Before sushi proved how delightful rolled-up food could be, fish had been served folded over rice and woven into a basket. Eat fish the delightful way with today's Groupon: for $12, you get $25 worth of sushi and Japanese fare at Nara Sushi, in Virginia Beach.

Nara Sushi's raw-friendly artisans mold fresh seafare into edible artwork ranging from minimalist nigiri to a selection of 30 exotic maki rolls. Gastronomes can stick with sushi standards such as the Maki dinner ($11.50), a just-like-mom-used-to-roll trio of california, tuna, and yellowtail rolls, or traverse more adventurous territory with the Virginia roll ($4.50), which comes with mayo, shrimp, crabmeat, avocado, cucumber, and an acceptance letter to Virginia Tech. While nigiri enthusiasts nosh on conch ($2.25), octopus ($2), and flying-fish roe ($2), diners interested in heat-induced flavorings will delight at the eatery's gyoza ($4.95), or pan-fried pork dumplings, and lunch-friendly bento boxes ($9), in which chicken or beef teriyaki lounge atop steamed rice. Japanese-influenced desserts, including green-tea ice cream ($3) and tempura cheesecake ($4.50), close the meal with cohesive flavor notes.

Reviews

Nara Sushi was featured in the Virginian Pilot in 2008. Eight Yelpers and eight Yahoo! Travelers give Nara Sushi a five-star average.

• My young diners can’t stop talking about Nara Sushi and all of the various tantalizing tastes that they enjoyed. – Tammy Jaxtheimer, Virginian Pilot
• The freshness of the ingredients and delicate balance of flavors is amazing. – Maiyah O., Yelp, 5/20/10