I have been coming here for over a decade, and the sushi has been consistently good. In addition to many good standard nigiri, sushi and sashimi assortments, various bento boxes, excellent ramen and other dishes, there is a daily special (for about $40) of the chef's selection of the best available cuts of fish. Tip: the lunch offerings are basically the same as their dinner counterparts, but at a lower price. read more

Raku - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

I've been dying to try this place out since (a) I love sushi (b) it has so many great reviews. Came here on a Saturday night for dinner. It was so nice outside that the wait to sit outdoors was somewhat long, but they had seating for two right away inside. We opted to sit inside since we were hungry. Started off with the Yellowtail Sashimi first flavor that came with sesame wasabi ponzu sauce and red onion-cilantro salad ($12.50). Yum yum yum! The sashimi melted in my mouth! I generally do not like sashimi (I prefer nigiri), but this was tasty! Fresh and just delicious! For our main course we had the Coconut Red Curry Noodle Soup with egg noodles and beef ($11), the Philly roll ($7), and the Deluxe Spicy Tuna ($10). More yummy-ness! The rolls had fresh fish and vegetables, cut evenly...they were delicious! The curry noodle soup was pretty good, but I was hoping for more spice to it. The beef was pretty tasty, and the soup itself was huge. Definitely enough for two people to share, or for two meals. Our waitress was rather attentive and the restaurant is nicely decorated and is inviting. I now see why people love this place. I'd definitely go back, but I think next time I'll stick with the sushi! read more

Raku - Coconut red curry soup with egg noodles. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

I came here with a few friends to grab an early dinner. One of my friends and I shared the Summer Roll. I got the Crunchy Spicy Salmon roll and the Raku roll. The summer roll was delicious and all of their sushi tasted very fresh. I liked the salmon roll way better than the raku roll. The raku roll was actually a little more disappointing as it didn't feel like anything special. I don't even think I tasted any of the tamago omelet. I was surprised because typically when a roll is named after the restaurant, it's their really special one. However, that didn't seem to be the case here. The roll was still tasty, just not anything special. Overall, still good food and cute outdoor seating right now! read more

Lunch is a rush-time, dinner's way more relaxed ... like a completely different restaurant, the atmosphere changes so much between one meal and the next -- why, it's like day and night! (Ha ha.) People are nice, place looks really good, and please don't miss the bathroom! De-sign-er. I really like that I can choose either rice or the far more unusual shredded raw white radish as a sushi filling instead. It's neat to have that choice. Tea comes served in a metal pot, which makes it seems somewhat ceremonious and more important, the way it ought to be. I enjoyed my ginger pumpkin soup and so did my friend who ordered the same ... I think it's got to be one of the healthiest places to eat on Woodmont Ave. -- not to say it isn't worth coming in from elsewhere for it! read more

Raku - Ginger-pumpkin soup. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

See all

This is a very good restaurant for Japanese food. Have gone here a few times for lunch with coworkers and have ordered the Deluxe Bento Box. California rolls are tasty, miso soup and salad is nice, shrimp and veggie tempura are great and the meat from the 'box' ain't too bad. Good options at an enjoyable foodie joint for some Japanese menu items! The seating and restaurant size is a little limited, but other than that, it's alright. read more

We got a curbside table at dusk on a summer night and really enjoyed the experience as the sky grew darker and the lights is the trees grew brighter. We were there around 8 pm so it was quiet and comfortable and peaceful. Our food was good, but nothing special. We had sushi and cold beer with a vegetable tempora appetizer. Our waitress was very good for the first half of the meal but completely disappeared once we were served. She came by once to ask if we wanted to order more sushi, but when we said no, that was it. I even asked another waitress to send ours out but we were ready to go when she finally showed up. It was a nice evening so we shrugged it off. Service at other tables seemed attentive. read more

I went with a group of friends on a Monday night for restaurant week. Everything was delicious! The fried oysters were fantastic! The sushi medley was average, but still good. The croissant pudding was delicious!!! Friends that ordered the snapper all but licked their plates clean. They ran out of the steaks on the restaurant menu, which was surprising, but not a deal breaker. We had a large party, and were seated right by the bar and the entrance, one side of our table was smashed up against the guests at the bar which didn't allow for the entering guests to do anything but hit our table. We had a reservation, and we would have appreciated being placed in an area more away from the traffic of the front door and the bar. This constant inconvenience made it slightly harder for me to enjoy my average sushi meal. read more

Raku - Fried oyster - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

See all

Meh. That's the best way I can describe my experience at Raku. Sushi is an expensive dinner choice, so I believe one should have reasonable expectations that a restaurant will at least try to make it both tasty and appear appetizing. Raku did an OK job on the first, and didn't even try on the second. The sushi was decent - fresh - and the special sushi that evening was quite good. But it wasn't any more exciting than you can get from a hundred other places, and even Whole Foods might give them a run on this. Appearance was ... was ... well, they didn't even try. I ordered one of the specialty rolls, and it came out looking like "we just threw it together". How very unimpressive. If you want to ignore appearance, your sushi should be supreme. This was neither. The servers were nice, if difficult to find. And the team at the bar, who never even said hello, were all standing in a corner chatting as I was finishing my meal. Oh well. read more

I have mixed feelings about Raku. While I really like their cooked items, I am less than enthusiastic about their sushi and rolls. I don't think the quality of fish is particularly high, and I find the rolls quite uninteresting. However, some of their cooked dishes are really solid, and I find myself going back for those specifically. For appetizer, I would highly recommend Salmon Sashimi & Green Apple. Served with tangy vinaigrette, kumquat purée, and thin slivers of serrano pepper, this light and citrus-y appetizer is a great way to start the meal. For entrée, I am a big fan of the Deluxe Bento Box during dinner service. It comes with some of their popular entrées, like the miso-marinated cod and grilled beef tenderloin. Although it is a bit pricey, the portion is generous and it's a great way to sample a variety of items. Note that the Deluxe Bento Box items differ in lunch and dinner service. I've made the mistake of ordering it during lunch, only to be disappointed. Another dish worth mentioning is their udon. The Tokyo Dashi Broth is pleasantly full of umami flavor, and I really like the amount of toppings/accompaniments they give you. Overall, Raku is a trendy spot on the Bethesda Row with a decent menu. If you care for quality, this may not be the best place to "get your sushi on," but their cooked dishes are highly enjoyable. On weekend nights, there is almost always a long wait, so plan accordingly. read more

Raku - Vegetable & Tofu Udon @ Raku - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Nope! This restaurant did not satisfy our sushi craving whatsoever! Small, not so fresh pieces of sushi. I don't like to have my sushi just about everywhere just because it's full of people. My expertise and knowledge about raw fish has led me to look for real good sushi restaurants, and believe me this is not even in top 10 of my list. I choose not to eat at restaurants for the sake of just eating. I don't care for commercial food industry, and much rather travel a bit and eat my food in a real authentic restaurant that is not over priced, nor that is a chain. But that is just us, as family! read more

This used to be our favorite place in Bethesda for sushi. The fish is always so fresh and they don't overdo the rice on their maki rolls. This week we ordered a few rolls though Uber Eats and unfortunately there was a hair in my rainbow roll. Safe to say I'm never ordering again, what a shame!! read more

Love the sushi here. It's really well done and fresh! The ambience is also really nice. Busy place because it's a great sushi spot.

Best sushi in the Bethesda Rockville area. The rice and fish quality is excellent. We love this place.

The sushi was 15-20% too expensive, and the service was awful. They weren't sure if we ever got our appetizers (we had, thankfully), & we just sat there for 20 minutes after the app plates went away before they came to take our entree orders. We ALWAYS tip 20% unless the service was truly egregious. Tried to leave 10%, but made a calculation error & gave them 20% by mistake. You're welcome? Won't go back. read more

I used to loveeeee this place but recently it's been going a bit downhill. Sushi quality is just not what it used to be. Still a nice spot for drinks and apps. read more

Stopped in because I was looking for a quick bite for work lunch. It was a really nice crowd...I was surprised it was popular for lunch. Walking past the establishment, I saw many customers with food that looked absolutely delicious which is why I decided to stop in. My coworker and I were seated at the bar. The wait for a table was 10-15 minutes. They were very quick taking our orders and sending the food out. Highly recommended if you are in a rush. The decor was very nice and there was a nice vibe. I was in the mood for noodles so I had the SPICY COCONUT RED CURRY EGG NOODLES with CHICKEN. It's a noodle soup with an ample amount of vegetables and nice large chucks of chicken. It is an extremely healthy portion. The soup bowl is bigger than my head! It was really good. The only caveat is that it was a little oily for my taste but still very good. The noodle soup is mild and not spicy for those who are not fans of heat. They will bring siracha on the side if you want to spice your soup up a bit. The spicy coconut red curry egg noodles comes with a side salad topped with an incredibly delicious sauce that taste of miso and ginger. My coworker tried the sushi...I think the jury is still out on that one. She did not say nay or yay..only that she found it interesting that they flavors were layered instead of incorporated. For instance, they did not season the tuna in the sushi but had the spices wrapped within the sushi roll itself. Next visit...I will try the sushi....sushi/sashimi are their primary menu items. read more

Raku - NOODLE SOUP - SPICY COCONUT RED CURRY EGG NOODLES W CHICKEN - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

The sushi rolls were not amazing but they're good. We ordered the double salmon roll, the spicy tuna crunch roll and the red dragon roll - which was my favorite! Both the spicy tuna and red dragon had a kick to it which I enjoyed. The calamari was decent, a little dry and wasn't seasoned but it comes over a bed of greens and two different sauces. What left a bad taste in my mouth wasn't the food but the service. At first our waitress was very nice but towards the end of our meal she constantly came back asking if we were finished and began cleaning some napkins and sauces off our table. At one point she came and asked "So you guys are taking your time?" (Rude, yes we are. It was dinner and we were there for about an hour-ish). We felt extremely rushed to leave but when we looked around half the tables were empty. Overall, decent place. But would I dine here again? Not likely with so many other choices around. read more

Raku - Calamari - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

See all

I've enjoyed their sushi and seafood dishes consistently over the years. One star off for indoor atmosphere- they need some updates and it can get very loud and crowded. read more

First time coming here and definitely the best sushi in the area BY FAR. So excited to have found this place. Sushi was top notch fresh and tasty. Came in at 2:30 not knowing they closed for lunch from 3-5, but we're served without feeling rushed. Service was quick and pretty friendly. read more

Raku - Deluxe Spicy Tuna, kimchi tuna roll, salmon California - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Tried Raku for the first time tonight, and it did not disappoint! I think we found our new favorite sushi spot in the DMV. We had our meal outside in a comfortable setting and had the best service during our time at the restaurant. We enjoyed miso soup and dumplings for an appetizer. The sushi rolls we shared included Seoul Train, Volcano, Wasabi Dynamite, Crunchy Spicy Toro, and Deluxe Spicy Tuna. They were all fantastic, but if I had to choose, I think crunchy spicy toro was my favorite. I don't think you can go wrong with any roll! I cannot wait to come back Thanks, Raku! read more

Raku - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Worst restaurant experience of 2018 by far! For starters, we received several dirty water glasses with lipstick and who knows what other things in and on it. Secondly, our waitress slammed stuff on our table and gave us dirty looks. She also stood in the back doing nothing for what seemed like an eternity and never checked on us. The food here is subpar and expensive. Avoid this place at all costs. It is beyond horrific. read more

If you want quality authentic Japanese food, don't go there. If you want a fancy dining place but don't care about food quality, then go for it. This place is overpriced and their sushi is honestly very low in quality. I honestly feel like I can buy the same or even better from a grocery store. Not coming back sorry. read more

Raku - Some sort of spring roll variations. It's okay. I give it a B-. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

See all

I got the Hoisin Baby Pork Ribs with Yucca and Shishito Peppers... it was ok.. but they should really say ONE TINY YUCCA and ONE PEPPER! read more

Raku - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Good sushi in the bethesda area but honestly pretty overpriced and not the best sushi I have ever had by any means.

Service was great. Got seats right away during lunch hour. Attitude of the host and waitresses were helpful and positive energy. Ordered four rolls; spicy salmon crunchy roll and the salmon green apple for the appetizer. and one to go. The appetizer reminded me of a hint of Italy with drizzled olive oil/truffle oil and with a kick spice for the slice of jalopeno. The Apple gave it a sweet crisp refreshing taste to the salmon. Eating it all together and eating the actual roll changes the flavor. Definitely worth going! Spicy crunch salmon roll for those that like all the extra stuff on their roll and like it simple; the roll is not too spicy. The spiciness doesn't overpower the taste. Parking was a bit hectic and having to be a first timer to arrive in an area where it's construction going on took a few minutes to walk to the restaurant. read more

Raku - Spicy Crunchy salmon roll. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

See all

Very disappointed with the service. We waited an hour for our food to be served. No apology or reason given for the delay. Asked the server for fish sauce with chili and was told they did not have any, this in a restaurant that is serving THAI food. No alternate offered. Had to ask again for a chili sauce and then grudgingly Siracha was brought. When the bill was presented, the server was very pushy about staying there to make the payment instead of leaving the bill and letting us take our time to look at the bill and pay. Won't be going back. read more

Yum! First time here. Enjoyed everything: 3 different rolls, miso soup, and the hot mustard chicken and cabbage salad. Prices were great too. Also appreciated that they have a gluten free menu to offer which made ordering so much easier. read more

We called to make reservations and we told to just come in. We explicitly asked if their kitchen was open and was told yes, we're open until 10pm. We said great, we'll be there in 15-20min. Arrived 20 min or so later at 9:10pm and THEY WERE CLOSED!!! We informed them of our call and they said "Look fir yourself, the kitchen is closed". Nothing but a huge disappointment! read more

This place is always busy, the food is very good. I really enjoy the Tokyo dash broth with Udon noodles & chicken, it tastes better with the spices provided on the side. Outdoor seating is nice & they keep heaters available read more

It's been a while since I've been here and it was nice to see all the outdoor seating on the street with heat lamps. Came for the Mother's Day AYCE sushi special but they stopped at 2pm, so had to order a la carte. Got the shrimp & veggie tempura bento and several rolls: Maryland, soft shell crab, wasabi dynamite, and crunchy spicy toro. The tempura was great, and came with a few shrimp dumplings, veggies, and California rolls. For our other rolls, we loved the Maryland and wasabi dynamite rolls, great flavor and very fresh. Crunchy spicy toro roll was just OK; the spicy part was a dollop of sriracha on top, but not much was crunchy. The soft shell crab roll was disappointing; it was a half of a soft shell crab and it came with a bright yellow sauce that really was not good at all. Not sure what it was, but even though it came on the side, we tried to wipe it off, and you could still taste it. Luckily we ordered enough food to go around, but I'm staying away from that roll from now on. read more

Restaurant located in the heart of Bethesda. Well decorated and offered a variety of Japanese dishes. I ordered the assorted sashimi and it was very fresh. The only thing that could be improve is staff could be a little bit friendly and not rush the service. read more

I love how they carry Yamazaki (Japanese whiskey which is hard to find in ABC stores now) and I highly recommend their Spicy Coconut Red Curry Noodle soup! I'm not a fan of coconut but the coconut flavor was fairly subtle and the curry flavors were pretty much on the money. My friend and I asked them to split one bowl and they accommodated by bringing one 1 order in 2 separate bowls. Their outdoor patio seating is a little cramped but other than that, I would definitely come back. read more

Raku is my usual go to sushi spot when I am in downtown Bethesda. There is street parking or garage parking nearby. Pay attention to the meters here because some days you still have to pay for parking, but it can easily be done with a mobile app. There is both indoor and outdoor dining, and seating can be tight depending on the time of day. They do accept reservations. During this visit we had reservations and were seated immediately. I ordered a few sushi rolls and my husband ordered the NY strip steak. I liked how there were options for non-seafood eaters. There are a variety of sushi rolls to choose from ranging from simple to unique. I ordered the crunchy avocado, tuna, and salmon rolls. The rolls had a good portion of fish and it was fresh. The Maine lobster roll has delicious for an unexpected combination. The steak was tender and served alongside string beans and mashed potatoes with a gravy sauce. No matter what, you must save room for dessert. The bread pudding is simply AMAZING! The merge of flavors from the bread baked with raisins and vanilla ice cream is so satisfying. One of my favorite desserts hands down. read more

Raku - Crunchy avo roll, tuna avo roll, and salmon avo roll with spicy mayo. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

See all

Classy, upscale ambiance which is strangely paired with polite, quick service... if you can flag someone down. We were rapidly sat on the sidewalk with such pleasant weather going on, but waited... and waited... and waited... yet no server came to our table to offer us drinks or to take our order. Eventually, we just had to call someone over, and they were quick to help us out. This particular afternoon, Raku was offering one of their lunch specials of katsu curry. I haven't had the stuff since one of my last trips to Sushi Taro before it closed down for remodeling, and thought it might be a nice change of pace from all the sushi I'd been having. Not a bad pick - deliciously rich curry sauce, crispy fried katsu served with a generous heaping of steamed white sticky rice. Disappointingly, a couple hunks of the pork were almost entire fatty meat. Not melty, delicious fatty. More like tough, chewy fatty. Not entirely thrilling, even if the flavor and the portion were quite on par with how I remember Sushi Taro's being. I did have a sip of Alicia's unsweetened peach iced tea, and if I came back, I'd definitely order a glass for myself. With the food floating just above a three and the service (including hiccup with not being tended to for at least five minutes after being sat) floating somewhere just under three, I think a round three stars is just about spot on. Could definitely go up, pending improvements in taking care of customers in a more timely fashion. read more

I found a huge bug in my miso sauce after I ate the entire salmon box lunch. I would give them 1 star but they comped my lunch and my friend's lunch as well and he probably ate $40 worth of sushi. But all I got to say is Ewwwwww!!!! read more

Raku - Asian Fusion Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

PUMPKIN ALERT: pumpkin-ginger soup http://tweetphoto.com/djyjatzs - it's a must-have. Piping hot, creamy, pumkiny, gingery soup topped with croutons and pumpkin seeds. I much prefer coming here for lunch rather than dinner. Their lunch specials never let me down- between the soft-shell crab tempura bento box to the katsu curry - there's always something amazing on the menu. Even just their regular bento boxes make me happy. And their unsweetened peach iced tea. HUGE fan. read more

Raku is an Asian fusion restaurant that has two locations - one in Bethesda and one in DC. I came here to meet a fellow Yelp friend (Lissa B.), and I was excited to try out one of her suggestions! We sat outside (thank goodness for the actual nice weather, as I am totally not a sun person, but I loved the large shades and no attack-age from any insects/birds), which was a nice change from dining indoors. The menu offers appetizers (edamame, dumplings, chicken, calamari, etc.), soups, salads, bento boxes, noodles, and soups. We ordered the following: Chicken & Pork Dumpling (nicely and crisply fried with a pineapple star anise sauce with chive oil - the dumplings themselves were actually pretty solid, and it was an interesting mix of flavors from the tangy and sweet pineapple sauce it was sitting in); and, a 'Seoul' Train Roll (very cute name; a maki roll with a Korean sauce (bibimbop sauce), tuna, kimchi, kalware, and scallion - I didn't taste the kimchi, and the tuna itself was okay; the maki itself was more dressed with the bibimbop sauce). For our entrees, we had the Beef Tenderloin Tataki bento box (this came with miso soup (that was okay), fresh California rolls (great avocado), house salad, fried shrimp shumai (I was actually impressed with these as I am usually not a fan of shumai; slightly crispy exterior with a nice mound of shrimp inside), and portobello-green beans (loved the fresh mushrooms, green beans, as well as the salty carved cheese). Lissa pointed out that the DC does not have this particular meat as part of their bento box selections, which I found quite odd and interesting. The tenderloin was cooked nicely, as it was very juicy and flavorful - they were set on top of mashed potatoes. It was a nice meal, and I suggest in ordering Chicken & Pork Dumplings as an appetizer and ordering the Beef Tenderloin Tataki bento box as your meal. I am glad I was able to check this place out! :D +Beef Tenderloin Tataki bento box read more

See all

Called to make a reservation, told they aren't doing reservations. Showed up to restaurant, asked if I had a reservation and given an attitude when I said I tried doing that. Given an attitude when the whole place is empty inside and you try to seat my date and I right next to the door? Fish was smelly and portions small. Server tried taking my plate while I had food on it. Appalled. Never returning. Please Hanaro reopen indoor dining soon. read more

I just can't stay away from Raku. It is now my favorite restaurant in Bethesda (next to Jaleo). The bento boxes are a popular item here so I had to try the chicken teriyaki. It was good but A LOT of food. You can expect some leftovers. Personally, I believe the noodle soups are the way to go. You get a choice of meat (or tofu with veggies) and noodle (egg, udon or soba). Egg noodles are my personal favorite. They have a regular chicken based broth soup and the red coconut curry soup. Both are great but I LOVE the red coconut curry soup with tofu and veggies. I give it 5 stars. AND the soups come with a little salad. The ginger dressing on the salad is amazing- best ginger dressing I've ever had. You will leave full and satisfied for $7.50. read more

A wedding anniversary should be memorable. Our dinner at Raku was, from the pleasant service to the excellent dishes. Beyond the obvious (fresh ingredients, perfect seasoning), this is sophisticated cuisine. The red curry seafood noodle soup kept me guessing at every spoonful: what is this subtle flavour, how can so many ingredients coexist so harmoniously. Even the bbq pulled pork buns went beyond the obvious expected fare. The fried calamari starter was excellent, so was the 14 piece sushi. Kudos. read more