Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Grand Reopening of Sushi Taro ... Anything but Grand
If you're like any sensible sushi craver, and we admit in advance full disclosure of being anything short of a connoisseur, than you undoubtedly have had the unfortunate circumstance over the past couple months of surviving without our national gem, Sushi Taro. Wildly popular among Japanese diplomats, New York and West Coast transplants, as well as discerning students with daddy's credit card, Sushi Taro has been the oasis in a district rife with subpar raw fish selections. Unlike its competitors (if one can rightfully even call the likes of Sushi-Ko or Kaz Bistro competitors) Sushi Taro would deliver consistently fresh picks straight from Japan at prices even your grandparents would agree are reasonable. And, in comparison to other fresh but affordable challengers like Kodobuki, Sushi Taro provided a truly unique, raw charm. From the optional Tatami (floor seating), to the semi-intimate private rooms, to one of the largest sushi bars in the world, Sushi Taro's design had a mass appeal that never sacrificed authenticity or its food's quality.
Thus, one might understand our (and for that matter several other patrons') suprise when we walked into the newly opened Sushi Taro last night Monday, March 23, 2009. What once was a large space crammed with customers too eager to indulge in the freshest fish around to care about two hour waits, came a new space remarkably different. As construction loomed overhead the CVS at 17th and P over the past few weeks, speculation grew about the cause and goal of the construction - were they in need of more space? Perhaps a longer sushi bar? More private rooms? Were they going to make the space "nicer" and the restaurant more "upscale" even -gasp- in light of the economic downturn seemingly affecting every part of the world except our own District of Columbia?
Unfortunately, folks, the new space is anything short of grand. It appears as if Taro went for the "upscale" goal but fell short on financing and design and opted for the build-a-room budget option a-la Ikea. From formica wood wall fixtures to obnoxiously offensive LED lights over each table, the space is decidedly void of any of the old Taro charm. From the moment we and any other subsequent patron walked in, you could instantly sense a feeling of desparation: "this is it?" This is, friends, what you've been waiting some 12 long weeks for... a watered down version of Haru, or any other "trendy" sushi chain which seeded our country during the boom years of the past administration. Like a Cafe Asia ca. ~1999, the new Sushi Taro might have been impressive to an undescerning eye emerging from the cheesy design of the mid 1990s - scratch that, even the untrained would notice the cheap details and lack of attention to detail.
Gone are the private rooms, gone is the charmingly large sushi bar staffed with multiple sushi chefs adieuing you "arigato" upon you departure. What remains is an akwardly large space, with dark wood floors, unmatching cheap wood booths, and a few two top tables placed randomly and intermittently throughout the space. Our guests were scrambling for a rationale why such a golden business model - one that packed hoardes of customers in each night and could not keep up with demand- decided to scratch the old model and replace it with a notably cheaper space that accomodates at most half the customers as the prior space.
And it gets worse. The menu is devoid of any of the authentic Japanese charm customers have grown to love over the years. Gone are the pages of hot and cold appetizers, the list of some twenty tempura options to share, the ever changing pages of fresh nigiri, sashimi, rolls and hand rolls. What remains is a bare, downright boring menu... 3 omakase menus priced $65 for sashimi and $75 for sushi... and about 10 fish selections of nigiri or sashimi pieces each at about $8-15 for 2 pieces. The appetizers are restricted to about 8 selections - hamachi, bonito, baby snapper, eel - no fish you haven't seen nor freshness you haven't tasted before.
That said, the food is still good. Did the sushi pack the punches you've grown to expect over the years? - perhaps. Was it anything that left our table or that of the tables around us gleeing with delight? - absolutely not. For a space that seems to want to be going the NYC-famed Sushi Yasuda route, it falls sadly short. The food seems to have lost its flair and the space more than helps you lose your appetite. While the omakase did bring out unique bite sized delicacies which perhaps did not grace the previous menu, at $75 a pop, it was a culinary mediocrity at a price which will outsupply the demand in this economy. The a-la carte menu, again, was devoid of anything noteworthy.
Disappointing at best. Personally offensive at worst. After leaving me with a delicious lasting memory of its infamous spicy tuna, Sushi Taro had me patiently waiting for weeks for its reopening. If you are like me, you didn't bother going anywhere else in the district - it wasn't worth it and god forbid Sushi Taro should find out... sadly, it feels, the joke is on us.
Thus, one might understand our (and for that matter several other patrons') suprise when we walked into the newly opened Sushi Taro last night Monday, March 23, 2009. What once was a large space crammed with customers too eager to indulge in the freshest fish around to care about two hour waits, came a new space remarkably different. As construction loomed overhead the CVS at 17th and P over the past few weeks, speculation grew about the cause and goal of the construction - were they in need of more space? Perhaps a longer sushi bar? More private rooms? Were they going to make the space "nicer" and the restaurant more "upscale" even -gasp- in light of the economic downturn seemingly affecting every part of the world except our own District of Columbia?
Unfortunately, folks, the new space is anything short of grand. It appears as if Taro went for the "upscale" goal but fell short on financing and design and opted for the build-a-room budget option a-la Ikea. From formica wood wall fixtures to obnoxiously offensive LED lights over each table, the space is decidedly void of any of the old Taro charm. From the moment we and any other subsequent patron walked in, you could instantly sense a feeling of desparation: "this is it?" This is, friends, what you've been waiting some 12 long weeks for... a watered down version of Haru, or any other "trendy" sushi chain which seeded our country during the boom years of the past administration. Like a Cafe Asia ca. ~1999, the new Sushi Taro might have been impressive to an undescerning eye emerging from the cheesy design of the mid 1990s - scratch that, even the untrained would notice the cheap details and lack of attention to detail.
Gone are the private rooms, gone is the charmingly large sushi bar staffed with multiple sushi chefs adieuing you "arigato" upon you departure. What remains is an akwardly large space, with dark wood floors, unmatching cheap wood booths, and a few two top tables placed randomly and intermittently throughout the space. Our guests were scrambling for a rationale why such a golden business model - one that packed hoardes of customers in each night and could not keep up with demand- decided to scratch the old model and replace it with a notably cheaper space that accomodates at most half the customers as the prior space.
And it gets worse. The menu is devoid of any of the authentic Japanese charm customers have grown to love over the years. Gone are the pages of hot and cold appetizers, the list of some twenty tempura options to share, the ever changing pages of fresh nigiri, sashimi, rolls and hand rolls. What remains is a bare, downright boring menu... 3 omakase menus priced $65 for sashimi and $75 for sushi... and about 10 fish selections of nigiri or sashimi pieces each at about $8-15 for 2 pieces. The appetizers are restricted to about 8 selections - hamachi, bonito, baby snapper, eel - no fish you haven't seen nor freshness you haven't tasted before.
That said, the food is still good. Did the sushi pack the punches you've grown to expect over the years? - perhaps. Was it anything that left our table or that of the tables around us gleeing with delight? - absolutely not. For a space that seems to want to be going the NYC-famed Sushi Yasuda route, it falls sadly short. The food seems to have lost its flair and the space more than helps you lose your appetite. While the omakase did bring out unique bite sized delicacies which perhaps did not grace the previous menu, at $75 a pop, it was a culinary mediocrity at a price which will outsupply the demand in this economy. The a-la carte menu, again, was devoid of anything noteworthy.
Disappointing at best. Personally offensive at worst. After leaving me with a delicious lasting memory of its infamous spicy tuna, Sushi Taro had me patiently waiting for weeks for its reopening. If you are like me, you didn't bother going anywhere else in the district - it wasn't worth it and god forbid Sushi Taro should find out... sadly, it feels, the joke is on us.
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