DPop Posted October 8, 2023 Share Posted October 8, 2023 Coming out of retirement briefly to put folks on this forum onto what is, IMO, the best lunch deal in DC right now. Chef Uchi, who is about the loveliest gent you will speak to, has taken up residence on a small 5 person counter on the outer edge of Casa Teresa, which is open from 11am-3pm Monday - Friday for the next 2 weeks, after which time Casa Teresa will take back the space to make part of its larger bar. The menu is a set Quick Omakase, consisting of 7 pieces of sushi, a bowl of miso soup, and a handroll, all for the preposterously low price of $45 per person (!). On Friday, the sushi was a piece each of amberjack, spanish mackerel, flounder, scallop, king salmon, lean tuna, and fatty tuna. Each piece seemed better than the last, perfectly adorned by Chef Uchi with the right hits of acid, salt, and wasabi. I can't remember having better quality sushi in DC outside of Nakazawa. The miso soup, which is usually an afterthought for me, was amazing, with a rich broth of mackerel and flounder stock and a generous amount of green onion. Umami heaven. The handroll, which is also usually not a favorite of mine, was a very good spicy tuna, although I still found this version (like most others I have had) to be a bit overwhelmed by the wrapper. I would be tempted to just ask for the fish and rice next time I go, and I will most certainly be back. Fantastic experience and I'm looking forward to what Uchi can do when he gets his own restaurant, which he told me he was hoping to have in the next 12-18 months, but will be doing some more pop ups in between now and then. In the meantime, get to the Square in the next 2 weeks to give this a try, he is certainly a chef worthy of your support! 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPop Posted April 3 Author Share Posted April 3 Really surprised there hasn't been more engagement on this, as I was at Uchi's new stand on Friday in the Square (he took over the one that Cashion's had for what seemed like a couple weeks) and it was buzzing at the 5:30 seating. The dinner version of his omakase has 15 courses, about 5 of which were non-sushi, and it is $100pp, but worth every penny IMO. The quality of the fish and the creativity of Uchi really shine through in this expanded menu, which he does at 2 seatings at 5:30 and 7:30 as he continues to wait for his restaurant to be complete right across the way in the Square. I'll look forward to getting this several more times again going into the summer as I'm sure the price of this will go way up when he gets into that space. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatruneat Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 Thank you for this review. We have been looking for a good sushi place in this price point since Sushi Capitol in Chinatown closed and the Capitol Hill location has fallen off a bit in quality. I was looking for a place to celebrate an upcoming birthday and have my first post-baby sushi feast and was considering a few places. Now, I will try to reserve seats here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty L. Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 7 hours ago, DPop said: Really surprised there hasn't been more engagement on this, as I was at Uchi's new stand on Friday in the Square (he took over the one that Cashion's had for what seemed like a couple weeks) and it was buzzing at the 5:30 seating. The dinner version of his omakase has 15 courses, about 5 of which were non-sushi, and it is $100pp, but worth every penny IMO. The quality of the fish and the creativity of Uchi really shine through in this expanded menu, which he does at 2 seatings at 5:30 and 7:30 as he continues to wait for his restaurant to be complete right across the way in the Square. I'll look forward to getting this several more times again going into the summer as I'm sure the price of this will go way up when he gets into that space. Wondering how it compares to Ama Ami ... The recent stratospheric prices of fish, alas, make it difficult to indulge in many such meals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 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. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 It's a big step below Nakazawa based on our experience tonight at 5:30. Uchi is slapping shit together as fast as he can and then passing them on to his helpers. The rice is hot and almost mushy. The fish hasn't warmed to room temp. For $100, it's still a bargain based on the ingredients but it's far from a Michelin star experience. Dunno what Rooster and Owl is charging these days but at one point it was $85 for 4 courses and that was most definitely a Michelin star worthy dinner. On a night when his counter isn't full and he's fully prepped, I can see this being Michelin worthy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 14 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said: It's a big step below Nakazawa based on our experience tonight at 5:30. Uchi is slapping shit together as fast as he can and then passing them on to his helpers. The rice is hot and almost mushy. The fish hasn't warmed to room temp. For $100, it's still a bargain based on the ingredients but it's far from a Michelin star experience. Dunno what Rooster and Owl is charging these days but at one point it was $85 for 4 courses and that was most definitely a Michelin star worthy dinner. On a night when his counter isn't full and he's fully prepped, I can see this being Michelin worthy. 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). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 1 hour ago, DonRocks said: 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. It's a pop-up for the time being. I'm sure when he has his own place and his staffed trained, it will be a legit 1 star place. I still don't know why Maydan gets a star and is one of the most sought after restaurants in DC. At Nakazawa, his movements are serene, not slapping things together as fast as he can. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lion Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 Thanks for the distinction, Ericandblueboy. Helps to temper expectations on an overall experience. Been thinking of trying it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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