Before the pandemic, Sushi Taro had become the king of high-end sushi in DC. They ditched their regular menu and focused on a set menu which made the dinner experience a pricey affair. They still offered a limited a la carte menu at lunch.
But since their reopening for dine-in they have gone back to a full menu with quite a few specials. For most practical purposes it is once again a place you can casually pop into and experience a rarefied cuisine without making this into an entire evening of dinner-as-theatre.
Once again you can enjoy fantastic homemade noodles at any meal. I went for a special of soba in a cold broth with sudashi, a Japanese citrus. Very thin slices of this green fruit were floating atop the soup, and I was encourage to eat the slices whole, peel and all. This was a sublime experience with chewy noodles a light delicious broth and the excitement of the sudashi.
I then went for an item on the regular menu, soft shell crab tempura made with squid ink. What came out was shocking to look at: a coal black crustacean that looked like it didn’t survive an oil spill. Kind of horrifying, actually. The squid ink made the tempura batter a bit thick as it seemed to absorb the frying oil more thoroughly than you’d normally expect from tempura. The result was rich and very filling. This is a dish best shared.
Whatever else you order here, the homemade noodles are one of the best delights of eating in DC.