The Sushi:

The Sushi: In the past decade, sushi has doubtless become the new food fetish. America simply can't get enough, yet it's also one of those things that's hard to get right. In search of the best mouthful of maki, sushi aficionados travel from the Nobus and Nobu knockoffs to sushi-go-rounds and endless express joints trying to reclaim the nirvana that is a 90-yen ($1) nip of nigiri in the Tokyo subway. But for those whose sushi options are limited to this side of the Pacific, and Durham, N.C. no less, Mt. Fuji at Brightleaf Square offers a quality subway stop substitute. The sushi is delectable and, thankfully, quite reasonably priced. Highlights of the short list include the expertly rolled inside-out spicy tuna maki garnished with radish sprouts, as well as the Mt. Fuji-style California roll with cucumber and real snow crab (!) presented with sparkly orange beads of masago on the outside. The standout, though, is the simple but sublimely fresh salmon sashimi, perched perfectly atop a bed of grated radish, wakame seaweed and shiso (Japanese basil). So even if you skip the mains, hit up Mt. Fuji for a light sushi lunch. After all, where else in Durham would you expect to find a shiso leaf?