Since I’ve been back in the DC area, I haven’t had a serious hankering for sushi. I think part of it is that I have never known my city to be a haven for sashimi, nigiri, or maki (rolls). The sushi experience in DC, for me at least, has always been just OK, unless you’ve got a soft spot for rolls that are named after U.S. states or cities. I’ve had some of the best California and Philadelphia rolls ever here in DC, but I would never base a real sushi experience after those. (Cream cheese in a maki roll? Not exactly the 'E True Hollywood Story' according to my Japanese friends – AKA ‘Sushi Police.’)
Case in point: Current. Current is the reincarnation of the once-very-popular Dragonfly. Located on Connecticut Avenue, smack in the center of the Golden Triangle’s bar/club corridor, Current is nestled in a comfortable nook that’s just a stones throw away from the somewhat iconic Julia’s Empanadas and the now-defunct MCCXXII (1223). With new kids on the block like Steve’s Bar Room and the re-furbished Public Bar (formerly Club Five), Current somehow still manages to be … current. While the place still attracts a crowd (an albeit random one), the sushi can only be described as OK at best. Their menu isn’t super impressive, but it is full of the standards: toro (fatty tuna), sake (Scottish salmon, in this case), aji (mackerel), unagi (eel), and uni (urchin) to name a few. And their maki rolls are also pretty typical: Dragon (eel, avocado, roe, and shrimp tempura), crunchy roll, and soft shell crab. The biggest plus for me is that the rolls are not the Stay-puff Marshmallow Man-sized craziness that you’ll find at your average glamorized “pan-Asian bistro.” Current deals out normal-sized rolls; pieces that are easily consumed without having to attempt to bite them in half. And while the sushi tastes decent, it isn’t really mind-blowing. While it’s definitely better than grocery store or food court sushi, it isn’t the melt-in-your-mouth kind that would make you want to run back for more. Not that I expect all sushi to be done a la Hiroyuki Urasawa, either.
The gleam of light from my experience at Current was definitely the hotate (scallop) kushi (skewer), which easily reminded me of some of the L.A. area’s robata and kushi spots, or izakaya. The scallop was perfectly grilled, and not over-cooked. And it was bursting with flavor.
Current’s décor is interesting, for lack of a better term. However it is miles away better than it was before. As Dragonfly, the soft glow of the interior colored lighting of the lounge would sexily emanate from the frosted main window. Couple that with the ultra-mod (and stark white) tables and chairs, and you had one of DC’s first ventures into the trendy Euro-chic style of the late 90s. But Dragonfly was always so cramped, and the use of the space was poor. With Current comes a much better use of the space, with the elongated bar giving way to a bevy of tables in front of, and to the side of it. Now patrons can comfortably lounge around the space without feeling confined. But while the use of space comes as a much-needed improvement, the décor is not as likable. It is surely a breath of fresh of air from ye ole Dragonfly days. And while the upstairs lounge area is typically lush as any trendy spot can be nowadays, the dining room’s use of aluminum-looking strips across the main and sushi bars (which I imagine to represent electric currents) made me think of tin-foil the whole time I was there.
Given the opportunity to go back with friends for a few rounds of drinks, or to commiserate in the lounge –I’d go again. The service was friendly enough to warrant a return visit, but I could easily skip the food. In the meantime, I'm on the hunt for a better sushi spot in the city.
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Current, 1215 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036, 202.955.5525
(Photos courtesy of the restaurant's website.)
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