New York

Sushi may be the perfect food. It’s delicious. It’s healthy. It doesn’t even need to be cooked. The only problem, aside from the fact that it can be addictive (and certain types of people wouldn’t even consider that a problem), is that sushi is prohibitively expensive. Thankfully, at Sushi Lounge in the East Village, all sushi is half price all the time. When they first opened, Sushi Lounge only offered the half price deal after 10 pm. But a couple of months ago, the deal was extended to cover all the hours the restaurant is open. Still, only meals that top $16 are discounted. But it’s not like they’re overpriced to begin with; a meal that would legitimately cost $16 at another sushi joint of equal quality only costs $8 here. And the sushi is adequate. Nothing is chewy. The fish is fresh. The only things to avoid are the tamago (steamed egg) because they aren’t sweet enough, and the shrimp tempura rolls because some slices are only batter. But everything Sushi Lounge serves tastes a little better, because it’s got some half-priced sprinkled on top.

Photo:  David Freedenberg