Open at Rice Market — and the Fish Is Back

We Are Open at Rice Market

We are here. As of this week, Sashimi DC is operating from the basement of Rice Market, 1608 14th St NW, Lower Level, Washington DC 20009. After more than a year operating as a delivery-only business from Northeast DC, we now have a permanent physical home on 14th Street NW in the heart of the city.

The counter is in the lower level of Rice Market — take the stairs down from the main entrance. We will receive the full lineup of fish every week, and Rice Market staff can sell our fish all seven days, 11:30 am to 8:00 pm, whether Keita is present or not. You no longer need to plan around pickup windows or delivery slots to access the fish — come in, see what's there, and take it home.

This week I will be at the counter Thursday through Saturday. On Sunday I will be in Richmond, Virginia for the San-J open house — tasting sashimi alongside San-J Tamari at the only Tamari brewery outside Japan.

The Fish Is Back — Typhoon and Red Tide Behind Us

The timing of this opening matters: we have simultaneously overcome the two supply disruptions that limited our selection through August. The typhoon is past. The red tide affecting our primary supplier's area has cleared. We are back to the regular Nagasaki Bluefin Tuna from Hosei Suisan — the farm that has won the top prize at the Nagasaki Prefecture Farmed Bluefin competition. This is the fish we built the business on.

This week's Bluefin carries intense flavor and a strong amount of fat throughout the body — the processors in Miyazaki described the quality as close to the best winter fish they see. For late September, this is exceptional. The Yellowtail (Hamachi) and Sea Urchin (Uni) are also back for the first time since the red tide began in August.

What the Rice Market Location Means

Rice Market is not just a retail address — it is a community of food producers and makers who share a philosophy about how food should be sourced and sold. Being in the same space as producers working at this standard changes what Sashimi DC can be: a destination rather than a delivery service, a place where you can walk in, talk about the fish, learn about the farm it came from, and leave with something exceptional.

The lower level of Rice Market is also home to a remarkable range of other products — Japanese groceries, specialty wines, craft foods from producers around the world. The fish and the pantry items you need to prepare it well are now in the same building.

New Pricing Structure

With the move to a counter, most fish is now priced by actual weight. A larger piece of the same cut costs more than a smaller piece — which is how it should work. This also means you can ask for a specific size when you're at the counter rather than choosing between fixed packages online. The online shop continues to offer standard-weight packages for delivery orders.

We are also now charging $1 for insulated bags and ice packs, which were previously complimentary. Bring your own bag back and we refill it. This keeps cold-chain packaging from accumulating unnecessarily.

Upcoming: Sake Day DC, September 29

A note for sake enthusiasts: DC Sake Co and Chef Pepe Moncayo of Cranes DC are hosting the third annual Kanpai to Sake Day on September 29th — a celebration of World Sake Day with close to 100 different sakes and Cranes' cuisine. One of the best single-day sake events in the country. We cannot be there this year due to our own event, but it is strongly worth attending.