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New Yorkers love to debate “best of” lists, and some of our fiercest opinions concern sushi. Amid the din, you may have noticed Marumi has its share of vocal partisans, and unlike many sushi joints today, this restaurant's chefs and waitstaff are Japanese, as are a good many of its customers. How does it stack up against the competition? You're going to need to take some time to investigate because Marumi takes no reservations. What we learned upon saddling up to the sushi bar is the spicy tuna concoctions—rolls, a salad, an appetizer—sport a peppery tang offset by avocado, and the sushi platters won’t imbue you with a sense of transcendence, but they're ample, fresh, and satisfying. The kitchen also kicks out traditional cooked Japanese food such as teriyaki-glazed salmon and a beef sukiyaki whose dashi broth is, Osaka style, unabashedly sweet. — Karen Tina Harrison

Spicy sashimi salad, $9; sushi and sashimi for two, $37; beef sukiyaki, $15