A Great Meal You Haven't Tried

Just Announced! Darius Rucker with Brett Eldredge, Brothers Osborne and A Thousand Horses perform LIVE at Merriweather on 8/22. Tickets on sale Friday at 10am thru Ticketfly.

Sushiko is not new—it's served raw fish to the region since 1976. What is fresh (besides the fish) is the restaurant reintroducing diners to the elegance that comes from treating Japanese as a cuisine of subtraction and simplicity.

“Sushi has gone through a revolution,” Sushiko creative director and Tokyo native Daisuke Utagawa tells us. “People picked up on it in the ‘70s and ‘80s because of its health benefits, then came the roll craze.” Daisuke's not a fan of treating sushi like a sandwich by packing in ingredients (looking at you, dragon roll), so he's happy to see the pendulum swing back to the more traditional. The recently launched omakase program, which translates to “chef's choice,” is the perfect example.

The $90 tasting menu includes seven courses that prioritize ingredients and techniques (a $60 sushi-only omakase is an option). What looks like straight up salmon sashimi is actually salmon confit so tender it breaks off into segments in your mouth; uni is served tempura style with lime and macha salt; and a tray of edomae-style nigiri sushi features seasonal offerings from the sea. There is both a pull to the past and a nudge toward the future with innovative techniques. “Everything on the plate has a purpose,” Daisuke says. Including this dashi gelée that envelops yet another tongue of uni (pictured).

Sushiko's two executive chefs: brothers Piter (left) and Handry Tjan (right) are behind the new menu that launched in October 2014. We snapped them behind the sushi bar with Daisuke in the center. Piter and Handry were born in Indonesia but are passionate about Japanese culture and cuisine. “You don't have to be Japanese to be a good sushi chef,” Daisuke tells us. “It only makes chefs hungrier to learn.” Their menu makes us hungrier to go back.

FORTUNE-ate News from Rob Rubba

A fortune cookie was a fitting last bite for a pop-up dinner that featured duck three ways with scallion pancakes, lettuce wraps and sticky hoisin sauce as the main course. The fortune waiting inside announced that “Hazel” would be the forthcoming restaurant from the evening's chef, Rob Rubba. Rob most recently cooked at Tallula, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group (NRG) spot that closed in Arlington. The purpose of the “Prelude by Rob Rubba” pop-up was to introduce diners to the fresh NRG concept he'll open later this year. The location is still being determined.

We snapped Rob with NRG's Jeff Faile, who was on hand to mix cocktails at the Saturday dinner held inside the Dolcezza Gelato Factory. Also on the menu: Grandma's zucchini bread with foie gras and chicken liver mousse; yeasted duck broth; and winter greens with duck vinaigrette. Rob's crispy duck wings coated with seeds, spices and honey stole the show. He tells us they get their crispiness from being fried in potato starch and a little vodka. Diners can expect Hazel to further showcase Rob's modern American cuisine that pulls inspiration from global cuisine.

Meet Bibiana's New Chef

Under a Bushel Photography

Bibiana's brand new chef has Italy coursing through his veins. Not only is Jake Addeo's family from Puglia, Italy, but he also attended the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Piemonte. Following schooling, he staged at well-regarded restaurants there. This is a very long way of saying you can trust him with your pasta (and everything else). “80 percent of my focus has been on perfecting the pasta program,” he tells us over dinner Wednesday. But it's not just the pasta that got a makeover—the whole menu is fresh. Favorite bites included beet root ravioli dressed in Italian butter and poppy seeds, and a sexy slab of grilled prime ribeye with sunchokes and bone marrow salsa verde.

A New Kind of Beer Garden is Coming

A hot summer evening in Japan means a trip to the beer garden—often perched atop a bustling department store of all places. There, the Japanese sip on refreshing chuhais (shochu-based cocktails), ice-cold Sapporo and snacks that compliment drinking. Come spring 2015, Washingtonians will be able to experience something similar at Umaya. The forthcoming restaurant located near CityCenterDC will offer an izakaya-style menu featuring everything from yakisoba and yakitori to rare cuts of sushi. We previewed what to expect from sous chef Calvin Yin, chef Munehiro Yonemoto, and Marco Maffeo-Robinson, whom we snapped. Calvin and Munehiro have worked together at Arlington's Sushi Rock and Kushi, while Marco most recently crafted cocktails at POV.

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Chinese New Year is a Big Deal at The Source

Big things are happening at The Source—and we're not talking about Chef Scott Drewno's towering height. The restaurant will be welcoming the Chinese New Year with a series of can't-miss events, starting with a reception featuring Sichuan king, chef Peter Chang on Feb. 18. From 7-9pm, guests can try dim sum from Scott and Peter paired with Atlas Brew Works beer. Tickets are $50. We snapped Peter last time he was at The Source for a James Beard Celebrity Chef dinner. Then, on Feb. 19, The Source will transform into a night market where you can try Chinese street food interpretations from big name chefs like Restaurant Eve's Cathal Armstrong and Ripple's Marjorie Meek Bradley for $85. Call for reservations.