Nara-Ya

My friends and family dined with me here on 10/11 for my birthday brunch. It was everyone's first time so there was a lot of chaos but it was the most delightful and savory experience ever. I had the pleasure of speaking and working with Bilson to get this reservation squared away. He was so patient and kind. Very efficient. And our server, David, was so pleasant despite the confusion. He deserved every penny of his tip! I cant say what I liked best because everything was immaculate! From the staff upon entry, to the decor, to the food and service! I found this place on TikTok and besides the all you can eat option, I was immediately drawn to the steak and eggs. And it did not disappoint!! There were so many options to share and we had not one complaint. I believe we tried almost everything. I can't wait to come back.

Ive been here quite a few times, for happy hour and dinner...and am never disappointed! The drinks are absolutely gorgeous, a bit more expensive than your average place but that's to be expected. My favorite starter is the Spicy Edamame. Most places just give you a bit of sea salt so the garlic soy and chilies were a nice change.When it comes to the sushi, Nara-Ya takes popular rolls and completely elevates them with their own little twist, which makes them unique. My favorite is the salmon sizzler. I usually always get some type of roll with shrimp tempura inside and salmon on top when I visit sushi spots but they took theirs to the next level by searing the salmon with garlic habanero and then adding in habanero oil and crispy onions.Definitely a place to visit with your girlies or by yourself. Oh, and if you love mirror pics, you'll LOVE their bathroom!

We came here for happy hour. First impressions, loved the wall paper decor. Very unique and inviting. Also loved the bathroom amenities - heated toilets lol Happy hour menu for cocktails was limited however the bartender's special which was vanilla infused cocktails was good. The spicy salmon crispy rice was quite a large portion. Overall it was a good experience.

We took an Uber to this location at the Wharf to sidestep the parking hassle and inflated garage fees. Upon arrival, we were quickly seated and greeted by our server. For appetizers, we ordered calamari and crispy cauliflower; unfortunately, the calamari was average, and the cauliflower lacked flavor. The rolls--including the Lobster Dynamite, Smoke Break, Kailua King, and Salmon Sizzler--were solid, each earning a 7/10. However, the Lobster Fried Rice stood out as the most favorable entree for our table. The ambiance was pleasant, and our waiter provided excellent service throughout the meal.

I was excited to try Nara-ya's happy hour. However, our visit didn't go as planned. We were seated in the dining area until we asked for the happy hour menus, at which point we were moved to the bar. Our server was informed of our allergy restrictions (one celiac, one shellfish allergy). From the get-go the served seemed annoyed when asked questions about the menu or substitution. Our party of five, tried several items from the HH menu, while I had the salmon avocado sushi and edamame. The restaurant claims to take dietary restrictions seriously, but every time a plate arrived, the servers had to go back to the kitchen to verify which items were actually gluten-free. At one point, one of the serves made a comment stating, "They're all the same." This obviously concerned us. The food I tried was decent--nothing special, but good for the price. About halfway through our meal, we noticed that the water had floating mold particles (see photos). We let our server know and asked for a new glass of water, but it had the same moldy particles. So, we immediately ordered bottled water to finish our meal. Interesting enough, we were not charged for the bottled water due to the inconvenience. Sadly, it was not a great experience for us. Therefore, I'm giving the restaurant 2 stars because the staff weren't the friendliest :( and the moldy water definitely made me lose my appetite that evening.

Nara-Ya was a nice looking, aesthetically pleasing restaurant! Came here for my cousin birthday brunch and did the unlimited family brunch style. We had a set menu of savory: steak and eggs, fried chicken Benedict, tamago omelette, and chicken/pork dumplings; sweet: chicken and waffles, French toast, matcha pancakes; sides: roasted potatoes and bacon; sushi: spicy salmon roll, veggie roll. The food just kept coming and coming which had me distracted and forgot to take pics of everything unfortunately. Nonetheless the food was delicious and our server Diego catered to everything we needed. The pancakes, tamago omelette, and fried chicken Benedict were my top faves from the brunch menu! They also provided my cousin with a complimentary birthday dessert which was nice!

We dined at Nara-Ya for happy hour this past weekend. Important to note: do note make a reservation for HH in advance. Apparently, it is only available at the bar--a detail not mentioned when making a reservation, despite what the host may claim.I would have rated Nara-Ya 4 stars for its interior design, location, views, and the prices relative to the quality of the food. The sushi was good given the price ($10 for rolls). Sadly, they offer only two gluten-free options: salmon avocado and a vegetarian avocado roll. Despite the owner's claim on their Yelp profile--"We are very happy to have many gluten-free items, or items that can be made gluten-free"--this was not the case. Unlike other high end restaurants that take food restrictions and allergies seriously, the server rudely informed me more than once that NO modifications could be made to the HH menu, even for a gluten allergy. On several occasions, the server had to go to the back to confirm that I was receiving the GF dish. This was disappointing, as I was concerned I might accidentally consume gluten! I had been looking forward to trying other types of sushi, like their tuna rolls, but once again, I was not given the option.One final note: make sure to opt for bottled water. We initially drank tap water, which had small mildew particles floating around. We immediately informed our server and opted for bottled water instead. Overall, due to the lack of GF options and the moldy water, it was a one-time visit for me.

Amazing time watching the fireworks and boat show for the Xmas holiday celebrations at the wharf. The manager here is fabulous. High energy and welcoming. We have this incredible server, I wish I remembered his name :( . He said he used to work on Rumi's (super high end Persian restaurant in dc), and you could tell that was the caliber of service he was bringing. He was so patient helping me find gluten free dairy free options and they were truly delicious! The desert was SPECTACULAR!!!!! Never experienced or seen anything like it. Worth a visit !

One of the best restaurants in dc. The ambiance is beautiful overlooking the water. The pricing for the portion sizes of the food was amazing. The salmon sizzler, tempura crunch and Thai red curry spider rolls all carry wonderful flavor. We ate all of the food so no pictures, sorry. Highly recommend Jose service your table.

My wife and I went to NaRa-Ya for their weekend bunch. It's a pretty good deal. $45 per person for an all you can eat 2 hours brunch. We got the chance to try most of their food options. The service was decent. I personally felt like our server was short with us. They have an automatic 20% tip added to all bills so I guess there was not really an incentive to provide superior service.