Kappo Makoto opened in DC’s Palisades not long ago, filling a sushi-shaped hole in the neighborhood. Recently, I snagged a reservation at one of Kappo Makoto’s 21 seats and watched Chef Ogawa create an omakase dining experience not unlike the kind one would have in his home country of Japan.
I turn left onto MacArthur Boulevard. The peloton races by, all lycra-clad and perky in their collective excitement. I walk past Black Coffee, its line for morning glory muffins and oat milk lattes rolls out the door, beyond people reading the Sunday Post, and towards the farmer’s market. The market is overflowing with purveyors selling peaches, kale, zinnias, and jugs of cold-pressed olive oil.
Toddlers spill out of their strollers to pet curly-coated doodles named Auggie and Doogie. The pups pull their owners toward the beef jerky stall, drooling in anticipation of a chewy treat. People mingle, buy raffle tickets from everyone’s favorite neighbor, Maria Garcia, and line up for the best Belgian waffles outside Brussels.
It’s Sunday morning in the Palisades—the DC neighborhood nestled along the edge of Georgetown and the Potomac River. Between the coffee shop, nail salon, fish market, and a smattering of locally-owned restaurants, we pretty much have it all here.
Or, so I’d thought.
Old Space, New Neighbor
The wooden door that for 26 years had opened into Sakedokoro Makoto’s beloved Japanese restaurant has been closed since 2018, leaving a sushi-shaped hole in the hearts of many Palisades residents. Makoto closed with a simple note to the neighborhood, “Thank you for all the support and goodwill over the years. It has been an absolute honor serving our customers.”
This past March, restauranteur Ari Wilder, and Chef Minoru Ogawa teamed up to open Kappo Makoto in its place—an homage to its late chef, Yoshiaki Itoh. Does the fact that I didn’t know Kappo Makoto opened until June say something about my attention to the neighborhood listserv or about Kappo Makoto’s marketing strategy? Let’s not point fingers. I make a reservation and start to save my appetite.
Kappo Makoto is a wagyu-inspired omakase restaurant. In Japanese, kappo means ‘to cook’. Omakase is a style of dining where the chef determines the menu and pacing of the meal. Guests are placed in the chef’s hands. In the literal sense, omakase translates to, “I trust you, Chef.”
I can’t speak for everyone in the community, but I couldn’t wait to put my trust in Chef Ogawa.
Click here for my 10 tips on how to get a reservation at the world’s best restaurants
Meet The Chef at Kappo Makoto
Chef Ogawa is no stranger to the sushi counter. In fact, most Washingtonians are well aware of his culinary expertise. Not only is he the chef/owner of his namesake restaurant in Kalorama, Sushi Ogawa, but he is also Mr. Wilder’s partner-in-crime at Zeppelin, in Shaw. A second-generation sushi chef from Japan, Chef Ogawa was a personal friend of the late Chef Yoshiaki Itoh and his son, Gene.
During much of Kappo Makoto’s 13-month build-out, Ogawa lived in Japan, yet he was always in touch with Wilder and the design team. He wanted to make sure Kappo Makoto captured the essence and nostalgia of Makoto. Original doors and shelving were salvaged. Bold, colorful tiles were added. According to Mr. Wilder, the Palisades community couldn’t have been more supportive of the venture, often stopping him on the street to ask how long until opening night.
Little Tokyo in the Palisades
You needn’t have spent any time in Tokyo to understand how accurately Kappo Makoto recreates a traditional Japanese restaurant. As Ari Wilder overhears time and again, guests feel they are being transported to Japan. Having lived in Tokyo years ago, I wholeheartedly agree. Kappo Makoto could just as easily be found on a backstreet in Ginza.
That the space is windowless certainly helps. Once beyond the sliding screen door, there are no outside references to remind me I’m just a mile from my house, my kids, and my two snoozing dogs. The counter has nine stools—front-row seats for Chef Ogawa’s culinary performance. The curtain rises. Sake is poured. The courses start to arrive.
Chef Ogawa lovingly and meticulously crafts his dishes. Concentric circles of calm radiate from him, which in turn, envelop the entire room. Jazz notes rise imperceptibly as the restaurant fills up. The atmosphere becomes livelier and guests at the sushi counter begin to make conversation. The family vibe of Kappo Makoto’s team ripples throughout the room.
Edo-mae style at Kappo Makoto
Ogawa prepares edo-mae-style sushi, which means the fish is sourced directly from markets in Tokyo. Kappo Makoto’s omakase consists of eight courses, five of which are wagyu-focused. Tonight’s menu begins with a wagyu summer salad. My nose detects a smoky scent well before our server tells us the wagyu is grilled over Binchō-tan charcoal, reportedly the purest charcoal on Earth.
My textured glass plate is a carnival of color. It highlights yellow tomatoes, orange uni, green leaves, and red, juicy, seared wagyu. I snap a picture and savor my first bite. Every course delights the senses. Every ingredient is placed with intent. From the creamy, briny, uni atop our sashimi to the smooth, silky egg custard of patiently steamed chawanmushi.
Ogawa’s sashimi course is a trio of artfully-plated raw fish dishes that explode with flavor. A ceramic leaf showcases thinly sliced cucumber and pickled ginger. A dollop of caviar tops the delicate fish. Each plate is as engaging aesthetically as it is to the palate.
Our next course is called Wagyu Menchi Katsu. I remember Katsu having something to do with food being fried. I apologize to my arteries and dive in. Menchi Katsu is my favorite bite of the night. It’s a delicately breaded and deep-fried minced wagyu bite that slowly melts in my mouth.
The courses continue, and I think every bite is the best bite of the night. If this annoys my husband, he doesn’t say. Maybe that’s because he’s too busy enjoying the sake, the crisp, Pouilly-Fuissé, and the Coravin pour of a decadent Napa Valley cabernet. Or, maybe he is thinking the very same thing.
Kappo Makoto: Neighborhood vibes, Destination-worthy
With Kappo Makoto, Wilder, and Ogawa have created a destination-worthy restaurant that maintains a neighborhood vibe. At $150 a person, a special occasion dining experience for neighbors could be more accurate. I have lots of special occasions coming up—like my dog’s birthday, my daughter heading off to college, and my other dog’s birthday.
I hope everyone—the farmer’s market shoppers, the Sunday Post readers, the lycra-clad peloton, the people in line for lattes, and Maria Garcia, join me in saying irasshaimase.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Kappo Makoto.
Click here for my 10 tips on how to get a reservation at the world’s best restaurants
Love the new post on Kappo Macoto. It looks amazing!! I hope one day when I visit my daughter she will take me there. Also, I love your new picture. As always, you look very beautiful. Good genes must run in your family.
Yes, I’m pretty sure I can talk your daughter into it the next time you are in DC. : )
Thank you, neighbor and intrepid traveler, for reviewing our own Kappa Makoto, a restaurant setting I have walked past many times—all wistfully—since the closing of the original Makoto in 2018. Friends and I had a truly memorable dinner there in 2017. Now, in a full-scale betrayal of my meatless diet, I am driven to seek out a reservation again, and for that downfall you and your tempting words and photos are at least partly to blame:)
I hope you have another memorable dinner. The wagyu is worth cheating on your diet just this once. Thank you for reading, Judy! -Jamie
Man that food sure looks yummy! I’ll have to give this restaurant a try soon!