by Cynthia Atoji & Dana Braga

SUSHI EXPRESS
1038 Beacon St. Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 738-5658

Sushi Express is one of those rare restaurants that lives up to its name. The food is served up fast (usually within 5 minutes after ordering) but it’s also fresh and affordable, one of the best bargains in the city. Try the sweet shrimp sushi or the assorted sashimi and sushi plates. You wouldn’t expect a fast-food sushi restaurant on a top-10 list but if you get a craving for raw fish that needs instant gratification, Sushi Express is your best bet in Boston. They offer a huge menu that include all the basics, like salmon and tuna rolls and some unique offerings like the Philly Roll, which is crab-stick and cream cheese. No matter what you order here, it’s served up with fun and flair and pretty cheap, too.

by Cynthia Atoji & Dana Braga

TAKESHIMA RESTAURANT
308 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446

In the mood for good, old-fashioned sushi? Then head to Coolidge Corner and stop in at Takeshima, where these sushi wizards here have been making sushi for 12 years. There is nothing fancy about the food here but it is serious sushi and sashimi (raw fish by itself). It is stylishly decorated with an eye towards classic Japanese tastes. All the raw offerings have a clean and pure taste. Stick with the basics here like the California roll or the nigiri with tuna and you can’t go wrong.

by Cynthia Atoji

SAKURABANA,
57 Broad St., Boston, Mass. 02109
(617) 542-4311

Busy financial district workers already know about Sakurabana, tucked into the heart of downtown Boston. Sushi-to-go is the theme here, with an online ordering service offering “fast and fresh sushi, delivered to your door.” You can also dine in the tiny restaurant, where the lunchtime crowd shows up as early as 11 a.m. For a quick and hardy meal with co-workers, start with a bowl of steaming miso soup (what else?), then dip into the sushi lunch ($11, tuna, salmon, shrimp, white fish, tekka and daily roll), or sashimi lunch ($12, tuna (salmon, mackerel, octopus, and white fish). Non-sushi eaters can choose from teriyaki and tempura box lunches and udon. For a less hectic, relaxing meal, go for a late dinner when the business suit crowd has thinned out.

OISHII SUSHI BAR
612 Hammond St. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
(617) 277-7888