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Sushi Capitol - Owner Can Yurdagul's Sushi on Pennsylvania Avenue and 4th Street on SE Capitol Hill


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We stopped in for a quick dinner at what I suppose is a relatively new addition to the Capitol Hill sushi scene, "Sushi Capitol" on Pennsylvania Ave. SE between 3rd and 4th St. SE.  This place is really bare bones - a small place with a handful of 2-top tables and a sushi bar in back.  No real decor to speak of, and Japanese pop music playing on a boom box in the back.  So far, so good, as it really reminded us of the places we loved back in New York.

A pot of hot tea was brought out soon after we sat (a small thing, but not a guarantee since we were brought hot water and a lipton green tea bag at Hikari on H St. NE).  We started with a nice version of seaweed salad inexplicably served over ribbons of romaine, and tempura vegetables.  A couple of pieces of the tempura were ever so slightly greasy, but most were appropriately crunchy...no major complaints on either of these.

The sushi was certainly a level above the quality at Hikari, Sticky Rice, and Nooshi.  Based on this one visit, I'd put it below Sushi-Ko, but repeat visits may change that.  It was served with freshly grated wasabi, which was a nice touch.  A word of warning, the "spicy" rolls look to be served with a heavy dose of mayo, so if that's not your thing, steer clear.

They have no liquor license, and I didn't think to ask about their BYO policy, but that is definitely something we'll be inquiring about before our next visit.

Bottom line: I love hole in the wall Japanese places, and that may have inflated my opinion here, but I think of the sushi joints in the Capitol Hill hood, I'm putting Sushi Capitol on top.

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On the heels of Tom Kliman's rave last week (although he's been endorsing it in chats for months), a friend and I finally checked out Sushi Capitol last night.  The place is a tiny hole in the wall, wedged between a wig shop and a liquor store, but I think it serves better sushi than most of what I've had in DC.  (Not as good as Sushi Taro's counter, but possibly comparable with Sushi Ko, where I've only eaten once.  Better than Kaz or Kushi, where I've eaten many times.)

The standouts were the nigiri specials that we ordered: surprisingly flavorful, pleasantly textured amberjack; lightly sauced eel; rich, silky uni.  We ordered the uni both as nigiri and sashimi; I prefered the nigiri with its tiny dab of wasabi and rice for textural contrast.  (Perhaps not quite a fair comparison given its more composed nature, but we both still prefer Izakaya Seki's excellent uni dish.)  We also got the very fatty tuna (as opposed to the medium fatty tuna that was also on offer) sashimi.  My dining companion liked it more than I did, but I think that is just my personal preference for less fatty tuna.  He also prefers a softer rice, smaller-grained rice, but I liked this.

The yellowtail scallion roll was more flavorful than I'm used to -- I tend to think of it as a pretty neutral roll -- and the Florida roll endorsed by Tom Kliman was a nice change of pace with its lightly seared top salmon layer.  In response to JoshNE's concern above, the spicy tuna wasn't overly mayo-y, in my opinion.  (Green salads were the generic lettuce-and-ginger-dressing that's standard at sushi restaurants everywhere; serviceable if you want some raw greens with all your protein and rice but entirely skippable if you don't.  When we noted that they weren't on our bill, our very friendly waiter said that was because they'd come out a bit late.  Unnecessary but nice of him.)  We also enjoyed the grilled yellowtail jaw, although it definitely benefited from a squeeze of the lemon wedge that was served alongside.

They've also apparently solved the liquor license problem since JoshNE's December post; we shared a very pleasant bottle of crisp sake.  Fair warning: although their website says that they close at 9:30, when we walked in at 8:50, we were told that the kitchen was closing in ten minutes.  I think that this is more of a we-stop-seating-at-9:00 than anything; they didn't rush us to order and were entirely fine with a subsequent addition after we'd placed our initial order.

Our waiter asked if we'd come in because of the Washingtonian review (yes), and when we asked, he said that it was still a bit early to tell how it was impacting their business, but that they had been steady in August instead of experiencing a typical late-summer dip.  We'll definitely be back.

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On the heels of Tom Kliman's rave last week (although he's been endorsing it in chats for months)...

Damn you, Kliman!!!  This was supposed to be a secret.

In response to JoshNE's concern above, the spicy tuna wasn't overly mayo-y, in my opinion. 

Good to hear.  We never actually had the spicy rolls, but saw one at a table nearby.

Since my initial report, we've been a handful of times.  The quality rose appreciably from December to our last visit in July.  Now that we can enjoy a cold beer with our nigiri, there really isn't a reason to head anywhere outside of Capitol Hill for sushi.  One note: Kliman laments that he wasn't able to try the turkey shumai...He wasn't missing much.  If you told me they were mass-produced and frozen I would believe you.  Skip them and get more sushi.

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Last week we had three of the worst rolls I have ever been served.  We had a yellowtail and scallion, tuna, and oshinko.  None of the rolls were rolled properly: they all opened up and as we ate them fell apart.  There was too much rice which was not well seasoned.  The yellowtail was fine but not nearly the quality I expected after Kliman's article.  They were also out of natto, which you know pissed me off.  Especially since you can buy it at Piak's produce in Eastern Market four blocks away.

I'd like to think our trip was an off day but a) the person I went with had had this experience before, b ) if you can't roll a basic maki you have no business opening a sushi joint, and c) there were five other people there while we ate so it is not like they were slammed.  Very disappointing.

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I'd like to think our trip was an off day but a) the person I went with had had this experience before, b ) if you can't roll a basic maki you have no business opening a sushi joint, and c) there were five other people there while we ate so it is not like they were slammed.  Very disappointing. 

this got such a rave review from Todd Kliman and saw some equally favorable tweets from people I respect.  it's hard for me to get to that side of town anyway, so now I guess I'll skip it.  too many other places on the must try list.

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Last week we had three of the worst rolls I have ever been served.  We had a yellowtail and scallion, tuna, and oshinko.  None of the rolls were rolled properly: they all opened up and as we ate them fell apart.  There was too much rice which was not well seasoned.  The yellowtail was fine but not nearly the quality I expected after Kliman's article.  They were also out of natto, which you know pissed me off.  Especially since you can buy it at Piak's produce in Eastern Market four blocks away.

I'd like to think our trip was an off day but a) the person I went with had had this experience before, b ) if you can't roll a basic maki you have no business opening a sushi joint, and c) there were five other people there while we ate so it is not like they were slammed.  Very disappointing.

Wow, that's unfortunate.  I haven't experienced anything like that in 4 or 5 visits.  I hope this isn't a case of having to roll the dice on whether Chef Ogawa is there or not.  I am sure he knows how to properly roll maki.

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A couple of pieces of the tempura were ever so slightly greasy, but most were appropriately crunchy...no major complaints on either of these.

There was too much rice which was not well seasoned.

Skip them and get more sushi.

Tonight's dinner was very comfortable, pleasant, and tasty. The menu was a bit protein-dominant, the appetizers ranged from fine (chicken karaage) to slightly greasy (tempura), and there was marked absence of legit veggie dishes. I agree that the rice was underseasoned, and too soft.

The good news is that the fish was very good. My wife had a sushi platter and enjoyed it. My chirashi was a bit odd and uneven but had some great gems too. For some reason it featured imitation crab front and center, kinda lame as a first bite. But lo and behold, buried treasure underneath! Flounder belly, a favorite. The tunas were all awesome, as well as the scallop. But the rice was nondescript, and there weren't any veggies (no radish, carrots, or anything, except for a piece of kamyo). Freshly grated wasabi, too.

So I would definitely visit again for a sashimi fix, and I hope the kitchen expands its range. Where at Seki one can order anything off the menu with confidence, here I benefited from donrockwell knowledge. Service was very pleasant.

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Hands down one of the best sushi restaurants in the DMV. If I didn't want a Kaiseki or Iskaya experience, not sure where else I would go in DC to get sushi in this simple Japanese style. Sitting at the counter with Chef Ogawa was a pure treat. 

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Tried this out last night for the first time. Planned a day at the museums and then take the kids for dinner right at opening. That was a mistake. Their website is incorrect and they don't open till 5:00 though the website says 4:30. Initially their response was sorry, tough luck we f'ed up on the website, wait outside till we open. Then I think they realized not such a good thing to make a family with two young kids wait out in the cold and wind. Of course by then we realized we had to deposit a check so we walked across the street to the ATM. Got back about 10 till and they let us in right away, with a little half hearted apology. Not off to the greatest start.

We of course ordered the best they had to offer which was the omakase dinner for two plus a few other things for the kids and us as well. Kids got edamame which turned out to be a very generous sized bowl, hamachi kama, which is by far the best deal with a cost of $8.95 considering a frozen kama from Hana grocery store costs $7-8, and a small plate of sushi with tekka maki, tamago, unagi, and kani kama nigiri. Tekka was a little too tight for my preference which also made it a little difficult for the kids to eat since it was pressed so hard. We also got one of the daily specials of anago shirayaki which was really nice tasting, but way overpriced at $17.95 for perhaps the equivalent of 1/4 of an eel. Everyone thought it tasted great, but not sure I would have paid that much had I known the price when I ordered it. No prices on the daily specials.

As for the omakase dinners, first the menu is a little misleading. It describes the omakase as a "chef's choice of sushi, sashimi and rolls." Turned out to be a large selection of nigiri and a hand roll plus a set of three small dishes. The selections for the nigiri were all very good and I would say comparable to the omakase sushi combo at Sushi Taro, also comparable in price, perhaps a little better even as it came with both chutoro and otoro. It was a little heavy on the tuna variations with 4 of the 12 pieces being some variation on tuna, whereas Sushi Taro hits it better on the variety of fish. The three dishes that came out after we had nearly finished the sushi seemed a little out of place in that they consisted of ankimo, eggplant with shaved bonito, and salmon with white miso glaze. If anything, the ankimo should have been served first, before the sushi, and likely the eggplant as well. All three were very good, just seemed a little unusual and the menu didn't indicate anything to the effect that such dishes were to be included. I suspect it was in response to my query about the lack of sashimi, which by then it would have been VERY unusual to send out a sashimi course after the sushi, though it didn't stop Kaz's Sushi Bistro from doing so (we have not been back there since they did that). So while I do question their menu description for the omakase, at least the chef has the common sense not to try to make up for it by doing something very wrong in the normal flow of Japanese dining.

Overall, the fish was of exceptional quality and we agreed that if it were closer to where we live, this would rank high on our regular dining locations. We asked our daughter which she preferred between Sushi Capitol and Sushi Taro, which she chose not to answer as the waiter leaned in to hear her answer. I think she has a future in politics.

It was not cheap as for the four of us (2 adults and 2 kids) we ended up over $200, but I would say we got our money's worth, with the exception of the anago, and of course the kani kama nigiri, though  I knew that when I ordered it. Space is definitely an issue as I was sitting on the wall side of our table and felt very cramped. Also, it became very clear that you need a reservation to eat here on a Saturday night. Several people tried walking in and were turned away. Definitely a place for anyone looking for good quality sushi at a fair price. And definitely get the hamachi kama for $8.95.

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Oh, I think it would be a good idea to remove "Bare Bones" from the listing for Sushi Capital since it detracts from the quality and perhaps gives a negative impression unintentionally. Actually Chef Ogawa is doing it a more traditional Japanese way which would probably be considered more simple yet pure in the West.

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Oh, I think it would be a good idea to remove "Bare Bones" from the listing for Sushi Capital since it detracts from the quality and perhaps gives a negative impression unintentionally. Actually Chef Ogawa is doing it a more traditional Japanese way which would probably be considered more simple yet pure in the West.

I had meant to make that comment as well. You don't know bare bones until you've been to our favorite place back in Chicago. That was a hole-in-a-wall and all they did was sushi, but it was soooo good.

One thing about Sushi Capitol, the cramped toilet adds a bit of Japanese authenticity as well.

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The boyfriend and I went to Sushi Capitol on Thursday night. I called Thursday afternoon and made reservations, indicating that we plan to order the omakase. The GM, who answered the phone, indicated that they would be very busy that evening asked us whether 8pm would work be okay. That is our ideal dining time, so I agreed.

My boyfriend and I got there right at 8pm and the restaurant was running a little behind so we waited a few minutes before being seated at the bar. Although we were going for the omakase menu, my boyfriend ordered the chicken kara-age, so that was the first dish brought out to us. It was very good but ended up being overshadowed by the nigiri we consumed. Next, each of us got a plate of three small bites that dinoue described above (eggplant, salmon with miso, and monkfish liver). Maybe for dinoue's experience, there was a mixup in the kitchen, and the intention was not to serve dishes out of order and the plates were not added after dinoue's inquiry (although it may have reminded them that they forgot to send out those plates in the first place). I guess in the debate on whether to serve something out of order or not at all, the restaurant decided to do it out of order.

After those three small bites, we started receiving some amazing, delicious, nigiri one right after the other. I have nothing to say/rave that others had not said before. Probably some of the best sushi I have had in a long long time here in DC. Unfortunately, sashimi was not part of the omakase that evening, which was a bummer, but we couldn't really complain since we enjoyed the nigiri so much and were very full by the end of the meal. In the end, the kara-age was comped because of our small wait (which we said wasn't necessary at all), so for a little over $100 including tax & tip, we ate nigiri until our stomachs were about to explode. We will definitely be back!

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When Koji was behind the counter at SushiKo, that was my go to place. Kaz is also great.I have been there many times. Last time I was at Sushi Taro(almost 2 years ago), while it was very very good, I felt that I had to take a second loan on my house.

Sushi Capitol deserves all the stars given by Todd Kliman. Fish is top notch quality. Given that Can Y.  is running this place (btw, he might be the nicest person I`ve ever met) there is no other sushi restaurant I know of in DC area that can be comparable in overall experience.

Today my lunch included agedashi tofu, chicken kara age, grilled yellowtail jaw(this is awesome) and some nigiri(eel was the best, octopus and toro were the rest).

Yes, the place is small and barebones but when the food is great who cares about the rest.

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When Koji was behind the counter at SushiKo, that was my go to place. Kaz is also great.I have been there many times. Last time I was at Sushi Taro(almost 2 years ago), while it was very very good, I felt that I had to take a second loan on my house.

Sushi Capitol deserves all the stars given by Todd Kliman. Fish is top notch quality. Given that Can Y.  is running this place (btw, he might be the nicest person I`ve ever met) there is no other sushi restaurant I know of in DC area that can be comparable in overall experience.

Today my lunch included agedashi tofu, chicken kara age, grilled yellowtail jaw(this is awesome) and some nigiri(eel was the best, octopus and toro were the rest).

Yes, the place is small and barebones but when the food is great who cares about the rest.

Checked the Dining Guide lately? ;)

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Late to try this place, made it here with a friend this weekend prompted by this thread.

In a word: impressive.

We started with edamame and shumai (they "substituted" shrimp for the "turkey shumai" on menu we'd ordered--a Thanksgiving menu holdover maybe?). Clearly made in house (as many Japanese places don't do), they were crisp and flavorful.

I can't remember our waiter's name but he was incredibly nice and knowledgable about the food. We both ordered sushi assortments with a few extra a la carte and thought the fish excellent. In retrospect, we should have gotten the omikase. Next time. Love also that they take reservations and are a small bastion of tranquility off Pennsylvania SE from the busy Capitol Hill neighborhood in which it's located.

I think Sushi Taro is a bit better and, of course, has the more extensive menu but, wow, what a difference on pricing. Sushi Capitol is the best value on quality sushi and sashimi in the city now imho. Solidly better than Kotobuki and Sakana. We'll be back.

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2nd visit tonight and just as impressive as the first. Tonight's $50 Omikase:

"First Taste"

Giant clam carefully sliced over a very lightly vinegared salad of seaweed and cucumber. Super fresh and just a delicious beginning.

"Second Taste"

Lightly breaded, fried and seasoned (dashi, bonito) mackerel alongside a huge Elkhorn oyster (WA) on the half shell with a very gentle touch of ponzu and finely-diced green onion. Loved it.

"Third Taste"

An especially satisfying bowl of miso soup with plenty of fresh tender seaweed and a rich dashi broth.

And, The Fish!

- Hirame

- Black bass

- otoro (outstanding)

- bluefin tuna

- salmon belly (a bit more subdued than expected)

- skipjack

- amberjack

- scorched otoro (the heat and smoke elevated this even higher than the straight otoro)

- hamachi

- bluefin hand rolls (much enjoyed)

- horse mackerel with green onion to offset some of the richness (one of the 2 or 3 best)

- seared bluefin (really good)

- scallop (lovely shellfish)

Parentheticals aside, we really enjoyed all of it. The one minor critique would be that a couple of the white fish felt a but overpowered by the wasabi.

John, Chef Ogawa's daughter's boyfriend, is a very enthusiastic, personable and hospitable host.

I think this and Seki are the two best values in the city for better Japanese food.

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2nd visit tonight and just as impressive as the first. Tonight's $50 Omikase:

"First Taste"

Giant clam carefully sliced over a very lightly vinegared salad of seaweed and cucumber. Super fresh and just a delicious beginning.

"Second Taste"

Lightly breaded, fried and seasoned (dashi, bonito) mackerel alongside a huge Elkhorn oyster (WA) on the half shell with a very gentle touch of ponzu and finely-diced green onion. Loved it.

...

John, Chef Ogawa's daughter's boyfriend, is a very enthusiastic, personable and hospitable host.

I think this and Seki are the two best values in the city for better Japanese food.

In reading your post, I was going to ask if your "giant clam" might have actually been an Elkhorn Oyster; then I read your second line. :)

I went a week ago tonight, and had the Elkhorn Oyster as my first bite of food - what a sensational treat that is, and what a glorious shell.

Sushi Capitol and Izakaya Seki are the two places I've seen in DC to offer the Elkhorn (though I suspect Sushi Taro does also) - I think they're becoming more obtainable on the east coast, as they're most likely farm-raised in Washington.

Nothing about my visit changed my mind that Sushi Capitol is one of the two best sushi restaurants in the DC area (at less than half the price of the other), and that it's the best restaurant in Capitol Hill (with apologies to Rose's Luxury which is also excellent; I just value top-level sushi more given our location ... so, there are my personal biases at work - we're lucky to have both restaurants, and it's meaningless to choose one over the other - I also suspect that if I were a regular at Rose's Luxury, I might change my mind, as service means a lot to me, and Rose's has it in abundance. The sad truth is: there are numerous chefs out there who criticize Rose's Luxury relentlessly ("such-and-such was inedible," etc), but they just don't get how important service is to most diners who aren't in the industry, and who are made to feel like VIPs just by dint of existing.)

And John *is* an excellent and passionate host.

And the $50 omakase here is every bit the bargain that the $50 bar menu at CityZen was.

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In reading your post, I was going to ask if your "giant clam" might have actually been an Elkhorn Oyster; then I read your second line. :)

I went a week ago tonight, and had the Elkhorn Oyster as my first bite of food - what a sensational treat that is, and what a glorious shell.

Sushi Capitol and Izakaya Seki are the two places I've seen in DC to offer the Elkhorn (though I suspect Sushi Taro does also) - I think they're becoming more obtainable on the east coast, as they're most likely farm-raised in Washington.

Nothing about my visit changed my mind that Sushi Capitol is one of the two best sushi restaurants in the DC area (at less than half the price of the other), and that it's the best restaurant in Capitol Hill (with apologies to Rose's Luxury which is also excellent; I just value top-level sushi more given our location ... so, there are my personal biases at work - we're lucky to have both restaurants, and it's meaningless to choose one over the other - I also suspect that if I were a regular at Rose's Luxury, I might change my mind, as service means a lot to me, and Rose's has it in abundance. The sad truth is: there are numerous chefs out there who criticize Rose's Luxury relentlessly ("such-and-such was inedible," etc), but they just don't get how important service is to most diners who aren't in the industry, and who are made to feel like VIPs just by dint of existing.)

And John *is* an excellent and passionate host.

And the $50 omakase here is every bit the bargain that the $50 bar menu at CityZen was.

 

Really interesting post that prompts several thoughts though we pretty much agree across the board here.

- Re:Sushi Capitol and that "other" being the two best sushi spots in the city with Capitol much less expensive. Agree on the two being best that are truly fish-focused versus broader menus. For me, Taro, Capitol, Makoto and Seki are all outstanding places to which I regularly take discerning visitors and all serve excellent fish. Also, I've posted more detail on this view on the requisite thread but I think it a little unfair to tag Taro as so expensive. Certainly on an omikase-to-omikase basis, it is though one is elegant fine-dining and the other more basic in decor and neighborhoody in feel. There are, also, ways to order smartly and more affirdably at Taro given the much broader range of foods there.

- Re: Rose's. I too have picked up on some industry resentment toward Rose's but, to be candid, I think it's misplaced envy. I've been to Rose's 5-7 times and, as I've posted on that thread, I think they deserve all the accolades they get. We haven't often (ever?) had a Best New Restaurant in America winner here in DC. That, along with the crazy lines all days of the week and obvious success, are going to attract a few metaphorical tomatoes. And, agree silly to compare Rose's to Sushi Capitol. They're both exceptional doing different things.

- Re: service. I have posted elsewhere on this site that I'll choose great food over great service every time if forced to do so. But, in saying that, I (and maybe some others) think more about the white-glove, water-glass-filling and obtrusive upselling aspects which pop up regularly online. While one doesn't typically wait for water to be refilled at spots like Rose's or Sushi Capitol, that's not really the point. Great service, circa 2015, isn't just attentive, anticipatory and non intrusive. Rather, it's familiar, hospitable and authentic. And this matters to food hounds because it directly impacts what we learn, what we'll try and what we enjoy on the tongue, as well as "the experience." This could (should?) be a thread in its own right. I do agree that a significant majority of places simply don't get this.

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Nothing about my visit changed my mind that Sushi Capitol is one of the two best sushi restaurants in the DC area (at less than half the price of the other), and that it's the best restaurant in Capitol Hill (with apologies to Rose's Luxury which is also excellent; I just value top-level sushi more given our location ... so, there are my personal biases at work - we're lucky to have both restaurants, and it's meaningless to choose one over the other - I also suspect that if I were a regular at Rose's Luxury, I might change my mind, as service means a lot to me, and Rose's has it in abundance. The sad truth is: there are numerous chefs out there who criticize Rose's Luxury relentlessly ("such-and-such was inedible," etc), but they just don't get how important service is to most diners who aren't in the industry, and who are made to feel like VIPs just by dint of existing.)

I noticed earlier you had put Sushi Capitol above Rosa's Luxury in the dining guide and thought to myself this is a perfect example of why rankings can fall apart. Clearly, Sushi Capitol and Rose's are two great restaurants that if were in differing parts of the city would be at the top of the list. You may want to consider having them share the top ranking for Capitol Hill South.

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Two and a half stars from Tim Carman and the Post.

John told me that Sushi Capitol would be reviewed by the Post when I was there last week for a celebratory birthday dinner. The birthday dinner, was one of the best meals I have ever had. My boyfriend mentioned that it was my birthday so I think we received a few extras that evening. We asked for the omakase (we have never had anything other than omakase here) and we were blown away by the variety of nigiri brought out to us. I think this is the best progression we had at Sushi Capitol to date. We started with fish so fresh it tasted like the fish were plucked out of the sea and plopped onto the plates and ended with fish that were so buttery the nigiri basically melted in our mouths.

I'm surprised that the only mention of service was a ding about one server's lack of knowledge as to the fish presented to Carman. I don't doubt that that can happen at times, but I have experienced nothing but enthusiastic and welcoming service from John which the review makes no mention of. It's a shame that the only mention of service is a negative one when I think the overall service at Sushi Capitol is one of best in the city.

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Two and a half stars from Tim Carman and the Post.

John told me that Sushi Capitol would be reviewed by the Post when I was there last week for a celebratory birthday dinner. The birthday dinner, was one of the best meals I have ever had. My boyfriend mentioned that it was my birthday so I think we received a few extras that evening. We asked for the omakase (we have never had anything other than omakase here) and we were blown away by the variety of nigiri brought out to us. I think this is the best progression we had at Sushi Capitol to date. We started with fish so fresh it tasted like the fish were plucked out of the sea and plopped onto the plates and ended with fish that were so buttery the nigiri basically melted in our mouths.

I'm surprised that the only mention of service was a ding about one server's lack of knowledge as to the fish presented to Carman. I don't doubt that that can happen at times, but I have experienced nothing but enthusiastic and welcoming service from John which the review makes no mention of. It's a shame that the only mention of service is a negative one when I think the overall service at Sushi Capitol is one of best in the city.

John told us the same just a couple of nights ago when we were in for another great Omakase but this time our first at the counter with Chef Ogawa. BTW, once the new location ("Sushi Ogawa") in North DuPont opens, Chef Ogawa will be exclusively there. And, huge agree on your service comment.

Will this become a Multiple Location for Dining Guide purposes?

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I think it could have been easy 3 stars but that is excellent given the size of that restaurant and their kitchen. Big Congrats to Chef Ogawa and Can!!

BTW, his name is Can, when pronounced sounds almost identical to John, except you got to cut it vey short in the mouth. 

Should have been three stars. Interesting he picked Dupont, heard he was looking at locations outside of DC.

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BTW, once the new location ("Sushi Ogawa") in North DuPont opens, Chef Ogawa will be exclusively there. And, huge agree on your service comment.

Will this become a Multiple Location for Dining Guide purposes?

Well that is really, really disappointing.

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Should have been three stars. Interesting he picked Dupont, heard he was looking at locations outside of DC.

It is interesting for a few reasons. The thought that first popped into my head was that it'll be within easy walking distance to Taro with somewhat similar positioning. More a fine dining, higher end experience than on Cap Hill.

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Respectfully disagree. My first two visits to Sushi Capitol were with their other Japanese sushi chef helming the line. We didn't even realize it wasn't Chef Ogawa. Bottom line for us: both do fantastic work.

It probably depends more on if their fish supplier will be able to deliver as good quality fish to both locations. Sometimes the economics of scale doesn't work with respect to quality.

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It is interesting for a few reasons. The thought that first popped into my head was that it'll be within easy walking distance to Taro with somewhat similar positioning. More a fine dining, higher end experience than on Cap Hill.

I think its quite interesting that the two top restaurants, Sushi Capitol and Rose's Luxury, in Capital Hill are expanding at the same time. They both outgrew their business models because their quality of experience.

it is in walking distance to Sushi Taro. I wonder if Sushi Ogawa will influence Sushi Taro to become Kaiseki Taro.  ;)

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it is in walking distance to Sushi Taro. I wonder if Sushi Ogawa will influence Sushi Taro to become Kaiseki Taro.  ;)

Having spoken to both Ogawa-san and his partner Higashijima-san, currently at Perry's in Adams Morgan (they are both veterams of the late, great Hisago in Georgetown), it is my understanding that it will go into the old Pines of Florence space on Connecticut Avenue in Kalorama, which is quite an (uphill) hike from Sushi Taro.

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...It is my understanding that it will go into the old Pines of Florence space on Connecticut Avenue in Kalorama, which is quite an (uphill) hike from Sushi Taro.

That is a good clip away from each other. Sushi Ogawa should have easier parking though. The last few times I was on the east side of Dupont Circle took a considerable amount of time to find a place.

Look forward to the new place.

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So, if one were contemplating walking into Sushi Capitol (tonight, for example), what do folks think the wait would look like?  I know it's a small place, but we're just two and tend to prefer bar seating anyway.  I've been dying to try it, but my non-sushi-loving husband needs some convincing.

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So, if one were contemplating walking into Sushi Capitol (tonight, for example), what do folks think the wait would look like? I know it's a small place, but we're just two and tend to prefer bar seating anyway. I've been dying to try it, but my non-sushi-loving husband needs some convincing.

There won't be a wait (call to make sure). Get the omakase, and ask them to make it light on sushi, because it tends to be sushi-heavy.

Hopefully you're there right now finishing up the best-value (and arguably near-best aside from cost) omikase in the city.

Don was right to suggest calling. Unlike line spots like Rose's that don't accept.reservations, Sushi Capitol does. I think they're (incredibly) still a bit below the radar so that on crap-weather week nights (like tonight!) they won't always fill up. But, thus is changing as the word spreads and just no reason not to call to avoid possible disappointment, even if last minute an hour before you want to dine. Especially true if you want to sit at the bar to watch the show (highly recommend!).

Hope you enjoyed it!

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Couldn't talk the husband into it, sadly, but I appreciate all of the feedback and advice!  I will probably just end up going by myself one of these days.  When my sister moved across the country, I lost my most reliable sushi buddy.  :P

Need that dislike button. :-). They now offer lunch too if easier downstream.

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The boyfriend and I went to Sushi Capitol twice in the last month, most recently for our anniversary a few weekends ago. Needless to say, we are big fans and cheerleaders of the place. Sushi Capitol has become our go to place for special meals and Can and the team at the restaurant are a big reason why. Recently, I have noticed that Can has gone out of his way to make sure that my boyfriend and I are served a a good variety of fish as part of the omakase so that we don't find the meals there repetitive and boring despite numerous visits. At our April visit, Can and Chef Aoki introduced us to gizzard shad, which was so unique (to us) and refreshing that we requested it again on our most recent visit. One of the highlights of recent visits is talking with Chef Aoki or Can about a specific fish on the specials menu, and then receiving it as part of our meal.

I am very excited to see what Chef Ogawa and team can do with a larger space up in Kalorama.

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Great meal here tonight with a friend and her husband.  She goes here a lot and was in charge of the ordering.  OMG.  The fish was fantastic, so fresh and  amazing.  We also had some shrimp and veg tempura and shrimp shumai.  It was just great.  I'm sorry I waited so long to head here.

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Great meal here tonight with a friend and her husband.  She goes here a lot and was in charge of the ordering.  OMG.  The fish was fantastic, so fresh and  amazing.  We also had some shrimp and veg tempura and shrimp shumai.  It was just great.  I'm sorry I waited so long to head here.

Say hi next time.  :)  Actually, I was there so early that we probably didn't overlap.  I came in around 5:30, and they had room for me at the sushi bar but said they needed the spot in an hour.

The menu and website say that the omakase requires at least 2 participants, so I ordered some sashimi and one roll.  Everything was fresh and delicious.  My only quibble is that there appeared to be a regular a few seats down who got to order the omakase solo - I probably should have asked about it to be sure, but when I saw that it was clearly stated, I figured that was that (what can I say, I'm a rule follower).

I'll definitely be back - if I could do omakase by myself, I'd probably be back every week!

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Say hi next time.  :)  Actually, I was there so early that we probably didn't overlap.  I came in around 5:30, and they had room for me at the sushi bar but said they needed the spot in an hour.

The menu and website say that the omakase requires at least 2 participants, so I ordered some sashimi and one roll.  Everything was fresh and delicious.  My only quibble is that there appeared to be a regular a few seats down who got to order the omakase solo - I probably should have asked about it to be sure, but when I saw that it was clearly stated, I figured that was that (what can I say, I'm a rule follower).

I'll definitely be back - if I could do omakase by myself, I'd probably be back every week!

Ah!  I think we were gone by the time you got there.  We arrived close to 7, so you would have already left.  If you want to try the omakase "by the book," I'd be up for going back and doing that.  My husband is not a huge sushi fan either, so we're in kind of the same boat (so to speak).

Another thing that I'm remembering now is the amazing depth the wasabi had.  I couldn't get enough of it.

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Thanks to all of the sushi-lovers who volunteered to be my omakase date.  :wub:

On my parents' last night in town, mom suggested we go to Sushi Capitol.  We made reservations for 6:30, and when we arrived, the sushi bar was full but the tables were empty except for ours.  We all had omakase, and it was absolutely delicious.  The first plate had the Elkhorn oyster with ponzu (amazing - maybe my favorite bite of the whole meal), a lightly fried mackerel, and some salmon sashimi with miso.  Really excellent.  The next round was all nigiri, and the variety was amazing - it looked like a huge amount of food, but we plowed through it in no time because it was so fantastic.  There were three kinds of tuna (regular, medium-fatty, and fatty), some yellowtail belly, uni, scallops, eel, I can't even remember what else.  It was nice how they ordered things so you'd get the best progression of flavors and not be overwhelmed by particular fish.  The "dessert" was a fatty tuna hand roll, which was a treat for my mom especially (she loves hand rolls) - just excellent.

I asked our server about the "omakase for one" situation, and he said they could make it happen - he said it was more of an issue for parties of multiple people, because it makes timing much more difficult.

The meal was really great - can't wait to go back for more.

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We tried the omakase here over the weekend.  Strong value, but there were some misses and I continue to find the menu unbalanced.  For a $160 meal inclusive for two (including just one $19 glass of sparkling sake), the only veggies we had were miniscule garnishes of grated ginger, some green onions, and the wasabi (some of which were applied a bit too liberally on my nigiri).  The uni tasted a bit metallic and sour to me, as well.  All the tunas and the majority of the other fish were of excellent quality.

Again, I think we got $160 worth of fish, and this is purely my personal preferences talking, but I left with a sense of want.  I have not been impressed with veggies on the appetizer list.  We ended up heading to Sally's Middle Name just to order snap-peas and dessert, which worked out well but is a bit ridiculous.

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I stopped in right after opening a few days ago and was able to get a spot at the sushi bar before a dinner reservation came in.  I ordered rather recklessly, without regard for price, so this meal turned out to be a bit of a splurge.

Wow, is the tempura soft shell crab fantastic!  I don't know how much longer they'll have it, but it's a must order (though my receipt tells me it was $18 :ph34r: ).  I enjoyed it thoroughly.

In addition to the delectable crab, I got the turkey shumai again and three types of maki rolls (hamachi yellowtail, negitoro, and avocado).  I ordered way too much food.  I guess a sushi restaurant is about as dangerous as a supermarket if you go in hungry, which I was.  Can wrapped up the remainder for me, and  my husband and I shared leftover maki rolls with dinner the next day.  My husband (who was away while I had this meal) insists he really doesn't dislike sushi, so I'm hoping to come back here with him next month.

Due to my inattention to cost, I didn't notice I'd been comped my beverage until I got home.  (Thank you!)

I almost asked for extra wasabi but thought it might be rude.  Their wasabi is just the best (at least in my somewhat limited experience).

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I stopped in right after opening a few days ago and was able to get a spot at the sushi bar before a dinner reservation came in.  I ordered rather recklessly, without regard for price, so this meal turned out to be a bit of a splurge.

Wow, is the tempura soft shell crab fantastic!  I don't know how much longer they'll have it, but it's a must order (though my receipt tells me it was $18 :ph34r: ).  I enjoyed it thoroughly.

In addition to the delectable crab, I got the turkey shumai again and three types of maki rolls (hamachi yellowtail, negitoro, and avocado).  I ordered way too much food.  I guess a sushi restaurant is about as dangerous as a supermarket if you go in hungry, which I was.  Can wrapped up the remainder for me, and  my husband and I shared leftover maki rolls with dinner the next day.  My husband (who was away while I had this meal) insists he really doesn't dislike sushi, so I'm hoping to come back here with him next month.

Due to my inattention to cost, I didn't notice I'd been comped my beverage until I got home.  (Thank you!)

I almost asked for extra wasabi but thought it might be rude.  Their wasabi is just the best (at least in my somewhat limited experience).

I was there last week and had the soft-shell crab as well - so, so good!

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