AKO by KENAKI

Don't underestimate this sushi spot inside the food hall The Roost. It's worth your time. Creating many sushi options, you can't go wrong. Preferring less "fishy" sushi, they have great veggie options and ones with shrimp and crab meat. Order and within a few minutes you'll get a plate of sushi with soy sauce and all the fixings.

My experience with Ako by KENAKI is pretty limited because I had only one small cucumber and eel roll. I thought my roll was fresh and pretty delicious. One small thing that I really appreciated: the MASSIVE amount of wasabi that accompanied my roll. *I have to admit that I'm a little but of a wasabi fiend.* While I did not try any other items from the menu, Ako had a decent selection of yummy bites that I hope to try in the future. Also, I thought the prices were pretty standard for the area. *Note: I did not order addition items, because I was ordering small plates from other establishments in The Roost.*

We went to AKO by Kenaki for my birthday and we really enjoyed it! The sushi was innovative but very tasty. As you might know, this is located in the Roost which is more of a food hall vibe. We sat at a counter and ordered on the app and it was delivered to us. Only complaint was that it was a little pricey and only open on certain days for lunch but overall pleased with the food and experience

This is my first time visiting any of the restaurants in the Roost and I have to say, this was a great way to start! We got almost all of the specialty rolls and then a spicy crunchy salmon roll. One thing to note is that in the spicy crunchy rolls, they use a whole piece of fish instead of like having it chopped up inside the spicy mayo so if you've got a thing about big pieces of fish, this might not be for you. The sushi was beautiful to look at and it was served with a great amount of pickled ginger and wasabi. My favorite roll was the Devil's Kiss (but beware the Calabrian chili ponzu definitely sneaks up on you!). The fresh Granny Smith apple is a great addition. My least favorite was the Black Magic--I think they were a little too heavy handed with the truffle and there wasn't enough variety of texture within the roll. There are no servers--you just order off a QR code and they deliver it to you, which was annoying bc there was no one to refill my water when I had to chug it after the Devil's kiss haha

This place is so unrated. It has the best sushi in the DMV and the prices isn't outrageous either.

Gave this place a try and it's not bad! Don't think you're going to get the fanciest most amazing sushi ever but it's really good and lots of options with good prices! Also love you can order from multiple stalls here.

Bottom Line Up Front: Woefully Overrated OKAY at best food.I was hopeful and looking forward to Ako, and really wanted to like the place. I was hoping to try the fatty tuna donburi bowl, but they were unavailable. I thought this was strange as they had another dish using fatty tuna (pictured) which had no apparent shortage. Maybe they were missing some other ingredient.AKO is in the Roost Food Hall, environment is what you would assume - nothing bad, just a bunch of people who want variety in food. Unfortunately as the issue with most restaurants in food halls, you get a plethora of choices without real expertise in any of the restaurants- Jack of all trades master of none.I had sushi rolls with fatty tuna placed on top along with a salmon donburi bowl. The rice was hard and tacky, something completely unacceptable for any sushi place. With a bad base, it was hard to appreciate the rest of the dishes. The donburi bowl was seasoned nice, with crunchy chili flakes. The sushi rolls looked nice, and were strangely flavorless.I'd give another chance to AKO to try the fatty tuna donbur bowl, but I'd skip on anything else - go to a real sushi restaurant and save your money.

I'm glad I get to be the first to review AKO. Due to Covid, I haven't been able to get much of my sushi cravings due to my favorite ones not having outdoor seating. I was skeptical of a food hall sushi but their vendor stand looked well made and authentic, so I gave the 16 pieces premium cut sashimi a try at $35. It did not disappoint at all. The fish was fresh, large pieces and melt in your mouth soft. They gave large portions, it was enough for me and my wife to share, they gave two pieces of each type of fish. The sushi rice had a perfect texture to go with the fish. The tamago, and fish eggs were a perfect completely as well, and they gave a lot. The Japanese mushrooms were also a nice touch, I don't like mushrooms but these were delicious. One of the best sashimi bowls I have had and at $35, very reasonable. I would definitely get this bowl again and love that I can enjoy it outdoors.it even includes a piece of uni as well, but all the fish was great.

Stopped by for lunch and we left satisfied! After hearing nothing but great things about Kenaki in Gaithersburg, MD we knew we had to stop by at their DC location. Ako is located inside a food hall, The Roost, which offered a variety of cuisines. The establishment is very spacious with lots of seating both inside and outside. If you want to sit outside, they have fire pits and heated lamps to keep you warm. Service is self-served. You order and pay for your food beforehand. They do have staff members coming around filling up your water cup if you decide to dine in. We loved this concept as it was convenient and more efficient. The sushi rolls were all delicious and beautifully presented. We ordered the White Tiger, Devil's Kiss, Green Monster, and New Spicy Tuna. My personal favorite was the White Tiger-- which had eel, salmon, apple, and avocado topped with seared scallop and dried, crunchy chili. This was such a unique roll and different from what I usually get. I loved the chili consistency with the other ingredients. The soy sauce and wasabi also tasted delicious and it did not taste store bought. We were later told that it was all made in house (so that makes sense). Overall, the fish was fatty and good quality and the ingredients also tasted fresh. If you are looking for delicious sushi with a relax ambiance this is the place for you-- 100% recommend.

AKO is OK. I live around the corner and have eaten here maybe 35~ times since it's next to Shelter and ordering anything (food, drinks) in the Roost is connected. In those 35~ times, I've tried every signature roll, every standard roll, and the Spicy Tekka donburi bowl. I absolutely love the J-Pop Maki roll. The seared salmon belly with shrimp and cream cheese is a showstopper. The Kitchen Sink is also a favorite. Everything else is pretty much just OK. A lot of the other signature rolls are odd combinations of flavors. The Red Phantom is my least favorite--has a weird, overly fishy taste and flavors that don't round out.Didn't really care for the Crab Cali roll, or the Softshell Crab roll (didn't taste like much other than rice and a crunch, which is most of my experience here.) It's like somehow all the flavor of these rolls ends up tasting "off."I'll still return for the J-Pop if I'm sitting at Shelter with a beer, but there are better places in the city if you're on the hunt for great sushi. This is just OK overall. Lastly, I wish the Sashimi bowl was still on the menu. I'd try that if they ever brought it back, because the quality of fish is great even if the flavors of the rolls are off.