It's hard to avoid boxes of sushi at every supermarket. But some is better than others and some boxes don't have quite the assortment you want.

Annandale Seafood Market, 7123 Columbia Pike, Annandale, 703 642 8549, is a modest restaurant in a shopping strip that does sushi the Korean way. If you call ahead, it can supply the necessary special cuts of very fresh fish for you do make your own sushi, as well as finished sushi in party quantities. Sometimes it even has live octopus.You can't get fresher than that!

If you make your own, you may want ikura, the bright orange shum salmon roe, to sprinkle over the top for that special crunch. Daruma, a Japanese supermarket at 6931 Arlington Road, Bethesda, 301 654 8832, sold it, but sad to say (see the helpful Comment below) it's now closed. 10th & M Seafoods will mail ikura by the pound from Alaska. Call 800 770 2722.

Oriental supermarkets, like H Mart, 8103 Lee Hwy, Merrifield, 703 573 6300, and their branch in Wheaton on Georgia Ave, sell whole fresh fish, squid, molluscs and shellfish extremely cheaply. They will fillet your picks. They also sells nori sheets.

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1 Comment

1. Mineko

   Love your blog! Just wanted to let you know that Daruma closed earlier this year. Hinata, in the same area, offers fresh sashimi and sushi. It's very reasonably priced and I highly recommend!