Nigiri selection Photo: Jeff Marini

You don’t come to Kai Zan for a spicy tuna roll. You come to Kai Zan to let brothers Melvin and Carlo Vizconde gently guide you through a rarefied sushi galaxy. For them, fish is a canvas for clever flavor combinations that seem to pop on the palate in quick succession. Your plate of escolar “pearls” comes sprinkled with crispy soy-soaked scallions and anointed with just enough house-infused truffle oil to nudge the flavor of the fish in a new direction without overpowering it. Your Orange Rush, a seared scallop wrapped in raw salmon, is a study in degrees of oceanic sweetness. Though there are several booths tucked away behind wooden screens, the true expert move is to sit at the sushi bar and watch rolls being made with practiced finesse.