My first time having omakase…read more The experience was amazing. If you are thinking about splurging, this is a very safe bet. The fish tasted fresh and was well prepared. The only thing even remotely able to be critisised is that the experience was a little mechanical and assembly line like. The fish was all pre-cut and the experience wasn't personalized like I hear some other places are.

This was my first omakase where it only featured nigiri sushi and wow, was I impressed with Sushi…read moreNakazawa. We sat at the counter, and the classic omakase was priced at $190 each. We also added the A5 Wagyu Nigiri for $18 additional. If you choose to dine at the dining room, it's $160, but they exclude several items such as their fantastic tiger prawn. The classic omakase consists of 20 items of sushi. I wish I had written notes on each one, but basically from what I recalled, we had chum salmon, soy marinated king salmon, scallops, squid, tiger prawn, mackerel, sea bass, crab w/ tomalley, ⁠⁠Spanish mackerel, hay smoked mackerel and others. The main course was the four different types of tuna. Of course, the best ones were the chutoro and otoro. The A5 Wagyu was really good as well. The omakase ended with some hand rolls (the toro one was my favorite), uni, eel and the tamago. It's hard to pick a favorite dish since they were all so good. I think this was the first time I had sushi rice that was flavored. That was really good. Service was fantastic. I only wish they had a full bar, because I really wanted to drink some Old Fashioned with this meal, but opted for some Japanese beers instead. My water was replenished frequently, and it was fun interacting with the sushi chef. This is a great place to celebrate a special occasion.

I made a reservation on Resy to Omakase Room by Tadayoshi where I enjoyed a 20-course omakase for…read more$200. There were only two others at my reservation time, so it was a pretty intimate experience. We all made small talk about the unbearable DC humidity and our weather preferences. Once the meal began, the chatting ceased, which I was fine with. Throughout the courses, the chef would briefly mention what we're eating, but nothing too specific. SHU-SAI We started our omakase with five Japanese-style small dishes: * Kanpachi with sesame sauce - Texture was phenomenal -- soft and practically melted in my mouth. The sesame sauce paired well but overpowered the fish's subtle flavor. * Daikon with miso sauce - Refreshing and flavorful, the daikon soaked up the miso nicely, but the piece was so large that it was hard to get much sauce in each bite. * Spinach & anchovy salad - Anchovies added a pleasant sea flavor, but the dashi dressing leaned saltier than I would've liked. * Pike eel - Just okay. Really didn't like the texture. * Chawanmushi with marinated crab - Warm and packed with lots of crab, but I was hoping for more depth from the dashi. A bit bland. Before we got started with the nigiri, the chef explained that we'd be enjoying two different rice styles throughout the meal. We sampled both modern and traditional-style rice on its own before trying it as nigiri. NIGIRI WITH MODERN-STYLE RICE The rice itself was warm, soft, and slightly more acidic from the blend of two vinegars. * Ika (squid): Fresh with a pleasant chew, the wasabi was balanced nicely. * Kanpachi (amber jack): Smooth and delicate, but I would've preferred it without the pickled turnip. * Kisetsu no sakana (seasonal fish): The seasonal fish was skipjack, which I've never had. It was buttery, fresh, and subtle -- one of my favorites. * Masu Saikyo-Zuke (miso-marinated trout): Ridiculously buttery and smooth, instant melt-in-your-mouth experience. The miso was a bit gritty, but it complimented the trout well. * Mini Donburi (small rice bowl): This was topped with uni, ikura, and scallops. Excellent rice bowl, but small. Uni was velvety, ikura was clean and not overly fishy, and scallops tasted like it just got shucked off the shell. OWAN In between modern and traditional-style nigiri, we enjoyed prawn with dashi broth topped with enoki mushroom. It was simple but comforting, I enjoyed the stronger dashi flavor here. NIGIRI WITH TRADITIONAL-STYLE RICE The rice itself tasted a bit more dry and was the savory end, with the acidity coming through later. * Madai (red snapper): Delicate and pleasant, pretty typical. * Kisetsu no sakana (seasonal fish): The seasonal fish was horse mackerel, which was rich and buttery with a savory finish. Cleaner and less aggressively briny compared to other mackerels. * Akami (lean tuna): This was okay. It had a weird aftertaste that I don't like in most tunas. * Toro (fatty tuna): Soft and rich, but it didn't quite melt in my mouth the way I expected. * Makimono (sushi roll): This was a tuna handroll with some shiso wrapped in. It added a refreshing herbal note that worked well. SOUP The miso soup was nice and warm, slightly acidic from the fermentation. Very clean tasting. WAGASHI For dessert, we were served a pair of Japanese jelly desserts. I peronally preferred the roasted green tea for its deep roasted flavor, while the red bean had an interesting contrast between the smooth jelly and the gritty bean paste. While some of the courses were a bit hit-or-miss for me, the fish quality was good and fresh. However, my biggest issue was the pacing. From my first bite to my last bite was just 55 minutes, which left very little time to appreciate each course. I barely finished the toro before the tuna roll was already in front of me. Instead of savoring each bite, it felt like I was constantly trying to keep up. The chef was fairly quiet throughout the meal, which didn't bother me as much. The server, however, offered very little interaction beyond delivering and clearing dishes and came across disengaged. While the service was efficient, it lacked the warmth and hospitality I'd expect from a $200 omakase experience. Looking over at the counter, many of the pieces had already been sliced in advance. By the time we got to dessert, the chef was already preparing fish for the next seating. At this price point, I expected a more relaxed omakase experience. There were several memorable bites, such as the miso-marinated trout, mini donburi, and horse mackerel. Unfortunately, the misses, rushed pacing, and impersonal service kept the overall experience from living up to the price.

Came here for a belated birthday dinner with my wife, and it was a pretty enjoyable experience. My…read morewife made the reservation on Resy and it was a little challenging to find availability. That's why I went over 2 weeks after my actual birthday. We found parking on the street and walked a couple blocks to get to the restaurant. Having gotten there early, we were led to our seats after waiting in the lobby area for a little bit. The place looked very nice and intimate. There was a private room behind our seats, and we were told they would open that up for private dinners next year. We spoke with the chefs briefly as we waited for guests to arrive. Chef Tadayoshi and the staff were very friendly. I ordered a non alcoholic Yuzu sparkling drink, and that was really refreshing. The meal started with a 5 dish platter that was really delicious. My favorites from this were probably the amberjack and the daikon radish. Next we did the modern take nigiri pieces, and my favorite would have to be the scallop. It was a generous cut and it tasted so good! Then there was a warm dish, with the sea bass, mushroom, and snow pea. The bass and the mushroom were delectable! Later came the classic pieces of nigiri, and I had a lot of favorites from this part of the meal. The gizzard shad is my favorite fish pretty much every place I go to. Also memorable were the uni, and the otoro. The meal finished with a shrimp soup and a barley tea jelly dessert. All in all, it was a pretty good omakase. I will say that if I didn't ask questions, or talk with the chefs and diners, it would have been very quiet. The chef tells us the name of the dish, but not much detail is provided into how the fish are prepared, unless you ask. They play classical music in the background, which is nice. I'm glad I gave this place a try. It was an overall good experience.

As a self-proclaimed sushi connoisseur and lover, this is by far the best sushi I have ever had. It…read morewas so good that I fear it has ruined all other sushi for me, which only means I have to come back more often. I was able to get bar seating for restaurant week without a reservation, which was great because I love to chat to the bartenders about the food. The first course of hamachi was fresh, light, and a great beginning to the meal. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the tomato mixture on top. The second course was the miso butter salmon. It was rich, savory, and the vegetables were piping hot and crisp. My friend upgraded to the yellowtail collar which was succulent and a HUGE portion. The daikon radish slaw was a great palette cleanser for the light and refreshing fish. We added on the yellowtail scallion roll to our meal- it was simple, the scallion had a great crunch, and the overall quality of the fish was buttery and smooth. Then came the big guns and wow oh WOW- I don't think I could have been more impressed. The salmon avocado and spicy tuna rolls were exquisitely done, even in their simplicity. The fried shrimp head was a great textural element to the plate and added fun crunch. I'll list the bites in order from least favorite to favorite, although none of them were bad, and I want to add that I didn't need soy sauce or wasabi for any of them because they truly did not need either. My rankings are sweet shrimp, hamachi, salmon, snapper, eel, scallop, and then toro. The toro was just heavenly- melted in your mouth and truly unbeatable. The snapper and scallop were very surprising and I loved them more than I thought I would. Overall, I basically dream about this meal and wish I could go back daily. It is truly that good and was life changing (not to be dramatic). I am eagerly awaiting my next visit.

Sushi Taro has been on my list for a while since it's known for its authenticity and sushi quality…read more We tried their Summer 2026 Restaurant Week menu for $65 per person, which included an appetizer, a warm dish, sushi, and dessert. Service was incredibly fast as we were in and out within an hour. APPETIZER: YUZU HAMACHI TATAKI No choices here -- everyone gets the same appetizer. Each person received three pieces of yellowtail topped with a citrusy pepper mixture, cilantro, and a translucent golden-yellow sauce. This was fine. The toppings and sauce weren't too memorable, but the yellowtail itself was soft and fresh. WARM DISH: MISO BUTTER GRILLED SALMON W/JPN EGG PLANT This was served in a small cast-iron square pan with sizzling grilled salmon topped with miso glaze and a small slab of butter, along with a few small pieces of squash and Brussels sprouts on the side. The salmon itself was good, but I didn't like that the miso glaze and butter wasn't mixed together before serving. The butter melted immediately onto the sizzling pan, but I didn't think it added much flavor aside from making everything too greasy. SUSHI: TUNA TRIO, SALMON TRIO + SALMON & AVOCADO ROLL / SPICY TUNA ROLL We got seven pieces of nigiri and two pieces each of the salmon & avocado and spicy tuna rolls. I thought the rice was a bit too vinegary, but the fish was incredibly fresh. I loved every single piece, which ranged from lean and clean to rich and fatty. The maki rolls were fine and did the job of filling up my stomach. DESSERT: HOJI-CHA PUDDING (+3) I'd heard their hoji-cha pudding is a must, so I upgraded my dessert to this. It wasn't too sweet, and the hojicha was very strong, roasty flavor, while the pudding was creamy and custard-like. I thought the upgrade was worth it, and I enjoyed it more than my friend's Ume Asian Apricot Panna Cotta. The hoji-cha pudding was actually my favorite part of the meal. Overall, this was a pretty solid deal for the amount of food we were served, and the quality of fish was grat. I was politely full -- not stuffed, but definitely could enjoy a little snack a couple hours later.

Absolutely enjoyed everything about popping in for lunch after a stressful week and enjoying hand…read morerolls. From the moment I walked in the door I was greeted with warm kindness, just what I needed after the week I experienced. Since a focus is handrolls they offer hand sanitizer at the door before showing you to your seat. The restaurant is sleek and minimal. Food is made right in front of you at the bar. Lunch is walk in only. I ordered the 6 handrolls and added on ell and Acevichado for a total of 8. Included in the 6 were the Acevichado, Spicy Tuna, Crab, Hamachi, Salmon Belly and Scallop. My two favorites were the eel and the acevichado hence why I purchased two. I had hot hojicha lemongrass tea to drink. Overall this is exactly what I needed. Great service, excellent food and good vibes.

DC summers aren't for a California girl like me. I was in town for business and couldn't stomach…read moreanything but a light dinner, and Maru San served me well. I landed at DCA and got here when the restaurant opened. There was no line! I even tried to utilize the virtual waiting list - thought I was getting tricked - but there really was no line! Maybe cause it was the day of the world cup final and no one was interested in hand rolls? I think I got lucky. I ordered the set of 3, and ended up adding 3 more - guess I was hungry. My favorite was the acevichado, and least favorite was probably the langosta. I would also skip the passionfruit lemonade since there was nothing special about it. The handrolls have a peruvian twist to it, and I really enjoyed the twist. Its quite dark in there so was hard to take pictures, but great for a first / intimate date setting. My handroll maker wasn't very helpful but the host was around to ask questions. I would come back to the experience!

A wonderful experience. Definitely worth a try and a perfect place to have a celebration -…read morebirthday, anniversary, etc. The service was impeccable and down to every detail, they were attentive. Since it's a smaller establishment, the focus really is on each and every table or group. You will never feel like you are forgotten. They present each course with an explanation on each item and ingredient and most of it is imported from Japan. The menu is seasonal and they change it ever so often. You may think it's not a lot of food, but the fattiness of the wagyu will fill you up. I was surprised how full I felt after the meal - and I am the type to eat 60-70 pieces of sushi at a sushi buffet. The meal was definitely worth it. As for parking, there is paid parking across the street. It's about 6.99 for 2 hours. I would come back again. This time bring my camera because the dishes are all so beautiful.

Big shoutout to the management team and Ari for turning around my first experience at Kappo. I came…read moreback to celebrate my 40th and admittedly I was a bit nervous. I wanted this meal to be amazing since we were celebrating a big birthday. It felt good coming back since the space was something I really enjoyed and thought was unique. We were greeted right away by the host and the staff took great care of us that night. My wife and I both opted in for the caviar and uni supplement. I love caviar, but we were both on the fence about uni. This experience made us both uni fans. This meal was superb. One of the gripes I had about my first experience was how hard it was to eat the steak course since the pieces were cut into huge chunks. Plus they don't really give you knife's and I remember it being very undercooked. This chef got it right, and he was super young only 24yo. The steak course this time was probably my favorite. We got to try the filet, ribeye and cap. The chef also created a beef tar tar for my wife since she's gluten sensitive and couldn't have the wagyu norimaki arare. The citrus hints and the flavors were just something my taste buds loved. The Tamago tofu was also a hit. Honestly, there wasn't any course that disappointed. We also got extras. My wife couldn't even finish her portion because they fed us so well. Loved the hospitality and the epic meal we got to experience for me to bring in the new decade. Thank you Ari and Kappo for the unforgettable experience!

Uchi jumped out as the top recommendation for me to try in DC, probably because it reminded me of a…read morehigh-end Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis that I loved for the food, ambience, and crowd. Uchi definitely delivered. I wasn't planning on having a full dinner--just a drink. But I was immediately drawn to the whole lineup of bitters behind the bar, so I asked the bartender if they had something sake-based and liquor-forward. The Nikko Martini sounded like exactly what I wanted: gin + sake + blanc + umami bitters. I loved it. The umami bitters added this subtle fermented, savory note that made the drink much more interesting. Of course, I changed my mind and ordered food. I guess that's one of my tests for whether a restaurant is actually good: did I come in for one drink and somehow end up having dinner? The salmon was very fresh with a surprisingly generous portion, but the Wagyu tartare gets a 5+ from me. Instead of a fresh egg yolk, they use dehydrated egg yolk. It takes away that typical raw-yolk texture and flavor. The tartare isn't bound together in the traditional way, so visually it's quite different from a classic beef tartare, but it was absolutely delicious. I had such a great time chatting about food, cocktails, and Japanese whisky that I ended up staying for the coconut tapioca, paired with IWAI Japanese whisky with a wine-cask finish. A pretty perfect way to finish the night. I'll definitely be back once I officially move to DC, which is coming very soon.

Uchi is absolutely gorgeous. The space feels upscale from the moment you walk in, yet it remains…read morecomfortable and inviting. Everyone, from the hostess to the sushi staff, was genuinely friendly. I never felt rushed during the meal. Unfortunately, friendly service and attentive service are not the same thing. If you sit at the sushi bar, the ordering process is a little strange. A waiter takes your drink order, while the person behind the sushi counter takes your food order. After I was seated, I had to flag down the waiter to order a drink, even though drinks appeared to be his main responsibility. Several employees came by to clear my plates, but none could take another drink order. The service was extremely slow. The first item I ordered was the last one served, which made the entire sequence feel backwards. As for the food, order the hamachi. It was easily the best piece of fish I had, yet it was also one of the more reasonably priced options. Skip the $30 tuna and order the $18 hamachi. Thank me later. The lychee martini was another strong choice. It was balanced, refreshing, and one of the highlights of the evening. Unfortunately, the hand rolls were a complete disappointment. I hate saying that because I had high hopes for them, but I would not order them again. Ulchi gets several important things right. The restaurant is beautiful, the staff is warm, the atmosphere is comfortable, and the hamachi is excellent. However, at this price point, the service should be far more attentive and the food should be more consistent. This was my experience. I hope yours is better.

Date night! I was surprised when I was walking up to the place because it was so tiny, and the…read moreentrance is so small. Once I got inside, it was a long L-shaped counter and just a couple of tables along the outer perimeter of the wall. Our server checked on us efficiently, and I definitely have a few highlights from what we tried. Fried oysters: simply delish! I didn't want anything fried, but I was talking to this and didn't regret it haha. Eggplant: if you don't like the texture, don't get this. But the ginger and other flavors going on really make it hit. BBQ eel & cucumber: my favorite dish! It was both refreshing and flavorful, and we enjoyed it so much we got to. The omakase dish had a fun colorful variety of fish on it, and while it was good overall, some fish just tasted so plain compared to others. I would come back here, mainly for the dishes I highlighted and for the daily options that become available. It might take quite a while to get through everything!

I went with a group of friends to try Izakaya Seki after having it on our list for years. The space…read moreis very small and it can be challenging to get reservations, so you have to make sure to book early (especially for a larger group like ours). We ordered family style and tried a fair bit of the menu. I enjoyed the food enough but wasn't blown away by any of it. It was very expensive with tiny portions, but the flavor and quality wasn't any better than much cheaper restaurants. The croquettes were $18 for just two, but it didn't have as much crab as comparable croquettes I've had for less, and it felt under-seasoned. The standout was the garlic rice, funnily enough, and the eel tamago dish for me. I enjoyed the kakuni and the pork belly in the soba noodles, but it wasn't particularly well-prepared and the serving style was awkward for a group (3 big pieces with no way to cut or portion - they said they had no knives). The other savory dishes were just okay, and really none of them were something I would order again at this price point. The cod in particular disappointed me by being so bland. I did love the ice cream we ordered at the end, although each of us ordered a separate flavor and they confused us a bit by combining them at random in 2 bowls for 5 people. Honestly, I think my views are being colored slightly by the service, which was poor across the board. I would have been more generous with my rating if I felt the service was good or friendly, but to have cold service and high prices and tiny portions and unimpressive flavors made me feel less inclined to return. Still, it wasn't bad food, just mediocre - I wouldn't go back but I wouldn't warn anyone away, if that makes sense. Looking at the other reviews now, it seems we weren't the only ones to receive poor service, so it wasn't just an off night. The prices are one thing, but when you compare the service to an izakaya in Japan it's a pretty stark difference, right?

We came here for restaurant week, good deal. The restaurant is pretty new and the decor very nice…read moreand clean. Most tables were big enough to set 4 people. It's a set menu where you get the 4 types of meat: hanging tender, galbi, marinated galbi, and outside skirt (all American wagyu) that are cooked for you at the table. The welcome dish "moo ssam" was a nice clean bite, with the crunchy radish. For our side we selected the ssam, which included an assortment of leaves (perilla leaves, mustard greens, red lettuce) and scallion salad. We got the hwa moo chim as our appetizer, which was a salmon sashimi salad. For savory meal, we got the mul mak guksu and the galbi fried rice. We enjoyed all parts of the meal and our favorite was the beautiful ssam bowl, because the leaves were huge and very pretty. To this meal was more about the variety of the types of dishes rather than just the meat, though the meat cuts were good. They also provided multiple bonchon and sauces/topping (sea salt, chimichurri, sweet soy) and gave recommendations when to use what. For dessert we did pick the iced sujeon gwa and paid the extra for the bingsoo. Both were refreshing but I could enjoy the iced sujeon gwa without paying the extra, it was a cinnamony ice dish with jujubes. The bingsoo was ok, a little basic, with the shaved milk, red beans and rice cakes. The food was great but our server was so sweet and passionate about the food and her role. Lizeth was easy to talk to while she cooked the meat, which could've easily been awkward if she stood there and cooked the food. I would come back just for her!

Food: 10/10 Atmosphere: 10/10…read moreService: 10/10 Tips: restaurant week $65 Fabulous meal, meat cooked very well, lacks quantity in terms of the banchans but overall extremely pleased with the quality of the restaurant. The jiggae was so authentic and brothy, comparable to jiggae in Korea!!