my favorite sushi in the city! they have an amazing happy hour that you can't beat! the service is always amazing and the ambiance does not give cheap sushi at all. instead the vibe is elegant and sophisticated. read more

O-Ku - tuna tataki and King Crab - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I came here for Galentine's Day and O-Ku exceeded my expectations. I've heard nothing but great things so I was finally excited to have the experience. At first glance of the menu, I thought everything seemed a bit bland. But when that broccolini came out...I didn't know that a dark green veggie could transform my life. The way they put about 2-3 different sauces in the plate and when I bit into the broccoli, it was a delicious party in my mouth. Same with the salmon. It looked bland but was soooo packed with flavor. I was there with my prefab at friend so I was very excited to see they had a mocktail menu. The drinks we had weren't the best but I would try all of them in the list. The space was packed but very intimate and not too loud. So many of the girlies were there together for Galentine's Day! Very romantic for a date night as well. My server was fine but it was crowded and possibly busy with other larger tables. I will be back soon to have this great experience. read more

See all

I really enjoyed the sushi here. The restaurant was beautiful and the ambiance was perfect for a date night. The staff was attentive and they made me feel extremely special ( my friends took me here for my birthday). The only thing I didn't enjoy was the smell of the downstairs area. It kinda smelled like .... Mop water But my overall experience was pretty okay !!! read more

See all

Delicious and unbelievable service! Christine was amazing! So kind, fun to talk to, and knowledgeable about the menu. We really enjoyed ourselves. Must order: Tuna taktaki, edamame with kimchi seasoning (so so good), the white fish appetizer with the truffle oil (forget what it's called), and the mushrooms. YUM!!! read more

See all

Yum yum yum! Let me start with the fact that I am just starting to get into seafood, let alone sushi. When I tell you every single thing we consumed was a 10/10 I mean it. Sat at the bar for happy hour. I'd say for $$$, they have a decent happy hour on select rolls and drinks. The service was super quick and the bartenders were friendly. read more

See all

Yelp Fam!!!! I'm back with another review of a Fire DC spot that has everything you want in the way of Asian cuisine! This spot is in the same area as St.Anselm (check my review for their as well!) First off This place has a cool vibe, they also have an upstairs! I would recommend the upstairs for dates & occasions. Both times the service was top notch!!!! The food is amazing, The order over 2 visits! The Robata Grill - hanger steak- essential eats -scallop & shrimp- this is delicious -yakatori chicken - tasty & salty -rock shrimp- essential eats -table side toban Yaki- Wagyu steak- like butter -surf and turf roll- tasty!!! I would highly recommend trying this place out. Great eats & Service. read more

See all

Was there for happy hour! Great ambiance inside and a nice variety of happy hour food. Would have appreciated more happy hour cocktails

I went to O-Ku for my birthday dinner and there were a lot of hits and only a couple of misses. The ambiance is excellent; dim lighting: check, spiffy open kitchen: check, swanky interior: check. Our server was also amazing. Now to the food: we tried a lot and when I say a lot I mean a lot of the menu items and our favorite was the duck skewers. It was so delicious that we had to get it twice: a true 5/5. The ube cheesecake and the empress cosmopolitan were also a 5/5. The firecracker roll was a 4/5. The pork belly was a 3/5 although it could've been a 5/5 if the pork belly wasn't dry and if it was crispy. The the pork buns and the unagi san were just average to me: the eel roll could've used more eel in my opinion and the rice could've been less "wet". The pork dumplings however were a 1/5 and I do not recommend. Our server ended the night with a round of shots and a complimentary lemon bar dessert which was actually sour and a 4/5 in my opinion (most lemon desserts tend to be too sweet for me so I definitely appreciated this one being on the sour side). read more

See all

As we continue our culinary journey to find the best sushi spot in DC, our more recent adventure took us through the giant wood door of O-Ku and into a dimly lot, industrial decor-vibe space. Reservations go fast so set a date and plan ahead. We sat at the sushi bar to watch the chefs in action. The view is great, albeit it can get a little smokey if you are next to the grill. The upside is that the fire keeps you nice and warm. We stuck to a wide assortment of nigiri and the sweet potato roll. I'm a big fan of trying veggie rolls and the goat cheese on this one is a nice touch. The nigiri are sizable, you get 1 per order, and the Otoro priced very reasonable! So were the happy hour prices on many of the rolls. Having lived in Seattle and Hawaii previously both with excellent sushi scenes, I was not used to seeing so many small up charges for things like aburi. The nigiri simply would come out in the best fashion per the chef. Next time I'd request the nigiri per chefs recommendation. We watched the seats next to us order the Omakase and I think we'll continue to order off the normal menu in future visits (there will be more!). The pacing felt long between courses (maybe a function of a busy night) and light on nigiri. If you are a sushi purist I would stick to the wide assortment of regular menu options. We will continue our search for the best DC sushi and for now, O-Ku takes one of the top 2 spots. read more

O-Ku - Otoro - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Tis the season...O-kuuuuuuu *Cardi B voice* lol Corny/fun! But here's another straight forward review. Hospitality: Okay, I was greeted well when I walked in but the service went downhill after our waitress Stephanie, reminded me that a bland attitude is definitely not a great way to enjoy a place for the first time. She failed at hospitality and professionalism and I truly wanted to ask for someone else to replace her. But, I kept my cool and we still tipped her. I think she needs to go through a couple more hospitality trainings and learn how to speak to guest without sarcasm or "I really don't care to be here" as a main attitude. Terrible service! Ambiance: This was my first time here and I have to say that I enjoyed the ambiance, very cute for that romantic date OR a simple great time with good friends...I enjoyed the latter. Clean restrooms and well decorated facility. It offered that sexy Manhattan night...in DC! The New Yorker in me was throughly pleased. Drinks: We had 3 lol the selections were 2 evening incantation and 1 empress cosmopolitan. I actually enjoyed the second incantation more than the first because it was mixed better but as our snappy waitress said "it's pre-mixed so I can't do anything about that!" Girl bye and boo! The second serving of the drink actually offered more liquor than the first. The empress cosmopolitan was exquisite! Very delightful I might say. Drinks were perfection!!!!! Food: Dare I say that this place WINS at their fresh and unique sushi selections. Yummmmy!!!! Here is what we tried for the table: Salmon Usuzukuri, Yuzu Fuego, O-KU Spider roll, Firecracker roll, rock shrimp, Tuna Tataki, and Hanger Steak (not pictured) My FAVORITES were as followed: O-KU, Tuna, Firecracker, and rock shrimp...also the steak which was simply juicy and divine. Let's just say this, I listed them in the order in which I enjoyed it. The O-KU presented a rich balance of flavor and a unique taste. The Tuna...well that selection was so delicious! The firecracker-kicked!!!! Its flavors burst through with every bite and the rock shrimp added that special cherry on top to help seal the flavorful deal....I wish I could give you more because it was such a large order but know that I took my time to savor each bite and enjoy what the individual rolls presented. SO DELICIOUS!!!!!!! No dessert, I wasn't too moved by their selection and at this point I was ready to leave. Now, we did order a lot so the bill was $100+ per person...But, I think if you really order what you want, you'll probably pay less. I'll go for my favorites next time..Because there will be a next time! I see it in the near future. What are you waiting for? You deserve some great sushi and a sexy ambiance..GET here quick! Make those reservations and let's chat more. I enjoyed every moment of this. read more

See all

Went here for dinner with my partner. This restaurant specializes in small plates, something we did not know going in. The food was good overall, I really enjoyed the sushi we got. We got the crunchy prawn roll and the firecracker roll. For our main meal we got the duck negiyaki and the karaage chicken. Everything was delicious except the karaage chicken, which just had a strange tangy taste which we were not a fans of. But our waiter was so kind and took it off of check after letting him know. The price for the amount of food given was a bit much. But overall it was a good experience as most of the food was amazing and the vibe of the place was really calming and classy and the staff was so sweet and kind. read more

See all

Was invited to a birthday dinner here. I had not heard of the location before. I am pleasantly surprised about my experience. Unbeknownst to use, we arrived during happy hour. We ordered drinks and a combination of sushi rolls and appetizers. Everything was delirious and we throughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be returning. read more

O-Ku - Peso for your thoughts - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here for a quick happy hour stop. My friends and I each had a roll and a drink. The drinks were alright, and the sushi was good. My only complaint is that their happy hour menu is formatted a bit weird. They incorporate happy hour within the main menu such that you're forced to scour the whole menu looking for happy hour deals, instead of making happy hour its own separate menu. We were a bit underwhelmed by the selection, too, but I think it's still a decent deal if you're looking to save a couple bucks on delicious sushi rolls. read more

This is a beautiful restaurant but despite the impeccable aesthetics, there were some things I wasn't a big fan of. I made a reservation for outside and was seated promptly. Maybe this is nit picky, but the chairs were so uncomfortable. I wore a skirt and the bits of my legs that were exposed dug into the chair. It just made it a bit more difficult to fully enjoy the experience. Albeit, I have no regrets about sitting outside as the view and weather were perfect. All the servers were all very nice and attentive. I went during happy hour and the sushi deal they have is definitely better than their drink deal. The drinks were fine. As for the rolls, we ordered the tuna tataki, snow king, and spicy tuna. The tuna tataki was by far our favorite; the light sear and soy glaze made it a little umami bomb. However, the other rolls were nothing special. Personally, I don't think it's worth coming by unless it's during their happy hour. read more

O-Ku - Tuna tataki roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This place is sexy AF. Take a date here. I don't even care if you like the person, that's not what's important, what's important is coming here and feeling hot as shit. It isn't cheap. BUT. Sushi prices have skyrocketed so much everywhere in the DC area that for another dollar or two you may as well shell out to come here and have an excellent experience. Everything feels swank, from even before you enter, because the entrance is this nondescript door that makes you feel like you're somehow in the know. When you get inside there are dark walls, natural woods and high ceilings, and it feels chic. It makes a distinctive nod to traditional Japanese decor and architecture but is very snazzy and very modern. There are different seating options - a cocktail bar, a sushi bar in a back area, low tables, high tops, an upstairs area ... We were seated at the actual sushi bar and I would highly recommend asking for seats there. Normally I don't like sitting at the sushi bar itself because there are those display cases full of fish that block your view and it's often cramped and uncomfortable, but the setup here lets you see everything, it was perfectly comfortable, and the chefs will chat with you. It makes it a lot more experiential than just sitting at a table, and you still get full service. I think that's a big part of why we enjoyed ourselves. There was a lot of torching and fire happening, which immediately makes things more fun. To be fair, sitting at the bar means you have to watch other people eat, and when I went there was this dudebro at the end of the bar on a date who held his chopsticks all the way at the food end and kept getting his fingers in his food. I felt like I was watching a caveman hitting stuff with rocks and it drove me crazy the whole time. To the girl who was on that date, if you happen to be reading this, please dump his troglodyte ass. The restaurant has some nice little flourishes that give it that little extra something. For instance, after pouring our water our server returned with a tray of lemon and cucumber slices and asked if we would like any for our water. She also poured our soy sauce for us. Also, they have real wasabi. We ordered and split three different maki rolls - a snow king (torched salmon with microgreens and other goodness), a yuzu fuego (yellowtail with jalapeno and a yuzu glaze), and a tuna tataki roll (torched tuna with a smoky, grilled vibe). All three offered very different but equally satisfying flavor profiles, and the distinctive difference between the rolls was really nice. We eat a lot of sushi and at a lot of places the rolls and flavors often don't feel that different from each other, it's just the same things over and over again with different types of fish. Here there was a lot of thought put into distinctive ingredients that make each maki a unique experience. We followed our maki up with the robata grilled skewers. My fiance got hangar steak and I got the citrus kai, which is shrimp and scallop. Absolutely delicious, well flavored, with a distinctively grilled flavor and texture, especially on the shrimp. I did feel mine was a little too pricy, at $18 for two shrimp and two scallops, but it was still very very good and a lot of care went into flavoring and plating. We got a chocolate molten cake with miso caramel and ginger ice cream. Of the dessert menu items it was probably the least unique (compared to things like ube cheesecake, etc.), but it was good nonetheless and the ginger ice cream went surprisingly well with the chocolate cake. My fiance had a house made Thai tea that had cardamom and other spices in it, with a big spray of fresh mint and a dollop of whipped cream. I tried it. It was almost like Thai tea and chai had a baby. It was very nice. I had two different cocktails featuring different kinds of tea and whiskeys. Honestly, of all the things I had the cocktails were probably my least favorite. Which isn't to say they were bad, they weren't, and they were comparably priced for DC. They just weren't the star of the show and honestly... that's a good thing. The food was so much more of a discussion point, as it should be. So many places in DC get by with boring, mediocre and/or overpriced food and salvage the experience with a decent cocktail. It's refreshing that this place puts the focus on its food and doesn't hide behind its bar program. I just went to their website to check something on the menu as I was writing this, and I was shocked as shit to find out this is a chain, with locations in other states. I would never have guessed. Well played, O-ku. read more

I think I'm being generous with 3 stars here unfortunately this service was just that disappointing. Well in advance my friend booked a party of 8 for her birthday (birthday indicated on the res, important later). Upon arriving on time, she let them know it would be 7, which they said is totally fine. The less than enthusiastic hosts sat us at a hidden high top by the kitchen. No big deal, we're not picky. Our waiter is busy so the bartenders bring us water. I will say, the bartender himself was incredible! He was a joy to have help us. Our actual server we would go on to see 3 times our entire night but the bartender made sure we were set all evening. He even wished my friend a happy birthday. Drinks took about 10 minutes to come out. Our apps all came out at different times. Staggered for about 30 minutes. We didn't mind. The entrees is where things got really bad. The food took a long time and one entree would come, 10 minutes later two more, five minutes later another. The last entree took over 45 minutes, we grabbed who appeared to be a manager and at this point we are finally informed there were ticket errors and a mix up in the back and she knows we've been affected. She did take off his app and entree and went to make sure it went out next (it did not in fact go out next), gave not even an apology for the rest of the table even though we've now been there for two hours, had all finished eating and only got an explanation after asking what was going on. This should've been made known to us the moment they realized the error. Not to mention, nothing was done for my friends birthday. I see lots of other reviews with how the staff gave a birthday note even. It was not recognized aside from a verbal happy birthday from our non waiter. The food itself was standard I had the shrimp dumpling, hanger steak & crunchy tuna roll but service is absolutely not worth it. read more

O-Ku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I've come here for happy hour a few times and for dinner once. Love their happy hour sushi rolls, especially the spicy salmon and snow king. The service here is exceptional, always very friendly and attentive. Will be coming back! read more

O-Ku - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Amazing! Finally came in for happy hour after walking past it a hundred times. Was absolutely delighted by the swanky atmosphere and the great happy hour deal! Sat at the sushi counter which was intimate and accessible. My friend and I both ordered the Sugar & Spice, which we both agreed may have been the best cocktail we've ever tasted (this came highly recommended from the server, we were so glad she steered us in the right direction!). As for rolls, we got the spicy tuna, the snow king, and the tuna tataki. The tuna tataki and the spicy tuna were both delicious, but the snow king stole the show. One of the tastiest rolls I have ever had. The happy hour deal is honestly such a steal. We ordered the three rolls and each enjoyed two Sugar & Spices and walked away paying about $40 per person. So delicious and reasonable. Really excited to come back! read more

O-Ku - Snow King Spicy Tuna - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This place has an AMAZING happy hour. They are a pricy establishment but you get what you pay for and the happy hour makes it much more affordable. My partner and I celebrated my new job here and we were really impressed. We have been trying to find good sushi in DC and this is the best we found so far. This place gives the vibe of a fancy hole in the wall. It's easy to miss from the outside but the inside is expansive and beautifully decorated. When you come you need to get the pork belly buns and the donuts with miso caramel! I will definitely be back. read more

O-Ku - Pork buns - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It was just not good. It wasn't clean the omakase was just not. One of the pieces of the onakase was a large piece of deep fried fish for my husband and me to share. They have lots of bones in it. I've never in my life gotten deep fried fish as part of an Omakase. It wasn't terrible, but for the price I expected so much more. Sushi Nakazawa is my favorite and it's the standard for me. They're Omakase is 190 per person. So, when I got a large piece of fried fish to share as part of my Omakasa, I just felt like I could've spent a few more dollars and gotten top-tier sushi. The experience was also lacking. It was kind of dirty, saran wrap left on the counter, there was nothing wow about this experience at all, but if you just wanna step out for a little. OK sushi and you don't mind paying extra. I'm not getting the extra value and someone else is paying for it or it's free. I would recommend this place, otherwise, I would say check out sushi Nakazawa. read more

See all

My cousin and I dined here before attending a show at the Howard Theater. O-Ku has been on my list for a few years and I finally made it. The restaurant ambiance was perfect for date night. The hostess greeted and sat me immediately. I opted for the sushi bar seating. Our server was extremely helpful and nice. She recommended a few things and offered us fruit to add to our water. I loved that option. We ordered the Crispy Dumplings, Yellowtail, Spicy Crunchy Tuna, Crème De Crème and Kobe Nigiri. I thoroughly enjoyed everything. The only thing I would change is the spicy tuna roll. There wasn't much tuna in the roll. I am looking forward to returning for date night. read more

See all

Came for their omakase and liked it! It's rather funny though, because I think I liked their unique dishes over their sushi/nigiri based dishes honestly. Loved their tacos and fish, as well as their pickled sides a lot. their drinks were tasty too. The ending sushi pieces were a little underwhelming in my opinion, but overall, the experience itself was great. Waitress was super nice and even packed the parts of the omakase I wasn't able to finish. It's a nice vibe inside and you don't really get to see them fully make the dishes; I did get to see it here and there at the bar seating but it's not exactly the same as what I was expecting. I would come again to try some of their a la carte items. read more

See all

Oku has been my favorite restaurant for so long even though they updated their menu to not include the crunchy prawn. It was such an amazing sushi roll and I got past it. But I just came tonight excited to get my favorite drink, come to find out they have also removed that from the menu. This place is so delicious, but I can't help to think that they have to have something against me to get rid of my absolute favorite things. #bringbackcrunchyprawn #eveningincatationredemption #xoxogossipgirl read more

O-Ku - Me being sad because my favorite drink is nowhere to be found. #redemption4eveningincantation #bringherback - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

O-Ku is my favorite place in the city to get sushi. It is consistently delicious and I always have the best experience with the service. My most recent visit was a solo sushi date at the bar and it's such a great vibe for that. The signature nigiris are pricey but so amazingly delicious and if you like eel, I highly recommend the Unagi San roll. My bartender, John (I believe that was his name) was so helpful in recommending items when I couldn't decided (per usual) and did not steer me wrong. The I Dropped my Chopsticks cocktail was perfectly balanced with the ginger and yuzu and definitely one I would order again. However, the most memorable part of the entire night was the combo of the Ube Sata Andagi with miso brown butter rum sauce paired with the That's Sho Biz cocktail. The Ube Sata Andagi reminded me of a ube churro donuts and could not have been more up my alley when it comes to dessert. When I say this made my night, this no joke made my night! I was in heaven and already scheduling my return for this fabulous combination. I love O-Ku. read more

See all

We came here for happy hour and it has a great deal! I had the snow king and tuna tataki which were both phenomenal! Dim sum was tasty and drinks were strong but tasty as well. The downstairs of the restaurant appears small and slightly dark but the rooftop is airy and spacious. Service was great and attentive and knowledgeable on the menu. read more

See all

I recently dined at O-Ku and was blown away by the fresh, flavorful sushi. The atmosphere is laid-back but chic, making it the perfect spot for a relaxing meal with incredible food. Follow my IG account for Curated Google Maps list for brunch, happy hours, rooftops, parks, wineries & more in the DMV area: @yourdmvbestie read more

Absolutely phenomenal experience all around! We ordered the omakase, and trust me the servings look small but it's a LOT of food! Our server Christine went above and beyond with her hospitality, and we were obsessed with the ambiance of the place (modern, chic, mostly edm music playing). What I truly appreciate was the fact that we were able to get the omakase without uni. I know I know, it just isn't for me though. But every dish we got was amazing regardless. Will definitely be coming back, thank you for the great experience! read more

See all

I came to Oku for a light dinner with some friends, and everyone really enjoyed the experience. I ordered the sweet and spicy cocktail and the Tokyo chicken, and both were amazing. The cocktail was well flavored, and also quite strong,. My friends also enjoyed their cocktails and sake, but I decided one was sufficient for me. The restaurant itself is not crowded, has a lot of open space, and has a nice low-key seductive vibe to it. The wait staff was polite and attentive. I look forward to coming back for happy hour one day! read more

Sat at the bar for a few snacks after work on a Friday night. The place was packed, and we waited a while for bar seats, but it was prime time (830pm) on a Friday night so that's not unexpected. No disappointments in the food, the sauce with the broccolini has to be my favorite I've ever had. Only complaint is the "small plates" we ordered came out last, so we ended up finishing the steak and sushi roll before we ever got the broccolini and tuna tartare. read more

See all

I really enjoyed the two visits I've had to O-Ku. The first time I stopped in for late night drinks and had a terrific bartender (will get his name next time), and the second time was for happy hour. They have a great happy hour where they offer about half off of select drinks and food items. The drinks were a hit, with my favorite drink being the peso for your thoughts. As for food, the Tuna Tataki (sushi), Curry Noodles (not on happy hour menu) are a must order. I could not get enough of either of these. Do know that the noodles are actually spicy and you can add chicken and/or shrimp to it. Our server Shannon was beyond great, and I dined with someone who is hard to impress who said the same, so that says a lot lol. I also tried the O-Ku Chocolate Deluxe which definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. It's a warm fudge cake, served with vanilla ice cream that is topped with puffed rice cake and garnished with strawberries and blueberries. Did I mention that it is served warm? I'd recommend this for my chocolate lovers. One thing I can say is that to dine inside, they apparently want to see the physical copy of the vaccination card (this happened on my second visit, whereas the app was fine the first time around). Thankfully I had it saved on my phone but, why not just allow the apps? The hostess said they didn't have a scanner but a lot of people didn't know this til they arrived. You guys should really notify the guests. Reservations are recommended. read more

O-Ku - Shobo Thai & Lucky Cat - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This was a great, intimate and memorable sushi spot! Great sushi and a great happy hour! Our server Cierra was so kind and friendly. read more

okusushidc is legit our favorite sushi spot in DC We love the Yellowtail. It's $11 on HH! Obviously, I get a cocktail or two! PESO FOR YOUR Thoughts- Mezcal based and my favorite. But, Sugar and Spice is right behind with a spice-infused vodka! And for the little who is pretty selective with his food, the karaage, sans toppings is his fave. It's not on happy hour, though. And you can't forget to ask for a rooftop seat once summer hits! I love sitting at the "chefs counter" too! It's such a fun experience! The staff is always friendly and welcoming. read more

O-Ku - HH cocktails! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

this place has become one of go-to spots for sushi and other Japanese bites, absolutely a favorite in the city. We dined on the rooftop around 8 pm, witnessing the sun set. Quite the view! We had the cucumber salad for one of our starters. The cucumbers were chopped larger than I'd fancy, and the garlic and chili oil fell to the background of some flavor that I cannot put my finger on. We'd pass on this option next time. Now the Hawaiian poke? Babyyyy, every bite was terribly delicious. I'm normally not a fan of mango in my food, but this was a very fresh delicate small plate. The crab crunch roll didn't hit like I thought it would. I forgot how much I don't care for imitation crab meat until I bit into this order, we ended up leaving 3 rolls behind :( We did however absolutely love surf and turf rolls (not pictured). the aioli was a nice fresh touch, especially accompanying the wagyu steak. we tasted a hint of either wasabi or Dijon mustard which was a pleasant add to each bite. The chutoro and otoro negari was excellent. The fish melted in your mouth. Only a touch of soy sauce is needed. To quench our thirst, we had a glass Riesling and midnight lemonade. The Riesling was not too dry not too sweet. Tasted notes of grape too. read more

See all

We tried O-Ku DC for the first time for our anniversary, and our server Peter was such a delight. The food and drinks were delicious, the atmosphere was ideal, and the service was impeccable. We'll be back soon! read more

Great food and even better service. Each roll was unique and offered a burst of flavor. The Yuzu Tuna was delicate, citrusy, and had a small punch of heat from the Serrano pepper slices. The Kobe Style O-Ku Signature Nigiri was so decadent and buttery. Shoutout to Tatiana G, her recommendations were on point! read more

See all

O-ku is one of my favorite places in DC and has been since they opened a few years ago. During never-ending covid times, they remain open and safe -- all servers are wearing masks, limited seating (you will need a reservation a few weeks in advance!), and their outdoor, heated patio is the place to be. Located near Union Market, O-ku is the restaurant with the most beautiful dark front exterior and tall, wooden door you will ever see. Upon my first visit right after they opened, I quickly realized that the deliciousness of the entire menu matches the design happy appeal of the O-ku's facade. A few years later, I am happy to report that they've maintained consistency, excellent service, and impeccable food and drink menus. I eat everything, but one of my favorite things on the menu is their veggie harvest roll. Try it! read more

O-Ku - The most flavorful miso soup. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

O-Ku is my favorite high-end Sushi spot in the DMV area. They do not miss. Menu is simple but everything is incredible and so fresh with so much flavor. My favorite rolls are the Surf and Turd and the Yuzu Fuego. Their Wagyu hanger steak is phenomenal. It is so tender and full of flavor and pairs well with their wasabi. Nigiri is also very tasty and flavorful. Cocktails are incredible. Overall I think it is certainly worth the price if you want to have a nice dinner out. Ambience is perfect to bring a date. read more

They made my sister and I's birthday so special! The food was phenomenal. Everything was so fresh and bursting with flavor

O-Ku was fine. My friend and I left feeling like we had spent a lot of money but that the food wasn't worth it and we were still hungry AND having awful service. It was disappointing because of been once before for drinks and appetizers and loved everything. We got there are few minutes before 5 p.m. They don't start seating until exactly 5, which is understandable. COVID rules are not enforced. We sat outside on their upstairs patio. The music was blaring, and we couldn't hear each other, or our server, so we asked them to turn it down. They did but then later turned it back up. Our server was not super attentive. I pointed to a dish on the menu to ask about it, ordered it, and then received a similar dish that was more money. Could have been a true misunderstanding, but given the attitude, I'm not so sure. He offered to take the dish back but I was hungry so I just ate it. We each ordered a cocktail and ordered gyoza, yellowtail carpaccio (was supposed to be sashimi, so also ordered that), Wagyu steak skewer, salmon usuzukuri, a makimono roll, and a tartelette for dessert. The standouts were the cocktails and dessert, but that not why you go to a sushi restaurant. It's not that anything else was bad, it just didn't wow. I liked the carpaccio and gyoza a lot. The Wagyu skewers didn't taste special at all. Everything was beautifully plated and presented. I was really excited for this meal, especially after my previous experience here, but it's not a place I'd rush to return. read more

See all

This almost makes me regret giving 5 stars to any other place, it's so amazing. I think this place ruined sushi for me, because I went to another local joint i love about a week later and it suddenly tasted so mediocre to me. You've never had fish this fresh and flavorful! I wanted to order so many things on the menu. I ordered a ton, yes, but what's pictured only makes up maybe about a quarter of all the things I wanted to try. The menu explains what's in each dish. I cannot get over how buttery soft the fish texture was, how the flavor profiles of each dish hit differently. The A5 Wagyu was also great and super flavorful; they fry it in some garlic butter, I think. I particularly liked the yellowtail carpaccio; I ended up ordering a second round of it at the end because it was so good. We were seated on the rooftop, which is covered and has heaters and stringed lanterns to light the space. In warmer months, I believe the cover/tarp is removed. When I made the reservation, I noted that we were celebrating our anniversary. At first I didn't think they were gonna do anything for it, as there was no acknowledgment of it from our server or anything, which is perfectly fine (I never know if those notes actually show up on their end or not, and even if they do, if it makes a difference at all. But I figured I'd note it anyway). But at the end, they gave us complimentary dessert and champagne. I just love this place and can't wait to go back. read more

See all