200 SW MARKET, 227-0080

Once your tastebuds have been blessed by a piece of true sushi, you'll never look back. And if you've never been to heaven, head directly to Restaurant Murata, where the streets are paved with the softest, sweetest fish imaginable.

Eating sushi at Restaurant Murata should not be done in haste or with a stomach that's in any condition other than screaming for attention. To really do it right, choose a private room. These can be reserved to seat both large parties and couples alike for traditional, shoeless, on-the-floor-intimacy.

The fish is so fresh it could swim on to the table, without even a whisper of the bitter, salty taste which accompanies most seafood. The best example of this phenomena is the Yellowtail; it literally melts in your mouth, leaving you jonesing for more of the perfect, textural combination of rice, seaweed, soy sauce, and wasabi. The salmon, tuna and fatty tuna all follow suit. For once, order more than you think you can eat and don't count on leftovers.

The selection of Japanese beer (standard favorites such as Asahi and Kirin Ichiban) and dessert are also worthy of worship, even if you think you can't fit them in. The Green Tea Ice Cream is especially divine: A dainty scoop of vanilla smattered with actual Green Tea finishes off this ceremony with bittersweet satisfaction. KATIA DUNN