Tokyo One

I made myself an unsatisfactory steak with onions and mushrooms for dinner tonight. I didn't know that was possible. I figure any piece of meat presented to me is heaven on a plate. After that unfortunate meal, I'm now looking to treat myself to some Mexican wedding cookies. However... the dough has been in the fridge since yesterday and is now rock hard. So I'm sitting here... watching the dough... giving it the death glare. Hopefully the heat from my gaze will make it thaw faster.

While I was gnawing away at my tough steak, cartoon bubbles floated from my head with images of foods I'd rather be eating, two of which I'll share with you.

Tokyo One is a nice sushi/grill/buffet, not one of those 3.99 all-you-can-eat rib joints on the corner. For $27.99 at dinner, you get the bar, a full sushi bar, soba and udon noodle station, salads, hot foods, fruits and dessert, etc. The full menu would go on for pages - you can see the menu with pictures on the website. But I suggest you don't fill up on those too quick because the star of the show is the Dungeness crab. They're HUGE! A whole crab is the size of my hand!!. Oh my gosh, and soooo delicious!! They're perfectly tender, sweet, juicy. They're not the same as the crab in Maryland that we've talked about before. No seasoning. No butter. Just pure, delicious crab. And it's always fun when you get to pull out and enjoy a huge chunk of crabmeat and not have to fuss with tiny legs and the bother with the complicated compartments of the body of a smaller crab. Drool. Don't even try to keep your hands clean. Just dig in and get messy. It's so worth it! And besides, that's what the bathrooms are for: so you can wash your hands when you're ready. Mind you, the other patrons are probably going to be crazy about the crabs as well. At the Sam Houston Pkwy location, people nonchalantly hang around the buffet pretending to be looking at other items, and when the server brings out a new batch of hot, steaming crabs, there is a mad rush for the crab. A wild stampede and hands boxing through each other to grab the crabs first. I literally had a woman take a crab from my hand. Rude. So what we did was make eyes with one of the cooks in the back and ask him to bring us some fresh crab. Accompanied by batting of the eyelashes. Success: fresh hot crab without the fight.

At the Greens Rd location, you don't have to race for the crab. You won't find crab at the buffet; you order it with your server and they'll bring it right to your table. For some reason... we enjoyed the Sam Houston location better, both environment and taste. But still... Yummers!!!

$$

www.tokyo-one.com

The Dancing Crab

Perfect for a lazy Sunday brunch, complete with mimosas, omelettes, and... crab?? My first visit found me on a beautiful Sunday, what was meant to be a bite to eat before heading to the airport to get me on my way back home to MI after a trip to DC. It turned out to leave quite an impression, so much so that it became reason enough to extend my trip. An hour into the meal - waffle on table, crab mallet in hand, and suitcase in car - I called my airline. So this is what travel insurance is for! I mean... ow... my tooth... root canal... wink wink.
We started with the brunch buffet. Fruit, hush puppies, potatoes, sausages, crab rolls, full omelette station, waffles upon request, etc. Upon learning about the steamed crab deal in addition to the brunch, we added all-you-can-eat crab to our tab. If you're having the brunch, it's much more economical to do the ayce than by the dozen. And it's soooooo good!! The whole thing, sitting out on the covered patio, the chatty but friendly omelette man, the most delicious waffles ever, the endless supply of sweet crab meat. Three hours after we first sat down, the two of us finally found ourselves ready to call it an afternoon, fully satisfied and just plain full.
We went again last month with the parents, this time eating inside. Different ambiance, same great buffet, same amazing crab.
To fully enjoy the experience, don't plan on zipping in and out. Warning, your wallet will be a little lighter than when you came in, but it's all worth it for a good time with good company and good food. Yummers!!!

$$ brunch, $$$ brunch + crab

www.dcseafood.com/dancingcrab