703 Edgewood St., NE
Sushi Taro alums Zach Ramos and Amy Phan specialise in jewel-box-like chirashi bowls at their takeout-only pop-up within the meals incubator Mess Hall. These treasure chests of rice and uncooked seafood, nearly too fairly to eat, are full of premium specialties like uni, fatty tuna, and Hawaiian black-footed limpets. The duo additionally put together “homakase” sushi feasts, which they’ll arrange at non-public properties. We’re eagerly awaiting their chirashi cafe and omakase counter, Two Nine, coming to Georgetown this yr. Moderate to very costly.
501 G St., NW; 705 Sixth St., NW; 805 V St., NW; 300 Tingey St., SE
Daisuke Utagawa and chef Katsuya Fukushima’s quartet of ramen outlets are a number of the greatest locations to slurp in DC, whether or not you’re tucking into basic Sapporo-style broths at Daikaya and Haikan, rooster ramen and crispy birds at Bantam King, or Asian pub fare and completely happy hour offers at Hatoba. Springy Hokkaido-made noodles and soulful shares are key all through. We additionally love hiding away in Daikaya’s slinky upstairs izakaya for Japanese whiskeys and playful plates akin to Wagyu donburi or okonomiyaki-style pork. Inexpensive to average.
724 Ninth St., NW
At this Spanish/Japanese restaurant/sake lounge in Penn Quarter, visuals are as important as taste and the platings museum-worthy. Chef Pepe Moncayo’s fusion hits embrace a curl of octopus with edamame hummus; crispy patatas bravas; shrimp tempura with lime aïoli; and rosy slices of Wagyu beef with soy demi-glace. Share tapas and bigger à la carte choices, go for a ten-course omakase menu, or seize a lunchtime bento field. The greatest seats in the home are within the raised eating space overlooking the kitchen or within the entrance room with hovering home windows. Expensive.
1117 V St., NW
The oh-so-simple however fabulous mixture of mushrooms with butter and garlic—cited by the New York Times as the most effective dishes of 2022, nationwide—speaks to the less-is-more culinary magic that occurs at this two-story Japanese restaurant run by father-daughter duo Hiroshi and Cizuka Seki. You’ll additionally style it in a fluffy omelet studded with unagi; a wonderfully grilled Hokkaido sardine; a tempura of whiting and shrimp with shiny wasabi salt; and a pristine array of sashimi. Moderate.
845 Upshur St., NW
Chef Eric Yoo left a financial-consulting profession to pursue his obsession with ramen. His devotion is obvious in each ingredient he serves, whether or not the tare that seasons the broth or the housemade noodles with simply the best chew. The tiny Petworth spot’s brief menu spans a fragile truffle shoyu broth to a wealthy and spicy “tantan” soup enhanced with sesame paste. It’s value a particular go to for Tuesday lunch, when Yoo focuses on a single bowl that’s not in any other case obtainable. Inexpensive.
1209 King St., Alexandria
One of essentially the most inspired—and galvanizing—eating experiences round unfolds on this sliver of an Old Town storefront, the place chef/proprietor Yuh Shimomura conjures up a single seven-course menu within the open kitchen. Recent highlights have been barely cooked slices of Japanese brief rib with truffled soy sauce; glistening bonito and sea-bream sashimi; and a melty egg custard with Chesapeake oysters and ginkgo nuts. Sakes and Japanese highballs pair nicely with the briny, earthy flavors. Expensive.
1900 Q St., NW
Stellar, inexpensive sushi is a rarity—which is why we’re regulars at this Dupont izakaya. Graze on shu mai in chunky chili oil or Korean-style steak wraps earlier than digging right into a kaleidoscope of artistic rolls (together with excellent vegetarian futomaki), sushi, and sashimi. Some of the very best offers are at lunch and brunch, the place beneficiant bentos of chirashi, soups, tempura, barbecue eel, and extra go for lower than $25. Inexpensive.
2321 18th St., NW
We may spend a complete night at Darren Norris’s three-story Japanese advanced in Adams Morgan. Shibuya dishes up izakaya snacks (get the Japanese fried rooster), artistic ramen bowls (we love the shaved-Wagyu “Philly” model), grilled skewers, and sushi, from the roomy patio to the top-floor cocktail lounge. A serene center eating room, Shabu Plus, is our favourite expertise for elegant Japanese sizzling pot, the place long-simmered broths, dipping sauces, and noodles are made in-house. Expensive.
1100 fifteenth St., NW
This eye-catching Japanese sizzling spot marks the DC debut of London restaurateur Arjun Waney, additionally behind the modern-izakaya phenom Zuma, which has a number of places across the globe. Shoto’s fusiony menu can really feel as intimidatingly big because the chandelier-like volcanic-rock set up hovering over the eating room. Yet we favor to skip the set omakase tasting and select for ourselves, dabbling in fancy one-bite tacos full of grilled A5 Wagyu, sea-bass sashimi with yuzu, and lots from the robata part of grilled delights akin to shiitakes in wafu butter or beef tenderloin with candy soy. Expensive.
1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
There have been some shifts at this omakase room. Its dwelling—the previous Trump International resort—is now the Waldorf Astoria. An enlargement to LA is within the works. And longtime chef Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino has departed. What hasn’t modified: a surprising lineup (21 items of sushi in all) of top-quality Japanese fatty tuna, sea urchin, prawn, and extra formed over completely seasoned rice and handed to you from throughout the counter. (Ignore the eating room—the bar is the place you wish to sit.) Spring for the A5 Wagyu add-on and a glass of ultra-smooth junmai ginjo sake. Very costly.
1503 seventeenth St., NW
Where else do you get your personal devoted chef for the night? The back-room omakase counter at this Japanese mainstay in Dupont seats simply two events an evening—every with their very own private sushi grasp. A parade of heat dishes highlights uncommon and hyper-seasonal substances; suppose sun-dried sea-cucumber egg over a hairy-crab dumpling, or tempura shirako (cod milt). But the actual wow second is the show of picket bins full of a surprising array of fish and seafood. Pick no matter you need—4 varieties of uni? certain!—and watch your chef expertly flip it into sushi and sashimi. Very costly.
Find the total listing of 2023’s 100 Very Best Restaurants right here.