Waldorf Astoria · Washington DC

Sushi
Nakazawa

鮨 なかざわ

A twenty-course omakase

March 25, 2026

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Omakase

"I leave it up to you." Twenty courses from Chef Daisuke Nakazawa. A progression from light to rich, simple to luxurious, ending with the dish that changed his life.

Monaka with Caviar
01
Course I
Toro & Caviar Monaka
Amuse-Bouche
Flower-shaped monaka rice wafer filled with fatty tuna, crowned with caviar and a rose petal. Spring on a plate.
Firefly Squid
02
Course II
Firefly Squid
Hotaru-Ika
Whole firefly squid over wakame seaweed with cherry blossom garnish. Available only briefly each spring. A fleeting gift from the season.
Sashimi
03
Course III
Sashimi
Marinated Tuna & Sea Bream
A study in contrast on handmade ceramic. Marinated tuna alongside delicate sea bream, with fresh wasabi and microgreens.
Nimono
04
Course IV
Monkfish Liver
Ankimo
Rich, creamy ankimo in a gold-rimmed cut glass bowl. Often called the foie gras of the sea.
Seafood Soup
05
Course V
Seafood Soup
Wan-mono
Light, aromatic broth with crab, enoki mushrooms, and fresh scallions. The transition from appetizers to nigiri.
Salmon
06
Course VI · Nigiri Begins
Cherry Salmon
Sakura Masu
The nigiri progression begins. Cherry salmon from Hokkaido, a prized spring fish with a delicate sweetness. Luminous and fleeting.
Seared Salmon
07
Course VII
King Salmon
Aburi King Sake
Crosshatch-scored king salmon kissed with a torch. Richer and fattier than its cherry counterpart, the heat rendering the fat to silk.
Scallop
08
Course VIII
Scallop
Hotate
Translucent, impossibly tender. Sweet and oceanic with a buttery finish that fades slowly.
Prawn
09
Course IX
Prawn
Kuruma Ebi
Classic Edomae. Butterfly-cut boiled prawn with vivid coral color and a clean snap of sweetness.
Flounder
10
Course X
Flounder
Karei
Skin-on, lightly scored white fish. Subtle and refined with a gentle chew. Quiet confidence.
Horse Mackerel
11
Course XI
Horse Mackerel
Aji
Silver-skinned hikari-mono. Chopped scallion and shiso tucked between fish and rice. Bold, bright, assertive.
Amberjack
12
Course XII
Amberjack
Kanpachi
Firm, clean, with a distinctive dark skin line. A mild sweetness that lingers as the tuna trio approaches.
Courses XIII · XIV · XV

The Tuna Progression

Akami

Lean Tuna

Vivid ruby-red. Pure, clean, iron-rich.

Chutoro

Medium Fatty

Marbled pink. The bridge between lean and lush.

Otoro

Fatty Belly

It doesn't melt. It simply ceases to exist.

Wagyu with Black Truffle
16
Course XVI
A5 Wagyu
With Black Truffle
A generous blanket of shaved black truffle over meltingly tender wagyu beef, served on hand-painted Imari porcelain. Unapologetically luxurious.
Uni with Caviar
17
Course XVII
Sea Urchin
Uni with Caviar
Golden lobes of uni crowned with caviar and a tiny blossom. The ocean's richest offering, amplified.
Tamago
18
Course XVIII · The Signature
Tamago
Egg Custard
The course that made Nakazawa famous. In the documentary, he made over 200 attempts before Jiro called it "good." When he heard that word, he wept. This tamago carries that history in every bite.
Tea

Green Tea

Japanese Melon

Japanese Melon

The Chef

Daisuke Nakazawa

For the first three months, it was all cleaning, all obeying, saying 'Yes, yes,' and never talking back. By the fourth month he was allowed to handle fish. It was five years before he stood behind the sushi bar.
Born 1979

Early Years

Started at 19 in a suburban sushi shop. Became a salaryman. Quit to haul tuna at Tsukiji Market at 4:30 AM while working restaurant shifts at night.

~2002

Sukiyabashi Jiro

Answered a want ad from Jiro Ono. Got the job at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza. Years of rigorous apprenticeship followed.

2011

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

David Gelb's documentary captivated the world. The scene of Nakazawa perfecting tamago over 200 attempts became its emotional heart.

Seattle

Sushi Kashiba

Worked under Shiro Kashiba, another Jiro protege, before making the move to New York.

2013

Sushi Nakazawa Opens

West Village, Manhattan. Four-star review from the New York Times in its opening year. One of only six restaurants in the city with that distinction.

2018

Washington, DC

Second location at the Waldorf Astoria. Both hold one Michelin star.

Michelin Star

Both NYC & DC locations

NYT Four Stars

Pete Wells, 2013

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

2011 documentary

Sushi Nakazawa

Waldorf Astoria Washington DC
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004
sushinakazawa.com