Sushi is, well, the new sushi. Low-fat, low-cal, high in the benefits of a fishy diet. But it went off the front-burner for a while, and not just because you don’t cook it. Trendspotters were focusing on fusion food.

Surprise! It’s baaack. Reinvented. Sushi is fused.

Down in Atlantic Highlands, Julia’s Restaurant (www.juliasrestaurant.com) fuses sushi with Italian food. More than sixty kinds of sushi and sashimi appear on the menu before the Italian appetizers. You can chow down on a Tiger Roll, and move on to the Mozzarella Napoleon and Stuffed Rigatoni. You’ll save on your sushi if you print out the coupon, at http://www.wineanddinenj.com/dinner_deals.

If you love Brazilian Barbeque (all you can eat), you’ll also love the sushi being served by our friends at Rio 22 in Union (www.rio22.net). The presentation is fabulous. Like spin art, Rio makes your sushi plate a kaleidoscope of color and taste. Rio’s fans have even voted the sushi bar here among the best in the state. They’ve got our vote too!

At tiny Bistro En (www.bistro-en.com) in Teaneck, there is truly something for every taste. It’s described as a French-Japanese tapas place. The eclectic menu fuses French and Italian country cooking with Spanish tapas and sushi starters.

At the bubble-licious Swanky Bubbles (www.swankybubbles.com) in Cherry Hill—the first champagne bar in the state, treat your date to a maki roll and wash it all down with Dom Perignon.

All this is good news for sushi lovers who can truly tell the freshest filet from a stale sashimi. We’re just waiting for our favorite drive-through to put sushi on the menu. And yes, we’ll have some fries with that…