One word, Omakase. Omakase, a Japanese term for Chef's choice, where the chef bombards you with a cornucopia of dishes of his choosing. You pay a hefty price, but it's worth it. You're not just paying for the sushi; you're paying for an experience. Something about the Chef serving it straight to you somehow makes the food taste that much better. My favorite piece was the Toro or fatty tuna. It melts in your mouth! I wouldn't come here on the daily, but it's definitely worth it for a special occasion. read more

Sushi Ogawa - Itadakimasu! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Good for a quick sushi option. I placed and order online, the person was very polite when I came to pick up my food. It's a decent decor, I wouldn't mind coming here for a sit down meal. read more

I recently moved to DC from Tokyo and San Francisco prior to that and was not expecting to find noteworthy sushi in DC that met my well-seasoned standards and expectations. I was pleasantly surprised after visiting Sushi Ogawa and am glad I've found somewhere I can enjoy while in DC. We went at lunch on the first day indoor dining reopened in January and shared the counter with just Ogawa-san. He's kind and paid close attention to our reactions as the course progressed. I felt like I was back at a small mom and pop sushi restaurant in suburban Tokyo where it's more of a conversation than just a meal. Just as with high-end sushi restaurants in Japan, it's the rapport with the chef and staff that make or break a dining experience for me. Quality of ingredients and preparation closely follow to round out the experience. Sushi Ogawa certainly impressed me, and I'll be back often. read more

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Wow supremely underwhelming and super disappointed in this place. After seeing so much hype for this place a few years back I was excited to go and try this place for a true omakase experience. However this place is super overpriced for what it is and it is NOT a real omakase where the sushi chef serves you each piece of fish individually and explains it. I have had a better omakase experience in Durham!! The inside of this restaurant is drab, cold, echoey and looks like a cheap hole in the wall place in the bad way. There is a giant blue fly zapper light by the wall and the flies kept flying into it and making super loud noises as they were killed. We noticed numerous fruit flies around our table. So annoying. Service was rushed and the place was totally dead on a Thursday. We were served a lackluster app - some kind of fish. Fish was browning and pathetic. Pass. Next we had some appetizer I couldn't even eat because it was gross. So bland and no flavor. Egg custard with a giant flavorless prawn on top. The only redeeming thing about this meal was the big portion of nigiri (12 pieces). All of the fish was higher quality (not amazing) but fresh. Standouts were the fatty tuna, salmon and one on the top row that was a lighter fish. Dessert was a palate cleansing coconut gelato. For the price point, this place really needs to step up their game AND ambience. read more

Sushi Ogawa is the most authentic Japanese sushi restaurant in DC these days. While of course Sushi Taro is incredible, Sushi Taro is more modern with French influences on the food. Sushi Ogawa is pure and true Japanese excellence. Of course the chef is Japanese. It is expensive, but perfect. Highly recommended to just go with the omakase menu. read more

How have I not visited this place before?? I worked nearby but Sushi Taro was a closer walk so that became my go to. But with Sushi Taro gone and Sushi Ogawa doing delivery I had to try them. The nigiri was excellent and the rolls were filling. I had a special request and they fulfilled it. Salmon was MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. We can't order sushi every night but I'm definitely ordering from Ogawa again soon! read more

Sushi Ogawa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was excited to try sushi ogawa and it met all of my expectations! I went around 5pm on a Monday so I was the only one in there, but service was great and very quick. My server was kind & attentive. The fish tasted very high quality and I ordered a couple more after my omakase cause it was seriously sooo good. Impressed with the house sake as well. Highly recommend!! read more

Sushi Ogawa - $60 10-piece nigiri omakase - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

First, I will say I don't give mediocre reviews very often and to give something less than 5 stars it takes a significant experience. In Ogawa's defense, the food itself was good, but for the prices Ogawa commands that's not enough. I took my fiancée here for her birthday dinner and with the prepayment online of dinner, tax, and tip it was over $180 per person before drinks. The reason I mention the price is that Ogawa's not a typical California roll-type sushi place - it's a traditional omakase restaurant. The cuts of the fish including the fatty tuna/otoro were some of the worst cuts possible comprised of the gristly part of the fish. The net effect was akin to rubber and not at all supposed to be the butter like experience of good fatty tuna. Other sushi restaurants of this caliber give incredible attention to detail in ensuring things like the ginger and chopsticks are positioned according to the diner's arm usage, and the food is artfully placed on the serving trays. Here chunks of fish were splatted by hand on the tray before the chef went back to other tasks. I felt much like pig a being slopped. Other small items like the cheap splintery chopsticks and sharp broken porcelain chopstick holders made the entire experience feel very cheap. Also, I'm not sure if Ogawa is cutting food costs but I left hungry, and after a nearly $200 meal I shouldn't be hungry. At one point, we were the only customers in the restaurant, and a sous chef brought out two plates of bits of soft-shell crab and laid them down. The chef took one and sent the other one back, and then proceeded to further cut up the tiny bit of soft-shell crab. Overall, I regret having to write this kind of review, but I wished I had seen these kind of words from someone else prior to going here. I honestly left angry at having wasted such a large chunk of change for such a mediocre meal and want others to avoid the same mistake. There are many other good restaurants to go to in DC. read more

Very serviceable if you're into great quality and hard to source fish. No frills and pricey, so expect that. I was very impressed by the generous portions. Definite return read more

Went here for my anniversary dinner just to have such a horrible experience. First of all, it's not your typical upscale omakase restaurant. Ambiance is horrid and this place looks like where college kids would go for $12 sushi. Second, staffs lack concept of hygiene. While our server was introducing what fish was used, he pointed at my food and literally touched the food. I told him that he touched my food and he just kept on going. Lastly, this place is filthy. There were infinite number of small flies ALL OVER the restaurant. When I was drinking my highly overpriced sake, I realized that one of those flies got into my sake glass. We switched our seat to the sushi bar and it was worse. You constantly have to guard your food from these disgusting bugs. Avoid this place and especially if you're trying to have an intimate and special time with your significant other. read more

I had MATSU SUSHI ASSORTMENT DELUXE for two. It was to-go order, nicely packed and fish was fresh and rice also taste good. read more

Sushi Ogawa - MATSU SUSHI ASSORTMENT DELUXE 2 PERS - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I never write reviews. Ever. Usually because I never have to when I go to omakase experiences because it is supposed to be exactly that: an experience. It's supposed to be a master chef's unique take on top tier Japanese cuisine combined with an engaging and knowledgeable exchange throughout the 90ish minutes you spend at the sushi bar. However, I cannot overstate my disappointment eating at Sushi Ogawa in meeting all of the criteria. And if you are someone seasoned in the omakase experience and understands the caliber of service you should expect at one of these places, I will tell you, in complete candor, to avoid Sushi Ogawa entirely. The devil is in the details: the freshness and temperature of the fish, proper cuts, the right balance of vinegar in the rice, the knowledge of the imported fish and wagyu, presentation, service, etc. Sushi Ogawa fell short in all regards. I questioned them hard about where and when the fish was imported, to which I got an immediate answer of "this morning," which I don't believe at all. The fish tasted like it came from a corner H mart, lacking the proper quality I have come to expect after doing this for 6 years. I would ask the chefs about where the uni is from or what grade of wagyu and which region of Japan it's imported from, to which I would not get an answer half the time. Even the rice, the most important part of nigiri was terrible due to the lack of proper vinegar. Regarding the actual servings, virtually every portion was nigiri. Hardly any variety and sectional cuts that included hard bits of fish and beef bone that should not have been in there. I spat out bits of bone and tendon a few times. Sashimi and nigiri portions were cold and not properly treated to reach the right temperature before serving. Lemon citrus was overused and overwhelmed each piece it was used on. Each. Piece. Was. Predictable. Nothing was unique, and it was disheartening after seeing all the positive reviews online and on yelp to see such lack of care in preparation and presentation. Regarding the service and experience part, my girlfriend and I were talked to a single time the entire night by the chefs, who were clearly more occupied with other people at the sushi bar they know personally, busy taking sake shots with them and ignoring us. The main chef Kevin(?) didn't seem communicative nor knowledgeable/caring that he was serving a sub par meal to the only people in the room he didn't know. It was my girlfriend's birthday dinner. I contacted them after my reservation was set weeks in advance at the email address listed requesting that something special be done for my girlfriend. I never received a reply and never got a semblance of recognition of her birthday, leading me to think they don't care about correspondence with their customers, only about charging a very unearned premium price for the omakase experience and running away with our money. How this place was up for a good Michelin review, I have no clue. If you have never done omakase before and you have no other options, sure try this place because the only good thing that will come out of it is that every other omakase experience you have for the rest of your life will be loads better than Sushi Ogawa. The experience will only get better for you for when you try real omakase. But if you are educated, understand what omakase really is, and don't want to be hustled out of your money, then don't come here. It fell short in every possible regard, and underperformed in every possible metric. Take your date somewhere else, yeah? read more

Sushi Ogawa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We ordered sushi delivery on a Sunday night with some trepidation... but what we received was amazingly fresh and plentiful sushi from Ogawa. Ume Sushi for two was featured a full array as you might expect omakase, was quite filling and each piece seemed painstakingly assembled. Scored salmon was silky smooth; fatty tuna was delicious in both taste and texture, and the mackerel was unlike any I've had. I'm a big fan of Chef Ogawa's Sushi Capitol on Capitol Hill, but Sushi Ogawa felt a step above. Def going to pay it a visit to get the full experience. read more

Ogawa, what happened!? It was my family's favorite Japanese place but in an instant has become extremely mediocre. I go here every few months but a few weeks ago it had transformed into a completely mediocre generic sushi spot. Someone please tell me that was a fluke. But all the staff had changed and the menu looked different, so maybe something big and terrible has gone down. I got the omakase with added sashimi course (to celebrate a big career success!) and here are the things that had changed: - The sushi was suddenly all very inexpensive, standard stuff. Unlike before, no more uni, ikura, scallop, eel, sweet shrimp, or anything unique. - The sashimi course included all fish also used in the sushi course! The point of the sashimi course is to try something new. A waste of money. - The sushi is now one combined course rather than the fun of two split courses. Also possibly less sushi? - The dessert was just one ball of mochi ice cream - like something you could buy from the grocery store. Before it would be unique chef-made desserts like mousses, cookies, or cakes. Nothing was bad per se, but everything lost its unique touch and the aspects that set it apart from all the other sushi places in DC. I feel like I lost a friend that day. read more

Forget the other sushi places - just go here. The marbling on the fatty tuna is everything: melt-in-mouth gOodnEss will cure any bad day. read more

Sushi Ogawa - Otoro - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Enjoyed every single bit. Omakase for a fraction of the price compared to nagazawa. Same great quality fish, less bourgeois experience haha. read more

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The best. The best best. I've been to Sushi Taro and Sushi Nakazawa, and, in my very humble opinion, Sushi Ogawa beats them both out of the ballpark in terms of pureness, freshness, and melt-in-your-mouth goodness. This review is for the many times I've directly ordered takeout from them using their website, which has a ton more options than the third party delivery apps. (I hope to have an opportunity to enjoy a sit-down meal once the pandemic is over.) I haven't once been disappointed by Sushi Ogawa: every nigiri has been fresh and cut with care, and I love that they have daily specials of fresh fish -- pop on over to their website and on any given day you may see tile fish amadai from the New Jersey coast, Kona Kampachi amberjack from Hawaii, shako mantis shrimp, and yara ika arrow squid from Japan. Their Arctic char, king salmon, uni, Wagyu, heck, even the humble shrimp tempura roll (made with black tiger prawn) are fantastic. I also LOVE their grilled mackerel donburi as well as their salmon donburi. Lots of other Japanese-style restaurants are very careless with their rice (and sometimes even use, heaven forfend!, jasmine rice for their donburi -- I kid about the theatrics, though seriously, it is loathsome when restaurants do that.) But Sushi Ogawa places a premium on using wonderful, short-grain rice that is seasoned well and never, ever mushy/damp. Generous portions of fish in their donburi, too! This place is the real deal -- especially if you are obsessed with nigiri. read more

My dad and I had wanted to go somewhere for a proper sushi meal, and this place looked like it was legit. I was actually initially concerned because of some of the more negative reviews, but my concerns were pretty quickly put at ease. Our server was knowledgeable, telling us about each piece of sushi and answering questions about the chef. It should be noted that our omakase wasn't at the counter in front of the chef as one might expect, but we didn't set out to have that experience--we ordered the omakase because, for 10 pieces of nigiri sushi, it was cheaper than ordering even a smaller amount of sushi à la carte. Our sushi experience was definitely a good one, and we'd happily come back. read more

Sushi Ogawa - Omakase plate of 10 nigiri sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Omg the omakase was totally worth it. Every piece/course was extremely well prepared and delicious! I haven't had toro like that since my last trip to Japan. Highly recommend read more

no ambience; some of the sushi was great; others not so much; the soft shell crab tempura was not at all good (sent it back) but the shrimp tempura was great. Sake was delicious. read more

Generally, the Omakase course was good. Not all the courses were as good. The steamed eggs tasted a little fishy and uni felt a bit dry. A tempura course was your typical tempura and the green soybean or snow peas tempura was a miss. It wasn't cooked thoroughly. However, the sushi and sashimi were great. Most disappointing part was the dessert. The mochi ice cream was too soft and ice cream wasn't very good. Service was great. Our server was attentive, but not overly attentive. The atmosphere and location left me wanting but generally worth a try. read more

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Worst sushi restaurant I've ever been to. We ordered the omakase dinner and thought it would be a safe food option since it's, well, omakase. We were very wrong... first of all, how can you mess up miso soup? Their soup tasted like instant miso soup that you literally add water to. And the nigiri also didn't taste fresh and was dry. There were small fruit flies flying around the dining area. We didn't sit at the bar so can't speak to the experience there. Overall a very disappointing meal, don't recommend. read more

I went here last night for my birthday dinner. It was amazing. When I got there, I ducked under their banner, and opened the door. I walked along the paver and gravel path to the host station, where I was greeted warmly. I was kindly ushered to my seat, and a glass of water was poured. The restaurant's decor is bare, but not stark. Really the only art was on the ceiling with handpainted fish, but that was only in the middle of the ceiling. I espied a man going into the back room (which seats about 8 comfortably) and giving me the eye before closing the pocket door. I ordered a Kona Hanalei IPA and it came promptly. They serve cold sake, soju, champagne and beer (no wine or hot sake). The wait staff was very knowledgable and helpful with any questions that we had. As mentioned before, "the epitome of professionalism". I was intending to order omakase, but the entire table needs to order it. That's fine, I opted for a la carte while my wife ordered the Ume sushi (7 pieces plus a roll) which turned out to be a great selection of scallop, shrimp, yellowtail, tuna, salmon, flounder and I think sea bass. The roll was fatty tuna. Wow! We each got miso soup, which was clam based, and very tasty albeit a little tough to pry open. We also ordered the appetizer combo, which was a fried prawn head over sea trout, a firefly squid with wakame with miso glaze, and tofu with ikura and green onion. They were all delicious. I ordered Sawaba sashimi (sea mackerel), otoro sashimi (very fatty tuna), ikura nigiri (salmon roe) and Japanese uni nigiri (sea urchin roe) to "start". After that was finished, I also ordered the abalone sashimi and butterfish nigiri. My favorite was the otoro as usual. It was so fatty that the sections started to separate. Of course it melted in my mouth like a pat of butter. The uni was also very very good. The ikura was good, it was a little smaller than others that I've seen, but the presentation was nice. There was a little shiso leaf on top that was held on by the dab of wasabi. All the wasabi was freshly made and not the powdered stuff. It had a slight sweetness to it, and I could eat it plain. I don't remember which sake we ordered, but it was very good with a slightly sweet finish, but overall, it was dry. A perfect complement to our meal. If you want a comparison to Sushi Taro, as many others have also done, I think I still prefer Sushi Taro for a few reasons. The sushi selection is slightly bigger, and the pieces are slightly larger as well. Of course it is more expensive than Sushi Ogawa, but I think it's worth it. The presentation I would put on par with Taro's. I would highly recommend Sushi Ogawa to anyone. It is quite romantic and somewhat off the beaten path. You wouldn't think that a restaurant of this caliber would be tucked into an apartment building. And man, those residents are lucky to have such good food nearby. read more

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The service was amazing and our server was super helpful. I would recommend this place for a date. It is nice without being too over-the-top. Definitely a good first date place. read more

Been here multiple times for sit down omakase and wife was hankering for sushi. Expecting a lot of orders for covid valentjne, I ordered a day in advance thinking they would stop taking orders when they became overwhelmed. The first part of that last statement was true, unfortunately the second wasn't. They were COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED. Arrived at my pickup time to find a line of people outside. Went up, gave my name, woman disappears. Tells anyone who got there on time that it will be another 30 minutes. After 20 minutes, she apparently forgot about me and I had to ask her how much longer. She asked for me name again, went back, and then told me another 30 minutes. Sorry, I don't have 50 minutes to wait outside in the cold for sushi. I asked for my order to be cancelled. I'm sure the sushi would have been great. Yeah "it's COVID blah blah". Sorry, a restaurant of that caliber should know better. 15 minute delay is understandable. 30 minutes? Pushing it. 45? No way in hell. When this is all over I might go back. But no way in hell will I give them any takeout business. Should have ordered from Taro instead. read more

I've done the over the counter omakase twice. However this was two years ago and it used to be my favorite. My most recent visit was a bit underwhelming. Granted, we did the a la carte option. It was a bit pricey given the quality of the fish. For this quality, you could go somewhere else in va for about half the price. Or you could spend a little more money and get a slightly better experience at taro or nakazawa. Side note: uni and ama ebi are my favorites in general. The uni was amazing and there were many varieties. Unfortunately, there was no ama ebi at the time. If you do visit, get the Spanish mackerel. That was my favorite nigiri of the night. The fatty tuna was a bit underwhelming as well. read more

Sushi Ogawa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Amazing omakase experience, delicious and fresh sushi, and very friendly staff. The portion was way more than I anticipated, so we left with satisfied and stuffed bellies. Definitely worth the price point. I highly recommend it here! read more

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This restaurant is tiny but cozy, sushi wasn't as good as I expected but the flavors on their small dishes were really good. Sauces and their appetizers/sides were very flavorful. Customer service was ok, it wasn't all that great but I went there for sushi so it didn't really matter. Will I go back?!? Mmmm maybe. I would definitely recommend this place for ppl that aren't just about sushi. read more

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I had the Omakase menu and right off the bat I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the price point. $80 for omakase is not bad at all. The servers were really nice and explained in detail what everything was. Although we didn't have a problem or any dietary restrictions, the servers expressed that they were happy to make any adjustments once the food came if we weren't completely satisfied with everything. This place is coming up strong to be one of my favorite sushi places in DC. read more

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This was my very first omakase experience, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I thought the food was amazing! I'm not sure if it's because of COVID, but we had to pre-pay for the meal at the time of the reservation. The restaurant looks teeny from the outside, but there are two floors for seating. Not only was every single staff member super friendly, welcoming and attentive, they practiced safe COVID protocol by spacing out the tables. Everything from the appetizer to the dessert tasted perfect and even the plating was beautiful. The sushi was extremely fresh and the quality of the fish was better than any other sushi restaurant I've been to. Highly recommend! read more

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I'm torn on how to review this one because I love sushi and I've only been to one other omakase experience (not in DC). I would The good: All of the sushi was all delicious! The counter has an intimate feel and the next sushi lands almost immediately on your plate while you're still chewing. It almost came too fast because I couldn't keep track of what I had eaten. The not-so-good: We had a 6pm reservation but when we showed up at 6pm, the hostess told us that the party before us hadn't finished yet and that we'd have to wait. Since the place is small, we didn't really have anywhere to stand except in the small hall way. 45 minutes later.....the hostess finally hurried over to tell us that our seats were ready. It seemed like they just weren't willing to shoo the earlier party away from the counter, in which case, space out your reservations more! Also, we had a bone and a scale in two different pieces of fish. We were unsure whether to say anything to the chef but ultimately decided not to. read more

Sushi Ogawa - omakase! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is a treasure. The restaurant is tucked away in a residential building. It's run by a sweet family. This makes for an intimate and unique experience that would be fun even if the food was half as good. While this has the feel of stopping by a. Friend's home, you are experiencing a master chef working with the highest quality fish. Ogawa is a blast! Trying his omakase at the bar is a must. There's also a great and very reasonably priced a la carte menu. Everything is thoughtfully and wonderfully done - including the sake and beer selection. Great place for a top notch meal or just a quick drink and snack. Ogawa is in my Holy Trinity of DC Japanese restaurants that are as good as anything you can find in NYC or LA. read more

I've been here for lunch prior to COVID and pick up a few times since. I'll admit I used to not make the trek because Sushi Taro was always closer, but since they closed, this place is a solid slide into my heart for downtown sushi. We usually get their Matsu (fancy) sushi combo and add some negitoro rolls on the side. You can see the fish is fresh and delicious, like something at a classy reception. Service was quick and the lady brings your order out to a table at the entrance. Use their website or the food apps. read more

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Just WOW!! WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! My first time trying omakase where all the fish choices are up to the chef... And it was amazing!! We were able to taste top notch toros (fatty tunas) of different parts, exotic fishes, and fishes that I've never heard of! And sorry I can't name all the fish as I have no clue what they were in what order. I just know I enjoyed chef's selections and it was truly unique experience. We had a choice to be seated at the table, but we decided to sit at the sushi bar. Chef created each sushi and sliced each sashimi in front of us and explained what they were. We also killed 3 bottles of bunraku cold sake, which paired pretty well with our meal. The decor when you walk in feels like a hole in the wall restaurant in Tokyo streets where you know the food HAS to taste good! I definitely recommend this place and I'll definitely be back for another omakase session! Thank you chef Kevin! read more

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This was my first omakase experience, so I am no expert. But the fish was the best quality nigiri I have ever eaten. The dessert was also delicious. My only complaints are that the chefs did not engage with us very much. I was hoping to learn more about the fish itself and it's preparation, but they were quite reticent. Additionally, some courses were served out of order because the omakase chefs did not coordinate with the back kitchen. read more

Amazing sushi Omakase in DC! The price is pretty good for the quality of the fish. They use more domestic fish and seafood instead from Japan but it does the defeat the taste. I have been to Japan and this place is comparable for the taste. The chef is very friendly and explain the different type of nigiri and their names. Quiet an enjoyable experience! read more

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Have ordered takeout from Sushi Ogawa a couple of times this year and have been impressed. Quality of fish is definitely a step above that offered by neighborhood sushi shops, but at a price that won't break the bank. Excellent covid takeout procedures as well, truly contactless/outdoors. Bonus points for being environmentally friendly (asking about napkin/chopsticks/bag.) read more

Sushi Ogawa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

If you ask me where I go for sushi, Ogawa hands down! Their menu is strictly omakase and they import all their fish from Japan so it is $$$ (we still thought it was a good value considering quality and how full we were). Definitely more of special-occasion spot. read more

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Omakase was so good. Dining was private. Allergies were substituted for easily. Ingredients were wildly fresh & service was 10/10. I thought I knew sushi but I can easily say this feels like the first time I've ever properly ate it. read more

Sushi Ogawa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We booked omakase for our anniversary. The experience was underwhelming to say the least. The sushi was average and comparable to any other street corner sushi bar. The ambience was uninviting. At $240 per person plus drinks and mandatory gratuity, we don't anticipate a repeat any time soon if at all. read more

Sushi Ogawa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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