By Stefanie Gans and Rina Rapuano
Takumi
Falls Church | Japanese | $$$
Takumi has figured out how to be the sushi restaurant everyone wants. The space is minimal, sparse, but welcoming with a touch of whimsy, like those illustrations of deep sea creatures hanging from the wall. It also serves damn good fish. The sashimi is cut with precision, and gleams in saturated hues of pink and orange and iridescent shades of cream and white and tastes just as clean, fresh and beautiful as it looks. It’s in the show, with a dab of garnish that amplifies the differences in breeds and varieties, a sweet and rich hamachi or a delicate walu or a creamy salmon or a deep, soulful tuna. Surrounding the sushi menu are options ranging from grilled baby octopus or scallop ceviche to a seaweed salad full of varying crunchy and slippery textures, fried tofu with a silky interior and a slew of puffy, tempura vegetables. Falls Church is lucky, and also, you have permission just to order the fish. // 310 S. Washington St., Falls Church
This post originally appeared in our November 2019 issue’s 50 Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
