The Germantown location of this luxurious Charleston-based chain makes believers out of those who don’t think Nashville has a grip on Japanese cuisine. Expect A-5 wagyu beef prepared tableside; pristine nigiri and sashimi; head-turning rolls like the NashVegas with crab, goat cheese mousse, and spicy salmon; and fun cocktails, fancy Jell-O shots, and a good selection of sake in a moody setting splashed with lavender banquettes and manzanita branches. You can also take your mind off of ordering with an omakase tasting of the chef’s choicest daily offerings.

Inspired by Japanese ramen houses and casual izakayas, this hip East Nashville pub with a charming patio focuses on hot snacks and noodle bowls plus a deep selection of cocktails, sake, shochu, Japanese whiskeys, and even tea and mocktails. If that weren’t enough, Two Ten Jack also serves some of the city’s best sushi, from pristine scallop sashimi and yellowtail belly nigiri to playful maki like the Always Sunny, a play on a Philly roll with smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, and bread and butter pickle sprinkled with everything bagel furikake.

On the Donelson side of town, Dear Sushi defines “no-frills” — even the dine-in dinnerware is disposable, and the decor comprises just a few cute wooden tables below a mural of blue sky with clouds — but the counter-service restaurant knows its way around standard sushi rolls, and the small, clean space makes it easy to watch the chefs at work. You’ll find well-executed classics like California rolls and a section dubbed “Fancy Sushi” with rolls like teriyaki chicken, as well as some nigiri. Raw-averse diners, take note: Much of the sushi here is fully cooked.

The menu at this sleek Gulch restaurant, a pan-Asian export out of Chicago from celebrity Billy Dec, covers a lot of ground, from Korean to Thai to Filipino to Japanese food like some excellent sushi. Sunda’s straightforward nigiri and sashimi options include luscious unagi and uni, while rolls overflow with the likes of spicy tuna, escolar, and fried shallots (Tail of Two Tunas) and a decadent mix of lobster, wagyu tataki, and truffle foie (Lobster Wagyu). You can order some sushi at brunch, too, alongside a towering take on a Bloody Mary topped with, among other things, a baked snow crab hand roll; the sake menu is also noteworthy.

The best seats in the house at Elliston Place’s petite Samurai Sushi are the six at the intimate chef’s counter, where it’s easiest to watch the action happen and choose your own adventure. The restaurant offers dozens of rolls, from raw to cooked to rice-free to vegetarian, and even an entire deep-fried section. Sushi Samurai also has larger locations in East Nashville and Germantown that add Korean dishes like bibimbap and beef bulgogi to the equation.

Not enough people have heard of Hai’s Sushi & Pho, a sleeper in an Eighth Avenue strip mall. As the name suggests, this family-run restaurant serves Japanese and Vietnamese dishes (plus some Thai, for good measure), but sitting at the sushi bar and letting the chef bring out whatever is freshest is the move here.

Like several other spots around town, the Eastern Peak serves both Thai food and sushi, though the sashimi and creative sushi rolls are the stars. The decor varies by location — the spot on Thompson Lane is relatively understated while the Bellevue, Gulch, and Franklin restaurants are flashier — as does the menu. For example, the Gulch location offers the Nashville-named Titan Roll as well as omakase options, while Bellevue’s has a Thai spicy shrimp roll with tuna, mango, asparagus, and Thai basil sauce.