Hi bento friends! A highlight of my recent birthday celebration was an indulgent visit to Kushi, a recently opened Japanese restaurant that has received rave reviews for its ultra-fresh fish and savory, authentic Izakaya (pub-style) Japanese dishes.Our two-plus hour feast at Kushi was memorable! Here are some images from our epic meal.
Super-fresh and delicate uni (this was my first time trying this exquisite sea treat):
Lovely grilled quail (photo by Jamison):
Mixed grill with soy-butter glazed corn, bacon-wrapped asparagus, stuffed spicy peppers, sauce, whole grilled green peppers:
Crisp-tender duck:
Wood-grilled eggplant...amazing! (photo by Jamison)
A beautiful chawanmushi custard with edamame, wild shrimp, mushrooms:
Super-fatty tuna, yellowtail, mackrel sashimi:
Later that day we visited Hana Market, a friendly and very tidy Japanese grocery in the U Street neighborhood with a great selection of Japanese items on its carefully organized shelves, from soba to mizuna, miso to pickles, locally grown Japanese produce and more...
Today's bento is a summery selection of Japanese tastes I love, with an enjoyable selection of little dishes nestled in the shokado box...
Green tea soba with a topping of farmer's market tomato and peppers, garlic, spicy saury, snow pea tops and ohba:
Calamari and seaweed salad with bitter melon, handmade food pick with blue bead accent:
Saturn peach from the farmer's market:
Strawberry mochi, raspberry on top:
In keeping with the soothing blue theme, a favorite Nepalese Buddha from the Sackler-Freer Gallery of Asian Art, which I visited on Tuesday:
A golden butterfly, Friday afternoon:
Happy weekend!