Kaz Sushi Bistro

Location: 1915 I Street NW, Washington, DC

Ahhh, Sushi. If you want to look at exquisite knife skills, consummate calm, poise and all around serenity, then you go to a Sushi bar. I was a late starter to eating Sushi. Like so many people I thought it simply referred to raw fish and couldn't fathom why there were so many folk willing to pay through the nose for something that required (so I thought) little culinary skill at all. It was later that I learned that the term 'Sushi' actually refers to the type of rice used, hence the different styles of roll you get. The speed and accuracy with which they create these rolls is breathtaking. From my limited knowledge, 'Sashimi' is raw fish. 'Maki' are the little rolls, 'Nigiri' are the blocks of rice generally topped with raw fish and 'Temaki' are the cone-like shaped rolls. After that, I'm still at a bit of a loss. It takes me absolutely ages to order in a Sushi bar, which is why places with those little train-tracks full of food are such a good idea - not only can you gawp at the technique, but you can eat what you want, and no more. I really should go to Japan one day and learn more.

The other day I ate at Kaz Sushi Bistro in Washington, DC and it started with the same feeling I always have when going into a Sushi place: a sense that I am about to be underwhelmed. It's really not fair of me. I never feel that way if I'm about to eat tapas - but I assume my lack of knowledge is such that I have no idea if I'll feel fed or not. Kaz's has won numerous local awards recently for the innovation of its food. You can see this in the menu. The classic Nigiri, Sashimi and Rolls are all there, but so too are Kaz's signature sushi, including tuna with fore gras-miso, sake-poached scallop with lemon and coriander or salmon with mango puree. This was looking very much like "fusion-food", something else I'm a little sceptical of and I therefore opted for the more normal sounding tempura clams with green tea salt and lime, some seared octopus heads with lime, and a range of maki plus a seaweed salad.

Very tasty indeed: undoubtedly fresh ingredients, cooked well. The clams were beautifully sweet and the tempura feather light. I wasn't entirely sure what the 'green-tea salt' contributed: I could only taste salt and no green tea. But very tasty none the less. As for the octopus, my partner and I almost lost it when an eye-ball popped out at one point, but beyond the squeamishness, the texture was amazing: silky smooth without a hint of that awful rubbery feeling you get when eating badly cooked Calamari. I could be wrong, but I was sure I detected a taste of Sake: I wonder if the little tentacles had been flambéed?