Tsukasaki and Kobayashi “testing” the sake (Image: Ltd Edition Sushi)

Capitol Hill’s Nagle Place is home to one of “America’s best restaurants.” The New York Times has added to the buzz around Ltd Edition Sushi by naming the eight-seat sushi bar to this year’s roster of the 50 best food and drink places in the country, one of only two entries from Washington and the only Seattle venue on the list.

“The chef Keiji Tsukasaki came to the sushi craft somewhat later in life, after more than a decade in the nightlife world, and he presides over the eight-seat counter with an impresario’s charisma,” the New York Times says of the star behind the counter.

Ltd hasn’t been an overnight sensation. CHS reported here in the summer of 2021 as the venture launched across from Cal Anderson Park while the area was still in the grips of the COVID-19 crisis and its impacts on bars and restaurants. Keiji Tsukasaki’s restaurant found itself faced with building early business by selling premium omakase boxes while its plans for the sushi bar waited on standby. Later that year, those plans went fully into motion as Jun Kobayashi, former head sushi chef at Shiro’s, joined the Ltd team as executive chef. Continue reading →