Carefully inspecting a wooden box that was tucked in with the flounder and the king clam, Obara lifted the lid and with a wide smile said, "Ummm, fresh uni (sea urchin)."

For the past five years, Obara and fellow sushi chef Garrett Wong have educated local foodies on all the different parts of an ahi, from the head to the the belly to even the tuna's big eyes. Yes, the eyes!

"Oishi (delicious)," said Obara of the eye. "I'll cook or grill it with teriyaki."

"It's the meat behind the eye and not the eye itself that's cooked," Wong said. "Look at the size of that eye. It would be like eating a jawbreaker."

Fatty and oily, this meat is considered a delicacy in Japan, according to Wong, who has worked side by side with Obara for the past five years.

Another delicacy that Obara will bring in from Japan this month is the shirouo, which is a miniscule fish that's almost transparent. This seasonal fish — usually caught between February and March — is often eaten alive.

Nodding her head in approval, spouse Sumiko Obara said she likes eating this fish ... uncooked, of course.

"It tastes good," smiled Sumiko, who helps manage the restaurant during the lunch hours. "It's certainly one of my favorites."

The less adventurous diner, however, does have non-"Fear- Factor-like" dishes from which to choose, including 15 different types of ahi preparation.

"That's why the name Maguro, which is big-eye tuna (ahi)," Goro Obara explained. "We specialize in this type of fish."

The most popular meal to get here is the "Maguro-zukushi" ($15.50 for dinner). Guests who don't read Japanese may make the mistake that this teishoku offers a choice of sashimi, yakimono or agemono. No, it comes with all three. It's a triple sampling of how to serve tuna — raw, broiled (yakimono) and katsu (agemono). The meal also includes kobachi, salad, owan, tsukemono and rice.

While skewering cubes of ahi, Obara said he'll simply put these on a yakiniku grill, lightly sear them and serve them with a ponzu dipping sauce.

Carefully and evenly slicing the hamachi (yellowtail), flounder, saba (mackerel), shrimp and baby squid, Wong looked up momentarily to say these slices of sashimi would be later used for the sushi specials.

Garrett Wong carefully slices the hamachi in thin, even sashimi strips.

While dinner guests can choose dishes from an a la carte menu here, the lunch crowd will have to rely on pieces of paper with the week's specials scrawled on them.

Complete teishoku lunch specials — which change every week — start at $10.50. Sashimi can usually be added to the menu for an additional $2.50.