The Most Flavorful Japanese in Washington

Kumo Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.8 (541) • $$

"Tons of choices for sushi- very creative and varied. The food was absolutely delicious! We got the sweet potato roll and Amigos roll plus appetizers and devoured everything! The green tea ice cream was of great quality and perfectly capped off our lunch on this hot day!"

Capital Musubi

★★★★☆ 3.8 (137)

"I wasn't expecting to find a musubi spot in the mall, but I'm definitely glad it's there! They have a variety of musubi flavors and different options so I appreciated being able to order on the touch screens so I could review the menu. I went with the OG supersize musubi and Lilikoi Hawaiian Sun - perfect combo."

Hinata Sushi Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (145)

"I came here with my daughter for a last minute lunch date. The restaurant was really clean. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. I really loved that they had lunch options on a Saturday. The bento boxes come with a lot of food. We got the bulgogi box and it was delicious! The sushi was fresh and the miso soup was flavorful. Overall, a great lunch experience!I will definitely return!"

Koi Koi Sushi and Roll

★★★★☆ 3.8 (369) • $$

"Well, there are a lot of good restaurants in this area, no doubt.Really great restaurants come immediately to mind when we think of a particular type of meal.Really great means fantastic food with taste and texture and presentation and prompt professional table service.Our continuing go to for sushi is Koi Koi.Recommended by good friends several years ago we made that long drive to Falls Church from Arlington.Spur of the moment thoughts about dinner with friends sushi was the topic.The obvious choice was Koi KoiWe ordered spider rolls, avocado rolls, sashimi and it was beautiful, fresh and so tasty."

Matsu Sushi Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (678) • $$

"Matsu Sushi is the absolute gold standard in neighborhood sushi spots. I have been going since I was a kid and the consistency in terms of food quality, service, and pricing is amazing. My family and friends trek far and wide for a taste of this family-owned Centreville gem. A few updates or notes: They no longer do complimentary gyoza and edamame but have been able to maintain their Y2K era prices on sushi which I can appreciate.My favorite rolls include: scallop nigiri, hamachi nigiri, fatty tuna nigiri, vegas roll, spider roll, and the kabuki roll. The fried banana and ice cream is also a must, even if you are stuffed! There is a private party room in the back"

Raku

★★★★☆ 3.6 (569) • $$

"Just an update on their happy hour. I looked up a few items and one was $12 reduced from $13 for happy hour.I am happy to pay full price. I am not happy to be told I am benefiting from a small markdown. There will be no happy hours in my future."

Akeno Sushi Bar and Thai at Capitol Hill

★★★★☆ 4.2 (94)

"Normally, if a restaurant features two different cuisines, I am a little skeptical, but given that Japanese and Thai are two of my favorites, I didn't have to think twice about selecting Akeno for dinner. Somewhat hidden in an alleyway, this restaurant can be a little tough to spot from the street, so keep a lookout for its awning. The restaurant's interior is lovely with a floral theme. It is two stories with the main dining area being on the first floor, and the second floor housing a bar area and small patio. Between all the sushi options and Thai dishes, it took us some time to peruse the menu, but our waitress was very patient as we took a few moments to decide on our order. One of my dinner mates started off with the MURASAKINO PASSION drink ($7.95), a mix of passionfruit, butterfly pea tea and lemonade. It was pricey for a mocktail, but based on one sip, it was quite refreshing. + BEEF TENDERLOIN YAKITORI ($14.95): Two small skewers served alongside tangy yuzu sauce. While they looked nicely grilled, the beef seemed overcooked and was a little tough. I'd personally skip this since it wasn't worth the price. + PAD SEE EEW ($16.95): This is one of my go-to orders at any Thai restaurant and Akeno's is solid. The noodles had a good chew, the chicken was tender and the sauce was balanced between sweet, salty and savory. I also liked how they incorporated Chinese broccoli rather than regular broccoli.+ NIGIRI PLATE ($39.95): This included eight pieces of nigiri and a classic roll of the chef's choice, which was a salmon crunch roll that day. Our table shared this plate, but each piece of nigiri I had was satisfying and tasted fresh. I also enjoyed the crisped rice in the salmon crunch roll. Overall, the rice-to-fish ratio was just right. + BARUTAN DOUBLE SHRIMP ROLL ($17.95): Shrimp tempura and avocado inside, topped with shrimp, tobiko and sweet chili sauce. Between the creamy avocado, crispy shrimp and sweet chili, this roll had a great combination of textures and flavors. All of us enjoyed our dinner and there's plenty more that I would have loved to try off their menu. I appreciate the focus that they place on presentation which is not only apparent in the restaurant's décor, but also the food. After all, my eyes eat first!4.25 stars."

Ariake

★★★★☆ 4.2 (777) • $$

"Really nice traditional sushi restaurant next to the Hunters Woods shopping center. My partner and I went for an early dinner without a reservation, but the place filled up very quickly so it would be a good idea to have a reservation if you go after 5:30 pm. My partner and I shared the Maguro Box, which had several pieces of raw tuna sushi, sashimi, roll, and spicy tuna salad. It had excellent spicy flavors, the tuna was fresh, and it came with a basic side salad and miso soup. Since we started with the box we didn't have room for anything else beyond a few sips of Junmai sake. It was a lovely experience with attentive service and I would recommend for lunch or dinner."

Kyoto Japanese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (299) • $$

"A hidden gem!! Sit at the counter and let the chef choose all your dishes. Best sushi around with exceptional service!"

Tokyo Japanese Steak House

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (218) • $$

"Food was okay, drinks were okay, I did not like the cloudy soup. I was actually upset bc I never had a cloudy soup before"

Sakura Grill

★★★★☆ 4.1 (205) • $$

"Tried this out on a Wednesday night. The sushi was delicious- my kids ate three full rolls of California rolls. I had the veggie rolls and the peanut avocado rolls- a very delicious combo. My husband and son had the beef noodles and both said it was very yummy. The servers were all very nice and service was quick. The added bonus is it is so close to our house. We will definitely be back!"

Murasaki Japanese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (402) • $$

"At first glance I thought this was more of a takeout/"fast food" location, but boy were we wrong! Hands down favorite sushi I have had since moving into the area and I've been thinking about it often! Super sweet employees and loved the hand sanitizer on each table. There is a menu and a paper menu to mark your sushi wanted. We ordered some classics but we typically stick to anything with shrimp/crab combo and it all was soo good. Even the california roll felt more upscale than usual. The spicy edamame wasn't really spicy so I'd just order the regular next time. Warm Sake was delicious and quite soothing. Ultimate fave was the Sprite being in a can. No questioning carbonation here!"

Wasabi

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (555) • $$

"I love the concept.... but don't come here starving... i love sushi... and they have my favorites.. you pick what you want... each plate... is coded with a price... it adds up quick though.. sushi is fresh and tasty. Service is great too... come here alone or make your man treat you ..cuz you deserve it....Make room for dessert at Cinnabon lol"

The Spot Food Hall

★★★★☆ 4 (101) • $$

"Friday night Ramen and hip hop. Twas a great night and what I needed. After being here quite a few times, the ramen stall is most reliable. Everything else has been rather hit or miss, besides the boba tea spot. I've also tried the steamed crab legs (very small), dessert stall was cute. Almost all transactions are via a kiosk so service is limited. The hall is well mapped out with a huge bar (with power outlets!) Once I even came in on a day with live music. This is a welcome food hall to the area/restaurant row. I personally asked the owner/operator of Kong Dog (Korean corn dogs) that's been popping up at malls to consider a space here. PLEASE BRING KONG DOG!!!!!P.s. parking is not an issue outside of the establishment."

Sakura Grill Ashburn

★★★★☆ 4 (304) • $$

"Finally got around to trying the hibachi at Sakura. It does not disappoint. You get the traditional Teppanyaki experience here, you sit around a big flat cooktop and the whole show happens in front of your eyes. We were a group of 7 and all had the full experience of hibachi. The meal includes salad, clear soup, veggies, fried rice, 2 shrimp, and your protein of choice. Noodles are $3.50 extra but worth the money. A great tip is to ask for extra egg for the fried rice and add extra garlic to everything being prepared. It really elevates the flavor. I ordered the filet mignon and shrimp entree, my wife ordered the rib eye steak. The filet was nice and tender but my wife's ribeye was superior in flavor. All the food was prepared correctly, the steak was juicy and flavorful and seafood was nice and tender. This gentleman knew his businesses. We had kids with us and the chef was kind enough to give us a heads up when the pyrotechnics happened. It's this kind of courtesy that adds to the whole dining experience."

Kusshi - Glover Park

★★★★★ 4.6 (20)

"I was greeted within 2 minutes of my arrival my server, Alex was very friendly and presented me with a complimentary piece of sushi, Kusshi seared Fatty Salmon, which was very tasty as well as unexpected. I ordered a 6 piece tuna roll while I browsed the menu. I asked Alex what he would recommend and he was quite knowledgeable about the menu, which impressed me that he had eaten the food himself. I ended up ordering the Chesapeake roll. I also asked Alex about the music and he told me that it was his own personal playlist. All in all I wholeheartedly enjoyed my visit and I recommend it hands down."

Ariake - Fairfax

★★★★☆ 4.4 (485) • $$

"We walked in for dinner on a weekend around 6pm and it was packed (about a 15min wait) which is a good sign that it's worth it. When we were seated, they already had placemats and the server came around very quickly for our order. There's also staff walking around constantly refilling waters so you don't have to flag anyone down. Also, there's the open kitchen area where you can see the sushi made in front of you. They initially brought out free salad that consisted of lettuce, carrots, and a light sauce. For appetizer we got pork cha-shu, which I didn't try as I don't eat red meat but my party enjoyed it. They said the meat was soft/tender and the sauce was sweet and flavorful. For entrees we ordered curry with breaded chicken over rice, and there was a side of salad with mayo and some veggies. The other entree was a noodle dish (I don't remember the name unfortunately) but the little bit I tried to taste had the right amount of oil, saltiness, and a bit of sweetness, and the veggies and chicken were well cooked. For my dish, I really liked the curry (which I'm usually a big fan of) and it did not disappoint. Smooth flavor, creamy, and piping hot."

Shinwa Izakaya

★★★★☆ 4.3 (4)

"This place is great! Shinwa just opened up in City Ridge and they are serving up a wide variety of tasty Japanese food, including ramen, sushi, and skewers/small plates. We went for the soft opening and the servers were very attentive and made sure to mention that, because they just opened, they were still figuring things out and would appreciate any and all feedback. With that being said, everything was great and we had no notes! On top of the great service and food, the interior is very cute and has a mix of modern and classic Japanese flare.This is definitely a place to keep an eye out for."

Osaka Steak House & Japanese Sushi

★★★★☆ 4 (55)

"Ate here for the first time and so glad I did! Ordered Tempura Udon Soup and the broth was perfect! Loved the taste of the mushrooms in the broth. Also ordered SpiderRoll sushi and it was awesome!! Will definitely come back again for the Udon!!"

Aji-Nippon Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (92) • $$

"My wife and I saw Aji-Nippon. We lived in DC from 1995 to 2010 (she lived there longer than that), and we have occasion to return regularly now due to my elderly father living on his own past a time when he ought to be doing so. That means we are in the vicinity; we stay a bit more than a mile away. When we were running errands, stopping into Strosnider's Hardware across the street, we spotted Aji-Nippon. We had not dined there before, despite having shopped at the long gone Japanese grocery in the same little complex. Here is a summary. When we finished our dinner, my wife said, I hope they have more patrons. For a Friday night, it was awfully quiet. I love places like this. It is mom and pop. I assume it is a team of husband and wife. I infer, from the review on the wall, it is not the same as the original pair. They are either of Korean ancestry or like Korean food (I make no assumptions, even if ostensibly benign). I had the chirashi Korean style (with lettuce and hot sauce, which may have been home made; the proper term is hoe-deopbap, though the Anglicization can include the hyphen or not). We also got the seafood pancake to go. My wife had the bento box with salmon teriyaki. Everything was fine. The decor is modest, but not cheap or plain; it feels as if you have been welcomed into an intimate space. Service was friendly and warm.Given where we spend our nights in the area, I am sure we will be back. There are fancier venues, to be sure, more expensive, too. But if you are looking for casual, easygoing, high quality, fairly priced, you won't do much better."

Khin’s Sushi

★★★★☆ 4.1 (18)

"Great spot for a casual dinner with a friend! The food came out very quickly and tasted delicious!"

Tonari

★★★★☆ 4.1 (287) • $$

"First meal in DC during our little weekend getaway for my husband's 30th. We actually ordered via UberEats so can't say too much about ambiance. However, food was amazing. We ordered uni pasta and the whole Japanese Philly pizza and I'm so glad we did. The pizza was so good, I wish they had a location out in California! Only caveat I would say was the pasta came out a bit cold in comparison to the pizza by the time it was delivered."

Siu's Asian Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.5 (269) • $$

"we've loved siu's since they opened years ago. the food is always delicious, service is quick, and the staff is so kind. the space inside seems small but fits quite a bit with outdoor seating. always a good spot to pop in for yummy food on the go."

Sakaki Izakaya

★★★★★ 4.5 (182)

"Absolutely loveee the ambiance and our server Daniel! He was fun and on top of all of our orders. We came here for our friend's birthday and had a great time. The food was pretty good overall. My favorites were the king salmon foie gras and eel foie gras but let's be honest.. I'm just a sucker for foie gras Would definitely come back again for the vibes and staff alone!"

Mat Jib

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (4)

"Mat Jib is the excellent outside restaurant food vendor who operates the food extension location inside the H Mart Burke. Some will note the Burke location is not categorized properly as being an HMart location in Yelp search. Others will know most HMart locations have just such a vendor setup. With my hundreds of HMart visits throughout the US over decades far from and near my home, I credibly attest that this location is uniquely quality and delicious.I have strong and wonderful memories of eating here last week as every aspect of the experience was so delightful I ordered the C7 chicken fried rice, K2 seafood soondubu (soft tofu) soup seafood, K11 bibimbap (our kids love this dish) and K24 jab chae bap (clear bean noodles with sesame oil and vegetables). I wish I photographed this business but didn't because it had no Yelp entry so I only added it after I got home.Particular note is the service was especially fast, thorough, and friendly. By itself, that attentive care for the meal and ordering and explaining to me, a non-Korean, is worth supporting and I hope you will, too. Cheers to the wonderful people here, make sure to thank them when you eat here."

Hot Spot

★★★★☆ 4.2 (416) • $$$

"A coworker asked if I wanted to meet her here for a late lunch, since she had a Groupon. It had been a while since I'd enjoyed a shabu shabu experience, so I met her in the parking lot and we walked in together. Since it was my first time there, the waiter went though the menu options with us, including the types of broth and the number of items we could order during each round. I especially liked all the different seafood items that were available! After we made our first order of items and broth, my friend took me to the sauce station at the back of the restaurant. I was able to craft my perfect dipping sauce just as our items were being delivered. Everything tasted fresh. I really liked the daikon, enoki mushrooms, and the mussels. We were able to get three rounds to enjoy a little bit of everything. (We didn't order the max each time, though.) We both ate until we were very full, but since everything is pretty healthy, we didn't feel heavy at all. The service was great throughout the meal. I really liked the setup of the restaurant, since you get to enjoy your own private hot pot for cooking if you are dining with a friend. I would definitely return here again for a future meal."

Sushi By Bou- DC @ CitizenM Hotel L'enfant Plaza

★★★★☆ 3.9 (75)

"This one threw me for a surprise. Saw a Facebook ad for a sale on the 12 course if you prepaid, so I went for it and glad I did. Made a reservation for first meal of the night, decided to pay the 35$ charge to upgrade to the 17 course "bougie" experience as well.Arrived a little early as I had a meeting in the area beforehand. This restaurant sits on the rooftop of the CitizenM hotel and opens promptly at 5pm. Got there at 4:45 wanting a pre-meal drink and come to find out I couldnt go up til 5pm. Had a drink at the lobby bar and it wasn't a great experience, but nonetheless worth noting that if you get the 5pm time slot to not come early.As soon as I got up to the rooftop though, wow. Sean, our sushi chef for the night, greeted us after the waiter sat us. His energy was great, staying engaged throughout the roughly hour long experience. We started with some Heavensake Junmai 12 (included in the Facebook ad special) and moved quickly into the omakase.This is a very compressed hour long omakase. No composed dishes at all, just nigiri and hand rolls. Some of the stars of the 17 course were the threadfish with shiso pesto (this one threw me but wow pesto on nigiri is pretty awesome), Wagyu/uni hand roll, miso cod hand roll, the Hokkaido scallop nigiri (so perfect), and the finishing negritoro hand roll. Only one piece (I believe it was sea bream topped with black truffle pate) didn't make the mark for me. Excellent quality of fish, Sean did a great job explaining every piece and engaging on facts about each fish, and everything tasted great.Overall this was a wonderful experience from start to finish with an incredible view, albeit a touch short. Id recommend going out for drinks or dessert afterwards, but 125 with tax and tip for a 17 course omakase with 2 glasses of sake is a pretty excellent deal."

Teriyaki Way

★★★☆☆ 3 (32)

"We were hungry and looking for something different for dinner on the fly. So being people who love hibachi we went ahead and tried this place. The staff was very friendly. They must be pretty popular because after we ordered the line got really long.I went with the beef and shrimp teriyaki plate and the BF got beef and chicken. Sadly there were only a few shrimp but there was lots of beef to make up for it. I usually get white rice at this style restaurant, but this time I tried the fried. It was OK, but I think white rice would be better. The sauce tasted more like regular brown gravy over the entree. Still it was a decent quick meal."

Wren

★★★★☆ 3.9 (213) • $$$

"We had the most amazing meal here last weekend. Our waitress, Heather was phenomenal and provided us the best service, which added so much to the quality of the food and the atmosphere. I was really impressed with the vibe, it felt like we were sitting in a New York City restaurant with the skyline view, trendy bar, and moody vibe We had a group of four and decided to do the Izakaya, which I highly recommend if you're open to eating most things. It was an incredible amount of food and everything was so delicious. We loved the Tokyo chicken, short rib skewer, Hamachi crudo, and the mochi donuts and ice cream. The lychee martini was also fantastic. We can't wait to come back and try it all again!"

Tokyo One Japanese Steak House

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (234) • $$

"The outside didn't seem promising compared the newer businesses around. We were promptly greeted and seated. It wasn't too busy and we were close to the hibachi show. The server was very friendly. She was patient as my toddler was not having it on which booster seat she was going to have. I ordered the Sushi deluxe and it was very good. Good flavors and mostly fresh. Wife had the chicken teriyaki and shrimp tempura roll. It was good enough to come back another time."

Toku Japanese and Asian Cuisine

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (128) • $$

"Had a great dinner here.Our server was the sweetest lady ever and she really made our dining experience that much more pleasant.My best friend and I initially came for happy hour. We ordered both the steamed and the fried shumai. Both of them were so good that we ordered another round. We also ordered the salt and pepper calamari, which had just a bit too much salt. It was still good, but we definitely needed a refill of our water glasses by the time we finished it. We also ordered edamame and planned to share a curry chicken katsu. The edamame was steamed perfectly and sprinkled with just a light amount of salt. My best friend loved the chicken katsu but I was not really a fan. Too many flavors going on in the curry, but the katsu lacked seasoning. Instead I ordered a couple of sushi rolls which were all pretty good.I probably would have walked right past this place had my best friend not recommended it. It was definitely a good decision on his part."

Maki Maki

★★★★☆ 3.6 (308) • $$

"I love sushi and so does my family! My granddaughter wanted sushi, but it was a school night and her mom wanted us to stay close by. We went over to Maki Maki. The restaurant is located on Wisconsin Avenue. There is public parking right behind the restaurant. It is a lovely restaurant with pretty prints decorating the walls. When, we entered we were the only ones there. As the time progressed, a lot of young people and business professionals came in. Service was good and we have our standard order: California rolls and shrimp tempura rolls. Both were fresh and very tasty. There is a sauce on the shrimp tempura roll, which was good, but different than other restaurants that I have been served this roll before. My other granddaughter had chicken fried rice. It was a huge portion and tasted delicious. Be prepared to pay a little more for your sushi. Two rolls cost about $12.00. They also charge for tea. You can order a variety of sushi or sashimi. The sushi bar has a large number of seats, so you can watch the chef prepare your dinner. It is definitely a young professional vibe, but we were welcomed and taken care of. The sushi and service were good and I will definitely be back."

Sushi Ogawa

★★★★☆ 4.1 (314) • $$$$

"100/100I enjoyed every bites and appreciate how nice and fresh the experience was. Sushi were special and delicious, the atmosphere and ambience was amazing.100% Satisfied!!!"

Sumo Japanese Steakhouse

★★★★☆ 3.9 (195) • $$

"Looking for great Japanese food in Manassas? Look no further! Sumo offers a wide variety of freshly made top notch sushi as well as all the hibachi favorites made to order with a show as fun as any of the big chains and food that's definitely a notch above. We usually opt for the hibachi specials because who doesn't like dinner and a show? It's a fun time watching food being flipped and turned, the chef creates an onion volcano that spits fire into the air and you'll even have the chance to catch a bite or two. You get a full meal including soup, salad, veggies, noodles, rice and your protein of choice. They have everything from filet mignon to scallops plus everything else."

Sushi Toro

★★★★★ 4.5 (92) • $$

"I'm consistently impressed with this unassuming spot for sashimi, nigiri, and sushi. Everything I had was incredibly fresh and they do not skimp on the cuts. The service was attentive and intrusive, and it was a lovely quiet spot on an earlier Saturday evening. Recs: Peacock roll and salmon deluxe. The first time I tried them, we had their miso ramen (solid 6/10) and crab wontons (solid 4) which were alright - if I'm coming here it'll definitely be for the fish."