So many tasting menus escalate from light to heavy. The beauty of chefs Piter and Handry Tjan’s Japanese production is its lyrical cadence. Sit at the intimate counter inside Sushiko as one of the chef brothers leads a 12-to-15-course journey—we prefer the fish-and-meat version over the vegan menu—swinging from earthy (apple-smoked monkfish liver and caviar) to delicate (dashi-poached cabbage with cured roe) and back again. The sushi interlude is filled with little luxuries such as an omelet showered in truffles. The final course, a foie gras panna cotta, boasts a fitting title: “the happiness finale.” Very expensive.
Also great: Wagyu katsu-sando; soy-marinated tuna; seared salmon belly; roasted green tea.
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.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
