We made the trek out to the ever-expanding area of McLean to check out Tachibana. It’s long been known as one of the best spots to grab some sushi in the area and its reputation was confirmed by the amount of customers that had already filled the restaurant. The place opened at noon and was nearly completely packed by noon-fifteen. A good sign that actually ended up working out in our favor: We didn’t intend on sitting at the sushi bar, but since all the tables were taken, we figured it’d be better than waiting over an hour. This made the whole experience, as the sushi chefs are all friendly, fun, and informative. After watching them, my biggest takeaway was that I need to work on my knife skills. Seriously, I can barely cut a uniform slice of french bread, let alone delicate fish flesh. Luckily abstract bread slices are totally in right now.
Not a sushi fan? No worries, as Tachibana has an extensive menu that includes various soups (ramen, soba, udon), rice bowls, and appetizers for people who prefer more “turf” than “surf.” We’ll definitely be back to check out the rice bowls, which we watched our sushi chef artfully construct for another customer. It was overflowing with meats, vegetables, sushi; everything perfectly in place. Upon seeing it, I lost all capacity for high-level thinking and grunted “Me want that.”
For a quick peek at our lunch, check out the Tastemade video above–which is 100% narrated in bad haikus (you’re welcome!)–and if you get a chance to check out Tachibana, definitely skip the tables and head for the sushi bar!
Disclaimer: My meal was comped by Tastemade, but all opinions, bad jokes, and typos are my own.
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