A new Japanese restaurant and speakeasy with a menu from a Michelin-starred sushi chef is underway in Courthouse.
Construction has begun on Saki, a sushi restaurant at 2055 15th Street N. by partners Nick Cordero and Greg Lee. The restaurant hopes to offer high quality sushi and cocktails in a casual atmosphere.
Saki’s menu is directed by Chef Masaaki Uchino
- The restaurant is inspired in part by an omakase dinner that Lee and Cordero attended at Sushi Nakasawa in Federal Triangle. That’s where they discovered Uchino’s Michelin-starred culinary work.
- “It literally, like, changed his life, and Nick said, ‘we need to bring this to the masses’ — like, everybody needs to be able to experience this,” Lee told ARLnow.
- Uchino has spent about two decades in restaurants across Seattle, New York and D.C. His resume includes Bar Japonais on D.C.’s 14th Street and Kiyomi, a sushi bar he founded.
It is targeting a winter opening
- While Saki’s sushi offerings will not feature omakase, Lee and Cordero — who is part of the hospitality team behind Don Tito and Carbonara — aspire to replicate the quality in a more casual setting.
- The menu is not yet finalized, but Lee and Cordero said they also hope to offer other Japanese entrees and dishes.
- For drinks, the restaurant is bringing on hospitality veteran Ana Barrera to direct a beverage program with cocktails and sake.
It’s a two-level restaurant
- Saki will occupy the bottom floor with seating for about 200 guests, including an outdoor patio, bar and sushi bar.
- Outside, a door that looks like a Japanese vending machine will serve as the entryway to a late-night speakeasy upstairs.
- The restaurant plans to offer service for lunch, happy hour, dinner and brunch.
