by Tom Sietsema
I n the Before Times, when customers could gather in Kenaki Sushi Counter in Gaithersburg, co-owner Aki Ballogdajan used to delight in introducing her brother, executive chef Ken, who shares her last name. Especially if she introduced him first, she says, “a lightbulb would go off” in guests’ heads. Kenaki! “It sounds Japanese. We are Japanese,” says the general manager of their combined first names.
Kenaki opened in September 2018 with some big ideas. The siblings aspired to a level of cooking for which they would “travel to eat,” says Aki, who left the software industry to go into business with Ken, the former executive sous-chef for three Washington-area Raku restaurants. 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.
The restaurant’s whimsical rolls include the Green Monster, its surface buttery with avocado, its filling crisp with shrimp tempura and made more interesting with spicy minced tuna and shiitakes braised in soy sauce. A fluttery garnish of bonito flakes lends a whisper of smoke to the roll, which acquired its name when the chef noticed that the protruding shrimp tails made a “monster” out of the busy but beautiful creation. Kanaki added donburi to its roster only after the pandemic. Not only do rice bowls travel well, says Aki, they spell Japanese comfort. Braised pork and roasted broccoli on a bed of steamed rice, which sponges the juices of the meat, lets you momentarily forget you’re living in “Groundhog Day.”
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A can of Sapporo is the obvious quaff, but Kenaki encourages you to order mixed drinks. FYI: Aki’s cocktail of choice is a Manhattan. Make it yours. 706 Center Point Way, Gaithersburg. 240-224- 7189 kenakisushi.com. Open for takeout noon to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and noon to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Delivery via Grubhub and the restaurant (three-mile radius, only until 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday). A la carte sushi $5 to $12, bento boxes and rice bowls $12.50 to $18.