I had such an amazing experience here! I came for Beloved BBQ and was very impressed by the quality of each dish. The standouts were: A5 wagyu sushi, milk buns, and tuna crispy rice. The meats, of course, were all amazing and all melt-in-your-mouth tender. The staff was so attentive, and the dishes came out quickly. The interior is lovely, as well, connecting each of Love Makoto's restaurants. read more

I had a friend visiting the area so we decided to go to Love Makoto. It's a larger restaurant that appears to have other associated restaurants in the same building. We only did the dear sushi portion. A beautifully decorated restaurant. From the menu to the towels to wipe your hands, every step was well thought of. We decided to share the omakase and order a few items al a carte. The food was pretty good although I wasn't a fan of either of the hand rolls. But I would recommend getting the omakase! The new school vs old school twist on the sushi was really creative. The service could have been better. At one point I thought we didn't have a server anymore. All in all, I'd come again to visit one of their other restaurants! read more

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Really enjoyed going to this place for was for the sushi brunch which was great I thought the selection of food was good and the drinks were great value. Sushi is definitely the star of the show and there are a bunch of options. Service was very nice and quick. Inside the restaurant looks great normally it's more of a food hall except on Sunday. read more

Lovely Japanese food hall featuring a wide variety of dishes, including a rich and hearty Japanese curry, deeply flavorful and tasty ramen, fresh salads, and a ton of desserts. Their salads are phenomenal for lunch, and I usually opt for either their tuna tataki or yasai farm. The yasai farm is similar to Sweetgreen's harvest bowl and includes all the fall salad favorites, with quinoa, roasted sweet potato, garlic broccoli, and mushrooms all held together with a savory, umami kombu vinaigrette. The tuna tataki salad is mostly fresh, raw ingredients like cucumber, tomato, edamame, carrots, and red onion, but also includes a lightly seared yellowfin tuna and serving of seaweed salad, giving it a seafood-centric, almost poke-like vibe. They also have a ton of donuts and soft serve. The donuts are always pillowy and fluffy, and they're especially delicious warm or fresh out of the oven. My favorites have to be the black sesame and matcha strawberry donuts, but they face stiff competition from the matcha and coconut soft serve. The soft serve is rich and creamy, and the swirl is such a fun combination of the two flavors -- it almost tastes like a tropical matcha latte. In true food hall fashion, Love, Makoto is super casual. You can place your order at one of the self-serve kiosks in the center of the restaurant and then seat yourself at one of their long, cafeteria-style tables. The food generally comes out pretty quickly, so keep an ear out for them to call your order number. read more

Love Makoto - Katsu curry - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I stumbled upon this Japanese eatery which is located in a Japanese food hall operated by chef Makoto Okuwa. I was in route by foot from the U.S. Capitol. It's located at the modern Capitol Crossing building which is a 5 minute walk from Union station. It was happy hour and we sat in the bar area that had cherry blossoms decor with a hipster Asian flare. We started off with Kirin beer and wine to paired with our appetizers of tuna crispy rice and momo chicken skewers. I was craving ramen and chose miso ramen. All the food was tasty and made with quality ingredients. BTW, This food hall has is all and I would return here and recommend dining here. read more

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Love Makoto is such a cool dining concept... multiple Japanese dining experiences all under one roof, each beautifully designed and distinct. We visited Dear Sushi for an omakase experience, and I'm already plotting my return to explore the others! We started with the lychee martini and it was the perfect opener with just the right amount of sweetness. The omakase itself was a lovely experience overall. The quality of the fish was evident, the service was excellent, and I really appreciated that they offered both a new-school and old-school omakase style, which made it feel like such a thoughtful, curated experience. The heart-shaped soy sauce dishes did not go unnoticed! Standouts for us were the bluefin tuna and o-toro, both of which were chef's kiss. The hand rolls were enjoyable as well, with the baked crab being a personal favorite. I just wish they had a bit more filling! Personally the miso soup missed the mark for me, and I'm a big fan usually. There were a few dishes I watched float past our table to other guests that had me seriously reconsidering my order choices! But that's less a critique and more a sign that the menu has range worth exploring. At the end of the night they took a polaroid of us and tucked it in with a little note. Such a sweet touch! If you're in DC and looking for a special night out, Dear Sushi at Love Makoto delivers on atmosphere, intentionality, and an experience that feels genuinely special. read more

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Went here for Sunday brunch and it wasn't too bad. Upon entering for my 11AM reservation there was a line. I was really confused about that and it seemed like everyone in the line had a reservation, so not sure why that process was so backed up. When seated I was reminded of the 1.5hr time limit, which was a good heads up. Luckily, it wasn't extremely packed and they didn't kick us out at the 1.5hr mark, so that was sweet of them. The servers were nice and attentive even though the brunch is a buffet style set up. The stations were a little hectic flow wise, but I blame human error for that not the restaurant. For the more important part...the food was pretty standard. Have I had better Japanese food in the DMV, sure, but this spot still did a good job. The food, especially the raw options, were very fresh and delicious. There was a lot of variety. The stations were pretty big but the meat station (with the salmon, etc) was pretty small. I almost missed that it was an option. So I filled up in every thing else without trying those options, but my friend enjoyed the salmon. My favorite was the nigiri and sashimi options! I really had a great time trying all the options and even experience some that I haven't had in the past. The place also had very cute mocktail options for those who don't drink but want a fancy juice. I hope the soy sauce hearts are a part of dinner, that was a cute touch. Would I head back here, maybe not for brunch. However, I'm interested in maybe trying their BBQ dinner option that starts at 5PM. read more

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One of my friends was lucky to get a reservation for Sunday brunch. Reservations are about a month out. We did the all you can eat sushi and I guess I get the hype. The food was good, pretty standard for sushi. I really enjoyed the spicy hamachi roll & the salmon nigiri. Salmon was fresh and the spicy roll had a great kick to it. From the salads/sides my favorite were the dumplings which were huge and nicely stuffed and the cauliflower tempura with the ranch sauce was so yummy! Everything else was pretty standard. I will say the highlight of everything was the apple fritters!! A true delicacy. The decor is nice and simple. I loved the soy sauce "bowls." Loved the concept but not for the price point. You can find AYCEB for a fraction of that cost in the surrounding areas. Either way, enjoy at your own discretion! read more

Love Makoto - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I really think Love, Makoto should be broken out into different yelp pages for each concept because the menus and vibes are completely different. We tried to get into dear sushi, but the earliest table was in 2 hours so we ended up going to Hiya Izakaya. It was very good but the options for sushi were pretty limited I got the smashed cucumbers, spicy tuna on crispy rice, and the rainbow roll read more

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Love, Makoto is such a fun and unique addition to DC -- it's not just one restaurant, but a huge, beautifully designed space with multiple Japanese dining concepts all under one roof, which makes the whole experience feel dynamic and worth exploring more than once. Another bonus is that there's plenty of street parking nearby, which makes visiting surprisingly easy for this area. I arrived early on a Friday night while waiting for my friend and grabbed a drink at Hiya Izakaya, which had a great after-work crowd and lively energy. The space felt social and buzzy, with a corporate happy hour happening -- lots of standing room, high chairs, and people gathering around the bar. I sat at the bar and ordered a lychee martini, which was delicious and perfectly balanced. The vibe was relaxed but stylish, and even though it's walk-in only, they had a good mix of seating that made it easy to settle in while waiting. Afterward, we headed over to Dear Sushi for dinner, and this is really where Love, Makoto shines. I love the concept of offering both new-school and old-school omakase styles -- it makes the experience approachable while still feeling thoughtful and curated. A good omakase, to me, is all about balance: progression of flavors, quality of fish, proper rice temperature and seasoning, and trust in the chef's pacing -- and Dear Sushi delivered on all fronts. The fish tasted incredibly fresh and clean, with each piece highlighting texture and simplicity rather than overcomplication. Some of my favorites were the otoro and the salmon, both buttery, delicate, and beautifully prepared. At $85, the omakase felt like an amazing value for the quality, and we loved that you can "super size" the experience by adding two additional pieces for $35. They were also very accommodating for my friend who is gluten-free, which made the experience feel thoughtful and inclusive. We paired dinner with a bottle of white wine, and the service team did a great job recommending something that complemented the meal perfectly. Throughout the evening, service was attentive without being intrusive -- checking in at the right moments and making the experience feel relaxed and enjoyable. A really sweet touch at the end was when they brought dessert along with a Polaroid photo of us to celebrate -- such a cute and memorable detail that made the night feel special. Overall, I love the concept and energy of Love, Makoto. It's the kind of place you can visit multiple times and have completely different experiences depending on where you dine. I'd definitely come back to explore their happy hour (some standout menu items looked great) and also want to check out their other concepts, especially Beloved BBQ, their Japanese BBQ spot, as well as their AYCE Sunday brunch from 11-2 PM. A really fun, well-executed dining destination that feels perfect for date nights, group dinners, or starting the evening with drinks before exploring the rest of the space. read more

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SUSHI CRAVINGS FULLFILLED! Place is super adorable! Perfect for a date night or a girls night! Lots of options on the menu! Not quite sure about parking. But I'm sure there's garages and/or street parking nearby. Staff was attentive and we never had to wait long for anything! read more

Love Makoto - Hamachi kama - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I give it 3.5 stars. My husband & I treated my sister and her boyfriend to dinner here at Dear Sushi, located in the back of the food hall. We all had the $85 omakase dinner, and I chose to supersize mine for the extra $35 because I figured I'd still be hungry. We started off by ordering some extra appetizers (not part of the omakase menu) and drinks - sake, wine, and beer. They also have cocktails but none really appealed to me. We especially enjoyed the hamachi w/ serrano chili and the salmon tartare. Both were super tasty, so it was a strong start to our meal! The omakase dinner itself included 2 snacks (sweet potato & lotus cracker and hatcho miso soup), 2 hand rolls (tuna and baked crab), and 10 nigiris (5 different types of fish, each in both the old and new styles). The supersize option I added included 4 more nigiris - scallop and chu toro, again both in the old and new styles. Dessert - strawberry on strawberry gelato / ice cream, which we all liked as well. They also gave us a complimentary slice of chocolate cake for our celebration. Compared to other omakases we've had (at various price points), this one was a bit underwhelming. Two of us also had the same salmon old style nigiri that we felt tasted off. Too much rice in the nigiris for my preference. Service from all the staff was very friendly! The pacing of when the dishes were brought out was a little inconsistent. Loved the vibe of the restaurant - they also had an izakaya and a BBQ spot. read more

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I LOVE Love Makoto - truly so great for any occasion. My best friend took me to their Dear Sushi omakase experience for my birthday and it was lovely. I haven't tried their barbecue yet, but I've been to Love on the Run and tried their curry which was great. I recently hosted an informal happy hour at Love on the Run and management was so kind and helpful - they noticed we were expecting a large group and offered to put tables together for us. One note is I did place an order for 3 sushi party platters earlier in the day for 5:30 PM and they weren't ready until 5:45 PM. The karaage and mochi donuts we ordered were ready on time, though. All the food was delicious, though, and I can definitely recommend 4 sushi party platters, 5-10 chicken karaage orders, and 3 orders of mochi donuts for a group of around 20-25 people. Highly recommend! read more

Love Makoto - Sushi Party - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Winter restaurant week 2026 review It was a really good snippet of what dear sushi has to offer. Highlights for me would be the tuna hand roll as well as the Omakase experience. Special mention to the Creamsicle as someone that does not like very sweet things, it was just sweet enough to be a treat, but not too sweet so I really enjoyed it! I thought the hatcho miso soup was a little bit too strong but overall great experience. Service at the bar was very quick, very professional and it made lunch very easy and delicious. Their sushi is a smaller restaurant so it gives a cozy feel but I would recommend reservations ahead of time! read more

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I had a wonderful omakase lunch for restaurant week. I had never been before, and was so thankful that Robin was able to find me a solo spot at the bar. Shout out to Robin as she is always so efficient when I'm there, in addition to follow up at the end of the meal to check in and make sure everything went well. The lunch omakase was great! Since it was a holiday, I opted for the sake pairing. The fish was so fresh and tasty. I ended up adding an additional piece of hamachi it was so delicious. Service was great, and I could see the happiness in their face when I let them know how much I enjoyed the meal. For the lunch it was a very different vibe. It was very lively and bright. I have only been a patron for dinner, and while always a great experience, this was fun too. I could definitely see myself popping over for a quick, yummy lunch during the work day. The standard lunch is around $42 I believe, which makes it a pricier but great way to treat yourself during your midweek slump. read more

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Decided to start my winter Restaurant Week at Love Makoto. The lunchtime omakase is $35 and features 5 pieces of nigiri, with edamame and miso soup to start, followed by spicy tuna and baked crab hand rolls. The meal concluded with a a mango yuzu creamsicle. The RW week special is a steal of a deal, and I would totally come back before it ends in about 2 week read more

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Personally I was very confused with this restaurant lol. It's like 4 restaurants rolled into 1 with multiple seating sections like the sushi section, and bbq section. We sat in the dear sushi section, which is the section right at the entrance, and it's a really large open space suitable for date nights! We ordered the omakase which was a set of nigiri with "old school" and "new school" preparations. I'd say the difference between the 2 styles is that one focuses more on exentuating the freshness of the fish, while the new school uses ingredients, that pop out more and more depth of flavors! I loved the use of yuzu salt, uni, and truffle! I also got their non alcoholic coffee liqueur, and it was really sweet if that's your thing, but it was definitely the pick me up I needed. I can tell they pickle their own ginger as the ginger was sliced how you would cooking at home, but pickled like you would get at sushi places. Unfortunately the wasabi wasnt real. Real wasabi isn't as sharp. They were definitely looking at for us. They would bring the next dish immediately after we finished the one we were working with, and it was my partners birthday, and they gave us a small dessert as a token of appreciation! read more

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Love, Makoto is a large Japanese food hall in Washington, D.C., by chef Makoto Okuwa, featuring multiple concepts like the high-end steakhouse Beloved BBQ, the sushi omakase experience both fast-casual and full-service dining. I chose to go the sushi route. It wasn't very busy at 6pm on a Monday. I got seated right away. I was greeted with a hot hand towel to wipe down my grubby hands lol. And I was greeted by a love letter menu. It was sealed with a wax stamp. I had the pleasure of opening this letter to see how much they loved me. Nice, stand out touch. I ordered some hot sake and seaweed salad to start. I also got a couple of sushi rolls (or what I thought were sushi maki rolls) and the A5 Wagyu short ribs. Let's see how this goes. First off the seaweed salad was amazing! So good. Unfortunately, the sushi came out and it was nothing like what I expected. This place doesn't do the maki sushi rolls, rather this was one rolls. I was so disappointed. I had told them at the front that I was here for sushi, but from the sounds of it, they do maki sushi rolls in another section of the restaurant, but not in the sushi side of the restaurant. I'm super confused. Why would they not serve the traditional sliced maki sushi rolls in the sushi section of the restaurant? I would think most people would expect this, but in order to get the maki rolls, you must eat in the non-sushi bbq side of the restaurant. How in the world does that make sense?! I spoke to the manager about my confusion and she said they get the complaint often. I feel like if they know it is a common problem...FIX IT! She was super kind and I explained I wasn't trying to be difficult, but this is very confusing for the customer. How am I supposed to know the do things way out of the ordinary? Having said that, I thought they have a nice presentation of their food. There were some really nice touches that make it memorable and stand out. However, this was a big miss for me!! I came in for sushi and left feeling like they had to special order maki roll sushi for me. I just can't wrap my head around this. Overall the food was okay. Yes, just ok. Nothing was stand out. However, the dragon maki roll that was special made, was amazing!! This is what I was craving tonight! Why was this not offered in the sushi part of the restaurant?! This is sooo good. I hope they get this fixed for their customers. It's a shame this wasn't served here. Kudos to the manager, Abu Pant, who tried to make this right. She deserves a raise. She handled this with grace and professionalism. read more

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Love, Makoto was a thoughtful and well-executed experience, especially during Restaurant Week. I appreciated the intention behind the menu and how everything was put together. The sushi was good, though I did notice the cuts on the nigiri were thinner than what I am typically used to. That said, the space itself is a big part of the appeal. It is elegant, spacious, and interesting in how it brings together two restaurant concepts into one cohesive setting. Overall, I would recommend it more for the atmosphere and service than purely for the sushi. read more

I am always quite skeptical of sushi in DC because it is landlocked, but I wanted to give this place a try since it seems to be dedicated to producing high-quality sushi. Of course, when you walk ub, you can understand through the high design and mood lighting that we are embarking on an eating experience that is suppose to tune in our palette. Upon receiving the menu, you get a letter reproduction from the chef that's hand stamped in wax. Despite the variety of ingredients that went into our meal, I found to be unchanged with my eating experience. Their omakase heavily relies on the subtly of flavors, but to me, when you see a plate of things changing ever so slightly, its a bit of a wonder where the innovation plays when it comes to new-generation sushi chefs. Things like torching or the use of truffle may have its place in sushi, but maybe not here when its promised that you're getting an elevated sushi experience. I'll add that there are a lot of options to explore that can just bring that to life. I would have really liked to seen technique over rarity of ingredient. And at this stage in access to Japanese food, soy paper or red miso is pretty accessible. When it comes to fine-dining, especially with the humble and craft driven format that is sushi, plating is a nice addition but we are really assessing on the taste. We kind of have to laugh at the opening dish, which contains a red miso with a rich dashi broth contained miniature pieces of tofu (less than half a thumb). It was so minuscule, they actually all sank to the bottom of the narrow bowl. It was only when our bowl accidentally fell that we realized there was something to eat. I did like how the rice was well seasoned, and I appreciate the freshly grated wasabi, but at this level, I think that is a given. Of course a lot of the unseen parts of sushi like sourcing. I'll acknowledge that every menu item that contained raw fish was of excellent quality. The fish so fresh that it was leaning towards sweet. I would recommend the scallop nigiri to get that sweet oceanic flavor. We finished the meal with their "ichigo" which is a strawberry ice-cream prepared in 3 ways, but the thick block of white chocolate and gnarly green shortbread at the bottom was off-putting. For a sushi resturant, its not expected that they have the best dessert, but at least something on par with the rest of the menu. This felt out of place. read more

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Robin was one of the best entrance host! Very welcoming and fun to chat with and great eye contact and making sure things were running smoothly! Our sever Fidel ( I believe that's how it's spelled) he was great! Timely service and great explanation ! He went all out for the celebration that we came for and made it a special day! The food on the other hand is very, very good ! I would put it up there with some of the best Omakase that I've had in my time of doing Omakase! read more

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I'd heard great things about Dear Sushi at Love Makoto and was excited to finally try it. I opted for the omakase while my friend ordered from the regular menu, which is nice since the whole table doesn't have to commit to omakase. The ambiance is definitely the highlight -- it's a beautiful space and feels special as soon as you sit down. Unfortunately, the food and service didn't quite live up to the price point. I went on a weekday evening and service felt slow, especially considering most people were getting similar courses as part of the omakase. The dishes were good, but some of the fish didn't taste as fresh as I'd expect at this price and didn't have that "melts in your mouth" quality you usually look forward to in omakase. My friend ordered the wagyu, which came as only a few pieces that we had to cook ourselves, more like a K-BBQ setup. For the cost, it wasn't particularly impressive and you can definitely get better value at other Asian BBQ spots. The standout for me was the "new school" hand roll -- unique, flavorful, and genuinely memorable. Overall, I'd say Dear Sushi is worth experiencing once for the ambiance, but I wouldn't consider it a must-try or somewhere I'd be rushing back to given the price and overall value. read more

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Came back to Dear Sushi inside Love Makoto for omakase and had an AMAZING TIME! As suspected, Dear Sushi is really designed for an omakase experience, not ala cart. The attention to detail, service, and quality of every course was clear. Phenomenal experience at a very fair price! I started with a matcha julep which was fruity, minty, and refreshing. We moved to our first course of lotus root and sesame inside a wafer alongside miso soup. Small and delicious bites! Perfect to get out palates ready. Our next course were hand rolls. Here they give you two versions of everything: old school and new school. Both styles are awesome tho I had a slight preference towards old school through the night. The first roll was tuna and the other was crab, both amazing. Our next two courses were nigiri style with 5 different types of fish old school and new for a total of 10 pieces. Everything melted in your mouth and was fresh and flavorful - no soy sauce needed tho there is some provided. The final course was dessert which was q beautiful strawberry frozen yogurt bite shaped like a strawberry with jam inside alongside chocolate cake. Dessert wasnt a stand out for me but I still enjoyed it, particularly the presentation. Our server was incredible! He was super attentive, explained each course in detail and gave helpful drink recommendations with tasting notes -- really knowledgeable! Im so happy I gave Dear Sushi another try and am excited to come back! read more

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Abu at the front is an amazing person! She takes care of my needs. The japanese chopped salad is amazing, without the cauliflower and with extra salmon and crispy rice. Will hit all satisfaction possible. The spicy chicken burger with pickle and fries are also stellar. The miso ramen is great for vegetarians. Very worth it! Everything never misses-- they are consistently good at quality! Im in love with their food, and make sure to try hot espresso drinks! read more

Love Makoto - Japanese Chopped no cauliflower and extra crispy rice, extra salmon - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Though I've only spent time here in the Love on the Run part of the restaurant, I've always thoroughly enjoyed the ample room, ambiance, and super reasonable service there. Even with larger crowds the seating is modular and we can socialize still hearing each other. As for the food, well, the sushi is fresh and yummy, and the ramen equally so without being overly salty (as many others tend to be). Highly recommend having the mochi donuts to finish everything off. read more

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I'm giving Love Makoto 5 stars because it's been consistently good every time I visit and no matter what I try! I shared the sushi sampler and chicken katsu curry with my sister and both were amazing. The chicken katsu was so tender! I'd feel comfortable bringing any one here and recommending their food. read more

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I went here for a small birthday dinner with high expectations. We had the omakase set--I wouldn't say my expectations were fully met, and I would have liked a bit more variety, but everything we had was still very good. They took a Polaroid pic for us, which was a really nice touch, and they accommodated my food restriction very well. I'd come back to try some of their other dishes. read more

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Delish!!! I came in for a late lunch and decided on the lunch omakase. It was so tasty and a fun experience! The only thing keeping me from 5 stars is that I didn't leave full. I wasn't super hungry, but had I been, I would've been disappointed in the amount of food included. I enjoyed the lychee martini as well which is a must try! The hand rolls were delicious, I could've eaten 5 of them! The sushi rice had the perfect balance of flavors and each piece of sushi combined each type of fish perfectly with what it had as a sauce or topping pairing. The black cherry popsicle was super interesting! The inside, ice cream type layer, was so yummy and it was coated in a black cherry type white chocolate which made it more sweet! All around it was a great experience, but know that if you're showing up hungry, you may need to order an entree in addition to the omakase at lunch time! read more

Love Makoto - omakase lunch hand rolls - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary dinner with Love Makoto on Saturday. We did the $85 omakase and I opted for the $35 upcharge to super size mine. My husband got the tuna tartare app. The app was larger than we expected! It was also saltier than expected but still very tasty. My husband got a cup of matcha to go with his meal. They really need to consider different mugs. The outside of his mug was too hot to touch/drink from for at least 10 minutes after his matcha arrived. Service was well-paced but a little messy at times. The sushi itself was outstanding. I loved the old school vs new school format. If there's anything you want more of, you can order additional at a cost. Our meal ended with a card wishing us a happy anniversary and thanking us for dining with them. It was a nice touch. The space is absolutely massive. I didn't realize how much is there! I want to return for the fast-casual take out/food court side of things. read more

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Wow what an experience. It was like take a flavor journey through time, from old age sushi to new age sushi. It was so fun and absolutely delicious. The restaurant is beautiful and our service felt very high class. read more

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Overall: A // 5 stars Completely in love with the concept of the menu featuring the duality between traditional and innovative flavors of how sushi has evolved over the past century. Most pf the flavors are incorporate traditional Japanese profiles in a reimagined way, which makes it that much more thrilling. The food is quite appealing, and the staff are knowledgable and kind. What could take this to the next level would be additional knife work on the individuals cuts of fish. (Paper Plane: A) - Beautiful cocktail that comes with an origami plane; how cute it that! The flavor profile is fruit forward and easy on the palette. (Snacks: B) - There's a classic miso soup with some surprises inside, as well as a mild and soft seaweed salad which is a fresh opening bite. (Tuna Handroll: B) - Hard to impress with the tuna handrolls, but this one is one of the better ones fueled by the presence of fresh wasabi to spice things up. (Crab Handroll: B) - This first bite captures the essence of new school sushi from the soy paper to the baked imitation crab in dynamite sauce. It's warm and comforting cheat day food that is a direct contrast to the healthful components Japanese sushi. (Hamachi, Old School: B) - One of the better selections from the old school group, where the marbling and flowers help elevate the presentation. The yuzu salt is a bit light and would've liked to see that be more forward. (Hamachi, New School: B) - Cilantro and red pepper is an innovative pairing that works, especially for a white fish like hamachi that still has fat to help boost but not carry the flavor. (Otoro, Old School: A+) - Unparalleled, luscious marbling coming from the fatty tuna that carries so well on its own. The jalapeno kojiis an immense flavor bomb to contrast the fattiness to create a wonderfully spicy and acidic palette. (Otoro, New School: A+) - This piece captures new school omakase flawlessly, incorporating traditional Japanese flavors like ume, miso, and shiso, using Western techniques of smoking and creating this desirably earthy complexion for a unique bite. (Scallop, Old School: A) - I like this approach of going for a herbaceous note to complement the natural sweetness of the scallop, instead of what I see often of sweet on sweet. (Scallop, New School: A) - The flavor pairing is immaculate with the smashed and torched nature of the scallop, paired with the garden's caviar in finger lime, and with that jalapeno koji flavor bomb. I do think if the presentation were improved, this piece would be a showstopper. (Chu-toro, Old School: B) - Fascinating combo of dashi and perilla chili, sampling from the intensified flavor spectrum. (Chu-toro, New School: C) - I love uni, shiso, and chutoro significantly, but I feel like this combination is not the best choice aesthetically or flavor-wise, even though the individual components taste good. (Tai Snapper, Old School: C) - This piece could benefit from stronger flavors given the nature of the lean white fish. Both sesame and kombu are very light. (Tai Snapper, New School: B) - In contrast, the yuzu kosho pairs well with the snapper with that acidicly spicy saline-powered spice. (King Salmon, Old School: C) - Ponzu is a classic pairing that works with salmon. I don't think the sesame adds anything though, and lowkey detracts from the aesthetic. (King Salmon, New School: A+) - Perfect piece from the added color of the skin on, the torched nature of the salmon, and the luxoriously deep umami coming from that beautifully shaved truffle. (Bluefin Tuna, Old School: B) - Smart choice to marinate the lean tuna in soy, giving it a deeper intensity of flavor. I would've liked to see more wasabi, and visual knife work though. (Bluefin Tuna, New School: B) - A rare instance in which in which aburi style works. The fermented negi miso adds a saline-powered kick that directly contrasts the naturally sweet uni which is interesting. (Ichigo: A) - Beautiful dessert that highlights Japan's love for simplicity in fruits, but reconstructed using western techniques. Fascinating dessert. Food: +1 Presentation: E Price: E Atmosphere: E Service: +1 Menu: +2 Insta/Yelp/Beli/TikTok: @amei_eats read more

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Such a great mini "food hall" with 4 restaurants inside! It's super cool inside, I enjoy the BBQ place, Beloved BBQ. It's a Japanese steakhouse with grills you cook on! Their appetizer selection is great, the Milk Bread is awesome in particular. Otherwise, for entrees, the Todays Omakase (comes with broth, sides, and a great selection of meat cuts! The Spicy Miso Prime was my fav)! Service was lovely and the inside is very cool! There's lots of check out inside, Dear Sushi, another restaurant, is also awesome! read more

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This place is amazing. Went here for a bday dinner tonight and they did not disappoint. Go to Dear Sushi. Do the Omakase. They will hook you up. Lovely vibe. And if it's just the two of you, do the bar. Bartender was . We had an amazing night. Lychee Martini is what's up. Also the dessert ?? Is it cake?? No, it's gelato vibes. Delish. Epic time. read more

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Had Valentines weekend ALYC brunch here recently. It was pretty fantastic and a great value. I can't wait to come back and dine here again. The service was great and ambience was nice. read more

Love Makoto - Selections from the AYCE sushi brunch - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My first time having omakase. Came here with a group of friends for dinner. I started off with their Lychee Martini which was delicious. Then for food, my dining partner and I split the omakase and also ordered the Seaweed Salad as an appetizer. The presentations for the sushi were beautiful and each piece had its own unique taste. Everything was so fresh and we enjoyed it all. Our server was also great interacting with our table and making sure we were satisfied with everything. read more

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Dear Sushi sits in its own little box as far as a sushi experience is concerned. If you want a high priced omakase that will take two hours and will introduce exotic sea creatures that you've never heard of, this isn't the place. If you want to order a bunch our sauced-up, deep fried specialty rolls with sparklers and dry ice clouds, this isn't the place. You will be served freshly prepared sushi from a well trained and happy staff that will allow you to think about each, well crafted bite and sip. The atmosphere at the bar is welcoming and any and all questions that we had regarding our meal were answered with enthusiasm. I won't describe the food, as many others have, but I will say that sometimes simple, solid, fresh sushi is just what you need, and this is the place to get it. read more

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I went to Dear Sushi for their Restaurant Week lunch omakase with a friend and really enjoyed it. The red miso soup, baked crab hand roll (so indulgent and comforting), and snapper nigiri (melt-in-your-mouth fish) really stood out as delicious bites! It wasn't the best sushi I've had, and the salmon was admittedly pretty bad. However, it was solid enough with a few standouts, and $35 is a good deal for 2 hand rolls, soup, edamame, 5 pieces of nigiri, and a mango yuzu popsicle. I would return to order the crab hand roll and the snapper nigiri again, but probably not any other items. I liked the presentation of the dishes. Service was great and they paced things well despite being very busy. I always enjoy Love, Makoto and I'm glad now to have tried all four spaces! read more

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Fantastic food. The ambience is fine--nothing too special, but clean and chic. When I mentioned my vegan diet and allium allergy, they said it was absolutely no problem, which I really appreciated. I had a few veggie hand rolls with edamame and a cucumber salad and everything was fantastic. The quality of the food is superb--honestly some of the best I've had. Even the ginger was fresh. They also have a fun drink selection, with good options for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinkers. read more

If you live in the area, this place really just becomes your default Japanese restaurant. It's a misnomer to label this place as $$$$. If you're going to the food hall or Izakaya, it's $$. If you're going to the BBQ, it's $$$. If you're going Omakase, it's $$$$. In my opinion, the food itself is 4 stars, not 5. Nothing there is the best version of it in DC. But I enjoy the food here enough to keep coming back. Pork Katsu Curry is delicious. But if I live close by, I'm not going to Menya Hosaki just for Ramen, especially when seating is impossible. Ambiance is probably the best thing here. This place just feels very cool. Great vibes. Service is also great, no complaints. Given that Chinatown DC is dying, I would love to see a Chinese Food Hall Concept. read more

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