I judge most of the sushi bars on the spicy tuna handroll. It gives you an opportunity to test the freshness of the Nori (kelp), and the spice used to "kick it up a notch". I lean more to the Sashimi varieties of tuna, eel, salmon, Ika, and yellow tail. Ama Ebi (sweet shrimp) is a great way to round out the meal. Folks get nervous when they bring out the full head deep-fried. Gotta have the Miso soup, some gyoza and an oyster shooter topped with quail's egg and scallions for an appetizer.
Rainbow rolls rate pretty high with lots of avocado and sesame seed. Originally from Ohio, I was disgusted with the idea of eating raw fish when I saw it out here in CA. twenty years ago, until I tried a California roll on a dare(cooked crab), then I was hooked! Gotta have it once a week ! There is one place that makes the best Ika; he cooks it until tender, uses crosshatching knife cuts to break up the tissue, drizzles on sweet teriyaki sauce then shaves a Japanese citrus rind on top that will clear anyone's sinus'. I found that most bars have a specialty or do one item exceptionally well. Soft shell crab roll at one place, Seared garlic tuna roll at another, Seafood Dynamite down the road, spicy tuna salad in the authentic style at another joint, yellow tail collar in Miso paste, etc…
I would also recommend(if you can find it) Spanish mackerel, oshinko, bonito, zuke, and Toro.
So besides the varieties available at one restaurant, there are varieties of sushi restaurants.
