At Perry's in Washington D.C., Masako Morishita's rule-bending meld of Japanese tradition and international nostalgia constantly evolves in service of one simple thing: happiness. That goes for the staff and the diners alike, whether they're in the dining room or on the rooftop, whether they're there for weekend drag brunch or Japanese breakfast. "I don't want to serve sad food or angry food," she says. "I want people to feel love. I make sure my staff is happy so we can deliver that joy to the guests."
Customers at the sushi bar at Perry's.
Credit: Food & Wine / Alex Lau
This bliss comes in the form of clams in a miso butter broth spiked with chile flakes like her dad always loved, and in a McDonald's-inspired shrimp katsu burger she made to comfort herself when homesickness struck. It's swirled throughout a sumptuous miso nasu Bolognese dip with burrata and buttered toast points that's reminiscent of a sloppy Joe (if the cafeteria servers were actual angels), and an udon carbonara served with Parmesan cheese, Jidori egg yolk, crispy prosciutto, and an irrepressible grin. It's offered by the platter at a prix-fixe drag brunch buffet, treated here with the same meticulous care that...