Momiji

From the sushi impresario behind Umi and Kushi bar, this modernist Asian-style seafood eatery is something of a zen hideaway for frequenters of Capitol Hill. The Oasis-like courtyard, home to a greenery-framed Kyoto-style rock garden, is situated between the venue's two distinct sections: the bar and the dining room. The bar is dramatically lit with crimson walls, tin ceilings, and throngs of cocktail-toting Washingtonians, sipping on some of the spot's signature sake cocktails (think apple-sake with honey and brandy). The dining room, by contrast, is much brighter, with heavy cherrywood tables, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a bustling open kitchen. Here, patrons chatter over traditional Yakisoba noodle bowls, plates of grilled soy-glazed squid, and rows of inventive house sushi rolls, while ceramic pots of steaming sake serve as centerpieces on most tables.