Today for lunch my friend Witney and I headed to Sushi Taro, a Dupont-area restaurant that’s known for its authentic Japanese cuisine and fresh ingredients (including fish flown in daily from Japan). The environment within the restaurant, which underwent a complete renovation a few years ago, was quiet and calm, even at 12:15 p.m. on a busy workday.
Since it was lunchtime, we opted for a few items off their à la carte menu, but the food was good enough that I’d love to return sometime for their full kaiseki experience, which features a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner.
Witney began her meal with a simple bowl of miso soup ($3.50). In addition to the usual negi onions, it also featured a flavorful cabbage-like green that she enjoyed (quote Witney: “I looove cabbage!”).
In sticking with tradition, the soup was meant to be sipped, rather than spooned. Witney was happy to model proper technique.
For the main feature, I was in the mood for a big bowl of broth and noodles (perhaps I’m subconsciously trying to hold on to the winter-that-never-really-happened here in D.C.?), so I ordered the beef udon ($12). It was really delicious, with thick, dense noodles, tender, thinky-sliced beef, a few slices of kamaboko, and a flavorful broth that was among the best I’ve ever had.
We also ordered a couple of maki rolls, including the california roll ($9.95), which featured lump crab, avocado, and cucumber. This roll was fresh, densely packed, and large, but overall the flavor wasn’t anything extraordinary (it reminded me a lot of the california roll with fresh crabmeat at Spices). The fresh grated wasabi was a nice touch.
Our other sushi choice – the wild shrimp tempura roll ($12.50) with lettuce and mayo – was more memorable. The crisp tempura coated shrimp that was perfectly moist, and the lettuce added a really nice crunch.
My big regret from our visit to Sushi Taro is that we didn’t order anything that featured their true specialty – raw fish selected by hand and trimmed to perfection. A return visit is definitely in order, so be on the lookout for Sushi Taro Part 2. In the meantime, though, I highly recommend this as a quick destination for those “get away from the office and relax a bit” lunches that can be oh so essential sometimes.
For those who are as disappointed as I am that we didn’t go for the kaiseki menu, Alex over at Wong Eats has just posted a full review. Enjoy! http://wongeats.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/sushi-taro-kaiseki-tasting-menu/
Thanks for adding my link to your site. Cheers!
I was actually disappointed with the place…but I was told the tasting menu is actually very good. I would definitely give it another try. Btw, you’ve got a nice shot of the interior there.
Thanks!