I have thought about this a good amount. Sushi might be one of the most suprising food style I have ever had. Tastingmenu.com got me thinking with this post and then this post about how the difficulty of judging your local sushi place to others you have been to.
For me I did not eat sushi at all till sometime at the end of high school. It really is a bit hazy but at somepoint between 18 and 20 I had already fallen in love with those small pieces of raw fish. I seem to be a traditionalist when it comes to sushi. I like the interesting rolls for creativity sake but give me artfully done sashimi that is fresh and I am yours.
I have never been to Nobu or Bond St in New York. And really I have eaten very little sushi out of the east coast area. But still a few places have really shinned. They might be because they are local or they might actually be doing something special. I will mention two here.
Both I have found recently. In Edgewater NJ, there is a large Japanese mall called Mitsuwa. They have a bookstore, toy shop, and a huge supermarket. In the supermarket they have a good size food court.
First I tried onigiri for the first time. Triangle shaped rice with spicy salmon roe inside. The rice is wrapped in plastic with a sheet of nori (seaweed) seperate. The nori is used to wrap the rice and then you eat. A burst of spicy sweet flavor came through. I have had salmon roe before but this tasted of so many different things. Ocean falvor mixed with a balanced hotness. Excellent. Then a sushi bar in the corner of the supermarket gave a friend and I a great lesson in good sushi. It just tasted fresh, vibrant. The rice was on the cold side without being too cold. I personaly preffer that. This is also the first time I have ever had toro (tuna belly). I feel it was a good time to start.
The second sushi place that makes me jump with delight is Tab Toe sushi. A tiny (4 or 5 tables) sushi place on Ave C and 5th street. My guess is that it is family owned. It is BYOB. And the chef puts out both creative and astoningly tasty dishes. I have not gone all the way there yet. There are a few rolls that sound very excitting. A dab of this sauce or some green tea powder but it was the Tuna Tataki salad (given free with a sushi box of peppered salmon) that realed me in. A light ginger soy dressing over seared tuna. A black pepper taste lingers in your mouth after every bite. Here is a recipe for Tuna Tataki.
So it seems to me that comparing varying sushi places is just like comparing any kinda restaurant. Find out what you like and then order something new.