Whether you're seated at the sushi bar or at a table, you're likely to be impressed by the efficiency and quality of Jessie Yan's popular Cleveland Park restaurant. Many regulars order a few pieces of sushi as a first course, but even if you make a meal of sushi, you can come in under the Cheap Eats budget by ordering one of the assortments, such as sushi and two rolls, for $15.

Appetizers and main courses include many dishes served at Nooshi downtown--spicy ginger chicken, Tangerine Peel Beef, and Suicide Curry, with a level of heat that justifies its name. Fried rice and noodles, from pad Thai to Japanese udon, are other possibilities. This is a pan-Asian kitchen that does justice to each of the national cuisines.

Spices, 3333-A Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-686-3833. No Sunday lunch.