Michael Sanson
You know you're in for a ride the minute you're seated at minibar, the six-seat, copperclad bar on the second floor of Cafè Atlantico in Washington, D.C. It's the diabolical twinkle in the eye of chef Katsuya Fukushima that tips you off. He challenges everything you know about eating with 20-plus single-or two-bite courses. Foie gras wrapped in cotton candy is insane, you think, until you pop it in your mouth and smile as Katsuya smiles back at you. The minibar concept was inspired by Barcelona madman chef Ferr·n Adria, who happens to be the mentor of Katsuya's mentor and boss, Josè Andrès. Elsewhere in Cafè Atlantico, the menu is decidedly Latin, and here you can see Katsuya's other big influence—Douglas Rodriguez, who mentored Katsuya at Pipa in N.Y.C. Next time you're in D.C., catch that twinkle in Katsuya's eye while you're injecting (yes, injecting) mozzarella soup and basillobster "Americaine" into your mouth.
