Sushi houses tend to be as good as their ingredients—which is why Sushi Taro, Dupont Circle’s neighborhood spot turned expense-account Zen den, has potential for sublimity: Owner Nobu Yamazaki spares nothing in sourcing his fish, and that dedication showed in recent slabs of pristine fatty tuna, smooth butter snapper from Japan, and California sea urchin that was a creamy taste of the Pacific without lingering fishiness. Cooked dishes such as conch steamed in sake as well as non-fish items such as beautifully marbled Wagyu beef were nearly as good. Only the kitchen’s erratic pacing occasionally interrupted the serenity.
This article appeared in the April, 2010 issue of The 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.
