by Magda Nakassis
Kaz Sushi Bistro
1915 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006

Kaz Okochi was head chef at Sushi-Ko for 10 years before starting up his own restaurant, Kaz Sushi Bistro. At this I Street eatery—bustling with World Bank employees at lunch and Washington foodies at dinner—Chef Okochi offers his unique blend of “Free Style Japanese Cuisine.” More than just your traditional Japanese fare, the sushi at Kaz’s bring Western ingredients and techniques to the table in an “east meets west” menu that has won over nearly every DC food critic. This is the place for adventurous sushi fans who demand top-quality fish, presentation, and sake selection.

by Magda Nakassis

Rockville Sushi
785 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 251-1822
With the Japanese government threatening to crack down on faux sushi restaurants, you had better write down the address of Korean-run Rockville Sushi before it’s forced to change its name. This little hole in the wall in suburban Maryland serves Korean house specialties and Japanese sushi side by side. *shock/horror* The clientele is almost exclusively Korean, and if you’re unable to speak/read Korean yourself, you may have difficulty ordering. But whatever you do end up pointing to on the abstruse menu, it will inevitably be delicious—even if you never figure out exactly what it is you’re eating: before, during, or after consumption. The prices are also very reasonable, and if you leave the “Wintergreen Plaza” strip mall without eating an oddly textured, unidentified raw sea creature, well then you’re just not trying very hard.

by Magda Nakassis

Sushi-Ko
2309 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-4187
Washington, DC’s oldest sushi restaurant remains (with little argument) its best. In the safe hands of creative director and co-owner Daisuku Utagawa and head chef Koji Terano, Sushi-Ko succeeds in bringing sushi fanatics, discriminating foodies, and Glover Park locals a stunning blend of traditional and creative Japanese fare. Wielding his $2,000 knife, Chef Terano treats Washingtonians to the best fish in town and a menu that is utterly gourmet. (The “sushi moriawase”—the chef’s pick of that day’s finest fish and rolls—is highly, highly, highly recommended.) In addition to Terano’s culinary skill, Sushi-Ko prides itself on Utagawa’s innovation. He has pioneered the pairing of Japanese food with French burgundies, and the man is a genuine international culinary playboy—trekking across the globe in search of the world’s finest foods and techniques, and folding them back into Sushi-Ko’s menu. DC is blessed to be the home of such a cutting-edge veteran.