For: A Spoonful of Comfort
101 Church St., NW, Vienna; 703-242-1350; sushiyoshivienna.com.
Sushi restaurants are more than the sum of its spicy salmon roe and California roll parts.
Stateside, the accompanying miso broth is never as of-the-sea as Tokyo’s versions. In fact, you might find a prawn head, eyes bulging, floating alongside tofu cubes in Japan, but there’s worthy dishes on this continent.
A mound of rice graced with shredded eggs, hijiki seaweed, lotus root and diakon radishes act as the base for a stunning medley of raw fish: salmon, squid, makeral, and tuna, among others, cut into thick strips for paring with the decorated rice.
The prized dish at Sushi Yoshi, especially at this need-comfort time of year, is the chawan mushi. This silky egg custard rivals chicken noodle soup for its homey qualities.
A friend explained her mother would order this for her as a little girl, before she was allowed to indulge in raw fish; It slides down the throat like the childhood friend, JELL-O.
The custard, made to order, fills a narrow silver pot, with the egg cooked through in a seafood stock. It’s creamy and satisfying.
Chawan mushi for the soul has quite a ring to it.
(December 2012)
