Uchino torches salmon nigiri at Kiyomi in the Square. | The Square Sushi Nakazawa alum Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino makes raw fish more accessible in a downtown food hall and 14th Street bar After working behind esteemed sushi bars in temple-like omakase spots for over 16 years , chef Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino made the daunting decision to try something completely new in early 2024: opening an omakase bar in a bustling food hall and, later, partnering with a bar to serve pristine sushi courses to bargoers. He referenced a common saying amongst Japanese chefs to describe this transition: “You learn until you die.” Uchino has learned quite a bit in the past two years, including operating his first-ever business, coming up with his own sake and wine pairings, and changing his approach to the technically flawless sushi courses he’s served for 10 years at award-winning Sushi Nakazawa (first in New York, then in D.C.) since he followed Daisuke Nakazawa (famously trained by icon Jiro Ono) from Seattle, Washington, to the East Coast. The Square Uchino watches customers trying an omakase course at the very first opening of Kiyomi in late 2023. A harsh reality hit when he decided to open his own high-end omakase bar during the pandemic. Many D.C. landlords weren’t willing to take a chance on a new business owner in his 40s, even as an esteemed chef with Michelin-starred credentials. In came Richie Brandenburg and Rubén García, who had known Uchino for years through industry ties and were heavily recruiting him for their emerging downtown food hall, The Square. “I think it’s really important, when you identify talent, to help them be successful,” says Brandenburg. “I love having quality around. And Uchi is definitely quality.” Opening up a sushi bar in a bustling food hall was not Uchi’s first choice, especially as construction difficulties landed him in the middle of the food hall’s main atrium by a buzzy bar. But even Uchino will admit that he needed the support of industry veterans that could help him run the business side of his new venture. Brandenburg ended up becoming a founding partner at Kiyomi, helping to manage Uchino’s employees and submitting permits, while Casa Teresa’s then-manager Alex Munoz helped him with day-to-day difficulties, like problems with reservation apps. Bar Japonais A delicate nigiri is formed in Uchino’s hands. “They are very supportive. And there’s a lot of things that I didn’t know... I realized it was a good decision to make,” Uchino reflects. Beyond building his business background, the traditionally trained sushi chef found that guests in the food hall usually had very little experience with high-end omakase and would even “ask me for a fork and knife.” Instead of the authentic (and somewhat rigid) omakase experience that he’d become used to, he tasked himself with educating diners through his 15-course omakase by lowering his prices and changing his fish selection to fit the American diner’s palate (softer, fatty fish like black cod). He even uses some ingredients that many sushi chefs would be appalled by, like a dash of truffle oil. Uchino insists that Kiyomi’s omakase experience is still incredibly authentic, using the same traditional “cutting, curing, and pickling” techniques he mastered and ingredients sourced from the same sellers (mostly in Japan) that he used at Sushi Nakazawa. This time around, he allows fast-casual sushi lovers to try umami-filled uni (sea urchin), melt-in-your-mouth monkfish liver, and four different cuts of fatty tuna for the first time. The Watergate Hotel/Kingbird Bar Uchino did a pop-up omakase at Kingbird in March and early April to celebrate cherry blossom season. As Uchino began to change the raw fish courses on his menu, he also started to think more about what he paired with each bite. He had always paid attention to sake he enjoyed, but he was also starting to trying new wines from Casa Teresa’s Spanish wine program. Something changed “the first time I tried Albariño,” he explained. “I immediately think about white fish sushi.” Munoz (who is Spanish) had introduced him to the dry white and that first taste spurred a partnership. Munoz helped Uchino to pair the perfect sparkling wine with his first course and even some vermouths with his later courses. (He recently debuted a sporadic series of omakase tastings with Munoz’s pairings at the Watergate Hotel’s Kingbird, where Munoz is now the director of operations.) As the opportunity at the Square came about, the owners of Bar Japonais asked Uchino to take over their sushi program in February — just as he was just beginning to think about pairing unique drinks with sushi and felt ready to bring on one of his apprentices full-time at Kiyomi. Uchino hasn’t just pushed the bartenders at Bar Japonais to experiment with sake and soju cocktails, he’s also helping waitstaff to connect with diners enjoying his omakase across the entire restaurant by teaching them about the stories behind each course. Beyond just where the cuts come from on each fish (which he can easily demonstrate behind a sushi bar), he has waiters tell the stories behind each bite, from where the fish is from in Japan to the legends of how different dishes were fist served to monarchs hundreds of years ago. Bar Japonais Uchino proudly presents the cuts of fish he will be using for an eight-course omakase at Bar Japonais. Bar Japonais Cuts of marbled wagyu are laid out, they are usually the starter for Uchino’s omakase. Why Uchino has drastically changed his approach to omakase in the past year all goes back to what inspired him to become a sushi chef. He worked in the back of restaurants, making soba noodles and other dishes, in his hometown of Fukuoka in his early 20s and enjoyed the craftsmanship behind being a chef. But there was something missing: He wanted direct feedback from his diners. “Being sushi chef is like, you talk to people and I feel like there’s a moment. I feel, ‘oh, I’m making these people happy,’ right? You see, that makes me happy,” he says. That pursuit of making the diner happy has led Uchino to unexpected places and flavors in the past two years. Even though he still wants to return to his dream of opening his own high-end omakase bar (with no dining room) in the future, he’s happy to be feeding luxurious bites of sushi to uninitiated diners at Kiyomi in the Square and Bar Japonais right now. Bar Japonais He also helps to advise on the rest of the Bar Japonais menu, especially raw fish dishes. ...read more read less