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Delightful delicacies

New Izakaya Seki offers a bounty of exquisite Japanese food

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Izakaya Seki (Blade photo by Michael Key)

Sometimes studying up a little beforehand or taking along knowledgeable pals can enhance a dinner out tremendously if itā€™s a realm of cuisine on which one is relatively unschooled.

Father and daughter Hiroshi and Cizuka Seki opened Izakaya Seki (1117 V Street NW) on July 29. They place the sole focus of the restaurant on the exquisite food they serve with a minimalist yet gorgeous design of the space.

I was concerned about eating at a place that was light years beyond my comfort zone, so I brought my husband along with Amanda and Tony, my two ā€œJapanese food experts,ā€ to help me review this experience.

Both Amanda and Tony have eaten at Izakayas in Japan so I asked them to assist me with some of the basics, like eating with chopsticks, the finer points of Sake and how to decide if a rare food like cuttlefish is any good. The Japanese word Izakaya means sitting in a Sake shop, but the word has evolved to describe a casual eating and drinking establishment. Red paper lanterns are traditionally found in front of Izakayas and Izakaya Seki is no different. The lantern out front is one of the sole identifying items of this restaurant.

We had to wait to be seated and since the restaurant is small they took our number and called us when the table was ready. Once seated, our warm, attentive and humorous waitress, Mita, greeted us.

We began with the sashimi special and the Hokkaido Scallop Carpaccio. The Scallop Carpaccio was the first to arrive and with its myogi ginger and the citrus notes of the yuzo, made it a fantastic start to the meal. I was even able to manipulate the thinly sliced raw scallops with my chopsticks. The sashimi special was jam packed with small bites of fresh seafood like shrimp, tuna, clam, octopus and cuttlefish among others. Everything had a fresh, crisp flavor to it and although some of the textures (especially the cuttlefish) did not agree with me, the flavors did. Our first Sake, recommended by Mita to accompany our first two courses, was the Nigori ā€œotter festā€ which complemented this raw course perfectly.

We proceeded in order down the menu and selected the Mero grilled with Miso and the beef tongue with yuzu miso. The Mero or Patagonian toothfish ā€” generally marketed as Chilean Sea Bass ā€” was impeccably prepared with a slight sweetness and flakiness that melted in your mouth. The beef tongue was moist and the delicious sauce complemented the rich deep flavor of the tongue.

We moved along slowly. The four of us had already been dining more than an hour and had polished off two bottles of Sake. This is when I was introduced to Scochu. Unlike Sake, Scochu is distilled and the alcoholic content is generally higher. I found the Scochu to have a more refined and delicate flavor. Scochu ranges in price, but if you purchase a bottle and donā€™t finish it, they will keep it on a shelf in the upstairs dining room with your name on it.

We sipped our Scochu and dined on standout dishes like the cream croquettes with bƩchamel, crab and corn; the delicious fried tempura vegetables; and the earthy assorted mushrooms. I even tried a bite of the fried tofu with cream cheese, and while it was well prepared and enjoyed by others, I was delighted to discover that I still find tofu repulsive, even fried and with cream cheese.

Finally, our meal ended, in traditional Japanese fashion, with Soba and Chahan. The Chahan (fried rice) was rich, delicate and flavorful, yet difficult to eat with chopsticks.

After nearly three hours, I had completed what felt like a master class in Japanese cuisine, having left few stones unturned. There were however, some recommended dishes we didnā€™t have room for like the wasabi chicken, the kushikatsu, the kinpiri and the rice balls. As well as some dishes I was not quite ready to try like the sea urchin with quail egg and the monkfish liver.

Overall, this was a perfect evening with friends, a delightful waitress who skillfully guided us through our entire meal and beautifully prepared and presented food. This was, quite possibly, one of the best and most eye opening meals I have eaten in Washington. Plan on spending some time and money on this experience, but you will be rewarded.

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Theater

Celebrate Valentineā€™s Day with one of these three plays

ā€˜Waitress,ā€™ ā€˜Love Birds,ā€™ ā€˜Fuenteovejunaā€™ offer differing takes on love

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MALINDA plays Jenna in ā€˜Waitressā€™ at Olney Theatre Center.

For theatergoers seeking to mark Valentineā€™s Day with live music, love, and friendship, the DMV offers some new spins on traditional themes. 

Poised to make its regional debut at Olney Theatre Center, Sara Bareillesā€™s hit musical ā€œWaitressā€ (Feb.13-March 30) may not seem like a usual love story, but itā€™s a love story nonetheless. 

ā€œItā€™s about learning to love and value yourself,ā€ says MALINDA who plays Jenna, the showā€™s titular server/baker with aspirations to bake prize-winning pies and change her life. ā€œItā€™s also about sisterhood. From the start, the women involved in the show decided to be there for each other onstage and off, and it shows. For anyone with girl group love in their lives, this is an especially good show to see.

ā€œJenna doesnā€™t get a lot of satisfaction out of her primary partnership. Along with self-love she explores the antithesis of that ā€” partner violence. Our director [Marcia Milgrom Dodge] took the lesson of community support and community love to heart.ā€

Prior to coming out as bisexual in 2022, MALINDA considered herself more of a “quiet queer.ā€ However, the inspiration derived from Irish music (“music of the oppressedā€), which sheā€™s famed for singing on TikTok, compelled her to go public. 

She didnā€™t always believe her queerness to be special: ā€œFor me,ā€ MALINDA says, ā€œit was like saying my eyes are hazel. There wasnā€™t much to celebrate. But then I realized there were missing voices in my community. Felt like the right thing to do, and itā€™s been one of the great blessings of my life.ā€

Six years ago, after her Helen Hayes Award-winning turn in ā€œOnce,ā€ MALINDA took a break from musical theater. She needed time to age into dream parts, and one of those roles was Jenna. She recalls, ā€œGoing back to theater was prominently featured on my vision board, so when Marcia asked me to commit to ā€˜Waitress,ā€™ I happily agreed.ā€ 

For her, Valentineā€™s Day is an opportunity to reach out and tell friends, family, and, of course, romantic partners, just how much you love them. 

And she adds ā€œthatā€™s exactly how I plan to celebrate.ā€ 

D.C.ā€™s delightful Holly Twyford is spending Valentineā€™s Day working at the Folger on Capitol Hill. Sheā€™ll be on stage, her wife will be in the audience, and depending on the length of the program, theyā€™ll go out to dinner afterward.

For four performances, the multi-Helen Hayes award-winning actor is serving as narrator for ā€œThe Love Birdsā€ (Feb. 14-16), a new Folger Consort work that blends medieval music with a world-premiere composition by acclaimed composer Juri Seo and readings from Geoffrey Chaucerā€™s ā€œA Parlement of Foulesā€ by Twyford. 

Standing behind a podium, sheā€™ll read Chaucerā€™s words (translated from Middle English and backed by projected slides in the original language), alternating with music played on old and new instruments.  

ā€œThe new music is kind of dissonant with the sounds of birdcalls and nature sounds, painting a picture of whatā€™s going on in Chaucerā€™s poem thatā€™s beautiful and funny. Chaucer describes the male eagles pleading for the hand of the female eagle. Chaucer seems almost unwittingly feminist when he has the female eagle ask her eagle suitors to give her a year to think about it.ā€

GALA Hispanic Theatre in Columbia Heights presents ā€œFuenteovejunaā€ (through March 2), a timely production staged by out director JosĆ© Luis Arelleno. Penned in 1613, this work from the Spanish Golden Age ranks among playwright Lope de Vega’s most performed plays.

Itā€™s about tyranny and love, Arellano explains. Within Lope de Vegaā€™s timely tale of brutish power lies an intense love story. In fact, at the top of the show, four characters, two males and two females play a game. What is love? One of the players asserts that love doesnā€™t exist, while the others disagree. Itā€™s a charming way to kick off the play.

The celebrated director isnā€™t one to telegraph messages, preferring audiences think for themselves. That said, he does, of course, make strong directorial choices: ā€œIf I have to choose between love or war, itā€™s more important to talk about love. For me, itā€™s a revolution.ā€ 

And apropos of a Valentineā€™s Day date, GALAā€™s production of ā€œFuenteovejunaā€ (performed in Spanish with English surtitles) is imbued with live music and verse, an important part of any romantic experience, adds David Peralto, the productionā€™s poetry and verse consultant as well as Arellanoā€™s longtime partner. 

The busy Spain-based couple will celebrate Valentineā€™s Day in Seville and couldnā€™t be happier. Arellano describes Seville as the most romantic city in the world.

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Photos

PHOTOS: SMYAL for the New Year

LGBTQ youth services organization holds fundraiser at Shakers

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SMYAL for the New Year was held at Shakers on Jan. 30. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The LGBTQ youth services organization SMYAL held the “SMYAL for the New Year” fundraiser at Shakers on Thursday, Jan. 30.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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a&e features

Valentineā€™s gifts for the queers you love

Fragrances, X-rated sweet treats, candles, and more

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Put a little love in your heart. Thatā€™s what Jackie DeShannon encouraged with her 1969 hit song of the same name, and itā€™s never been more appropriate than in the context of our current state of affairs. Mute the vitriol this Valentineā€™s Day and concentrate on what really matters ā€“ those you love and who love you back. 

Gucci Guilty Love Edition

Sniffies? Youā€™ll put the site on hold after a whiff of Gucci Guilty Love Edition on the nape of his neck ā€“ featuring captivating notes of juniper oil, orange flower absolute and aphrodisiatic Ambrofix ā€“ which one review claims to ā€œmake your brain sparkle like a fine Champagne.ā€ Cheers to that. $25-$133, FragranceNet.com

Hunky Burning Love Pillow

Sweet dreams are on the docket when you rest your head on the Hunky Burning Love faux-suede square pillow printed with illustrations of shirtless himbos pining for your affection. An exercise in fantasy more than reality, but it beats sitting alone at a bar getting no attention at all. $30, ThePillowTopShop.com

Love Deck

Whatā€™s in the cards for your love life in 2025? Fuck around and find out with astrologist Lisa Stardustā€™s 70-card Love Deck, a tarot set of short spells, meditations and rituals designed to conjure enough love, passion, clarity and confidence to make Potion No. 9 jealous. $13, Amazon.com 

ā€˜Making the Case for Equalityā€™

Weā€™ll continue to fight the good fight over the next four years and beyond ā€“ perhaps harder than ever ā€“ and Lambda Legalā€™s ā€œMaking the Case for Equality,ā€ a detailed half-century history of our hard-won judicial victories, is a solid reminder of how far weā€™ve come in the war for LGBTQ+ rights. $45, Amazon.com

Lola Blankets

Schedule an at-home streaming marathon of this yearā€™s Best Picture noms before the big night ā€“ thereā€™s a lot to love in 2024ā€™s Oscar picks ā€“ and the coziest way to settle in is all snuggled up in the squishiest Lola blankets, reminiscent of the adorable ripples of the cutest Shar Pei. Pick up a couple for the cuddle puddle. $109-$299, LolaBlankets.com

Asa Akira x Cake Life Cookies

Cue the collaboration you didnā€™t see coming: Adult film star Asa Akira teams up with award-winning trans-owned bakery Cake Life Bake Shop for its sweet-and-spicy Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies, featuring Akiraā€™s XXX-tra special curated box decorated with NFSW phrases like ā€œCowgirl,ā€ ā€œCream Pie,ā€ and the ever-subtle ā€œAnalā€ ā€“ that are sure to leave mouths agog at your Gaylentineā€™s get-together. $19-$21, CakeLifeBakeShop.square.site

Mind Games Candles

Since the late 1990s, the Backstreet Boys have implored us to quit playinā€™ games with our loversā€™ hearts, which is probably why we play mind games instead ā€“ and now they come in luxury scents like Jasmine Milk, Tobacco Tonka Bean and Cherry Sandalwood, so you can enjoy mood lighting with your gaslighting. $135, MindGamesFragrance.com

Delysia Chocolates

Inspired by Greek Goddess-of-Love Aphrodite, Delysia Chocolatierā€™s 16-piece, limited-edition truffle collection includes four each of symbolic Passion (almond-honey-fig), Adoration (raspberry-rose petal-hibiscus), Unity (pomegranate-strawberry), and Love (spiced wine-berry) bite-size chocolates rich enough for savoring and abundant enough for sharing. $60, Delysia.com

DIY Whiskey Hot Sauce

Variety is the spice of life in Thoughtfully Gourmetā€™s Whiskey-Infused DIY Hot Sauce Kit that combines your favorite cereal spirit with high-quality global ingredients, like Mexican hot peppers, to create sophisticated flavor experiences of varying Scoville heat levels, handsomely housed in fancy decanters. Recipe book, spices and seasonings included; alcohol and antacids are not. $20, Amazon.com

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBTQ lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets around the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.

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