New Japanese Restaurant Opens in Old Town Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Nasime, a new Japanese restaurant has opened its doors in Old Town Alexandria. Nasime recently opened at 1209 King St. (see map below). The eatery is a "boutique" restaurant serving up authentic Japanese cuisine; the eatery is on the small side, and seats about 20.

The chef, Yuh Shimomura, has already earned 4.5 stars from five reviewers on Yelp for his restaurant, where he offers a five-course tasting menu for $48. The five-course menu at Nasime includes an amuse; a raw fish dish; something grilled, fried, steamed, or braised; hot pot or noodle soup; and dessert. Shimomura can accommodate dietary restrictions, if you give him plenty of notice (24 hours). A la carte options include sashimi, vegetable dishes, sake-miso marinated Chilean sea bass as well as an oxtail ramen noodle soup.

Yelp reviewer Rayne W. wrote Tuesday: "I may not be able to predict the election tonight; however, I predict that Chef Yuh would get mentioned and eventually get a star in the Michelin Guide if it was written for Virginia as we had a memorable birthday dining experience..."

Shimomura’s chef credentials include manning the kitchens at Azuma Izakaya in Rockville, Sei in Penn Quarter, Kaz Sushi Bistro and Pembroke Springs Retreat, a Japanese-style lodge near Winchester. (See lots of photos of his prepared dishes from Pembroke Springs here.) Shimomura trained in Ginza, Japan and has 15 years experience preparing high-end Japanese cuisine.

The eatery's hours are:

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday-Thursday: 5-10 p.m.
• Friday-Saturday: 5-10:30 p.m.
• Sundays: 5-9:30 p.m.

For more information, call the restaurant at (703) 548-1848.

PHOTOS courtesy of restaurant