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I dined here for dinner with the guidance of Yelp, which never steers me wrong. We were greeted by a lady who saw there were three in my family , she quickly made a table to seat us. The restaurant is very tiny and had maybe 5 dine in chairs with seating at a sushi bar. The prices were very reasonable so we ended up ordering a boat for two. Honestly, it's a bad for three because both my husband and I couldn't finish it. The fish used was delicious and everything tasted great. Service was wonderful. The sweet lady who served us was just so nice. Small cozy place, great sushi. They also offer catering too! Which I was surprised because it's such a small restaurant.
Solid spot! You order and then sit... there's limited seating - little hole in the wall, but yummy! The sweet potato tempura was my fav! Wish they had a full bar... they were the only sushi place open late in that area on a Friday night. Would def go back! Also, their bathroom has a bidet!
I really like the restaurant. The sushi entrees and service is top notch. Tiny space with a few tables, but truly authentic with reasonable prices. Highly recommend over the saturated sushi spots with inflated prices. Staff is extremely nice.
Really in the mood for sushi. Out of town in DC Took a chance on a short Uber ride from my hotel WOW! What a find, right across from a Marine Barracks in the Washington Naval Yard area. Small hole in the wall, with some of the best sushi I've had in a while. Made it here for a late lunch. Fast service and high quality very fresh sushi. Will definitely be back next time I'm staying in the area.
The salmon here is outstanding. The other fish are good too, but I find the salmon especially scrumptious. Be aware that for their sushi, they already add a little bit of wasabi in there, so tell them ahead of time if you don't like wasabi. Friendly woman at the counter. Cute, cozy atmosphere.
Very small and cozy sushi restaurant located in the Eastern Market area. It has limited seating, but perfect to go to on a Saturday night. The workers were nice and greeted us when we came in. I enjoy the plants at the front of the store, adding a bit to the simple decorations inside. Wife and I were confused at first because you order and pay at the register first, I looked a little silly waiting for a server. You can't go wrong (hopefully) with a simple appetizer, miso soup, that comes with the Sushi Lover (for 2). The sushi was very delicious and tasted amazing. They put the right amount of wasabi within the nigiri, which hit nicely. The rolls that came with the nigiri was delicious and I enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately, my only issue was that some of the fish on the nigiri was not as fresh tasting or looking. Willing to go here again at an earlier time.
Cozy, no frills sushi spot. Great fish quality, with very affordable prices. My partner and I got the sushi love boat for $55 and we were both full after. Such a great deal. Service was friendly and quick. There isn't much seating and it's pretty closely packed, and was very busy for a Wednesday night. I would recommend getting there around 7 to beat the evening rush. I might deem this place the best value sushi spot in DC. I would highly recommend and say it's worth going out of the way for.
I was about a week into a multi-city road trip and needed something that was not fried or ridiculously overpriced. Thank you Torai Sushi for being there in my need. For a Washington restaurant that serves Sushi, Torai is remarkably affordable. It's vibe is definitely a small local eatery that provides good quality food while being very modest in appearance and seating capacity. It was nice to see that they also had a brisk take-out/pick-up business as this place deserves to succeed. The neighbourhood feels very safe, the shop is across from a Marine Barracks and there was plenty of street parking. We were greeted and seated promptly and our orders arrived quickly. The Pork Shumai arrived first and were quickly consumed. These were followed by Tune Poké for me and my brother went with Pork Belly Ramen. We were very satisfied with the quality of our meals, the portion sizes, and the service received. We would most definitely return.
Came here for the first time with a friend recently and had a lovely time! The inside is very no frills, but the menu is EXTENSIVE and the food was very good! They give you a full, regular menu, and also a slip of paper for a la carte sushi rolls that you can mark with a golf pencil. My friend and I each ordered 3 rolls from their a la carte menu and we were stuffed! We each got two normal ones (like avocado rolls and spicy tuna rolls) and each got a "chef special" (like shrimp tempura). Everything came out on one big plate, so be aware that you might just not know what is what unless you order very distinctive things. My friend is gluten free, but thankfully the only one she couldn't eat (tempura) was readily identifiable and we knew that one was mine. Otherwise, we just decided to split the other rolls, since they all looked good and we have similar tastes. Everything was nice and fresh and the portions were very generous for the price. We also split a bottle of sake, which was very yummy. The sake we had wanted was out of stock, but the server was able to recommend another one that was similar and we really liked the one she picked (I forget the name, but the description says something like "subtle flavor"). They were very busy with to-go orders, but still brought out our food really quickly and you can pay at the counter, so the whole experience was very efficient. I'd definitely return to try more sushi and find that sake brand again!
An unassuming spot, with 2 tables and some bar sets. From the outside, it looks like a little hallway/takeaway only, but this is excellent quality sushi and unbeatable prices. The fish is SO fresh and delicious, I can't believe it's available in DC! You'll leave well fed and within budget!
I have gone here almost every day for months. It's always fast service. It's always delicious. I've gotten almost every roll and a poke bowl once. It's a creat local sushi spot and I've gone to other places in dc and haven't had the same experience. It's cute inside. Not a large amount of tables but for a little intimate date it would work.
We've walked by this place a hundred times but never stopped in until friends recommended it. It is small and quaint, unassuming, and maybe seats about 12 comfortably with an extra counter for seating on the side. The sushi was delicious - fresh, and beautifully prepared. We tried the Love Boat for 2 and it was plentiful and perfectly selected. Japanese Red Ale and a hot ginger tea were perfect accompaniments. The service was on point. You can place your order at the counter as well as pay there after your meal. We can't wait to return! read more
My favorite sushi place on Barracks Row! Torai is a super low-key and unassuming spot to get sushi. It's reasonably priced, and the sushi is darn tasty. You definitely get your money's worth here. I love eating-in or taking it to go. The vibes inside are very peaceful. Just you, your friends, the chefs, and CNN. It's honestly a fun experience. When taking it to go, I really appreciate the cashier's kind attitude. She always smiles and makes me feel like a valued customer. That's honestly a rarity in this town, which is a shame because it makes a difference to me. I usually get the bento box or the chef special. You can't go wrong here! read more
4 years ago
5 years ago
This is my new go to "hole in the wall" sushi spot! I wouldn't recommend it for a nice date night but, so perfect for a casual sushi night, lunch or take out! I say that because service seems very focused on the take out orders and there isn't a bar - just some beers and saki in the fridge. But, the quality of the food is great and they have so many specials! We got the love boat which is 18 pieces of nigiri, 2 special rolls (rainbow and yummy yummy), seaweed salad and 2 miso soups. We subbed the yummy yummy roll for a volcano for an extra charge. So I can't speak for the yummy yummy but, the volcano roll was amazing and I usually don't even like fried rolls. The pieces of fish on the nigiri are fresh and a good size on top of rice that's perfectly sticky so it stays together well. I'll definitely be coming back and/or ordering take out! read more
3 years ago
Continues to be a solid option when I'm craving affordable sushi! I wanted all cooked seafood options so she went through the items with me and pointed out which those would be. I was able to get spider crab, shrimp, and eel rolls all cooked some veggie options for $40- just the spider crab roll would have been close to $20 elsewhere! read more
4.50 stars As other Yelpers have reported, fresh clean sushi here. A bit on the pricier side but certainly well worth it. It's basically self serve meaning: You fill in your order slip and hand it to the lady at the counter. She'll bring you your order a few minutes later. The place is super small. A couple of four-seat tables 'n chairs with a few chairs in front of the sushi chef and a few more bordering the wall. In addition to the sushi, they have ramen, poke and other stuff. A few varieties of beer, but no Sapporo. Not happy about that but I had a bottle of Red something for $8.75 - which worked. The bathrooms are super tiny (and clean) like the rest of this place but overall it's a winner. Very intimate. Very informal. Lots of folks were doing the takeout thing and I see why. It's almost claustrophobic. read more
OMG. This place is a classic example of "don't judge a book by its cover." I would suggest this place spruce itself up, but then that would take a way from the mystery of it all. Very unassuming from the outside. It actually looks like the type of place you wouldn't get sushi from. When I walked in at around 7:30 pm, it was empty. The chef greeted me with a big smile and pointed me to the place to order. At the point I was greeted by a very friendly lady. I told her I was starving and it was my first time-- she made some roll suggestions. Ended up going with the Trio Amigo roll and Alligator Roll, which to my dismay had no alligator .. they were both so fresh and so good. My food came out in about 2 minutes if that. The specialty rolls come with 5 pieces, which is less than most places, BUT, the pieces are huge. Packed with delicious fish. It was difficult to take each piece in one clean bite. Luckily I was alone, so no one could see me stuff sushi into my mouth like a beast. Customer service= excellent! Rolls = excellent! Me = will be back! read more
My love for sushi can be a little intense. When the craving hits, there is nothing else that can satisfy me until I get my fix. Just imagine me, twitching as I scrape my chopsticks and stir wasabi into my soy sauce, just waiting... So when I first *rolled* up to Nooshi, which is just up the street for a late lunch to realize that they no longer stay open between lunch and dinner, I felt like I was coming up short. I could almost taste the sushi and yet, I could not think of a walkable option serving between 3pm - 5pm. Thank goodness for the Yelp app, because I had no idea Torai was only about a block away. If my memory serves me correctly, this spot was not here at this time last year, so I never even thought to walk further down 8th street where I would have discovered Torai. The set-up here is super casual and perfect if you're looking for an easy carry-out option. The space is small, but you can walk right up, order at the register and either take your food to go, or enjoy inside of on the sidewalk patio space, which is a nice option. There is a fridge, where you can easily choose your selection from and pay right next to the register and sushi counter as well. I ordered a specialty roll and traditional roll not realizing just how plentiful the specialty rolls are. I would have easily been full from just that alone. Additionally, the folks working here seem to be *so* sweet. The woman that took my order was so lovely, making sure I had everything I needed to dine in and asking if I liked it as I finished up. It's hard not to enjoy supporting people that are so kind of caring for their customers. Happy to have another sushi option not too far away and will definitely order from here again soon. read more
2 years ago
Off the bat seemed like a great place for some sushi, I didn't read reviews for this location before going. The restaurant didn't have a good or bad atmosphere inside but I spent $108 on a boat which came out looking amazing, however, the fish was either partially frozen or taste like it was sitting out all day, my son found out that the sushi also has wasabi in them. He was not happy at all with fire in his mouth. It is not noted anywhere that it will be in the sushi. Safe to say I left behind all the food as I began feeling I will get sick if I continued to eat. read more
I stopped in here for lunch. There was no line, but there were a good number of people seated eating. Definitely a good sign. Being Korean, I'm pretty picky about my Korean food. Torai did not disappoint me. The Koreans working there were quite pleasant. I ordered the spicy pork dupbap, and it was great. My only knock is that I wish there was more kimchee in the bowl. Otherwise, the flavor was just like my mom makes. I also got some sushi, and it was also very good. The pieces were big and fresh. The space itself seems to have a little bit of re-jiggering from the Kimchee Cafe days. Overall, a great experience here, and I'm looking forward to trying their ramen and beef sushi. read more
Bottom Line: Good quality sushi, very generous sashimi portions, and tasty specialty rolls, you won't go wrong with this place. And actually quite affordable. We found out go-to sushi spot in the Navy Yard area We ordered two rolls, a classic Dragon Roll, but got a Spicy tuna twist to it. On top of that, we ordered a Yummy yummy roll which was YUMMY! We're also pretty sure their spicy tuna is just a tad spicier than the average, which were really into! To top it all off, we got a $20 4-in-1 Salmon set which included 3 slices of salmon sashimi, 1 salmon roll, 1 salmon hand roll, and 2 salmon nigiri. All for $20! This was a great deal. They have this option for tuna and a few others. Final Thoughts: very affordable priced sushi that is well portioned out (huge sashimi) and actually good quality. Will always return! read more
A small sushi spot packing a big punch! I arrived about 40 minutes before closing so the place was quite empty. Even though they were cleaning up, the staff was super welcoming. The service was no doubt better than a lot of places I've been to. I ordered their dragon roll and the yaki salmon roll. Delicious eel and salmon that indeed satisfied my sushi craving. Would I prefer Torai over my favorite sushi restaurants? I can't say I can, but the fact that I received outstanding service along with a satisfactory meal shows that Torai is truly an establishment worth keeping an eye on. My girlfriend and I are excited to come back to try other things they have to offer. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
7 years ago
I've been wanting to dine here after picking up so many orders for door dash! Lol I decided to try it. When you walk in, it's small and intimate. The customer service was inviting. The cashier went over the items on the menu with me due to spicy foods. I DO NOT EAT SPICY FOODS so I can be choosy I ordered the salmon roll which was tasty by the way including the crab salad. This is not a place for a large crowd but definitely a lunch or dinner for two with a glass of red wine. I liked it! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
Tried this place out for the first time and it was great! Pretty good prices for DC sushi, and the quality is there. The cashier was super nice and I didn't wait long for my take out order. I got the salmon set and 8th street roll. Both were good but the salmon set was the standout! Great little hole in the wall spot! Will definitely come back. read more
4 years ago
My new go-to for sushi after struggling to find a solid spot in cap hill. Family-run small restaurant with very kind workers. Generous portions at very reasonable prices. Sake don (salmon chirashi) is my absolute favorite. read more
5 years ago
8 years ago
I just moved into Capitol Hill, just a 20 minute walk to Barracks Row and I couldn't be more excited! I saw Torah on an exploration walk and had to try it. Korean owners that serve a mixture of Korean and Japanese food, yum! The sushi is delicious, the bento, delicious and the ramen... did I already say delicious? If you're expecting the sushi quality to be that of a 3 star restaurant, you're insane! But for a neighborhood restaurant that serves excellent food for the price, excellent service, and a friendly face? I'll be back! Did I mention the 4 in 1 set? So cool! You pick the fish and they give you nigiri, maki, sashimi and temaki. It's the best way to experience fish in different ways! I tried it with white tuna and was not disappointed! My girlfriend loved her chicken teriyaki bento and my other friend got the ramen. We weren't unhappy in anyway. It was good food. read more
Torai is simply too good to be true. It's two blocks from my apartment, the staff is very pleasant, and the food is amazingly fresh and delicious. After a long afternoon at the pool, I stopped in for lunch one summer afternoon. I decided to order the lunch special Sushi Roll Combo ($14), which included a California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, and Shrimp Tempura Roll. Every roll was amazing. The spicy tuna roll I was least excited about, and it was my absolute favorite. The shrimp tempura roll was unique and amazing. The California was fresh and delicious. Every roll had huge pieces, and the price was just fantastic. I have returned a couple times since and just really enjoy their food. read more
6 years ago
I've praised this establishment for years and often recommended it to others. All the years that I've been coming here and bringing my family/friends, I was always made to pay for my orders upfront and thought that it was just they way they did things. During my most recent visit, I got my usual and dined outside with family. I did notice that the staff seemed to cater an awful lot to the party next to me, checking in with them and asking them if they needed anything else, then I saw them bring those customers a bill. I was shocked but sadly not surprised. I will not support any establishment that doesn't treat their customers equally. Also the ramen was bland. read more
8 years ago
Update: A friend and I went back, and this time it did not disappoint. I got the sashimi gold, and she got a couple of rolls, some nigiri, and sashimi. It was excellent, and I am very glad to have tried it again. I will most definitely be returning! Original: I recently moved to DC and have been in search of an amazing sushi place ever since. After reading all of the almost perfect reviews, I was excited to try this place out since it was conveniently located right by my house. To say the least, I was underwhelmed. I ordered the Chirashi which from the pictures and reviews looked like the perfect thing to order for a sashimi lover. The dish was beautiful(picture included; A+ on that), but the taste and fish itself was not as expected. Some of the fish didn't taste fresh. And for the price paid, I was expecting more than cheap tasting sashimi. My husband got the chicken teriyaki grill plate, and he was also disappointed. Maybe it was a bad day, so I'd be willing to try it again. But as a first time customer, I was not impressed. read more
Torai is located in the same place that used to make my favorite matcha green tea smoothie, but that's ok because Torai makes delicious sushi! We had excellent service when they opened on Saturday at 11 am. I placed an order for the bulgogi bibimbap with fried egg, and the egg was cooked perfectly - slightly runny and clear on top with a good fry on the bottom. The gochujang was a bit much and all over the place so each bite was spicy and kicky and tangy. I would have preferred a little more meat considering the amount and variety of thinly sliced veggies. We also shared an alligator roll, sunrise roll, and dragon roll. All were delicious and presented in such a pretty manner. The place was a little hot but there was a huge container with iced water flavored with lemon and they had fans going as well as a tv with the World Cup game. The three employees diligently kept themselves busy while remarking over the game. They were very courteous and tried to keep their volume and the tv's respectable of us. It's not a huge place, but I would estimate it could sit 15 - 20 people, albeit it would be a tight fit. They have a cooler with different types of drinks, some of which I believe were typical Asian juices as well as beer. read more
2 years ago
8 years ago
4.5 stars for food. 5 stars for service, spicy mayo, and they have Yuzu juice!!! Even Sushi Taro did not have Yuzu. I'm surprised this place is not packed. Prices are definitely reasonable. Quality of fish is not as I would like but you get what you paid for. I had the salmon set. Fish was sliced much better than sushi taro who butchered my piece of salmon. Compare the pictures below. The rolls are phenomenal. Fantasy roll was awesome. I would go back for their rolls in a heart beat. Spicy mayo had a lot of flavor. They use Japanese mayo and many more ingredients. Let's put it this way, it's my fav spicy mayo ever!!! Service was great. Chef was patient with me and all my requests. High maintenance. Haha! Highly recommend for a local joint to be a regular! read more
Came across this place one night after a Nats game. In search for some decent sushi, we decided to try this place out. I was definitely not disappointed. The place was pretty small, quiet and comfy. Very hole in the wall type of feel. The owners are Korean I believe and they were playing Korean pop music in the background, which was fun. The menu was endless when it came to sushi options. I decided to go with one of the Sushi Silver Dinner Entree, which had 11 pieces of sushi and a tuna roll. It was amazing. Presentation was nice, fish was fresh and the pieces of fish were huge! Everything just melted in your mouth. It makes my mouth water just thinking about how soft and fluffy the eel was and I normally don't even care for eel, but it was that good. My friends ordered some simple rolls and the salmon special and they were also impressed at the gracious portions. I will definitely come back. 5 stars from me! read more
More info about Torai Sushi
751 8th St SE
Washington, DC 20003
Capitol Hill
Directions
(202) 525-2053
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http://toraisushi.com
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Torai Sushi - sushi - Updated September 2026
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