Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino has been hailed as one of the top sushi chefs in D.C. Hailing from Fukuoka, Japan, Chef Uchi started in D.C. at Sushi Nakazawa before opening his own concept KIYOMI in The Square food hall. Now he’s taken over the kitchen at Bar Japonais, turning what was just another 14th Street happy hour spot into a top-tier sushi destination.
Modern Take On a Traditional Culinary Art
They say you have to master the rules before breaking them, and there is no better testament to this than Chef Uchi’s omakase menu. With over a decade of sushi chef experience, Chef Uchi uses traditional techniques to prepare fish, like cutting, curing, pickling, and marinating, but also adds his own ideas to make something truly unique and complex.
“I do traditional techniques to bring up the ingredients' flavor as much as I can. Then I finish up with a little additional techniques to our omakase … such as torching, hints of spice, and a variety of sauces,” says Chef Uchi.
Chef Uchi serves omakase course. (Courtesy of Bar Japonais)
What’s On the Menu
Chef Uchi specializes in sushi omakase and it’s the star of the show at Bar Japonais. The menu ($115) rotates based on the freshness and availability of the fish, mostly sourced from Japan, and is served at individual tables rather than the counter.
When I went, the nine courses included three cuts of tuna of varying fattiness, king salmon lightly charred with a blow torch, uni wrapped in toasted seaweed, and salmon roe served in a delicate rice cracker shell. Chef Uchi is an encyclopedia of knowledge about each course and is not afraid to kindly chide you for trying to eat your sushi in two bites. You can also order sushi a la carte, as well as a variety of skewers and entrees like curry and donburi.
Salmon crudo and Hamachi Épicé at Bar Japonais. (Courtesy of Bar Japonais)
😋 Inside Scoop: Where is Chef Uchi Eating?
One of Chef Uchi’s favorite places to go on a night off is NASIME in Alexandria old town, especially their seasonal menu. He also singled out D.C. legend Chef Nobu Yamazaki at Sushi Taro as a favorite. “This is a must go place,” said Chef Uchi.
