“Over a year in the making – Kōbō – is the Japanese word for “atelier” meaning artist workshop — where original art is created by hand.”

Photos courtesy Kobo

From a press release:

“Sushiko (5455 Wisconsin Avenue) is thrilled to announce the upcoming debut of Kōbō – a new exclusive restaurant within a restaurant – featuring an intimate multi-course kappo dining journey beginning on Thursday, December 15th from the talented team behind Sushiko including brothers and dynamic culinary duo Chefs Handry Tjan and Piter Tjan, and co-owner Daisuke Utagawa. Over a year in the making – Kōbō – is the Japanese word for “atelier” meaning artist workshop — where original art is created by hand. And although the literal translation of kappo is to cut and cook, it also means the intimate act of cooking for and in front of a guest.

Following the significant increase in the popularity of omakase experiences offered throughout the U.S., Utagawa, and Chefs Handry and Piter agreed that now is the perfect time to begin exploring the future of Japanese cuisine with the hopes of being able to introduce diners – especially Japanophiles – to perhaps the next phase or level of omakase. Chefs Handry and Piter Tjan are excited and eager to share these two new intimate and personable kappo experiences with guests featuring a 12 to 15-course tasting journey through the artisanship and collaboration that births their vision of Japanese cuisine.

Beginning on Thursday, December 15th, Kōbō will be offering 2 seating times per day for up to 4 guests per reservation, with the first seating at 6:00PM, and the second available for 8:00PM. The vegan kappo will be offered Monday through Wednesday, and the non-vegan kappo will be available Thursday through Saturday. Priced at $130 per person for the vegan kappo and $160 per person for the non-vegan kappo (tax and gratuity included), guests will be required to provide their credit card number in order to hold/confirm their reservation.

“We wanted to create an intimate space that is both warm and comfortable”, said Chef Piter Tjan. “Every seat at Kōbō has an unobstructed view of us preparing all the different dishes and we encourage our guests to interact with us throughout their kappo experience”, added Chef Handry Tjan. “We are using color and textures in our plateware, which took thought and time to curate in order to enhance the look and feel of every dish. We want to excite all the senses, starting with sight, then smell, sound, touch/feel and finally taste.”

“Kōbō means atelier or workshop in Japanese”, says Daisuke Utagawa, co-owner of Sushiko Chevy Chase and soon-to-open Kōbō. “This is where craftsmen hone their skills and realize the passion for their work in a tangible form; products. At Sushiko, we have been serving kappo-style course meals to a select group of customers for quite some time now. It began as a very low-key service as we did not have the correct setup to offer this to a wider audience just yet. After hearing and receiving a significant amount of encouragement from our loyal customers, we finally decided to renovate our sushi bar and officially launch our kappo offerings. At Kōbō, we will be serving dishes that are even more focused and intimate. Our sushi will be closer to true edomae sushi, using red vinegar from Yokoi Jozo. Both our vegan and non-vegan dishes will reflect the seasons and we wish to tell “stories” to our guests through our dishes.”