Count me among the patrons who are happy to make the journey from the District for the chef’s handiwork in Kentlands Market Square, including a small but select list of nigiri. Spring for medium-fatty bluefin tuna, sea bream set off with grated daikon radish and red chile (momiji oroshi), and sawara, Spanish mackerel sparked with a dab of ginger and scallions. A little container of soy sauce hints at the attention to detail; Ken ramps up the flavor with sake and kombu.
Ken Ballogdajan and Aki Ballogdajan own KENAKI Sushi Counter in Gaithersburg. Capitol Hill will have another place to get a sushi fix once The Roost opens. Neighborhood Restaurant Group is filling out the final slots in its multi-restaurant, multi-bar destination as they prepare for an early 2020 opening. Read More
Ken’s sushi takes up a good bit of the menu, and his nontraditional maki can be terrific little creations. Many might sound a little too done-up (and some, such as the Donkey Kong roll with eel, cream cheese, and plantains, are). But the Green Monster roll—filled with shrimp tempura and marinated shiitakes and topped with a bouffant of bonito flakes—hits nearly every pleasure center. Meanwhile, the Black Magic roll, with its forbidden rice, spicy tuna, and pickled jalapeño, bears a whiff of truffle. If you’d asked me before if truffled sushi inspired much confidence, I’d have given you a hard no. Here, it actually works.
The Roost food hall in Capitol Hill has added a sushi counter from the brother-and-sister team behind Kenaki, a Japanese restaurant in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where chef Ken Ballogdajan has drawn attention with colorful makimono (rolls) and small plates.
Count me among the patrons who are happy to make the journey from the District for the chef’s handiwork in Kentlands Market Square, including a small but select list of nigiri. Spring for medium-fatty bluefin tuna, sea bream set off with grated daikon radish and red chile (momiji oroshi), and sawara, Spanish mackerel sparked with a dab of ginger and scallions. A little container of soy sauce hints at the attention to detail; Ken ramps up the flavor with sake and kombu.
This Kentlands sushi spot offers plenty of fun, untraditional rolls, whether it’s the “Japanese bagel” (smoked salmon, cream cheese, shiso, red onion, chive, cucumber, and house furikake) or the “Old Bae” (lump crab meat, scallion, avocado, and crispy potato). Also look out for limited daily specials such as tuna with Italian truffle or jalapeno popper rolls in addition to your standard maki and nigiri. Add on sakes, beers, cocktail pouches, or two-ounce Japanese whiskey pours. Curbside pickup and delivery available.
Ken Ballogdajan and Aki Ballogdajan own KENAKI Sushi Counter in Gaithersburg. Capitol Hill will have another place to get a sushi fix once The Roost opens. Neighborhood Restaurant Group is filling out the final slots in its multi-restaurant, multi-bar destination as they prepare for an early 2020 opening. Read More
“Most importantly how it taught us to be resourceful problem solvers. Something we’ve taken to heart in our everyday lives.” Ken Bollogajan reflected back about his first job in the kitchen. “When I was young, I was a dishwasher. I wanted something and my dad made we work for it.” He went on to explain how this initial taste of the restaurant scene helped drive his culinary passions.
Ken’s sushi takes up a good bit of the menu, and his nontraditional maki can be terrific little creations. Many might sound a little too done-up (and some, such as the Donkey Kong roll with eel, cream cheese, and plantains, are). But the Green Monster roll—filled with shrimp tempura and marinated shiitakes and topped with a bouffant of bonito flakes—hits nearly every pleasure center. Meanwhile, the Black Magic roll, with its forbidden rice, spicy tuna, and pickled jalapeño, bears a whiff of truffle. If you’d asked me before if truffled sushi inspired much confidence, I’d have given you a hard no. Here, it actually works.
“We hope to bring our family recipes and our take on modern and traditional sushi to the Kentlands neighborhood,” Aki Ballogdajan said Tuesday. “It’s really a labor of love.”
The 1,800-square-foot restaurant at 706 Center Point Way, which shares a corner with the Starbucks on Market Street, is currently open only for lunch. The Ballogdajans said they hope to offer dinner service in a week or two. The restaurant seats up to 50 people inside. Outdoor seating is still in the planning stages.
“There’s something about sushi, that when you eat a perfect piece of fish, and it’s so buttery and just melts in your mouth, it just makes you happy,” said Ballogdajan, who will run the front of the house while her chef brother, Ken, runs the kitchen at the restaurant. The pair just signed a lease for an 1,800-square-foot space in the Kentlands and hopes to open the restaurant this summer.
