Sakura Café (CLOSED)

Everything at this traditional Japanese restaurant is light, delicate and gentle—the decor, the food, even the service. Owner Fumiko Akiyama has outfitted the place with a cherrywood bar, green bamboo floors and handmade pendant lights. And although Tokyo-trained chef Shinji Nishikawa doesn’t take many risks, he balances flavors every step of the way. A salad of cool crab and cucumber, for example, is a play of sweet and salty flavors, brought to life with a soy-spiked mayonnaise; grilled black cod gets a yuzu-soy glaze; and the sushi, flown in from Japan, features creative rolls like the Sakura, a tight wrap of smoked salmon, avocado and—surprise—mango. A three-glass sake sampler should get you through at least half the meal.