Kushi
465 K St., NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-682-3123
Neighborhood: Penn Quarter/Chinatown, Downtown
Cuisines: Tapas/Small Plates, Sushi, Japanese, Breakfast
Opening Hours:
Open for lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 to 2:30, Saturday and Sunday noon to 2:30. Open for dinner daily 5:30 to 11. Open late night Thursday through Saturday 11 PM to 2 AM.
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Nearby Metro Stops: Mt. Vernon Square/7th St.-Convention Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown
Price Range: Expensive
Noise Level: Rowdy
Reservations: Recommended
Website: http://eatkushi.tumblr.com/
Best Dishes:
Live uni; live scallop; nigiri or sashimi of sweet shrimp, o-toro, yellowtail belly, and mackerel; bari chirashi; grilled meatballs; skewered foie gras; quail stuffed with duck sausage; crispy leg of duck; Meyer-lemon sorbet with shochu; sea-salt gelato;
Price Details:
Grilled items $2 to $35, sushi and sashimi $4 to $14.
Special Features: Wheelchair Accessible
Tokyo's club kids would feel at home in this trendy space with its blaring indie tunes. The izakaya, as it's called in Japan, is an after-work hangout for drinks and eats--that's when the hordes descend for sake shots, sushi, and charcoal-grilled nibbles called kushiyaki.
The charcoal fire pit and surrounding U-shaped bar dominate the room. But don't ignore the raw items--sushi and sashimi are almost always pristine. Besides the regular roster, chef/owner Darren Lee Norris offers such delicacies as fresh scallop and sea urchin straight from the shell several times a week.
What to get: Braised pork-belly rolls; bara chirashi, cubes of raw fish over a bowl of rice; sashimi of o-toro and yellowtail belly; duck sausage; pork belly; asparagus with blood-orange oil from the charcoal grill; sea-salt gelato.
Open daily for lunch and dinner. Expensive.