Looking for an incredible dining experience in Arlington? Head to Yume Sushi – Chef Saran Kannasute’s first restaurant concept – for an unforgettable meal. Located on 2121 North Westmoreland Street, Yume means “dream” in Japanese, which is fitting since it’s been a longtime dream of his to open his own restaurant.
Chef Saran offers omakase dining every day at 7 and 9 for up to eight diners. Reservations are required so make sure you call ahead. These two-hour tastings cost $85 per person, and the experience is worth every cent. If you’re a sake aficionado, you’re in luck because Yume has the largest collection in the area. That means signature sake cocktails, sake on tap, seasonal sake specials and more.
I recently had the pleasure of dining here with my friend @bmorefood, and we had a truly phenomenal meal. We munched on edamame and sipped drinks while waiting for our first course.
Our favorite drinks were the Yume-Mosa and the Lycee Saketini (both priced at $13). The former contained Roku (a Japanese gin), blueberry infused sake and yuzu soda, while the latter was made with lychee infused sake, lychee juice and housemade yuzu ice. Both were delicious, but if you have to choose between the two, go with the Yume-Mosa. It almost tastes like alcoholic soda!
Our dinner started off with the most exquisite sashimi. This was sea bass from Japan with 24k gold powder and caviar. It came in shiso ponzu, and the fish was as fresh as can be. Presentation was absolutely amazing, and Chef Saran’s dishes only got more beautiful as the night progressed.
Course 2 was shako, Japanese mantis shrimp, and it was prepared in a butter garlic miso sauce. Chef Saran then topped it with uni from Hokkaido, caviar and wasabi truffle oil. The shrimp had a really interesting texture to it, and it tasted kind of like lobster. It paired beautifully with the creaminess of the uni, and the oil tied all the flavors together.
Then came ankimo, the foie gras of the sea. Chef Saran topped it with ikura, yuzu salt, yuzu chili powder, and more uni. He then finished the delicacy off with a quail egg sauce. This was absolutely delicious, and it was nice and rich but not overwhelmingly so.
Course number 4 was seared toro kama nigiri with shoyu. This delectable bite was topped with caviar, fresh wasabi and black bamboo sea salt. It was almost too beautiful to eat, but I happily devoured it whole.
It’s hard to pick favorites when each course is so skillfully prepared, but this may have been one of the best bites I’ve ever had in my entire life. This was Spanish lomo pork tataki, and it was served in a butter garlic miso sauce and then topped with balsamic pearls, wasabi truffle oil and a drizzle of black pepper sauce. You’d think it’d be too much, but the flavor profile was on point. This was honestly last meal worthy.
Our final savory course was wagyu A5 nigiri served with foie gras, caviar, wasabi truffle oil and 24k gold powder. If heaven was food, this is what I imagine it’d taste like. This melt-in-your-mouth bite was unreal, and I genuinely hope Chef Saran serves it again because this alone was worth the trip.
Our final course was ginger ice cream served on phyllo dough noodles bird nest style. This dessert was the perfect palette cleanser. It was subtly sweet with bits of honey, and the crunchiness of the dough did a lot for the texture. This is something I’d definitely order again a la carte. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous meal.
If you’re looking to treat yourself or a loved one, book a reservation for Chef Saran’s omakase. $85 seems like a lot, but you’re getting a ton of high quality food for a fraction of the price, and you get to experience art in motion.
However, if you’d rather order off a menu, that’s fine too! They serve various rolls here so that’s a solid option as well. Let me know if you have any questions. To see more from Virginia, make sure you browse this tab here. Until next time, Nomsters!
