You'd think from the show tunes sounding off in the background that you were dining in a swanky lounge, not a quaint sushi house on a pretty tree-lined street in Lakeview. But that's just the way first time restaurant owners Bola and Marka Badarch roll; they take joy in mixing a bit of cheer into oh-so-serious sushi.

They've started with a smiling fish on the front of the takeout menu, tiny color cutouts of the house specialties pasted on the menu, and parlayed their sweet brand of quirkiness into makimono names like Granny Smith and Smoky Bear (broiled eel, avocado and tobiko wrapped with smoked salmon).

The ika sansa, an intensely flavored salad of marinated squid, is not to be missed, and the tuna tatiki gives flame-seared tuna a whole new flavor. We also love the gome-ea appetizer, a super-soft, loosely packed spinach ball that comes out drenched in a smooth sesame paste with a sprinkle of sesame seeds for good measure.

The take-out business is quite brisk at this five-table/four-stool hideaway, though with the soothing atmosphere, it's easy to turn the BYOB policy into a BYOB-or-2. Prices are on the cheap side, with all sashimi under $2; delivery is kept at the friendly price of $1.

Centerstage Reviewer: Misty Tosh