Raku

yum yum yum!!! first time and will def be coming back!parking garage right around the corner but you have to pay. pretty easy to find. nice area w/ premium shops and restaurants. medium-sized, modernly-decorated restaurant. i would def suggest making a reservation in advance -- it was full for lunch on new year's day but our service was good and quick. the menu has something for everyone -- sushi, noodles, soups, salads, meats, etc. and not unreasonably priced. we enjoyed and devoured everything we ordered! my personal fav was the green monster roll and the summer rolls. fresh, high quality, and tasty. i can't wait to come back and try more!

Raku - Perfect Lunch Spot with Great Sushi Vibes!Jasmine loves sushi, so we decided to check out Raku in Bethesda. I'm already a fan of Rakugaki in the Wildwood Shopping Center, so I had high hopes for this spot -- and it delivered. Walking in around 11:30 AM on a Saturday, the chill lofi music and the regulars hanging out gave it a relaxed, welcoming vibe. It reminded me of an old favorite spot, Rolls and Rice on the Pike, that closed a while back. Raku definitely filled that void for me. We went for the lunch specials, and they hit the spot. I got the Ribeye Steak Bento Box, which came with shumai, salad, miso soup, California rolls, and a mix of green beans, mushrooms, and crispy strips. The ribeye steak was cooked perfectly -- tender with a slightly sweet flavor that I loved. Jasmine got the Deluxe Bento Box, and it was loaded: shrimp tempura, a smaller serving of steak, three pieces of nigiri, four assorted sashimi slices, three California roll pieces, and seaweed salad. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful. We also shared a Crunchy Spicy Toro Roll, which was a great addition to round out the meal.Our server, Aum, was awesome and made sure we were well taken care of. For everything we got, the total was $63.60, which felt fair for the quality and portions. If you're looking for a solid sushi spot with a chill vibe, great lunch specials, and fresh flavors, Raku is a must. I'm already looking forward to coming back!

I've never been disappointed in Raku and really love their rolls! Some of my favorites are the spicy tuna deluxe, green monster, and the spicy scallop roll I also really enjoyed. Definitely recommend their chicken and pork dumplings as well! It is a bit cramped in there just as FYI.

The udon + chirashi set was delicious and super filling for only $19! Service was great and I would definitely go back again

We were excited to try this sushi place as we passed by it every night during our stay at Hilton Bethesda. It looks beautifully decorated from the outside. Nonetheless, the customer service is subpar. We were seated in a very cramped table with 2 other groups between us. So we asked if we can sit on the booth. They said it was reserved (but in our almost 2 hrs stay in the restaurant no one ever seated there). Our orders of sushi plate and ramen noodles took so long to come out. We waited for almost 45 minutes for the foods. The servers were all standing in the corner next to our table and they were all on their phone. They were also talking to each other ina different language while looking at customers which made me so uncomfortable. The food was ok. Nothing special in my opinion. So this was one and done for us.

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.

Came here with my friend and her family. First off, the staff was very accommodating and attentive. The ambiance was nice, it was very busy - which is a good sign. I had the lychee saketini and shrimp tempura Tokyo dashi. Even though the weather was hot outside, I was craving noodles and the picture in the menu looked appetizing. The broth was flavorful and not that salty (which I appreciated). My friend got a rendition of a poke bowl which had very fresh sashimi. If I came back here again, I would probably get the sushi rather than the soups.

Love the food here. We went back with American friends. Basically THEY got lovely polite service and we got all the curt service (a literal change of tone from them to us from the lady with short orange hair). We are polite smiling happy people when ppl don't especially behave curt with us. We have been recommending this place and bringing people here, only to be treated like WE are less than. I feel bad for the person of color serving us. She must think people deserve different respect based on color. We were equal in our outwards warmth as our American friends. Kindly Train your staff.

The grilled salmon in the bento box was still warm. The portion was large, not the usual small square. I also tried pumpkin ginger soup. It was delicious.

Carry out was not good! No response fromRestaurant.Tuna was brown! California rolls tastedOff.