Why go: An exception to the avoid-cheap-sushi rule, chef/owner Hisao Abe’s DC restaurant eschews flourishes and puts his money where it counts—fresh seafood.
What to get: Ankimo, small pucks of pâté-like monkfish liver; sunomono salad, a collection of vinegary shrimp and fish; nigiri, including fatty tuna and yellowtail; one-stop meals such as eel kamameshi and eel unadon (both rice-based dishes with broiled fish) that come with pickled mushrooms, radish salad, and miso soup; mango mochi, a rice-paper-encased scoop of ice cream.
Best for: A fast meal for couples and small groups—there are few tables, and they turn quickly.
Insider tip: Specials are often worthy—look for a sign on the wall or ask your server what just came in.
>> See all 2010 Cheap Eats restaurants here.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
