I was craving for sushi and there were no resevations for Sushi Taro, found this restaurant to be somewhat close to where I live. I did not enjoy most of the food here: *agedashi tofu was overly fried, the shell was not light and crispy and I didn't like the dipping sauce *I did not enjoy the sushi rice that they used here, it's too mushy and sticky and seems like the sushi chefs packed it together too hard *we ordered a bunch of rolls and nigiris, the rice made a lot of the items taste bad. spent $15 on 2 uni nirigis, don't think the uni is very fresh, that was a bad purchase Should have just gone to Sushi Taro and sit at the bar which usually doesn't require reservations but might have a wait. Felt like I would have spent the same amount of money but would have had much better quality at Taro (esp the Uni!). read more

This sushi was extremely small for 119 bux I didn't expect that. Taste was average. The soft shell crab and special crunchy ones where nice. I would of gotten a better deal and a fuller belly going to Safeway and getting that sushi. This was tiny baby sushi read more

Sushi-Zen - Tiny baby sushi - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Happy to return to this local favorite for Arlington's Restaurant Week! For a mere $25 I was able to get a miso starter (with green onion which is key), edamame, and a California roll and chef choice sashimi spread. The smoked salmon was hands down my favorite. Splurged on the mochi desert for an extra $2 and went for the mango and green tea. read more

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I'm over it - the quality is good but the portions are getting smaller and smaller and smaller and we are European, we are used to stuff being small but that's not ok anymore. We ordered sushi for $139 - as picture shown. The whole roll fits on your hand and it's between $16 - $19 each. Door dash is an entire other story because that added a full $60 to the bill between top and service fee and delivery. I guess it is what it is now. read more

Sushi-Zen - Sorry it's in German - means delivery fee, service fee, tax and tip - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Delicious and beautiful presentation, good service! Went there for lunch, looking for sushi, lots of options! Location was in a strip mall near a cluster of other stores and eateries, free parking. I got a table, and they had some seating at a sushi bar too. Service was quick and excellent. I ordered tea to drink, which was no extra charge and refilled a few times. For the entree, I got the Lunch Moriwase special, a mix of sushi and a California roll, with miso soup. The wasabi was fluffed on a beautiful leaf of cabbage and served with a fresh flower and a large leaf, very attractive. The sushi was tasty and had tiny slices of spring onions on top. The rolls were fresh and slightly soft textured, not rolled hard. The miso soup had good sized cubes of a hard tofu, a bit more texture than I've usually had in the soup, easy to eat. Everything was really good, worth the somewhat higher prices than you might usually spend on lunch, was about $20 a person plus tip. Overall, good service, good atmosphere, good food, recommended! read more

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In a time when every sushi restaurant I have been going to since Covid, has been decreasing the size of their sushi rolls, and being so stingy with the roe that I can barely see it, my order from Sushi Zen was a very pleasant surprise. The rolls were good size and they gave me a bunch of roe! So happy when I got my take out order home and opened it up. I also love that they offer organic brown rice and vegetarian/vegan rolls. The only negative I would say, is that the wait staff needs to keep an eye out for people who are waiting for their take out orders. Keep up the great work Sushi Zen! read more

Always a good experience! High quality sushi, great service, and worth the price! We always get the same few rolls and occasionally pick a new roll to try spontaneously. Always great quality-- Tuna Roll Salmon Roll Tuna Avocado Roll Salmon Avocado roll California Roll Spicy Tuna Spicy California Roll Blue Fin Tuna Nigiri Rainbow Roll Dragon Roll Spider Roll All just too good! read more

Sushi-Zen - Tuna & Avocado Roll, Salmon & Avocado Roll, Blue Fin Tuna Nigiri, Tuna Roll, Salmon Roll, Spicy California Roll w/ Roe - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

If you're looking for just sushi only this place will have you covered. If you're looking for sushi and perhaps some other common Japanese dishes I'd suggest Takohachi instead. read more

Service was so very slow. Food was not worth the wait. They seem busy so others might be happy with it but we will look for a better sushi option. read more

What right-minded, sober person gave this place 4.7 stars?! I came here for dinner with a friend and was sorely disappointed. Ambiance: Dirty carpet. Must deodorize. At dinner rush, one of the waitresses was using a questionable rag, smothering leftover rice all over the table as she was preparing it for incoming customers. She noticed that I was watching and had to get a clean towel and wipe down the table. Service: Our server was an unpleasant lady. Attitude, attitude, and she couldn't even crack a smile. Quality: Did they run out of tuna or are they used to cheating customers with the thinly sliced tuna? See picture. I ordered the assorted sashimi, Virginia roll, and aged-tofu. All passable at best. read more

Sushi-Zen - Assorted sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I'd give Zero stars if Yelp let me. We just ordered from here via DoorDash. The chicken teriyaki looked like broiled microwaved chicken and there wasn't any teriyaki sauce, there was a light brown watery liquid sauce which sat at the bottom of the container. The dish was completely inedible. We also ordered 3 different rolls all of which were mediocre at best. Starting to think the reviews on DoorDash are fake reviews as many on Yelp are. Go elsewhere if you're looking for real Japanese food. read more

Sushi fish was only so-so, neither spoiled nor fresh. Perhaps was frozen then prepared. Help was capable but overworked.

The perfect neighborhood sushi spot. Recommended to me by a coworker, Sushi Zen has always been on my radar, but just a bit far from Courthouse and therefore out of my scope. We've finally moved closer and I thought I'd give it a shot. The restaurant was raved as the "best sushi in Arlington" so I did have high expectations to start. The staff is super friendly and accommodating. The ambience is filled with locals bringing their families for dinner. It's a smaller space, so they do get packed during peak dinner hours, for good reason. I've now been here a couple of times. First tip: follow them on Twitter, they have specials benefiting local charities. And a local business that supports the community, is the kind of business I always enjoy supporting. Next, peruse the roll menu, they have some impressive options and the rolls are always well made, with intriguing flavors. Take special note of the sushi specials! They had Japanese Uni alongside their normal California Uni! Then, take a look at the menu. One of the things that I've recently thought is the lack of Japanese restaurants serving onigiri WELL! Guess where you can get them?! Here! They have a baked salmon onigiri, which makes my life complete. Their chirashi is full of delicious fish options, rice, and veggies. Their dashi for their agedashi tofu had bonito flakes. Their organic sake is some of the most drinkable sake's I've had in a while, and it's made in America. They also have a frequent diners program! Let them know I sent you their way ;) read more

We ordered two more trays for a birthday party (outside). The Signature Combo Platter and the Maki Roll Platter. For a party of 10 it was the perfect amount! Everything was fresh, delicious and was gone in minutes! read more

Sushi-Zen still slaps! They've been one of our go-to food spots during quarantine, and I'm SO GLAD they added delivery as an option. (Sometimes I'm too lazy to drive there or start happy hour earlier in these COVID times, ya know?) Plus, typically after every online order, you'll get a 10% off coupon code in your email for a future order -- yay! Favs include the following: - Sophia roll - Oiishi roll - Virginia roll - Outrageous roll - Crunchy spicy tuna or salmon roll - Tuna peno roll - seaweed salad - veggie tempura - shrimp shumai - gyoza dumplings Just ordered again tonight and can't wait to chow down - yum! read more

YUM YUM YUM YUM!!!!! Seriously talk about some good sushi. My friend and I went to hear here, we've only ever had take out. And they did not disappoint. The service was fabulous and the sushi was amazing. We got the ARLINGTON roll which was so good and the sweet potato roll and the spicy tuna roll! I love how the put the crunch stuff in the outside of the rolls. We also got soup & salad and edamame and dumplings. Everything was so good and the food tasted super fresh and it was very filling. I ate way too much but oh well. This will be my new go to spot and I can't wait to bring some of my friends who only eat veggies Because they can eat hear too since they have such a big section of veggie rolls! Really great! read more

Sushi-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

At 57, I finally had an epiphany about sushi. For most of my adult life I was all about the rolls. Unagi and avocado, soft shell crab, California. For some reason, I never felt brave enough to do real sushi. Until recently, that is. Now, all I want in life is a few pieces of blue fin and salmon nigiri. It's the most pure food I've ever eaten. Why did I wait so long?!? Sushi Zen has the freshest, purest, most succulent raw fish around. There are good places in McLean, in Old Town, in DC. But Sushi Zen is better than all of them, hands down. I can't describe it but their tuna and salmon is a notch above everyone else's. read more

Good restaurant, excellent sushi, but "to save costs" they now omit soup or salad with a meal, even if it's $100. And tea is now extra, provided with a tea bag, no less. Hopefully they will come to their senses and do as their competitors. But if you want great sushi this is the place! read more

Sushi-Zen - $65 menu combo. - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

We've started going to sushi-zen pretty frequently and have been taking notes about our favorite rolls. The outrageous roll is awesome. The texture and flavor is on point. The miso soup is always decent and the edamame. My boyfriend really likes some of the eel rolls but I mostly stick to salmon avocado and yellowtail scallion. It's never packed but usually not empty either and a lot of people bring kids. I do wish they had some cheaper wine options but otherwise no complaints. Sushi always seems fresh. read more

Ordered take-out and it all tasted so great! Sushi was flavorful and fresh. Being gluten free, it was so refreshing and exciting to see a clearly labeled menu and so many options. The chicken teriyaki was delicious and again, it was exciting to be able to enjoy those dishes as someone who is gluten free. read more

last night I went to Sushi Zen to order carry out. Service was great, but this is not a fast food restaurant. if you want that, go to McDonalds. Sushi zen takes its time to get everything thing right. i usually order a beer to drink while I wait 1/2 hour for our order. I got udon with broiled shrimp for my wife and sashimi for me. Delicious! read more

Love this family friendly local place! My husband and I try to come here weekly and love a sitting at the bar where we can chat with the staff. The service is super friendly and energetic, Divine always takes great care of us! The sushi speaks for itself, it's incredible, fresh, and delicious. My personal favorite is the Arlington Roll! The sake is delicious, and dont forget to top off your meal with dessert, they have local homemade ice cream from Moorenkos! Love this place, you'll find us at the bar! read more

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I'm so excited I have a new favorite sushi restaurant! I saw good reviews on yelp so I was excited to try it and it lived up to the hype. The fish is so fresh and everything I tried was delicious. I was so full I didn't get a chance to try their dessert but the honey lemon lavender ice cream sounds awesome. I am already craving it again so I'll be a regular here. Highly recommend. I've tried a lot of sushi places and this is a hidden gem. read more

Sushi-Zen - Spicy tuna, super crunch roll, and salmon avocado - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

the food was disappointing for the price. other sushi restaurants I've been to in the area are much better quality. the service was good and I loved the ambiance, so I wish the food was worth it, but it's not. 3.50 for the lamest miso soup I've had at a restaurant, and pretty much every ingredient in my order was slightly disappointing. save the trouble and $ and go to the grocery store read more

I have eaten in a lot of Japanese restaurants and Sushi-Zen sets the standard. The freshness of the sushi is out of this world and every dish not only looks amazing but the taste matches too! The chefs work with quality ingredients and never skimp on presentation. My boyfriend and I love this place and it's usually our go-to for our date nights. We started coming here last fall after his vacation in Japan. He wasn't a huge sushi lover before his trip but when he came back, sushi was what he craved and luckily, Sushi-Zen was there to satisfy those cravings! Some of our favorites are: Aburi (seared) Sake Spicy Yellowtail Roll Hotate The food is why we come back but the service is why we won't stop. We've eaten here so many times that we've become regulars. Since our first dinner in September, I've been here 20 times! We've been here for lunches and dinners. We've been here with family, with friends, with children. We've celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, fridays lol. We know the staff and they know us. They greet everyone that walks through their doors and THAT amiability, as well as hospitality, is present for the rest of your dine-in experience. We still have so much to try on their menu and it continues to grow with new delicious items (Like that amazing sushi-donut!) They also have a wonderful rewards program that you should sign up for! In closing, I love this place and I encourage anyone to eat here! read more

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Very good sushi, would recommend. Big fan of the speciality rolls! Reasonable prices and friendly staff.

Still an excellent place for sushi. My wife and I always sit at the sushi bar and have fun conversations with the sushi chefs. Their sashimi special always tends to have more fish, and better quality fish, than the sashimi platters I've tried at other sushi restaurants. My only wish is that unagi/eel was a part of that dish. My wife tends to order various maki rolls, and those are always really tasty. They definitely don't skimp on fish in their rolls (see the pics I just uploaded); some other places I've tried basically give you rice balls instead of sushi rolls Quite frankly, I still don't understand the negative reviews considering the restaurant is pretty packed on the Friday and Saturday nights that we go, and their takeout business seems to be thriving. I believe that much of the repeat clientele is a bit older and doesn't necessarily tend to be the same demographic that utilizes Yelp a lot, and as a result a lot of the reviews skew downward. read more

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Well, we love this place so much. We keeping coming back for the freshest, cleanest sashimi and nigiri in town. The seasonal produces really stand out and made every season special. We love the atmosphere, the ambiance, and the servers. Just come here and try, you won't be disappointed. read more

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Disclaimer: After my last review, Rosie from Sushi-Zen contacted me via email thanking me for my review and offering a 25% off coupon for my next meal and topped up our rewards points. This did not "sway" me to come back in - I like this restaurant and would have come back anyway. It also does not affect my opinion below. I love Sushi-Zen, that's a known fact. It was my boyfriend's birthday and my parents wanted to take us out for dinner, and we decided on sushi. The service was much better this time (they didn't know that I wrote a Yelp review until after the dinner was complete). I didn't catch our server's name, but she was wonderful. They also helped cater to my little brothers (ages 8 and 11), to help them find something they would like. Brian, the owner, came over and introduced himself after our dinner and asked about our service. I assured him it was excellent, and more on par of what we are used to at the restaurant. They even brought out green tea ice cream for my boyfriend! We orderd a LOT of sushi (88 pieces I think?) and it was not a long wait (maybe 15-20 minutes) until we got our meal. It all came out at once, and we were treated to miso soup and salad, per usual, beforehand. read more

This is one of my favorite sushi places. First off, there is no smell. Even a lot of "authentic" and well-reviewed sushi places in the area smell like rotten fish. Clearly, if the restaurant is cleanly and knows what it's doing with seafood, it won't smell. At Sushi Zen there is not even a whiff when you walk in. The decor is quaint and inviting, and allows for an intimate dining experience. There is ample seating at the sushi-bar so you can watch the artists at work, as well as tables accommodating small parties which are separated by screens. Whenever I go I've ordered sushi a la carte. If you order over a certain amount, they include miso soup (rich and delicious) and a small garden salad (with that intoxicating dressing I can't replicate). My personal favorite is the Spider roll, with soft shell crab and avocado. It's truly delicious! There is a large selection of nigiri, as well as traditional sushi rolls and also lots of Chef's Specials. There's also a fairly ample vegetarian selection, and a decent amount of seasonal specials. If you're lucky, they'll have the Toro nigiri in stock; order if you can and you won't be disappointed! The waitstaff is always friendly but I will admit that some are better than others. read more

Sushi-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I've been coming here for 9 years. They won best sushi 2014. Friendly staff and outrageous food. read more

Sushi-Zen - Hard at work - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Sushi Zen rocks! Been holed up during these coronavirus times, so I ordered on the website, for carry-out pickup at the atrium, very safe and easy. Sushi Zen's chirashi has long been one of the best around, although I prefer even more my occasional habit of egg nigiri, sweet tofu (inari) sushi, eel nigiri, and two maki of avocado and yellowtail. Even as takeout it's still plated nicely, so break out the nice chopsticks and sake, and we will get through this together! The Sushi Zen team remains upbeat and happy and welcoming as always. So hit up the website, then come by and support this neighborhood gem! read more

I was meeting my sister for dinner near her school and she had a craving for sushi. Our search led us to Sushi-Zen, a cozy local sushi restaurant close to her school. Located in a strip mall with plenty of parking and a Duck Donuts! Upon entering Sushi-Zen, we were greeted and seated immediately. We were given both the a la carte and sushi menu. We decided on the gyoza appetizer as our starter and then ordered different sushi to share. We ordered the Philly Roll, Rainbow Roll, Soft shell crab roll, and shrimp tempura roll. Our meal also came with miso soup and house salad. Our gyoza was tasty but the star was our sushi. Our sushi was fresh, well made, and flavorful. I loved the soft shell crab sushi-so delicious. Service was great throughout our meal. I could also tell this was a neighborhood spot. Many regulars were eating which I could determine by their rapport with the staff. Great spot for sushi. read more

Sushi-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This may have been the best chirashi bowl I have ever had. It tasted so fresh and the portions were huge. I could barely finish it all! The rainbow roll was also delicious. read more

Sushi-Zen - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This used to be our go to place for sushi in the area, but the quality has gone down in the past 6 months or so. On two of the last three visits, both the tuna and salmon sashimi were so bad I couldn't finish them. I did not get sick from them or anything, but they did not taste fresh--or even the slightest bit good--and were of far lower quality than I am comfortable with overall. Their rolls are better, and I've never had one I couldn't eat, but they're not amazing and are not good enough to justify going back regularly at this point. To their credit, service is generally very good here, and the staff is quite nice and inviting. But there are better places in the area with equally good service and higher quality food. read more

I'm lowering my previous review out of disappointment from my recent dining experience. I picked up lunch to go the other day and was extremely disappointed that they put a hot and steaming deep fried roll inside the same plastic to-go container as my completely raw sushi roll. The result when I got home was a soggy friend roll and a steamed raw roll that was completely unappetizing (picture sweating raw tuna that was turning light pink from being cooked by the steam). Also, both the salmon and tuna in my rolls were very fibrous and full of sinew. I felt like I got the reject cuts in my roll. The roll slices were also cut extremely large and could not be enjoyed in one bite as they are supposed to be. I did not enjoy my rolls and was very disappointed. The miso soup was delicious as always but the salad dressing was more mayonnaise-y than I remember. However they were very generous with the to-go salad, which is often not the case at sushi places. The teriyaki lunch special was delicious and no complaints there. They were also very kind and made special child chopsticks for my son which was a very sweet gesture that did not go unnoticed. I'll be giving sushi-zen another shot because I'm such a long time customer but was very disappointed with my most recent visit. read more

Sushi Zen has wonderful Japanese food, including the best tempura around. It is always non-greasy yet crispy - a delicious treat. They offer a brown rice option for health nuts like me. All the sushi offerings are delicious, with my favorite being the Futo Maki - a wonderful blend of tastes. I love to bring friends to Sushi Zen to introduce them to this excellent restaurant. Service is always friendly and efficient. read more

Best sushi restaurant in Arlington. My favorite place to enjoying my family. Fish is so fresh all the time. Great service too.

Just a follow up review to share how great the food and service is at a Sushi Zen. I love coming here - it's always friendly with a greeting the minute you enter the door. The servers are friendly but not pushy (I hate the server who has to check after every bite if things are ok... Trust! If there's something wrong I'll find you.) always quietly refilling your hot tea and water, and if you sit at the sushi bar you'll get a warm greeting from the chefs, too. So on top of the great service, you get great food here. Tonight I had a sashimi appetizer with Toro and New Zealand Salmon - for only $16! Combined with a couple of rolls and I'm one happy man! The food is always awesome, but tonight's was just a little more yummy because of the sashimi. The food is prepared with lots of TLC - all of the sushi chefs take pride in their work. Don't just take my word for it - this place was Best of Arlington 2014 for best sushi. read more

Sushi-Zen - The Royal Sashimi Plate - tonight's special with Toro and New Zealand Salmon. - Japanese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Enjoyed time with some family this evening and glad we chose Sushi Zen. Some in my family ordered the Tempura Udon! I snuck a sip of the broth - it was excellent. I ordered the Katsu Don. I was wary at first (I'm a picky eater), but it was actually pretty good. Customer service was great! Got to meet the owner who had a pleasant disposition. Hosts worked as a team. It was pretty busy while we were there. It was a little bit tight where we were seated (we were a party of 6), but all in all it was a good time with good food and great company! I will be making another visit to Sushi Zen soon! read more