Oh Fish Sushi Restaurant By Chef Kaz Okochi

Mix and match your sushi combinations at Oh Fish

Even the most ardent purist likes some new flavors on occasion.

Take, for instance, Kaz Okochi. The owner of Kaz Sushi Bistro has recently been flexing his creativity at his new takeout spot, Oh Fish.

Serving only maki, the tiny restaurant plays with the traditional rolls by providing diners with creative add-ins for customizable sushi.

Okochi uses the same purveyors for his casual offshoot as for the high-end Kaz, so the fish–including tuna ($8.50), salmon ($8.50) and shrimp salad ($8.50)–is the best quality available.

Each fish order comes with a choice of three vegetables, including spicy sprouts, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and mint. Kimchi is also an unexpected but excellent complement to the fish, adding a crunch of garlicky fire.

Rolls sit on your choice of sauce, which Okochi blends by binding his house soy with a thickener of either mayonnaise or tofu. Jalapeño soy sauce adds building heat, while the citrus soy sauce is subtly sweet and tart.

Newcomers can rely on signature combinations like the Kira Kira ($9), with spicy tuna, lettuce, green onion and wasabi soy sauce. On hot days, Okochi recommends salmon with the nearly Polynesian combination of pickled pineapple, basil and his Sriracha-based tomato sauce. It's a refreshing way to buck tradition.

Oh Fish!, 1103 19th St. NW (at L St.); 202-223-1818 or ohfish.com