Super solid choice for carry-out sushi. It's become a Friday night tradition to get dinner from Torai, and the quality has always been strong. It's an incredibly small space inside, so we prefer to do take away, but total preference on that choice. read more

Got the love boat. Was delicious!! And worth the price. It's first come first serve. We went in pretty late, but I imagine it gets crowded quick. There are like 15 seats inside the restaurant. read more

Torai Sushi - The love boat with sides of spicy Mayo and Eel sauce! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Really good sushi at reasonable prices! We got a bunch of veggie and fishy sushi. The spicy rolls were genuinely spicy, which was awesome! I really liked the vegetable tempura roll, which stayed crispy despite a (relatively) long walk home. They also have some fun and different rolls, like the spicy scallop roll. Definitely a good sushi option when you're in the neighborhood! read more

Most excellent sushi joint! We had a variety of rolls and all were excellent! Went back for another lunch after the first. We were only in DC for a day and a half so eating a place twice days a lot!! read more

Torai Sushi - Several sushi rolls... all awesome! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Cute lil Japanese food option that replaced Cafe Kimchi that I used to love. It's definitely worth a try here and a place to go back to only if I'm in the area since there are other pretty good Japanese restaurants in other neighborhoods of the city. The chef and workers were all so very nice too!! read more

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The fish is very fresh, but they put wasabi on every single piece of sushi that we ordered. I hate wasabi. I had to pick it off of the rice, but I could still taste it. I've eaten a lot of sushi and this is the first time that I've ever seen a restaurant put wasabi on each piece of sushi. I've occasionally seen one type of fish that comes with a dab of wasabi, but nothing like this. We ordered the scallop, yellowtail belly and salmon belly. They all had wasabi. read more

Torai Sushi - Yellowtail belly with a huge dollop of wasabi, that we were not expecting. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

had a picnic at the park, and this sushi made it an experience. The soft shell crab was my favorite. My favorite sushi in DC at the moment. Also next to district donuts, so if you have a sweet tooth you can stop by right after read more

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

I've been to Torai three times now, and every time has been delicious! I've tried the tuna poke bowl, combination sushi platter, and the sashimi bento box. Everything is made to order with fresh ingredients. So it may take a bit longer to get your food if there's orders in front of you, but it's definitely worth the wait! The serving sizes are plentiful and leave you feeling satisfied. I also really enjoy that they have a good selection of drinks, including a tasty kombucha. The staff is friendly and makes sure to check to see if you need anything. Very excellent customer service. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying more of the menu! read more

Torai Sushi - Poke bowl and sushi platter special - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I'm a huge fan of Sushi! Simply some of the best sushi I've had in a while. It was an amazing experience!

Great addition to restaurant row in this Capitol Hill neighborhood! Decided to get some lunch at 2:30 PM with fellow Yelper Nicole G., and Torai seemed like the best of the open establishments. Walked into the relatively small space dominated by the ordering counter, at sat down at one of the three tables. Given it was rather wet and miserable outside, I decided on a salmon poke bowl. After ordering, we sat down at the table and waited a bit for our food. And it was delicious! Any decent poke bowl has to have good number of toppings with a variety of flavor, and this one definitely delivered. The lady running this establishment also came by to check on how we liked the food, which was a sweet gesture. Overall, I can't wait to come back again! read more

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Torai is the best sushi find I have found in Navy Yard since moving here. Sushi is fresh and the staff is so friendly. If you're looking for quality sushi - Torai is it read more

Ordered delivery from Torai for our usual COVID era Friday. I wanted to try different things, so I ordered a spicy salmon roll and a spicy chicken bento (err...platter)? The bento thing was cute with everything organized so neatly. The check was delicious and the rice was a perfect compliment. It came with a California roll and a small veggie dumpling (gyoza). The Cali was pretty tasty, but I thought the dumpling was just okay. I was a little disappointed though in the spicy salmon roll. The roll was large and not particularly well-rolled. To begin with, the salmon was chopped up and mixed with the spicy sauce. I'm not a fan of that; rather just see a nice piece o' salmon and sauce drizzled on top. I admit I also tend to be really judgmental on rolls. I'm picky about the size (bigger isn't better), how well rolled, and freshness/flavor. In this case, I had to be careful with the salmon roll because it was so large that it would fall apart moving from the tray. I found a workaround though: I started using my chopsticks kinda like a fork and sliding it under the roll. Lol! No, it didn't work! My family all liked what they ordered, so I'll be ordering again at some point. My net order will include a salmon roll, but no spicy sauce. read more

have been going here for years, probably at least once a month. however today when I came in in the middle of a rain storm, they included an item I'm allergic to I noticed when I got home, called hoping to find a way to make it right, but they instead yelled at me & told me it was my fault they included the allergen Bizarre customer service, will be taking my business elsewhere going Forward read more

High quality food in a quick format. I had the teriyaki salmon bento which was very good. I saw several people(all of them came in individually wearing scrubs) order to go...waited a few minutes and took their take out order with a happy look on their faces. If you like ginger, try the Bruce Coast Ginger Ale Highly recommend:salmon teriyaki read more

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

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New found sushi place in barracks row! Ramen was great as well as the teriyaki and rice. Favorite roll was the California. We will definitely be back! read more

I find everything about Torai to be endearing. The owner is friendly and courteous, the service is fast, and the fish is fresh. They have not one, not two, but three varieties of ginger ale (!). I got the umami shoyu poke, and I was pleased with the quality and portion size. This is beside the point, but I prefer to get poke at sushi restaurants (as opposed to chipotle-type build-your-own-poke restaurants) because the seasoned sushi rice really makes all the difference. I'm looking forward to trying Torai's ramen and sushi in the future. (side note: I would not sit at the sushi bar area. the countertops are weirdly high and it makes for a somewhat awkward dining experience.) read more

Torai is a welcome addition to this block (despite there being another sushi place a couple doors down). It is tiny but welcoming, and the chef is very friendly. I had the bulgogi bibimbap which came with a cup of delicious hot miso soup. My friends had sushi. We all left happy. I do wish there was some sort of cheaper lunch special, but the prices weren't unexpected. read more

Capitol Hill gem. I'm lucky I live so close! The best, freshest, and tastiest Sushi in the area. The staff is super friendly, helpful, and so nice. I am a repeat customer for life. I recommend the Torai roll and the sunrise role. Everything is great! read more

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Oh torai. Where have you gone wrong over the years. First it seems like you no longer check your to go orders and forget stuff. Second the items never arrive fresh and lastly you have overpriced your items for delivery. I am so disappointed as this used to be my go to sushi restaurant but now I am on the hunt for another one. The last time I was there the fish was fishy, the quality was not as good as previous times and lastly they got the order wrong. I am sad to say good bye but some other restaurant will have quality again and not price gouge on the cost of food in the store vs delivery. In store they do not pay attention to the tables and you will need to get your own water. Multiple times I had to order from cashier. read more

I've ordered sushi rolls (Spicy Tuna, Rainbow, Fantasy, Crazy) for takeout twice in a week's time and both times I was VERY pleased. Fish was fresh, rolls were well put together and service / disposition of staff all made me want to return and I'm sure I'll be ordering from and visiting them again. Don't allow yourself to be put off by the small storefront. The food is super legit!! read more

Ordered from this place on UberEats and it was just excellent! Goss is now my go to spot in the neighborhood. Next time I'll call to pick up to save some delivery money and support them. read more

I second Mina Z's review. Went for lunch and dayyyyyyyum was the sushi good. So above any expectation for this teeny hole-in-the-wall takeout place down the street from Nooshi & Sushi Hachi. I've never eaten at the latter but this is probably 100x better than Nooshi which I've been to often (but never again!). Sushi is never really a cheap option if you're looking to fill up but at Torai the price point for the quality is brilliant. We got the mackerel & salmon nigiri, the yellowtail and red snapper sashimi, the Volcano, and the spicy tuna. We immediately ordered a second yellowtail sashimi and a salmon sashimi cuz that was some freyyyyysh fish, folks! The Volcano was perfectly spicy with a nice big slice of jalapeño on top of each piece and the tempura batter was delectable -- didn't get soggy at all while we ate our raw stuff first. The mackerel was seared which gave some beautiful earthy flavor to the fish & served with lots of scallion on top for a bright, fresh note...add the umami of soy and OMG *so* good. The spicy tuna was spicy tuna; but, for whatever reason, it also was inhale able. Arguably the best sushi I've had in DC. It's clearly a family run joint (lovely) and, yes, it's mostly self serve, but so what? Everyone we encountered was super sweet and efficient. Don't forget to try one of their 3 less common Japanese beer offerings (no Ashai, Kirin, or Sapporo here) - both we sampled were light and tasty. Itadakimasu! read more

Great food and great price! I had the spicey yellow trail and rock and roll, roll. Very fresh and tasty.

I ordered from here on UberEats since we're social distancing. It was really yummy and well packaged! I got the yummy yummy roll and some miso soup both were delicious. The sushi had spicy tuna on top which was super fresh and the soup had good flavor. My only complaint is they marked up the prices on UberEats, but if you're willing to pay you'll get some quality sushi. read more

Torai Sushi - Yummy yummy roll + Miso Soup - Sushi Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The biggest hidden sushi gem in the area. Why pay more down the street when Torai has it all plus amazingly friendly staff? Their Umami Shoyu poke is drool worthy. The Bento Boxes will knock out all of your cravings at once. A cozy atmosphere with counter or table service and limited seating. Great for take out or dining in. read more

This is the best sashimi I had ever had! I am sure you cannot find a second restaurant with this cost performance in US. You can tell its quality by picture! We order the $50 sashimi platter, Yaki salmon maki, spicy tuna maki for the first round. The makis are both amazingly good. The quality of the sashimi really shocked me. Seriously? Fresh fresh, fresh, buttery, creamy smooth sashimi which blows my mind only charged for $50. I want to move to DC for this restaurant! We ordered another 50 pcs sashimi for 2nd round right after the first bite. Who can say no to heaven?! The Toto is my favorite. The owner runs this restaurant with all their heart and soul. It's a small restaurant with exquisite Japanese style decoration. It feels like I am in Japan LOL. This is definitely a MUST try restaurant in Washington. I will come to this restaurant every time I visit Washington DC. read more

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I ordered through DoorDash so I am not sure if that is why. But I received some of the worst sushi I've ever had. It tasted old and like it had been sitting out for a while. I was super excited to try this place after reading some of the reviews and I am now super disappointed. Can't say I will be coming back. read more

Get takeout, not dine in! The restaurant is tiny and difficult to have a conversation. The food here is decent. I enjoyed the sushi dinner given the reasonable price. If you have the time and a little more to spend there is a lot more to offer elsewhere on 8th street but Torai works if you're in a hurry. read more

This place is really a 3.5 but I can't do that so a 4 it is. My husband really likes this place, but I thought it was just ok. My sushi roll was really warm and kinda grossed me out, I will say my spicy ramen had good flavor and seemed homemade so I appreciated that. This place is in my neighborhood and my husband likes it so I'm sure I will be back, willing to give it another try. read more

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

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I came here for lunch yesterday and I really enjoyed it. You have to order at the cash register which I thought was unique. They offer beer, wine, and sake here which is also nice. I had a nice dry sake and some Nigiri and a Specialty Roll. Everything was of high quality. I definitely plan on returning. read more

Always very fresh. My favorite sushi spot in DC hands down. I have recommended it to all my coworkers.

Good food at a good price. Staff is also always friendly. Small nice neighborhood spot feel.

Was sick after but the sushi was really good while I was eating it. Will not be going back

Wonderful small little sushi shop. You can tell it's a neighborhood favorite and it would be mine too if I lived here. You seat yourself, order and pay at the cashier and they bring out the dishes to you. It makes it a very casual feel and price but the sushi is phenomenal (as is the Miso soup and gyozas). It's very small with almost all bar seating and one 4 top, so definitely not for a big dine in party. If you are around I'd definitely say stop by. This place hits the sushi spot! read more

I'm a LA native and have been blessed with having amazing Asian cuisine on the west coast. When I moved to DC I was in search of some tasty, affordable, quality sushi and I'm proud to say this is my go-to spot for the past 3 years now. The food is amazing, it's decently priced, & the owners are some of the greatest people ever! Highly recommend coming here esp during COVID since they also make takeout sushi so easy. read more

Recently visited DC from NYC and was craving sushi. Yelped some places and this restaurant had great reviews so we decided to check it out and it did not disappoint! The sushi and sashimi were so fresh and definitely rival some of the top sushi spots in NYC. Don't let the small space fool you -- the food and customer service is on point. Support your local small businesses and definitely check this place out. read more

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My favorite sushi in DC. Always consistent - fresh and properly prepped - with a variety of sushi/sashimi choices. Generally I get the Sushi 4 in 1 set 55 salmon or 56 yellowtail. Although lately the ramen has been my go-to. And the bibimbop is good too. read more

food is excellent but time estimates for to-go orders is very disappointing. have been twice and both times, we arrived 5-10 minutes later than the latest estimate they gave over the phone (example - if a pick up place tells me 20-30 min, i come around 35-40 min mark in case they are running behind). both times, we had to still wait on our food after we arrived. the first time, it was a solid 15+ minute wait, the second time was closer to 5-7. I've started to wonder if they don't actually start your order until you show up. Again, we will be back and the food is good! Just wish they had a little bit better of a system for ensuring the food is ready when customers arrive. read more

Torai sushi has been our "go to" take-out during COVID. It's always great quality, excellent value, easy pick up and the owners are lovely people. Highly recommend the sashimi, spicy rolls, special rolls and real maryland crab rolls. read more

Tiny little shop our daughter took us to for dinner one night. There are only two or three tables to sit at and some counter space. So when we walked in we were instantly hit with a blast of heat. I had to immediately take off my winter coat and put my hair up. Yes, it was that hot. After deciding what to get we put our order in at the counter with a very friendly and nice lady. We managed to get seats at one of the counters. As we sat there waiting for our food lots of people were coming in for their takeout orders. You could watch all the cooking and assembly work happening in the tiny cooking area beside us. The kitchen appeared clean and very well managed for such a tiny kitchen. Some of the dishes that came out looked amazing. I had ordered a poke bowl because I had never had one. It was basically a deconstructed sushi roll. I loved it, the ingredients were fresh and tasty. We were all very happy with our meals. Highly recommend this place for takeout or pickup. Eating there was too hot and tiny. Excellent fresh food. read more

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