I live fairly close to here and have drive by this shop for years and years and years. It's in a little shopping center that you wouldn't think to enter unless you knew what was in store for you. When I drove up to Sushi Yama with my father, I was a bit suspicious. At the same time, I had high hopes because the best places are hole in the walls that you have to know to look for. Once you enter Sushi Yama, you are surprised that it opens up. The restaurant is incredibly pleasant. The colours and decorations just make it a happy place to be. Because it was so packed, we sat at the bar. I almost like that better because you can watch the sushi chefs work their magic. My father and I decided to split the first dish and then order more if we wanted more. I am so glad that we did that because the Sushi Deluxe ($16) was huge. I'm not really sure if it was meant for one person. It came with one miso soup and one salad and so this makes me think that it was, in fact, meant for one person, but my father and I struggled to finish it together. Not only was the quantity good, the quality was good as well. The fish was fresh and sized well. The spicy salmon was really very good and unique. I think my father and I liked that one the best. I was excited that my very favourite salmon roe came with the Sushi Deluxe, something that you usually have to order separately since it's an expensive item. The only complaint that I have is that the rice was so compacted that it took on too much soy sauce. Usually the rice underneath the fish is lightly compacted. When you dip it into the soy sauce, it immediately starts to fall apart. But here, it was so compacted that, you could dip forever and still pick it up. As a result, it took on a bit too much soy sauce. Just be warned that you might have to edit your soy-dipping technique. Otherwise, I thought it was delicious and am excited to go back. read more

Sushi Yama - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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*****3.5 stars****** Coming from CA, where you can find really awesome sushi, my expectations were lowered after reading some of the NoVA sushi Yelp reviews. My husband and I had tried Sushi Yoshi several months ago but weren't that impressed. We ended up at SY due to a recommendation from a co-worker. The platter of nigiri and CA rolls were so-so and at $15, it wasn't a bad deal, though, I felt like the some of the cuts of fish were not the best. I think I'll order the rolls next time. Service though was great. read more

Having been here a few times, I can easily tell it's one of those neighborhood gems where people flock to. We went for lunch and left absolutely stuffed. My bf got a few rolls, and he loved them. Said the tuna and other fish was very tasty and fresh. I on the other hand, decided to get a salmon teryaki bento box. Now at first glance, this tiny piece of salmon looked small. But it was VERY WELL cooked. Moist, tender, well seasoned. The box came with tempura, california rolls, and little side veggies. I left so full, I was glad that my piece of salmon wasnt bigger. The place is small, so it fills up pretty quickly for lunch and dinner. The staff is very nice and did a great job. read more

Sushi Yama - Salmon teriyaki bento box - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

You will always get a warm welcome and goodbye at Yama! Yama has the best value of sushi and the quality is good. I always order a couple salmon and eel nigiri with a couple tobiko w/ quail egg and a crispy salmon skin roll. Sit at the bar and you'll get a little treat. Make a reservation if you're planning on coming here on a friday or saturday night. read more

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About a decade ago, when I was nothing but an immature young man bumbling around town, a friend of mine brought a group of us to Yama Japanese Restaurant in Vienna, VA. My friend had told all of us that Yama served fantastic, high-quality sushi made by authentic Japanese sushi chefs. Well, as a young man with an undeveloped sushi palette at the time, I remember thinking to myself then, "Not bad. It's ... sushi." Well, that was before I discovered that it's actually pretty difficult to find good sushi. I guess the California native part of me simply thought good sushi joints were a dime a dozen. Regardless of whether that is true in California, it's definitely not true in the suburbs of greater District of Columbia. So, after nearly a decade since I last went and with a much more developed sushi palette (ha), The Other Half and I headed back to Sushi Yama for dinner. How did it all go? Boy, for a random Wednesday night, they are busy! That's always a good sign, right? The line was out the door, but luckily we were seated in about 10 minutes. With only 2 servers + 1 hostess manning the dining room, it took nearly another 10 minutes after being seated for a server to come around for our drink orders. No matter, we started with Age Tofu and then I ordered the Yama Zen dinner (which came with salad, miso soup, vegetable and shrimp tempura, sushi or sashimi, beef or chicken, and ice cream or sorbet). The Other Half ordered Beef Yakisoba and a Bubba roll. How did it all taste? Not bad at all! The salad was fresh with a housemade dressing; the miso soup was a touch sweet but otherwise good. The Age Tofu was a bit bland and the batter didn't quite do its job in soaking up the tempura sauce...meaning, I would say skip the tofu. My tempura, however, was perfectly fried and quite a large portion considering it was only appetizer part of my Yama Zen meal. The teriyaki beef was tender, the Yakisoba was good (probably the only place I've eaten at recently that did not use lo mein to make their Yakisoba). Long after we had eaten those dishes our sushi came (they had asked us earlier if it was OK to serve the sushi last, since the sushi chefs were overwhelmed). The Bubba Roll (California Roll topped with spicy Salmon) was good, and the sashimi platter was fresh. The Yama Zen dinner came with green tea ice cream, as well, which was good. With a tab that came out to $45 and change, it turned out to be quite a bit of food for the price! Sweet! Overall, it was a solid 4 out of 5. We were stuffed, the wallet hadn't flattened too much, and the service (while spotty due to it being such a busy night) was friendly. Probably as good a strip mall sushi joint as you can get in suburban Northern Virginia. Sushi Yama will definitely (re-)enter my short list of nearby joints, along with Sushi Yoshi and Kawata. read more

Sushi Yama - Bubba Roll - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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I liked but didn't love Yama. I stopped by for a late lunch after a doctor's appointment, and everything was fine. I got a Chirashi bowl and a green tea. The accompanying salad was slightly better than the usual pathetic one that you get with sushi, and the miso soup was good. The chirashi was good, and I cleaned my plate. None of the fish tasted off or chewy. Somehow, nothing really blew me away, and service was just so-so. I'd go back for lunch if I were in the area again, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

Best sushi in town with great service. I can't wait to return there and enjoy my cold beer and fresh Sashimi entrees.

Cyndy's Bottom Line: Delicious assortment of Japanese food at a good price point. Finally got to dine at Yama Sushi and enjoyed a great lunch. The atmosphere is nice and relaxing. There is a generous amount of food at a great price point! A great place for lunch with a good assortment of lunch boxes which is served with miso soup and a house salad. . This is what we ate: 1. LUNCH BOX B with a choice of Sushi or Sashimi. I chose the sashimi. They served (2) pieces of white tuna and (2) pieces of salmon sashimi on grated daikon. Yummy! The bento lunch box also comes with rice, shrimp and vegetable and onion tempura, (3) pieces of California rolls, (2) pieces of fried gyoza dumplings, marinated bean sprouts and tofu with a tasty spicy sauce. Enjoyed everything - I ate it all! 2. Hubby had the nabeyaki udon which comes with shrimp and vegetable tempura. The broth was flavorful and filled with fishcake, and vegetables. Shrimp tempura had a light airy batter perfectly fried. The onion ring was a delicious addition. read more

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Yama is yummy!! Located in a strip mall in Vienna (note - plenty of parking when the lot isn't full), it serves up some delicious Japanese cuisine. The sushi is very delicious and inventive with super unique items on the menu. I got there just as it opened at noon on a Saturday and it was already filling up by 12:30! It's super popular and it was very worth the drive to Vienna. I ordered the Yummy Yama roll (spicy salmon & avocado, topped with salmon, avocado, white tuna, and minced scallions) from their House Specialty rolls and LOVED it! So delicious and filling. A lot of other patrons seemed to order the sushi lunch box specials, so I would probably opt for one of those the next time I visit. So delicious and totally worth the drive to Vienna / Fairfax. I'd certainly visit again in the future! read more

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It's been years since I was back in my hometown and I took my daughter for sushi. We had a delicious and memorable time. We sat at the sushi bar and got to watch the masters work! Everything from the food to the service was perfect. Priced right as well! We will make the trip JUST to eat here! Highly recommend Yama! read more

Awesome place. Very chill vibes. The sushi is great and fresh, service is top! California roll and rainbow rolls are super fresh

The prices are good and the service is on point, but this is mediocre sushi. I see where it's decent if you are in the area and want your sushi fish without paying $50 dollars for two, but I wouldn't go out of my way for this sushi. First of all, the sushi rice is all wrong. Warm, too much rice wine vinegar overpowering the rice. It warms up your fish which is kind of unpleasant when you're eating something like the chirashi bowl, which I had. The fish pieces were tiny little bites which allowed variety, but did not have the appropriate fish to rice ratio. I was impressed that they had uni and ikura sushi but they weren't very high quality and you can tell just by looking at the picture. The nori stuck to each other so we had to yank em apart. The rice to fish ratio was off, and once again, if it's warm and sour it doesn't provide that refreshing contrast to the salty, umami fish parts. The sashimi lunch box was a bargain but I found it rather salty and bland in other respects. It has tempura, age tofu, goyza, sprouts, 3 pieces of California roll, rice, and your choice of entree. There was not a standout star amongst that selection unfortunately. read more

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We came here for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday. First of all, the parking is slightly confusing. There's another plaza right next to it with the same layout but they do not connect. So when entering, make sure it's the correct plaza, otherwise you'll have to exit on to the main road and enter again. As far as the restaurant goes, everything was pretty average in my opinion, nothing really stood out as special or unique. We ordered the sushi combo and sashimi combo and a few friends who didn't want to eat sushi ordered their own thing. The sushi didn't tastes the most fresh and the salmon is cut the won't way! Since one of our friends is pregnant, she ordered the California roll. It didn't have cucumbers and so we asked and they said they don't make their California rolls with cucumbers! That's what gives it the nice crunch amidst all the other ingredients, they should really take note. Overall, this place is okay but there are definitely better sushi joints in the area. The fact that they cut their salmon the wrong way really put me off. Probably won't be back again. read more

Enjoyed a nice dinner here. The haru maki was not bad -- a bit too much cream cheese and not enough shrimp filling. Veggie gyoza was delicious and sushi was simple and fresh. However, a bit disappointed they ran out of Uni. Overall, dinner was good. read more

Sushi Yama - Aoi Roll, Spicy Rainbow, Spicy Yama - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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Best sushi in town! Have been here so much. Love this place. Love the people. Food is perfect every time we go. When my son started Kindergarten, we asked him what restaurant he would like to go to - to celebrate. He picked Sushi Yama. This is his favorite restaurant. In his words: "They make the food look pretty." (His favorite food of all time is shrimp.) read more

Surprised by how good the sushi was here and now this is definitely one of my top favorite sushi places in nova next to sweet ginger, sushi prince, waraku and Ariake for authentic sushi. Tried the trio, kanpai and smoky Yama roles and all were delicious. Will definitely be back! read more

Small local sushi restaurant with very fresh fish at an excellent price.

Yama is the place to go for an awesome selection of house special rolls! I'm usually partial to fresh nigiri/sashimi but I could never turn down a delicious specialty roll. I ordered a few pieces of sushi (salmon and yellowtail) which were both fresh and a decent fish to rice ratio. I also had the Maui Roll, which had white tuna, avocado, & masago (caviar) on the inside and fresh salmon and more avocado on the outside. The combination was really enjoyable and I would highly recommend it if you want a specialty roll with raw fish. I would rank Yama at the top of my Northern VA list for specialty rolls but not for just fresh nigiri/sashimi. Yama is very popular on the weekends so calling ahead for a reservation is suggested, otherwise you may find yourself waiting for 20-30 minutes. The service here was super friendly, which is often a luxury at sushi restaurants so I was very pleased with our waitresses' attentiveness and food suggestions. read more

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This is our "Go-to" and "must go" local sushi restaurant; we get here about once a month. Sushi's very good and very fresh. They do have lunch special. The restaurant is small and it does get crowded on a Saturday night. read more

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Delicious and had a very nice dinner here. I ordered tongkatsu and hamachi kama (yellowtail collar). The tongkatsu was a nice texture of crisp and a soft inside and the sweet/sour sauce complimented it very well. Not oily which if how I prefer it. The hamachi kama was cooked at a low temperature thus the meat was very soft and juicy. The teriyaki sauce was a perfect combination with the subtle flavors of the yellowtail. read more

Had this for the first time for my birthday dinner. It tasted so good. Will be coming back for as long as I am in the area.

great quality fish, speedy service, lovely ambiance, fresh hot green tea - we love coming here for a chill meal

**3.5 stars** Yama is located at the end of a strip mall and can be easy to miss while driving. Make sure you slow down to find it while driving on Maple Ave! Food options are priced fairly and affordable, just disappointed by the options that were available for special rolls. Found myself struggling to decide on which rolls to order not because there were so many options available, but rather the lack of. I shared three rolls (two were special) with a friend: Godzilla, Yummy Yama, and Oishi. Godzilla was my favorite out of the three, I tend to like rolls with a hint of a sweet sauce. Service was great and I would love to come back to try some of their other items. Just don't come here expecting a variety of special rolls. If you're craving some simple Japanese entrees or rolls, you should probably check it out. read more

Sushi Yama - Top to bottom: Godzilla, Yummy Yama, and Oishi roll - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

I really like sushi...like ...realllly...a lot.. So, one Friday night I was really craving sushi...hopped on Yelp and started treasure hunting. I decided on Yama Japanese Restaurant. I read that it got busy, so I called ahead and made reservations. I drove my sushi craving ass to Yama and checked in with my girlfriend. The friendly hostess said it would be another 15 minutes...eh fine. We got seated at the sushi bar and thats when it hit me and looked over the menu. Being Asian, I knew the sushi chefs were not Japanese - I thought I had read that they were real Japanese sushi chefs from Japan....I guess not...oh well. The idea just popped into my head. Anyways, I decided on a bunch of rolls and some maguro as they didn't seem to have anything that popped out to me....also, supposedly I had to share with my girlfriend. Eh, some of the rolls were good, some had too much spicy sauce. Thats about all I remembers front the night. I was full, and my wallet was empty, but this is definitely not on par with sushi restaurants in NYC (you have to try Sushi Yasuda in NYC). Pros: Decent rolls, but don't expect anything unique and risky. Cons: More "Americanized" sushi, nothing special. Overall, if you are looking to stuff your face with sushi rolls, this place will do the job, but nothing special. read more

Sushi Yama - Yama sushi - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

The quality and taste of the food at Yama were much like the other average Japanese restaurants in the area. Nothing was bad but nothing stood out too much either. The service was good and our waitress was very friendly. The house salad had more of a sesame tasting dressing versus the traditional ginger dressing. I didn't mind and found it pretty delicious. The chirashi had a beautiful presentation. About 11 pieces of sashimi or so with spicy tuna, egg, and shrimp in addition. The rice was delicately sprinkled with sesame and seaweed seasoning. $15.95 The rolls were pretty average tasting but the price seemed cheaper than most places. I did like how they weren't drenched in sauces like some other places. They were topped with either eel, raw fish or masago. The kabuki roll is white tuna on the inside and out. Good if you're a tuna lover. $9.95 The Godzilla roll was a very simple salmon, avocado and eel combination. $8.95 The tiger roll is a lot like a spider roll with the addition of eel topped on the outside. $10.95 And lastly the rainbow roll was your average rainbow roll, decent size, fresh fish. $8.95 All in all the prices were very fair (if not cheaper than other places), but the quality and taste of the restaurant just blended in with all the other various japanese restaurants in the area. read more

Sushi Yama - Chirashi dinner - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

This has been my family's go-to sushi place for a while! The sushi is always fresh and tasty. We went around 6:00 PM so the place wasn't crowded and we didn't have to wait for a table. From past experience, the place can be pretty crammed when you're waiting for a table. We ordered the soft shelled crab as an appetizer and as an entree we ordered the sashimi deluxe, Philadelphia rolls, tempura rolls, 2 hand rolls and Mexican rolls. All were pretty good. Nothing was extraordinary though. My dad and I did notice how the sashimi portions were getting smaller over time. Overall, I decided to give it four stars because although it has fresh, great tastes. It is nothing striking. read more

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This place was busy, and whenever you have somewhere that's busy that's a good sign. My girlfriend and I waited for a bit to get seated. The wait was decently long and we were debating going elsewhere. While we were waiting we noticed what seemed to be the owner of the restaurant talking to several of the customers. It was obvious that he knew the people he was talking to. It seemed like he made an effort to talk to the regulars. I think that's something very noteworthy since most places aren't like that. We sat down and got several sushi rolls. They had other menu items as well but we were so focused on the sushi. The sushi was pretty good. Definitely would be willing to try other rolls of theirs or even the nigiri. Generally, I've found that I go to sushi places for either just the nigiri or just the rolls, but something about this place made me feel like I should try both. I feel like this place would be a great place to be a regular at. Food and service is good. read more

Very standard and average. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing really BAD about "Yama Japanese Restaurant" (though the actual storefront just says "Sushi Yama"), it's just that I've had way better only a few miles away. It's what you'd expect... decent sushi and decent other options like noodles, tempura veggies, rice, etc. I thought the sushi pieces were quite small compared to other local restaurants and not as flavorful. They weren't bad, they just were nothing special. I felt that way about everything here except for the yakisoba, which I like better than some of the other places. But Yama is primarily a sushi place, so I'd expect the sushi to be stellar, but it really isn't. One thing I definitely did NOT like was the salad. Most Japanese places have a delicious, somewhat thick ginger dressing on the salad. Yama instead gives you a very watery, not-so-tasty sesame dressing that drowns your lettuce and leaves a puddle in your salad bowl. The miso was flavorless and tasted like miso from a packet instead of homemade. I see some reviewers complained about the service, but I actually have experienced good service here. Verdict: If you have a friend who wants to go here, it's certainly nothing to shy away from. But if you have your pick, skip it and drive south just a few minutes to Oakton and visit Yoko Sushi, which I personally think has more sushi options (in terms of meat, not in terms of made-up preparation types, of which Yama has many) that are bigger, fresher, better and more flavorful. read more

I've been coming to Yama for a few years now after being introduced by a friend who is a regular. The sushi always tastes fresh and the service is always great. Other than their sushi, the sukiyaki is pretty good too. Definitely come to Yama if you want GOOD sushi. read more

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Excellent customer service, A+++ menu, High quality food, reasonable price $$ My husband I have been eating sushi many different places in the world and eat sushi at least three times a week. During last five years, we tried almost all the sushi restaurants in the dmv area and we pick YAMA Sushi as number one for many reasons. Their ingredients are FRESH - I tried during weekdays and also weekends. Never tasted any food that was not fresh. ALWAYS fresh Servers and chefs are friendly and pleasant to have around. Their price is reasonable. There're many sushi restaurants where they overprice their menu but YAMA doesn't do that. Only thing I wish for this place is to occasionally see some exotic menu. Maybe they can serve some special seafood occasionally which will make the restaurant more unique. Going there again this Friday after work! read more

Nice small cozy sushi place and other Japanese foods/drinks/desserts. Great customer service

I stumbled upon this restaurant by chance one night and since then haven't been sure how to get back there...but wow, I had such a positive sushi experience there, I am so glad I found it here on Yelp so I now have the address information :). I don't remember what sushi roll I ordered, but I absolutely loved it. It was a unique one with just the right combination of complimentary ingredients...I will have to go back the next time I am in the Northern VA area and update this. I can't wait. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it :). read more

It is a small but authentic Japanese restaurant. The food is very authentic and elegant in taste. Maybe places like Sushi Noshi disappointed me too much, I love this restaurant immediately. read more

Sushi Yama - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

Sushi Yama is the best sushi I've ever had.. and I grew up abroad so that means a lot. Don't be fooled by their location in a strip mall. Their fish is excellent, very friendly, good service, Zagat rated. Something for everyone if you don't like sushi. I've been coming here for six years and the quality never slacks. Dinner party atmosphere, no crazy playing, lights or music if that's what you're looking for. Soothing, calm pleasant experience I recommend the alligator roll (doesn't actually have alligator in it), wasabi roll, and holiday roll. read more

Sushi Yama - Alligator and wasabi in the back - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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Just had dinner here and, gotta say..the sushi was excellent. Not better than my fave sushi place in VA (Konami up the road). I was impressed that at 5:30pm on a Friday night that we got seated right away. There was another table with a family of 5, so we felt right at home with the baby. They gave him his own infant seat, too. We had a bunch of sushi off their a la carte menu: alaska rolls (salmon, avocado and cucumber) ; wasabi rolls (crab and avocado wrapped in salmon with a wonderful cream wasabi sauce) ; and spicy tuna rolls. Our waitress was quick and friendly. It was nice to see that we weren't the only family that had a baby on board. The salmon used in the sushi was extra fresh. Overall, Yama is yummy. read more

The sushi was phenomenal. I also got the shrimp teriyaki which was so delicious. 100% recommend coming here if you're in the area! read more

Sushi Yama - From left to right: shrimp tempura roll, spicy salmon roll, and the salmon avocado roll. - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

The restaurant is super cute and staff seems nice and all. One of the ladies that is a waitress and mostly attends carry out orders was super rude over the phone and as soon as I got there to pick up the order she was really focused but never once smiled and was super rude in the way she was handling everything. I asked "2 separate checks" and she's like "so which one is paying for 2 orders and which one is paying for one order" and I quickly explained but she gave a super rude attitude, kind of like a know it all lady. read more

Sushi Yama - Bulgogi Lunch Box - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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Been coming here for years. Used to drive from DC a few times a month. The atmosphere is very friendly and family oriented. The waitresses will often hug you and your little ones on your way out. The chefs are very cordials and they will thank you out loud when you tip them in the tip jar. The host will always make sure that you have been assisted and you have not been waiting at the door too long. He will even help you put your coat on on your way out. The fish are always fresh and good quality. The sushis have always been delicious! I would highly recommend you stop by and experience the eating journey there. You won't regret it. read more

Pretty good. I wasn't blown away, and I think the sushi was good, but I'm not in a rush to eat here again. read more

The sushi was fresh, creations were unique and tasty. However, it's nothing out of the ordinary. This is one of the better sushi places in the area, but not quite the best. We ordered shrimp tempura and several specialty rolls which were good. Uni and appetizer size salmon sashimi. The Uni was fresh but not the best grade of Uni. The salmon sashimi was sliced quite thin. It should be sliced thicker to get the full effect and taste of the salmon. So far, the only place in the area that does it right is Tachibana in McLean. The restaurant is quite small. Be prepared to wait on weekends. Make reservations. But sometimes even with reservations, there will be a wait. They haven't quite mastered the art of seating logistics. read more

Sushi Yama - Japanese Near Me - Vienna, Virginia

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