Eat Great Cheap 2015 Date-Night-Worthy |
A massive tuna loin sits on the sushi bar, waiting to be carved by the skillful chefs. It’s just one of many promising signs at this corner Japanese restaurant. (Another: Reservations are advised, even at lunch.) Though the ambience is that of a neighborhood joint, the menu reads like an ambitious izakaya, serving excellent small plates such as takoyaki (octopus-studded croquettes), squid with mountain vegetables, and lightly charred flounder fin. It’s tempting—and rewarding—to cobble together a meal from those little dishes, but they can add up, and the menu is worth exploring in full. Sushi and chirashi boast perfectly seasoned rice, tempura is cloud-light, and noodle soups are eminently comforting.
Also good: Crispy squid; pork gyoza; Center St. Roll (shrimp tempura, eel, asparagus); Costa Rica Roll (yellowtail, jalapeño, mango).
See what other restaurants made our 2016 Cheap Eats list. This article appears in our May 2016 issue of Washingtonian.
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.
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.
