We're Back — Operating Seven Days a Week
We are back from Japan and operating fully at Rice Market, seven days a week, 11:30 am – 8:00 pm. The sake sourcing meetings in Tokyo went well; a full update is coming once we have had time to process what we learned and assess which of the relationships we established can realistically be developed into a direct import arrangement. The short version: the quality of what we tasted in Japan is as far ahead of what is available here as we expected, and the motivation to close that gap is stronger than ever.
This Week's Fish
Omiyage items are available again at the counter while depleted inventory lasts: Baumkuchen, rice kit, pasta sauce, latte kit, and Yanagiba knife. These are items brought back from Japan and offered at near cost as a thank-you to customers — available in-store only while supplies last.
Bafun Uni is available in limited quantity — reserve online. Madai (Sea Bream) arrived this week. Nagasaki Bluefin Tuna in all cuts as always. For delivery orders, schedule your preferred hour within the same day.
Violin Wine Tasting — Tomorrow Evening
Will from Violin Wine is visiting DC this week, and we are hosting a tasting event tomorrow evening (June 5th) at Rice Market. Tickets are still available for the 6:00 pm slot — and at $5 per glass, the pricing is below retail for several of the bottles being poured. This is deliberately accessible: we want people to taste Violin's work without a high barrier to entry.
The wines being poured include the Sojeau Chardonnay vertical (2019 vs 2021) and the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir comparison described in last week's update. Will will be present to speak about each wine, the decisions behind it, and the philosophy of the winery. This kind of direct access to a winemaker is rare in DC at this price point. Tickets are available at the Rice Market Ticketleap page.
Goodfellow Sparkling Hours — July 1 & 2
Looking ahead: we are planning Sparkling Hours with Goodfellow Family Cellars on July 1st and July 2nd — an evening event offering three of Goodfellow's sparkling wines alongside Nigiri. $36 for three glasses, with additional pours available at $12. Doors open at 6:30 pm. If you would like to reserve a seat before tickets open to the public, reach out directly through @keita_sashimi_dc.
On the sake trip: The meetings confirmed what we suspected — there are breweries in Japan producing sake that would be transformative for the DC market if it could arrive here fresh. The regulatory path through DC's direct import framework is viable. The timeline is longer than we'd like, but the direction is clear. More detail in the coming weeks.