Before sushi proved how delightful rolled-up food could be, fish had been served folded over rice and woven into a basket. Weave a mouthful of flavor with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of Japanese cuisine and drinks at Riptide Rockin' Sushi & Teppan Grill in Mission Viejo.

Riptide's multitalented culinary artisans roll and grill fresh ingredients while assembling a teppanyaki and sushi menu bursting at the seams with raw and cooked dishes. Diners can dive fork-first into the 8-ounce blackened ahi for bites of yellowfin tuna steak grilled with spinach, peppers, and green onion and drizzled with spicy sesame sauce ($24.95). Warm up palates more effectively than licking a temperamental comet with the Hot Lava hand roll with tuna and spicy ginger ($5.50), or the Caliente roll with shrimp tempura, crab, avocado, spicy tuna, and jalapeños ($13.50). The Riptide combo allows eaters to combine one main-course item, one cut sushi roll, and one side dish, which can include steamed rice, chow-mein noodles, and vegetable tempura ($12.95 for lunch; $19.95 for dinner). The peanut-butter cheesecake brings the meal to a grinding halt as forks flatly refuse to emerge from the creamy slice with fresh whipped cream on top and a chocolate-graham-cracker crust ($8.95).