This Week's Fish — Kue, Kochi, Scallops, Uni, Ikura, Buri
A generous final week of the year. By customer request, we are carrying Kue (Japanese Grouper) from Ehime and Kochi (Bartail Flathead) from Mie again — both exceptional winter white fish that appeared for the first time last week and proved popular enough to bring back immediately. Also available: Hotate (Hokkaido Scallops), Ikura Shoyuzuke, Hokkaido Uni, and Buri (Yellowtail) — the full-grown, fully fatty version of Hamachi, which is at its absolute peak in Japanese winter. Nagasaki Bluefin Tuna in all cuts is available as always.
Buri in December and January is a different fish from the summer Hamachi. The winter Buri — called Kan-buri (寒鰤) when caught during the cold season — has accumulated fat through autumn feeding and the flesh is marbled, rich, and deeply flavored. The Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures on the Sea of Japan coast are particularly celebrated for Kan-buri; the cold Japan Sea currents drive the fish to feed heavily before the water drops to its winter minimum.
Thank You for 2024
2024 was the year Sashimi DC became something real. We moved from Northeast DC into Rice Market in September and found a permanent home on 14th Street. We crossed 200 five-star Google reviews. We were featured in Washingtonian Magazine. Our fish appeared on menus at Anju and Gravitas. We ran Wine & Fish Pairing events that sold out faster than we could release tickets.
None of it happens without the customers who showed up, ordered, left reviews, told friends, and came back. The Japanese expats who recognized the quality from home. The home cooks who started buying Bluefin for the first time and then couldn't stop. The chefs who trusted us with their menus. The people who drove across DC for a specific cut on a specific week.
We will see you in 2025. The fish will be better.
Kan-buri (寒鰤) note: If you've only tasted Hamachi at Japanese restaurants in DC — typically a leaner, milder farmed fish — winter Buri from Japan is a revelation. The fat content is dramatically higher, and the flavor has a depth and richness that the summer fish doesn't approach. It will be available through January while the season holds.