Cranes

Cranes is a one-star Michelin restaurant offering Spanish-Japanese Kaiseki from Chef Pepe Moncayo. Offering seasonal tapas, desserts and bento omakase menu, we went for Winter Restaurant Week. Closest Metro is Gallery Place.

Kaiju Ramen

Kaiju Ramen is specializing in authentic Japanese ramen with a variety of Japanese beer and Japanese Sake. Kaiju means "monster" in Japanese.  They source the highest quality products and ingredients both locally and direct from Japanese suppliers, and their noodles are made in-house daily.  Closest Metro is Eastern Market.

Kōbō

Kōbō is the small chef's sushi counter inside of Sushiko in Chevy Chase that serves dishes that are even more focused and intimate. The sushi is closer to true edomae style, using red vinegar from Yokoi Jozo that utilizes sake leaves in the rice to make it a maroon color. A set menu called the Kappo is available for $160 per person in regular, vegetarian, and vegan options.  We went to enjoy the Winter Experience to celebrate the start of Keith's birthday weekend. Closest Metro is Friendship Heights.

Himitsu

Himitsu is a Japanese-inspired restaurant combining freshness, acidity and herbs, leaning heavily on Latin American and Southeast Asian flavor profiles. Reservations are not accepted in this tiny 24-seat restaurant, so be prepared to wait in line.  Seating is based on a first-come, first serve basis, for parties of 4 or less.  They will also take names and numbers and send a text when your table is ready. Closest Metro is Petworth.

Omakase

Omakase is a Japanese sushi bar in Aruba located in the Manchebo Beach Resort.  There are only 8 seats where Chef Mylene Lapinid, originally from the Philippines, perfects her craft in front of the diners.  She learned from a master chef who taught her the traditional art of sushi making and her cheerful disposition only adds to the fun dining experience.

Chicken Ramen 101 @ Bantam King

*Sponsored Post
​Bantam King will be offering their first "Chicken Ramen 101" - a lecture, demo, and tasting experience - beginning on Saturday, November 12, 2016. Featuring partners Executive Chef Katsuya Fukushima and Daisuke Utagawa (of Daikaya fame), the dynamic duo will continue to educate and satiate scores of ​ramen lovers by hosting the first round of classes in November, with additional dates to be announced in the near future.  I was invited to a sneak "slurp" preview and share my insider pictures below.

Sushi Ogawa

From the owners of my beloved Sushi Capitol, comes Sushi Ogawa, offering a simple and traditional menu of Japanese and Washoku sushi. Officially opened on February 1, 2016, we made reservations for Valentine's Day in order to check out the prefix Omakase (Chef's choice course) menu for $60.  Closest Metro is Dupont Circle.

Sushi Taro

Sushi Taro underwent a makeover in late 2008 when Chef Nobu Yamazaki wanted to "change the direction of Japanese cooking in this city". Located upstairs from a CVS store, Sushi Taro is notably the finest source of sushi in Washington with an alluring setting in which to admire it. The only restaurant to offer Kaiseki, "a traditional dining experience that combines the elegance of Japan's ancient courtly cuisine with the simplicity of Buddhist temple fare", Sushi Taro is a hidden gem and deserves credit as one of DC's finest restaurants. Closest Metro is Dupont Circle.

Ariang Japanese Steakhouse

Ariang Japanese Steakhouse is located in Woodbridge, VA and offers a wide selection of sushi, bento boxes, hibachi, and other Japanese fare.  The interior is casual, and not as crowded for lunch, which is where we decided to treat my mom for Mother's Day this year.

Daikaya

Daikaya is a new Japanese restaurant in Penn Quarter from Chefs Yama Jewayni, Katsuya Fukushima, and Daisuke Utagawa as a collaborative effort to bring the "vibrant aesthetics and camaraderie of Japanese casual dining" to DC.  With a fast pace ramen shop on the first floor and an izakaya on the second floor, there are many modern touches seen in the menu of traditional dishes.  Closest Metro is Chinatown-Gallery Place.

Izakaya Seki

Izakaya Seki is a "special kind of place where friends gather to enjoy sake and eat foods that pair well with sake."  We first had a true izakaya experience in Japan, and found this charming row house-turned-restaurant to offer the same convivial experience.  Closet Metro is U Street.

Morimoto

Morimoto is a cutting-edge restaurant serving contemporary Japanese cuisine in Philadelphia, PA. Chef Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame prepares traditional dishes with a modern flair.  From the restaurant's website: "Chef Morimoto, born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan, learned the art of sushi and traditional kaiseki cuisine by training under several of his country’s esteemed master chefs. After being the chef-owner of a restaurant in Japan for five years, Chef Morimoto moved to New York City to explore western cooking styles. Fifteen years later, he has become well known for his unsurpassed culinary talent."

Wakaba

On our last day in Tokyo, we had some time to kill before leaving for the airport and so we went back to the Tsukiji Market area one last time.  Along the main street outside the market area are more food vendors in makeshift stalls selling sushi and noodle dishes.  It was just before 10am, yet most places were already packed with businessmen eating a late breakfast.  I spotted steaming bowls of fresh ramen being served by Wakaba and convinced Keith to stop so we could each get a bowl.

Kyubey

Founded in 1935, Kyubey is a high-end sushi restaurant in between the Ginza and Shimbashi districts of Tokyo, Japan that has been named as one of the ten best restaurants in Asia.  We were inspired to try Kyubey after reading a post from the Tiny Urban Kitchen.  She wrote: "Yosuke Imada is the second generation chef-owner and has won numerous awards for his restaurant, including a Michelin star back in 2008. In fact, Chef Imada is obsessed with freshness and quality that he makes sure Kyubey serves only local, Japanese fish. There are no imports here but over 40 types of local wonders. Being one of the biggest players in the fish market (Tsujiki Fish Market is less than a 10 minute walk away), Kyubey has access to some of the top picks at the fish market, and Imada makes sure he gets it." 

Cafe Hula Hawaii

We planned a little day trip this Friday and took an hour train ride southeast from Tokyo to the beach town of Kamakura.  In between sight-seeing we were hungry for lunch and spotted Cafe Hula Hawaii located on the corner of the main train station.  Having grown up in Hawaii, I was intrigued - "Hawaiian food? In Japan?... Let's check it out."

Tsunahachi Honten

Founded by Kyuzo Shimura in 1923, Tsunahachi Honten opened its doors ushering in the restaurant's long and illustrious history in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo, Japan. Honten means "original shop" and is housed in a traditional, albeit extended building that was pretty easy to find. "Serving delicious tempura to as many customers as possible," is their motto.

Sobakichi Shimmarubiru (ソバキチ ～新丸ビル～)

Sobakichi Shimmarubiru is located on the seventh floor of an office building called the Shin-Marunouchi Building, near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.  The commercial zone building is based on the concept of "having a delightful time" and hosts approximately 150 distinctive shops and restaurants. We found Sobakichi on the building's main directory outside as a "last resort-we are starving-let's just go somewhere" lunch spot.  Offering mainly soba and udon noodles from 650-1300 JPY, there are also cheaply priced deep-fried skewers of fish, vegetables and meats starting at just 150 JPY per skewer.

Gonpachi

If the screen shots of Uma Thurman in a yellow jumpsuit didn't clue you in, Gonpachi is the place that inspired the Lucy Liu sequence in Kill Bill (think Charlie Brown and the Crazy 88). Located in the middle of Roppongi, one of the busiest and foreign friendly parts of Tokyo, the building itself is almost quaint outside with a nice garden, some seats with umbrellas, but nothing flashy hinting at the sprawling room inside.

Rangetsu

In June 2011, Rangetsu celebrated its 65th anniversary of operations in the heart of the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan where it began in 1947 as a family operation founded by Mr. Masanori Konaka. In Japanese Rangetsu means "Orchid Moon" and thus defines the soft and romantic spirit of the restaurant.  We arrived in Tokyo on a Tuesday afternoon and after getting settled in to our hotel, we freshened up and went to the Ginza district to walk around.  This area is next to the financial district and is filled with many high-end stores and restaurants. Keith had done all the dining research before our trip and picked Rangetsu for us to try.

Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya

The Katsu-Ya group has 5 locations in Southern California and continues to grow. Under Chef Katsuya Uechi, Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya opened in Manhattan Beach, CA in January 2010.  Chef Uechi analyzed eating habits of the American public and stepped outside of what is considered to be Japanese cuisine, mixed with California-style cuisine. He is responsible for setting a fire to a new sushi trend which many other restaurant followed suit and now has a growing empire.