Gyushige: The Best Japanese BBQ and Sushi in Fairfax, VA

Gyushige, signed Gyu Shige Japanese BBQ & Bar, is the Japanese barbecue restaurant at 2980 District Ave., Suite 100, in the Mosaic District of Fairfax, VA. It is the first U.S. location of Gyu Shige, a yakiniku name founded in Tokyo in 1988 that the restaurant says now has over 160 stores worldwide. Its own description sums up the menu: authentic Japanese yakiniku with imported Miyazaki A5 Wagyu, plus Japanese small plates and sushi. That combination is why we think it is the best place in Fairfax for Japanese BBQ and sushi at the same table.

Chef Junzo Miyajima, IVEA's Executive Master Chef, created the menu. Northern Virginia Magazine called him "the creative force behind the menu at Gyu Shige in Fairfax." Our story on his three yakiniku brands already walks through the A5 Wagyu and Kobe steaks one by one. This guide covers the rest of the menu, which is just as deep: the everyday cuts, the seafood for the grill, the sushi bar and the sake and whisky flights.

The star is still the beef. Gyushige's signature is Miyazaki A5 Wagyu, the highest grade Japanese beef can receive, and the restaurant notes that authentic Japanese A5 comes with a birth certificate and a certificate of authentication. The easiest way in is the A5 Wagyu 3 oz at $58, grilled on your own tabletop grill. The most luxurious plate on the menu is the Premium Kobe Wagyu, $328 for 10 oz.

Beyond A5, the most useful part of the menu is the list of everyday yakiniku cuts, priced so a table can order several. Beef Tongue, thin or thick cut, is $16 and Prime Short Rib, boneless or bone-in, is $18. Outside Skirt, Chuck Flat, Hanger Steak and boneless Short Rib are $14 each, Filet Mignon is $15, Top Blade is $13, Short Plate is $11 and Brisket is $10. Hanger Tendon and Rib Finger come garlic, spicy or soy style for $11, and Large Intestine is $12. Yakiniku is about the natural flavor of the meat, so many cuts arrive unmarinated, with a little salt or a splash of tare after grilling.

Not everything on the grill is beef. Lamb Chops at $35 and Lobster Tails at $39 are the most impressive plates that are not Wagyu. Miso Black Cod is $17, Garlic Butter Scallops are $16, Miso Salmon is $14, Kurobuta Pork Belly is $18, Duck Breast is $13, and chicken thigh or breast is $9. Grilled vegetables start at $5, with King Oyster Mushroom and Butter Cheese Corn at $6 each.

The sushi bar is the other reason to come. Nigiri is priced by the piece: Hokkaido Uni $18, Otoro $15, A5 Wagyu $15, Chutoro $12, King Salmon and Botan Ebi $8, Tuna and Kanpachi $6. Sashimi is two pieces for $2 more. The Assorted Premium Sashimi Set, 12 pieces with miso soup, side salad and white rice, is $48 and is the most generous sushi plate on the menu. The Assorted Nigiri & Sashimi Set, nine pieces of nigiri, five of sashimi and a roll, is $58.

For rolls, try the house names first. The Mosaic Roll, named for the district, wraps lobster tempura, jalapeño and mango in thin radish for $21. The Fatty Maguro Roll, $22, tops spicy tuna and tempura flakes with fatty tuna, and the Seared Scallop Roll is $22. Classic rolls such as the Negi Toro Roll ($15) and the California Roll ($10) start at $7.

Cold plates connect the grill and the sushi bar. The Wagyu Uni, $36, puts Hokkaido uni on A5 Wagyu. The restaurant calls its Hokkaido Uni Shot, $18, "our popular Uni-Shot." Toro Tartare is $19, Tuna Lobster Caviar is $28 and the Hanami Sashimi Salad is $23. From the hot side, the Wagyu Truffle Fried Rice is $32 and Takoyaki is $10.

The bar is built for this food. The restaurant says its bar team created "some of the most beautiful, unique handcrafted cocktails," such as the gold-dust Gorudo Katana ($18) made with Suntory Toki. There are three flights: a Sake Flight for $45, a Premium Sake Flight for $65 that includes Dassai 23 and Kubota Manju, and a Japanese Whisky Flight for $55 with Hakushu 12, Umiki and Suntory World Whisky Ao. Mocktails are $9.

Our pick for two: Beef Tongue and Outside Skirt to start the grill, the $58 A5 Wagyu, a few pieces of Otoro and Hokkaido Uni nigiri, and one Premium Sake Flight to share. Finish with Taiyaki with ice cream ($10) or the Kyoto Matcha Crepe Cake ($12). A 20% gratuity is added for parties of five or more.

Gyushige is open Monday to Thursday from noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10:30 p.m., Friday from noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 11:30 p.m., Saturday from 12:30 to 11:30 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 to 10:30 p.m. Book on Resy through gyushigeus.com or call (703) 345-2288. Reservations are held for 15 minutes, tables have a 90-minute limit, and bar and outdoor seats are first come, first served. Takeout orders go through Toast, and the Mosaic District has free street parking and a free garage.