Just a Taste: Wasabi

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, January 25th, 2010

Wasabi’s latest kaiten sushi stand, a snag-your-meal-as-it-races-past-you operation, requires zen-like patience.

Not so much because staff don’t crank out signature nigiri rolls, specialty sashimi or mound of glistening seaweed fast enough.

It’s just that the most coveted snacks invariably vanish as they attempt to navigate the sea of outstretched hands that stand between you and gustatory satisfaction.

One manager said the constantly circulating belt can support up to 280 color-coded plates at a time, adding that they average around 2,000 servings per day. The manager said that in order to ensure freshness, no dish is allowed to remain on the belt beyond two hours–a non-issue given the rapid-fire pace at which customers snatch their preferred meals off the line and with which the dedicated kitchen crew (looks to be about eight folks who remain focused on prepping, plating and passing out the assembly-line seafood) replenishes the rolling buffet.

Some of the sashimi were too dry for my taste, while the majority of the specialty rolls (puffed rice-topped tuna, spicy mayo-swabbed salmon) had their charms. The chicken anticucho–no relation, however, to the savory beef heart skewers found all over Peru–was the biggest surprise, revealing grilled chicken doused in a spicetacular citrus-pepper sauce.

Wasabi: 1961 Chain Bridge Road, McLean; 703-388-0646; www.wasabitogo.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

–Warren

Tags: Gut Check, kaiten sushi, McLean, Northern Virginia Magazine, Tysons Corner Center, Warren Rojas, Wasabi