Sushi Taro (Washington, DC)

Sushi Taro! I've been dreaming of going there again after first eating there some three weeks ago.


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Premise:

I had their sushi bento box ($13.25) last time:

And it was almost too much food! And for so cheap, too~ a person can get crap sushi in DC for so much more money than this.

My Experience:

I woke up late today so I decided to just walk to Sushi Taro without eating breakfast, which took about 15 minutes. Sushi Taro is located on top of the CVS at the intersection of 17th Street NW and P St NW. Normally people would just pass by it because it is such a small sign, especially since it is on top of another store.

I was seated promptly, as there weren't that many people at the restaurant. I was asked to eat at the bar, however, because I was a single diner. I had fun staring at the Japanese sakes while waiting for the food. The waitress was friendly, and refilled my tea when I needed it (unlike some other DC restaurants that even charge for the tea! Sushi Taro tea was free ^^)


Since I had the bento box last time, I decided to get the Bara Chirashi Set ($18) since I didn't know what Chirashi was (I just wikipedia'd it), and because it was expensive I thought it had to be good.

The set came with chawanmushi (which I have eaten before, but of which I didn't know the name):

And also with miso soup:

The miso tasted kind of funny, though. Anyway, the chirashi came and I was shocked. It was huge!


Like the "jewel box" the website described it as, it really was filled with all sorts of goodies - from tuna to unagi to sponge cake to salmon roe, it had everything! Well, except for the vegetables the description mentioned.


And I took a picture of the napkin, because I am weird like that. They have really nice napkins with a really cool logo. Legitly Japanese ;)

Rating:
Price Range: $$

For a sushi restaurant, the price is actually not too high. The daily special contains loads of stuff and only costs $12 including two side dishes (today's was fried shrimp curry, but I didn't feel like eating fried things). It really depends on how much one wants to spend on lunch, since all the items on the menu are enough to satisfy one's lunch cravings.
As for dinner, it gets more complicated. Sushi Taro is known for its kaiseki dinners which cost $75+ per person. I want to try it, but it's just awkward eating such a fancy dinner by myself even though I'm the type of person who would go any length for good food.

Environment: 4.5/5 - awesome

Clean, classy, nice decor. I'm giving it a "great" rating because though dress code is casual, the restaurant has that classy Japanese joint feel and is not populated by ignorant non-sushi eaters (well, the guy sitting next to me asked for a spoon for the miso... you just don't drink miso with a spoon...) and actually has Japanese people eating there, which means the stuff is legit. Waiters/tresses are courteous. Though the restaurant isn't that big, its small size makes the space feel cozy and personal, and the tempo is slowed down because of that. Overall, I like the feel of the restaurant.

Food: 5/5 - nomworthy

First time seeing me use "nomworthy," eh? Well, it's nomworthy because it's really good! The fish was really fresh (well, if I don't say anything bad about it tomorrow it means I didn't die, so wait till tomorrow), the presentation is beautiful, it came with side dishes (I love those), and the portion was really reasonable for the amount paid.
The bento box I had last time was really good, too! Lots of variety for such a small sum! I had a taiyaki for dessert last time, and it tasted good, albeit a bit dry. Finally, the tea was complimentary which is a plus because DC Asian joints are cray cray for charging money for tea!

Overall: 5/5 - nomworthy

Certainly the best Japanese restaurant I have visited since coming to DC (believe me - I've gone to at least 5 "Japanese" restaurants and this is the only authentic one with authentic Japanese people who make the food - even the front desk lady speaks Japanese!). I look forward to eating at Sushi Taro again, hopefully for a kaiseki meal.

Food Corner Kabob House (Washington, DC)

Kabobs!! Yes - the famous Food Corner Kabob House of Dupont Circle. I've ordered twice from there (ordered online, picked up food to go), and they always gave so much food! I love food.


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Premise:
The Kabob House is located at a very convenient location to me, so it's a quick grab-n-go dinner place because after I order the food online, it usually only takes 25 minutes (less, even) for the food to be ready for pick-up.

My Experience:

I don't have many pictures of the place because I'm always in a hurry when I go to get food from there. The Dupont Circle location is located on the second floor of a small building, with a setup much like that of a fast food restaurant. I haven't eaten in yet, but apparently the owners are super friendly.

Today I wasn't too hungry so I ordered the Shami Kabob Sandwich ($6.40) which was definitely enough for a meal. IT contained one piece of Shami kabob meat, and was wrapped in delicious Naan with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and sauce inside.

I got there within 20 minutes' time, and they were already ready with my food. I grabbed it and came back to the Center.

Rating:
Price Range: $

They give you so much food for the amount of money you pay! The sandwich was a great deal because it was enough for a meal (well, for me at least), and it was less than $10.

Environment: 3/5

I haven't eaten in yet so I can't say for sure how nice it is to eat in, but they were able to get my order ready really quickly so that is a plus.

Food: 4/5 - good

Delicious kabobs! Last time I had a combo in which I got chicken and shami kabobs. When I ordered the kabob dinner, the order came with my choice of a side (I got spinach), kabobs, rice, a huge piece of naan, lettuce, and that green sauce you pour over the kabobs. The sandwich I had was about 3/5 that size, I believe. Anyway, the meat was seasoned well and it was really good. I wish I can have the lamb ones but sadly, due to dietary restrictions, I couldn't.

Overall: 4/5 - good

Good food, fast service, and great price. Apparently they are open till late too so I think I will be living on late-night kabobs for a while. Furthermore, their website design is user-friendly, which is always a plus. I love ordering food online, because it seems like food appeared out of thin air... alright I'm not crazy (sort of).

Teaism (Washington, DC)

I went to the Washington National Cathedral today and on the way back to Dupont Circle I decided to make a detour and stop at Teaism on R street.


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Premise:

I have read of some good Yelp reviews of this Teaism location, so I've wanted check it out since coming to DC. It's apparently good for breakfast and lunch, and it's pretty close to Dupont Circle.

My experience:

As soon as I walked in, I was taken aback. It wasn't quite the atmosphere I expected - instead of sitting down and ordering, customers have to order at the cashier and bring the food to wherever they will be sitting, even if the food is an entree and not just tea. I was a bit disappointed at this because I had expected the place to be more classy than that.

So, I went up to the counter to place my order after perusing the menus. The place is known for its tea and Asian fusion cuisine. Since I wasn't too hungry at 3:30pm, I decided to go for dessert and tea.

I ordered the Keemun Tea ($2.75) and the Hungarian Tea Cake ($4.00)


I wish that they had made the order prettier. Some higher-end cafes would maybe dust their desserts in some powdered sugar with a stencil, presenting the food in a fashionable manner. Anyway, I took the food upstairs...


And there was a cozy corner that is right by a window! I was happy that the setting is serene. However, the noise level wasn't the best for working - it seemed more of a social tea parlor than a "alone time" one.

Rating:
Price range: $

It's a good place for lunch, because the prices are pretty reasonable. I don't know about the taste of the food, though. Yelp says their food is good; I can only try it myself next time I come here. The teas weren't cheap, though - some of them were as much as $12 per 2 ounce bag!

Environment: 4/5 - good

Cozy, close to Dupont Circle, and relatively peaceful. I have to check it out during lunchtime rush hour to see how the traffic goes. Cashiers weren't the most welcoming, but whatever. They can fix up the cushions a bit, though - they are pretty worn. 2nd floor is very cozy; 1st floor seemed more of a cafe setup. Be warned, though: they don't have many seats!

Food: 3.5/5 - above average

I only ordered tea and dessert here,so I wouldn't know how good the rest of their stuff is. The tea was okay - no "wow" factor for me. Tea cake was good, but nothing spetacular. I would like to try their entrees sometime.

Overall: 4/5 - good

I wouldn't come specifically for the food, but I would for some me-time and for some sit-down relaxation. The atmosphere is good, and I would come again.