For Valentine’s Day, we decided to try Art and Soul in DC. I have seen chef/owner Art Smith several times on TV and he seems like such a fun, sweet person. The restaurant is in the lobby of a hotel and is very modern and trendy with touches of Southern homeyness (like jars of pickled things). The restrooms are way on the other side of the lobby, though, which is kind of irritating.

We began with cocktails – Jasper had the “roll call” (ultimate vodka, pomegranate port reduction, blackberries, champagne), I had the “taft and chinda” (st. germaine, sour cherry, champagne). Then came the fantastic corn bread muffins. The menu started with an Amuse Bouche of duck rillette, foie gras, and truffle in a little empanada. Jasper chose the arugula salad with strawberries, cocoa dusted pine nuts and champagne vinaigrette to start with. I had the creamy parsnip soup with pumpkin seed oil and cranberry conserve. For the next course, Jasper had seared rare tuna with a spicy crust and beef tartare, served with winter radishes, micro celery, and a bresoala chip. I had a very creamy lobster risotto with chunks of lobster, caviar cream, crispy leeks, and tarragon oil. For the entree, Jasper had a grilled filet of beef and braised short rib with warm potato salad and port reduction. I had confit chicken with goat cheese polenta, garlic greens, and lemon-pomegranate jus. For desert, Jasper had a chocolate duet of dark chocolate malt, warm white chocolate cake, and raspberry. I had a fig tart with coriander cream and a vanilla port reduction.

Everything was good but not great. My favorite was probably the free cornbread muffins. I wouldn’t make the trip out that far except for the bar – the drinks were very good.

http://www.artandsouldc.com/

We have been to Sushi Taro before, but this time we decided to try the Omakase – a personalized dinner with the chef and owner, Nobu Yamazaki, presiding. This is the ultimate dining experience at this already fantastic restaurant (that flies its fish in fresh from Tokyo daily). You must make a reservation in advance (and they can be hard to get, as there are only 6 spots per night). We booked a holiday Monday and were lucky enough to be the only ones there – earning Chef Yamazaki’s undivided attention. The Chef’s wife will e-mail you ahead of time asking about preferences and restrictions. She also informed us that the restaurant had received some blowfish, and asked if we would be willing to try it. “Rare poisonous fish? Sign us up!” we said. When we arrived, we were escorted to the Omakase counter, which is tucked behind a screen in the back. To the left we could see the entrance to the kitchen, and behind Chef Yamazaki’s workspace was a pretty bamboo garden.

We began by ordering sake and were offered a variety of sake cups to choose from. We were introduced to a fantastic sake that we had not tried before – Dassai 23 – it is a nigori (unfiltered), but is clear instead of the usual milky color. Chef Yamazaki informed us that the 23 stood for the percentage of the grain that the rice was polished down to (50% is the norm for the highest tier of sake). Then the Chef grated fresh wasabi (one of our very favorite things) for us. The flavor of fresh wasabi is vastly different from the green paste you find most places – ask for it whenever possible. The first course was Yamazaki’s signature sesame tofu, which is made daily from sesame and a Japanese mountain root. It has the most distinctive texture – soft and silky and creamy, but more solid than regular tofu. It was served in a bonito broth and topped with fresh uni (sea urchin). I have had this dish before at Taro, and I am such a huge fan of it. There is nothing like that tofu out there anywhere else. The second dish was albacore and bok choy. The third dish was one of my favorites – Japanese hairy crab with an egg yolk based sauce (somewhat like hollandaise). It was sweet and creamy and all kinds of delicious. Next came the famous blowfish or fugu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugu). Yamazaki sliced the fish into extremely thin pieces of sashimi, so thin that they were translucent. The fish was slightly chewy (one of the reasons it is sliced so thinly), and had a very delicate flavor. The Chef also finely sliced the three layers of skin, which each had a different texture and flavor. I preferred the chewy, rubbery, outer layer of skin. After we finished, Chef Yamazaki asked us if our lips were tingling. “Ok, good” he said when we told him “no”. So I guess we didn’t get any poison! I would definitely try blowfish again (prepared by someone as skilled as Yamazaki), the flavor and texture were very unique.

The next dish was a combination of many elements: conch that had been cooked for 2 hours so that it was still chewy, but not painfully so; a square of savory monkfish liver pate topped with sweet ponzu gelee; warm, soft nuts stuffed with fish cake; a tiny fried whole fish simmered in a sweet soy glaze, with a lovely delicate crunch from the bones; and lastly, a candy sweet kumquat in syrup. After that came the sashimi course, where Chef Yamazaki showed us boxes of fresh seafood and said we could have whatever we wanted. He told us that the best parts of the fish are saved for the Omakase counter. We tried fatty tuna, blue nose, and alfonsino – which I had never even heard of but was one of our favorites. Another of our favorites was the wagyu beef, seared quickly on a grill, and served with fried garlic chips, chives, and a citrus soy and salted plum sauce that tastes somewhat like bbq. The New Zealand salmon was creamier than other salmons I’ve had. We also had a wild yellowtail that was incredible, very different from it’s domestic counterpart. The sweet shrimp were something that I remembered from our first visit to Taro – they are incredibly creamy and sweet; the texture is unlike any other shrimp. Somebody in the main restaurant must have ordered a prawn dish, because Chef Yamazaki took the leftover heads and fried them for us. Fried prawn heads are one of my very favorite things – salty, crunchy, briney goodness. We tried the live scallop, which was sweet and creamy. The Chef told us that the scallop liver was edible, but that the flavor is very strong and that he didn’t normally serve it to people. I told him that I had read about it and wanted to try it. It was good – somewhat like foie gras. This choice apparently put us on the “adventurous” path (which I will explain later). We told Chef Yamazaki that we didn’t really prefer mackerel, and he decided to change our minds. He served us sweet mackerel, then minced us a delicious tartare. We could have kept ordering sashimi forever, and he would have let us, but we felt it was time to move on.

After the sashimi course, we were served blowfish soup with fish cake and turnip, then tempura fish and vegetables. Next came a delicious grilled skewer of miso marinated duck and fresh bamboo. I mentioned before that we asked to try the scallop liver. This made us seem adventurous to the Chef, who served us a couple of dishes “because we like the scallop liver”. The first was a dried squid with innards. Usually the innards are cleaned out of squid before it is prepared, because the flavor is so strong. The dish was was almost like squid jerky, with a strong ocean flavor from the innards. The second dish was a bright orange mound of sea cucumber entrails that were salty and slimey and not my favorite. After that we were served hot sake infused with blowfish tail, before moving on to the sushi course. We ordered all of our favorites from the sashimi course and watched as Chef Yamazaki expertly crafted the sushi by hand. Again, we could have ordered forever and he wouldn’t have stopped us, but we were very full. We were given a dessert menu to choose from. I chose a pineapple and wine compote with a vanilla panna cotta and red wine ice cream – it was very good. Jasper had a banana and chocolate crepe. Then we were served a block of gelee filled with fruit.

It was a fantastic experience. We learned so much and had a great time talking with Chef Yamazaki, plus the food was incredible. This is definitely a rare occasion, however, as the total for 2 people was around $400. I would love to try it again in a different season.

http://www.sushitaro.com/

This brand new restaurant from Michel Richard is meant to be a middle ground between the formality of Citronelle (6/100, 2011) and the casualness of Central (10/100, 2011). I would say that Richard has managed to pull of the balancing act quite well. The menu mixes upscale items – like rabbit and steak – with casual fare – like a burger. The menu is also full of Richard’s famous quirk and playfulness with items like Japanese eel carpaccio and onion carbonara. The (small) dining room was much more hip and fun than I was expecting it to be. As you enter, your eye is caught by the huge, modern lighting sculpture and the neon purple lighting scheme. The music is a modern blend of electronica and techno-pop (but not the irritating kind).

It was packed to capacity on a Friday night (though not too noisy), and our table was not quite ready yet, so we waited at the small bar area. I ordered a French 1700 martini which was an excellent blend of fruit juices and creme de casis. Jasper had the Champagne St. Germain, his favorite combination, this variety included fresh strawberries. The wine list is also very good, especially the by the glass section. It is rare to see such nice wines (and such variety) by the glass. Soon we were lead to our table, which happened to be the coolest table in the place – a long piece of translucent stone, lit from within, and hung from the ceiling. It has one long bench on one side, and is separated in the middle by a funky centerpiece so that multiple parties can sit at the same table. This was the case on our visit – we shared the table with another couple, but it didn’t feel like we were at the same table at all! It also has a great view of the open kitchen and Executive Chef Levi Mezick hard at work.

The bread that was brought out was warm and soft with a nice crust, but the butter looked like they just chopped a chunk off of a store bought stick. We ordered gougeres because, well, they had them. They came out in an adorable mini fry basket and were warm and puffy and cheesy. We both ordered the salmon tartare (can’t share something that good) and it came out with a gift from the chef – the eel carpaccio. I was super excited because it had sounded really intriguing on the menu. The server described the eel to us as “sushi deconstructed”. They take the whole eel, roll it up and thinly slice it (so thin it is translucent); then they top it with microgreens, rice pearls, and a delicious ginger sauce. I would come back just for that one dish alone. The salmon tartare was also excellent – it has nice big chunks of fish, it wasn’t chopped to death, and had a nice lemony taste. It was served w/ tiny diced accompaniments – hard boiled egg yolks and whites, red onion, capers – and topped with crispy croutons that added a nice change of texture. It was a good decision to get two. We also shared the diver scallops, which were perfectly seared and served with a crispy onion strings and a gorgeous shallot jus that was perfectly sweet and pungent. The server brought us another gift from the chef which, unlike the eel, was sent only to us and not the other tables. He told us that the chef liked us, I told him that we liked the chef, too. I saw him go over to Chef Mezick and tell him that we said we like him, too, and Mezick smiled and waved at us. It was really cute and special. The gift was the smoked salmon terrine (another dish we had really wanted to try). The smoked Atlantic salmon was thinly sliced and layered with super thin strips of cream cheese mixed with tobiko (flying fish roe), served with a salmon puree and dice cucumber. It was fresh and delicately balanced, another excellent dish. We both ordered the short rib entree as it is something that Michel Richard is famous for – braised for 72 hours at 56 degress C (132.8 degrees F) so that it is perfectly tender and still red, though it is thoroughly cooked. It was melt-in-your mouth good and served with an excellent wine reduction, perfectly cooked haricot verts, and a garlic potato puree. After all this, you would think that we wouldn’t have room for dessert (and we didn’t), but we ordered it anyway. We decided to try the banana split, which came with a ton of whipped cream; raspberry, chocolate, and caramel sauces; chocolate pearls and pineapple chunks; vanilla and chocolate ice cream; and strawberry sorbet. We ate the whole thing.

I may never be able to move again, but I am really happy. I can’t wait to go back, and I would love to try their lunch. Definitely check this place out, you won’t be disappointed. Oh, and ladies – the waiters are really cute. 😉

http://www.michelrichardva.com

An old friend of mine (think High School), came into town on business and we wanted to go out somewhere near Dupont Circle, where she was staying. We decided to try out Firefly, a bar and restaurant just south of Dupont. It was a Saturday night after 8, and the place was PACKED. Luckily, I had made reservations, something that I would recommend on weekend nights. They have only a very small bar section, 8 stools at the bar, and 3-4 bar tables. The decor is really cozy – there is a giant lantern hung tree in the middle, birch trunks along the walls, and candles everywhere.

The cocktail menu was really creative and we had a hard time choosing just a few drinks. I tried a grapefruit and campari drink that was gorgeously pink and perfectly bitter. My friend tried the Bacchus – involving vodka, white wine, and white grapes. Both drinks were strong but not overpowering. Later, we both tried the Opal – rum, chai tea, cream. Unfortunately it was WAY too strong, we could barely drink it. Not the sweet, creamy drink we were expecting.

The food menu is split into Picnic (small plates to share) and mains. Based on reviews I had read, we decided to order several small plates and skip the mains. I can’t say whether we missed out on a main, but every small plate we had was fantastic. We had deviled eggs with smoked paprika, caper powder, and garlic chips. They were pretty addictive, but an order ($5) only comes with 3 eggs. We also had the roasted baby beets with goat cheese, pistachio, fig vinegar, and micro arugula. The creamy goat cheese and spicy arugula balanced the sweet beets perfectly. The cheese plate contained a smokey blue, triple cream cow, soft goat, and Gruyere accompanied by a cranberry relish and micro greens. The portions of cheese were fairly generous. Then we had the ricotta gnocchi with oxtail ragout, marjoram, and Parmesan – perfectly cooked, savory, comforting. We also ordered a side of Parmesan truffle fries that were heavenly – served with some kind of tangy dipping sauce. This were so addictive that we had to order a second batch – paired with a sparkling wine as suggested by the bar menu. At this point, we were ridiculously full, but interested to try the desserts after seeing how playful the dinner menu was. We decided to split the caramelized banana split with ginger, maple-cinnamon, and vanilla ice creams. The cinnamon ice cream was our favorite, followed by the ginger – which was studded with bits of crystallized ginger – the vanilla got a bit lost with the other flavors. I LOVED the crunch of the caramelized surface of the banana, combined with the creamy interior. I may have to caramelize all of my bananas at home now.

All in all, it was a wonderful meal – fun, whimsical, and playful. I would definitely recommend it for getting together with friends. The decor is perfect for dates, but it was really loud – so maybe better on a slower night?

http://www.firefly-dc.com

Ever since our favorite local sushi place (Sakana) closed, we have been on the hunt for a new sushi haunt. We have passed Yoshi many times on our way to Bazin’s and finally made a reservation to go. Reservations are pretty much required on weekends because this place is TINY. They have maybe 12 two-tops that they can push together in different configurations. They were full to capacity the entire time we were there.

They only have one unfiltered sake, but it’s one that we like, so that was ok (we both prefer unfiltered sake pretty much exclusively). We started with pork gyoza dumplings that were very good – crispy on the outside, tender inside. Then we were served miso soup and salad, both were standard – the salad is iceberg, but the ginger dressing is good, and there were sliced radishes. I ordered a sashimi sampler (tuna, white tuna, salmon, yellowtail, eel). The portions were nice and the fish was fresh. My tamago omelette was a bit grey, but still sweet and tasty. We tried a few rolls – the yellowtail and green onion was fresh and light, though redundant with my yellowtail sashimi. I really liked the crispy salmon roll – salmon, eel, cream cheese, and avocado wrapped in rice paper, deep fried with black sesame sauce – but Jasper did not. He thought the crispy outside was too poke-y (you do have to be careful when you eat it). I thought it was warm and comforting and savory – the black sesame sauce was particularly interesting. I normally don’t like cream cheese in rolls, but when it is fried it’s ok because it gets warm and melty. We also tried the bagel roll – cream cheese, smoked salmon, avocado – which neither of us liked mostly due to the cold cream cheese issue. The Center St roll was good – similar to a caterpillar roll you would get at other places (shrimp tempura, eel, avocado, and asparagus wrapped in tuna, avocado). We were excited to see that they had fatty tuna on the menu, it was delicious of course, but also expensive. They also have fresh wasabi, which is a must for us. The real stuff is vastly different from the dyed green horseradish paste you normally see.

Overall, best local place we have found so far (still not as good as Sakana, which I miss dearly). I would like to come back and try the cooked dishes like sukiyaki and yaki niku.

http://www.sushiyoshivienna.com