An old rule of thumb for road trips has it that when you're on the road and hungry, you should search out the place with the 18-wheelers parked outside. That advice is good as far as it goes; we like fluffy lemon meringue pie, bottomless cups of strong coffee, and diner meatloaf as much as the next guy. But when you're looking for something a trifle more sophisticated, we suggest that you follow the chefs. Find out where they hang out in their off-hours, and we guarantee you'll find some of the best eating around.

Now if you happen to be on the island of Maui, you'll find the top toques at Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar, an unassuming spot where chef/owner Dave "D. K." Kodama is serving up "wild and wonderful" New Wave Japanese cuisine, according to Betty Shimabukuro of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. "Kodama's dishes are bold and playful, full of color and lively flavors," she continued. Fun-that word pops up whenever the conversation turns to Sansei. Think Japanese BLT roll or Asian Cajun roll, which is filled with a spicy shrimp and crab mixture and served with a lobster ÈtouffÈe sauce. "You've never been to a sushi bar like this," Travel & Leisure wrote, promptly adding the place to its America's Top 50 Restaurants list. "Sushi with attitude," agreed Alex Salkever of The Washington Post. "Everything has some kind of zip." It's no wonder Kodama, who earned a degree in civil engineering before making a 90-degree turn into the kitchen, has been dubbed the "Sultan of Sushi." In addition to "furiously fusion" sushi (Hawai'i Westways, Jocelyn Fujii), Sansei features such East-West entrÈes as macadamia nut-crusted rack of lamb with miso demi-glace, and shrimp and salmon nori ravioli, adventurous food that led Honolulu magazine to count Kodama "among the island's most exciting chefs."

September in New York is full of cultural enticements, and maybe you're still not sure you can squeeze Kodama into your schedule. We have three final words for you-foie gras sushi. "His signature seared foie gras sushi with caramelized Maui onions, mango and unagi (freshwater eel) demi-glace is so good," Janice Wald Henderson wrote in Bon Appètit, "it can bring a smile to the face of the most hard-to-please customer." Smiling yet?