Sushi Sushi

Last weekend, a good friend of mine came back to visit from Yale and the one thing she really wanted to eat (besides my cooking) was sushi. Apparently, there are no good sushi places in New Haven??? (!) Poor her. So we stuffed ourselves with nigiri and shizo mojitos at Sushi Taro.

Japanese ranks in my top three favorite list of cuisine (alongside Ethiopian and Korean). This is where I find it in D.C.:

1. Sushi Taro Best All-Around
Sushi **** Great and fresh, and they have a wide variety of different fish, including many specials of the day. The Shizo Mojito is a must try - they use fresh crushed shizo leaves in soju. Light, crisp, and not too sweet.
Price $$$ About $35 or more a person.
Service *** Expect a LONG wait, both to be seated and for the food. But it's not their fault they're so popular...
Atmosphere **** Lively, especially when all the drunk Japanese salarymen are there drinking. It seems all visiting Japanese people eat there. Apparently, so do politicians and dignitaries, as evidenced by their collection of photo ops on the wall, though I don't understand why. I would think these important folks could afford to eat at Makoto instead...
Location ***** In Dupont, it's at the heart of the city.

2. Makoto Best Food
Sushi ***** Little bite sized pieces of heaven.
Price $$$$$ It's slightly cheaper at lunch. Otherwise, practically unaffordable, especially when you have to factor in cab fare too.
Service ***** Complete attentiveness with an air of snobbery... Just like in Japan.
Atmosphere ***** Tiny, quiet, and beautiful. Just like Japan.
Location ** Tucked away on MacArthur and no Metro access, but at least it's in the district.

3. Uni, A Sushi Place Best Deal
Sushi *** Try the Nigiri Niners. For not a huge price, you get a good selection that includes uni, which at other places only appear on the $30+ combination platter. I also love the tuna tatare salad with roasted red pepper dressing. They also have a good price on sake and have sake samplers, which oddly enough, Sushi Taro no longer has.
Price $$ Cheaper than other alternatives without too much sacrifice on quality
Service ** Not the friendliest waitstaff, and you have to pay for green tea.
Atmosphere *** Nothing outstanding, and not too crowded.
Location ***** Right in Dupont.

4. Kaz Sushi Bistro Best Lunch Deal
Sushi **** Great and cheap lunch specials every day. My favorite is Tuesday, for the sushi and chicken miso katsu bento box. I've also been for dinner once, and ordered the eight course chef's special tasting, which was an amazing experience. But sooo expensive. The best thing about Kaz is the soy sauce. They have a very unique blend that will make any kind of sushi taste spectacular.
Price $$$ Other than the great lunch special, a regular meal here will set you back a few hefty bucks.
Service ** Not the friendliest waitstaff.
Atmosphere *** Nothing outstanding, but nice.
Location **** A walk from Dupont, but not entirely inaccessible. Great location for lunch if you work on K Street.

5. Sake Club Best Atmosphere
Sushi ? I don't know how the sushi is, I couldn't afford to try it. I blew all my mullah on the sake, which was also crazy expensive. The food selection was scanty, but the variety of sake and the presentation of atmosphere makes this place a mush visit at least once.
Price $$$$
Service ***** Very attentive staff in strange but cute uniforms
Atmosphere ***** The best restaurant atmosphere I have seen Stateside. Reminds me of a hip Tokyo restaurant.
Location **** Cleveland Park

There are several other sushi places in D.C., but if you don't find them listed on my blog, that just means I am too polite to write anything bad about them. :)