Rah-rah for RA Sushi

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The ambience lured me in at the seductive RA Sushi (rasushi.com) in Palm Beach Gardens. Located in Downtown at the Gardens, where numerous shops and restaurants have closed the past year, this dining venue remains vibrant. And that's a very good thing. Red permeates the interior, with cool Geisha Girl art, bamboo and lots of globe fixtures, which I found quite transfixing. Happy hour (from 3 to 7 p.m.) includes a steady musical beat in the background and plenty of new cocktails to try. The Shiso Naughty, a fab martini with a blend of flavors-pineapple vodka, yuzu and Japanese shiso-caught my eye, but I opted for the chilled, crisp and dry Kizakura "Pure" Stars sparkling sake, a perfect pairing for food with a bite. And offerings are anything but standard fare. Think sushi with a Latino edge. That's right. I started with RA Chips & Salsa, a combo platter of spicy tuna tartare mixed with cucumber, avocado and fresh salsa, coupled with wonton chips. But I absolutely loved a new item called "Hot Mess," crispy rice balls topped with a spicy king crab mix that's baked and finished with jalapeno and cilantro.