We’re guessing that most GearCrave readers probably love the sushi bar, but there are plenty of people out there who have never taken the plunge. For sushi noobs, this is an excellent guide to surviving the sushi bar–especially when you haven’t got a choice but to go thanks to a business committment. Or maybe you’re just trying to impress that hottie in cubicle-land. For the sushi lovers, this is a handy guide to converting that skeptic in the office who spoils your bid to spend lunchtime over some Sake and kappa maki.

One of the most common misconceptions about eating at a sushi bar is that it’s all gross and raw. Easing into the wide world of sushi is easy if you start off by blowing that notion out of the water early on. The appetizers for a sushi noob should consist of one or more of the following, washed down with an excellent Japanese beer such as Kirin or Sapporo:

• Gyoza. Anyone who’s ever eaten Chinese food will recognize the dumpling shape immediately and know these are good to eat.
• Yakitori. How can you go wrong with skewered, sake-marinated grilled chicken? Watch those attitudes change when these tasty treats hit the counter.
• Tempura. Anything made with tempura is good–the lightly fried shrimp, veggies, or fish isn’t quite American-style fried, but they are familiar enough to convince the reluctant eater to give it a try.
• Edamame is boiled and salted soybeans in the pod, the Japanese version of bar popcorn. It is a tasty accessory to beer or sake, but you might have trouble convincing the true skeptic to try this. This is a marginal appetizer, but an easy one to get hooked on if you can get past the initial strangeness.

Don’t bother trying to get a sushi newcomer to eat a seaweed salad or any appetizer with squid in it. You skeptics out there will try that on your own once you’re finally convinced that there is food at the sushi bar you can learn to love. It’s just a matter of time before you’ll be expanding your horizons.

Once your appetizers are out of the way, the main menu beckons. If you want to avoid eating that big piece of raw fish, remember that sashimi is the slab of uncooked fish with no rice, nigiri is raw fish served on the little bed of rice, and maki sushi refers to fish, rice, and veggies rolled up in seaweed. If you are a skeptic eager to impress at a business lunch or office outing can safely order from the sushi menu by following a few simple guidelines:

• Order the maki sushi rolls. There is a smaller amount of raw fish in these rolls, and the taste is masked by soy sauce, vegetables, and the rice.
• There are plenty of maki rolls made with cooked fish. Try any roll with shrimp, salmon skin, or eel. These all contain cooked fish, and you’ll also find vegetarian rolls which can help you avoid fish issue entirely.
• California rolls are usually made with imitation crab. You can eat imitation crab, can’t you? We knew you could.

If you are trying to help a sushi skeptic–or are one yourself, you may wish to avoid fish altogether on your first visit to the sushi bar. Check the menu for some of these staple entrees:

• Yakisoba. This is an excellent noodle dish with a tangy sauce and chopped chicken. It could be vaguely considered a Japanese lo mein.
• Yakiniku. Some sushi bars feature this broiled or barbecued steak as a hearty alternative. It’s usually served with rice, some soup, and a few veggies on the site.
• Katsu or Katsu-Don. This is breaded pork served with rice, often served with soup and salad, sometimes a California roll- your chance to try a “safe” sushi roll without having to commit. You can always pass it off to someone else.

Sushi newbies should avoid a few dishes in the early stages; these can leave you with the wrong impression when just starting out. They are all tasty in their own ways, but should be saved for later:

• Anything with the phrase “king prawn” probably has the head and eyes left on.
• The same goes for some of the smaller broiled fish like smelt. If you don’t mind your food staring at you, go right ahead.
• Baby octopus salad is not for the faint of heart. It usually has the whole damn thing in there and is challenging even for some experienced Japanese cuisine lovers.
• Take a pass on any item with the word “natto” in the ingredients list. Natto is a fermented bean paste that even some of our traditional Japanese friends don’t like.

Once your initial fears of sushi bar cuisine have been bested, it’s easy to take a chance on something new. Most of the objections about sushi bar food are based on misconceptions, rumor, or the wrong “entry-level” experience with menu items best left for more experienced diners. After getting over those objections, the rest is easy! Our final hint–good sushi bars know there’s at least one person in the room who’d rather have a steak, and there’s usually one listed on the menu somewhere. If you absolutely can’t get over your fears, ask about the cooked cow–even though you might pay premium prices for not being adventurous.