No. 19: Sushi Ko
The sushi boom is over. Tuna is so oversourced that even most sushi bars can’t get their hands on the good stuff. Second- and third-rate places are the rule, flopping slices of mediocre fish over sodden clumps of rice. What’s a sushi lover to do?
Step into this stylishly funky bistro in DC’s Glover Park. Park yourself at the wraparound sushi bar, nod respectfully toward chef Koji Terano, and utter a single word: omakase. That’s an invitation for Terano to put together a meal of his choosing, which might begin with a bowl of warm, salted edamame, move on to a soothing rice porridge, then get down to business with the fabulous Tuna Six Ways—a sort of Goldberg Variations of tuna that showcases the versatile fish’s range, from the melting, salt-watery chu-toro to a slab of seared otoro that will satisfy any hankering for a big, charred steak—and a selection of pristinely cared for and artfully presented sashimi.
Sake is the expected drink to go with these fresh, clean flavors, but a glass of Bordeaux from the small, well-chosen list is just as rewarding.
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.
