Delivery
No
Payment
Credit Cards Accepted
Parking
Street
Good for Kids
No
Attire
Business casual, no hats or jeans
Alcohol
Yes - Full Bar
Reservations
Yes
When Nobu Yamazaki temporarily closed his busy second-story restaurant in Dupont Circle last December to re-envision the place, he spun the makeover this way: "I want to be out there changing the direction of Japanese cooking in this city." Done. There's not a finer source for sushi in Washington nor a more alluring setting in which to admire it. The narrow, honey-colored main dining room is where you'll find very good sesame seed "tofu," greaseless tempura, maybe miso-sweetened beef tongue in addition to terrific raw fish. But to experience the restaurant at its most thrilling, you'll want to upgrade to the hand-crafted white oak counter in the rear and order the chef's tasting menu, which starts at $100 a head. The many details explain the lofty tab: gorgeous pottery, wasabi grated before your eyes, a private cooking show starring Yamazaki and chef de cuisine Masa Kitayama. Seasonal treats (baby squid in spring) and rare fish such as flute punctuate a leisurely feast that might also fit in live scallops as well as mackerel pounded into a sensational tartare with ginger, salty plum and shiso. Patrons of the original Sushi Taro gripe about the new high prices, and I get occasional reports about hostile reservation takers, but the upside to any visit here is a graduate education in good living.
Fixed-price menu per person: three-course $70 (add $5 for each additional course up to $90).
By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009
05/02/2024 - Lena L.
Awesome
02/11/2024 - MenuPix User
02/08/2024 - MenuPix User
12/11/2023 - MenuPix User
09/19/2007 - spark
Sushi was good. Although it was somewhat pricey, I don't think that was insane.
I tried Kat-Su-Dong too(my all time favorite), which was 13 dollar, but that was at best terrible.
I haven't had chance to try other stuff, so I would put it this way for now. 'Sushi is safe for this place'
02/13/2006 - yuki_hana
The sushi here is top notch, but you pay for it. They also have a nice selection of authentic Japanese dishes besides sushi, although the oyakodon was not as good as my favorite chain in Tokyo. Expect a long wait on weekend evenings, and a strict seating host (who also has a sense of humor, if you're not too obnoxious).
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