Jasmine Sushi

By Warren Rojas

Although she’s already got a successful Chinese restaurant parked right next door, Jasmine owner Ming Donovan pounced on the opportunity to grow her hospitality empire when the adjoining spot opened up a few months back.

Donovan and her husband have redone the entire space and recruited a 10-year sushi veteran—the mysterious “Mr. Lin” has traveled the Eastern seaboard, practicing his raw seafood arts from New York City to Charlotte, N.C.—to help craft their Japanese dining program. “Everything’s going to be fresh,” Donovan stresses, noting that Lin is a real stickler about only working with top-quality ingredients (a cornerstone of his culinary reputation). The menu remained in flux at press time, but Donovan anticipates serving signature rolls, tempura dishes and other traditional Japanese fare (miso soup, edamame).

110 South St., Leesburg; 703-737-2288. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

(June 2009)

Tags: Ming Donovan, New to the Neighborhood, rolls, sushi, tempura dishes