetizers such as the crispy banana-shrimp roll ($7) prepare palates for an explosion of taste from such house specialties as the Malaysian-style red curry, with your choice of beef ($12), chicken ($13), or prawns ($16). The Black Dragon roll—one of more than 40 sushi options ($4–$9)—ignites taste buds with flavor flames of spicy tuna topped in a wasabi-mayo cloak and top hat of luxurious black caviar ($12) pilfered from Bill Gates's bedside table. A fried honey banana ($4) counteracts the spicy with sugary sweetness.

Beer, wine, and spirits await adoption behind the bar, glistening in bottles beneath chandeliers that double as a source of soft light and racks for wine glasses and champagne flutes. Wooden square shelves festooned with votives sprawl out over the walls, and small trees with bare branches separate the booths, bestowing both privacy and sticks to poke those who won't give you privacy.