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    Sushi Express

    3.8 (97 reviews)
    InexpensiveJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Order Sushi Express Takeout or Delivery

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    SUSHI EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Inside
    J. --or Call Me Bolanle O.

    I visited this place on 12/13/19 to pick up lunch to-go. Food and First Impressions Convenient (to me) K Street NW location, not too far from Farragut North and Farragut West, and close to me. I got the Combo Platter and chose a combination the Fresh Salmon Rolls (6), Tuna & Avocado Rolls (6 Pieces), and miso Soup (photos below). The Combo (according to the Ritual app anyway) comes with a side of steamed rice. The cost was $10. The sushi was fine, sized well. I thought this was a good price for a combo that included two sushi rolls; I thought they might come out smaller but they were normal. The miso soup was a tasty plain but plain broth. It had approximately 2 small, small pieces of tofu in it. I looked up miso soup photos online to compare, and others had veggies and such. Oh well. The tuna roll wasn't too fishy. Yay. The soy sauce tasted special, like they made their own...just somehow different from the usual packet soy sauce. It was strong, so I used it sparingly. Pick-up Experience As I am doing often these days, I used the Ritual app to schedule pickup, and it was pretty fast, though it didn't have my side of steamed rice. I wasn't in a rush. I let them know and they added it soon after, so no worries in this case. Ambiance The restaurant is inside a larger office building on the upper level (photos below), and it is on the end of a long-ish corridor. Once you enter the building, you take the escalator to get to the level Sushi Express is on. The seating is mostly on the outside of the restaurant. The space itself nice initimate-ish space. There were people seated in the corridor seating area munching. My Conclusion I would come back if I wanted a sushi lunch, or to try another item on the menu. If I really wanted it, I might get the miso broth soup again--but I'd try other places' miso soups first to see if I get a more filling soup. Convenient location for the work day.

    Lunch box
    Tommy C.

    Not sure why this place doesn't have more stars... sushi Express fulfills it's job as a casual sushi takeout place with surprisingly great fish quality. They have a variety of different assorted sushi combos with nigiri+roll that range from $8-15. If you aren't in the mood for sushi, they also have a lunch bento at $11. Each entree comes with soup or salad. This is a great place for those working in Downtown D.C. Peak lunch hours on weekdays can get a bit busy but it is pretty empty by late afternoon.

    Executive sushi platter, rainbow roll
    Sophia C.

    This is the best bang for your buck sushi & it's really fresh too. We ordered the executive sushi platter & the rainbow roll (both come with soup/salad). Everything was so fresh & our total came out to under $20! I get sushi here often but me being the pig I am I have always finished eating before thinking of taking a picture to leave as a review... (the knocked over tuna roll in the picture will forever bother me). There are fancier sushi places in the area and I've tried many of them and can definitely say this place is up to par with those places as far as freshness goes.

    Rainbow roll plus miso
    Eric Joseph D.

    Finally walked 0.48 miles to eat at this place from work and don't know if I would say it was worth it for what I got. For 6 dollars, I bought a rainbow roll while my friend had teriyaki for 5 dollars. Personally, the fish was not bad, but there wasn't anything special about the sushi. I rather have got a combo with teriyaki as the sushi was just not filling! Huge kudos to the "free" miso or soup with your meal. For 9 dollars, you can order a combo of sushi and other meals (see my picture for pricing) but I am Still not convinced that this is any deal what so ever! I would def want to try out their hot meals as they did give a good amount of my chicken to my friend, but they do need to improve on their flavoring. Not asking for the works, but asking for something more than just your regular fare! This place is also inside a business building -- there are signs in the directory outside the building! Hope you can find it!

    Bento and California roll.

    I cannot believe that it took me 10 years to locate an affordable sushi restaurant in downtown DC. I ordered a bento for $13 and a California roll for $4.5. they are tasty and cheap. And they are on second floor inside 1990 K St. I will come back.

    Shrimp dumplings with rice and salad. Rainbow roll with miso soup. I overordered.
    Zach L.

    After thinking I'd tried all of the drool and wallet-worthy hole in the walls in this part of town a friend took me here. Looks like I missed one! This place is crazy cheap and the food ain't bad either. I had the rainbow rolls which came with a salad and the shrimp dumplings which came with a hunk of steamed rice and a miso broth soup. In total this massive amount of food only set me back $11. Probably one of the best deals for a weekday lunch downtown. The rainbow rolls were made fresh to order although I wouldn't try the sushi if you're a big germaphobe since this place has seen better days. The shrimp dumplings were fried and really were more like shrimp shumai than dumplings. They tasted great especially for only $4 for a big portion. The side salad wasn't anything special but it's nice they tack it on. Not sure why someone said they don't take credit cards but they do. I'll definitely tell my friends about this place and will be returning often. Just make sure to beat the line early or come later on.

    Jam C.

    Great lunch spot if you work in the area for cheap and decent sushi and other Japanese food! They have so many options and everything is decently priced. I've tried the ramen too and it's not bad and hits the spot. Too bad it doesnt come with egg.

    Inbalance between rice and fish.  Too few fish.
    Jack S.

    I ordered Chirashi. It looks OK. The fish and rice is inbalance. Too few fish compared to rice. After my first bite, my impression is, What! They serve Chirashi with bland hot rice in stead of flavourful cold sushi rice. Who does that? That is not even the worst part. The hot rice cooked unevenly. Some part are too wet and therefore mushy. Some part are too dry. If a Sushi restaurant can not even cook the rice right....Well, you draw your own conclusion. The Miso soup is also very diluted. I walked more than one mile from Washington Hilton where I stayed and wait outside for them to open the door. I really expect a much better experience. Big disappointment.

    Bradford S.

    I only had the time to stop by today and get an order to go (a tuna roll and two salmon roe sushi pieces). The tuna roll was very fresh, while the salmon roe was only so-so. I got it to go, and it was raining heavy as I brought it to work, to eat it, so I had to put it into another bag, and maybe that crushed it a bit. I dunno, but today, they only get 3 stars with me. Though, I didn't truly get to see all that they have to offer, I will admit.

    $11 sashimi bento (disclosure: $10 paid by Ritual) fails to come anywhere close to a typical $11 sashimi lunch box.
    Chosenjin K.

    Their $11 sashimi bento box fails to come anywhere close to what you might expect from other $11 lunch box (full disclosure: portion of my bill was paid by Ritual).

    Chicken Teriyaki
    Jason S.

    The value you get from this place is crazy. My chicken teriyaki meal which came with a side salad was only $5.50 and I added a small miso soup for only a dollar. And the portions aren't small at all. As I said, crazy value. The food itself is pretty good, I wouldn't say great but surely a fine lunch option. The miso soup was yummy and the salad was fairly standard. I enjoyed the chicken teriyaki but it clearly felt like a cheaper version of it (as I expected given the price). The chicken didn't have that teriyaki taste to it. It was just grilled chicken bathed in teriyaki sauce. And it wasn't bad by any means, just lacking. Thankfully though there was an abundance of sauce in which to dip the white rice.

    Vegetarian yakisoba
    Cat P.

    Just as the name suggests, this is a grab-and-go type of place. The staff are Japanese, and they prepare good, cafeteria-style Japanese food. Besides sushi, you can also find yakisoba, curry rice, onigiri (rice balls), and other popular Japanese dishes. At Sushi Express, you definitely get what you pay for, not less, not more. The good news is that prices are very reasonable, especially for downtown DC. The bad news is that portions for non-sushi items lean more towards petite. I got the vegetarian yakisoba today, which was very tasty but had almost no vegetables, aside from some cabbage and onions. The pickled relish on top of the noodles was great, but I really wanted some broccoli and maybe some carrot to give the dish more color and texture. Perhaps they didn't want to stray from the authentic version...While the sauce was spot-on, I was left wanting more noodles. Also tried two rolls before, though I only remember one of them, salmon. Again, tasty but not remarkable. Don't expect local, super fresh fish or anything, but know that this is more of a jack-of-all-trades establishment that caters to area office workers who are hankering for sushi or casual Japanese dishes. The sushi chef prepares the various rolls offered with nimble fingers and his assistant cook whips up delicious dishes, but ingredients are okay quality. What I like most about this place: 1. Friendly and efficient staff 2. Dependable sushi 3. Cheap prices 4. More unusual and authentic menu and miscellaneous items for sale (e.g., Japanese snacks, harder to find in this area)

    Executive class sushi

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    10 years ago

    I have been there a few times and everytime, I found the rice to be not fresh. It seemed they are reusing stale rice to make their sushi.

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

    I've been going to this place since 2004. It's a very decent lunch choice for cheap sushi if you are close to GWU.

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    10 years ago

    My favorite lunch spot. Great sushi, friendly staff, good value

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    10 years ago

    great value. high quality sushi.

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    13 years ago

    A good find! The people who run the place are friendly, and the food is very cheap and decent. Cash only!

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    Love Makoto - Hand rolls

    Love Makoto

    4.5(557 reviews)
    1.6 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.

    Photos
    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)
    0.7 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!

    Photos
    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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    Delicious chilled sake

    Umai Nori - Sashimi platter was a 10/10

    Umai Nori

    4.6(273 reviews)
    0.2 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.

    Photos
    Umai Nori - Complimentary birthday mochi!

    Complimentary birthday mochi!

    Umai Nori - Sushi rolls

    Sushi rolls

    Umai Nori - 5 hand rolls

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    5 hand rolls

    Izakaya Seki - Sashimi platter

    Izakaya Seki

    4.0(517 reviews)
    1.4 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

    Photos
    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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    Tempura Special, sake

    O-Ku - Salmon Usuzukuri

    O-Ku

    4.4(786 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    We came here for Valentine's Day. Managed to snag a reservation for 5 PM, right when they open, at…read morethe sushi bar. The staff were all absolutely lovely. And we even got a cute little Valentines gift. I can't say enough nice things about our server - she was so great. Sitting at the sushi bar was neat as we got to see everything being made. We also got to try some complimentary bites. Great experience! The cocktails were crazy good. Everything we ordered was delicious. The salmon usuzukuri was so good we ordered it twice. The Kobe baller was another standout. The scallops were also fantastic. Such a yummy meal! Highly recommend! We will definitely be back.

    I might give them another shot given the rave reviews, but tonight I'm disappointed. At this point,…read moreI haven't even seen my check so the price is not the issue, but the service and overall flavor for the price point definitely are. My Hotote crudo app which should be served cold was served cold on a super hot plate which means by the time I ate it, it was thus weird hot/semi-luke warm temp and honestly, not appetizing. I tried the Moriawase after and told my server I wanted to add caviar if it was possible and since I didn't get any, I assume it is only an option for the nigiri/sashimi. Silly but no problem. I was still sooooo hungry I ordered a Surf&turf roll and it was less than appetizing. It had no flavor which was terribly unfortunate. I didn't make a review about the sake mixup or my server only to be polite but there are definitely low points, and those make the list. I hope it's better for everyone else!

    Photos
    O-Ku
    O-Ku - Complementary cucumber salad (tasty AF) @ O-Ku!

    Complementary cucumber salad (tasty AF) @ O-Ku!

    O-Ku - Tempura shrimp roll!

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    Tempura shrimp roll!

    Sakaki Izakaya

    Sakaki Izakaya

    4.4(309 reviews)
    3.1 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.

    Photos
    Sakaki Izakaya - Drink Menu

    Drink Menu

    Sakaki Izakaya - Old fashion

    Old fashion

    Sakaki Izakaya - All you can eat menu

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    All you can eat menu

    Sushi Express - japanese - Updated May 2026

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