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    Wasai

    3.9 (244 reviews)
    ModerateDim Sum, Ramen
    Closed 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

    Wasai Photos

    WASAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Wasai

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    Reviews With Photos

    Kavi T.

    Restaurant is gongcha combined. Got a beef tendon handpull noodle which was a solid eat before heading to the national museum of portraiture. Overall a good stop to grab a quick lunch before exploring museums around the national mall.

    Steamed D2. Pork, Shrimp Chive Dumplings
    Stephanie T.

    Me and my son came here for early dinner prior to the wizards game. The people working there were super busy making noodles since they are handmade and boba but the guy taking orders was very friendly. The tables were super dirty, several customers were very vocal about it and got their food to go. The staff there were VERY BUSY so maybe they need an extra person to clean tables on their busy days. I wanted to eat in the restaurant so I cleaned our eating area with sanitizer and napkins. My son got the spare rib noodle soup and I tried it and it was good! It wasn't the best we've had and the broth was a little bland. His strawberry goncha tasted like fake flavoring and was gross. The spring rolls were very tasty. Everything came out hot and fresh so that was great. I got the steamed dumplings and they were very good. The dumpling sauce was delicious. The reason I gave it a 2 was because of the short rib soup and the goncha. For the price of the goncha it should have tasted better. Also the tables were yuck. Like they need to get that figured out.

    Sesame chicken
    Neil W.

    We were in Chinatown, on the hunt for something that isn't too expensive, and my friend recommended we go to Wasai. We got to the front, seemed fairly crowded, I think a show had just ended at the Capital One Arena. But seeing that the line was moving, we decided to give it a go. It was pretty crowded and loud inside, but we managed to get seated when a couple got up. The food took a while to come out. Not anything astounding, the sesame chicken is what you'd expect. The soup was a little bit of a disappointment, I'm sad to say... The broth could have used more seasoning or something..? Something was missing, I couldn't put my finger on it. Something I wish they did with the hand pulled noodle is for the noodles to be bouncier, or thicker, something with a little more body. All in all, the prices are reasonable and the location is convenient, the food didn't quite hit the mark for me. My friend seemed perfectly happy though, so maybe you'll be fine here too.

    Tori H.

    The best pulled noodle spot in Chinatown dc! It's a fast casual spot with gongcha inside too?! You order on kiosks in the back. The menu was extensive. I got both beef pulled noodles with thin noodles. The broth was perfection and not too salty, the beef was tender, and the noodles had a good chew and pull. It made for the perfect slurp. The soup dumplings were well seasoned you didn't need soy sauce. It had a good amount of soup too. The service was quick. Everything was so so delicious! I'll be back soon!

    Kassidy K.

    Stopped by on a day trip for a festival... I they've got good options for vegetarians as well as meat eaters. They have 2 self service kiosks. One for JUST boba. And the other for food! I got the Vegetable Fried rice and the Vegetable Fried Dumplings. They were amazing and great for the price. Wish I could've tried the boba- but it looks like it must be good if everyone else in there had it besides us. The staff are friendly and quick with their services. Would def visit again to try the boba and get dumplings again !! Cozy little building too.

    Beef Flank Pull Noodle Soup and Spicy Cumin Toothpick Lamb
    Nik W.

    Definitely a fast casual experience. Soup was flavorful, included meat was tender, and the hand cut noodles were chewy. The lamb was tasty and tender as well. Staff were very nice and topped up our drink when we asked for more ice. A solid and convenient stop for some basics! Curious to try other items on the menu.

    Beef pull soup with spicy broth
    Joan B.

    10 out of 10 Everything was delicious! Loved the shrimp dumplings which tasted fresh. The soup with spicy broth is a must try. I couldn't stop drinking the broth.

    chive & pork dumplings.
    Kwame S.

    I had some time to spare before meeting a friend for drinks, so I decided to grab a quick snack from Wasai since the restaurant was in the same area where i was meeting my friend. For my quick meal, I went with the Pork and Chive Steamed Dumplings, which were about $10 for a serving of eight dumplings. I thought the dumplings were quite delicious. Since I am not a huge dumpling aficionado, I cannot give great details about the dumplings; however, I definitely would not mind ordering these dumplings in the future. While I would visit this restaurant again, I probably would not go out of my way (e.g., 15+ minute walk) to dine here. Although the restaurant has plenty of seating, the restaurant seems to more of a take out type of establishment - at least from what I saw from other customers. Eh, maybe folks nowadays are more interested in take-out options, rather than dine-in options. The restaurant is pretty much a self-service spot where you order the food from one of four tablets and bus your own tables. While I provided a tip with my order, I will admit that it sometimes rubs me the wrong way "having" to tip when I have to enter my own order, pick up my food at the counter, and buss my own table after eating.

    spicy Beef Pull Noodle Soup
    Sharon L.

    I got the spicy beef noodle soup (with the hand pulled wide noodles) and it was delicious ! This place is a fast casual spot where you can order from a kiosk and pick up your order once your number is called and dine in any of the available seats. The total came out to close to $17 and the restaurant interior was clean with lots of seating (for both small groups and solo diners). The soup was delicious and the pulled noodles had good chew and texture. I would definitely come back and recommend !

    Samantha G.

    Good enough the ambiance lowkey sucks and price high, also u can clearly tell the ramen is eh and pre cooked. Not wowed, but had flavor. Good portion size

    Soup dumplings
    Richard G.

    This is an order at the electronic board and wait till they call your name. Great tasting noodle bowls. Loved the shrimp and broccoli with plenty of shrimp. The soup dumplings were delicious. Good portions, good food, good vide. Try it!

    Belldandy C.

    Came in for a bite of lunch. It was pretty busy but we were able to snag a table. You order at the kiosk and they'll call your number out when it's ready. I love that it's two establishments in one. We were able to order noodle soup and boba! I got the Assorted Beef Pull Noodle Soup w/ hand shaved noodles & Pork Soup Dumplings. The noodle soup was ok. The hand shaved noodles were a bit lacking and didn't have the correct texture/mouth feel & the soup was lukewarm. The soup dumplings were good but the skin was a bit thick & no ginger was served with it. Overall, food is good if there's nothing like it around but nothing I'd crave to come back to again.

    Seafood noodle soup, beef noodle soup
    Sonya H.

    I had honestly almost entirely lost hope in finding good, authentic, and affordable Asian food in Chinatown until I randomly stumbled upon Wasai. It, admittedly, doesn't look like much at first glance -- the decor is pretty utilitarian, the menu is pretty simple, and they share their space with a Gong Cha. However, the simplicity of their menu and decor is what makes Wasai shine -- they do one thing (okay maybe two things), and they do those things incredibly well. My friend and I dropped by Wasai after wandering around the National Mall until the mid / late afternoon on Saturday. We, of course, did not plan ahead and were absolutely starving by the time we made it to Chinatown. We had only moderate expectations for Wasai (for all the reasons above), but they absolutely blew us out of the water. We each got one of their noodle soups -- my friend got their beef, and I opted for their seafood. The noodles were absolutely perfect; they were springy, but not too springy...chewy, yet not too chewy...and doughy while not being too doughy. The texture was absolutely spot on, and these delightful hand-pulled noodles were the perfect vessel for the rich beef / seafood broth. My friend's soup came with a generous helping of beef, and mine had a great bit of mixed seafood. I did think the veggies were a bit lacking, as one sprig of bok choy and two slices of radish aren't quite enough vitamins to keep my doctor happy, but the bowls were otherwise phenomenal. And, lest you think that it was just our post-walk hunger that made us fall in love with Wasai, we've both separately been back there multiple times and have continued to feel the same way each time. I've even ordered it for delivery a few times and it's still fantastic, although I will say that you do lose a bit of the noodle's springy goodness in the transit time.

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    3 months ago

    10/10 beef and broccoli. I also had the soup dumplings which were also very good and hot

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    1 year ago

    Food was so so very basic and Americanized. Dumplings were great. Boba took forever and was blended wrong.

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    Wasai Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Wasai

    How would you describe the ambiance or atmosphere of the restaurant?

    Very casual, and I would say it's nice and modern inside! It's good for a quick meal. There isn't a ton of seating either.

    Do you have any vegan options?

    Do we need to make reservations first?

    Wasai doesn't do reservations! You can just go in and order at a kiosk. They have seating available but during busy nights it can fill up quickly.

    Is it only takeout, or do they have a dine-in area?

    they have dine-in tables!

    Is there parking nearby?

    Street parking or garage parking

    Is there an online menu? Can someone post a pic

    It's on their website at https://www.wasai.us

    View All 8 Questions

    Han Palace - Really good soup dumplings!  @NOMTASTICFOODS

    Han Palace

    (345 reviews)

    $$

    Woodley Park

    Han Palace is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in DC, and there are two main reasons why:…read morethe portions and the drinks. First, the food portions here are astronomical. I ordered the Singapore noodles, which were packed with flavor and loaded with beef, chicken, and shrimp. The portion was so big that it honestly could be split between two people. I barely put a dent in it while I was there and ended up taking most of it home and eating off it for a while afterward. But the real showstopper is the bottomless drinks. For $18, you get bottomless Mai Tais, lemon drops, and mimosas, and the best part is they do it all day, not just during brunch hours. You can pull up at 7 p.m., get dinner, and still do bottomless drinks, which is something you don't see very often. Between the massive portions, the flavor, and the all-day bottomless option, Han Palace is an easy five out of five for me. If you're in DC and haven't been here yet, this is a must-go spot.

    Han Palace Woodley Park is a convenient location for the surrounding area since most traditional…read moreChinese restaurants are near downtown DC or elsewhere. This is a much needed addition to the Connecticut Ave corridor which lacks authentic Chinese restaurants and especially Dim Sum (brunch small plates). I hope that there are more choices like this in the near future for this surrounding area which lacks good traditional Chinese restaurants. The parking can be daunting since it still is in DC, might have a bit of a walk but that is everywhere in DC. The food was fast and had some unique choices that are not on a standard menu.

    Tiger Dumplings - D15. Chicken Shiitake Pot Sticker

    Tiger Dumplings

    (557 reviews)

    $$$

    Clarendon

    I love this place, especially for the AYCE brunch. It is a great way to have a taste of everything…read moredue to the small serving proportion of each order. However it is a little disappointing that none of the steamed soup dumplings are on the AYCE menu. This place is ever well decorated in a pretty modern way. The service is good. We paid $41.02 per person after tax, excluding tips.

    Came here for brunch, but I have also ordered DoorDash here a few times. It's a great spot but…read morequality of food varies depending on what you get. Let's start with the DD, I usually get the soup dumplings I love the Chicken Soup ones especially but the Pork and Spicy Pork rule too. It's a shame that those are the only soup dumpling flavors though. I also tried the sliced marinated steak yesterday and was disappointed. It was way too thin and way too chewy. Felt annoyed as I spent $12 on it. My friend ordered the veggie dumplings and she said they're ok but lacked seasoning and after I gave them a try, I was inclined to agree. Now let's discuss brunch. The menu is pictured below and $1 mimosas or add $5 onto your AYCE brunch for unlimited non-alcoholic drinks. Not a bad deal. The AYCE menu was five I was a bit underwhelmed especially since most of what I ordered with the exception of the Bao and the braised pork over rice were great. Everything else lacked seasoning. Also a major downside that the soup dumplings aren't an option. The interior is lovelely. If you have a big party with you they'll sit you in this nice and spacious booth in the back its intimate and private and allows your group to really engage in conversation. Service was good though we ran into an issue at least 3 times to my count where they kept bringing stuff we never ordered.

    Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant - Chicken Feet or Phoenix Claw. You can call it by either name. Chicken feet is more common.

    Hong Kong Pearl Seafood Restaurant

    (1.1k reviews)

    $$

    If you want dim sum in Fairfax at night which is not usual in LA, this is the spot!…read more I was craving sticky rice so came for dinner while in town! --sticky rice: wasnt rhe best but hit the spot --pea sprouts: a little oily tasting --pineapple buns: yummy, took these to-go and enjoyed them the next day

    A Chinese review: some of the worst dim sum I've ever had and the staff is racist…read more A friend and i went for a late lunch today. My friend is craving dim sum after being in the country, visiting from Hong Kong for 3 weeks. My friend is quite tan, his mom is Filipino, but he grew up in HK and speaks mostly canto and Tagalog. We tried speaking Cantonese to the staff who are speaking it to each other, so they clearly can. My friend has perfect Cantonese. Mine is ok but I am also very clearly Chinese. They replied in broken English instead. One waitress looked at my friend and handed us forks. So clearly, some racism/colorism in the staff. Context: lots of Filipinos in HK are maids and generally looked down on, so not surprised this happened here. The food was mushy and gross. The shrimp in the cheung fan was grayish. It felt like they had this ready early in the morning and reheated it for later. Siu mai was falling apart. Cha siu bao was good but how do you mess that one up? I've gotten take out from this place before in the past and I always forget why I try to not come here, they forget something every time. At this point I'm sure they're doing it on purpose, like little thieves. Anyway, this place has the advantage of being close, with so little dim sum options in the area, unless you want to make the trip to Tysons or Vienna. Or Maryland. One staff member was laying down on a bunch of chairs nearby loudly watching something on her phone. Any other day, I wouldn't complain about that, everyone deserves a break. But given the food quality and the clear racism in the staff, they should be called out for everything. As with any Asian restaurant, feel free to treat me like trash if the food is good. But this place fails in both places.

    Wasai - dimsum - Updated May 2026

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