Sushi, like such bite-size creations as miniature dachshunds and iPod shuffles, tastes best when every flavor melds in the mouth at once. Today’s Groupon rolls a compact whollop of the sea's friskiest foodstuffs into your pearlynets: for $15, you get $30 worth of sushi, drinks, and Japanese cuisine at Ru San’s, conveniently situated on 12th Avenue. Cozy up in a booth with friends at the charming eatery Nashville Scene readers named Best Sushi Bar in 2008. Use your Groupon for any of Ru San's specials, including happy hours and its succulent lunch buffet, offered from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Amidst bright yellow walls and vibrant wall art, a bustling crowd of diners fawn over Ru San’s vast menu of sushi and entrees. Appetizers such as the hot wok tiger shrimp ($7.95) and soft-shell crab tatsuta-age ($6.95) clear a path through your throat jungle to help a steaming dish of pork curry udon ($8.45) warm your belly unencumbered. Japanese dinner choices such as grilled yellowtail ($16.95) and scallops teriyaki ($15.95) as well as Pacific Rim selections such as miso chili-glazed tiger prawns ($16.95) arrive with miso soup, salad, rice, and a sombrero salsa tray in tow. Of course, Ru San’s offers a bevy of sushi options, including a tuna and avocado roll ($5.50) and seared salmon nigiri ($2).

If you can't narrow down all of the options, ask for a recommendation. One of Ru San’s knowledgeable servers will be happy to guide you through the maze of mouthwatering menu options and will deliver your meal with care, ensuring safety from sushi-swindling minotaurs.

Reviews

The Nashville Scene featured Ru San's opening, and Ru San's won the Readers' Poll for Best Sushi Bar in 2008:

• The breadth and complexity of the menu, combined with the loud, frenetic activity in this tightly configured room, are enough to inspire a severe bout of ADD. One finds items familiar to most American-Japanese restaurants here: sashimi, miso soup, teriyaki, tempura, edamame and seaweed salad. There are some oddities, particularly among the appetizers, like the freshwater eel with pesto-seasoned sushi rice baked with mozzarella cheese. – Nashville Scene

Nearly 100 Citysearchers give four stars:

• I was so happy to discover this place. The sushi is quite good and extremely reasonable. – laceydoo, Citysearch
• I was surprised to see the amount of food I got with my meal. They also had an excellent selection for vegetarians like myself. I found the music pretty cool, kind of like being at a club, but I was still able to hold a good, audible conversation. – phoenix95, Citysearch