Tysons may officially be an unincorporated community, but I still propose that it’s worthy of the moniker “Steak City.”
What the destination lacks in walkable real estate, it more than makes up for with steakhouses of every stripe. There are chains like The Capital Grille, The Palm, and Ruth’s Chris aplenty. Locally owned beef peddlers range from Randy’s Prime Seafood and Steaks to Korean-flavored Ingle. And then there are Brazilian rodizio spots Chima Steakhouse and Fogo de Chão.
Now Steak City has yet another contender. Churasuko opened to dine-in customers in December as America’s first Japanese-accented churrascaria. The restaurant is by Derek Liu, the man behind Rockville’s Gyuzo Japanese BBQ and Uzu Revolving Sushi.
A New Collaboration
With pulsing club beats and a room that’s almost too pretty for its own good, it would be easy to accuse Churasuko of putting style over substance. Blooms, from real to wall-sized, pop up around the restaurant, and gold details take light woods to luxe heights.
But I enjoyed the setting and the menu, a collaboration between Liu and his chef, Alvin Sanchez, that’s full of hits. Even before diners order, they’re treated to warm pão de queijo, a gluten-free cheese bread typical of churrascarias, along with a trio of candy-colored compound butters, blended with black sesame, miso, and gochujang. The only problem? At my first meal at Churasuko, the butter was lush and melted right into the chewy bread. When I returned, it was chilled to the point of being unspreadable.
Unfortunately, this was a theme of my experience at the restaurant.
While my first meal there was a strong start, my return visit was marred by little hiccups, mostly attributable to an inexperienced service team. Liu later told me that he lost his general manager days after my second meal. “The concept is there. Now we just need the execution. I’ll be here making sure it happens,” he assured me.
I can’t help but trust him. Beef is at the bloody heart of Churasuko, and thanks to Gyuzo, famed for its Japanese-bred A5 wagyu, Liu knows how to source the good stuff.
The $125 Churasuko Tasting Experience features six different cuts of wagyu from Japan, Australia, and the U.S. Spend $200 for the platinum tier instead, and you’ll be treated to nine (in addition to other meats), including the signature smoked beef, which Liu says is one-of-a-kind in the area.
My favorite bites hailed from Oceania. Australian tri-tip and flank steak strike an ideal balance between the rugged beefiness of the American cuts and the marbled excess of the Japanese ones. The Australian cuts are unmistakably wagyu, thanks to their melting tenderness, but avoid feeling like eating a warm slice of butter as the A5 striploin and rib-eye cap might to some diners. Not that there’s anything wrong with butter, but I prefer a bit more beefiness to my steak. Lamb chops from New Zealand were delectable, too, giving way immediately with a grassy flavor (read: un-gamey) as soon as I tore flesh from bone.
Bolo-tie-sporting servers bring each of these cuts to the table, occasionally sloshing a bit of meat juice on the white tablecloth. Meats are accompanied by a sampling of salts, including grains flavored with truffle and wasabi. Pickled peppers, radishes, and a finely blended chimichurri add more panache to the well-seasoned meats.
Beyond Steak
The barnyard proteins aren’t the only delicacies proffered on a skewer at Churasuko. The gimmick carries over onto the à la carte menu, which is divided between “Chilled Signatures,” “Warm Creations,” and larger-scale options such as the tasting experience and the Fire and Ice seafood tower.
At just $8, it may be worth ordering two helpings of golden umami corn with your meat. Oily in the most compelling way, the skewered corn sits in a puddle of cheese with a spicy seasoning of Japanese togarashi. It’s somewhere between Mexican elote, Korean corn cheese, and a viewing of Blade Runner.
For my own fire and ice pairing, I ordered the wagyu prosciutto skewer and the sashimi skewers. The first is composed of pieces of beef and cured pork so fine that they unravel like an edible mini accordion enlivened with fresh wasabi. The second is a collection of mild fish, each paired with a complementary topping, whether it’s yellowtail with slices of jalapeño or fatty tuna with freshly shaved truffle.
Overall, I was more impressed with the hot dishes than the cold ones, thanks to missteps like tuna that was presented to me still rigid from the freezer. But that’s not to take credit away from the visit-worthy dishes such as the wagyu fried rice, composed of sliced mushrooms and cubes of wagyu. Sanchez and his team are not stingy; for $20, they fill a large bowl of umami rice with a hint of smoke.
The karaage do Brazil is a success, too. Though the chicken may be marinated like Japanese karaage, the classic popcorn chicken presentation is replaced with larger chunks sunken into a tangy, togarashi-spiced dipping sauce along with fried enoki mushrooms that shatter into crispy papillae.
There’s no denying that it’s a “clubstaurant.” Just don’t let that be its death sentence if that’s not your scene.
Liu takes pains to quiet the naysayers. His newest restaurant has culinary firepower, with potential to grow. Churasuko is a three-star restaurant now — but give it a few months and it will be a stand-out addition to Steak City.
Churasuko Japanese Fusion Brazilian Steakhouse
Rating: ★★★
See This: Liu designed the space himself, and it’s clear he had fun. A floral theme pervades the maximalist rooms that pay equal tribute to Japan and the tropics.
Eat This: The Churasuko Tasting Experience, wagyu fried rice, sashimi skewers
Shareable plates: $5–$48
Tastings: $99–$200
Dessert: $8
Open daily for lunch and dinner. 1755 Tysons Central St., Tysons
Feature image by Michael Butcher
This story originally ran in our May Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
