Best Japanese/sushi restaurant

From the teahouse-slash-Zen garden of its dining rooms to the bustling circular sushi bar to the new-wave lounge, Fugakyu is long on style, longer when you consider the ambitious menu that pulls together all manner of chichi ingredients -- foie gras, ostrich, green-tea powder. And it's none too short on substance either: the sushi chefs turn out enormous, generally exceptional nigiri and wildly flavorful maki, while the kitchen staff deftly balance elegant food with homey fare. But, being one of Brookline's most popular establishments, Fugakyu's also long on waiting times, so don't be short on patience when you visit.

Speaking of virtues, good value is one that runs scarce in the Hub. Hence the hubbub surrounding Blue Fin. At the back of the eerie echoing enigma that is the Porter Square Exchange Building, this modest, often bustling Japanese café competently covers all the basics -- including sushi, of course -- at prices that are significantly lower than the Boston average. The only problem: you may eat twice as much -- and gluttony, mind you, is not a virtue.

Fugakyu, 1280 Beacon Street, Brookline, (617) 734-1268. Blue Fin, 1815 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 497-8022.