DonRocks

I think by today’s standards in DC, it’s one-star quality (food only). That said, your “slapping shit together as fast as he can” comment is funny and describes the general scene perfectly (although I’d substitute “sushi” for the word you used). You also touched on one of my three criticisms about the food itself: I had one piece of nigiri explode in my hand because of the rice. I also think the entire meal has a very narrow palate amplitude. Finally, I found the sequence of maguro, chu-toro, and o-toro (really?) to be in descending order of quality. But there’s too much good here (like the $100 price) to be focusing on the bad. I’ve had numerous You’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me one-star meals in DC, and this wasn’t one of them. Still, yours is a legitimate point-of-view shared by another friend of mine who tried it (I never went to Nakazawa, but I’d be crestfallen if I paid $190 for this).

Went there tonight … Michelin-star-quality sushi in the middle of a food court! Complete with a bad musician in the background, and free parking in the garage (you have to use the K Street entrance after 5PM). $100 for this omakase is a steal. Listen to DPop - he’s right.

Has anyone tried Shinwari? I’m intrigued, not least by the signage outside, also the menu online. The owners obviously have their sights on bigger things, but for now it seems to be a local restaurant.

[Thanks-I-Think emoji implied.]

To be used as a counterexample in the “Burying the Lede” section of Journalism 101.

We need another emoji: ‘Thanks, I think?’

Remember when I always used to write things like, “Remember this post 20 years from now?” We’re two years away … … and nobody - nobody - has ever called me out on the Rhinoceros misspelling.

She is now. (If I knew Ramberto’s last name, I’d be happy to put him in the title.)

This is an important point (FWIW, every Pupatella post I’ve written in the past couple of years would have been from South Arlington).

Call me clueless, but I didn’t realize until just today that the “RAD” in “RAD Burger” stood for Ruthie’s All-Day (*). PS: The lyrics in “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” aren’t “I get high! I get high! I get hiiiiigh”; they’re “I can’t hide! I can’t hide! I can’t hiiiiide!” How’s that for the ultimate Mondegreen? So, now your day is ruined also. 😛 (*) They’ll substitute cheddar for American if you ask.

Remember back in the 1990s when Thai Square was, by far, the best Thai restaurant the DC area had ever known? Elephant Jumps >> Thai Square, and has been for quite some time.

I had it last night, and it was the wettest, soggiest pizza I’ve ever had (from anywhere, if memory serves me). The panzarotti, however, are consistently good.

As someone who’s had carryout from Pupatella more times than I can remember, I’ve learned from experience: Always specify “Please cook well-done” on your online order, then when it arrives, have the oven, along with your best All-Clad baking sheet, preheated to 500, and then heat it for 8 minutes (depending on your oven - mine is pretty lame). It comes out about as good as it can be every time. My build-your-own is fresh (not smoked) mozzarella, caramelized onion, sausage, and either pepperoni or sautéed mushrooms depending on preference - the pepperoni is small, crispy when reheated, and pretty mild. Their Veggie Panini is good, keeps nicely overnight, reheats the same way (wrap it in foil), and *greatly* benefits from a drizzle of your best balsamico. I usually get fresh (not smoked) mozzarella on this also, but once I forgot, and noticed that their smoked mozzarella is nowhere near as aggressively (I would say inedibly) smoked as it was a few years back, so this is also a preference thing. Don’t sleep on their Panzarotti either. They retain their heat during delivery, and will instantly silence young, hungry stomachs while the rest is reheating.

When I had dinner with Andy Hayler, I asked him which three cities he’d most like to live in other than London: One of his answers was Kyoto. Go to his website, filter by “Japan” and whichever city you’re interested in, and then you’ll get a sortable list. Outside of Japan, you’re not going to find a better starting point.