Back in 2004, Y&H alum Todd Kliman wrote about the scintillating fare at Uni: A Sushi Place, former Sushi-Ko chef James Tan‘s then-new restaurant near Dupont Circle. At the time, Kliman, now the restaurant critic at Washingtonian, seemed particularly taken with Tan’s use of the blowtorch:

A few seconds of torching and an otherwise conventional salmon nigiri is transformed: The slight heat produces a melting softness, and a lingering smoke on the tongue plays neatly against the fatty lushness of the fish.

I dined there quite often back in the day, following Kliman’s initial recommendation. The seared salmon was a must-have component to every visit.

Ironically, a fire in the building forced Uni to close for the greater part of 2011 and, thus, most of my return to D.C. over the past year. But the place on P Street has since reopened.

I stopped by last night for old time’s sake. Sure enough, the joint is still firing up its signature seared salmon ($5.50 for two pieces), which tasted just as soft, smoky and luscious as I remembered.

My advice: Sit at the bar and watch the sparks fly.

Uni: A Sushi Place, 2122 P St. NW, (202) 833-8038

Photos by Chris Shott