If you love spicy food and sichuan pepper seasoning you will love this vibey neighborhood spot. If…read moreyou are lucky enough to find a reservation, definitely go. Great cocktails, better food. Some of our favorites are the salt and pepper eggplant and the OG LaZy chicken. Inside is dimly lit with energetic music. There are only 6 or 7 tables inside and rest is seating. Outside is nothing special but you'll still have great food.

Astoria completely lived up to the hype. It's one of those coveted DC reservations that's…read morenotoriously hard to get, and after having it on my list forever, I can confidently say it's 100% worth the wait. Tucked into the heart of Dupont Circle with its unmistakable bright blue awning, the restaurant is intimate, moody, and always buzzing. Inside, you'll find dim lighting, a handful of cozy wooden bar booths, seats along the bar, and a few outdoor tables. It's not a huge space, which only adds to its charm and makes every reservation feel like a win. The atmosphere is perfect for sharing dishes and lingering over dinner with friends. The food was incredible...I genuinely loved every single bite. Just be prepared: the Sichuan spice is no joke! If you aren't expecting it, it'll definitely sneak up on you (in the best way). My must-orders? The chili wontons, Dan Dan noodles, and beef noodles. Every dish was packed with bold flavor and left me wanting to come back for more. If you've been trying to score a reservation, keep at it. Astoria is one of those places that's absolutely deserving of its reputation, and I'll be thinking about those noodles until my next visit.

Took my girlfriend here for her birthday and it was the right call. The edamame was a simple,…read morewell-executed starter -- nothing fancy, but it set the tone before the real highlights arrived. The toro tacos were a standout -- rich, buttery toro paired with a crisp shell, the kind of bite that balances luxury with a little bit of fun. We rounded things out with several maki rolls, all fresh and well put together, each one distinct enough that ordering a few felt worth it rather than repetitive. Beyond the food, the service made the night -- attentive without being intrusive, which is exactly what you want for a birthday dinner. The ambience matched too: romantic, trendy, dim lighting that made it feel like an occasion without trying too hard. Great pick for a celebration -- between the toro tacos, the maki, and the overall vibe, Shoto delivered on every front.

Came here on 6/28/26, had a reservation at 8pm and were seated immediately…read more The space inside is gorgeous but cramped and LOUD. This is not a space to grab food if you're trying to have a conversation. We often found ourselves yelling across the table and when selecting items to share we crammed ourselves on one side of the booth squishing other patrons. Otherwise this would've been a 5 star review. Our waiter was amazing, albeit a bit distracted at times because of his service area, and helped advise us on the items we were interested in. We had: Koika No Karaage - their version of calamari - 10/10 - lightly fried with the most amazing texture and paired with a yuzu mayo. For the price I wish the serving size was larger but that's my only gripe. Kani - 10/10 - snow crab with spicy mayo - 2 came with the order and they were amazing. The Japanese crest was the perfect contrast to softness of the snow crab. It was also seasoned well. Hotate Toryufu - 10/10 - the scallops melted in your mouth. Amazing. No notes. California Maki - 6/10 - my least favorite thing here. It wasn't awful but it didn't compare to the other things we had. Drinks - I WISH I could remember the name of the drink I had. Hands down one of the best drinks I've ever had and was paired with sparkling sake. Bathe me in sparkling sake, put a bottle in my casket, I want it with me forever. I would come back for sure but would opt to sit at the bar. It would definitely be easier to speak to someone sitting next to you than across from you. For the price you will not get full here but if you want to share some small bites of new food this is absolutely your spot.

They were busy,We ate at the bar. The CHIKIN App was excellent! Messy but worth it…read more Emily was our server. Extremely good at describing the menu items and other pointers. We had a great meals.

Let me preface this by saying that we're from NYC, so we're used to amazing food spots…read more Amazing food and good service. Probably one of the best spots we tried in D.C. Highly recommend and would definitely come back.

The food was amazing, we did The tasting menu and it did not disappoint! Some really unique flavors…read moreand things that don't normally go together that worked perfectly! Skye our server was incredible, went above and beyond to make our experience great! We also learned about Peruvian cuisine and Pisco! Love the decor, felt very cozy! The only weird thing that happened, we added on the all you could drink wine to go along with our tasting menu. There were three reds and three whites to choose from. Things were going along great and then a manager in a suit asked if we needed anything and we asked for the next White on the list. He brought it to us then told us this was the last one in our tasting. We mentioned that the menu says all you can drink. The portions they poured were tasting size portions each time, and our plan was to try each of them. We pointed out what the menu said, he said let me check. He brought Luis over who agreed that's what the menu said. Ultimately, we had a good time, but that made us feel weird that we had to even point that out when it was very clear on the menu. I've included the photo of the menu in case upper management would like to make sure if it is not all you can drink to change the wording. And if it is to make sure Mgmt. doesn't make guests feel uncomfortable for asking for more.

Pretty disappointing. And not that great of Peruvian-Chinese-Japanese fusion restaurant…read more Need to pay more attention to the reviews that say the following: small servings (siu mai were half the size than regular anywhere else), ceviche also super small serving - good flavor but not much and not served with anything to eat it with (like chips), Tam tam noodles were overcooked and mushy, brussel sprouts were delicious (!), lomo saltado was meh (undercooked pieces of onion, nice chunks of beef but kind of chewy, super salty sauce but was good soaked up by the fries). Kind of fun decor - expected more from this Jose Andres restaurant because we really enjoyed the sister restaurant, Oyamel nearby (try that place instead!)

What a delicious makunouchi bento and shrimp dumplings I had! I met up with a friend for lunch and…read moreit wasn't too crowded there. Free validated parking also available if parked in the garage. The service was quick and fuss-free. Every items I got to taste was absolutely delicious. I just wish the rice portion wasn't so huge or had an option for me to swap it with salad. Wouldn't mind revisiting again in the future.

Stopped in after attending another dc event and loved Raku so much! Even at about 8pm on a weekday…read morethe place is packed and glad I had a reservation before hand. I had the harasu and red dragon roll and first I want to say that another yelper ordered the same thing and it came out looking the same way. It's those details and consistency that show they pay attention. Our server was great and kept the water coming. Sushi restaraunts can always be a hit or miss too for vegetarians but I can say my wife and daughter was pleased with the selection here. I look forward to coming back and visiting when im in this part of town.

We dropped by after my wife was in the mood for ramen. I am glad we did. We arrived at 6:00 pm…read moreon a Tuesday before it got crowded. Most of the tables were taken but we were seated right away. We ordered the Edamame and House Smashed Cucumber. The Cucumber had the right amount of tanginess. The Cheng Du Spicy Wonton stood out. The spicy sauce that they came in was an excellent accompaniment. We finished off with the Reren Signature Ramen. It really hit the spot. The ambience is very casual. We were tourists but it seemed a lot of locals were eating there too. We would definitely come again.

I've been walking (or running) past Reren for a while. I've had their soup dumplings through Uber…read moreEats, but hadn't tried their entrees/Lamen yet. I ordered the Kung Fu Noodles and really enjoyed them! I appreciate a noodle soup thats also packed with veggies (hello, Bok Choy lover here), and the the kimchi gave the soup an added layer of glamor and crunch! It's advertised as spicy, and I was asked if I was ok with spicy after I ordeeed (which I appreciated), but I honestly didn't find the soup very spicy at all! It was pretty flavorful though. I'd get it again. I'm also looking forward to trying other items like their Dan Dan Noodles.

AN is a typical bowl spot with both set and build your own bowl options and a variety of Southeast…read moreAsian inspired bases, proteins, and toppings to choose from. I made my own bowl and liked the topping options but the bases (vermicelli noodles, bok choy, and veg mix) and were underwhelming as was the teriyaki chicken. The best thing by far is the crispy pork belly which for a $2 up-charge you can have 3pcs. It also comes with a complimentary cup of broth which was surprisingly aromatic and flavorful. It's a large portion but not one I'd spend $20 on again.

Thanks to IG for the recommendation of trying out this spot. This spot is like a Viet Chipotle. You…read morecan choose a bowl they have set or your can make your own. The service was really great! They were patient and answered all of our questions. The vibe is very modern and cozy. It may look small, but there is a lot of seating upstairs. I made my own bowl with a side of the chicken broth. Bowl was good but what really caught my attention is the BROTH! I would come here just for the broth! lol. That's what really gives my review 5 stars. I highly recommend this spot!

AMAZING!! Cannot…read morerecommend this place enough!! For $45 per person (we came on the weekend) you get hot pot, kbbq and an AWESOME buffet. Buffet bar: -Soft shell crab: The quality of these crabs are SUPERB!!! and you can eat as many as you want!!! -Pork ribs: So flavorful and tender -Crab legs: some were fresh and some not but still better than most other AYCE crab leg quality -Seasoned Craw fish -Papaya salad Kbbq and hotpot -the brisket variety and quality is amazing!!! -Veggies could be more fresh but there was a decent variety Soft drinks are included Overall, we would come again and would recommend this place to anyone!! The quality of food at the buffet bar is just unparalleled to any other AYCE Kbbq place with the variety of food as well. And the Kbbq and hotpot items were also soo good.

I'm not a fan of places where I have to cook my own food. They have a grill set up at the table but…read morethey expect you to cook your own food which is again not my thing, I guess that's part of the entertainment aspect of it There are certain aspects of the buffet that I really did like, papaya salad and pineapple rice. They also had king crab legs which I always love. I like some of their desserts as well, they put coconut sago which was a bit diluted. One of the more annoying aspects is when anyone had a birthday they would make a big loud celebration of it and it was really distracting. The meats are tasty when you cook them at the grill but again this is not my style of eating out when I go to eat out I want to relax and not have to cook There's plenty of parking in the street. No service issues. They also include lots of different drinks in the package. From a price standpoint I think it's okay overall I'm not in a rush to come back here

Walked in and immediately LOVED the vibe. Very welcoming and just completely cool. Fantastic…read moreservice from the wait staff -- especially Q. He was terrific. Wonderful recommendations. Non-alcoholic drinks were on point. Make sure you ask for Q to make yours. Oh and do get that cauliflower. -- Your welcome.

I had such a wonderful time visiting O-Ku. It's one of my favorite sushi spots in Washington DC…read more This time, a bartender named Adam stood out for being exceptionally attentive. He had a great knowledge of the menu and encouraged me to try new dishes, which turned out to be fantastic. The customer service was excellent, and I really enjoyed my experience. Keep up the good work, and I wish you all the best.

This place is pretty freaking cool. It's a Japanese food hall with 4 individual spaces inside one…read morelarge space ( the owner also owns the Italian spot on the other side). I went for the buffet brunch at Dear Sushi. I'm not a hugh sushi eater but I loved the cooked stuff. I'm not super adventurous on the raw lol. The buffet is $65 and a 20% gratuity is added. The price was ok with me. There were plenty of food options for me to chose from and the service was good. We sat the bar, Jose and Molly were awesome and mixed up some delicious drinks. The food was delicious. Highlights for me were the fried chicken ( not sure of the correct name), milk bread (had to limit myself, I love bread lol), dumplings ( could have takien the whole tray lol), grilled salmon, and the tempura cauliflower. Another standout was the donuts from the dessert section. These donuts were so lite and airy. Almost guilt free when you bit into them. I would definitely return for brunch or to try out one of the other spots.

We had dinner at Love, Makoto in Washington, DC and chose the Omakase experience in the Dear Sushi…read moresection. The selections were varied and beautifully presented, and we even added an extra plate of nigiri, which was excellent. The fish was fresh and delicious, and I especially appreciated that they served real wasabi, rather than the typical prepared version found at many sushi restaurants. That said, I went into the experience expecting a more intimate, traditional omakase setting. I didn't realize Love, Makoto is such a large, lively restaurant, and the omakase didn't have the personal, chef-driven experience I was hoping for. The dishes were essentially brought out to us with a quick "enjoy," rather than being prepared and presented directly in front of us with an explanation of each selection. I also found the menu structure a little limiting, as each of the restaurant's four sections seems focused on its own specific offerings. Overall, I really enjoyed the food and thought the quality was very good, but for a future omakase experience, I'd probably look for somewhere smaller and more intimate where the chef interaction and presentation are more central to the experience. TIP: The Hiya Izakaya section was a decent place to get a cocktail in advance of dinner.