Experts will tell you that paying for fancy sushi is worth it, but they also know that an insatiable hunger for bluefin doesn't have to put your bank account in the red. To find out how to make the most of your money, we consulted Trevor Corson, author of The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice, for tips on how to have an authentic sushi experience without breaking your lifelong commitment to being a cheapskate. Take his advice, then toast to him with a beer -- not a sake. Sushi experts tend to order more traditional rolls, many of which are just one or two types of veggies and no fish. They're generally hidden at the back of a menu, not expensive at all, and are a filling way to offset the cost of more expensive nigiri. Between the best sushi restaurants in America and grocery store sushi is a lukewarm category of just-good-enough sushi joints. “Cut those out and you'll have more money to spend at a good sushi bar less frequently,” Trevor says. Find a fancy organic market -- or, better yet, a Japanese grocery -- that has a cheap takeout roll for $5.

It can be a crapshoot, but once you find the real deal, you're set. All that glitters is not yellowtail. “The real trick is to find the high-end sushi bar where the quality is really good, but it's not the $300-a-person place,” Trevor says. If you're spending $15 for a roll, odds are there's an aquarium of different fish and a water balloon's worth of mayo. tips on buying fish for sushi“They're going to charge more for all those different fish, and you're not going to really appreciate the taste of them mushed together with sauces,” Trevor says.sushi academy game online “Anything with fish will be more expensive than edamame or simpler seaweed salads,” Trevor says. sushi cat 2 games online

If you're not soybean averse, try the deep-fried tofu. Few fish are as endangered, expensive, and delicious as bluefin tuna. “Most high-end sushi chefs will tell you that bluefin tuna toro is the ultimate piece of sushi,” Trevor says. The belly of the bluefin is a fatty flavor explosion, but it's a very non-traditional sushi fish and would've been an insult to order in a Tokyo sushi bar 100 years ago. where to buy eel in chicagoSave your money and the ocean by skipping the bluefin.sushi cat 3 play A common complaint about fancy sushi joints is that you'll need to eat a cheeseburger afterwards, which is actually traditional according to Trevor. where to buy sushi supplies in philadelphia“That's what they do in Tokyo. sushi near new york times building

They'll drink some beers, have sushi, and if they're still hungry, get ramen before they go home. If for you it's a burger, that's fine.” “You're just paying for the fish," Trevor says, "and while it's a nice experience, if you're more inclined to get more bang for the buck, you should save your appreciation for the nigiri.” A piece of nigiri topped with egg is a very authentic move, and it's usually eaten at the end of the meal. So if you've hit your budget on fish, it's an inexpensive way to pad your stomach. Don't feel pressured into splurging on an expensive bottle of sake. Especially because (authenticity alert!!) in Japan, sake's usually not paired with sushi, since both are rice-based. You're likely to have a better meal with a chef who knows your tastes, even if you're spending less. And, even better, when he's trying to get to know your tastes, he might ask you to try stuff on the house. And that, friends, is the cheapskate's dream. Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.

Dan Gentile is a staff writer on Thrillist's national food and drink team. He recommends you try the sardines. Follow him to eating all the little fishes at @Dannosphere. "Please check Christmas & New Year opening hours on our website, www.sushibaratariya.co.uk" With its minimalist blond wood decor and prominent sushi counter, Atariya would sit just as comfortably in a Tokyo suburb as it does in Ealing. The selection, too, is authentic, and more diverse than other London sushi bars. Alongside the usual salmon and tuna, you’ll find natto (slimy and potent fermented soya beans) and less common ingredients such as razor clam, while hard-to-get-right toppings such as squid and scallop are perfect. For a central London lunch, try the Atariya takeaway near Bond Street station (20 James St, W1U 1EH). Headed up by two Nobu alumni, this cosy Marylebone restaurant unusually pulls off an East/West fusion. Seared wagyu beef nigiri with truffle salsa and ponzu (soy sauce and citrus) jelly is a regular crowd-pleaser, while lobster, turbot and caviar also feature in abundance.

Your bank balance might take a hammering after a meal at Dinings, but for special occasions – and to try innovative dishes – it’s worth it. Set lunches (£16.70-£25.50) also make a more affordable option. After leaving top-rated Mayfair restaurant Umu, chef Takashi Takagi set up Sushi of Shiori – one of our favourite spots – in Euston. Takagi closed his sushi bar in 2012, and returned to his Kyoto roots to open this kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) restaurant in Bayswater specialising in intricate, multi-course meals which all include a sushi course. If you’re not feeling flush (set meals start at £65), then go for lunch when the cheapest set featuring salmon sushi costs £28.50 for four courses. There’s plenty of space at this mid-priced Soho restaurant’s curved counter to watch the itamae (sushi chefs) crafting their rice-based bites. Though the chefs here mix Eastern and Western flavours, when it comes to sushi, it’s best to order the classics. Check out the specials blackboard for what’s freshest on the day, or go for the always-available, and decent, temaki and chirashi options.

This Willesden Green restaurant has developed a loyal following over the last two decades. The jovial chef-proprietor greets you from behind the sushi bar, before his wife escorts you to one of the tables in the small dining room. Sashimi and nigiri toppings are sliced thickly here, and the quality is always impeccable. Be sure to look for the lesser-spotted items on the menu: this is one of the few places where you’ll find options such as sweet and firm-fleshed surf-clam nigiri, or salmon skin hosomaki. Size isn’t everything when it comes to sushi restaurants: even the smallest venues can have big reputations. Since opening in July 2012, this seven-seat sushi bar in Clerkenwell has proved so popular that finding a perch is nigh-on impossible. Try your luck, though, as chef Toru Takahashi offers one of the most authentic Japanese sushi experiences in London. Opt for the omakase (chef’s choice) if your budget can stretch to it (£50 to £70 per head), then sit back and let the artfully crafted pieces keep on coming.

Other sets start from £15.50, and there are also à la carte options. It’s not often a restaurant experience blows you away, but the fashionable Yashin in Kensington isn’t your average sushi joint. The sushi here is not just excellent, it’s also innovative. Behind the counter the industrious itamae (chefs) turn out perfectly compressed nigiri topped with precisely sliced fish. Some are finished with the lick of a blowtorch, others a dab of truffle oil. The chefs here ask you to eat your sushi un-dipped as they don’t want the soy sauce to overpower each morsel’s delicate flavour. A second branch is due to open in South Kensington this summer. Like Atariya (above), Yoshino is a fish supply company as well as a restaurant, which means it has no trouble getting hold of lustrous fresh fish. The bulk of this Mayfair restaurant’s seating is on the first floor, but the chefs are on the ground floor, so this isn’t the place to come for a ringside view. The menu has been expanded lately, but the chirashi is still one of our favourite options.