Cancel

Open app

Search

Kotobuki

4.0 (576 reviews)
ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
Loading...

Kotobuki Photos

Business Info

KOTOBUKI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Kotobuki

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Keira H.

I just had the pleasure of visiting Kotobuki for a second time earlier this week during my visit to Washington, D.C., and it was as fantastic as ever! The photo of the large platter of sushi is what my group and I ordered this past visit, and it was absolutely delicious! As you can tell, we are big salmon fans, and Kotobuki is the perfect place for salmon lovers! It is unbelievably fresh, and I could easily eat a dozen salmon nigiri myself! They have a decently wide variety of rolls and fish on their menu, but a select variety that you know that whatever you order, it will be top-notch. The environment is very calming and quaint in Kotobuki. Be prepared for a fair number of steps to get up to the small restaurant, but it is 110% worth it! The restaurant itself has fewer than 10 tables, plus a small Omakase bar, making it a nice, relaxing experience. The servers and all workers are very kind and easily make genuine relations with the customers, which makes it the perfect neighborhood restaurant to keep coming back to! They are very welcoming and ensure to provide you with excellent service. I will definitely be coming back to Kotobuki the next time I am in Washington, D.C., and I can't wait for another delicious tray of amazing sushi!

Sushi special
Julia S.

Best best best value sushi ever. I think they share the same sushi supplier as makoto downstairs which is $$$$. Service is great and the sushi is amazing! Parking can be a pain but well with the effort

Katherine S.

TL;DR: Toro is where it's at Came here close to the end of lunch time and was able to snag a seat. Interior is small and minimally decorated, but very cute. Service is very fast and friendly. FOOD: ~Toro Sashimi (5/5): they let the product speak for itself. Very good ~Chirashi Deluxe (3.9/5): I love the variety of fish they give. Flavor/quality varies depending on the fish. I LOVED the mushrooms that came with this, I thought about asking for a bowl of it. Favorite fish we liked from here were: toro, crab stick (surprisingly), and white tuna. ~Eel and avocado roll (3.5/5): basic ~CA uni (4/5): yummy and fresh ~Hamachi (3/5): mid quality and flavor ~Scallop (3/5): again, not up to par ~Saba (2.5/5): didn't have that pungent flavor that mackerel usually has ~Aburi salmon (2.5/5): was over charred and couldn't taste anything but bitterness Overall, if we stick to the main things we liked, this place would easily be a 5/5. But if you want a variety of things every time you visit, then you MIGHT be disappointed.

Sushi rolls:  salmon skin, salmon, tuna avocado, scallop
Erica L.

I came here for the first time in probably a decade or more a couple of weeks ago. It's a small spot with about 8 tables. Service is attentive and friendly. Most importantly, the food was excellent quality and a good deal, especially in the current inflationary environment. For appetizers we got the ohitashi (poached cress/spinach with a refreshing soy based sauce), and ankimo (monk fish liver with roe and soy vinegar). Both were excellent and perfectly salted, a great and bright and healthy start to the meal. This time I got a bunch of rolls. The spicy rolls use spicy flakes not a mayo based sauce. The salmon, tuna, scallops, and salmon skin were all very fresh--the tuna is quite tender and flavorful. Next time we visit we might try to special clam hot pot meal, chirashi, and sashimi/sushi now that we know the fish quality is high. We will make this one of our regular neighborhood spots. It's a true gem!

Chirashi
Richard L.

Had a chance to come to Kotobiki on a Friday night before new years. Situated upstairs in a small cozy shop, kotobuki really made you feel like you were in a no frills, "all about the fish", sushi shop. The food also didn't disappoint. We started off with a miso soup and a clam miso soup. Both were good but the clam miso had a fresh seafood flavor that elevated it above the traditional miso soup. For our entree we got the chirashi and the sushi and sashimi combo. Not too much to say here except that the fish tasted very fresh. The price was a bit high but I feel like you can say that about any Japanese restaurant in the DC metro area. Overall was a good experience and would definitely be willing to come back!

Edamame
Rebecca H.

This restaurant is in a quieter part of DC. It had a cozy atmosphere and seemed authentic. I liked the edamame, shumai, and shrimp tempura roll. It was cool how the sake came in a box with some salt to put in the corner which I've never seen done before. The service was good and I had a nice experience overall.

Sushi Deluxe, Chirashi Deluxe, Unadon set...
Darrell L.

I've been hearing about Kotobuki for a good 10 years or so as the 'casual sushi joint above Makoto where they source the same fish'. Makoto was probably the best sushi experience I've had in the DMV but that is no longer available since their closing a few years back. We were in the Tysons/Mclean area and needed to kill a few hours for dinner and we see no traffic to Palisades on Waze and, to top it off, when we call Kotobuki...no wait! So we head over...finally I have my chance. I am very tempted by the Kamameshi as others have mentioned but I decide on the Chirashi Deluxe. My fellow diners go with the Sushi Deluxe and the unadon set. The complementary miso soup is top notch...the dashi broth is so flavorful and you can immediately tell this is owned by Japanese folks (although you should be able to distinguish that even outside the miso). Good start...the main dishes come out immediately after and the sushi looks very fresh and it doesn't disappoint. The chirashi bowl is actually quite large with a heaping mound of rice and tasty seasoned mushrooms underneath. The unadon is also excellent and I really enjoy the authentic veggies provided in the set...not the usual stuff provided in a bento box which adds to the authenticity. The wife asks what I think...I enjoyed all our dishes and would make the trip out to the Palisades again to try the Kamameshi and other dishes. As the Terminator said..'I'll be back...'

Chirashi Deluxe
Cynthia M.

This place is gold! I first discovered this place when I went to school at GW and this was close to the Vern campus. I remembered I thought the sushi was really good here but once I graduated and didn't have a car, I haven't been back in a while. Recently, when I had sushi cravings I remembered this spot and mentioned it to my husband so we came to check it out again. I am kicking myself for not coming back sooner! I love getting chirashis and not only do they give a generous amount of fish in their chirashi, they are all extremely high quality and fresh fish--all at very reasonable price too! I also got the clam miso soup which was very tasty and the clams are shell-on so it's extra flavorful. Staff is super attentive and friendly too, and the place is small but cozy! I do wonder if on busy nights there'll be long waits. I will definitely be back often!!

Chirashi
Steve K.

Parking is challenging with new construction across the street. The sushi are amazing. Fresh. Tasty. Well cut. Patronizing for 20+ years.

Vegetarian Kamameshi
Vivian R.

Kotobuki notably offers kamameshi, a unique Japanese dish, in a small spare room above the space that previously housed the acclaimed Makoto sushi restaurant. I've never seen kamameshi offered elsewhere in DC, a steaming rice bowl with eel, chicken, or vegetables cooked to toasty perfection in an iron pot, set on a thick wooden trencher and accompanied by miso soup, sashimi, and a variety of small dishes of fresh and pickled vegetables. It was filling and savory - perfect after our hike on a blustery day. The menu otherwise offers a selection of sushi and sashimi, including a special menu with large sushi trays that would be good for a catered event. The restaurant itself is just one room with a few small tables and seats around the sushi bar, well lit and clean. It's intimate in it's small size and simplicity. Food 4, service 4, ambiance 3

Anna F.

Not sure why this place has such high reviews. The only good thing is you can get a lot of sushi for relatively cheap at happy hour. But even for that I wouldn't go back. The rice doesn't taste fresh. The tuna in my tuna roll was not a cut of fish and was instead just mushy ground up tuna bits. The salmon skin was chewy and flavorless. The spicy salmon roll was for some reason chopped up cuts of fish with green onion and no spice. The only edible thing was the avocado roll and the eel roll.

Chirashi Deluxe
Evangeline C.

Sad to say that I will not be returning to this restaurant because the chirashi bowl I ordered did not sit well in my stomach and I was hurting for the entire evening. We ordered two deluxe chirashi bowl, and had to sub out some items, and although hesitant, they were accommodating. The staff is friendly, and the presentation of the food is superb. They just might not be busy enough to have fresh fish at this time. There was pink color from the fish stained onto my rice as well, which might indicate that the fish was dyed to look fresher than it is. Regardless, I really wanted to like this restaurant, as their rice was delectable, but I would be very weary to try this again as the food made me feel miserable after.

Eel Kamameshi

See all

Photo of James S.
1
78
133

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Xinwei Z.
67
33
115

12 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of James N.
258
50
3

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Puna K.
85
91
149

16 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Chris S.
307
111
164

12 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 years ago

I haven't been there for a long while but their sushi are still good like before and the price is reasonable considering the location.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Chuq Y.
696
366
1443

18 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Dan M.
1242
772
2932

13 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Trang G.
64
81
75

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of ChowNut ..
7
445
3886

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of R N.
0
46
101

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Lily Z.
707
613
10546

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Dani P.
107
992
1162

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of David H.
397
2452
4164

11 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 3 of 15

Kotobuki Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Kotobuki

Can you accommodate a sesame allergy?

Please tell the server in advance

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

You might also consider

Sakaki Izakaya

Sakaki Izakaya

4.4(324 reviews)
2.1 mi•Clarendon

When I hear sushi and all you can eat in the same sentence I typically proceed with caution. No…read moreneed for caution here. From the moment I walked in Kay gave prompt, professional service. He walked me through the options and ordering was a breeze. The price point is a little higher than your average all you can eat dining experience, but well worth it. I must've had 15 pieces of nigiri. Having worked in a sushi restaurant I can tell you it was phenomenally well done. Beautifully fresh and buttery and the sushi rice was perfect. The eel kamameshi was a highlight and came with a showing amount of eel. Finished everything off with the matcha tiramisu and a cup of green tea. I won't need to eat for days. Will definitely be coming back! Thank you Kay and team!

First off, let me just say.... If I'm honest, whenever I…read moreshow up to an AYCE I'm always skeptical with the quality of the food, especially when it comes to sushi but wow, I was blown away how great it was for AYCE. The set- up and the ambiance is very comfortable and sleek/modern with the main sushi chefs in the middle and the tables around them. The tables have waiters and a tablet at the table like most hot pot/kbbq places and you can order everything off of there. I have only been here once and wanted to try to low tier without going "all in" on the top tier option of diamond without knowing how the basics would taste. Let me say if the bottom tier was as good as it was, I'm excited to come back to try the next tier! Anyway, the basic tier already comes with a lot of sushi options and should be enough for those who are craving just sushi. All of the cuts of nigiri was great, all tender with great flavor, but what stood out to me the most was actually the yellowtail, super buttery and great flavor. The eel was also a top choice! All the rolls were good basic to the fancier ones, I would say that most of the bang for the buck would be the nigiri. The rolls are good but a little too much rice for me personally. The appetizers, didn't spend too much time on them but the chicken karaage was solid and the seaweed salad was my two favorite. Overall, super solid for the price and I'd totally want to go again to try more of their options! 100% recommend!

Photos
Sakaki Izakaya
Sakaki Izakaya
Sakaki Izakaya

See all

Toryumon Japanese House - Fantastic Roll and Yellowtail Jalapeno | Instagram: GaoGirlsGrubbin

Toryumon Japanese House

4.2(294 reviews)
1.9 mi•Rosslyn
•$$

Love this place, but they raised their prices now everything is over $20 for delivery exceeding our…read moreoffice limit. They've lost a lot of business as a result.

We came to Toryumon on a Saturday afternoon because of its lofty Yelp rating and then were…read morepleasantly surprised to discover they had an all-you-can-eat option. Toryumon wasn't crowded and there was inexpensive street parking close by. We quickly realized that Toryumon's all-you-can eat is head and shoulders above your usual Asian buffet restaurants for three reasons: your food is cooked to order, Toryumon has great recipes, and lastly, they use quality ingredients. Service was fabulous. Lots of options on the all-you-can eat memu. We started out with miso soup that was rich, delicious and had just the right amount of seaweed and finely diced tofu. The kanji salad was outstanding, the best I've ever come across. We loved the pork gyoza, ceviche and shumai. I also loved the beef hibachi, which came with vegetables, fried rice, and a most delicious dipping sauce. I'm not sure how they prepared it, but the endamame was especially tasty. The agu dashi was different than we expected. Usually it comes in broth, but Toryumon's agu dashi was fried tofu squares with an excellent dipping sauce. The spider and double spicy rolls were decent, but were shaped too large and in a little rough around the edges in appearance. Flavorwise, they were still good. We were a bit disappointed that they had run out of the chocolate and vanilla mochi dessert, but we settled for the matcha mochi which was good.

Photos
Toryumon Japanese House - Entrance at the Toryumon Japanese House, Arlington VA.

Entrance at the Toryumon Japanese House, Arlington VA.

Toryumon Japanese House - King Crab

King Crab

Toryumon Japanese House - Chicken Karaage | Instagram: GaoGirlsGrubbin

See all

Chicken Karaage | Instagram: GaoGirlsGrubbin

Sushi Rock - You shook me all night roll & spicy tuna roll

Sushi Rock

3.7(1.5k reviews)
1.9 mi•Court House, Rosslyn
•$$

On today's episode of exploring new lunch spots in Arlington, I came across Sushi Rock, and I'm so…read moreglad I did! Unfortunately, I had meetings scheduled throughout the day, so I had to order delivery instead of dining in. Even so, the food was impressive from start to finish. We ordered the miso soup, Light My Fire roll, Spicy Tuna & Avocado roll, and Soft Shell Crab roll. Everything arrived fresh, well-packaged, and ready to enjoy. The standout of the meal was definitely the Light My Fire roll. It had the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and just the right amount of kick. It may have officially earned a spot on my list of favorite sushi rolls. The Spicy Tuna & Avocado and Soft Shell Crab rolls were equally delicious and left us wanting more. My coworker and I both agreed that Sushi Rock might be our new favorite sushi spot in the area. if you're looking for fresh, flavorful sushi in Arlington, Sushi Rock is definitely worth checking out. The next time I'm craving sushi for lunch, I already know exactly where I'll be ordering from or dining at.

Had a coupon for a free nigiri platter, so I figured I'd stop in on a quiet Sunday evening…read more The service was friendly enough; Lawrence was a very gracious host. The ambiance was sleek, although minimalistic and a bit boring. Would love to see some more decor or motifs, especially related to both Japanese culture or rock music, or Japanese rock music culture, per the business name and theming. The food itself was decent; nothing wildly spectacular in quality, but far from the worst I've had. The edamame was solid (pretty hard to screw up poached soybeans, haha), although the miso soup, while savory and potable, didn't taste super fresh. Dare I say, possibly pre-packaged. As for the sushi, the Free Fallin' Maki Roll was inventive yet not over-the-top experimental, with both salmon and yellow tail along with avocado and green onion; decent, yet I felt the fish could certainly be more flavorful. The anniversary nigiri platter was again decent. A few standouts: The unagi (Eel) was honestly very flavorful and umami, and both the gunkan (the two wrapped in nori in the photos) were honestly intriguing; the uni (urchin) gunkan was slightly sweet and pleasantly-briny, not bitter or excessively astringent like I've had from urchin previously, while the ikura (salmon roe) were like salty little jelly balls that explode in the mouth like a savory "Fruit Gusher"; sounds a bit gross but I found it enjoyable. I do wish that the rest of the nigiri tasted fresher or was more flavorful, but again, it was decent enough. All-in-all, I'd say this is a 3.25 star experience as of now. I think some improvements can be made still to the product quality and ambiance, but the potential is here.

Photos
Sushi Rock
Sushi Rock
Sushi Rock - White rabbit

See all

White rabbit

Asahi Japanese Restaurant - Takeout sashimi

Asahi Japanese Restaurant

3.8(303 reviews)
2.0 mi•Court House
•$$

I was in the area and craving Japanese food (imho, we have less than stellar options on the MD side…read moreof the DMV), so I ordered the donkatsu bento for myself and the bulgogi bento for my partner (at her request). Lunch special made it $14.95 each, I believe. Restaurant was super empty when I went in - but it looked like the sort of place that would be nice for a date night or even just a work lunch. I was surprised at how much food came with the meals! We each got a miso soup, tempura vegetables, gyoza, roasted veggies, a salad, and four pieces of California roll. Definitely hadn't been expecting the generous portion. The roasted veggies, tempura veggies, and gyoza were wonderful. Tempura veggies were still crispy, the gyoza was super tasty - crispy on the outside and meaty on the inside. Roasted veggies were nicely flavored. The donkatsu itself was nice as well. If I had to critique anything, it would be that I could've used just a little bit more rice with the meal and also that they just used the crab stick in the California roll (as opposed to the nicer crab salad). Honestly though, they gave us so much other nice food that it isn't a big deal at all. Really enjoyed the food and would come back!

I recently went here for lunch with a friend. Cute little spot, hidden away from all the hustle &…read morebustle of Arlington. For a not so busy time on a Thursday, the service was quite slow. The food took awhile to be prepared. Sushi special that I ordered came with miso soup & house salad. The salad dressing on the house salad was on point with the fresh ginger, super refreshing. I'd love to go back probably for dinner & order several dishes to include dessert.

Photos
Asahi Japanese Restaurant
Asahi Japanese Restaurant
Asahi Japanese Restaurant - Sushi boat

See all

Sushi boat

Kyojin DC

Kyojin DC

4.4(332 reviews)
1.8 mi•Georgetown

Tucked away in the alley behind the Main Street nw in Georgetown, we got there right around 5 when…read morethey open, and watched it turn from a quiet restaurant to a thriving and lively place. Excellent service, the food was great and not outrageously priced (considering the area), and looked amazing inside! The decor and the lighting is makes it a cozy and intimate place but also great for a large party as well We booked our experience during restaurant week, we love trying out new places and their restaurant week menu offered a little bit of everything. We got some champagne to start, ordered some cocktails after, and the food started rolling in. We started with a caviar bump, and moved into the beetroot salad (which was amazing and so flavorful, we both wanted more), had the Tataki/carpaccio style followed by the nigiri/sashimi, then for the main course - the winner/volcano lobster roll. We didn't want our night to end there, there were so many great options in the menu so we opted to hold off on our desert and ordered some more food We got the sushi dinner dish to share along with the lavender smoked salmon Tataki style. Definitely could've eaten more after but decided to end our night after that, and had our ice cream to finish the night (matcha ice cream and raspberry sorbet) The service was 11/10, our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and all of the other waitstaff was extremely kind and was more than willing to help us with any questions or things we needed. The restaurant was very clean and they had nice bathrooms. The quality of the food was amazing and every dish had us hungry for more. This is definitely a place we'll be coming to again and will be recommending to everyone

We stopped by for a random work dinner on a weeknight. We were seated just fine without a…read morereservation, as the restaurant was about less than half full. As first timers, the menu is really overwhelming. Great for those who want a lot of options, but a lot of the rolls' descriptions were very similar. Our server was very friendly and helpful in guiding us through a few of her preferences/favorites. Everything we ended up ordering was good though nothing stood out as over the top. You are definitely paying for the vibe and ambiance here.

Photos
Kyojin DC - Inside the restaurant

Inside the restaurant

Kyojin DC - Lobster Volcano

Lobster Volcano

Kyojin DC - Kamikaze Roll@ Kyojin!

See all

Kamikaze Roll@ Kyojin!

Kotobuki - sushi - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...