A place to get a bento box and your nails buffed at lunch? You bet. A single wall divides Paradise Japan from its neighboring nail salon, where customers are free to bring their fresh food in hand while they enjoy a relaxing pedicure.

Though the standard sushi and sahimi are tasty, Paradise's strength lies in the little things. The hae dup bob, a Korean-Japanese fusion bowl of rice, veggies and a selection of diced raw fish is delicious and generously portioned on its own. Accompanied by a bowl of miso soup, a house salad with ginger dressing, seaweed salad and a serving of spicy red sauce, it's that much more satisfying. Entrees average about $13 and rolls run between $3-$10. Every meal ends with a complimentary fruit dessert.

The personal service, reminiscent of Mom's helpful hand, made my dining experience all the better. When the entree came, I was going to dab my food in the sauce on the side, but the server saw my gaijin confusion, and walked me through the process of the dish. At one point she took the fork from my hand and stirred the sauce around, making sure I covered ever veggie, every hunk of rice and piece of fish.

The interior is cookie-cutter sushi joint, with fans attached to the walls, bamboo curtains separating booths and tables, and a small sushi bar tacked into the corner. But the place scores bonus points for playing Japanese spy movies on TV.

Centerstage Reviewer: Karl Klockars