A new Japanese restaurant with an extensive sushi menu has officially opened its doors in Ballston.
Kanji Izakaya held a soft opening at 4301 Fairfax Drive last month and is in the process of building out its seating and offerings, manager Ting Chen told ARLnow.
The restaurant’s menu includes a broad range of dishes, from unusual appetizers like grilled BBQ squid and wasabi shumai, to popular classics like ramen and teriyaki chicken. It also has specialty sushi rolls and nigiri/sashimi items such as scallops, red clam, kana amberjack and Japanese red snapper.
“We are the only one that can do, like, fine dining sushi,” Chen said.
Distinctive items on the sushi menu include the Fairfax roll — salmon, yellowtail and spicy crunchy tuna wrapped with soybean nori — and the Kanji roll: spicy crunchy yellowtail, tuna, salmon and avocado, wrapped with rice paper and topped with tobiko and special sauce.
The restaurant’s website advertises fresh ingredients and authentic taste.
“Our Chef dedication and intense training proved invaluable, putting a unique twist on every menu and providing the most personalized and mouth-watering dining experience,” it says.
The restaurant soon plans to expand into its patio area and start a happy hour for drinks, sushi and appetizers.
“So far, we’re doing okay,” Chen said.
There is some competition nearby, however, including Japanese BBQ spot Gyu San, which opened a few blocks away last June, and long-time takeout spot Sushi2go, near the Ballston Metro station entrance.