Rakugaki is a delight in the Wildwood Shopping Center. They have a long menu and produce excellent sushi and sashimi. (There is plenty more on the menu such as udon noodles.) Our server Julani was terrific, allowing us to savor our food. Make sure you make a reservation as it's a busy restaurant with about 6-7 private booths and 6 tables. There is also a a very pretty bar for walk up dining. read more

Rakugaki - Edamame, Double Salmon Sushi, Green Bean Sushi, Crunchy Salmon Sushi and Salmon Sushi. - Japanese Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

We returned to Rakugaki after our initial outing in July. Once again I have good things to say. We ordered many of the same dishes, and were next level happy with the lobster and shrimp dumplings and the mixed green and seaweed salad. The tempura green bean sushi was even better than before, if that is possible. Then we ventured beyond our usual repertoire and ordered the duck. This was satisfying but we probably won't order it again. This time I noticed a detail that, in the rush of good flavors, had eluded me on our previous visit: the extraordinary soy sauce provided for dipping. Its smooth and rounded taste is far far superior to the acrid soy sauce usually provided in restaurants, and different from any supermarket brand I have tried. I inquired and learned that the restaurant has their own recipe for enhancing soy sauce by simmering it with fish broth (dashi). A unique touch that takes sushi to the next level. read more

Top notch place for sushi and more. The curry mussels are unique and flavorful. Get the salmon & green apple app... an absolute fav. So delicate & complex. read more

I came with my partner on a Friday night around 5:45 and we were seated immediately with no wait, despite no reservation. It does seem like online reservations are easily possible with this place, so it would probably be good to do that. The interior is slightly upscale with a full bar, though the tables and booths don't look that fancy. Our server took forever to greet us and take our orders, which is the reason for 4 stars. The food we got was delicious and well prepared. Throughout the meal, there were several people who refilled our waters consistently and took plates away. The pricing for the dishes was on the more expensive side, but that's the reality these days I guess. Good to try once, but I don't know if I'll come back. read more

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He came into the restaurant and had a reservation so was an easy sit after we were greeted by the host. When we sat down and took about 10 minutes for someone to check in with us to see if we are ready to order or wanted to put anything in, which honestly I think is a little bit too long for a check-in. We had gotten a bunch of sushi and decided to try all of their mostly fatty nigiri, so the yellowtail belly, salmon, belly, and ottoro tuna. And a couple of rolls: Red dragon roll and Californian roll with real crab meat. The nigiri was just okay, for "belly cuts" it should be super tender and melt in your mouth. However, I felt like you had to work for the Nigiri more than you should have for the price point. The fatty tuna, being at market price at $17, was probably a the most disappointing than any other Nigiri bc of the quality and the price didn't match up. The best was actually the yellowtail, but still to much to work for as a "belly" cut. The rolls were decent, I like the crab in the California roll instead of the imitation crab. The red dragon was decent, just small, like not a special roll size that you'd normally see for something that's $17 price range. Overall, a bit expensive and the quality I'm not too sure, I was impressed with the more expensive cuts for the price point. There's nothing that made me want to come back as there's many other options in the DMV. read more

Rakugaki - Japanese Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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To the owners of Rakugaki: I want to be clear upfront -- your food is genuinely above average, and that is a real achievement. But I also want to be direct: your success at Wildwood has less to do with the food than you may realize, and far more to do with your location. You sit in the middle of one of the wealthiest, most underserved ZIP codes in the DC metro. High-net-worth Bethesda families want a quality neighborhood Japanese restaurant, and you fill that gap. That is a strategic advantage -- not a mandate to treat customers as a nuisance. Here is what happened on my visit. I arrived at 8:00 PM with my wife and young son. There were two empty four-tops visible in the back. In the front, two women occupied one four-top next to an empty two-top. We were told we could not be seated because of an 8:30 reservation. I asked -- calmly -- whether both four-tops were reserved for that party. The staff responded with visible annoyance and walked away. After what I can only describe as forceful glares, they eventually relented around 8:20, noting the 8:30 party had not arrived. At that point I asked what time the kitchen stopped taking orders. The answer: 8:40-8:45. I then asked the obvious question: why would you seat an 8:30 reservation and give them only 10-15 minutes to order, rather than seat a family of three -- with a young child -- who had been standing and waiting for 20 minutes and could have had a full, unhurried meal? The response from your manager -- a short woman who I understood to be in charge -- was to scold me in a condescending, schoolteacher tone. She said, words to the effect of, "we were very busy, as you can see, so we are giving you this table" -- as though I should feel grateful, or even guilty, for wanting to be seated after waiting 20 minutes at a restaurant with clearly visible empty tables. I did not need to be spoken down to. I did not need to feel as though I was begging for the privilege of spending over $100 on dinner. While she did ultimately apologize, the tone made clear she was more irritated with her own team's illogical decision-making than she was genuinely sorry for keeping a family waiting. I was in such a foul mood that I knew the meal -- regardless of quality -- would be joyless. So I made a decision: I picked up my family, walked 50 yards, and had pasta and salad at a restaurant that was genuinely glad we were there. It turned a frustrating evening into a pleasant one. I will not return to Rakugaki. And I sincerely hope I never encounter that manager again. To the owners: do not let your location flatter your execution. A high-end clientele in Bethesda is not captive -- they have options, they have standards, and they talk. Service is not a secondary concern. It is the primary one. The moment a customer feels contempt from your staff is the moment you have permanently lost that customer and everyone they know. Learn to manage your success before it manages you. read more

The Philly roll was so delicious I don't think I'll order it anywhere else ! The staff is so kind and accommodating Great experience 100% recommend Inside is pretty and cozy Bar seating or tables the udon is house made and delicious read more

Rakugaki - Shrimp yaki udon - Japanese Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

This spot came highly recommended to me from a friend. So I slid out to The Shops at Wildwood in Bethesda Maryland to see what was up with it. Let me tell you...this place didn't disappoint!! I'll go back!! . Where I am: @rakugaki_bethesda @shopsatwildwood . Location Reviewed: 10223 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda M.D. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Mango Tango ($7 with pineapple, ginger beer, & lime). This had REAL mango juice in it, & it was bubbly!! STAMP!! their Strawberry Hibiscus Tea ($6 with strawberry puree, & hibiscus lemonade). Well blended, refreshing, & tasty!! LIKE THAT!! Their Summer Roll ($8 with shrimp, rice noodles, peanuts, cilantro, mint, lettuce, & mint sauces). The ingredients blended well together, dip this in that soy sauce!! STAMP!! Their Chicken Tempura Nanban ($9 fried chicken breast lathered in a sweet soy sauce, & topped with a tartar sauce). The tartar sauce was sweet, & just added a creamy sweetness to the lightly fried chicken!! STAMP!! Their Garlic Beef Fried Rice ($17 with egg, garlic chip, butter, & scallions). Premium ingredients, buttery deliciousness!! STAMP!! Their Korean Beef a Bulgolgi Yaki Udon ($29 with marinated sliced ribeye, onions, scallions, kimchi, egg, & udon noodles). Thinly sliced, & perfectly seasoned bulgogi, with thick & saucy noodles!! STAMP!! Their Large Volcano Rolls ($13 with shrimp Tempura, spicy tuna mayo, eel, avocado, fish roe, cucumber, & eel sauce). Crisp shrimp, fresh ingredients, tasty!! STAMP!! Their Philly Rolls ($10 with smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, cucumber, & lemon caper sauce). Well seasoned, creamy, & lemony!! STAMP!! Their Choco Parfait ($10 with vanilla soft serve ice cream, chocolate marshmallow mousse, bananas, a house made chocolate lollipop, & chocolate pearls). Perfect ending to this fantastic meal!! . Parking: Decent. . Customer Service: On Point. . Recommendations: Get what I STAMPED!! Accessibility: This spot is wheelchair friendly, & differently abled persons friendly. 5 Stars=STAMP 4 1/2 Stars=LIKE THAT 4 Stars=DELICIOUS 3 Stars=DECENT 2 Stars=PASS 1 Star=NAH #Bigschlimsreviews read more

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Came here for lunch and we had a great time. Sat outside because the weather was beautiful. We ordered a few dishes to try, we ordered the mentaiko pasta, steak teishoku set, and jo nigiri with maki. Everything was delicious. The nigiri was fresh and I loved the toro! The maki we got was spicy tuna and it was pretty good. The rice texture was perfect and good ratio. The mentaiko pasta was filling but it could use a little more butter sauce for a deeper flavor profile. The steak teishoku set was tasty. Steak was tender and I loved all the side dishes. It's very unique and different from typical Japanese sides. Our server Guy was very friendly and attentive towards us and all the other customers dining outside. I'm definitely a fan of this place and can't wait to come back! read more

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A hidden gem. Seating inside and outside when weather permits. The menu js quite big which is scary sometimes. You would think it's hard to perfect something with a lot of items but it was really delicious and filling. Everything came out at a good rate. Sushi was fresh. Definitely get reservations on a friday afternoon if you decide to go. read more

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Good sushi. We also got the lobster noodles which were ok but a little lacking in flavor. Drinks were very good. Service was ok. read more

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I had been meaning to try Rakugaki, a semi-new Japanese influenced restaurant in the Wildwood Shopping Center. This was the space occupied by another restaurant, an upper-scale European venue that closed years ago. Rakugaki kept the same bar and general layout of the original restsurant, and added an open kitchen/sushi counter at the end, but no seats. These are the same owners of Raku in Bethesda, and Asian diner Rakuya in DC. They have an extensive menu of Japanese-inspired sushi, sashimi, bento boxes and rolls. They also have some inventive salads and unique dishes. I ordered some sushi pieces of my favorite since they do not offer sushi/sashimi combinations, and a beer (Sapporo). My custom sushi nigiri (fish with rice) plate included pieces of maki, ebi, tamago, uni and, saba (Japanese mackarel). The portions were medium sized, but I found the rice under the fish overly condimented with vinegar. This masked the flavor of some of the fish, specially the ebi (shrimp, cooked). I felt that the pieces were on the expensive side. The service at the bar where I sat was rushed but courteous. There was no wet napkin service, which is a must in any authentic Japanese restaurant, especially when serving sushi, which is traditionally eaten by hand. The restaurant was full when I arrived on a weekday late afternoon, so it seems to be very popular with locals, since there a significant waiting cue. read more

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I really like this place. High quality fish, good vibe & very solid service. They don't have the most creative rolls, but it always gets the job done read more

Went here for lunch & it was fantastic! We sat outside & the ambiance was very nice! Umbrella covered seating was available & service was excellent too. The menu has a lot of different options, something for everyone! I had the Tonkatsu (pork) from the 'Teishoku Set' portion of the menu. It included miso soup & rice, along with a delicious mix of other small vegetable based sides. I would definitely come back again! 5 outta 5 read more

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I loved this spot! Amazing vegan options for my husband, good service and a beautiful bar and chill space for eating a cozy dinner. The strip the restaurant on was decorated for Christmas so it made the whole experience feel very special, and I really enjoyed that the music wasn't too overpowering. The cuts of fish were really good, and my husband said that the tofu dish he got was the best he had in a long time, and if you know vegan diets you know tofu is a staple! read more

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Looking for a serving of Upper West Side ambiance in North Bethesda? Rakugaki has you covered. A cozy dining room can feel a bit cramped, but the focus is on the food. Service is efficient as there are many dishes coming to the table in rapid succession. Appetizer stand out was pan fried chicken-shrimp dumplings in anise star pineapple sauce. Extensive sushi sashimi offerings all looked great, but settled on an Alaska roll. Our party had a wonderful Lobster Udon, chicken Udon and beautifully presented multi-textured Teisho Salmon. Desserts were unusual with an Ichigo parfait which featured sweet surprises within sweet surprises. Be sure to reserve on a weekend because of the small space, but well worth the advance planning. read more

Rakugaki - This is the place! - Japanese Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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The service is always impeccable and the food is delicious! Great sushi and ramen. The Tori nanban is filling. We love the many specials too

I stopped by here because I had a craving for sushi, and I believe this is the only sushi spot within walking distance from my job. I thought Rakugaki had a pretty extensive lunch menu, with moderately priced items. For my lunch delight, I went with the Sushi & Roll combo ($17), which came with five pieces of sushi and 1.5 rolls. Also the lunch special came with a nice bowl of miso soup. Overall, I really enjoyed my lunch because the fish was pretty fresh. I thought the service was pretty friendly and prompt. Also, the restaurant has decent ambiance. To be perfectly, honest, I do not think there is anything that would have improved my dining experience. I'm looking forward to trying other things from Rakugaki's lunch menu. read more

Rakugaki - Sushi & roll combo lunch - Japanese Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Ordered take out. Had 2 orders of the soft shell crab roll and shrimp tempura roll. The order of fresh water eel was ok. Both rolls were excellent. All 5 orders were in one container. Presentation and care was used to not smash anything. A+ for packing!! The black cod Teishoku was also good and flavorful as was the chicken tempura nanban. Will repeat! read more

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Such a delightful lunch. This is a cute spot in Bethesda, near the mall. The lunch menu has a lot of options. The sushi is amazing. Our service was pretty decent. I had the Rosé sangria, lobster dumplings and a lunch combo. Will absolutely come back! read more

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Based on one visit. Delightful, beautiful place for Sunday lunch. Service was outstanding. Veggie tempura was nicely cooked. Portions were generous. Oshizushi was so beautiful. Flavors were nicely balanced. Bento box and curry soup were excellent. We will be back! read more

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Got there on a Saturday at 5: 30pm and was seated right away at the bar. We were able to quickly order and the service was great! It wasn't too loud in the restaurant and there weren't too many people. My date and I ordered the tonkatsu which came with miso soup, white or multi grain rice, and lots of sides (pickled radish, soybeans, soy marinated lotus root and carrots, corn and egg salad, potato salad, and cabbage). The pork was tender and flavorful. The sushi assortment was great too! The fish was fresh and the California Rolls were good as well. I would recommend talking to the waiter if you don't want wasabi in your sushi as it comes already underneath the fish. Everything was great and with the good service, we had a wonderful experience here read more

Rakugaki - Sushi Assortment - Japanese Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Lovely place nested in the middle of the strip mall. Friendly service overall. Booths and tables lined around the bar, and additional seating outside. Traditional Japanese menu full of sushi, sashimi, and udon varieties. Quality food and fair prices for a neighborhood restaurant. Throughly enjoyed the dining experience except That their default tipping % is based on the overall charge, including tax. The difference is minimal but walking away that's what stuck out for the evening. read more

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Lobster and Chive dumplings? Amazing. Jo Nigiri/Sashimi? Get the deluxe. It will change your life. Daily salad specials are always a treat. For us sober folks, most cocktails can be turned into mocktails. No judgement, either. The "beef ragu pasta" is superlative. It's what I order when I'm dining in, but want something to go, that can be easily eaten cold or reheated the next day, that will taste delicious. read more

Rakugaki just opened in Wildwood. My parents love Raku so they made a reservation here when I was in town visiting. I naturally flew to Yelp and noticed many were in agreeance that the food is good but the service is a bit lacking. To be fair, it's a new restaurant, so they're likely working out some kinks with the flow, and I definitely took that into consideration here! It's a small indoor with some outdoor seating out front along the parking lot. We had a 6:30 reservation for 4 and when we arrived, we were told the tables before us were running long and we should be seated when they're done, and that they were eating dessert. We were seated around 6:50. Pretty wide variety of options on the menu, and gluten free soy sauce available. We ordered a few apps, and a few bigger plates to share. The showstoppers were the chicken and pork dumplings, the beef fried rice, and the brussel sprout/broccoli app. The veggie app was sooooooo good, and the fish flake on top MOVED!! Like, we were laughing at the table thinking it was ALIVE but apparently it's just "sensitive" to any and all heat and movement so it WIGGLES! We also ordered the chicken tempura app, thin sliced beef udon, the Atlantic cod, a volcano roll, and the salmon teishoku, which came with a few small sides. I didn't dislike anything we ordered, but didn't fall in love with anything either. As for the service, everyone was super nice, it was just a bit chaotic. One person came to take our drink orders and then disappeared before someone else arrived and asked us for our drink orders again. All the food came out super sporadically, like the dumplings came out with entrees and the sushi came out so late we were wanting the check already. read more

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This has become my absolute favorite go to for wonderfully delicious Japanese cuisine. Take-out makes it even more convenient and accessible, as they have limited windows (for lunch and dinner) and a relatively small space for their already broad following, Favorites include their salmon yuan and vegetable futomaki, but admittedly my adoration of these selections has somewhat hampered my sampling a broader number of the dishes offered. read more

Great new addition to Wildwood shopping center! Interior is modern and welcoming, staff members are very welcoming and helpful. The menu items are reasonably priced with the expected traditional Japanese fare. One thing that makes them stand out is their offering of homemade udon noodles. I tried their kakiage udon noodle soup. The portion was very generous, and had a flavorful soup filled with soft but firm udon noodles, fish cake, spinach and seaweed. The veggie fritter was served on the side. It was almost as wide as the small plate, and thick. It was made with strips of carrots, potatoes, onions and shiso dipped in tempura batter and fried. It was light and crispy and complemented the noodle soup dish well. We shared a double salmon roll which was fresh, clean tasting with perfectly seasoned sushi rice. The roll itself had avocado, cucumber, salmon and a tangy sauce inside with salmon on the outside as well. Though the restaurant was crowded service was impeccable. read more

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Rakugaki recently opened at the Wildwood Center. The sushi was so fresh, and we really enjoyed their house-made udon. What we ordered: 1. Mentaiko Pasta: udon with spicy cod roe - this was good but a tad bit too salty 2. Gyu Ontama: udon with beef and Onsen egg - the broth was so flavorful and the udon was cooked perfectly 3. White Tiger: eel, salmon, yamagobo, and avocado roll topped with scallop, rice puff, spicy mayo, and eel sauce - this was SO good, especially with the added rice puff. It was also our first time trying yamagobo which had a nice crunchy texture and flavor 4. Matcha soft serve - it had a nice matcha flavor but it was not as creamy as I would like. The portion was pretty big, so I recommend sharing with another person Service: overall staff were friendly but as we (there were two of us) were waiting for our food, we were asked if we could move to the bar so that a bigger party could have our table read more

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Came here to celebrate with my family and enjoyed the meal. My favorite was definitely the tuna tartare. The flavor was delicious and the avocado sauce was such a good addition to the tartare. We also got the white spider roll, sashimi platter, mentaiko udon and the chicken and pork dumplings. Everything tasted great, we were decently full without being stuffed. Would recommend a reservation since all the inside seating for a thursday night was reserved and I overheard the wait time was an hour (this was at 6pm)! read more

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One of my favorite Japanese in the area. First the staff is SO nice. The manager Denise is a sweetheart and such a nice lady. And honestly the whole staff is great. Everyone is really on top of things and they create a nice atmosphere. The food is very tasty! I really like read more

I had been excited to try this place, as I used to enjoy Raku when I worked closer to Bethesda. It did not disappoint me. The Wildwood parking lot leaves something to be desired, so bring a little patience to park, but we arrived we were quickly greeted and seated. The menu is not typical. There are lots of dishes to try, so have fun with new options. The price point is reasonable for quality and location. We look forward to happily return. read more

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Where's the Michelin star? Service was amazing and food was also spectacular for a good deal too. Cool decor as well, all around great place. read more

We love Rakugaki! It's smaller, less chaotic, and a bit more stylish than its sister restaurant Raku in Bethesda. The hamachi crudo appetizer is my absolute favorite. The Sashimi is bright and fresh, and we always add scallop to the order. Rolls are pretty and delicious - we usually get the shrimp tempura, which is great. We also try to always order something off the specials list. Don't miss the spicy tuna on sticky rice if they have it! Decent wine by the glass, amazing service, and tons of parking right outside the door. Worth the drive to Potomac! read more

I'd give this a 4.5 star and would need to return to determine its rating. I loved the mentaiko ramen with roe and seaweed, the lobster dumpling appetizer, and the spicy tuna, crunchy scallop, and eel salmon rolls. The Brussels sprouts appetizer was crispy and good but a bit heavy. We will be back! read more

Great food, great service, and nice ambiance. Highly recommend and will be returning!

If you love, authentic Japanese food do not go here. If you like fast food comparable to McDonald's feel free. If you cannot chew the seaweed, that means it's cheap. The ambience ; televisions playing two shows about the typical American diners across the US tells you it's not authentic Japanese. The service is also rushed, which is not Standard Japanese. summary , I couldn't chew the seaweed. I literally had to take it out of my mouth, while watching people on TV eat more on one plate than I eat in a month, all along being rushed so that more people could sit.‍ If you're looking for authentic Japanese I suggest Sushiko in friendship heights. If you're looking for better Japanese fast food, I suggest any Giant supermarket. read more

I went there with my brother and twin nephews. My food was fairly tasty, although that might've been because I ordered very spicy and put extra hot sauce on it. Neither my brother or either of his kids enjoyed their meal much at all. It's not a restaurant I wish to frequent again. read more

Great local sushi spot. The food is always on point, and the staff seem attuned to making sure there's a good customer experience. It's become my favorite sushi place in the area - and they have outdoor seating, which not all sushi joints do. Pro tip: the rotating seasonal menu offers some nice options. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Service on point! Food came out fast and piping hot! Bottom line, the food was excellent!

Another visit to Rakugaki, another yummy evening of sushi and assorted Japanese inventions. This time, in addition to the fresh sushi, I give a thumbs up to their salmon and green apple appetizer, a perfect combination of crisp, sweet and sour apple combined with the smooth salmon and a slice of jalapeno on top for a little kick. As usual, the sushi was top notch, too. If you haven't tried Rakugaki Wildwood, you're missing out! read more

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