When a friend asks if I want to go grab some sushi, I admit the last thing that comes to my minds is “Par-tay!” DC sushi parlors are full of earth tones, California rolls and misguided attempts at bad feng shui. Combine with the sounds of a miniature waterfall and little vases of bamboo. I expect something mature with an overstated aesthetic that is often dull.
There’s nothing wrong with liking a quiet, soothing meal of sushi with your coconut water. If you prefer to eat your sushi in hushed tones, there are a myriad of restaurants that suit you perfectly. I hope you enjoy your yoga class after, and that your Enya albums never go missing. For the rest of DC, Sticky Rice suits our revolutionary ideas of talking at full volume, ringing a gong after shots and perhaps music with a beat you can get down to.
Red walls, black accents and dim lights are key signs that you won’t have soothing music underscoring your dinner conversation. An eclectic music selection varying between rock and rap sets the mood for a sushi house of karaoke, speed bingo, trivia and djs on the weekends. The average chef in a white coat is replaced by a beefy guy who can pull double duty as a bouncer. It’s out of the ordinary in all the best ways.
Sticky Rice serves DC traditional sushi rolls like every birchwood-clad sushi restaurant, but their specialties really shine.
Atypical? Unconventional? “Not real sushi?” Maybe… but delicious, inventive and enough to make this true foodie drool.
My personal favorites were the South Roll with tempura fried sweet potato with a splash of honey and sesame seeds and the Yum Yum with smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, tobiko and spicy sauce drizzled with eel sauce and scallions. I’m also in love with Sticky Balls, Dirty Vegan and Goochland for the sheer cheek of their names. With this much attitude it’s no wonder calling a head for a reservation is a necessity.
Sticky Rice
1224 H St., NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 397-7655
Jana Erwin is the primary chef and writer of CherryTeaCakes.com, a non-profit venture combining the love of fine desserts and feeding the impoverished in Washington DC.
