DCReview
Shōtō Washington DC
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Shōtō, a modern Japanese restaurant downtown, is the closest DC will ever get to Miami where eating for the sake of being seen is an art. And while the people here are for show, it’s the food that steals the spotlight.
There’s a bouncer at the door, a strictly-enforced dress code (no sneakers, ladies, no matter how much you try to convince the manager that these are your nice shoes), and the kind of low-lighting that makes you feel like you're somewhere deep underground, hidden even from all the mice and rats in downtown DC.
There’s a perfectly acceptable omakase that will run you around $125 per person. But the best way to enjoy Shōtō—and the art of the Japanese grill—is to go a la carte. Order the short rib braised in a chili-soy glaze or a charred, but beautifully caramelized wagyu tomahawk steak that's roughly the size of your head. You’ll be spending more than $125 per person, but it’s worth it for the unlimited meat and grill options.
The restaurant is packed on weeknights, mostly with sharply dressed co-workers enjoying an endless stream of sake while patiently waiting for their clients to handle the bill, and people looking to impress their significant other, not their accountant. And on weekends, a DJ plays an assortment of loud, ambient sounds that we can only describe as alien music or something straight from the twilight zone.
Shōtō's got some quirks (seriously, who needs oil diffusers releasing customized luxury scents that don't smell like anything?), but the impressive Japanese grill makes them worth overlooking. Especially for DC diners looking for a flashy evening where they can dress up, eat well, and ignore the world for a while.
Food Rundown
Hamachi Pirikara Ninniku Gake
photo credit: Rey Lopez