Crystal Fish
514 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey
(831) 649-3474, www.crystalfishsushi.com
Ponder, if you will, the takoyaki roll: a warm, ricey tentacle of octopus, avo and crab topped with baked bonito, otafuku sauce and tempura crunchies. It’s different from your standard American sushi fare, which leans so heavily on shrimp, salmon and tuna. Crystal Fish does those standards beautifully, in popular maki rolls like the Firecracker, Volcano and Big Ryan. But outside-of-the-bento-box options are what makes Crystal Fish a standout with our readers, year after year. Inhabiting the extensive sushi menu are unusual selections (like the mussel shooter with quail egg) among classically rendered udon soups, salads, nigiri and sashimi. The connoisseur’s touch extends to the sake, too: Try the Kikusui, and wait for it.