Grouchy Chef

The best meal. Very classy. Amazing classy food. Loved having my husband be on his best behavior. Nice to dress and be classy.

For food affectionados, this is a must visit. I have been looking for unique and quirky restaurants in Washington for over 15 years and this one I have only recently found. So if you are reading this, consider yourself lucky. This is one of a kind and very rare find. The name is not to be underestimated. The chef here is indeed the most grouchy chef I have ever encountered across the continents and over the decades. Think of “soup Nazi” episode from Seinfeld. You go in, follow all the rules precisely, eat and then come out. While making reservations, the chef told me if you have any allergies or food issues then you might want to spend your time elsewhere. This will be his answer for basically any request that diverges from his rules. He doesn’t allow any photography inside except for food and considers it as violation of his constructional rights: The restaurant is located in a small warehouse and is run by one and only Chef Matsumoto. I am not stranger to “one man show” restaurants, especially from Japan, for over the counter very personal service. This is different because you get one of the nicely done tables. From outside, restaurant is fairly non-discrete. There is no open sign, no lights outside and with black glass door, one might even assume that it’s closed. You must call the chef Matsumoto to make reservation. Absolutely positively no jeans and you are expected to wear something proper. Also, no credit cards. You must wash hands before sitting down. Also, no clinking of glass. As you are sited, you will be given 3 pages of rules, story of the chef and the concept. This chef has been harassed, attacked and called names over the years and you might appreciate where he is coming from. I have nothing but heartfelt sympathy towards this artist who simply wanted to live just an honest life. Probably all artists worth their salt goes through this. The concept of the restaurant is to serve very high quality meals at very low prices. Now, let me interject here for a bit that I have visited enough of Michelin star restaurants and I know thing or two about what very high quality, meticulous, artistic and creative foods look like. They don’t come cheap and it’s just not economically possible. So when I sat down, my expectations were not too high but I can now tell you that this restaurant absolutely deserves Michelin star rating and can easily compete in this arena. The catch? It’s about 10 times cheaper than it should be!! It’s mind boggling what chef Matsumoto has achieved here and it’s not without his Herculean efforts. The 4 course dinner cost me $41.94 and I was dutifully given back pennies because the chef does not accept tips. I have spent more on just tips on equivalent Michelin star restaurants. The dinner was well paced and could be described as French cuisine with Japanese influence. This basically means that menu is boring without any frills, presentation is descent but not showy and test is very delicate. This is the dinner you stop, focus and go slow to appreciate properly. Everything was delicious and carefully crafted with little tastes springing up and developing and surprising. I could definitely say that the bits of redishes and cucumbers in the salad was the best redishes and cucumbers I ever had. The desert was carefully composed of many shapes and tastes. And so it goes. In the world, where every business is trying to extract as much money from customers as possible, this place is oases, a counter-thesis and, if you allow me to be bit extravagant with my words, a temple. I almost felt guilty eating such a food so cheaply here. So I decided to purchase t-shirt, proceeds of which goes to Cancer research (chef’s sister died of cancer). Now, I haven’t bought a T-shirt less than $15 in recent times and that’s when I was thinking being cheap. I expected that “Grouchy Chef” t-shirt was for donation so it must be $30. Instead, it was just $10. For the price, it was absolutely a steal, high quality and tastefully done. Do get one and this is one time chef accepts more money than price so be generous.

Amazing food! Delicious and exquisitely prepared 4 course French Cuisine for $14-28 per person. Less than a third of the price one would normally pay. Authentic and generous. The price is simply unbelievable and no tipping allowed. The Chef works alone and is meticulous. He is demanding on dinning etiquette and serves with good quality china and crystal glasses. The Chef is attentive to serve you the next course when you are finished with one. To ensure customer satisfaction of prompt food service, he is reluctant to accept reservation for more than 4 people. Highly principled person to a point of being rigid, Chef Masumoto is very proud of his cooking. He thanks you not for your business but for your participation. When complimented for his cooking, he respond with a stoic “ that’s what I do , Sir”. For a Chef with such dedication and beliefs on what he does, not for the money but the passion, this is admirable and deserves to be respected despite rough edges with his communication style. I must admit that I felt really guilty for paying so little for such a wonderful, good quality, delicious and professionally prepared meal. Since I am not allowed to tip, I purchased T shirts and made a donation which all goes to cancer research and not the Chef. Definitely a worthwhile experience and a come back again restaurant! Thank you Chef Masumoto for “doing what you do” and allowing us to “participate”!