Tei Tei Restaurant   

The narrow, pebbled path through the Japanese garden gives you an immediate sense of Tei Tei. Its serene Zen-minimalist design promotes relaxation and prepares you for a stunning meal. Inside, you'll find sleek, sophisticated decor -- gleaming panels of maple, copper and stainless steel, long, deep windows and Japanese pottery. The striking setting is rivaled by Tei Tei's (which translates as little castle) outstanding, ambitious cuisine -- no hibachi grill in sight. Robata is a traditional cooking style of northern Japan that uses open wood-fired grills (which was all the rave in Tokyo circa 1998, when the Tei Tei opened). Still on the cutting edge of cuisine, the outstanding menu features a stunning mix of flavors, textures and temperatures. In addition to sizzling snapper, seared king mackerel and succulent sea bass, there also are veggies and poultry, as well as the rare delight: Kobe beef, from the world's most expensive cow. Exquisite sushi and sashimi grace the menu. Not surprising given its trendy Knox-Henderson locale, Tei Tei tends to attract the beautiful people (so dress to impress). -- Allison Hatfield