MODAN
By CHEF GABRIELA ACKERMAN
Modan may only be a year old, but it already feels like one of McLean’s most exciting dining options. It’s modern and polished without trying too hard, and the food easily sits in fine-dining territory with its clean flavors, high-end ingredients, and a chef who clearly enjoys surprising his guests.
A big part of that excellence comes from Executive Chef Chico Dator, whose background includes time at Nobu and several other acclaimed Japanese restaurants. His touch is clear in every dish: precise cuts, thoughtful flavors, and a balance of elegance and ease that keeps the experience enjoyable rather than formal.
We started with cocktails, and Modan doesn’t play around. THE KING OF KAIJU is the sexiest drink I’ve had in a while. Smoky mezcal with a salt-tahini rim and Japanese seven-spice sesame seeds is the kind of drink you immediately want to reorder (and I did!). We also tried karaoke at night and an elevated espresso martini, smooth and not too sweet, while the lychee martini is bright and floral.
Once the chef began sending out his favorites, the tasting-style flow felt effortless.
Wagyu dumplings with truffle aioli and sweet onion–black truffle salsa, perfectly crispy tuna, lobster, and salmon tacos on nori chips, and scallop tiradito with aji amarillo, a fun Japanese-Peruvian twist. King salmon carpaccio with truffle aioli and crispy onion. Everything was incredibly fresh and beautifully presented.
ROLLS WITH A LUXE TOUCH
The rolls are where Modan adds a little glam. Fresh fish is the foundation, but touches like caviar, tobiko, and masago give them that luxurious edge without overdoing it.
• The Modan Rainbow shows off the quality of the fish.
• The Dragon Roll pairs snow crab and unagi with pops of tobiko.
• And the Sexy Roll—akami tuna, salmon, caviar, and masago rice—is rich, indulgent, and one of the standout rolls of the night.
THE SAVORY FINALE
We ended the savory portion with grilled lamb chops, followed by a perfectly silky miso marinated Black Cod topped with ikura. The cod was one of the top dishes of the evening.
A DESSERT SPREAD, WITH ONE CLEAR FAVORITE
For dessert, Modan brought out an elaborate dessert table, complete with multiple pastries and sweets prepared by their in-house pastry chef, who creates new desserts every week. Everything looked beautiful and tasted just as good, but the Matcha Cheesecake was the standout for me. Smooth, earthy, and not overly sweet. It was the perfect finish to a seafood-forward meal, and the dessert I’d happily return for.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Modan delivers a refined, modern Japanese experience right in McLean with luxurious touches, extremely fresh seafood, inventive cocktails, and a chef with Nobu-level expertise guiding the kitchen. It’s the kind of place that turns a regular evening into a memorable dining experience.
