Who Has the Best Sushi in the DC Area?

[morda]

I will second (third, fourth?) the recommedation for Makoto. Not only is the food excellent, but the service is impeccable. The waiters always address you by name (e.g., Would you like more sake, Ms. Lee?) I highly highly recommend sitting at the bar so that you can watch the show. And try to make a reservation for the second seating so that you aren't rushed (Makoto is almost always fully booked, so you have to make reservations in advance.)

Except for Genji, NONE of these restaurants had good sushi, I would not go back to any of them NOR would I recommend them to anyone. Genji is the only one that had good sushi, and that was only above-average, it wasn't spectacular. Maybe I'm just spoiled by places like Shino or Ginza in Boston, or the various places in the bay area and LA... I hope not though...

I respectfully disagree with this. Having learned to love sushi in Boston (and eaten at Ginza--both locations--many many times) and having lived in DC for four years, I think many places in DC are as good as the ones in Boston. Granted, I've only been to Sushi-Ko on your list. Perhaps try some of these: Sushi Taro (Dupont Circle), Uni (Dupont Circle) Kaz Sushi Bistro(which others have mentioned). Good luck! And count your blessings...I don't get any above-average sushi where I am now...or even average sushi...it's too frightening.

morda

PS Sometimes Kaz does an entire blowfish [er, make that puffer fish--well, fugu anyway] menu...I never managed to make it there for that. Anyone ever try it?

Edited March 18, 2004 by morda (log)

[BackwardsHat]

Just came back from first meal at Nouveau East. Not bad, I will probably return but it's not at the top of my list of local restaurants for straight-ahead nigiri (yet?). Only had sushi so I can't speak about the rest of the menu. I also ordered ala carte (mid-range prices) so I can't say what would be the value (quality/cost ratio) of a lunch/dinner set.

When I ordered the toro sashimi appetizer, the chef (to his credit) told me that toro was only available as sushi. He did, however, offer aji which was was a whole fish filleted into four pieces of sashimi and two pieces of sushi served with its own ginger/(ponzu?) sauce. Nice presentation with the sashimi served on a bed of shredded daikon, resting on the remains of the filleted fish in a bamboo basket. As others have mentioned, the unagi was good. I would have preferred having more heat in the spicy tuna maki. Soft-shell crab handroll was not greasy. Rice was not the freshest it could be but I've had worst in a Japanese restaurant.

Although the aji, hamachi, and hotate (scallop) did not smell fishy, they didn't have much flavor either. The chef appeared to be skillful enough but I have the feeling that he might be limited by his fish budget. Unless he has clientele who demands top of the line fish and is willing to pay for it, he won't be able to stock the "good stuff" and maintain adequate turnover.

I would still recommend Yamazato (N. Va.) and Makoto (D.C.) over other local places where I've eaten sushi. If you need a pan-Asian restaurant to satisfy a group with different preferences, Nouveau East gets my recommendation over Cafe Asia in Rosslyn. Also, given the noise from the brewpub next door, a talkative group would not feel out of place (in contrast to a more intimate Japanese restaurant).

Gary Tanigawa:

I've eaten at Nouveau East about two dozen times and I totally agree with your comments...

I didn't really like the nigiri there, nor was I too crazy about any of the other sushi... That being said, I have not tried any of their large whole-fish sashimi platters like you have...

The service there can be pretty slow, but the one dish I order regularly that's pretty good is the spicy tuna don....

But, as you said, the rice is not the freshest, and the fish lacks flavor... I think the chefs there are pretty good, not great, but pretty good...

I find myself going back since I work so close to the ballston mall and because my co-workers love the bento box there... sigh...

[BackwardsHat]

I will second (third, fourth?) the recommedation for Makoto. Not only is the food excellent, but the service is impeccable. The waiters always address you by name (e.g., Would you like more sake, Ms. Lee?) I highly highly recommend sitting at the bar so that you can watch the show. And try to make a reservation for the second seating so that you aren't rushed (Makoto is almost always fully booked, so you have to make reservations in advance.)

Except for Genji, NONE of these restaurants had good sushi, I would not go back to any of them NOR would I recommend them to anyone. Genji is the only one that had good sushi, and that was only above-average, it wasn't spectacular. Maybe I'm just spoiled by places like Shino or Ginza in Boston, or the various places in the bay area and LA... I hope not though...

I respectfully disagree with this. Having learned to love sushi in Boston (and eaten at Ginza--both locations--many many times) and having lived in DC for four years, I think many places in DC are as good as the ones in Boston. Granted, I've only been to Sushi-Ko on your list. Perhaps try some of these: Sushi Taro (Dupont Circle), Uni (Dupont Circle) Kaz Sushi Bistro(which others have mentioned). Good luck! And count your blessings...I don't get any above-average sushi where I am now...or even average sushi...it's too frightening.

morda

PS Sometimes Kaz does an entire blowfish [er, make that puffer fish--well, fugu anyway] menu...I never managed to make it there for that. Anyone ever try it?

morda:

I will definitely hit up Makoto sometime soon, although you guys have built it up so much I think I'm being set up for disappointment...

I've eaten at both locations of Ginza as well, MANY times (I lived in Boston for 4 years and first started eating sushi there) and I think the sushi there (at the chinatown location) is some of the best in the US, especially their maki... (crazy maki is my fav)... Have you never eaten at Shino in Boston?? It's such an experience...

I'm glad to hear that you disagree with my comment, but I hope it's based on the other restaurants you've been to, and not Sushi-ko... Because, IMHO, sushi-ko is nothing special... I had some good toro there once but that's about it... I will try Kaz (the fugu sounds dangerously delicious) and the others as well, and report back...

Sorry to hear about your current no-sushi situation, I can feel the pain...

[Gary Tanigawa]

I would not recommend the fugu dinner at Kaz Sushi unless you are doing it strictly for the novelty and do not mind spending a lot of money. Most (all?) places in the U.S. are serving pieces that have been frozen in Japan and then shipped here. There is probably negligible tetrodotoxin in what is served; at least I did not feel any numbing sensation when eating the dinner at Kaz Sushi. I am no expert, but it could also be that what is considered safe enough to export to the U.S. are fishes within the family Tetraodontidae that by their nature have low levels of tetrodotoxin (the genus Takifugu is the famous one, but some fishes in the genus Lagocephalus, Sphoeroides, and Diodon are also served according to the linked Wikipedia entry).

My memory of the dinner is that there were (not necessarily in order) courses of sashimi, a salad made from the skin (typical foul dressing found in Japanese restaurants), sake containing a fried fin, a stew (could not taste anything fishy with all the other flavors), and a kara-age preparation. The sashimi is thinly sliced both for economy and because the flesh (I am told) is tough. There was also a special dipping sauce accompanying the sashimi because of its bland flavor. A course using the sperm is also traditional but I no longer remember (dinner was last winter) whether this was served at Kaz Sushi. So the dinner has a lot of courses but not much of the ceremony that might occur in Japan (this could include presentation of the whole fish before it is taken to the kitchen for preparation).

Many people know that deaths occur mostly among amateur cooks trying the liver/reproductive organs or fishermen not knowing how to remove the poisonous parts of the fish. Deaths in a regulated restaurant are really rare. Something I had not known before reading the Wikipedia entry is that Pseudomonas bacteria living within the fish produce the tetrodotoxin instead of the fish itself being the producer.

If you are still interested, call Kaz Sushi or put yourself on its email list for next winter. I recall getting an email a few months ago that the fugu dinners might no longer be served in the future because of low interest among its customers.

Edited March 19, 2004 by Gary Tanigawa (log)

[Gary Tanigawa]

BackwardsHat, I would predict that you will not like Makoto is you go there for the nigiri instead of just ordering the "kaiseki" dinner. DonRocks' description of Makoto (do a search for the thread at the end of 2003) is great, including what he dislikes about the restaurant, so read it before going. The nigiri in the context of the set dinner is fine, but just having sushi there might not be very satisfying.

P.S. The aji plate at Nouveau East is actually a small dish (4 pieces of sashimi and 2 pieces of nigiri) instead of a "platter" (a mackerel is a small fish). It probably is fine for bento boxes and large groups. Ask the sushi chef for any "specials" and you might get a better dish.

Edited to add: I went to Makoto tonight because I was unsure as I wrote the above why I was going back on my original unqualified recommendation of Makoto. The sashimi and sushi that come with the dinner are fine, but they are not the highlights of the meal.

According to your criteria BackwardsHat,

1) The maguro and hamachi I have had with the dinner have been good (not great). I have not eaten the fattier versions of tuna or yellowtail at Makoto, but the toro ordered by others and prepared in front of me looked okay.

2) I am not sure about the preparation of ala carte orders (which you would be have) but the pieces in the dinner are generally smaller than you might expect and sometimes a bit ragged. I ordered hotate as an extra and it was good.

3) and 4) Rice is fresh, not too packed, or too large.

The problem with Makoto for someone who intends to order only nigiri is that the cooking is done in a location contiguous with the dining room so the smells would clash with enjoying a meal consisting solely of raw fish and the sushi chef is so busy doing orders for the set dinners that he might give enough care to your ala carte order. He also appears to be too busy to interact directly with customers (I usually sit in front of him at the bar). So with those caveats, I would be interested in what you think of Makoto's nigiri. I am sticking with the set dinner, which I still recommend, but retract the unqualified recommendation of Makoto for sushi.

Edited March 19, 2004 by Gary Tanigawa (log)

[morda]

BackwardsHat, I would predict that you will not like Makoto is you go there for the nigiri instead of just ordering the kaiseki. DonRocks' description of Makoto (do a search for the thread at the end of 2003) is great, including what he dislikes about the restaurant, so read it before going. The nigiri in the context of the set dinner is fine, but just having sushi there might not be very satisfying.

I heard a rumor once that the sushi place above Makoto (I believe it's called Ivy?)gets its fish from the same source. Does anyone know if this is true? I had it once a long time ago and it was pretty good. Perhaps that would be a better stop for you, BackwardsHat, if you aren't into the full menu at Makoto.

But the chef's selection is worth the $50 (or so), IMO.

morda

[Gary Tanigawa]

morda, Kotobuki gets ** (!) from Sietsema in this Sunday's WP Magazine. I have heard the same rumor and it is on my list of places to try.

[silentbob]

Does Kotobuki accept credit cards or is it cash only? I couldn't tell from the review.

[dcfoodie]

Has anyone been to the new sushi place across from Two Amy's? I think it's called Sushi Sushi.

Sushi Sushi is pretty good. Very consistant and fresh fish from what I can tell, although I don't claim to be a sushi expert. I go to Spices a lot, but I don't find that the Sushi is excellent. It is only average there and the selection is pretty limited.

[BackwardsHat]

Has anyone been to the new sushi place across from Two Amy's? I think it's called Sushi Sushi.

Sushi Sushi is pretty good. Very consistant and fresh fish from what I can tell, although I don't claim to be a sushi expert. I go to Spices a lot, but I don't find that the Sushi is excellent. It is only average there and the selection is pretty limited.

They accept credit cards...

[Gary Tanigawa]

I went to Kotobuki. The sushi is worth the price ($1), but I doubt it has any relation to Makoto (perhaps Ivy once did) because the fish is okay at best.

[BackwardsHat]

I went to Kotobuki. The sushi is worth the price ($1), but I doubt it has any relation to Makoto (perhaps Ivy once did) because the fish is okay at best.

When did you go? I went maybe 2.5 weeks ago (on a wednesday), and the fish was SUPERB. I went back the very next day, and it was only OK at best... I had a friend go back about 1 week ago (on a saturday) and they said the same thing, only OK at best...

[Gary Tanigawa]

Not sure, maybe the 7th or the 8th. Perhaps the fish delivery is on Tuesday or Wednesday?

I have started to adopt the advice from Kitchen Confidential to avoid fish in restaurants on certain days.

[morda]

morda, Kotobuki gets ** (!) from Sietsema in this Sunday's WP Magazine. I have heard the same rumor and it is on my list of places to try.

I just saw this...reminds me a bit of the buck a piece sushi at a sushi joint on Newbury Street in Boston. I can't recall the name--but it was a tiny place. I will have to try Kotobuki the next time I'm in town.

BackwardsHat, have you tried Makoto yet?

morda

[BackwardsHat]

morda, Kotobuki gets ** (!) from Sietsema in this Sunday's WP Magazine. I have heard the same rumor and it is on my list of places to try.

I just saw this...reminds me a bit of the buck a piece sushi at a sushi joint on Newbury Street in Boston. I can't recall the name--but it was a tiny place. I will have to try Kotobuki the next time I'm in town.

BackwardsHat, have you tried Makoto yet?

morda

There is a GREAT sushi place on Newbury Street (at the dartmouth intersection) in Boston called Shino Express... I think they do have $1 specials sometimes...

I have NOT tried Makoto yet, but I will try it soon...

[morda]

There is a GREAT sushi place on Newbury Street (at the dartmouth intersection) in Boston called Shino Express... I think they do have $1 specials sometimes...

Yes, that's it, Shino Express! But when I used to go there (let's see, that would be about 5 years ago), the regular price was a dollar a piece.

[BackwardsHat]

There is a GREAT sushi place on Newbury Street (at the dartmouth intersection) in Boston called Shino Express... I think they do have $1 specials sometimes...

Yes, that's it, Shino Express! But when I used to go there (let's see, that would be about 5 years ago), the regular price was a dollar a piece.

Yes, I used to go there regularly as well from 1995-1997... It's my favorite place to eat in Boston... I go back to Boston at least twice a year and always stop and Shino and Ginza to say hi and have some good sushi... Gotta love the freshness at Shino... I love how the crowds wait outside for the place to open at lunch as well... Anyway, glad to know there is a fellow Shino lover here at egullet

[Gary Tanigawa]

Ate at Kotobuki on Tuesday and the fish was better than I remembered, so perhaps it is related to delivery date. Rice was still too firm for my taste, but that problem might be solved by dining early in the evening.

[BackwardsHat]

Ate at Kotobuki on Tuesday and the fish was better than I remembered, so perhaps it is related to delivery date. Rice was still too firm for my taste, but that problem might be solved by dining early in the evening.

I ended up eating about 50% sashimi and 50% nigiri since the rice wasn't the highest quality...

How would you rate the fish on a scale of 1 to 10 on your Tuesday night experience?

[painemilla]

I had a friend in town last night who formerly live in DC and was dying for Cafe Asia. I use to go to the one on 19th Street until they mysteriously closed so of course I did a search thinking Rossyln was going to be the option but to my suprise I hadn't realized that they re-opened on 17th and I last fall. It's pretty sad considering I don't work that far away!

So we went and had a great time. I have to say the urban white decor was a bit over the top considering it's location in DC but the sushi proved to be good. Cafe Asia definitely focuses on the young urbanite clientele ( but I'm young and an urbanite so I guess I qualify!)

We arrived before the Happy Hour was over so we took advantage of good but cheap sushi and the quality and quantity of the sushi was as I remembered it. We didn't venture off the sushi menu as that was the purpose of the visit so I will pay another visit and check out the other items.

Service was a bit slow at the beginning ( it took 15 minutes before the waiter came to us) but we were waiting on friends so there wasn't a rush....only maybe to get a glass of wine. It eventually picked up so all in all we were happy with our experience. And, my friend from Colorado was thoroughly delighted with her Sushi!

No that I know that it is there and will definitely be back, especially for the Happy Hour.....hopefully I won't be blinded by the all white decor!!

[sara]

LiamDC and I had dinner at Kampai in Rosslyn tonite (it's on Oak at Wilson Blvd; there is some parking on Oak and the side street off of it, fyi). The place was nearly empty when we arrived at 7:15 but was fairly full when we left at 9.

The sushi was very good- and importantly, the sushi/sashimi assortment was quality--not just the usual tuna, salmon, yellowtail. This assortment included fatty tuna, a special salmon, mackeral, etc ($25). We also ordered many additional pieces, including amaebi, scallops, bluefin tuna, uni, all of which were nicely presented and very fresh.

We both agree that Kampai ain't West Coast sushi, but it compares very favorably with Kaz, and is better than Sushi Taro or Cafe Asia.

[BackwardsHat]

LiamDC and I had dinner at Kampai in Rosslyn tonite (it's on Oak at Wilson Blvd; there is some parking on Oak and the side street off of it, fyi). The place was nearly empty when we arrived at 7:15 but was fairly full when we left at 9.

The sushi was very good- and importantly, the sushi/sashimi assortment was quality--not just the usual tuna, salmon, yellowtail. This assortment included fatty tuna, a special salmon, mackeral, etc ($25). We also ordered many additional pieces, including amaebi, scallops, bluefin tuna, uni, all of which were nicely presented and very fresh.

We both agree that Kampai ain't West Coast sushi, but it compares very favorably with Kaz, and is better than Sushi Taro or Cafe Asia.

Ya, I went to Kampai in Rosslyn... It was pretty empty when I went as well... 7:30ish... I didn't like the sushi that much, but it was OK... Average at best, but not bad... I tried a place in Alexandria that was pretty good, it was right off little river turnpike and beauragard street, across from the World Mart, I forget the name of the place, but it was surprisingly good, some of the best DC area sushi I've had... But still, nothing great...

[Gary Tanigawa]

Yamazato is at 6303 Little River Turnpike in Alexandria. BackwardsHat, did you try any of the specials listed on the whiteboard? As you said, I would say the sushi and sashimi there is consistently "good" but not great.

Kampai is okay, but I dislike the pushy servers I have had there on a couple of occasions.

[BackwardsHat]

Yamazato is at 6303 Little River Turnpike in Alexandria. BackwardsHat, did you try any of the specials listed on the whiteboard? As you said, I would say the sushi and sashimi there is consistently "good" but not great.

Kampai is okay, but I dislike the pushy servers I have had there on a couple of occasions.

Yes Gary, that's exactly what it was called, Yamazato. I had two of the whiteboard specials... I think at least (maybe they weren't on the board, but I asked the sushi chef for something interesting)... They were both rolls... One was a variation of spicy tuna, the other was some complicated roll... Like we agree, both were good, but not great, which seems to be the theme here in the DC area... I am beginning to realize the only consistently good sushi in the DC area that I have access to is the sushi I make in my own house when I am able to get fresh fish (see picture below)... On a more positive note, I used to think the same about steaks but I took a trip to Ray's and I must say that I will go back there semi-often as it's the closest thing to a good steak I've had outside of my own grill in a while (see my reply on the ray's thread)...

[hillvalley]

bump

I have dined at Yakomoto three times this month. I went on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday evening. Each time I dined early in the evening. It was packed all three nights. Granted they can only seat about 25, but for that neighborhood I was impressed.

The quality of the fish has always been excellent. The rice always tasted fresh and well seasoned. I love the soy sauce (the chef makes his own).

I took a friend who after years of staying in the safety end of shrimp and tuna was ready to venture forth into more adventurous waters. At $1 a piece it was the perfect place. She discovered that she loves ikura, white tuna, toro, scallop and still doesn't like uni. We ate $50 of sushi which included four pieces of uni, eight pieces each of white tuna and toro, and four pieces of ikura. That alone is at least $30 bucks or so anywhere else.

On my second visit three weeks later the hostess and chef immediately recognized me. The chef greeted me and told me that they had natto as I walked to my table. (I had asked for it on my previous visit and he was out.) All the rolls are $1.95, by the way.

I think the trick is to go around delivery dates and early in the evening. The sushi is as good as most places in the city and a complete bargain.