When it comes to gastronomic rivalries, the Japanese and Korean competition stops at sushi—it's a Japanese thing. But in the Chicagoland area, Koreans rule, at least by the numbers. Koya Sushi in the neighboring Highland Park city of Highwood lives up to that truism, as this Korean-owned sushi bar and Japanese restaurant serves up sushi, maki and rolls. Formerly known as Hana (or "flower" in English), Koya was apparently named after Osaka's Mt. Koya, the center of Shingo Buddhism in Japan. But the only meditation here involves a bowl of miso soup, a chirashi and chopsticks.

The restaurant's decor may not be thoroughly tamper-proof Nippon, but you're not really there to critique the interior but, instead, the freshness of the fish. And according to one Internet denizen, Koya is busy enough to keep the fish fresh, which is a good indication of a quality sushi.