I loved the vegetarian options! I got the curry udon and the happy hour priced harvest roll! They were both unique and delicious. The curry udon was very filling and the mushrooms were the highlight of the dish. The harvest roll was also delicious and a great combo of flavors. The presentation of all the dishes were beautiful and the restaurant was upscale but cozy. The service was also good. Our server took the time to explain happy hour to us and returned to allow us to order more dishes throughout the evening. read more

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Overall this was a very nice sushi restaurant. As many reviews have said, it's a good date night spot. The interior is dim, tall ceilings, and upscale vibe. Our waitress was nice and she came around offering cucumber slices, lemon slices or lime slices to add to our water-- very fancy. We came for happy hour which offered substantial discounts off select sushi rolls and appetizers marked with "HH" I got the Scallop Kun appetizer 4.5/5 very tasty. Citrus flavors and chili oil on top for a kick. The raw scallops were buttery soft. A few of mine tasted just a tad fishy though. Surf and Turf roll - my favorite roll of the evening. Loved the wagyu topping and the wasabi crema on top paired perfectly with it. Snow King - an excellent happy hour selection. Had torched salmon on top. Also the cilantro leaves on top give it a a fusion flavor. Otoro sashimi - was a little disappointed in this since it's supposed to be the most premium tuna cut. The fatty lines in between were too chewy. Having been to Japan, I would say that while the sushi at Oku is good, it doesn't compare to places in Japan. I've also had fresher fish at the local fish market in Sydney Australia. While the flavors at Oku are not the most authentic, they are tasty. Great service and selection, just a bit pricey. read more

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The mood inside was everything. Walking up to O-Ku it feels you are headed just into a speakeasy. Top suggestion here is make a reservation. Location was prime and there are a couple dining rooms plus an upstairs dinning room and bar. Food was awesome here. It was mostly tapas. I ordered the rock shrimp, the broocolini, cicitrus kai, spicy salmon and the crunchy prawn. Everything was so good. The only thing I would pass on next go around was the rock shrimp. My favorite was the spicy salmon roll and the citrus Kai was the most shocking in a great way. They char it a little and lather it up in a citrus butter. Easily would order again and wish it came with a rice. Our waitress was pretty nice even when we spent more time talking than looking at the menu. Union market is full of great restaurants so no surprises that this joins the list. read more

My favorite restaurant in DC, without a doubt. My partner and I go there once a month. The ambiance and service are exceptional, and each time we visit, someone remembers us. But the best part is the food! The Salmon Usuzukuri is a must-- we order three plates every time. The Wagyu, spicy tuna, and tuna tower with seasoned chips are also incredible . It never gets old. While it's a bit on the pricey side, that's why we work hard. It's worth every penny. I have zero complaints! read more

I went here for happy hour. I was able to find parking on the street but I'd recommend parking in the lot in front of Union Market to make things a bit easier. It seems like they get pretty busy with the after work/dinner crowd but we lucked out to be able to walk-in and get a table for six. They did tell us we could only be there until a reservation came in and despite being timely, I didn't feel rushed to order and get up. My drink (shogun) was more memorable than my food (rock shrimp and tuna tataki). If I go back, I may stick to all cold sushi or ignore food all together and just get drinks. read more

I hate to leave a bad review but the sushi was honestly so bad we were laughing while eating it. The rice was somehow pure cold mush AND undercooked, with occasional rock hard grains in each roll. This place relies only on ambiance and it really shows. read more

Cameron was our waiter. But the service from the people out back bringing the food out for assistance was great as well. The food was very good and quality. Quite expensive but for whatever you saw it fed two hungry people after playing volleyball. We had a reservation and was seated on time. The ambiance at night is dark with lighting and some light music. Everything is clean. Overall enjoyed my time and definitely would prefer coming back for happy hour for more reasonable prices. Parking can be hard to find on the street. But it is right across from union if you can find a slot there read more

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Keeping this review simple because i'm Lazy. I'm also stingy with my 5 star reviews, but this is right up there. A friend loves O-Ku and we wanted to celebrate my partner's new job, so we checked it out and loved it. 4.75 stars Food: Gua Bao buns, 2 Old Yeller Nigiri, the firecracker and Scallwag rolls, the Duck Negayaki from the Robata section. Everything was amazing. The duck and bao buns got the highest praise though. Drinks: We started with the Lucky Cat and Yuzu Drop cocktails before moving to a pour each of the Soul of the Sensei and Three Dots Sakes. We loved it all. Service: 10/10. I forget our server's name, but he was very personable, knew the menu inside and out and was very helpful with our deciding what to order. Ambiance: Quaint, intimately lit and nice with lovely chair. read more

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we came to o-ku in the pouring rain, our clothes dripping but stomachs empty and so ready to eat! the staff were so friendly as soon as we walked in and the ambiance was perfect for a lovely evening. after drying off, it was time to order and thank god it was happy hour. we got the snow king, tuna tataki, spicy crunchy salmon, hamachi nigiri and rock shrimp. rock shrimp were crispy and the sauce kept making me want to go back for more! the snow king and tuna tataki were my favorite rolls - the torching on the rolls added the perfect flavor to complement the fish. we kept ordering more and more because it was just so delicious. fish quality was amazing!! no complaints here for drinks i got the sugar and spice while my friends got the shogun and peso for your thoughts. all these including the food were on the happy hour menu and it is such an amazing deal. our waitress found out we were celebrating and she brought out these lychee passionfruit shots that were so good. counting the days until i can return to o-ku ig @ stephiesmunchiez read more

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This is one of the best sushi places that I have ever been! The atmosphere at the restaurant was modern with a Japanese theme. Their focus to detail and Lark, our waiter, was great! She listened to our comments, she knew that it was a special occasion (birthday) and that I had a love for sushi. My wife and I shared a cucumber salad and had cocktails as starters and during our main course of sushi and sake. I had the crunch roll while she had the shrimp tempura rolls. We both shared the skewers wagyu beef, and they surprised me with a shot of one of our new favorite cocktail. This was a great dinner, and O-Ku pulled out all the stops. read more

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We had an amazing time! Came here after our engagement and everyone was so kind and made the experience very memorable. The food was amazing and the espresso martini is incredible. We will be back! read more

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Sorry for the lack of pictures, but as I am sure you can see from other post it is a beautiful, dimly lit restraint that has a fun and I intimate feel to it. This is a fantastic restaurant with terrific food and top notch service. It had been on my list for a while to go to and I happily report its amazing. One thing that made this trip amazing was the staff. Everyone I encounter was pleasant, helpfully and had a smile on their face. I ended up ordering four different rolls and the tuna tartare Everything was perfect and enjoyed every bite. Each one was different and had a very unique flavor to it. Highly recommend O KU and will definitely be back in the future. read more

O-Ku - 12 Aug 23 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had amazing time at O-Ku. We were celebrating our anniversary and were greeted with flowers at our table. The food was amazing and the ambiance was also great. Our server Zoe went above and beyond. She was personable and friendly throughout our entire meal. We'll definitely be coming back for more anniversaries for years to come! read more

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

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Great patio and cocktails, but prices and service are so-so...you can find many other sushi restaurants in the district with better atmosphere and food options for a lower price. read more

O-ku caught my eye on the way to Union Market. Li decided to try it since good sushi I hard to come by in NC. This is a 3.8 Busy night so I sat at the bar. Wish there'd been hooks for my bag. The menu had all the standards and a few interesting items. I got the Sake Dream, which is salmon topped with the truffle cream and caviar. It was good but not the umami bomb I was expecting for the hefty price. I also got the spider roll, which was tasty but again, not amazing. The space is nicely decorated. If you don't like back less seating, this might not be the place for you. read more

I love this place. My all time favorite happy hour spot and I will always come back. The charred broccoli was super tasty and the sauce was perfect! The wild mushrooms were super delightful, the sauce was super savory and the dill was very refreshing. The blue crab temaki is such a nice menu add with a citrusy flavor also refreshing. And as always the tuna tataki, snow king, rock shrimp, and sugar and spice were great as always! read more

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Good food, good service, seating is limited (they only sit solo people at the bar). I'll definitely be back to try the omakase. Recommendation: get the tuna carpaccio!!! Absolutely amazing. read more

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Should you eat here? Simple answer: YES! My friend RAVES about this restaurant constantly, and I never understood her obsession until she brought me here a couple weeks ago. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu... really. Hands down some of the best sushi + sides I've ever had. There's not really a way to put into words how amazing the food, service, and full experience was! Definitely look to make a reservation a few weeks in advance, especially if you plan to come by on Friday/the weekend! read more

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Absolutely amazing sushi!!! So so good. We had great service, great drinks and great food. The food came out nice and fresh but didn't take forever. Everything was delicious. The broccolini and salmon was to die for read more

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I decided to try out O-Ku for their limited time Cherry Blossom themed Sakura Special menu. We tried some staple sushi rolls as well. Overall O-Ku has a great atmosphere and attentive service. The sushi we tried was pretty good. The Sakura Sour cocktail was light and slightly herbal due to the thyme. Pleasant cocktail. The Sushi Combo was great. The makimono with hamachi and Serrano peppers was light and the mango gave the roll a sweet, pleasant flavor; it wasn't spicy in my opinion. The tuna nigiri with the soy ginger glaze was another favorite from the evening. We tried the Sakura cheesecake for dessert - light creamy with an immediate sour note that caught us off guard but dissipated. I recommend Cherry fans to try this dessert. The items from the cherry blossom themed menu was spot on for the occasion. It was entertaining sitting in view of the chefs making their magic; grilling, slicing, dicing and rolling. I like that there is an option to have your sushi torched. The items that we tried from the permanent menu included the O-Ku spider roll (a little bland), the Surf and Turf roll (crispy onions are an excellent choice for this roll), Snow King roll (good) and the cucumber salad (amazing). We were provided the "moushi moushi" (?) which was spicy - it's a fried wonton taco with spicy salmon and avocado mousse. It was a bit too spicy for me but my friend thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not sure when their rooftop will open or if it was just closed due to the storm that passed but the ambiance is nice for the roof seating and upstairs bar area. I can see myself coming back for happy hour and checking out their rooftop and bar. The cherry blossom / plant decor throughout is cute. I'm not sure if the decor is temporary for the festival or a staple but all of the artwork inside is nice. Cool sushi place overall. I recommend and will likely be back. read more

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Overall, a solid experience last night with my friend. I've been wanting to check out O-Ku for the longest time (about 1.5 years?) and finally got a chance to go. I love that they have happy hour pricing (I think weekdays before 7 PM) for some sushi rolls, apps, and drinks. The options they have for HH were great, so definitely not complaining. Make a reservation in advance if you're thinking of coming for dinner! HH: SPICY CRUNCHY SALMON - 8 This is exactly what you'd imagine and see in any other sushi restaurant. Salmon, cucumber & avocado inside-out roll with tempura flakes and spicy sriracha-mayo sauce drizzled on top. I probably wouldn't pay full pricing (15) for this, but it was a dependable, standard roll that my friend and I both enjoyed. For some pieces, I felt like the salmon was lacking. HH: SNOW KING - 10 This was definitely my favorite -- seared salmon on top of a California roll? I'm in. I'm not a California roll fan, but I'd do it for the seared salmon any day. The seared salmon was flavorful and delicious, and the miso truffle aioli was truly the cherry on top. I'd definitely recommend. HH: TUNA TATAKI - 10 This one is similar to the snow king, except it's seared tuna on top of a tempura shrimp and avocado roll. The seared tuna was also amazing. The soy glaze and spicy aioli drizzles also added more flavor to the sushi roll. I would recommend HH: TOKYO CHICKEN - 11 There weren't a lot of karaage for each order (felt like the pieces were super small and more skin/breading than actual chicken). The breading had the perfect texture, but I felt like the flavors were subdued/bland. I probably wouldn't get this again. SALMON USUZUKURI - 18 I was eyeing this since I saw many tables ordered this appetizer and I love salmon sashimi. The truffle ponzu and black volcanic salt sounded interesting and sold me. Unfortunately, I found that this fell short since the pieces were so, so small and it was a bit saltier than I'd prefer (from the sauce, not the volcanic salt). There wasn't much truffle flavor either, and I found this appetizer to be disappointing for the amount it costed. Still glad I gave it a try, but I probably won't get it again. I'm usually a standard maki roll or nigiri/sashimi kind of person, but the rolls we had were fantastic and the happy hour pricing was too hard to pass. Next time, I'll think about splurging on the omakase for 150 :o read more

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We visited on a weekday, just the two of us. Our server was pleasant and offered a few recommendations, attentive but never intrusive. The overall atmosphere had a club-like vibe with lively music. I can see how that appeals to some, but personally I'm not very comfortable in loud environments. Still, the energy in the room was upbeat and convivial and we were able to comfortably have a conversation. I didn't have any cocktails, so I can't comment on the bar program. As for the food, I found it overpriced for the quality and quantity served. The miso salmon was the biggest disappointment, it didn't seem to have been marinated long enough for the miso flavor to penetrate the fish, and it lacked the seasoning and moisture you'd expect from that dish. Unfortunately, it was also overcooked, which didn't help. The nigiri rice was properly cooked and held together well without being sticky, but it was quite bland and cold. At this price point, you expect perfectly seasoned sushi rice served at the ideal temperature. The sashimi we tried was of acceptable quality, though the portions were smaller than expected for the cost. Overall, there are better sushi restaurants in D.C., though this might be one of the stronger options for that particular neighborhood. read more

I've been wanting to come visit this place for a while. Food is nothing super spectacular, but good for DC upscale sushi. If you come, come for the beautiful dining hall, multiple stories, each with a different ambiance. All the fish we had was fresh. All the employees were super kind and accommodating. Would come back just for their dining area vibes read more

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

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I share this opinion with a lot of people, but I think O-Ku might have the best sushi in DC hands down. I am a little far from Union Market but O-Ku has been on my list for a while since everyone raves about it and earlier this week the stars aligned and I was in the area in time for their happy hour. They open at 5 so I was one of the only people inside at 5:15 but the bar area started to fill up by the time I was leaving around 6:30. The staff was very warm and inviting, they paid me a lot of attention. I appreciated the little details like offering up presliced cucumbers and lemon for my water. I ordered the snow king and tuna tataki rolls off the happy hour menu and the sushi Gods shined their light on me because they got my order wrong. I have never been so happy in my life. They accidentally brought out a spicy tuna roll and let me keep it while they quickly corrected themselves and brought out the tuna tataki that I had originally requested. The staff was very gracious about the mistake but trust me, I did not mind! All the rolls were fantastic. You can tell that they are carefully crafted. The fish is fresh and the rolls are balanced. It was the perfect amount to feel full but not stuffed. The Snow King is my new favorite roll ever, I'm obsessed with the truffle aioli on top. read more

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O-Ku is a modern Japanese restaurant with authentic inspirations. It's located in the Union Market area and perfect for a HH (M- Thurs 5-7), date night or catch up with friends. It provides a nice intimate and quiet vibe so great for conversation. The food is delicious and fresh and everything comes out quickly. The staff is also very friendly and helpful with recommendations. I would highly recommend the fire cracker roll. read more

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

The service was abysmal. I have never had worse service. The server walked away from us when we were in the middle of ordering, and didn't provide any soy saice until we had eaten everything. It was wildly bad. The food was decent, but nowhere near good enough to justify the awful service coupled with unreasonably high price point. read more

This is my first visit to O-Ku. Which serves modern Japanese cuisine. O-Ku is serious about giving the guest a true taste of traditional with a modern twist. The staff here are very attentive and will help you with your dining experience. Tye restaurant has to floor levels. Meaning plenty of space to dine. Absolutely great dining. If you're ever in the area. GET SOME!!! read more

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you're probably seeing this and thinking I'm one wealthy mofo, but no, this is just O-Ku happy hour - managed to get off work at a human hour and sprinted over to get this 5-7 mon - thurs (way to keep it exclusive!) happy hour in union market - 5 of the menus rolls are $10-12 and 3 appetizers are $10-12, those sushi prices are a wonderful deal. you can watch (if in the second dining room) the cooks legit de-scale the fish and torch the rolls right in front of you. the options are very limited, but if they look up your alley, this is an amazing high end - good deal spot to hit - the rock shrimp appetizer was the only appetizer that looked appealing as I'm not a huge pork girl. it was quite good, but I just wish I had a little more flavor or to make up for lack of flavor, they had made the shrimp crispier - the best roll was the tuna takati, a big chunk of melt - in - your - mouth tuna on top of soft rice holding crunchy shrimp tempura and creamy avocado. you could taste the attention this spot puts into their sushi even when on HH deals - second best were the spicy salmon and spicy tuna, at some restaurants these are basic rolls but O-Ku really puts special spins on these options with bonito flakes or tempura crunch and a variety of house made sauces. last roll was the snow king roll which was great as well. - this is a very unique spot. you approach a big wooden door fused into a metal wall. the inside feels like you're inside of a bank safe...but in a very modern chic way. they play light house music which fits the energy. no windows ... no one panic! - we were celebrating a birthday and they brought out for free(!!!) a delicious lemon tart topped with fruit. service is very kind and they offer you lemon, lime, or cucumber for your water. read more

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Wow. This was an amazing dining experience. With few tables showing for reservations, I took a chance on a walk-in spot and got lucky. From the intriguing exterior I had been curious to try this place for quite a while. We started with the carpaccio, each thin piece of yellowtail delicately spiced and laying in a drizzle of subtle olive oil. Along with the tartare, resting on avocado and served with delicious shrimp crackers, was a great kick-off. We splurged on the omakase tasting menu, 6 savory courses with a seventh sweet dish at the end. Every piece was phenomenal with the diverse nigiri and sashimi dishes, with multiple kinds and cuts of tuna, salmon, sea urchin, too many others to remember. Caviar, punchy garlic, and other small toppers gave many of the pieces an additional pop of flavor as the courses went on. The fish was exceptionally fresh, fatty tuna melting in your mouth with firmer fish having a nice crispness to the bites. The fish was so good my least favorite was actually the A5 wagyu. While spectacular for beef, next to the delicate variety of the seafood it was outshone. The dark chocolate tart with ginger ice cream was a nice close, to round it all out. The bar has a wonderful selection of Japanese whiskey for a special evening, and the mellow, aged sake is balanced like a very light sherry. This was one of my most favorite dining experiences in D.C., and O-ku is a place that definitely lives up to the hype. read more

Overall, the food was good! We had to make a reservation and there's a lot of construction going on. The first floor is super dark and we have to use a camera flashlight to just to see the menu! The upstairs is much better lighting wise and they have a seating outside upstairs. Happy hour is until 7pm and my friend enjoyed their drinks. The chef were very accommodating and my one friend forgot to remove something from her roll and they brought her another one free of charge. However, service was not quick. We waited a long time before getting our food. We actually had to ask another waiter to ask our waiter to get our food. I took a Lyft so I'm not sure the parking situation or if it's free. I did see a few slots that appeared to be free though. It's located right across from Union Market. read more

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Food, drinks, and service were wonderful! Our server pointed out some of her favorites on the menu and even had the bartender make an off-menu cocktail for my friend who wasn't quite sure what she wanted to drink. The restaurant was dimly lit, which set a nice atmosphere for a cute, intimate dinner. read more

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Came here for a birthday with a party of 9. Some people ordered drinks and appetizers in addition to the food. The food took over an hour to come out when we only ordered 1-2 rolls each. The food came out pretty cold and the sushi was nothing mind blowing. When the sushi came out they got one of the rolls wrongs and comped it. This place gives high end on the exterior but the food and service did not show. It was very disappointing they did nothing for birthday celebrations as well. Would not recommend for a dinner or celebration, happy hour is only semi worth it. read more

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

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Love the food. Fresh and beautifully prepared. the service was great, too. We had sushi and a nice portion of the grilled wagyu. The cocktails were amazing, too. Sitting at the sushi bar was the best of all. read more

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My boyfriend and I came to O-Ku for New Year's Eve dinner after having it on our list to try for a while. Overall, loved the vibe and atmosphere - modern and hip with good music for a younger crowd. As for drinks, I got the Sugar and Spice and was really happy with that option because I looove passionfruit, while the server recommended the Lucky Cat for my boyfriend. It wasn't quite his cup of tea but the drink menu overall looked very creative with a good variety to choose from. The menu looked delicious but we shared a few dishes: scallop kun, pork belly, and firecracker roll. It didn't seem like enough but it was enough to keep us content - maybe one more dish would have gotten us full. They were all delicious and nicely plated. I loved the way the scallops were seasoned and the entire pork belly dish was savory and sweet in all the right ways. No complaints about the Firecracker roll either. We finished our meal with a dessert - I forgot the name but it was the meringue with orange and pears and cinnamon. Overall, this is really great date spot or place to celebrate a nice occasion. I would definitely recommend and would love to try more on the menu again! read more

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So I've gone here a few times and really enjoyed it, but most recently got the mushrooms along with the tuna tataki and found my winning combo. This sushi is FRESH and just has really fun and innovative flavors. It is a little pricy, but its a perfect little treat for every now and then. read more

This place blew my mind! What a cute space! I loved the decor. Dim lighting, comfy seats, great for a girls night out or date night! We sat upstairs, which I loved! There were plenty of photo-ready spots for all your selfies and pics, including a giant giraffe & a wall of mirrors! My best friend has been singing this place's praises so I was excited to check it out. The service was great! Shoutout to Lark for taking care of us! Our Golden Hour cocktails were a perfect choice for the night! Now for the meal....still thinking about every bite, days later! The beef short rib was absolutely delightful! Fall off the bone tender! 10/10 for sure! I'm obsessed with the broccolini...charred to perfection! The crispy tasty was super tasty! Really enjoyed the sauce it came with! I loved the Tuna Tataki roll! My best friend loved the surf & turf roll more! Both were great choices! Overall, love, love, love this place! Can't wait to be back to try more dishes off the menu! read more

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Love the happy hour here! Snow king is $11 and the two basic rolls are $9. Good deal! read more

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

The outside has a speakeasy vibe to it. The drinks and food were really good, especially the karaage chicken. The service was just ok.

Delicious food! Cozy, unpretentious yet classy atmosphere. Japanese whiskey/cocktail bar upstairs seemed to get a lot of business too- i should have checked em out. Ive only sat at the bar my two visits so far- i got the dumpling dim sum, hangar steak skewer, and citrus kai (shrimp n scallop) skewer. All delicious, fresh- the seafood perfectly cooked. My recent visit i ordered the salmon usuzukuri, hangar steak skewer, and spider roll. Ive never really had raw fish on its own (I've had lox on a bagel.. ceviche) so i was a little apprehensive about the salmon app but with 'pickled wasabi, black truffle ponzu and volcanic salt' i figured u couldn't go wrong. It was DELICIOUS. The steak was super tender and seasoned/marinated nicely.. no complaints on the sushi. Cocktails were expertly crafted. Bar service was friendly and attentive. Can definitely put this on the list as a DC staple for me! read more

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