My first visit to Love, Makoto and Beloved BBQ was fantastic. Love, Makoto is a large Japanese…read moreculinary hall near Georgetown University Law Center with several concepts under one roof, including Dear Sushi, Beloved BBQ, Hiya Izakaya, and the more casual Love on the Run. Street parking was surprisingly easy, but I highly recommend making a reservation because Beloved BBQ became completely packed by 7 p.m. Beloved BBQ is a Michelin Guide recognized Japanese steakhouse, and the atmosphere feels elevated and luxurious while still being relaxed and welcoming. Our server, Lydia, was wonderful. She gave us excellent recommendations, checked on us despite being incredibly busy, and even brought out additional dry ice so I could capture the perfect photo. Abu was also incredibly kind and attentive, and General Manager Lenny personally stopped by our table to ask about our experience. The entire staff made us feel so welcome. The Wagyu Tower was absolutely incredible, with the short rib being our favorite. We also loved the dragon roll, tuna crisp, and salmon. If you order only one appetizer, make it the oysters with chili koji. They were out of this world, and I could have easily eaten two trays! For drinks, we tried the Sakura Sour, lychee martini, and the zero proof Pomelo. The Sakura Sour was beautifully balanced, while the lychee martini was smooth and delicious. For dessert, we shared the Heartbreaker and Peach Moon and finished every bite. This is a wonderful choice for an elevated date night, girls' night, celebration, or special dinner in D.C. The food, service, atmosphere, and presentation were all excellent. I will definitely be back soon!

Love Makoto is a cool food hall with different restaurants inside. We tried Dear sushi for a…read morebirthday and the staff was so polite and professional after the group got rambunctious after a few bottles of sake. God bless them. The table got à la cart nigiri and they received large portions of fresh fish. The toro is great here. I ordered the omakase. While it had a cool concept of "old vs new school" methods of preparing the sushi. I ended up liking the simple flavors so next time I'll just go with the à la cart menu. The non sushi dishes were unremarkable. I found the omakase to be of poor value because the non sushi dishes were bland and uninteresting, and I was so hungry after. The thing that I couldn't get over was the rice. The rice was large kernels that tasted kind of like brown rice and had an odd texture. It did not stick together well and was falling apart when you picked it up. It was so distracting. Next time I will only order sashimi.

The food was great, and I really liked that there was more seating space, making it much more…read morecomfortable to dine in compared to other locations. They also have better drink options, which was a nice bonus. The only downside was that the coffee machine wasn't working during my visit, so I wasn't able to try the coffee. Overall, a great experience spacious, good food, and plenty of drink choices. Definitely a place I'd come back to!

This is a Korean light meal chain in DC. Located on the first floor of the Smithsonian Institute,…read moreit offers self-selected toppings, making it a convenient lunch option while visiting a museum. Bibimbap: I chose purple rice as the main dish, with vegetables including carrots, zucchini, corn, and roasted seaweed, Kalbi (Korean BBQ beef short ribs) and a soft-boiled egg as the proteins, and the Rice Bar Soy Sauce for sauce. The soy sauce was a little on the salty side, but the vegetables were very refreshing. The Kalbi was slightly sweet, and the soft-boiled egg mixed with the rice was very fragrant. It was filling, healthy, and guilt-free. Udon: The texture was a bit soft, which I personally didn't like.

We are here for work and one of my colleagues wanted to come here…read more It's located upstairs so remember to take the stairs on the left side. Super cool looking restaurant. As soon as we reached the top of the stairs, to the right is an amazing bar. Darker warm lighting in the whole restaurant. There are a few tables to the left of the bar, that's where we were seated, and more to the right and there's bar seatings as well We shared all the items ordered and enjoyed it all. Gyozas had wasabi on it so be careful but it was amazing with layers of flavors. The rice pot was more than enough for 4ppl to share with tons of meats and seafood inside. Like a paella but Japanese. Meatballs were underestimated but it delivered. Tasted amazing we had to order another one. Most items are one order, one item so ask before ordering. Service was perfect. Waitress always checked on us and food came out very timely.

Went during HH (5-7pm), had the Sake for $20, and then had chicken thigh, fried garlic, fries, and…read morebrussel sprouts with pork! Would definitely fried garlic again, and the brussel sprouts! Fries were filling but nothing massively special. Just a good bang for the buck

We had a pleasant early dinner here with my toddler. I asked for a nice table where she would be…read moreaway from other tables and somewhat free to move around after being in her stroller all day and they easily accommodated us as a corner table with soft seating on one side like a bench and two chairs on the other. This allowed her to freely wander a bit and entertain herself leaning on the bench and playing. We tried several things and all were very good and fresh and fast out of the kitchen. Our server was efficient and friendly and running around like crazy - she probably had more than 10 tables from what we could see! We tried the cold Sake, Chicken Gyoza, Shrimp and Veggie Tempura, Chicken fried rice, and chicken noodles. Portions weren't huge, but were fair and enough to share with all the other items we got. Enjoyed our meal and would def. come back. Great location - close to everything downtown and easily walkable from Dupont and the Capital area.

Great Japanese food in the DC area in my opinion. I enjoyed everything from the sushi (the shrimp…read moretempura roll being my most favorite) to the salmon. The service was pretty quick as it was pretty empty for a Sunday afternoon. Will definitely come back in the future

Daikaya Ramen is an unassuming spot serving some seriously flavorful ramen in DC. If you're a ramen…read morelover, this place is definitely worth seeking out. We ordered the Spicy Miso with the spice bomb and egg, along with the veggie ramen with spice bomb. The Spicy Miso was the clear winner--easily one of the most flavorful ramen bowls I've had, with just the right kick and incredible depth. The veggie ramen was also excellent and a great option for vegetarians. We also tried the gyoza, spring rolls, and Sapporo beer. For dessert, we ordered the black sesame ice cream, but the ramen portions were so generous that we were too full to finish it! Service was quick, attentive, and efficient. The atmosphere is exactly what you'd want from a Japanese ramen spot--casual, lively, and unassuming. The food felt authentic and the flavors really stood out. They also have an izakaya upstairs, which we unfortunately didn't get a chance to try. Definitely saving that for the next visit!

Let me start by saying I recently visited Daikaya on Monday, August 3, 2026, and unfortunately the…read moreservice that day was disappointing. I gave that particular visit 1 out of 5 stars. However, I also want to mention that Daikaya is one of my family's favorite ramen spots, so we were genuinely surprised by the experience because it has always been much better in the past. When we arrived, we were told that our entire party had to be present before we could be seated, which we understood. We also know that seating is first come, first served. In the past, we've been able to sit in a booth with two people, but this time we were informed that booths were reserved for parties of three or more. It was a little frustrating because the restaurant was slow at the time, and my wife politely explained that we would likely be finished before the dinner rush. Even so, we respected the policy and waited until a seat became available. I do want to give Terry a shoutout because he was very kind and professional. I explained that I couldn't sit at the bar due to my foot, and he was understanding. However, when he relayed that information to another employee, I immediately noticed a change in the other gentleman's body language and attitude. He seemed irritated about having to seat us. Once we were seated, the interaction only became more uncomfortable. He slammed our cups onto the table, and when I asked for a straw, he didn't hand it to me--he simply placed it down without saying much. There were several other small interactions throughout our meal that made us feel unwelcome. It reached the point where we decided we'd rather leave, so we flagged Terry down, asked for to-go containers, and requested the check. During our visit, I also noticed a party of four seat themselves and grab their own menus while both servers had their backs turned at the bar. When the same gentleman approached them, his demeanor was completely different. He was pleasant, took their order right away, and their food came out promptly. Watching that interaction made our experience feel even more disappointing. The food, thankfully, was excellent as always. That's one thing Daikaya continues to get right. I also noticed that none of the staff members we're used to seeing--who have always been warm, welcoming, and respectful--were working that day. Overall, this visit was a rare disappointment because the customer service simply wasn't up to the standard we've experienced over the years. While this particular experience deserves a low rating, I also want to acknowledge that every previous visit has been excellent. I'm hoping this was just an off day because Daikaya has consistently been one of our favorite places for ramen.

I had a solid dinner at Ko and ordered the Katsudon Set. I had the pork cutlet which was…read more simmered in a sweet broth and topped with fluffy egg over steamed rice. It came with miso soup. Service was great and the restaurant itself was very lovely. The portion was huge and I was stuffed when I left. I really appreciated the presentation of the meal. I ended up repeating the order for takeout a few weeks later. I would definitely return in the cooler months and reorder the Katsudon Set as it seems like it would be a comforting meal in colder weather.

It was sufficient…read more Ko is centrally located by Dupont Circle as a second floor restaurant (next to Zorba's). Interior is simple and open. A/C was nice and cool which I appreciated but found the place to be too loud for me once it filled out with more people. Service is courteous. I ordered the tomato salad and two sushi rolls. Yes I committed the sin of ordering just sushi at a kaiseki restaurant, gasp! So I guess I did this to myself since I found the food to be just ok. The spicy tuna roll was just not happening since all they did was drizzle hot sauce over the roll. I've been noticing this more at places, can we just say tuna roll with spicy dipping sauce instead? It's a bit misleading... but I guess I'll have to make sure to ask everywhere whenever I order spicy tuna. I am a believer in that if you're eating at a good restaurant and you ordered their less popular menu item that it should still be good but in this case, Ko didn't deliver. Anyways, I didn't have much of an appetite because of the hot weather so take this review with a grain of salt but I don't plan on returning unless someone can convince me otherwise and if I do, I'm not ordering sushi here.

Soooooo good and great staff!! Loved the environment and the food was very very good!read more

Upon entering, you are greeted by a multi-level establishment with sushi bar and small dining area…read moredownstairs and a larger dining room upstairs all laid out in subdued, modern chic, Asian vibe. The staff is amazing, attentive, friendly and efficient! Thank you Kay, for taking such good care of us! We started off with the Kara-age Lollipop chicken, which was finger lickin' delicious. For our entrees we shared the 6 Set Umai Temaki and Sashimi Nori. Super fresh, flavorful and beautifully presented. I got a kick out of the canned sake and maybe over indulged...but so much fun! We felt the value was very good, 27 pieces of generously portioned and fresh sashimi for under $60! We'll make this a regular stop when in DC. Cheers!

My first time having omakase…read more The experience was amazing. If you are thinking about splurging, this is a very safe bet. The fish tasted fresh and was well prepared. The only thing even remotely able to be critisised is that the experience was a little mechanical and assembly line like. The fish was all pre-cut and the experience wasn't personalized like I hear some other places are.

This was my first omakase where it only featured nigiri sushi and wow, was I impressed with Sushi…read moreNakazawa. We sat at the counter, and the classic omakase was priced at $190 each. We also added the A5 Wagyu Nigiri for $18 additional. If you choose to dine at the dining room, it's $160, but they exclude several items such as their fantastic tiger prawn. The classic omakase consists of 20 items of sushi. I wish I had written notes on each one, but basically from what I recalled, we had chum salmon, soy marinated king salmon, scallops, squid, tiger prawn, mackerel, sea bass, crab w/ tomalley, ⁠⁠Spanish mackerel, hay smoked mackerel and others. The main course was the four different types of tuna. Of course, the best ones were the chutoro and otoro. The A5 Wagyu was really good as well. The omakase ended with some hand rolls (the toro one was my favorite), uni, eel and the tamago. It's hard to pick a favorite dish since they were all so good. I think this was the first time I had sushi rice that was flavored. That was really good. Service was fantastic. I only wish they had a full bar, because I really wanted to drink some Old Fashioned with this meal, but opted for some Japanese beers instead. My water was replenished frequently, and it was fun interacting with the sushi chef. This is a great place to celebrate a special occasion.

First off, I want to thank the staff for being so humble, welcoming, and inviting. My daughter…read morerecently earned a promotion to Petty Officer Second Class in the Coast Guard, and I flew in from California to pin her. ​Looking for a great dinner spot to celebrate, we were both craving sushi. The atmosphere is nice and cozy, featuring a lovely brick wall on one side with bench seating, and a small bar on the other side. ​We started with miso soup, edamame, and warm hand towels before the meal, which was a wonderful touch. For main dishes, we ordered the sushi platter, tasting platter, and shrimp tempura. Everything was delicious--the sushi was so soft it practically melted in your mouth. ​Because it gets crowded quickly, we made reservations both nights we ate here. Booking between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM seems to be the sweet spot! We had a fantastic experience and highly recommend it. ENJOY

This restaurant is super cute and chirashi bowl was good. It's perfect for date nights for sure…read more We came here on Sunday evening and were able to sit right away. The servers were very friendly and the food came out pretty quickly. Delux chirashi bowl was so pretty and good. Definitely recommend Chicken karage was little too floury for us. It was not crunch and it was just ok. Ordered rice to eat with karage for my son but it's not regular rice but sushi rice so it was sour for kids. Kids tempura udon was pretty good, recommend it.

Tips are included in their price. 20% is added to your bill. Good service and vivid environment…read more Would recommend.

TLDR: Toryumon may be the best kept sushi secret in DC. For about $35 before tax, the all you can…read moreeat menu includes fresh nigiri, huge specialty rolls, appetizers, and even ramen. I found Toryumon while looking for dinner before a show at DAR Constitution Hall, and it has quickly become one of my favorite sushi values in the city. The restaurant is tucked away in a basement space with little visibility from the street beyond its signage, but downstairs is a sushi lover's paradise. The all you can eat menu is stacked with creative specialty rolls, appetizers, nigiri, and ramen. The biggest surprise is the availability of premium ingredients rarely included at this price, such as hotate scallops and sweet shrimp. On our most recent Sunday visit, our group of four ordered around half a dozen rolls and more than 20 pieces of nigiri. Everything was fresh, and the classic tuna and yellowtail scallion rolls had an excellent fish to rice ratio of about 80 percent fish to 20 percent rice. One sleeper appetizer worth ordering is the wasabi dusted french fries, which we kept munching on as a palate cleanser between rounds of sushi. A word of caution before going wild with the order sheet. The specialty rolls are huge, and the nigiri can be rice heavy, so it is very easy to overorder. You also have a strict 90 minute window beginning with your first order. When the restaurant is busy, the sushi bar can become overwhelmed, so plan carefully and include everything you really want in that first round. At roughly $38 per person after tax, Toryumon offers some of the best bang for your sushi buck in DC.