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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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I convinced my husband, the skeptic, that the fish would be very fresh and wonderful, and so we came here for our anniversary dinner last night.  We ordered the omakase and had John pick us a sake to go with it.  The sake choice (OKA) was quite appropriate to the food, dry and smooth.  The first course was a single oyster, marinated eggplant with bonito flakes, and two small planks of salmon with yuku and chile over a couple of slices of cucumber.  Then we had the platter of 12 fishes, followed by hand rolls, which were tuna, scallion, and...I wasn't focusing too much by then.

We did not restrict anything, as we were being our most adventurous selves.  Neither of us had tried uni before, and we both managed it but found the texture off-putting.  I'm not sure that's something you get used to.  The herring was a bit strong for my tastes, but I had no objection to the mackerel, so I batted .500 on that pair.

John and the rest of the team provided exceptional service as always.  I'm quite happy this place is in the neighborhood.

We were seated at the front and, wow, do they do a huge takeout business!

---

Sea Urchin (jca76)

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Dinner at Sushi Capitol last week with MichaelBDC had more than the average number of treats including uni from both Santa Barbara and Maine. The uni from Santa Barbara was sweet and smooth and rich, served as nigiri but inside an uni shell. The uni from Maine was a little saltier/brinier and was also delicious. It was really nice to have both and be able to compare the uni from the east and west coast. Another highlight were thinly sliced scallops topped with some actual real gold flakes. Despite all of this, our favorite bite of fish was the simple mackerel from Boston.

The food was good and fresh as ever and MichaelBDC and I had a great time as we always have had at Sushi Capitol. However, the highlight of the evening was Chef Aoki who was more talkative than usual and graciously humored humor two tipsy sushi lovers.

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I have eaten here several times since it opened, and except for a few service quirks, it has never disappointed. Everything is so good and tempting, I tend to overindulge. Today for lunch I had fatty tuna/scallion maki and nigiri of amberjack, red snapper, sweet shrimp, and medium fatty tuna. The excellent miso soup felt especially warm and nourishing on a day like this.  It's not hard to try all of the few decent sushi joints in this town, and I think I have done so. Sushi Capitol must be among the top five. I hope they thrive and keep on thriving, because none of the other good sushi places are anywhere near the Hill.

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On two of my last three visits to Sushi Capitol, my dining partner and I received a blow torched slice of wagyu nigiri style. On Thursday, MichaelBDC was with me when we received this as part of our omakase and I turned to him and said "This is probably the best piece of meat we will ever eat" and it sure was. I will probably never splurge for kobe or wagyu at a steak house, so this might be as good as it gets. Chef Aoki showed us the cut of meat our nigiri came from and it was so incredibly marbled. I described it as a lot of fat held together by the slightest amounts of muscle.

The rest of our meal was amazing as well. Other than the tuna, which I always look forward to, we had a great piece of saba as well. Can was up at Sushi Ogawa getting ready for the grand opening but Mourat and Gabby kept the place humming along. This was the least busy we have ever seen Sushi Capitol, and I was a bit bummed for the team but selfishly happy because we had a great time conversing with Chefs Ogawa and Aoki.

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On two of my last three visits to Sushi Capitol, my dining partner and I received a blow torched slice of wagyu nigiri style. On Thursday, MichaelBDC was with me when we received this as part of our omakase and I turned to him and said "This is probably the best piece of meat we will ever eat" and it sure was. I will probably never splurge for kobe or wagyu at a steak house, so this might be as good as it gets. Chef Aoki showed us the cut of meat our nigiri came from and it was so incredibly marbled. I described it as a lot of fat held together by the slightest amounts of muscle.

The rest of our meal was amazing as well. Other than the tuna, which I always look forward to, we had a great piece of saba as well. Can was up at Sushi Ogawa getting ready for the grand opening but Mourat and Gabby kept the place humming along. This was the least busy we have ever seen Sushi Capitol, and I was a bit bummed for the team but selfishly happy because we had a great time conversing with Chefs Ogawa and Aoki.

It's too bad you weren't around for this!

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Just a PSA that if you don't have reservations for dinner, you may want to call before heading in.  Last night around 8:15 they were fully booked, and even as a solo diner, I was turned away.

The (very small) glass-half-full side of me is happy they are doing so well, but most of me is feeling a large empty space in my soul that only sushi can fill.

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I will be the outlier here and say I don't believe that Sushi Capitol is as good as what everyone has described it to be. I've gone twice so far: lunch and for the omakase dinner. Both times I felt that the food is good but not amazing. (3 stars out of 5 compared with other sushi restaurants.) Some of the biggest issues I had with ordering the omakase was my expectation that the sushi will be prepared as singles or in pairs and served immediately. Unfortunately, this wasn't done and the chef plates up all the fish at once and hands it to you. He doesn't even tell you what he is serving. The server has to come around to tell you or you have to ask the server. As seen in the attached image, how the fish was prepared also left much to be desired, especially the salmon - the bloodline could have been better cut away. I think most of these issues can be forgiven, but what was quite egregious was 90% of the items that was served was pre-sliced. Yes, I specifically saw the chef pull out the container from the little refrigerated case with all the presliced fish and used it to make the sushi that was served to me and others. Yes, I also saw for myself when he cut up more fish and placed it into the box to refill it when it ran low. From a place that has received such great accolades, I personally expected more. I'm not sure if this is something others have experienced as well, but I would love to hear from others if my experience to Sushi Capitol was a fluke or not.

capitol.jpg

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Walked in the other evening with my girlfriend to see if the two of us could get on without a reservation.  There were two seats open at the bar, which we asked about.  We were told that those seats were never used and turned away! Sushi nazi?

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On 6/20/2016 at 11:24 AM, magnadoodle said:

I will be the outlier here and say I don't believe that Sushi Capitol is as good as what everyone has described it to be. I've gone twice so far: lunch and for the omakase dinner. Both times I felt that the food is good but not amazing. (3 stars out of 5 compared with other sushi restaurants.) Some of the biggest issues I had with ordering the omakase was my expectation that the sushi will be prepared as singles or in pairs and served immediately. Unfortunately, this wasn't done and the chef plates up all the fish at once and hands it to you. He doesn't even tell you what he is serving. The server has to come around to tell you or you have to ask the server. As seen in the attached image, how the fish was prepared also left much to be desired, especially the salmon - the bloodline could have been better cut away. I think most of these issues can be forgiven, but what was quite egregious was 90% of the items that was served was pre-sliced. Yes, I specifically saw the chef pull out the container from the little refrigerated case with all the presliced fish and used it to make the sushi that was served to me and others. Yes, I also saw for myself when he cut up more fish and placed it into the box to refill it when it ran low. From a place that has received such great accolades, I personally expected more. I'm not sure if this is something others have experienced as well, but I would love to hear from others if my experience to Sushi Capitol was a fluke or not.

capitol.jpg

 

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In reference to Magnadoodle's post about how the fish was served, the omakase is served all at once like that because it's meant to be a progression in flavors.  Start in the top left and work your way down to the lower right as opposed to just one piece then another and then another.  And yes, I do believe you.  I have no reason to think you'd lie about the pre-sliced fish.  Just seems out of character for Can and his staff.  I have been upwards of ten times  - all at the counter - and have watched all of my sushi sliced in front of me and never taken out of a box.

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We've always sat at the table and the omakase does come out on one plate. The picture above does not look like an omakase assortment though. Usually has the things like uni, toro, and ama ebi or botan ebi.  I think we usually get around 9-12 pieces. If sitting at the counter, it definitely should not come out on a plate, but piece by piece. I've never seen pre-cut fish behind the counter, and would not go back if I had. That would be a disqualifier for me at any sushi place that wanted to be taken seriously.

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I haven't been really recently, but I'd wonder if their expansion has caused some of this recent unevenness.  It wouldn't be the first time this has happened when a hands-on small place gets bigger.

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On June 23, 2016 at 7:15 PM, dinoue said:

We've always sat at the table and the omakase does come out on one plate. The picture above does not look like an omakase assortment though. Usually has the things like uni, toro, and ama ebi or botan ebi.  I think we usually get around 9-12 pieces. If sitting at the counter, it definitely should not come out on a plate, but piece by piece. I've never seen pre-cut fish behind the counter, and would not go back if I had. That would be a disqualifier for me at any sushi place that wanted to be taken seriously.

I am surprised a place of this caliber from my own visits and the postings here and other reviews would have pre cut pieces.  Usually that's a lower quality sushi restaurant kind of behavior. 

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As evidenced by my several posts on this thread, I have been to Sushi Capitol many many times. I am not sure when, but Sushi Capitol stopped serving omakase servings individually a while ago. I think it is because of how busy the place is between the counter, the tables, and the take out orders. I am disappointed in this turn of events, especially because even when it is not quite busy they are still serving the omakase on plates. Still, that is something I can deal with given the quality of the sushi and the $50 price tag.

On the issue of pre-sliced fish, I have never seen that at Sushi Capitol regardless of how busy it is. Except for one or two times, I have always sat at the counter in order to stare at the fish and observe the chefs. 

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16 hours ago, dinoue said:

We've always sat at the table and the omakase does come out on one plate. The picture above does not look like an omakase assortment though. Usually has the things like uni, toro, and ama ebi or botan ebi.  I think we usually get around 9-12 pieces. If sitting at the counter, it definitely should not come out on a plate, but piece by piece. I've never seen pre-cut fish behind the counter, and would not go back if I had. That would be a disqualifier for me at any sushi place that wanted to be taken seriously.

Two different plates came out, but the picture only shows one of the plates. The other plate did indeed have toro, botan ebi, scallop, and 3 other pieces of fish. The pre-cut fish was indeed a turn off and the biggest issue that I had and wanted to see if anyone else had the same experience.

 

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22 hours ago, MichaelBDC said:

In reference to Magnadoodle's post about how the fish was served, the omakase is served all at once like that because it's meant to be a progression in flavors.  Start in the top left and work your way down to the lower right as opposed to just one piece then another and then another.  And yes, I do believe you.  I have no reason to think you'd lie about the pre-sliced fish.  Just seems out of character for Can and his staff.  I have been upwards of ten times  - all at the counter - and have watched all of my sushi sliced in front of me and never taken out of a box.

I would disagree with you on having all my fish served all at once on a single plate versus having one or two pieces prepared and served immediately with small breaks in between servings (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/sushi-650961-top-loves.html). It does make sense that the order of the fish should be served as a progression of flavors. It is also my understanding that the fish should generally be served in an order of lighter, less fatty fish to more stronger, oily fish. However if I had followed the order that the fish was plated, the first plate (not shown in the picture) would have had a sequence of sardine nigiri followed by hokkaido scallop nigiri. I personally don't think that particular order would have been good in terms of being able taste all the nuances of the scallop, but I am not a professional sushi chef and could potentially be wrong in my opinion. 

Also, this was only my second time going and my first time ordering the omakase at the counter and was surprised that they had precut fish given the great reviews everyone has on Sushi Capitol. Perhaps it was an off night, but I felt it was something that needed to be discussed to see if I am an outlier in my recent experience.

 

 

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23 hours ago, Pat said:

I haven't been really recently, but I'd wonder if their expansion has caused some of this recent unevenness.  It wouldn't be the first time this has happened when a hands-on small place gets bigger.

Earlier I thought this thread was in regards to Sushi Ogawa instead of Sushi Capitol. I haven't been recently as well but I think that is there is a possibility that the new place Sushi Ogawa is taking center stage a bit. 

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On 6/24/2016 at 10:15 AM, eatruneat said:

As evidenced by my several posts on this thread, I have been to Sushi Capitol many many times. I am not sure when, but Sushi Capitol stopped serving omakase servings individually a while ago. I think it is because of how busy the place is between the counter, the tables, and the take out orders. I am disappointed in this turn of events, especially because even when it is not quite busy they are still serving the omakase on plates. Still, that is something I can deal with given the quality of the sushi and the $50 price tag.

On the issue of pre-sliced fish, I have never seen that at Sushi Capitol regardless of how busy it is. Except for one or two times, I have always sat at the counter in order to stare at the fish and observe the chefs. 

That's really quite disappointing for anyone sitting at the counter. Having been on the other side of the counter preparing the sushi, it isn't that much of a time saver to serve someone at the counter everything at once, especially at a restaurant the size of Sushi Capitol and with a menu as limited as theirs. It's been a while, but I think there were two sushi chefs which means that in addition to the counter each one is responsible for maybe two or three tables and take out orders. They probably are doing takeout more than the restaurant I worked, but we also had around 60 seats plus the tatami room(s) in addition to the counter all covered by three chefs, of varying ability. If someone at the bar ordered a set meal, we would do that as a set meal, but otherwise, everything was done one or two pieces at a time. Why bother with a sushi bar if you don't get the benefit of immediately made sushi? Might as well take it out and make everything in the kitchen and add a couple more tables.

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5 minutes ago, CanY said:

I am one of the biggest believers of the notion “Guest is always right.” And I purposely used the word guest instead of customer because I don’t have customers, I have guests who I welcome into a space for which I am emotionally attached. I have spent so many hours within those four walls for them to remain a just a store for me. So as my guest, I extend an invitation to you. Any day that we are open, it would be my pleasure to host you for an Omakase meal in which all your expectations will be met: everything will be cut before your own eyes, and will be served one by one. Please text me at five seven one, two five one, five four four four to arrange it at your convenience. And my offer above is extended to anyone who is reading these lines. After all, without our guests, we are just individuals between four walls.

Can, I just want to thank you for this post.

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1 hour ago, CanY said:

In addition, our city, whether you think or not, is not ready for an exclusively sushi menu in which the pieces are served one by one regardless of the price point. That is not my opinion, that is my reality based on my personal daily experience at our sister restaurant.  

Great response! I've enjoyed my visits to Sushi Capitol and glad to hear that the fish if pre-cut was for a minimal time and not for a day's service.

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Anyone still going here? I kid as Sushi Capitol was completely occupied when @MichaelBDC and I arrived shortly after 8:00pm last night minus two seats at the counter that were awaiting us. Pleasantly surprised to see both Chef Ogawa and Chef Tetsuya behind the counter. Seems to me that there is more of a neighborhood vibe here than a year ago, and that is not a bad thing! The omakase was enjoyable as always. I don't know if Chef Tetsuya remembered our love of octopus or not, but he thoughtfully gave us a bite of charred octopus on top of warmed radish midway through our meal. The toro was so good I asked for another serving at the end. Better than the fish, was the hospitality of the chefs and Mourat, who has ably taken over for Can as the GM. 

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16 minutes ago, bgn said:

I drove by yesterday and saw that the windows were papered over. Anyone know what is happening with Sushi Capitol?

Had dinner there last weekend and Can was back as the GM. He told us they were planning to close for a few days to give the space a bit of a touch up, including a new counter. 

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57 minutes ago, Pat said:

Friends of mine who were at the Tune Inn last night said this was open and people were going in and out. etc.

Can is GM and, as of Dec 1, 2019, sole owner of the business - furthermore, he now owns the building, which reopened after fairly major renovations. They're doing nightly service at Mirai, and will soon be unveiling a third DC location (you heard it here first).

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Had dinner at Sushi Capitol last night with some friends. Scrolling through this thread, I noticed that before our last visit mid-February, my last review of Sushi Capitol was April 2017. It's not that we hadn't gone there since, it was just that there was not much to write home about. The fish, while good, had stopped being as exciting and we felt like we were getting the same nigiri each time. After two visits, I can say that Can's ownership of Sushi Capitol has breathed new life into the place. 

Under the new chef, Chef B, we enjoyed some creative nigiri such as red snapper with grated egg yolk on top, Maine uni with some grapefruit, and tuna marinated in citrus/soy sauce. We also had some traditional nigiri (o-toro and mackerel), and experienced some new and/or interesting fish like needlefish and gizzard shad. The fish was amazing and we had a great time. Can't wait to go back.

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3 hours ago, DaRiv18 said:

Oh wow, this will be very convienent for me. Will this just be takeout?  Small space. 

There will be dine in options. Six counter seats which Can plans to reserve for omakase only. And then there will be seating along the walls for people want to do a quick bite. Can also mentioned chirashi bowls for lunch and onigiri for eating on the go. 

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Had a very good, creative chirashi today ($21) at the Chinablock location.  Only 12 seats; approximately the same pricing as Takumi, perhaps a bit higher.  Two levels of omakase available: $38 for nine pieces plus handroll; $50 for 12 + handroll. It'll likely be the best sushi in that price-range in the District.

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3 hours ago, Marty L. said:

Had a very good, creative chirashi today ($21) at the Chinablock location.  Only 12 seats; approximately the same pricing as Takumi, perhaps a bit higher.  Two levels of omakase available: $38 for nine pieces plus handroll; $50 for 12 + handroll. It'll likely be the best sushi in that price-range in the District.

Thanks, Marty - I was wondering whether or not to go.

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16 hours ago, Marty L. said:

Had a very good, creative chirashi today ($21) at the Chinablock location.  Only 12 seats; approximately the same pricing as Takumi, perhaps a bit higher.  Two levels of omakase available: $38 for nine pieces plus handroll; $50 for 12 + handroll. It'll likely be the best sushi in that price-range in the District.

It is the best sushi in this price range in DC and has become my go to place for work lunches. Honestly I think the sushi there is better than the sushi I had at my last Kaiseki tasting menu at Sushi Taro

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16 hours ago, Marty L. said:

Had a very good, creative chirashi today ($21) at the Chinablock location.  Only 12 seats; approximately the same pricing as Takumi, perhaps a bit higher.  Two levels of omakase available: $38 for nine pieces plus handroll; $50 for 12 + handroll. It'll likely be the best sushi in that price-range in the District.

I was there yesterday for lunch as well.  Just curious, around what time did you dine?

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42 minutes ago, Marty L. said:

2:15ish

Ahh, we definitely quasi-dined together then.  I was the other person at the counter, the regular who was finishing as you were getting started.  Glad you enjoyed (and yes, that chirashi is really, really good).

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7 hours ago, The Doctor said:

Is the Capitol Hill location still worth going to? And if so, do I need to look out for anything? That is, should I only go on nights a particular chef is there, or do omikase only?

I just don't know, and haven't been willing to drop a buck-fifty to find out. Anyone?

Can, would you please write here and reassure our readers? I'd love nothing more than to come again.

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On 1/28/2020 at 3:17 AM, DonRocks said:

I just don't know, and haven't been willing to drop a buck-fifty to find out. Anyone?

Recent yelp reviews (Chinatown location) describe the 12 piece Omekase as reservation only at the counter, $50. Which sounds like worth a shot to me. Will try to report back if I learn/taste more.

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35 minutes ago, petercarrjones said:

Recent yelp reviews (Chinatown location) describe the 12 piece Omekase as reservation only at the counter, $50. Which sounds like worth a shot to me. Will try to report back if I learn/taste more.

I've had the omakase, albeit for lunch (no reservation needed for lunch omakase).  Well worth the $50 (though, in contrast to the Capital Hill location, there are no appetizers or cooked dishes included).  I was served in the style of one piece at a time, though I have seen folks sitting at one of the few non-counter (window) seats be served one plate containing all of the pieces.

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On 2/21/2020 at 10:20 AM, petercarrjones said:

the 12 piece Omakase as reservation only at the counter, $50. Which sounds like worth a shot to me. Will try to report back if I learn/taste more.

Sorry for the delayed report back.. hopefully restaurants will eventually re-open and this review will be useful.

This was basically my first omakase experience and it was pretty cool. They did tuna in a variety of ways- ahi with the fatty and lean sides and another type which I'm forgetting, different types of mackarel. It was very cool to compare and contrast the different cuts and types. Plus, the experience of eating amazing quality of fish was great. The decor and everything about the Chinatown location was no frills. You walk in to a basement with minimalist decor, they grab your coats, confirm you want the omakase, pour some water, and start eating fish.

I didn't expect the high efficiency of the operation. Prepping each bite for my wife and I was very quick. Just about the fastest way to eat through $50 that I've ever experienced. But at the end, I did feel fully satisfied and would go back. Really wonder how it compares to other elaborate operations like Sushi Taro and Sushi Nakazawa.

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Is there only one location of this place or four?!?!  And how do you contact them?!?

The website lists the Capitol Hill location, a Chinatown location and a Convention Center location but as far as I can tell via Google Maps, only the Capitol Hill location exists.  Then there's the discussion up-thread about an H St. location which adds more confusion.  

The website is bare bones and doesn't appear to be updated since 2020, based on the copyright date at the bottom of the page.  Their Facebook page doesn't seem to updated since 2015 and they don't appear on OpenTable, Resy or Tock.

Do they take reservations?  Is it only via the phone?

It's kind of amazing that their web presence is horribly out of date or non-existent!  Then again, the brand spankin' new, Shoto, seems to be following their lead!  (If you are unaware, Shoto is a new, high end, glitzy place that opened a couple months ago that still doesn't have a website or menu posted online because "they want it to be perfect before going live".  SMH)

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20 hours ago, Bart said:

Is there only one location of this place or four?!?!  And how do you contact them?!?

The website lists the Capitol Hill location, a Chinatown location and a Convention Center location but as far as I can tell via Google Maps, only the Capitol Hill location exists.  Then there's the discussion up-thread about an H St. location which adds more confusion.  

The website is bare bones and doesn't appear to be updated since 2020, based on the copyright date at the bottom of the page.  Their Facebook page doesn't seem to updated since 2015 and they don't appear on OpenTable, Resy or Tock.

Do they take reservations?  Is it only via the phone?

It's kind of amazing that their web presence is horribly out of date or non-existent!  Then again, the brand spankin' new, Shoto, seems to be following their lead!  (If you are unaware, Shoto is a new, high end, glitzy place that opened a couple months ago that still doesn't have a website or menu posted online because "they want it to be perfect before going live".  SMH)

Chinatown location (on H St. NW) is definitely closed. 😢 

From Yelp, looks like the Capitol Hill location is open but omakase is $100 now rather than $50. 😢

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