Chinatown Sushi Stalwart Sei Resurfaces in an Unlikely Place | Eater DC

"I stepped into Dupont’s French-themed Le DeSales (1725 Desales Street NW) and found a hybrid that keeps both identities distinct: Raphael Francois’s French bistro fare — duck pate, rabbit pasta and whole branzino — coexists with a sleek sushi counter where Noriaki Yasutake revives his knife skills behind what used to be the desserts station. The 3,100-square-foot space features white subway tiles, blue velvet booths, gleaming hardwoods, chic graffiti artwork and French doors to a seasonal sidewalk seating area, and it seats about 119. The bar preserves Sei’s rare sake and a ten‑type whiskey list that starts at $13 and climbs to $32 for a pour of Yamakazi 12-year single malt, while cocktails nod to Sei (the Liquid Wasabi blends unfiltered sake, vodka, lime, habanero and ginger-infused simple syrup). Francois, who reshaped Panache into Le DeSales in 2017 and brings Michelin-trained experience, plans to bulk up the French side this summer, lunch currently features beet tartare poke bowls and bento boxes, brunch is en route, and Monday service plus an all-night happy hour are being used to drum up weeknight traffic; as the general manager put it, “We aren’t French, we aren’t Asian fusion — we are a French bistro with sushi.”" - Tierney Plumb