Bites Nearby: Sushi Box

There are a lot of choices for Asian fare at Sushi Box, which gets its name from the traditional Japanese lunch boxes made up of fish, vegetables, rice, miso soup and sometimes meat.

Although Sushi Box, at 617 Main St. in Waltham, specializes in sushi and maki rolls, it also serves large bowls of udon noodles with various fishes and meats or vegetables. Dishes can also include stir fry, tempura and Korean-style dishes, which come with the traditional kimchi (spiced cabbage), rice and miso soup. 

Suggested dish: The place is known for its lunch boxes, which are a main dish, like salmon teriyaki ($9.95) or shrimp tempura ($10.95), served with California maki, salad, rice and miso soup. We decided to go with two classic maki rolls: salmon ($4.50) and tuna & avocado ($5.25). Each had the usual six rolls with chunks of raw fish inside rice. The tuna and avocado was an "inside-out" roll, meaning the rice was on the outside of the seaweed wrapping.

Both were simple but quite good: the salmon was not fatty, the tuna was tender and the avocado was ripened to perfection. A few toasted sesame seeds added to the rice would have been nice, but that's just a quibble.

The vibe: Simple, quiet and straightforward – the place takes food seriously.

Cool factor No. 1: There are at least three dozen different kinds of maki and sushi rolls. If a bit overwhelming at first, it's also fun to choose among them.

Cool factor No. 2: A tip: If you don't know what's in a particular special maki roll, such as "rainbow," "sunset" or "valentine," be sure to ask for the menu with images on it.