You can't swing a catfish uptown anymore without hitting a sushi place, since several new spots have joined the few brave old-timers (Cosmos Cafe, Fujo, K.O.) offering the stuff in recent months. Yes, all but one are more "Asian" when you inspect the whole menu, but all but one also put "Sushi" in their title.

Let's take a look at what you'll get, and help you find the right place for the right time. A few terms to remember: Nigiri (say nee-gear-ee) means a topping (usually fish, but also other seafoods, egg, and more) on a pad of sushi rice, while maki (mah-kee; also called rolls) are ingredients rolled with sushi rice and (usually) the seaweed wrappers called nori, then sliced. Sampling nigiri is the best way to assess ingredient quality, so that's what we did.

The New

Fiji Sushi Bar & Lounge is so new - it opened last weekend - its Web site is just a flaming "Coming Soon."

Tucked into the former Feast space on West Fifth Street, it sports a white-red-black color scheme: handsome, lit-from-within stone arches over the sushi bar (and the glow can be made white, pink or red), white woven leathery chairs, red booths, red and black linens and paper-wrapped chopsticks, brilliant red pendants - plus dance music.

The sushi menu ranges from a decent selection of nigiri options to about 30 maki, re-imagined by Peruvian chef Marlon Caycho. Toro - the pale pink, buttery tuna belly (bluefin this time of year) - was on the menu at a market price of $12, but arrived red and lean. Much better were hamachi (yellowtail) with scallion, salmon and ikura (salmon roe) - and served in generous portions for $5 per two pieces of each.

Show real interest in the sushi and one of the two itamae (sushi chef) on hand may offer you a complimentary tidbit; I got some tuna tataki that was better than the tamago (pieces of cooked egg atop rice) or toro. Servers aren't versed in sushi, so confine any questions to your sushi chef, and plan on a leisurely pace, since servers aren't very attentive, either. Nice, though.

116 W. Fifth St.; 704-376-1212; www.fiji sushi.com . The menu is served until 2 a.m. Friday-Saturday, and the place hopes to serve that late (depending on business) Wednesday-Thursday too; it closes at 10:30 other nights.

The Pretty

Enso Asian Bistro / Sushi Bar at the EpiCentre hit the ground running in late summer and has stayed busy since, I hear. That's good news for the freshness quotient, and indeed, my salmon, hamachi and ikura were fine, and nicely portioned.

Toro was on the menu, but my server said they'd run out (and couldn't recall the price), so I tried the amaebi: shrimp, plus shrimp heads deep-fried (think softshell crab). Sadly, these were cold, indicating pre-prep, which given the range of offerings and obvious attention to detail otherwise, was really disappointing.

The shrimp themselves (served raw) fared better, and garnishes were a pretty touch: a bit of flying fish roe on each. Pretty is a strength of the whole place, from red lotus-flower-look votive holders on each table to statuary, lush fabrics and faux skins on seating and rich maroon colors and silvery accents (and... dance music!).

The roomy sushi bar is set with charcoal-colored ceramic plates and polished wood chopsticks (if only servers wouldn't put their hands all over them), stools are comfortably padded, and half a dozen young cooks scurry about behind the sushi bar. Servers are young, too, so can say the Enso spiel ("your sushi is made fresh and live in front of you") with a straight face.

A long wine list includes categories such as Purity and Illuminous (don't ask me), and there's a Lucy Liu Cosmo.

People watchers and those looking for that EpiCentre vibe will be happiest here.

210 E. Trade St.; 704-716-3676; www.enso charlotte.com . Sushi served until 1:30 a.m. nightly.

The Diverse

Room 112 Modern Asian Cuisine + Sushi Lounge is relatively new among the long list of Charlotte Asian restaurants from various members of the Chen family (among others are Chen's, Ginbu 401 and Koishi), having opened this summer.

And the Asian fusion concept common to them is demonstrated here as well: The menu includes some Thai, some wok dishes, yakitori and foie gras with scallops. Amid red and white walls and dark woods, frosted elongated lights and geometric-paneled fixtures light tables dimly, while a wall holds flickering candlelight in small cutouts.

A small sushi bar seats six and the soundtrack is (say it with me) dance music. Both toro and sea urchin are noted as sometimes available, and both were on our visit. The toro was mildly buttery and rosy, and $13. The two young itamae didn't put wasabi on my nigiri, as is traditionally done, so make a point of asking, if you want it.

Rice was problematic, tending to fall apart, and tamago (egg) was very sweet. Nori wrappers - ikura is served gunkan-style, meaning the seaweed sheet is wrapped horizontally around a pad of rice topped with the roe - were chewy, rather than crisp. Portions are generous.

Those venturing out with sushi-disdainers will find their best chances here.

112 S. Tryon St.; 704-335-7112; www.rm112.com. Menu is served until 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

The Surprise

Press is an unexpected entry in the fray, since the little spot on West Trade is better known for its wine lineup and noshes, and its décor is - well, wine storage and sofas and woven chairs, with not a Buddha or a swath of red in sight.

But last week saw a changeup in sushi provider: Cy Santos, formerly with Dean & DeLuca, now handles the stuff. And though the lineup is the smallest of these four places, and your itamae may resemble a surfer dude more than a Japanese sage (ours - who wasn't Cy - did), the simple things were best here.

Bright, beautifully textured fish and precision in presentation count - and if portions are slightly smaller than other places', so are the prices. Press's shari - that's the name for sushi rice - had the best flavor and consistency; it's seasoned, you know, and shouldn't fall apart as you eat.

The traditional sushi lover will be happiest here (though again, you'll have to ask for wasabi on nigiri), and will have the best chance of getting into a philosophical conversation with the sushi chef. (We discussed the assessment of quality through simplicity. Good one, huh?)

333 W. Trade St.; 704-370-3006; www.presswine food.com/home.htm . Sushi served 6-10 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, to 11 Wednesday-Saturday.