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O-Ku

4.4 (785 reviews)
Open 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

O-Ku Photos

Business Info

O-KU ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Trendy
Intimate
Romantic

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Recommended Reviews - O-Ku

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Scallop
Jacqueline V.

O-Ku is well worth a visit if you're in the mood for high-end sushi, upscale ambiance, and attentive staff. The dining area / sushi bar has low lighting, modern and quiet enough to hear your companion. making it a great spot for night out in the Union Market Area or anytime you want elevated sushi experiences. The food was melt in your mouth fish, had spice complexity , and the everything was absolutely delightful. With portions that are small...we ended up ordering quite a bit more than expected. It's definitely on the pricey side and you wont be disappointed. If you are into Japanese whisky pairing, this is the menu for you with upscale selections. The wait staff are "nerdily intelligent" about everything on the menu, which I appreciated and made my selections easier. Make reservations, follow the mapping since this place can easily be missed. Great for special-night-out sushi experiences than a casual fill-your-plate kind of place.

Billie G.

O-Ku is one of the best sushi experiences I have ever had. The restaurant is beautiful. The sushi bar looks incredible. Everything the sushi chefs prepare looks and tastes phenomenal. Our server was able to answer all of our questions and recommend how we follow the menu which totally improved our dining experience. At this restaurant you can go at your own pace so you can sort of choose when you want the rolls or the small bites the sashimi or the appetizers to come out and it really helps you pace how much sushi you wanna have. I loved the atmosphere. I loved the sushi. The fish felt and tasted so fresh. I'm still raving about this place to my friends. This is going to be one of my new go to Staples every time I'm in DC.

Jessica O.

It doesn't look like too much from the outside, but inside the vibes are high! We sat at the bar which I recommend because it is so entertaining watching the sushi being prepared. The best sushi I probably have ever eaten specifically the snow king roll. 100% worth coming here. I still think about this spot even after I moved away from the DC area.

Black sesame banana dessert
Emily S.

I will never not rave about this place. The food, the service, the vibes, ALL SO GOOD!!!!! Everything is sooooo yummy and so fresh and the service is always so so pleasant. Bummer that there's no HH on fridays but the price is always worth it -- I've never left feeling hungry, & drinks are great. However the mt Fuji was slightly more crabby than I would've liked but that's a personal preference. Always always will recommend!

Wednesday Happy Hour or Magnet Hour not sure but both work!
Nessa R.

O-Ku! Wow! My favorite human and I had tried to come before but it was closed, it opens at 5 p.m. everyday of the week. Noted! On Wednesday we made the decision to hop over to Union Market to try it again. Staff were super nice, attentive, and service was superb! Ambiance is sleek, sexy, and a vibe! We met close friends for a couples happy hour date night and it did not disappoint! The Happy Hour menu is limited but it does the job! Overall, we loved it! Rooftop is NICE! I've ventured all through this area and somehow missed O-Ku all these years. Glad I found it thanks to him! Returning VERY SOON! Let's Get Into It! Rock Shrimp - Delicious! Snow King Roll- Yummy! Spicy Salmon Roll- Good! MT Fuji Roll - MY favorite! Short Rob - Delicious! Peso for your thoughts for the WIN! Shogun- Great!

Steak skewers
Rachel B.

We had a great experience at O-ku! We were seated in the back room at the sushi counter, which was a lot of fun! We tried some of the appetizers, nigiri, and rolls. I really loved the steak skewers they were so tender and flavorful. The sushi rolls were very fresh. They had a lot of options to choose from. We got extra lucky because the waiter offered us some extra rolls that the kitchen was trying to get rid of, and they were really good! So we ended up eating more than we planned. The restaurant has an upscale, trendy vibe. Definitely make a reservation! We had tried to come in twice as a party of two without a reservation and could not get in.

Ottoro sashimi
Kristi K.

Great food! The sashimi was really fresh and delicious, especially the hamachi and otoro. The restaurant is beautiful and has a great ambiance. We were seated at a spacious booth and they had a rose as decoration for valentines. Our server was extremely attentive and friendly. He took good care of us throughout the night. Portion sizes are a bit small but I guess that's expected

crispy rice (off menu, gifted by a chef as we sat at the sushi counter)
Janrose S.

My friend and I made a reservation the day before for 5:45 PM on a Tuesday. We arrived at 5:40 PM and weren't seated until 5:45 PM. We ordered all 5 happy hour rolls: Spicy Tuna, Spicy Salmon, Harvest Roll, Snow King, Tuna Tataki My favorite was the Snow King roll (I love anything with seared salmon) and my friend's favorite was the Tuna Tataki roll. Our least favorite was the Harvest Roll which has goat cheese - I think the goat cheese was a bit overpowering but I was glad to have tried it nonetheless (this was the only roll we didn't finish but we only left 3 pieces behind). My friend and I were busy yapping for the majority of the evening so I wasn't paying the most attention to the food, but I did feel like the rice felt more dry than I'm used to (though that may have been because we took our time eating and it dried over time). We were gifted some crispy rice (I believe it was tuna but not 100% sure) that was my favorite bite of the evening. Love that they ask you what you'd like to add to your water like lemon, lime, and cucumber. Ambiance is indeed great for a date night with the dim (but not too dim!) lighting and luxurious but not obnoxious vibe. I'm curious to check out the rooftop sometime.

Harvest roll -- great flavors!
Maria L.

Had a marvelous and tasty time at O-ku. When you come in you forget what time of day it is. It's dimly lit which makes for a nice evening mood. We had a wonderful waiter who made good suggestions. My friend and I split: harvest roll (yummm), steak skewers, rock shrimp (yummy!), dumplings and cauliflower!! They come out as they are ready! Will come back to try more!

Quentin A.

The sushi was super fresh Zak the server was absolutely amazing. He was an encyclopedia of sushi knowledge. They made excellent recommendations. The vibe was fantastic and honestly, this was one of the best sushi places we have been to. Five stars would definitely return.

kabocha mochi cake
Sonya H.

A cute spot for a slightly fancier dinner or date night, but it probably wouldn't be my first choice. I visited O-Ku for a Sunday dinner with a group of four, and we absolutely loved the ambiance and service. Our server was incredibly friendly, giving us great recommendations and helping us choose the right number of dishes for our group to share and, and the restaurant was gorgeous. They had great ambient lighting and the tables were cozy but not overly close together, creating a really nice romantic, intimate environment. The food was solid, but not amazing, especially for the price. My partner and I split three sushi rolls -- the firecracker roll, yellowtail roll, and tuna roll -- and they were all good. The fish was fresh and I enjoyed both the classic and specialty / unique flavor combinations, but I wasn't wowed by any of the rolls. I found they were assembled a bit sloppily and had too much rice for the amount of fish, which is passable in a more affordable sushi restaurant but a tough sell when each roll is $25+. We also split the kabocha mochi cake for dessert, which had a great springy texture and wasn't overly sweet.

Menu
Jé S.

Just tried O-Ku sushi and it was LINDERLOOM! I came here based on social media recs and it totally delivered! Celebrated my wife's birthday and she absolutely raved about the experience . HUGE shoutout to our server Quincy (aka Q) - super welcoming, polite, and on point! 10/10 would recommend and will def be back! Love the decor and the ambiance is very chilled #OKuSushi #SushiGoals #BirthdayVibes

Emperor Roll - fire!
Jim S.

Came here for dinner and was very impressed by the food, drinks, and service. Inside is nice, clean, but not too over-the-top. I liked there we less expensive options as well as some splurge menu items....and we did. Everything was good but standouts were the wagyu sando, emperor roll, and a drink....think it was passion fruit and some spice but cant remember that one. Staff brought out so many extras to show thanks for buying some of the high-end menu items. Highly reccomend and will be back.

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9 months ago

The outside has a speakeasy vibe to it. The drinks and food were really good, especially the karaage chicken. The service was just ok.

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9 months ago

Was there for happy hour! Great ambiance inside and a nice variety of happy hour food. Would have appreciated more happy hour cocktails

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O-Ku Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - O-Ku

Do you have outdoor seating on the roof?

Yes!

Is the bar open yet for seating?

Yes

Are they still doing happy hour specials?

Yes, now Oku has happy hours on Monday-Thursdays, 5:00 PM- 7:00PM

Any good vegetarian options?

They have some salads and tofu!

I heard somewhere that his place has food (or drink ) specials after 10? Can anyone confirm what they are? Thanks!!

Their late night menu is still in the works I believe. But from 10pm-12am Thursday-Saturday they are offering $3 off certain rolls, wings, and cocktails to some apartment buildings in the neighborhood.

View All 6 Questions

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Love Makoto - Hand rolls

Love Makoto

4.5(557 reviews)
1.1 mi
$$$$

Hi, so I was at Makoto Love for dinner. It was a dinner for a birthday party for an 11-year-old…read moregreeting. Staff was very friendly management. Staff was very commentating put my issue is that the service staff upon arriving we received it and we were told that a group of Aiden More would be obviously more but Moving forward skip past we seated in our server. I forget the name and I will find out again. A game moving forward were accommodated as two different seats. There was a kids table, and there was an adult table. All the initial orders came from the adult table, but the server decided to ring in from the children's table when initially that was not how the order method rolled Anything ordered from the adult table, but this server decides to go to the children's table and orders takes in orders from the kids and as a parent very concerning one because said there had been an allergy that we did not know about and said that, but anyhow, the food orders that were coming from the children's table were rang in I just so happened to look up and I see the server at the kids table and she's reading stuff for the children when that's not how it goes if the initial order came in. From the pants table then only the parents should be ordering food so at the end of the night we received the bill and there are items that the kids ordered that the server did not check with the adult. Who initially did to order God forbid that there were any allergies that were not taking any consideration. God forbid there were any intolerance that were taken into consideration. God forbid that anyone gotten sick because the server did not Come to the parents table but automatically and we're not talking oh one order or two order we're talking about multiple orders of things that these children don't know it was a lovely experience. Truly, it was but for this to happen and for us to get a bill that the server decided on her own that it's OK to take a Orders from a child when the initiating ordering party was from the adult table is my issue at a lot of mission star places we do not allow children or servers to make an or place orders. I am writing this review and I plan antennal going to the next platform to write the same review because this cannot happen one of the children from the party that was not even the party one of the initial children from the gathering has so many allergenic red flags where we need the server to confirm verify first and confirm orders with the adults

Really enjoyed going to this place for was for the sushi brunch which was great I thought the…read moreselection of food was good and the drinks were great value. Sushi is definitely the star of the show and there are a bunch of options. Service was very nice and quick. Inside the restaurant looks great normally it's more of a food hall except on Sunday.

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Love Makoto - Pick up area

Pick up area

Love Makoto - Omakase Express Lunch came with these 5 sushi. Otoro, hamachi; bluefin tina, salmon, snapper.

Omakase Express Lunch came with these 5 sushi. Otoro, hamachi; bluefin tina, salmon, snapper.

Love Makoto - Emperor butterfly mocktail

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Emperor butterfly mocktail

Ko Japanese Dining

Ko Japanese Dining

4.5(70 reviews)
2.5 miDupont Circle

Great authentic homemade Japanese food. Unfortunately they were out of Japanese hamburger and beef…read moretendon curry but everything we ordered was amazing!

I have had this restaurant bookmarked for the last two years since they opened and finally got a…read morechance to eat dinner there. I was impressed and by the experience and would definitely come back for a Japanese meal that did not focus solely on ramen or sushi. The ambiance is well done, and the service was excellent. Our waiter was very attentive and able to answer any of our questions. To share, we got the spicy salmon roll, Karaage appetizer, and eggplant cheese appetizer. The spicy tuna roll was the most lackluster of the dishes, but the fish was fresh and the portion was decent for $12. The karaage appetizer was excellent. The chicken was moist and the coating was crunchy and super hot. The eggplant cheese was a surprise highlight of the meal. Pieces of eggplant in a melted cheese bowl made of eggplant was a simple combination. That was a very pleasant mix of textures. The pork Katsu was a highlight of the meal. Unfortunately forgot to take a picture, but the coding was super crispy and the portion size was pretty solid. The Unagidon or grilled eel bowl was also very well made and tasted great with the pickled ginger and seasoning on the side. The set came with miso soup which was very nice as well. My companions also got drinks which they said were well priced and good quality. Our overall meal cost somewhere in the range of $160 before tip which was reasonable given all of the items that we got. I look forward to my next visit!

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Ko Japanese Dining - The dining room can seat two, four, six, eight...you name it.

The dining room can seat two, four, six, eight...you name it.

Ko Japanese Dining - Beef Sukiyaki

Beef Sukiyaki

Ko Japanese Dining - Delicious chilled sake

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Umai Nori - Sashimi platter was a 10/10

Umai Nori

4.6(273 reviews)
2.5 miDowntown

I stopped by Umai Nori in DC for a late lunch. It wasn't too busy when I went, but I could…read moredefinitely see this place getting packed for dinner. The layout is interesting -- there's an upstairs when you walk in, but the sushi bar and a good bit of seating are downstairs. The menu is pretty straightforward with a mix of hand rolls, appetizers, specialty rolls, nigiri/sashimi, and traditional rolls. They also have a few solid combo deals, though I usually prefer trying a variety of items instead. Service was quick, which is always appreciated at a sushi spot. We ordered a few specialty rolls, two traditional rolls, and a couple orders of sashimi, all served together on one platter. The rolls were a great size -- filling without being overly large. The sashimi was fresh, and the traditional rolls really balanced out the meal nicely. The flounder and tuna sashimi were both excellent, and the California roll made with real crab was simple, fresh, and really satisfying. The total came out somewhere in the $70 range, so after tip and splitting it between two people, it was about $40 each to try multiple rolls and sashimi. Definitely fair pricing for the quality and amount of food. This spot had been on my list for a while, so I'm glad I finally made it over. I'd recommend checking out the menu beforehand so you can go in with a game plan and try the items that stand out most to you.

grabbed takeout for dinner before headed back to my hotel. ordering process was easy but i was…read morekinda miffed that they did not disclose that they charge a 3% fee for credit card transactions. yes, i kno it's getting more and more common, but i still feel it's a little shady when they don't even disclose it. for what's worth, i did have cash to pay for the order. anyway, i got the spider roll (good!), roll me a fatty (funny name, even better taste), shrimp tempura roll (meh), and edamame (fine). the shrimp tempura in the shrimp tempura roll were old and the tempura batter was VERY hard. it was definitely not freshly fried shrimp tempura. what a disappointment. overall, an okay spot but definitely not in a hurry to return.

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Umai Nori - Complimentary birthday mochi!

Complimentary birthday mochi!

Umai Nori - Sushi rolls

Sushi rolls

Umai Nori - 5 hand rolls

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Izakaya Seki - Sashimi platter

Izakaya Seki

4.0(517 reviews)
1.7 mi
$$$

I am writing reviews now that I am being more effusive, to replace earlier entries on Yelp that…read morewere not as descriptive. I recommend Izakaya Seki with enthusiasm. I have been there three times. My wife's family is in St. Louis. The chef moved to Washington, D.C. from there. His establishment in the Midwest was not bad. But his new venture in the capitol is excellent. I would gladly go anytime the opportunity presented itself. The only issue is reservations at the tiny place. (They have a time limit for tables.) They offer standard fare for a izakaya. They also have sashimi and sushi (that is not always available on a pub menu), and it is among the best you'd find in the city. The dish that has been written about in the NY Times is the ara yaki. That is prepared from leftovers, scraps that otherwise might be tossed as trash: heads, jaws, fins, bones, etc., broiled with a bit of salt. The explanation is insufficient. For this by itself, the restaurant is worth visiting. It will make you want to try to prepare the same quality from leavings. I'd bet it is like much else: simple in concept, easy to execute poorly or at a level that would be deemed middling, and frustrating or maddening to try to perfect. That also is true with the only imperfection, which was the tamago. Brought at the end, which is a custom (it can be the first course or the last course), the omelet was more rustic. It would not have passed muster with Jiro of the acclaimed documentary. The issue was the shape; it was crude. But by any standard short of perfectionism, the meal was great.

The sushi was actually pretty good, but unfortunately the experience was ruined by the attitude of…read morethe owner's daughter. She constantly looked annoyed, unwelcoming, and acted like customers were bothering her whenever anyone asked a question. Several of my friends have said the exact same thing and refuse to come back because of how uncomfortable she makes people feel. Good food alone is not enough when the service and attitude are

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Izakaya Seki - Interior

Interior

Izakaya Seki - Salmon Roe and Yukari Riceball in Nori

Salmon Roe and Yukari Riceball in Nori

Izakaya Seki - Tempura Special, sake

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Sakaki Izakaya

Sakaki Izakaya

4.4(310 reviews)
5.5 miClarendon
All you can eat
Happy hour specials

This is an awesome addition to the Clarendon area and I'm so happy something like this has finally…read morecome into the neighborhood. The food at Sakaki is full of flavor and the prices are reasonable for the amount. I think, after being twice, that the AYCE is not as worth it for me personally because I'm not a big eater, but it's totally worth it if you want a lot of variety and you have a good appetite. I really liked the rolls in particular. The service was excellent- it was a nice balance of coming over once in a while to ask how we were doing without coming over too much. The vibes are awesome with a really nice interior- definitely a nice place to go for a date,!just to go with friends to have a nice meal, or even to grab a meal alone since the center has a large area for single seating. Fyi- for the AYCE menu, note that once you put in an order for a round, you can't order for another 10 min so be sure to order enough at a time. Also, there is a time limit to the AYCE (I think it was 90 min). This'll definitely be a place I go to regularly in the future!

I missed lunch so AYCE sushi was very much needed! The silver level at $29 is a great deal with…read moreplenty of options including a variety or rolls as well as appetizer/side dish items. I tried as much of the menu as I could and the rolls and nigiris were definitely the highlight. I wouldn't recommend the crab korokke (too liquidy, and no crab that I could taste) or the karagge - save space for other items! The AYCE is 90mins and you can order every 10 minutes from a tablet. Service was FAST, they definitely weren't playing games. The restaurant itself is also super spacious and well decorated.

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Sakaki Izakaya - Drink Menu

Drink Menu

Sakaki Izakaya - Old fashion

Old fashion

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Astoria DC - Fried chicken wing flats

Astoria DC

4.3(622 reviews)
2.1 miDupont Circle
$$$

Astoria continues to be one of my favorite spots in DC. While the service can occasionally be a bit…read morespotty, the food and overall vibe are exceptional. Every dish I've tried has been mouthwatering, consistently flavorful and generously portioned. Some of my current favorites are the dan dan noodles and the garlic eggplant, but honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. If I could, I'd eat here once a week.

Astoria is known for their Sichuan-style food and drinks, and we decided to come here for an early…read moredinner as a group. We knew it was stone crab season, so we were excited to include this in our eats - we ordered the Mala Lobster, which was prepared in fermented chili sauce with ginger garlic scallion; we also ordered the Pea Shoots (stir-fried in garlic; we liked that this didn't come 'watery'), the Walnut Shrimp (with a nice honey sauce with candied walnuts), Mapo Tofu (with beef, chili, garlic, scallions, and sichuan peppercorns), and the OG La-Zi (a fried chicken thigh with peanuts, chili, and sichuan peppercorns). My counterparts enjoyed their drinks, and the the bartending staff were great. Portions are generous and easily shareable! The space is beautiful, which is like a railroad-style; the staff were friendly and attentive. Metered and some restricted residential parking can be found in the area. +sichuan-style shareables +friendly & attentive staff +metered street & restricted residential parking available

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Astoria DC - Interior dining space. Narrow but really nice on the inside.

Interior dining space. Narrow but really nice on the inside.

Astoria DC - Fried rice

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O-Ku - sushi - Updated May 2026

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