Fresh, tasty sushi from a hole-in-the-wall on the South Side? My shoes were on before my friend had even told me its name. Luckily, she'd been there before—De Rice is hard to find without an address in hand and plenty of patience at the wheel. But the hunt is worth it. The squeaky-clean interior has almost no seating, but with a menu that runs from delicate sashimi to hearty platters of Chinese fried rice, this is a great takeout joint for anyone with an itch for Asian.

Start with plump, overstuffed crab rangoon, juicy chicken and beef kebobs and seaweed rolls stuffed with scallops, dried shrimp and egg. The menu is filled with small and large portions of Chinese standards like black pepper beef, shrimp with lobster sauce, and Cantonese roast duck (about $6-$11 per entree). Surprisingly, De Rice doesn't falter on either Chinese or Japanese noshes. The hefty Chinese plates are non-greasy and studded with fresh veggies; the Japanese options are delicate and delicious. Try a monster maki, like the Hawaiian ($11.50), filled with freshwater eel, mango, crab and smelt eggs, or the Salmon Lover, a double-whammy of raw salmon and cream cheese wrapped in smoked salmon. More run-of-the-mill rolls are available for as low as $3.75. Crunchy almond cookies are the only dessert offered, but after loading up on cross-continental entrees, skipping the sweets is almost required.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Kate Rockwood