Izakaya Seki, U Street Corridor - Chef Hiroshi Seki and GM Cizuka Seki on 11th and V Streets

[Marty L.]

Head's up -- Seki is serving a 21-item osechi box for New Year's Eve (until midnight, I believe), that is said to be enough for two people, perhaps even more if slightly supplemented by regular menu items.  $110, which is approximately one-third of the price of the osechi box at Taro (http://www.sushitaro.com/OSECHI_poster_2014.pdf) (which I'm sure will also be great, but way out of my price range).

If I didn't have longstanding dinner plans, I'd definitely be there!  If you go, please report back here.

Happy New Year, Cizuka and Hiroshi!

Bumping up, for those of you who still don't have plans for this evening . . . and to welcome Seki to its well-deserved third page!  

[ol_ironstomach]

What a pleasant little gem of a place to just go and take a meal.  Especially the sashimi.  I don't know where the shellfish came from, but the cuttlefish was almost obscenely creamy, and you needed to make yourself slow down to enjoy the tender slices of octopus - it was full of flavor that just kept giving and giving.

Bonus points for the background music, an eclectic mix of mostly '70s and '80s that included Beatles, Zep, Talking Heads.

[Cizuka Seki]

Bonus points for the background music, an eclectic mix of mostly '70s and '80s that included Beatles, Zep, Talking Heads.

Its about time someone appreciated my taste in music. Haha!

[turbogrrl]

Its about time someone appreciated my taste in music. Haha!

I have been appreciating your taste in music every time I go!! But invariably I get distracted by the food...

[Cizuka Seki]

WE ARE OPEN TONIGHT FROM 5-9PM.  IF YOU ARE HUNGRY, WE WILL FEED YOU.

[jasonc]

deft photoshop work.

[turbogrrl]

The little fried baby Cthulhu on the specials menu, sprinkled with cracked pepper, are magical. I've never found an Elder God so delicious and adorable.

I'm also enjoying the eel and cucumber, even more so because Nick and I carefully split the eel evenly between us but he only takes one or two of the cucumber. Mine. All mine!

Last night we were seated at the bar next to a couple (and their adorable daughter!) who first started going to Mr. Seki's restaurant in St. Louis when they were dating in the early 90s. They had been heartbroken when he vanished, and very very happy to find him again.

[eatruneat]

When people ask me what my favorite restaurant in DC is, I usually reply, "There are so many good places, I can't pick a favorite. It really depends on my mood." But if you looked at my dining calendar, you would probably think my favorite restaurant is Izakaya Seki. And I think it is too.

My boyfriend and I went to Izakaya Seki on Friday evening to celebrate one year of dating. The wait was only 20 minutes before we were seated on the lower level. We ordered a plate of sashimi with an additional order of toro because we can't get enough raw fish at this place. I really want to do one dinner here with just sashimi and cured fish but I can't help but ordering the cooked food as well. We added to our order with my boyfriend's favorite item, the taka wasa, a trio of vegetables (how is the spinach so much better than all other spinaches?), and the fried baby octopus above. We have ordered the octopus many times before but this time, Chef Seki garnished it with a baby crab (not alive) which was very cute and playful. We thought it was so great we took the crab home with us to have around until it starts deteriorating. Since we were sitting right in front of Chef Seki, we asked for his a recommendation and he enthusiastically told us to order the aji tataki (Spanish Mackerel served raw and then deep fried) and we are so glad we did. The fish comes out whole with cuts in the belly and served with herbs and ginger. We ate as much raw fish as we could pick with our chopsticks. Then the fish was taken away, deep fried, and brought back to us, at which point we ate the rest of the fish except for the head (though we tried to get as much flesh as possible from the cheeks) and the tail. It was excellent. Finally, we also ordered the chicken meatball, another favorite. I just wish there was still the option of the egg yolk to dip it in.

My boyfriend and I have eaten at either Daikaya Izakaya or Izakaya Seki three out of the last five weekends. There is something to be said that neither of us have thought twice about going to either of the places on such a regular basis. Either the restaurants are darn delicious and fun or we are izakaya fiends.

[turbogrrl]

Nothing drives home the fact that I want to eat here once a week like looking at a calendar and remembering that Seki is closed through the 8th. To make up for that I went twice last week, but still.

They've made a change to the chicken kara-age: it's now served with a dashi rather than the garlic puree. I can understand wanting to make it lighter for summer but I miss the delicious garlic. I can make up for this slightly by ordering the tuna tataki, which for the last couple of months has been served with fried garlic chips, which are addictive. And in this hot weather I'm loving the cold soba; it's great to share, as everyone gets their own little dipping sauce.

Right. I can hold out a week.

[Cizuka Seki]

Nothing drives home the fact that I want to eat here once a week like looking at a calendar and remembering that Seki is closed through the 8th. To make up for that I went twice last week, but still.

They've made a change to the chicken kara-age: it's now served with a dashi rather than the garlic puree. I can understand wanting to make it lighter for summer but I miss the delicious garlic. I can make up for this slightly by ordering the tuna tataki, which for the last couple of months has been served with fried garlic chips, which are addictive. And in this hot weather I'm loving the cold soba; it's great to share, as everyone gets their own little dipping sauce.

Right. I can hold out a week.

Jen, thank you for the kind words and your patience! We're back tomorrow from a much needed rest....although my version of "rest" was working as a stage in Tokyo :-)

[mdt]

Went on Sunday at sat at the bar downstairs. While watching the food being prepared and going out we decided on the large sashimi plate from the specials menu and were not disappointed. That along with the mushroom plate and some sake made for a terrific dinner. Every time we go we wonder why we wait so long between visits.

[dinoue]

Went without the kids for the first time last week Friday close to 11:00 at night after a friend's birthday party. Unfortunately for us, restaurant was packed so we still had to sit at a table. Great sashimi platter with generous slices of toro and what  I assume was buri (fatty hamachi). Also had a a wonderful aji tataki with both green onion and shiso. Rouget karaage was also great where the whole fish is eaten. Waiting for them to start serving whole sparrow on a stick like I ate in Japan when my classmates thought it would be fun to get the exchange student drunk and start feeding him all the weirdest things on the menu. Seriously, where Seki continues to shine is doing a "simple" seasonal menu and doing everything very well.

[turbogrrl]

Braved the cold tonight for some fantastic dishes at Seki: fried baby octopus, an amazing made-to-order omelet, aji tataki, ara yaki, a salmon roe rice ball, and a glass of the Nikka Coffey Grain whiskey.

Also, the soundtrack tonight was kickin. <3

[dinoue]

I think it's worth mentioning that Seki is now serving a different draft from the traditional Sapporo which is much better. I forget exactly what the name of it was, reserve? Perhaps Cizuka-san can chime in?

Food was fantastic as always, now two years in a row that our daughter has chosen Seki for her birthday dinner.

[Tweaked]

I guess its tough to call Seki my new favorite restaurant in DC. After all they have been open for a couple of years now. But damn this place is good. Like, close your eyes, point at something random and it will be good, good.

Breaded pork belly on skewers, grilled mackerel, spinach in a miso dressing, fried chicken, rice balls, fried sardines, soba noodles. All damn tasty.

[darkstar965]

I guess its tough to call Seki my new favorite restaurant in DC. After all they have been open for over a year and more. But damn this place is good. Like, close your eyes, point at something random and it will be good, good.

Breaded pork belly on skewers, grilled mackerel, spinach in a miso dressing, fried chicken, rice balls, fried sardines, soba noodles. All damn tasty.

For those out at restaurants even semi-regularly, it's hard (and unnecessary) to post here about all meals out. Don't want to repeat something already posted, etc. But, those issues aside, there sometimes are posts I do intend to make but then can't or don't get to it soon enough. With too much time lag, the specific dish recollections fade.

Such is my lot with a meal we had at Seki maybe three months ago. We took some friends not very familiar with Japanese cuisine to thank them for help they'd given us.

The pork belly skewers and spinach dishes Tweaked had, we had also. Beyond that and a few sushi courses that were absolutely fantastic, I can't remember the specifics.

That said, I'll sleep better now having made this post just to share that:

- Cizuka took care of us so hospitably and expertly, the memory of that remains vivid

- The food was outstanding; virtually every course of the tasting menu Cizuka suggested

- The value was eyebrow raising. Can't remember what we paid but, for what we had, it seemed unfair to the restaurant.

We don't get here often enough. It's a truly wonderful and incredibly special place. Our friends, not at all prone to hyperbole, raved about it and that's no exaggeration. We've been maybe 10-12 times over the few (or several?) years they've been open but that December dinner was the most recent.

If you've never been, go. If it's been a long time, go back. If you get lucky enough to have Cizuka as your server, trust in her fully and let her guide you. Be forewarned if you don't know her and don't ask, she probably won't even tell you she is an owner just taking care of your table.

That is all. And, thank you Cizuka! You, your father and your Izakaya are awesome!

[Marty L.]

Concur with every word Darkstar (and tweaked) have written, except one:  Chef Seki doesn't serve sushi!  (He once explained to me that although he served it at his St. Louis restaurant, he thinks it should be reserved for those, unlike himself, who have put in the many years necessary to learn the skill; and so, at a place like Seki, where the market does not demand sushi, he doesn't serve it.)  Sashimi, on the other hand, well . . . it's hard to find better in town than Chef Seki's.

For those out at restaurants even semi-regularly, it's hard (and unnecessary) to post here about all meals out. Don't want to repeat something already posted, etc. But, those issues aside, there sometimes are posts I do intend to make but then can't or don't get to it soon enough. With too much time lag, the specific dish recollections fade.

Such is my lot with a meal we had at Seki maybe three months ago. We took some friends not very familiar with Japanese cuisine to thank them for help they'd given us.

The pork belly skewers and spinach dishes Tweaked had, we had also. Beyond that and a few sushi courses that were absolutely fantastic, I can't remember the specifics.

That said, I'll sleep better now having made this post just to share that:

- Cizuka took care of us so hospitably and expertly, the memory of that remains vivid
- The food was outstanding; virtually every course of the tasting menu Cizuka suggested
- The value was eyebrow raising. Can't remember what we paid but, for what we had, it seemed unfair to the restaurant.

We don't get here often enough. It's a truly wonderful and incredibly special place. Our friends, not at all prone to hyperbole, raved about it and that's no exaggeration. We've been maybe 10-12 times over the few (or several?) years they've been open but that December dinner was the most recent.

If you've never been, go. If it's been a long time, go back. If you get lucky enough to have Cizuka as your server, trust in her fully and let her guide you. Be forewarned if you don't know her and don't ask, she probably won't even tell you she is an owner just taking care of your table.

That is all. And, thank you Cizuka! You, your father and your Izakaya are awesome!

[darkstar965]

Concur with every word Darkstar (and tweaked) have written, except one:  Chef Seki doesn't serve sushi!  (He once explained to me that although he served it at his St. Louis restaurant, he thinks it should be reserved for those, unlike himself, who have put in the many years necessary to learn the skill; and so, at a place like Seki, where the market does not demand sushi, he doesn't serve it.)  Sashimi, on the other hand, well . . . it's hard to find better in town than Chef Seki's.

Indeed!  My mistake, Marty.  And, I know better.  Thanks for the correction.

[RWBooneJr]

"Every Last Bit" by Mark Bittman on nytimes.com

[Marty L.]

"Every Last Bit" by Mark Bittman on nytimes.com

Crap.  Now the ara will run out much earlier.  Damn you, Bittman!

[Cizuka Seki]

Crap.  Now the ara will run out much earlier.  Damn you, Bittman!

haha. i was just going to send this to you. you're not the only one to recognize the awesomeness of this dish!

[Tweaked]

"What's this?" I asked on my first visit to Seki, an unassuming izakaya "” a Japanese bar with food "” in a quiet corner of Washington."

A quiet corner of Washington?  Ok, V street itself isn't exactly hopping, but you are like one block away from a, if not the, center of DC nightlife.  It's not like you are eating in Van Ness...now that neighborhood is quiet (other than construction noise and traffic).

Otherwise it's a good article...congrats Cizuka!

[eatruneat]

It's not just the ara yaki on the menu, the last time I went to Izakaya Seki, I ate the body of a large prawn from a plate of sashimi, sucked out the brains, and left the crunchy head on my plate. Our waitress noticed and asked if I'd like the kitchen to deep fry the head. Of course! So the shrimp head was taken away and brought back to me perfectly deep fried, crispy, and crunchy like a potato chip. A revelation! 

[Ericandblueboy]

It's not just the ara yaki on the menu, the last time I went to Izakaya Seki, I ate the body of a large prawn from a plate of sashimi, sucked out the brains, and left the crunchy head on my plate. Our waitress noticed and asked if I'd like the kitchen to deep fry the head. Of course! So the shrimp head was taken away and brought back to me perfectly deep fried, crispy, and crunchy like a potato chip. A revelation!

I'm glad you like the tomalley.

[Tweaked]

Another tasty meal at Seki, on what appeared to be a quiet Thursday night at the izakaya.

Highlights included:

Pork belly on a stick (we ordered it twice)

Saba (Spanish mackerel)

Fried smelt

Fried sardines (whoever is frying the tasty little fishes is doing a great job)

Mushrooms in a buttery sauce (can't remember what else was in the sauce)

Spinach with miso

The three different rice balls we ordered (salmon, cod roe, salmon roe)

Their various pickled vegetable are also very good.

Love this place!

[Bart]

I've been meaning to ask this for a couple of weeks and I've been meaning to eat here for a couple of years(!)

Is the ara yaki on the menu all the time (or ever)? Or is it the second half of another dish you order? I haven't seen it listed on the menu and when I go there (in the next couple of weeks....fingers crossed!) I definitely want to get it.

[Tweaked]

Last night it was listed on the separate "today's specials" menu.  Although they were out of it (or didn't have it) when we arrived at 7pm.  Probably best to PM Cizuka to figure out when is the best time to go in order to get it.     

[Cizuka Seki]

sorry i wasn't there to say hi! i'm in japan for a month doing a stage.

the ara yaki dish is not a regular item because it's dependent on the sashimi we get in. you're always welcome to shoot us an email or call if you want to come in

specifically to try it.

[dinoue]

Must have been Don Rockwell night at Seki. We were there as well, and apparently at the same table one after the other.

Arrived pretty early in the evening and there was just one person at the counter, one of those times I wish we didn't have the kids with us.

Arrived during happy hour so enjoyed the beer with tuna tataki and cauliflower to start. This has got to be one of the best happy hour deals in the city.

Then came the continuous parade of food.

Started with one of the specials, a cold squid salad which was really nice. Kids insisted it was too spicy which I could not detect at all. I think they call anything they don't like spicy because they know it will get them out of having to eat it.

Next out was the fried baby octopus which they inhaled as did we so we ordered another one right away. Got an assortment of vegetable dishes, the spinach, beets, and cucumbers. Seasoning was a little light on the cucumbers.

Matsu sashimi assortment included chu toro, hamachi, some sort of snapper I think, octopus, salmon, one amaebi and one oyster. All of it was fresh and delicious. Toro was perfect.

Agedashi tofu was eaten by others at the table, mostly the kids.

Finished off with the grilled fish, hamachi kama and saba. Daughter pretty much ate one of the two hamachi kama herself. Both were very good.

Finished with dessert of mochi and yuzu sorbet.

[Bart]

sorry i wasn't there to say hi! i'm in japan for a month doing a stage.

the ara yaki dish is not a regular item because it's dependent on the sashimi we get in. you're always welcome to shoot us an email or call if you want to come in

specifically to try it.

Thanks for the info.  When will you be back in DC?  I feel like I shouldn't go until my Don-Rockwell-friend-I've-never-met is back in the house!!

[dinoue]

A little belated, but we spent our second New Year's Eve in a row at Seki. Biggest draw for us is the osechi ryouri which is available both as part of the NYE dinner and to take home. Put one or the other or both on your plans for next year. We did do both this year. If you have never prepared osechi yourself, you would not understand how nice it is to have this as an option to have them make everything for you. Advantage of doing it in restaurant is then it comes with sashimi, all premium pieces such as toro, fatty salmon and hamachi. This year it did not come with ozoni which I seem to recall being included in 2014.

In addition to the osechi, we got a lot of our usual favorites. Wonderful dinner for NYE which we finished off with a nearly private viewing of the new Star Wars movie as my mother watched the kids. Apparently not a lot of people go to the movies for New Years Eve. Same could not be said of Seki which was packed when we left.

[Tweaked]

6:45pm on a Sunday and Seki was full, with a 30 minute wait.  But damn it, we were ready to wait, and I'm glad we did  Another delicious meal was had. 

Even though we have only been a couple of times we already have a list of favorites:  spinach with miso, pork belly of a stick, the fried chicken, salmon roe rice ball, the garlic fried rice, and saba.

Another dish to add to that list is the fried tofu with dashi.  Man what a dish.  The tofu is barely fried, with only a hint of "crust."  Inside is the most delicate, custardy tofu I've ever had. The dashi broth is not overpowering, served with thumbnail sized mushrooms, and topped with grated ginger and grated daikon(?).  Superb. This is a dish we will be talking about for weeks to come.          

 

[Rieux]

What are the chances of getting two seats tomorrow around 7?  Thinking of making this my stop for dinner on the way to the airport. 

[franch]

does anyone have any feelings on this place vs. Daikaya's Izakaya? we went to Daikaya for RW recently and quite enjoyed it.

[CanY]

12 minutes ago, franch said:

does anyone have any feelings on this place vs. Daikaya's Izakaya? we went to Daikaya for RW recently and quite enjoyed it.

Both are great places with their own energy and feel. As far as food and drinks, I believe Izakaya Seki features sashimi and a counter seating where you can watch Seki-san wonderfully prepare orders. As far as setting, for me Izakaya Seki is more tranquil and Daikaya is more stimulating. 

[DaRiv18]

I love both places but they are totally opposite.  Seki is simple, more traditional but still original.  Daikaya has broader influences, also original, and also features cocktails.  

[funkyfood]

Went here Saturday night with my girlfriend.  Arrived at 7:10 and were told it would be a ten minute wait for upstairs, or a 30 minute wait for the bar downstairs.  Easy choice: we waited for the bar.  During the downtown, we tried two Japanese craft beers: a pretty good stout and a really interesting (not-too-sweet) ginger lager.  The ginger lager is definitely worth checking out next time you're there.

Our seats were thankfully right in front of Chef Seki and his staff. They work perfectly in sync, without appearing to ever utter a word to each other.  Watching the organized chaos is part of what makes this place so great--you don't get nearly the same experience sitting upstairs.  For food, we asked the waitress to bring us whatever was good that day, and she happily obliged.  We started out with some fantastic sashimi (a typical, yet delicious assortment), then came some pickled Japanese vegetables, some fried baby octopus, a large portion of simply grilled Spanish Mackarel, perfectly fried crab croquettes and beef ribs.  To finish it off, we had a homemade "sesame" flan, that reminded me strongly of poppy-seed hamantaschen.  The dessert itself showed some creativity I haven't seen from Seki before, not that doing the classics impeccably is a bad thing.   My only qualm is that our very busy waitress often did not have time to walk us through our dishes as they came.

All in all, came to about $90 a person or so with tax and tip and a bottle of sake.  One of the best restaurants in the city, no doubt.

[eatruneat]

I hadn't been to Seki in a while but glad I was able to go here with my brothers and @MichaelBDC earlier this month. Enjoyed everything we ordered, especially the mackerel (we also asked and got the kitchen to deep fry the bones for us to munch on), the octopus karage, and the chicken meatballs. My brothers loved the mushrooms so much we ordered a second round. Brothers also loved the beef tongue in curry sauce. 

As a side note, we had dinner at Daikaya Izakaya the night before and ramen earlier that day. I was surprised they wanted to go to Izakaya Seki the following evening, but they were very enthusiastic about trying out more izakaya style dishes. Can't blame them as both places are great. My brothers consider themselves food enthusiasts and like going to similar restaurants in San Diego, where they are from. But given their raves about both Daikaya Izakaya and Izakaya Seki, I take it that the places they go to pale in comparison to what we have here in DC. We are lucky to have two very good and fun places to choose from.

[DPop]

On 8/22/2016 at 5:56 PM, franch said:

does anyone have any feelings on this place vs. Daikaya's Izakaya? we went to Daikaya for RW recently and quite enjoyed it.

Late to the party here but I'll put in a vote for Seki. Daikaya is a fun place to get a drink and snack on some of their shared plates, but the culinary experience of watching Chef Seki work his magic behind the counter and introduce an admittedly poorly-versed American like me to delicious things I have never eaten before is, for me, definitely superior.

[Gadarene]

The ara yaki here is probably my favorite dish in DC right now (it's that or the marinara pizza at Etto, now that the carrot cake is off the menu at Tail Up).

The meat left over from butchering fish for sashimi, broiled on the bone with salt and lemon.  So simple, so ridiculously good.

[DonRocks]

1 minute ago, Gadarene said:

The ara yaki here is probably my favorite dish in DC right now (it's that or the marinara pizza at Etto, now that the carrot cake is off the menu at Tail Up).

The meat left over from butchering fish for sashimi, broiled on the bone with salt and lemon.  So simple, so ridiculously good.

Is this the "two-stage" sashimi / ara yaki item? It *is* awesome.

[Marty L.]

3 minutes ago, Gadarene said:

The ara yaki here is probably my favorite dish in DC right now (it's that or the marinara pizza at Etto, now that the carrot cake is off the menu at Tail Up).

The meat left over from butchering fish for sashimi, broiled on the bone with salt and lemon.  So simple, so ridiculously good.

It's long been a fave.  (That carrot cake was amazing.  I'll have to go back to Etto to try the marinara.)

[Gadarene]

3 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

Is this the "two-stage" sashimi / ara yaki item? It *is* awesome.

No, just the ara yaki as a solo menu item ($16 for a heaping portion), though I did order a medium moriawase first.

Tell me more about this "two-stage" item...

[DonRocks]

9 minutes ago, Gadarene said:

No, just the ara yaki as a solo menu item ($16 for a heaping portion), though I did order a medium moriawase first.

Tell me more about this "two-stage" item...

Sashimi cut from a whole (small) fish, and then the rest of it cooked and presented as (I assume) ara yaki a few minutes later.

[Gadarene]

On 7/19/2017 at 6:54 PM, DonRocks said:

Sashimi cut from a whole (small) fish, and then the rest of it cooked and presented as (I assume) ara yaki a few minutes later.

That sounds amazing.  (Don't get as much variety in the ara yaki, but makes up for it massively in style points.) I wonder if that's generally available off-menu.

And speaking of places that could/should have been a Bib Gourmand...

[Cizuka Seki]

On 7/19/2017 at 6:37 PM, Gadarene said:

The ara yaki here is probably my favorite dish in DC right now (it's that or the marinara pizza at Etto, now that the carrot cake is off the menu at Tail Up).

The meat left over from butchering fish for sashimi, broiled on the bone with salt and lemon.  So simple, so ridiculously good.

the marinara from etto is my favorite dish in DC forever. 

there seems to be confusion about the two-stage dish.  1) we have the ara yaki, which ARE the offcuts of (usually) sea bream, salmon, shima aji, and whatever other whole fish we get.  ara means "offcuts" and yaki means grill or broil.  2) the fish we offer in two stages is the aji tataki, which is a whole horse mackerel from japan.  we filet and serve it raw with grated ginger and we present it on the spine so it looks like a whole fish.  after the sashimi is eaten, we take back the spine and head and fry it and serve it again.  the spine of horse mackerel (as well as many other bluefish varieties, like sardines) is very brittle so you can eat the bones if they are fried or dried out enough.

[Gadarene]

20 minutes ago, Cizuka Seki said:

the marinara from etto is my favorite dish in DC forever. 

there seems to be confusion about the two-stage dish.  1) we have the ara yaki, which ARE the offcuts of (usually) sea bream, salmon, shima aji, and whatever other whole fish we get.  ara means "offcuts" and yaki means grill or broil.  2) the fish we offer in two stages is the aji tataki, which is a whole horse mackerel from japan.  we filet and serve is raw with grated ginger and we present it on the spine so it looks like a whole fish.  after the sashimi is eaten, we take back the spine and head and fry it and serve it again.  the spine of horse mackerel (as well as many other bluefish varieties, like sardines) are very brittle so you can eat the bones if they are fried or dried out enough.

It makes me uncommonly pleased that you share my opinion of the marinara!

And I appreciate the clarification on the aji tataki; I have definitely never had it and that sounds insanely good.  How often is it generally available?  Is it off-menu, or will it show up on the list of specials?  (I've only got a handful of weeks left in DC before I'm leaving for a year, and now it's looking like it's back to Seki for me before I go.)

[turbogrrl]

15 hours ago, Gadarene said:

It makes me uncommonly pleased that you share my opinion of the marinara!

And I appreciate the clarification on the aji tataki; I have definitely never had it and that sounds insanely good.  How often is it generally available?  Is it off-menu, or will it show up on the list of specials?  (I've only got a handful of weeks left in DC before I'm leaving for a year, and now it's looking like it's back to Seki for me before I go.)

The Aji tataki has been on the specials menu most of the times I have been in recently; I know this because I can't resist ordering it each time I go. I suspect you could always call and ask before going? or just go to seki multiple times

[Gadarene]

The aji tataki tonight was bomb.

(Ara yaki is still my favorite, though.)

[Marty L.]

On 7/19/2017 at 6:54 PM, DonRocks said:

Sashimi cut from a whole (small) fish, and then the rest of it cooked and presented as (I assume) ara yaki a few minutes later.

We had yet another fantastic meal Saturday night (sashimi; ara; baby octopi; matsutake; tofu; sardines; croquettes).  Seki is not only extremely consistent -- it's also the rare place that's conducive to easy conversation, and also very fairly priced.  And it was not even full on a nice Saturday evening.  (Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining--if it were a block further south, on U Street, there would always be waits of more than an hour.  I only hope that it remains profitable for the Sekis at these price points, so that we can all continue to enjoy it.)

The fact that Sietsema did not include Seki (or 2 Amys) among his top 43 or whatever is, frankly, absurd--inexplicable, in fact.  It's one of DC's finest gems.