Cheap Eats 2013: Izakaya Blue Ocean

Quick reviews of ethnic cuisines you can experience for less than $25 a person, tax and tip included.

Cost:

About Izakaya Blue Ocean

Cost:

cuisines
Japanese
Location(s)
9440 Main St
Fairfax, Virginia 22031-4032

Fairfax, Virginia 22031
9440 Main St
Fairfax, Virginia 22031-4032

Don’t expect a slick, modern look or yuzu martinis. With handwritten signs advertising noodle specials and a grubby, cramped dining room, this is a no-frills strip-mall destination for authentic Japanese bar food, sushi, and sashimi. Try tender miso-marinated black cod as well as peony shrimp nigiri—servers will present you with the prawn heads, deep-fried and topped with a slice of lemon.


Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

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.

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.