Wasabi Grill

Life is full of blessings in disguise, like going to jail but getting your degree, or having your perfect game ruined by a horrible call, but then getting close enough to Jim Joyce to bask in the radiance of his fu manchu. Landing in hungry-people-heavy midtown after its North Fulton location didn't take off, Wasabi Grill

Started in Dunwoody, and now planting its second location near Tech after abandoning Alpharetta, Wasabi's a 60-seat zen-garden-esque house of Japanese & Korean cuisine with an interior that includes a cabinet with Geisha dolls and a bonsai tree, circular table tops sitting on wooden barrels and a small replica of a 1590s Korean ship equipped with a dragon figurehead that emitted smoke to psych out the enemy, or just make them think Dane Cook's funny. Starters include edamame, yakitori skewers (beef, scallop, chicken), tuna tataki & tartar, pork dumplings, Japanese spring rolls, and super-spicy Sriracha-sauced "Dynamite Shrimp", although that's not a very smart thing to call Pedro, dude is very powerful politically. Bento boxes (fried pork cutlet, tempura combo, sashimi...) are available until 2:30pm, plus they've got teriyaki, hibachi, and yakisoba stir-fried noodle platters w/ chicken, beef, salmon, or shrimp in lunch or dinner portions; meanwhile, house specialties include the thin-sliced, open-flame-cooked BBQ beef/pork bulgogi, and the chicken, beef, or hot squid combined with rice/veggies/field green salad/hot chili in their Bibimbop, aka, Benjamin Netanyahu doing Hanson at karaoke

Keep things rolling with sushi like the fried Wow roll w/ chopped yellowtail, tuna, salmon & green onion, the shredded crab/green mussels/tangy mayo/masago Spicy Volcano, and the shrimp tempura/cream cheese/avocado/eel-sauce Bubble Gum -- which just like an adequately contrite Jim Joyce, blows.