Best New Artful Asian

(March 2007)

By Warren Rojas

Well-made sushi is supposed to be at least as aesthetically pleasing as it is appetizing. Sadly, some slapdash sushi operations roll out suspect combinations of inferior ingredients in the hopes that uninitiated Westerners will be none the wiser. Pray that they are never visited by those privy to the culinary stylings of Hoang's talented chefs, lest the fakers be forced to consider falling on their decorative samurai swords.

A family-run enterprise that previously prospered in both Florida and Baltimore, the Hoang clan is hoping their nascent Falls Church outpost will be as well received as the earlier ventures. To that end, you can often find the elder Hoang behind the attractive sushi bar hand-rolling individual orders while his dedicated progeny tend to the everyday business operations of the restaurant.

The L-shaped dining room packs plenty of flash, showcasing multi-colored stones along one wall, flowing bamboo ornaments overhead, vibrant silk kimonos prominently displayed in the main dining room and painted soy sauce dispensers placed at every table. Of course, the real fireworks come courtesy of the kitchen.

Tuna tataki summons an eye-catching collection of raw tuna rolled in black and white sesame seeds, topped with spicy mayonnaise and salmon roe, bundled together with shaved cucumber and then surrounded by a soy-based sauce (a grandiose dish).  An octopus sashimi produces a thick slice of coppery cephalopod, while a selection of fresh conch is a chewy delight. Likewise, the aptly named "rock ‘n roll" yields terrific rounds of salmon, eel and avocado carefully wrapped in crunch-inducing breadcrumbs.