For diners looking for an authentic taste of Japanese cuisine without the airfare, Kushi Izakaya & Sushi has just introduced its new Omakase menu collection. “Omakase,” literally meaning “entrust” in Japanese, includes a full nine course tasting menu and smaller, more condensed seven course menu created by Kushi’s chefs which navigate through many areas of Japanese cuisine, allowing diners to truly see the vast preparations, cooking styles and ingredients used in Japanese cuisine. Available only at the robata and sushi counters to allow complete chef interaction, Kushi’s new Omakase menus change every 3 weeks and are an exciting and unique look into Japanese cuisine.

During an omakase, the chef introduces a series of dishes, gradually ranging from smaller, lighter plates such as otoshi (appetizer) and fresh fish sashimi to heavier grilled items such as kushiyaki (grilled skewers) and robata (charcoal grill items). All dishes are personally selected by the chef himself and constantly change depending on the seasonal product availability.

Kushi offers two Omakase menus, a nine-course menu and a seven-course menu. The nine-course menu includes: Otoshi (appetizer), sashimi, clear broth, kobachi (small plate), kushiyaki (grilled skewers), robata (charcoal grill), mini signature cocktail, sushi and two desserts. Kushi’s smaller seven course omakase includes otoshi, sashimi, clear broth, kobachi, kushiyaki, mini signature cocktail, sushi and a signature dessert. Kushi’s omakase menu holds the highest standard and aims to provide a unique insight into Japanese cuisine. “Omakase is an opportunity for the chef to surprise diners with interesting flavor combinations and really display our chef’s artistic culinary ability,” says Darren Lee Norris, Kushi’s co-owner.


The omakase menus at Kushi change every three weeks. The current full menu is listed below.


OMAKASE CHEF’S TASTING MENU

Seasonal chef’s nine-course tasting menu featuring the best of what spring has to offer.

OTOSHI (Appetizer)
fatty tuna with scallion and pickled daikon radish

SASHIMI
otoro/extra fatty tuna, hirame/flounder, botan ebi/large spot prawn, hotate/scallop, aji/horse mackerel



CLEAR BROTH
red snapper, lime wedge, scallion

KOBACHI (small plate)
yahata roll: sea-water eel wrapped gobo root, urajiro shiitake: fried shrimp stuffed shiitake mushroom, grilled squid and uni sauce, Chinese celery with moromi miso, Japanese bayberry compote



KUSHIYAKI (grilled skewers)
3 skewers of chicken meat ball, nori and soy sauce grilled scallop, beef kalbi short rib



ROBATA (charcoal grill)
fire roasted baby conch with shiso butter, lobster tail grilled with housemade tartar sauce


MINI COCKTAIL
muddled cucumber & mint simple syrup, calpico, sudachi shochu

SUSHI
nigiri: “zuke” marinated tuna, uni/sea urchin, ikura/salmon roe, tamago/omelette, anago/sea-water eel

DESSERT 1
rice cake and bean paste with brown sugar syrup


DESSERT 2
sweet potato bean cake with “hoji” roasted hot tea



Kushi also offers an optional sake pairing with both omakase menus which typically includes a tasting of three to five different sake, ranging from drier options like Kubota “Senju”, Niigata tokubetsu honjozo, to pair with lighter fish and sashimi, and sweeter options like Hakushika “Snow Beauty”, Hyogo nigori, to pair with desserts.

Kushi’s nine-course omakase menu is available for $60 per person and the seven-course omakase is available for $40 per person Wednesday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the sushi or robata counters. Dining at the chef’s counter is part of the full omakase experience and allows the chef to be interactive with diners and discuss the dishes being served. Kushi’s optional sake pairing with the full omakase menu is available for an additional $30 per person, and $20 per person with the seven course omakase menu.



About Kushi Izakaya & Sushi

Kushi is an authentic Japanese izakaya and sushi bar located in the new City Vista building 465 K Street, NW in Washington DC’s Mt. Vernon Neighborhood. “Most family-run Izakaya in Japan rely on neighborhood customers who dine two to three times per week. It was important to us to open in a tight-knit neighborhood,” notes Co-Owner Darren Lee Norris. The 4000 square foot space was designed by Bethesda, MD based Heiserman Group and is Tokyo-influenced, featuring reclaimed wood bar tops, large paper lanterns imported from Japan and 18-foot ceilings. Kushi features an unparalleled beverage program featuring the region’s largest selection of sake, shochu and Japanese microbrews. The beverage program perfectly complements Kushi’s menu of charcoal grilled robata and kushiyaki cuisine and fresh sushi prepared by Japanese experts. For additional information, please contact Kushi at (202) 682-3123.