Sushi Taro was formerly known as good, sometimes great Sushi for the masses. Simple, clean, delicious sushi in an authentic atmosphere at moderate prices. Then the announcement came that this institution would be closing down for renovations that would transform this layman’s sushi joint to an institution of finer Japanese dining. I and many other Washingtonians were devastated.
If it aint broke, don’t fix it – says the old adage.
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But my latest trip to the new “dining destination” proved that, in the case of Sushi Taro, it is dead wrong.
According to the review by Sietsema, Sushi Taro’s renovation comes to elevate Japanese dining here in Washington DC. “Chicken teriyaki and spicy tuna roll are not exactly authentic Japanese food,” says Nobu Yamazaki in an interview with Sietsema.
Can’t disagree with the man.
The best way to enjoy Sushi Taro (if you have the bankroll) is experiencing a Kaiseki Tasting a 10-course meal of sushi, sashimi and other small Japanese dishes ($65 Sashimi, $75 Sushi). This kaiseki tasting is what elevates a mere meal at Sushi Taro into a true experience. They also have an a la carte menu with a pretty price tag, but it is justified by the fact that all the fish is flown in daily from the famed Tsukiji Market in Japan.
Kaiseki was born in the cultural center of Kyoto as an accessory to the tea ceremony. A few simple small dishes were first presented to complement the tea and prevent guest from drinking on an empty stomach. It eventually evolved into an elaborate ceremony – an art form really. Each dish has a perfect balance of flavors, taste, texture and presentation. All ingredients in kaiseki are seasonal, representing the height of each season. Read more from the Food Ambassador on the ceremony of kaiseki here.
Through my own kaiseki ceremony at Sushi Taro, I FINALLY began to understand the hype behind Japan as one of the food capitals of the world. As I made my way through the ten course ceremony accompanied by matcha green tea, I felt I was instantly transported to Kyoto…Right in the heart of Dupont Circle.
This ceremony was truly an art form! Each course was truly a feast for the eyes, a symphony for the mouth and induced happiness in my heart! 
The first course was a silky rich sesame tofu topped with uni and natto in a light vegetable broth – silky, nutty, briny, sweet, it was a harmonious blend of flavors.
This was followed by a vegetable jelly with bonito, Japanese yam, bamboo and corn on top of corn mash with yuzu zest – a textural delight!
Our first sushi course was soy sauce marinated Tuna, Yellowtail with Yuzu, and flounder. The Tuna was disappointingly stringy, but the yellowtail with yuzu, and flounder was just fresh and wonderful.
I was really struck by how beautiful all the presentations were. The sushi was accompanied by a brush and soy sauce box that reminded you of the art form that sushi could be. When at any old sushi restaurant, I often get carried away, dunking the whole sushi in the soy sauce with a ton of wasabi. But you realize that sushi chefs work to provide the perfect hit of wasabi and marinade for the rice to create the right balance of flavor. The brush served its purpose of reminding me to use the soy sauce as an accent, and NOT the dominating flavor.
The next sushi course was the Bonito Tuna (skip jack), sardine, and Giant Clam. The seared skip jack had a luxurious velvety texture. Sardine had very strong flavor similar to the sawara (Spanish mackerel) and the skin was surprisingly delicate. Giant clam had briny sweet taste and very crunchy bite – a nice complement to the softer textures of the fish.
For our fry course came the shrimp croquette with Japanese pepper in teriyaki sauce and mustard. The crispy hard outside gave way to a warm creamy and rich inner filling of shrimp, potatoes vegetables. Dontkatsu style fruity sauce cut the greasy feel and gave the fry course a nice tangy kick.
The presentation of the soup was a serious production. An engraved rock with a live flame was the base for the bowl of soup. In the soup was an egg, fish and shrimp ball, wintermelon, Yuzu and Seaweed. The broth was a bit bland, but the wintermelon was a pleasant addition, which was similar to braised radish used in Korean soups, but slightly crunchier and tangier.
Sawara with kelp seaweed, salmon roe with perilla leaf and snapper wrapped in bamboo leaves followed suit. It’s the little details that distinguishes Sushi Taro from the ordinary and makes this meal into a ceremony and art. The peppery punch from the perilla leaf balanced the salty beads of salmon roe. The earthy kelp seaweed grounded the fishy mackerel, and added a fun factor with its chewiness. The mint on the snapper surprisingly didn’t overpower the fish, but made it POP with flavor.
The surprise sushi course was your oyster to harvest. You have your choice of all the fresh Tsukiji Market fish, minus the abalone. I chose the sweet Uni, milky and buttery white salmon, and velvety bluefin toro. I once had a melt in your mouth yellowtail experience at Sushi Taro which was often imitated but never successfully duplicated. On this particular visit – the bluefin toro was the single piece of sushi that made me want to stop time to extend the pleasure of the moment.
Our last sushi course was the mild young sardine, octopus and fatty tuna with cucumber hand roll.
In simple Japanese fashion – the meal was closed out with a small bite of fruit jelly and roasted barley tea –보리차 (Barley tea) which is to Koreans what Green Tea is to the Japanese. Although my American tastes made me wont for something sweeter and more substantive, I realized my belly was the perfect state of full. I was happy from a great LONG conversation, stimulated taste buds, and satiated appetite.
Keep in mind that this ceremony is best experienced with a companion with whom you can converse for hours on end. My dinner with my dad lasted a good 3 hours. This probably isn’t somewhere you want to take a risk with on a first date!
Thanks for posting about this, I would love to read more about this topic.