I've been picking up sushi for lunch from this little shop every week for several years…read more The fish is always very fresh and the sushi is carefully prepared to order. The lunch box special is served with a miso soup which is quite nice. It's not inexpensive but I feel it's well worth the cost for the quality. The staff is friendly and efficient.

If you want to impress and delight your guests, or just have an amazing meal at home with your…read morefamily, this is the place. Beautiful, delicious sushi platters lovingly created by a perfectionist. Take-out only. We've relied on Kanpai Sushi for special occasions for many years. You won't be disappointed.

I will give 5 stars for the days of yore. For the sake cups…read moreraised And nights at the sushi bar. I will say a toast for the freshest fish And for the stories of the days When the chef reeled them in I will wave my chopsticks For the long-time locals lined up On their nights, they were nice enough I will raise an Ichiban For my servers working hard And for the nights ushered in To the back sushi bar I figured a sea shanty for one of my all-time favorite sushi restaurants was in order. Because you know, they are serving raw fish and those fish are caught by fishermen. If you love sushi, I'm fairly certain you cannot go wrong at Tachibana McLean. It's hard to believe the years I spent here might have been a part of the glory days at Tachibana. When they lost their Itamae and were weathered by covid lockdowns, I think the pace of service changed. But the quality of food never has and I've enjoyed every meal here before and since. This is a classic sushi restaurant so you will not get any sort of innovative fusion rolls here. What you will get is a strict adherence to old school tradition and a focus on quality that is worth a visit. It's hard to say favorite dishes because there are so many delicious choices here. If you are sitting at the main sushi bar, you first may enjoy a free gift of whatever the Ittamae is featuring. If you like that fish, then order more of it. For sushi and sashimi, get what you enjoy here because it's fresh and lovely. Do not miss the Philadelphia rolls here because they are extra creamy and the scallions make them a real delight. I also love the New York roll and the spicy tuna and spicy salmon rolls. Back in the day, my go-to was a spicy, crunchy salmon roll. This was always a special request but they humored me since I was a regular. I was also forever asking for a very thin slice of jalapeño in my tuna roll but you could only get that in the less-friendly and ambient sushi cafe down the street. Years later, times have changed and you can now order jalapeños, as well as tempura crumbs and spicy mayo on any roll. They have so many vegetarian rolls here, as well, so that is a whole experience if choose. You can order Japanese pickles, fermented soybean and scallion rolls, a plum and shiso roll, a gourd roll, a cucumber roll and an avocado roll. I so enjoy a big plate of veggie and shrimp tempura here. The tempura batter is not thick and just right. I also have very much liked the katsu's here: either crispy Berkshire pork loin or crispy chicken. It's an old familiar taste which you should not miss out on. The bento dinner boxes are also awesome. I usually get salmon, beef negimake, shrimp and veggie tempura, shumai dumplings and salmon sashimi. A delightful treat. The buckwheat noodles and udon soups are a bit plain and while they are classically good, i more enjoy the sushi. As for the cold sake, I recommend: the Shochikubai Nigori, the Junmai Ginjo and the cloudy pearl junmai if it's on hand. They also have Choya plum wine and a beer and wine list. You will love the green tea presentation in the gorgeous pottery, as well as that they are diligent on tea refills. Their desserts are nice but make sure you at least taste green tea ice cream once. You can get it here! It's not easy to find this at restaurants, even sushi restaurants, recently.

It had been a while since I came here after coming here a few times while growing up in McLean…read more Lots of famous people come by allegedly so I hoped the food would deliver. I went with a spicy scallop roll and the tonkotsku ramen. I'd recommend just sticking with sushi, which was awesome. Ramen was just average unfortunately. Service was also quite slow- we were waiting almost an hour for our food. It was very busy, to be fair.

Went on a whim because I wanted anpan and thought maybe there was a chance it would be there. It…read morewas there and pretty good quality for the packaged kind! The store was clean and well stocked. I'll be returning for my Japanese grocery needs!

Hinata is a combination of a Japanese market and a carry-out sushi place, and it seems as if they…read moreare pretty popular with the locals. We were walk-ins, and didn't know that there was already a queue for the sushi - we were quoted about 45 minutes, which we thought was a bit extreme, but since we were in the area, we decided to wait. Their menu is pretty extensive, offering rolls, sashimi, vegetarian options, and combos. We ordered: +the Sushi Deluxe - this came with tuna, yellowtail, salmon, flounder, omelet, squid, shrimp, eel, clam, and shad roe in nigiri form; there were also 6 pieces of California roll +a Sashimi Deluxe - 3 pieces of tuna, yellowtail, flounder, and salmon, and 2 pieces of octopus and purple clam Sushi could have been more fresh; some of the fish had an odor to it, and the octopus, especially, was way too fishy in both odor and taste. The sushi rice was a little too loose and kept breaking apart; we felt that there could have been more quality control in preparing these, especially with the long wait time and the high price points. The mart is super small and kind of tight, but I was surprised at the selection and some produce that they had available. Staff were friendly. Metered street and garage parking available in the area. +not-so-fresh sushi +call-aheads are encouraged +friendly service +metered street and garage parking available

Salmon was super fresh. It was Easter Sunday and not busy which was a relief for us as we were…read moreavoiding the crowds. Nice size portions and comfortable atmosphere.

The food was absolutely delicious! The service was spectacular and attentive. The bar looks amazing…read moretoo with high-end bourbon choices. We will be back!

This was my first time having the Spicy Eel And Tuna Roll but I loved it and will definitely order…read moreagain! The eel nigiri is amazing, everyone in my family LOVES it. I would suggest starting with 2 orders (as shown in the pic) as you will definitely want more! The waiter is an older man and woman who are so sweet! They are always bringing around water when we need, offering suggestions, and being overall super nice. I def recommend to come here with family, friends, or by yourself!!!

Returned here 15 years later and the restaurant may now hold the title as best sushi restaurant in…read morethe US. The creamy garlic and baked scallop rolls are unmatched and the fish fresh. The spicy tofu is no longer complimentary but still available to order off the menu. I was happy to see some of the staff still there too.

Best sushi in Bethesda. Everything is fresh and cut to perfection. Closest you will get to eating…read moresushi in Japan.

We ordered from Uber eats. I had the shrimp shumai and the tuna lovers combo. The firecracker roll…read moreis my all time favorite roll of any sushi restaurant. The shrimp shumai were also good. The food is always consistent.

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'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.

Love this out spot is friendly with positive vibes. It is carry out only the food has a great…read moreimpact on locals and visitors who stop by to get delicious meals from a pizza to salads , offering a variety of different foods at a very affordable price.

Gotta say, not only was I greeted & got 'service with a smile'...it was the best pizza I've had in…read morea very long time!! If you're ever in the area, or even just passing by, stop & order a pizza (or sub) to go -- you'll be happy you did!

A couple of our vegetarian friends really wanted to try Planta, and so we decided to hold our…read moreFriday night date night there. (Yes, we bring friends with us on date night. We are weird.) Although my husband and I are omnivores we appreciate good plant based food, and since many had said it was good, we had high hopes. Fortunately, Planta lived up to our expectations. We made reservations, since we'd heard it can be hard to get a table. Even though it was a Friday night, we could have gotten a table. But, it was also raining so that might have contributed to lower traffic. We ended up getting a bunch of food to share: Spinach & artichoke dip Bang Bang Broccoli Thousand layer potatoes Spicy Tuna Roll Volcano Roll Red Dragon Roll Unagi Nigiri (I didn't try this one, but everyone else raved about it) My husband had the Emperor's Old Fashioned, friends had the Lych Please and the Pom and Get It. I, as designated driver, had a Cosmic Colada followed by the House Mint Lemonade (and I had a sip of the Lych Please just to taste it.) My favorites were the Bang Bang Broccoli, the Spicy Tuna Roll, and to my surprise, the Thousand Layer Potatoes. I also loved the House Mint Lemonade. The broccoli managed to not actually taste like broccoli, it tasted like Fried with Peanut Sauce. (No, there is not a missing word there. It tasted like Fried.) I usually don't get excited about potatoes unless they are twice baked or the amazing potato salad from Polka deli, but these potatoes were actually really good. Sliced, layered, not exactly crispy except on the edges, but super tasty much to my surprise. I'd actually order them again. The Spicy Tuna Roll tasted nothing like tuna, nor did it taste like watermelon per se but it was delicious. The notes of coconut probably played a role in my assessment. Folks in general were less enamored of the Volcano roll than the other dishes and I concurred. It wasn't bad, it just was lackluster compared to the others. It tasted kind of like a salad dressed with a lack of oomph. While I personally liked the spinach & artichoke dip, the folks in the party who aren't coconut-o-philes thought it had too much of a coconut taste. I've never met a coconut I didn't like though so this didn't bother me. I would order the Lych Please if I weren't driving, it was good - sweet but not too sweet. The Cosmic Colada wasn't bad but I probably wouldn't order it again either. It had less of the coconut flavor than I hoped for and a lot more just "juice" flavor. If I'm not driving next time I'll just suck down the house mint lemonades instead. All in all, it was good. I'd definitely come back and order some of these items again and hopefully try some others. I absolutely will bring my close vegan friend here next time she's in town!

Planta of course is all vegan and the food is very good, just super expensive and staff are not…read morealways friendly. My daughter has a service dog and they wouldn't let her in without documentation despite her dog's vest. Daughter had to dig through her email and produce a Dr's note. I guess they have to be careful but they have to find a way to do that that avoids guest humiliation. Another time we had reservations for Valentine's Day and they had overbooked so they turned us away at the door. Would have appreciated a phone call in advance. Left us in a tough spot with our guests, which really stung. Another time we had a fantastic waiter who made our dinner very special. So I find them undependable. That combined with their high prices keeps me mostly away.

Still a local Favorite after 13 years, surviving the…read morepandemic with Carryout. Their sushi chefs continue to surprise with masterful plates and fancy bowls. Thai and a few Chinese favorites plus hibachi dinners are generally tasty with plenty for lunch the next day. Lunch specials are great deals and we need to do those more often. Nice people know the neighborhood regulars

6 hours after eating there on Sunday I came down with food poisoning. Coincidence? You decide...read more