gullet

I guess surcharge is not really an appropriate term. Of the menu choices, my wife chose the 8 course without Kobe which is $100 and I got the 8 course with Kobe which is $150. The only difference between the 2 meals was the Kobe beef substituted in Course 7 so I viewed the 8 course with Kobe to be the same as my wife's 8 course dinner basically with a $50 surcharge for Kobe beef. The only similar experience that I have had would be at Makoto in Washington, DC. I would love to go to Japan and try something there but I have a feeling it would be much, much more expensive. As opposed to where Sugiyama would give you upwards of 8-9 tastes in a course, Makoto would offer 3-4. Since I have been to Makoto many times, the usual offering is 8-9 dishes which normally consists of 2-3 seasonal dishes (for example tofu skin wrapped fish cake in a light bonito broth) and includes sushi course sashimi course soba course with a choice of toppings such as (mountain yam, mushroom, soy bean, wild vegetables, etc.) a hot stone dish (usually a few pieces of seafood such as shrimp and/or scallop, mushroom, beef) a "main dish" - a small 3"X5" piece beef tenderloin, orange roughy in miso, yellowtail or salmon tempura course (have had softshell crab and shrimp before) grape ice for dessert As for the sushi and sashimi courses, Makoto consistently serves the freshest fish in the DC metro area but not on par in terms of breadth as compared to a place like Sushi Yasuda. I consider Makoto to be one of the best values for great food. The price for the set menu at Makoto... $45.

I opted to get the Nao Sugiyama's choice of 8 dishes along with Kobe Beef. Course 1 Monkfish and tofu compote with a small dish of chysanthemum leaves and matsutake mushroom. The compote was accompanied by a grated radish and scallions in a tart, ponzu sauce. The tartness was a nice balance to the creaminess of the compote and the greens were a nice palate cleanser. Course 2 A basket of small bites including omelet, edamame, whitefish cake on a stick, tuna cake, small tiny crab, sweet potato, and a bay berry in gelatin. Simple and clean which was a nice prelude to some of the latter more complicated dishes. Course 3 Sashimi which included 2 pieces of yellowtail, 2 pieces of tuna, and then 1 piece of squid, uni, marinated fluke, giant clam, and red snapper. As for the sashimi, the only relevant comment I can make is that it was exceedingly fresh. Even one person who normally does not like squid, enjoyed the piece here. Course 4 Clear soup with whitefish, tofu skin, ginko nut, mushroom and green vegetebale stems which I believe was parsley served in a teapot. The lid was removed and formed a small bowl where we were instructed to pour some soup and then use the chopsticks to fish out the more solid items. The soup was subtle but very nice. Course 5 Possibly one of the best lobster preparations I have ever had. A lobster was split in half and then heated on a hot platter over the stove flame. The tail meat was sweet and extremely tender. The head part had been scooped out and filled with an uni and lobster roe sauce which provided an unctuous counterpoint to the lobster meat. Along the side of the dish were shitake mushroom and asparagus. This dish was simply incredible. Course 6 Another array of different tastes. In the upper left corner was a crab and caviar in a creamy sauce. In the upper right corner was 2 slices of seared tuna with a side of carrot and cabbage in a ginger/miso sauce. Along the front was unagi and japanese tai sushi prepared more along the lines of kyoto style which is rectangular style and has more rice and it also included baby abalone. Good but it was probably the least impressive course. Course 7 Hot stone grilled food. The kobe beef was delicious, tender, juicy and beefy. Whether or not it justifies a $50 surcharge is another question but it was good. Other options included seafood (lobster claw and some fish) or prime beef. With a side by side comparison against the prime meat, the Kobe beef was superior and was nice treat. Course 8 Sticky rice with crab and mountain vegetables steamed in a banana leaf served along with white miso soup and pickles (carrot, radish, and cucumber). As if we were not full already, along comes this course. Sublime. Dessert was grapefruit in jelly along with scotch and heavy cream. A delicious way to end the meal. My overall impression is that the first experience where every dish is a surprise will be the best. From what I have read, some dishes like the monkfish liver get repeated. If I had more money, I would like to have tried to order a complete omakase meal as I saw a Japanese couple relishing some crab that I had never seen before. Overall the amount of food was huge, enough courses to make maybe 2 dinners. One of the best Japanese meals I have ever had.

Has anyone been to Sugiyama on 251 West 55th Street? I have always wanted to try a kaiseki dinner and I read that this was a good place to go. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

The last time I went, the soups were anywhere from $7 - $12 for the seafood selections. The main problem I have with SI are the hours, only on weekdays and closed in the summers. Never had the clam chowder at Grand Central Station but the shrimp bisque was absolutely divine at SI. Before it even opens, you will usually see a small line but it moves briskly.

As for spots to eat, I'll give a quick run down... Italian - Pasta Mia It's in Adams Morgans and all the pasta dishes are hearty and reasonable priced <$12. Some may find the pasta dishes to be oversauced and have too much cheese but it' my favorite Italian so far. Have not tried Galileo, Obelisk, or Goldoni. Japanese - Makoto Hands down the best Japanese restaurant in DC. I've tried Sushi-Ko, Kaz Sushi Bistro, and others but for price and interesting dishes, I have to recommend Makoto off MacArthur Boulevard. It's hard to find and the restaurant is tiny, about 10 seats at the bar and maybe 5 2 person tables but it also has the freshest sushi I've had here. At $45 for its fixed course menu of 8 - 10 dishes, it's a dining experience worthy of any of the best NY Japanese restaurants at 1/2 to 1/3 the price. Chinese - Mark's Duck House Better than Peking Gourmet Inn and of more consistent quality than Full Kee, Mark's has been my favorite Chinese restaurant since I first read about it in a Washington Post article on Chef's Night Out. It serves good Hong Kong style Cantonese food where if you plan ahead, can order a whole roasted pig. Stick with the Cantonese dishes, and you won't be disappointed and it serves a really good Hot and Sour Soup. Vietnamese - Viet Royale Right next to Hong Que (Four Sisters), I find Viet Royale serves better food. Given that menus for both of the restaurants are extensive, not much to compare there. Spanish - Taberna Alberdero It's expensive and without much competition. Thai - Crystal Thai off Route 50 I find it has the spiciest but still not Thai spicy dishes in the city.