I've been here twice and each time have been so impressed! A must try! I've been recommending this place to many people. If you want a unique twist on pizza and pasta, then this place is for you. Come here with someone who is open minded to trying something new. I don't remember the names of everything I ordered, but each time I split a large pizza and pasta with a friend and we each have 1 piece of pizza to take home. The pasta portion is pretty small. The pizza is similar to a Detroit style pizza. They have run cocktails. I think they change their menu and have new specials often because the things I ordered the first time and loved, weren't there the second time. read more

Tonari - MENTAIKO tagliolini, cod roe, butter, chili threads, tsuyu, lemon, shiso, shredded nori - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I'd been waiting for a Monday night off to finally try Tonari's chīzu-sutēki (cheesesteak), and it didn't disappoint. After chatting with the staff, I went with the regular cheesesteak, adding fried shishito peppers and every sauce they offered on the side. Unfortunately, they were out of the green sauce--but the marinated steak more than made up for it. Moist, tender, and packed with umami, the meat was beautifully complemented by a pillowy, fresh roll that I'm pretty sure comes straight from Philly. I paired it with the S&B fries, which had a gentle salinity and a pleasantly sweet curry spice. Together, it made for a killer combo definitely worth trying. If I could make one suggestion to the kitchen, it would be to consider offering an upcharge for extra protein--something reasonable that still works for the restaurant, especially in light of the added pressures from Washington DC's Initiative 82. With the phase-out of the tipped minimum wage, many long-standing DC restaurants are struggling to balance increased labor costs, and several have already shuttered as a result. It's a tough climate, and flexible options like paid add-ons might help both staff and guests alike. Pro tip: hit the condiment bar and grab a few cherry peppers. Then whip up a nostalgic middle-school-style fry sauce with Kewpie mayo and ketchup, and finish it off with that umami-loaded soubise. Trust me. read more

Tonari is inspired by a niche culinary concept that got its start in Tokyo during the 1950s and is now a very well-known style of cuisine commonly found in Japan's major cities. The menu features thick, crispy pan pizzas and unique pasta dishes that showcases Japanese-Italian cuisine. Their pizza dough and fresh pasta noodles are all made with high-quality Hokkaido wheat flour sourced and milled in Sapporo, Japan. The pizzas have a soft and fluffy texture similar to Japanese milk bread and a light, crispy crust reminiscent of fried tempura. Perfect anytime but the best at happy hour where you can get 50% off of their pizzas. UNAGI BBQ eel, green peppercorns, dill labne THE JAPANESE PHILLY shaved prime rib braised in soy & mirin, provolone, cheese whiz, red onion MENTAIKO & CORN Kewpie mayo & cod roe sauce, corn puree, chives read more

The food at Tonari is so good!!! Their pizza is so delicious and their pasta is so good! The service can be slow at times, but it was not bad. The pizza here is detroit style. I did make a reservation which I'm glad I did because when I first came it was not busy but it definitely filled up within an hour. read more

I have been a long time fan of Daikaya and just happened to find out Tonari is an affiliate of Daikaya while searching for a Japanese-Italian fusion place. Service: I came here for a celebration (my friends actually planned a surprised dinner for me) and the vibe here is vibing fr! I had already had a reservation for 2, but my friends called in to place a secret reservation for 8 with a note that when I come to check in for the table for 2, lead me to the table for 8 instead. And the restaurant staff were so kind to accommodate that. I had one friend who couldn't make it and called in to order a round of champagne. The restaurant was even sweet enough to not charge my friend and gave us a round on the house!! brb crying!! Food: 9/10. We tried all the pasta dishes and loved all of them. They were all so amazing - so flavorful and perfect level of al dente. My absolute favorites were the Clam Pasta, the Mel's Ragu, and the Red Sauce! Drinks: 9/10, we all got different cocktails and all loved our choices! Honestly, the lovely staff made this place to the top of my list for sure. Thank you for the lovely food and lovely time, I will be back many times more! read more

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Loved the experience more than I thought. I've been wanting to go here because of the unique concept. I kind of didn't think they'd be able to pull it off but the flavors were right on point. I got the corn pizza and clam miso noodles. My friend got the shisoto chicken pizza and Philly pizza. The dough of the pizza was fluffy and ingredients were delicious. I also loved the springy noodles. Beautiful cooked and great suggestion from the staff as the flavors were great. I suggest trying it but for me it was nothing wow worthy enough for me to come back to especially with the location of it. read more

Tonari - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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One of the best dining experiences in my recent memory! Then flavors and creativity of this Japanese-Italian spot are to die for. The service is friendly and everything comes out pretty quick. It was fairly busy on a Tuesday evening so I would recommend making a reservation. For apps, a group of 7 of us tried burrata, polpeytr (meatballs), and broccolini. I liked the flavor of the broccoli leaning heavily into Japanese flavors. For mains, we shared unagi pizza, red sauce pasta, and miso clam. The pastas were so flavorful - the noodles were springy and the pizza delicious, with the Japanese bread being so spongey. From the specials menu, we also had the okonomiyaki pizza and tomato curry soup. All were divine and mouthwatering! I highly recommend the miso clam pasta if you love seafood. And the entire pizza menu is like nothing I've had before. We tried every dessert as well and I really liked the oat milk panna cotta which included blueberries and tapioca balls. The sesame tea cake was also very yummy. For shaking up your taste palettes, I would highly recommend! I loved everything about it and want to come back soon! read more

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I came here for dinner during DC Restaurant Week. I was really looking forward to trying this place out because I'm a huge fan of their sister restaurant, Daikaya. We made reservations, but were kept waiting after we arrived. To the manager's credit, he made us comfortable while we waited with a drink and apologized for the inconvenience, which we appreciated. We were seated upstairs next to a large diorama of...well, I'm still not quite sure what it was lol. The decor in the restaurant seems disjointed and not at all cohesive. I thought it was odd. We started with the arugula salad which was fine. I also had the Brussels sprouts which were very good. I had a slice of the Tonari pizza and my friend had a slice of the Mentaiko & Corn pizza. Both were super delicious! The corn pizza has a very unique flavor that's hard to describe, but it works. We also both ordered the Mentaiko pasta which was equally delicious. For drinks, I had the Daidai, which has zero alcohol and was good; it's pretty fruity but not overly sweet. They were offering dessert when we were there, and we both had an espresso affogato. All in all, I thought the restaurant was great. They had recently opened, so I could tell they were still working out some kinks, but I think it's a great addition to the food scene in downtown. The prices are also reasonable. I would return! read more

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First time visiting Tonari for Dinner! We went to try their Summer Restaurant Week Menu inspired by the FX TV show "The Bear". Splurged a little for a Date Night! Starting with the price, $50 for several courses (4 + 1 courtesy cocktail), food was delicious overall, only the "cannoli" starter was not good or look appealing, although everything else was amazing! I wish they keep their coconut braised mushroom dish in their regular menu! Definitely coming back for a slice of pizza and their sake selection during Happy Hour. Service was a little too slow, but seemed like they were not expecting a lot of people on Sunday night, 2 servers for both floors. Their busboys were keeping us hydrated though hahah. Background music was perfect for a Date Night (not too loud or noisy) so it can get as dim and romantic if you get seated far in the back, or can be very fun and lively if you are sent with friends at the second floor. read more

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Recently tried out their new cafe with lunch options - I love the concept but the food was lackluster. We started off with some coffee, trying the coconut shakerato as well as a regular iced latte. The coconut shakerator had a nice coconut flavor but was also $6 for the tiniest cup of coffee so I don't know if I would recommend it. They don't have any flavored syrups so I just asked for simple syrup in my latte - not sure if they just forgot to add it or something but it was still pretty bitter and I definitely think you could find better coffee elsewhere. The smoked salmon sandwich was so tiny it was funny - they describe it as a croissant dough baguette but it's honestly closer to a croissant dough breadstick. I liked the idea but I think it was just too small to have any sort of flakiness or chew, it was just basically like eating the outer layer of a croissant. The tamago salad was ok but needed more flavor as it was pretty bland. The pound cake with yuzu glaze was super dry, with not much flavor besides the top glazed portion. I also got a cookie for later, which was actually pretty good even though I don't usually like crispy cookies - there was a nice chew in the middle and it wasn't too sweet. read more

Tonari - Yuzu pound cake - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Tonari is one of my favorite restaurants in Washington, D.C., in large part because of its experimentation with the menu and its seasonal changes. The Kakigori was a great summer weekend dessert for my friends and me and just a different food experience for about $10. I like the two-story set up of the restaurant, as it gets busy and the service has always been positive in my experience. read more

Tonari - Kakigori - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I really loved the Italian Japanese fusion places we went to in Tokyo, so this place piqued my interest when scrolling through Yelp. The interior is more industrial and plain than I would have liked, our server was super peppy and helpful, and we had a good meal here. I enjoyed the pesto ramen and clam pasta dishes, and the pizza was also an interesting spin (any toppings would have worked on such delicious focaccia). I do think everything was overpriced and serving sizes were small (and I'm not one to always prefer gigantic American serving sizes), toppings were skimpy. The creativity is here, and the dishes were all tasty, but most of the pasta dishes were a bit more on the bland and forgettable side. read more

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Tonari has been high on my list for a long time. Their regular menu looks inspired and unique. I was the last in my party of 3 to arrive and was escorted upstairs to meet them. I quickly realized that I was required to take my shoes off and regretted not wearing shoes that required socks lol. It was Restaurant Week, so the menu was limited and Tonari decided to pay homage to the tv show, The Bear! How cute. There was a total of 5 courses, two options in each, and a welcome drink to start us off. My friends and I ordered one of everything, except the charred radicchio from Course 2. I also ordered the Mochi Sour cocktail and my friend ordered the Tonari Chino. WELCOME DRINK- 1. Cocktail - served in a mini red solo cup, and reminded me of college jungle juice, 6/10. 2. Mocktail - tasted like mango juice and not much else. Very sweet, 6/10. COURSE 1 1. Oyster Rockefeller - my friends were disappointed that it wasn't in the shell and it was very watery. I wasn't able to try it. They both really liked the oyster crackers though. 2. Cannoli - I wasn't sure how the flavors would go together and I was still confused after eating it. Salmon roe overpowered everything. Mortadella mousse was yummy! Cannoli shell seemed a little soggy. Not bad, but not good, 4/10. Waitress then came over to ask for our thoughts and we hesitated as we didn't really enjoy it. She kept pressing us for answers about what we liked, which was awkward. When she left, the 3 of us agreed that the question should be rephrased/approached differently in case patrons might have constructive feedback. COURSE 2 Lamb Ragu - lamb was cooked well and had great flavor. Buns were soft and complemented the meat well. Dish felt very one note and we all agreed that it would work better with some kind of acidity, 7/10. COURSE 3 1. Mushroom Adobo - was a unique dish. The mushroom adobo was flavorful and tasty. The coconut rice was very rich and mushy. Everything paired very well together, but felt heavy. My friend and I found the flavors tiring after several bites. 2. Spaghetti - my friend & I's favorite of the night. It was simple, yet executed brillantly. Pasta cooked perfectly and the sauce was sooo good. However, my other friend didn't like it and couldn't finish it. I give it an 8/10. COURSE 4 This came out shortly after Course 3. We had more than half of it left and now our table was packed. Timing was a big issue from this point on. Pizzas were essentially the same. They came out room temperature and soggy. I love a hot pizza, especially in the pan-pizza, Detroit-style-esque way that Tonari makes them. Comparing the Deep Dish to the Pepperoni, there wasn't any difference in look or taste besides the toppings. We thought they were okay, 6.5/10. Our waitress came again and asked about our courses. She even commented about how quick the succession of food came out and said, "I wanted to make sure the food was coming out." Again, felt really awkward as she pressed for very specific things we liked or noticed about the courses. Also, service team kept taking away some of the dirty plates and leaving some. It was weird. Some time before dessert our waitress came back again and kneeled in the seat next to my friend, and let out a big sigh. She looked around and then apologized because she just remembered that my friend ordered the Tonari Chino. Since there was only one course left, my friend declined going through with the order. COURSE 5 We waited for over 15 mins for our dessert and our waitress was no where in sight. 1. Sundae - when our sundaes came out they were already half melted, and they poured the hot fudge immediately for my friends as if to cover this fact up. My friends ate what was left of their dessert but the vanilla and pistachio gelatos had melted into a soupy mess. The hot fudge was quite good, loved the dark chocolate, 5/10. 2. Donut - small and cute, cinnamon sugar donut. I would have preferred the chocolate cake they had earlier in the week, but it wasn't available. They paired the donut with an apple cider sauce which made the dry donut taste a lot better. I liked this course overall but wouldn't order it again, 6/10. Overall, I did not enjoy this meal at Tonari. It felt overpriced and menu confused. I liked the homage to The Bear, but I don't feel like it captured the show at all besides the names. Im more intrigued by their regular menu items. I don't think this meal represented Tonari in a good way. I hope to come back for their regular menu one day, but not anytime soon. read more

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Love Tonari's happy hour and dinner options, but tried the weekend cafe today and was disappointed. First off it's very expensive for small portions. I got the prosciutto onigiri ($6.25) and it was all rice with like 5 pieces of meat inside. It didn't have much flavor either, all I was tasting was warm rice and a bit of nori. I got the coconut shakerato ($7) and while it was good, it was tiny. Maybe 5 sips total. I can get a better, bigger coffee for cheaper elsewhere. Stick to their dinner offerings! read more

Tonari - Prosciutto Onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A surprisingly delicious fusion of Japanese-Italian food filled with lots of flavor. The staff are incredibly kind-hearted and the service is impeccable. We had the pepperoni onigiri, mentaiko pasta, My Japanese Philly pizza, and the broccolini antipasti. Out of those four, I would recommend the pizza, which is a fun mix of Japanese and Italian. I also thoroughly loved the broccolini as the sauce made it taste delicious. The pasta and onigiri were okay, but the other two items were much better. Recommend eating indoors in the evenings, especially due to the presence of mosquitoes, but they do have a lovely patio dining option. read more

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Tonari is still excellent! The happy hour deals are great but all the small to large dishes combine the right balance of familiar savory flavors with a twist. It's an absolute treat that this is near all the other generic happy hour places. Some of the cocktails are slightly too eccentric for my taste but all in all, it's a great place to get filling bites and expand your palate to Italian-Japanese cuisine. read more

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Came here about a year ago before a Caps game. My partner is really into pizza, so the fusion of italian with japanese was a tantalizing curiosity for us both. I had the corn pizza and I think he had the honey pot pizza. We agreed the pizzas were decent but nothing that blew our socks off. Also, I ordered cocktail, one with some sesame oil on top, and it was just alright. read more

We were searching for a restaurant near Chinatown and stumbled upon this place! The ambiance was really cute and it was decorated very nicely, which made us excited to eat there. However, the service was lacking. We did not have a reservation, and we would have understood if they could not fit us in. It's DC on a weekend night - that would have been totally fine! But no one was in the restaurant, and they were debating to give our group (of 4) a table. The host said it was "interesting" when we came in without a reservation. It was a bit odd, but fine. However, the part that really cinched the bad service for us was our server. Towards the end of the night, we asked to split the check (since we were two couples), and our server audibly made a sound of annoyance. The food was delicious! We ordered the okonamiyaki pizza (it was a special) and the red sauce pasta. We thought the pasta, while delicious, was much too small for the price. It was $7 extra dollars for 3 meatballs. Overall, while the food was good, I don't think we'd come back due to how overpriced the food was combined to the portions and the lacking service. read more

Tonari - Red Sauce Pasta w/ meatballs - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came here with a few friends on a night out. The food was delicious and I was pleasantly surprised by the pizza. The corn pizza was an interesting mix of textures, but the flavor was spot on. The cheese, sauce, fluffy bread, and corn, can feel interesting for texture-based eaters, but I was overall a fan. read more

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This place is too cool for me. Tonari is not only fusion between Japanese and Italian, but cocktail bar and traditional sit down restaurant. We arrived at opening hour and it felt like our own private izakaya. The staff was very friendly and it made you wish you lived closer to try absolutely everything multiple times over. You can tell they take pride in what they do. They are freshly squeezing citrus and prepping other ingredients and doing it all with a smile. This new age of Detroit style pizza is getting really tall slices, but I'm glad that Tonari goes with a more grandma style where it's not crazy tall and hurts your mouth. The sauce over the cheese is 100% the move. Upside down pies are my preferred way of ordering pan pizzas. The classic pizza was great. The salt levels were up there but not unpleasant. It's honestly the perfect drinking pizza because it made me crave a cocktail/drink. I wish the fried cheese crust was a bit more pronounced, but really delicious. The Mentaiko and corn pizza is outrageous in the best way possible. This to me would be amazing with sake or white wine. Unsurprisingly this slice is very filling but there is something addictive about the sweet corn balancing out the rich umami of the roe and kewpie. This slice blew my friend's mind and legitimately you all mind exploded him like that scene in Ratatouille. I see Okonomiyaki on the menu and perhaps as a fun garnish some bonito flakes on the mentaiko and corn pizza would reinforce that seafood/dashi flavor. I definitely would come back to show people what wafu. I also love that they have a wood fired oven. This is actually masterful to get such an even bake. There is a lot of high level technique and thought going on here. It's easy to overlook, but I definitely it. read more

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first winter 2025 @ramwdc adventure at @tonaridc for their four course restaurant week menu inspired by Italian cooking author Marcella Hazan ‍ overall, this meal was delish and very filling --- on top of that, I had a really hard time choosing courses two and three (which is a good sign) ultimately I went with the alfredo and pizza alla marinara and might I add tonari's tomato sauce is sooo fragrant, surprisingly the poached figs might of been my favorite bite of the nightchinatown, washington, dc read more

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This was one of the most unique restaurants I've ever been to. To start off the meal, we had the most amazing waiter ever he really had a great personality and vibed well with my bf and I. His suggestions always hit. I had the Yubari Sour cocktail which was delicious - it tasted like candy. Easily could have had about 5 of these. My bf got the ginger-rita which was not too overpowering with the ginger. We got the meatball bao for an appetizer which is a must get - idk what they put in those meatballs, but they are some of the best I've ever had. We got an arancini to split - the tomato sauce on the plate was divine, packed with flavor, I could have licked it off the plate. Our last appetizer was the carrots - the sauce underneath the carrots was amazing, more of a middle eastern flavor in my opinion than Italian. The star of the show for me was the Japanese philly pizza. Incredibly unique combination served detroit style. Cheese Whiz on pizza is delicious - the meat on the pizza was incredibly tender. My bf got the tomato kare which was definitely not your typical spaghetti and meatballs as it had a heavy curry taste, which was delicious. read more

Tonari - Philly pizza - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This restaurant needs an improvement. Food was ok overall, we went to Saturday brunch, it was understaffed, no hostess on sight. Took a long time to sit down since few servers were busy running around. I ordered Avocado toast, it was on thick bread with very little avocado, my husband's French toast was maybe a half portion, ended up ordering more side dishes. We thought it was over priced and not going back there. read more

Tonari was my absolute favorite spot I went for restaurant week this year. The courses are perfectly portioned to try something from every part of their menu, and everything was delicious - the mentaiko and corn pizza was my personal favorite dish. The drink pairings, though, are truly what made this meal stand out above the rest. Each pairing was absolutely delicious and perfectly chosen for each part of the meal. I can't wait to come back! read more

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Tonari is a fancy Japanese Italian restaurant located next to Daikaya in Chinatown across from the Capital One Arena. The wasn't a wait which was nice. We or seated upstairs, which had a Japanese style dining where we took off our shows and sat on the floor (there were holes by the table so you could put your legs down. The lights were dimmed giving it an intimate laidback ambience. I got the Hinata mock tail, a special for a convention I was attending, my friend got the Drunk Oji, both very good. Service was a little slow; the place could definitely use more staffing for a busy Friday night. For appetizers my friend and I got the polpette, which came in a small cute tray. The meatballs were delicious. For entrees I got the Original Wafu with the caviar, which was an amazing choice. My friend got the Tomato, simple but delicious. Overall a fantastic dining experience. The fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisine really compliments the flavors of every meal! Would definitely return when I'm in the area again! read more

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I went to Tonari twice in the past few weeks and I've loved it both times. It's Japanese-Italian fusion and executed very well. Service was fast and friendly (our waitress gave us recs and was very funny). My favorite dishes: broccolini, mentaiko pasta, miso clam pasta, and tiramisu Broccolini: sweet, tangy, smoky, and crisp, with little crunchy balls on top Mentaiko pasta: sweet and savory and deeply flavorful Miso clam pasta: very savory with clams and crispy breadcrumbs Tiramisu: soaked in green tea and topped with pineapple and cream -- not too sweet and very light! Honorable mentions: spicy tomato oil dip, the Japanese Philly pizza, and flambé pizza This is one of my new favorite restaurants in DC! read more

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Super cute spot - I love the pizza and pasta here. My favorites were the gyuniku pizza (the one with the Cheese Whiz!) and the miso clam pasta. The pizza has a unique, crispy crust and was the clear winner across everyone I came with. The cocktails are also delicious! I enjoyed the mochi sour. I love the seating options on the second floor, where you can sit on the floor. I've had mixed service depending on when I went there, but the second time I went it was very busy and the waiter looked a little stretched thin. The first time I went, however, the waiter was very helpful in helping us choose items off the menu. read more

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Korean style garlic bread & corn pizza were so unique, would definitely go back to eat these again!

I'm an avid lover of fusion food, so was excited about the prospect of Japanese & Italian flavors. We had a dinner reservation to celebrate a special occasion and were attended to promptly and respectfully. Our server in particular was especially warm, enthused, and knowledgeable, which enhanced our dine-in experience! We thoroughly enjoyed the intimate, simple but tasteful floor seating space. The highlight of our meal was the Mentaiko & Corn pizza. The flavors and textures of the corn, cod roe, kewpie mayo, cheese, and chives blended beautifully. Their pizza is on the thicker side and chewy but complemented well with a crispy crust. read more

Came here with a large group of friends and the staff was very accommodating and friendly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is very cute inside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Upstairs gives a more upscale vibe then downstairs.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was good. I ordered the uni pasta and it was okay. I tried the pizza my friend ordered and it was spectacular. I definitely recommend skipping the pasta here and getting the pizza. Super fluffy and flavorful. read more

Perfect spot for a fun date night and/or for the adventurous pizza lover. The corn pizza (which was apparently voted the best pizza in the country) was delicious and unique -- although I'm more of a red-sauce fan, this white-sauce pizza was a great surprise. The burrata with clementine and chili oil was a nice spin on a traditional burrata appetizer. The cocktails were unique and tasty, but I wish there was a little more variety on their drink menu. We'll be back to try more pizzas. Giving this a 4/5 because I thought the price for pizza was a bit steep compared to other comparable detroit-style pizza in the city. read more

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Great restaurant with food you can't typically find anywhere else! We made reservations prior to arriving, so we were seated immediately when we got there. We were seated upstairs, which offered regular tables as well as tatami seating. Upstairs was a little bit more private since tables were pretty spaced out, so it didn't get too loud. There's also a cute centerpiece that adds personality to the restaurant! We ordered the broccolini to start, as well as the mentaiko and corn pizza and Uni Uni unico pasta. The broccolini was really unique! It came in a sweet tangy sauce with some kind of puffs that added texture to the appetizer. The mentaiko and corn pizza was also really good, although it should just be named corn pizza since there wasn't much mentaiko in it. However, the textures were well played in the pizza because the dough was incredibly crunchy yet soft and airy. And the pasta was also really delicious. It tasted exactly what I imagined, kind of like a carbonara with the sweet seafood flavor from the Uni. We also ordered some drinks, but they weren't very strong. Our server was incredibly friendly and patient with us. He gave us a few suggestions, and we really enjoyed them! He also took time to talk to and get to know us, and it really made the experience amicable. We got the black sesame tea cake to finish. Not sure I would recommend this because although it's good, it really lacks the sesame flavor. Would highly recommend for a wonderful dining experience here! All the food hit the right spots, and service is truly amazing. And, they have an additional seasonal menu so be sure to check that out! read more

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So... everything was 2% off target for me in flavor. I will say, the cocktails were great. Not too sweet, light and crisp. The inarizushi was an interesting take on the traditional tofu skin dish. I wasn't a huge fan of either anchovy that was served on it. I didn't find that the flavor melded well. In hindsight I think maybe having a crunchy element would've elevated the dish. The pizzas were the best for me. The corn cheese is a very familiar taste profile for Japanese or Korean fusion food, and the flavors were well balanced. The gyuniku was by far my favorite of the night. The meat and onions were nicely marinated; it was slightly sweet which against the sauce was a nice balance. For both pizzas, the texture of the dough was amazing- it was extremely light and fluffy for a pizza. I could go for seconds of just the pizza. You can order half sizes (like we did) which come with 2 slices, or full sizes which have 4 slices. We ordered halves so we could try different pizzas. The pastas on the other hand were personally not my favorite. I know Japanese pastas tend to have a sweetness to them, but I felt like both pastas, particularly the uni pasta, were too sweet for me. I would order the pizza again but not the pasta. Service was great; everything came out quickly and the servers were all very friendly. Fyi, there is a 20% service charge added to the bill, so factor that into your calculations! read more

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I KNEW tonari was going to be a 5 star review from the first bite of pizza - please understand I am not a pizza person. but this. idk if it was my chicago side coming out over this buttery, crispy on the outside, soft doughy on the inside crust.....or if it was my japanese food loving side that was blown away by the pairing of toppings on top of the plush crust bed - we sampled two half pizzas but watched at the pizza counter as they made so so many and I just simply need to try ALL. - the Philly cheesesteak was to die for, seriously get this. the tender meat was marinated in a salty soy sauce that cut the rich cheese taste. the onions provided a break in chewy texture and the cheese whiz on top added a sharp accent and beauty! - I was unsure on how I would feel about the mentaiko corn pizza, but I'm so glad I tried this as it is unlike anything I've ever even seen before. creamy almost sweet mayo and corn toppings paired so well with the fire cooked crust. - my partner in crying over how good this was also for the meatball appetizer which was eaten in .3 seconds. the bread crumbs adding a crunch was a huge plus - I should have known how amazing the place was gonna be when I saw that the have an every day happy hour for pizzas (50% off!!!) or when I called and the hostess said he'd hold down seats for me at the happy hour tables. or when the waiter told us that we can order any drink, including a three dollar tea or soft drink, to get the happy hour deals. read more

Tonari - Mentaiko & Corn and Japanese Philly - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I came here with three friends and everything on the menu looked good so we definitely to do family style to try more dishes. Everything was very unique and different. We really enjoyed the mentaiko pasta, it is light but creamy with a strong umami seaweed flavor. We got two half pizzas, both were great. I enjoyed the corn pizza more, it wasnt greasy or heavy. Very light and the crust is so crispy and flavorful. The chicken and shishito pizza tasted very onion-y. Pesto pasta was fine...tasted quite watered down, nothing special about the dish. I probably wouldnt get that again next time. Our server was extremely patient and attentive with us. The restaurant itself was cute. Two stories and there was an area where you can sit on the floor to eat traditionally. read more

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We got the two pizzas, Korean garlic bread, vodka rigatoni, and the arancini. The sesame martini was really strong and tasted like sesame oil and vodka. The food was delicious, not really Japanese (imo), the corn pizza was the best dish. The Korean garlic bread was a little sweet, and the arancini was good but not amazing. The place is a nice vibe, service was great and quick. read more

Tonari - Korean Style Garlic Bread - Japanese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My friends and I went to Tonari on a Sunday night and we had an amazing time! Overall the restaurant wasn't crowded and we had made a reservation ahead of time. We ordered the burrata, grilled broccolini, pesto ramen, corn pizza, and tiramisu. They all tasted so good! My favorite was the corn pizza. The tiramisu was so unique I loved the lemon taste. They also have a separate vegetarian menu that they'll provide for you which was super helpful for me when ordering. The service was wonderful, the food came out super quickly like within 5 minutes which was great for us since we were so hungry. Everyone working there was super nice and made us feel very comfortable and helped us have an enjoyable experience here. The decor inside the restaurant is very beautiful and I would highly recommend this fusion place! read more

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Saw this place on a Instagram reels and wanted to go so bad... and feel like this place lives up to the hype. The seating is Japanese style on the floor and you take off your shoes which is a nice vibe. Waiter is super nice and friendly with recommendations and how certain flavors and food works. All the food was amazing! The truffle pasta I had was rich in flavour, although it still left me not full but enough room to try other things. The corn pizza was so tasty with the sauce and the crunch of the pizza dough. Sesame tea cake was so delicious with the coconut ice cream, not too sweet and had nice aspects of crunch, sweetness, and cream at once. Sesame is there but very soft. Espresso martini was standard but still good. Sesame martini can be a little strong in terms of flavour and smell overtime. It's still good as a martini but if you're not used to sesame all of the time, it could be a bit much and oily tasting. Overall, I really enjoyed this place and it's food. I'd say it's worth the price point and I'd definitely want to come back to try some of the other items on the menu. It's a small menu but packed with good stuff! read more

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I made a reservation here since I knew how busy it could get. The service was okay, our waitress was sweet but she had far too many tables and was running the whole time to keep up. As a result, everything took a long time--putting in drinks and food, getting our check, etc. We started with the wafu arancini, which I will admit was the tastiest dish there. Would recommend this appetizer, though it's wayyy overpriced. I had the Japanese cheesesteak pizza, which was Detroit style and very thick bread, but the cheese whiz on top is not great and frankly this dish is again not worth the price. There was no sauce besides the cheese whiz, and the pizza could've used more meat. The bread and cheese were great. My husband got the Godzilla pasta with alligator meat. This was bland and an absolutely tiny portion for the price. Not worth it at all. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance in the restaurant was fine. It was too dark inside and the tables are crammed pretty close together for the prices they charge, but the waitstaff was professional.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Total flavor fusion with a combination of Italian and Japanese cuisine here. The uni pasta was great, especially if you love the saltiness of uni. The place is pretty busy so make a reservation. Be prepared for the mix of flavors and enjoy the confusion that your tongue may have. The ambiance is lively and it is a fun food experience. read more