2011 Fall Dining Guide
By Tom Sietsema
Sunday, October 16, 2011

When I'm feeling flush, I like to splurge on the omakase menu orchestrated by chef-owner Nobu Yamazaki in the serene private room of Washington's most alluring Japanese restaurant. But more visits than not, I'm content to graze off the regular menu, either in one of Sushi Taro's cozy wooden booths or, better yet, at a table near a window looking down on a fun parade of people. Dewy sweet shrimp, roseate wild yellowtail, creamy uni and meaty glazed eel on small pads of rice aren't the only seductions. I'm also a fan of the kitchen's panko-crusted chicken, minty with shiso; skewers of pork alternating with onion and sharing their plate with pickled carrot and radishes; sweetly marinated skin-on cod; and even the feathery seaweed salad, softly crunchy and, like many of the dishes here, served in handsome earthenware. (Tempura, alas, reveals ordinary frying.) Even when the second-story retreat is hopping, Sushi Taro - a forest of light, air and wood - feels tranquil.