100 Best Restaurants 2008: Kotobuki

Reviewed by Todd Kliman , Cynthia Hacinli , Ann Limpert , Dave McIntyre

No. 65: Kotobuki

Kotobuki

4822 MacArthur Blvd. NW
Washington, DC 20016
Phone: 202-625-9080

Cuisines:
Japanese, Sushi

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
No

Nearby Metro Stops:
None nearby

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Intimate

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Kid Friendly

Best Dishes
Rice casseroles known as kamameshi—a version with eel is our favorite—which arrive with an array of snacks such as lobster salad and pickled mushroom; oshizushi, a long roll of pressed mackerel on lightly vinegared rice; ankimo, the foie gras of the sea painted with a light soy sauce; nigiri of yellowtail and white tuna; sashimi of scallop and sea urchin.

Price Details:
Sushi $1 to $2; appetizers $1.50 to $10.


Cuisine: Sushi as good as it is cheap. Chef/owner Hisao Abe keeps his menu small and focused, doesn’t experiment, and maintains a tiny kitchen and waitstaff—which is how he can charge a pittance for consistently fresh fish.

Mood: Like the Beatles? You’d better. Because beyond the fish, the continuous loop of the Fab Four (Abe is a fanatic) is all there is to engage your imagination at this nondescript Palisades walkup.

Best for: Those in need of a regular sushi fix but who lack the steady funds.

Best dishes: Oshizushi, a long, Osaka-style roll that shows off a sweet, salty slab of mackerel; thin disks of monkfish liver, known as ankimo, moistened with soy vinaigrette; à la carte selections of nigiri and sashimi, among which uni, yellowtail, scallop, and white tuna are the standouts; eel kamameshi, the glazed, broiled fish atop a hot mound of rice; cold sake in a wooden box with a small spoon for trailing a line of salt on the lip before drinking; green-tea mochi, a lightly sweet, chewy treat to finish with.

Insider tips: Seek out the so-called fishier fishes—eel, mackerel—and the excellent rice casseroles, or kamameshi, which Abe accessorizes with a quartet of small, pungently flavored side dishes.

Service: ••