My cousin suggested we eat here, since he used to come here regularly when living in the…read moreneighborhood. It's a simple storefront in a strip mall, with a narrow menu focused on ramen dishes. The restaurant describes their dishes as "Sapporo Style," meaning that they could suffice as a main dish and are cooked in a wok, seasoned with roasted garlic and onion. Both of our dishes were from the Specials Menu: his the Miso Tan-Tan Men (with sesame paste, hot sesame oil, bok choy, scallion, ground pork) and mine the Hot & Sour Ramen (with sliced pork, egg drop, tofu, assorted veg and sesame oil). The bowls were entrée size and beautifully prepared. The ramens didn't seem fresh cut noodles, like you may find elsewhere, but the delicious full-bodied soups more than made up for that. Some might find the prices high for considering what you get, especially for me compared to NYC similar hole-in-the-walls, yet when in the area I'd recommend Ren's Ramen. It was totally enjoyable and I'd go back excited to also explore other items on their menu.

The first and still the best ramen in the dmv by far! Japanese owned and operated since opening…read more It's as authentic as you can get.

It was a particularly cold day when I stopped in, which made a hot bowl of ramen all the more…read moresatisfying! I usually order tonkotsu and am hesitant to try others since the broth makes all the difference but I ordered the shoyu ramen this time and it was delicious! Lighter than tonkotsu broth but still super flavorful. And the noodles had that good chew/mouth feel which makes all the difference. I also ordered the house black tea with boba and cheese foam which was also oishii! I appreciated that they had brewed tea options since often find milk tea to be too much with food. Sometimes places that do both boba and food nail one, but not the other but this place was great on both fronts! Service was quick and friendly as well.

I highly recommend this spot for Ramen, everything we ordered was great. We had one mix up with…read moreour order (an unexpected allergen) and they took care of it right away with a great substitute order.

6/26/26: Kema by Kenaki exceeded every expectation and was easily one of the best meals we had…read moreduring our trip. The restaurant has a modern, inviting atmosphere, and the staff was warm, attentive, and knowledgeable throughout the entire meal. We ordered the Black Magic Roll, the Mini Masunosuke Don Bento, and the Mini Unadon Bento, and every dish was exceptional. The Black Magic Roll was the standout of the meal, with incredibly fresh fish, great texture, and a unique combination of flavors that made every bite memorable. The Mini Masunosuke Don Bento featured king salmon topped with ikura over rice, along with karaage, salad, miso soup, and dessert. Everything was fresh, well-balanced, and beautifully presented, making it feel like much more than a typical bento box. The Mini Unadon Bento was just as impressive. The grilled unagi was tender, flavorful, and perfectly glazed, served over rice with crispy karaage, salad, miso soup, and dessert. It was comforting, satisfying, and executed exceptionally well. What really stood out was the attention to detail. Every plate looked beautiful, the ingredients tasted incredibly fresh, and the quality was consistent across every dish we ordered. You can tell the chefs put a lot of care into both presentation and execution. If you're looking for high-quality Japanese cuisine in the Gaithersburg area, Kema by Kenaki is absolutely worth the visit. Between the creative sushi, outstanding seafood, and excellent service, it's an easy 5/5. I'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu.

Stopped by this sushi spot for lunch today with my family, and it was another great experience. We…read morewere the first ones in the restaurant, which made for a calm and relaxing start to the meal. We ordered the ribeye Japanese fried rice, Green Monster roll, J-Pop roll, California roll, Crunchy Shrimp roll, Crunchy Spicy Salmon roll, Shrimp Tempura roll, miso soup, and Deep Sea hand roll. Everything came out quickly, fresh, and flavorful - exactly what we've come to expect from this place. The ribeye in the fried rice dish was incredibly tender and cooked perfectly, while the rice itself was seasoned so well that every bite was packed with flavor. My favorite roll was definitely the Green Monster Roll - fresh, delicious, and full of flavor. I also appreciate that the maki rolls here are never skimpy, which makes them very filling and well worth the price. The service was excellent from beginning to end - quick, attentive and consistent throughout our visit. Our waters and hot green tea were always refilled without having to ask, and every request, from extra pickled ginger to additional plates, was handled promptly and politely. Overall, another solid dining experience with no issues at all. I would absolutely recommend this spot for either lunch or dinner if you're craving sushi. One thing to keep in mind is that they do close for a part of the afternoon to prepare for dinner service, so plan accordingly!

I'm updating my review now. I went to this Raku several times for lunch and dinner more than…read moredecade. It's convenient location while you're in Bethesda Row area. Raku is an Asian fusion restaurant and have some verity of Asians menus that's nice things about here. Their popular coconuts curry noodles soup is from Thai or Vietnamese coconuts curry, and not as spicy as authentic Thai or Vietnamese ones so It's easy to eat. You can choose from 3 type of noodles and different soup - curry or simple broth. It's probably better choice here than their sushi for my preference. If we just want Sushi in near Bethesda area, Sushiko in Chavy Chase is good. When we crave for Authentic sushi we just go to authentic Japanese restaurants ( some Michelin stars "Sushi Taro" in DC ) that is truly authentic quality. I also go to other one for sushi ( "Love Sushi Makoto" in DC ) I know that's not even comparable category as those restaurants offers authentic real foods by Japanese owner and chef, and ingredients are real from Japan. I know It's not fair to compare to Asian fusion restaurant like Raku or typical local sushi places that other Asian or American own the place. Raku is very reasonably priced as it should be for actual ingredients. Price stays reasonable that makes this place a popular spot too. I have to be honest their miso soup tastes no real authentic favor to me. But Raku is definitely better choice of quality foods overall compare to other Asian restaurants in Bethesda. Sushi chefs and waitresses are asian and none of them are Japanese and that is ok as most of Sushi chefs and Sushi restaurants in USA the workers are not Japanese anyways. It is actually hard to find Sushi restaurants that owned by Japanese with real Japanese chefs and waitresses and staff in USA. They sometimes says welcome "irasshai" in some Japanese greeting ( that's only used in restaurant setting ) with their wrong accent that is cute to me:) Bethesda is a cute little town and Bethesda row is just like a corner cute village with surrounded by basic restaurants and cafes, normal shops, nothing luxury really, but safer and quiet, clean little town. Neighbors enjoy to go out to restaurants including this Raku as easy to access from near suburbs housing area, so my friends does and walking distance from their houses. This restaurant set small tables very close to next seat and there's very small bar that space is limited, that's as why it's always filled up and crowded. It's uncomfortable and no privacy, I wish they make space between next seats. Except winter, they offer outside seats and dog friendly that's a bonus for dog lovers.

I attempted to contact the restaurant via email directly but no direct contact info provided on…read moretheir website, so I am posting here. Summary: it litterally left a bad taste in my. Off Uni which I saved for the last taste, first pieces stunk of ammonia, replacements were just bitter and off as well. These were suppose to be chef choice and he chose to serve off uni which could have easily been deteced with a sniff test. The salmon roe was also soft, runny, tasteless and off color. The remainder of the shashimi was OK but lacked the freshness one would expect for the price. Also the platter was so cluttered I could not identify what was what. Labels would be helpful. First time visit, first impressions are importent. Not the best experience I am giving an 1 star rating to draw attention for their managment and maybe fair warning to customers. I visited Raku on Thursday April 30 @7:30, Restaurant was about 3/4 full. A bit tight seasting as other's had described. Elbow to elbow almost. Typically noisy as resturantes are these days. 1. When we walked in, the receptionist / greeter had no uniform or ID badge so a bit confusing and no reception desk. Not the most welcoming hospitality. 2. Wait staff sort of dissappeared mid service or was just unattentive, they were right around the corner at the wait station. I dropped a chopstick on the floor and needed a repacement. I could not get eye contact so I had to get up and request a replacement after a few minutes. The two of us order the TOKU JO SASHIMI - (38) Chef's Choice ~ White or Multigrain Rice - $110. 3. The shashim was served an a single platter which was a bit crowded and lacked the artistry or elegance a $110 platter of shashimi shoud be presented. Many of the pieces were cut too large and chunky. I appreciate the generosity of the protions but they could / should have been sliced in half. Most of the fish tasted OK but lacked the brightness you expect from fresh cut shashimi. Maybe these platters are pre-prepared and storred in the cooler until needed. The rice served in bowls with the platter was extreemly bland to me. No flavor at all and a bit over cooked. 4. We ordeed the corn meal coated calamari as appetizer. This was adequate but lacked seasoniong and included a some what bland ambigious dipping sauce. Maybe garlic aioli. This was compped in compensation for the off uni in the sushi platter. Probabaly not going back regardless as I am not local.

I genuinely enjoy the food at Maki Bar -- it's always fresh, flavorful, and consistently good. The…read morespicy mayonnaise is especially delicious, and that's honestly one of the reasons I kept coming back. I used to dine in once or twice a week because I like the food that much. Unfortunately, every time we go, we seem to have the same waitress, and the service experience has really changed how often we come in. She consistently acts like she doesn't want to be there and seems visibly annoyed if you ask for anything. It makes you feel like you're inconveniencing her just by ordering or requesting something simple. Because of this, I've completely stopped dining in and now only order carryout. It's disappointing because the food deserves a great in-restaurant experience to match. I truly hope the owners take note, because with warmer service, this place would easily be a go-to spot again for us.

Very cozy place. Nothing grand, but just enough to catch the eye and make you feel like it's a well…read morekept establishment. The exact kind of place I prefer to get sushi from. Service was efficient and the workers were friendly. The prices weren't the cheapest around, but they weren't on the higher end either. Based on the quality of the sushi I received, they were justified. All rolls were tasty! They had a good range of speciality rolls and the classics. Both were executed splendidly. The fish was fresh and the rolls I ordered were a good balance of sauce and other ingredients. I was extremely pleased with this spot and would absolutely go back!

I have tried their location in Falls Church, VA and I have to say their broth is better in VA...but…read morethis location is several $ cheaper. Food: -I like that they still have all the ingredients separate from the broth when it arrives, allowing you flexibility and customization -not exactly 10 secs and the name says but food came out sufficiently fast -water is tap and you and can definitely taste the impurities Service: -as with most authentic Chinese restaurants, the servers don't really check on you after they deliver the food -but I appreciate that they leave us alone to chat, I was there with someone for over an hour and they didn't nudge us to leave Location -parking is a bit limited and so is the inside of the restaurant so not good for groups larger than 6

If I can have this noodle everyday of the week!! The broth was so flavorful and little numbing. Not…read moretoo spicy at all. We also ordered tea egg and ice jelly with peanut. Both totally worth it! The ice jelly was so refreshing, perfect way to end our meal! The space itself is very clean and cozy!! Perfect place for a comfort meal

My favorite carry-out sushi shop in the area. Delicious…read more I always get a salmon avacado roll.

I was really disappointed with my experience here. The prices are extremely high for what you get…read more I paid about $27 for three basic rolls (spicy tuna, spicy salmon, and a California roll), and the quality just didn't justify the cost. The California roll was fine, but it's hard to get that wrong. The spicy tuna and spicy salmon were underwhelming. The fish didn't look particularly fresh--the color seemed off--and the flavor wasn't what I'd expect from a sushi restaurant at this price point. I ate everything immediately after it was served, so freshness shouldn't have been an issue. Another surprise was the "spicy" rolls. Instead of the traditional spicy mayo and finely chopped spicy tuna or salmon that most sushi restaurants serve, they used a spicy oil and left the fish in larger chunks. It wasn't what I ordered or expected, and it changed the entire texture and flavor of the rolls. I understand that Potomac is an expensive area, but charging premium prices should come with premium quality. Unfortunately, this felt like very average sushi at luxury prices. I won't be returning.

Takumi Sushi is officially our new favorite sushi spot. The food was incredible, and the fish…read moretasted exceptionally fresh and high quality. The highlights were the Tuna Family Love Donburi and the Salmon Love Platter, both of which were outstanding. The service also made the experience special. Our server, Linda, was very sweet, attentive, and helpful as we navigated the restaurant with our stroller and baby. Katie, the hostess, remembered our family and always makes us feel genuinely welcomed back. Fantastic food, warm service, and a restaurant that makes dining out with a baby feel easy.

I used to like this place The food is slowly going downhill. The service was never great - twice…read morethey missed my takeout order (once totally "forgot" the whole order) but on my last trip I noticed that minimum suggested tip is 20%!! I stayed 35 minutes. Got a bill of $125 and I am supposed to tip you $25 for the waitress that showed up 2 times !! I am done.