AKO by KENAKI

My homegirl and I went to dinner here after exploring Union market and had such an amazing time! Our waiter, Cierra, was phenomenal! My Bestie has a seafood allergy and she was so accommodating. She even made a special roll to accommodate her allergy. The food was delicious, the aesthetic was so cozy, and it’s the perfect place to have an intimate dinner with friends and family!

Fresh, creative rolls. For those who need gluten-free, they were careful to prepare the GF rolls separately. There are other restaurants you can order from at this location which was convenient for one person in our party who wanted pizza instead.

One of my favorite sushi spots in DC. Love the black magic roll, the Green Monster, and the spicy tekka donburi.

Really high quality, inventive sushi, especially surprising to find in a food hall. The Roost is awesome as a food hall first of all. You sit anywhere, order and pay through the QR code, but you also get a high level of table service. Not only do they bring the food out to your table, a floating set of professional and courteous wait staff bring you water, plate, silverware and a cloth napkin (fancy). The whole hall is well designed and decorated. As for AKO, I started with the Black Magic roll (forbidden rice, spicy tuna, pickled jalapeno, truffle oil, tempura flakes, avocado, black tobiko, and crisp leeks). It was a great combination of textures and flavors, and very fresh. Loved it. Next I tried the Old Bay (lump crabmeat, avocado, scallion, and Old Bay crispy potato). It was also pretty dope, like a spruced up California roll with some interesting spice and texture from the key last ingredient). Loved it as well, also a must try.

The sushi was fresh and well made, everything came out in a timely manner. Definitely worth the money. No reservations needed, you seat yourself scan the menu/table number and the food is brought to you, everything is paid on the app.

We ordered takeout the salmon ikura bowl. I find it expensive for what you get but it was delicious and the fish was super fresh (I've had bad salmon, this was good).

I'm going out of my way to write them a review because I'm constantly impressed by them. Their fish is fresh - as fresh as it gets in the DC area aside from killing the fishes on the spot. Somehow they're flown from Japan, Scotland etc but they're so fresh and not fishy at all, texture is amazing even for tougher cuts. Lived in Asia for the first half of my life, travelled and tasted the best and this comes close to the top. This place is not cheap - I'd consider it slightly pricey but nothing in DC is cheap and I've only heard good things from friends and family who try this place. Their selection is small but impressive. Even their poke bowls are great and not overcomplicated. They've added texture and their wasabi tastes like it's been grated from fresh wasabi/horseradish and isn't that garbage paste you usually get. Even if it's not actual wasabi/horseradish, they've done an excellent job replicating it. The soy they serve is good and high quality. They have mastered the art of less is more. If you're expecting bursting flavors like biting into a burger, not the place. You must savor the delicate flavors and everything exists on your plate for a reason.

Don't underestimate this sushi spot inside the food hall The Roost. It's worth your time. Creating many sushi options, you can't go wrong. Preferring less "fishy" sushi, they have great veggie options and ones with shrimp and crab meat. Order and within a few minutes you'll get a plate of sushi with soy sauce and all the fixings.

Super good. Order to go and picked up--was ready within 10 min. I'm so glad I got a second roll because everything tasted so fresh and lovely. I got the spicy tuna roll, yellowtail roll, and the five piece nigiri. Yum!

Stoped by The Roost for the first time and AKO was my first stop. AKO did not disappoint on the rolls. We ordered the Black Magic roll and the Crunchy Tuna roll. Bomb! The flavor and crunch on the crunchy Tuna was amazing. The Black Magic roll flavors were complex and fresh. I docked off one star because we could not sit at the sushi bar because there were plates from previous customers all around. The wait time was a bit longer than expected as it was slow.

First time going into The Roost foodhall, and while I just grabbed takeout from Ako - the vibe seemed nice. Very clean inside with attentive staff. Will definitely come in to sit down at some point, and am assuredly going to be sitting down for some Ako! Was looking for a spot to grab and go while on my commute home aboard the Metro - literally a stone's throw from the exit of Potomac Ave station is The Roost. Ordered online, and timing was perfect - texted me my estimated food ready time and it was ready within the 5 minute window provided. Happy to report that the 10 rolls my wife and I crushed were great. Phenomenal price point for the area - around 6 bucks for hosomaki(think rolls, think just tuna or salmon) and for basic rolls like avocado and California rolls. Spicy tuna was not very spicy, but definitely very tasty. Very satisfied with the quality of ingredients, the sushi rice itself, and the affordable offerings alongside traditional dishes like chirashi. Plenty of more typical Americanized sushi rolls too. Is this the best sushi I've ever had and thus 5 stars? Definitely not, but for the area and at the price point it checks all the boxes for me. My new regular sushi takeout spot on the commute home!

Food was pretty good, albeit pricy. I would recommend the black magic and old bae, they aren't your traditional sushi rolls but they are very tasty and creative. AKO is part of a food haul called The Roost. Servers are attentive and the building has lots of seating, it can get pretty busy at dinner time but wait time has never been too long.

My experience with Ako by KENAKI is pretty limited because I had only one small cucumber and eel roll. I thought my roll was fresh and pretty delicious. One small thing that I really appreciated: the MASSIVE amount of wasabi that accompanied my roll. *I have to admit that I'm a little but of a wasabi fiend.* While I did not try any other items from the menu, Ako had a decent selection of yummy bites that I hope to try in the future. Also, I thought the prices were pretty standard for the area. *Note: I did not order addition items, because I was ordering small plates from other establishments in The Roost.*

Don't underestimate this sushi spot inside the food hall The Roost. It's worth your time. Creating many sushi options, you can't go wrong. Preferring less "fishy" sushi, they have great veggie options and ones with shrimp and crab meat. Order and within a few minutes you'll get a plate of sushi with soy sauce and all the fixings.

We went to AKO by Kenaki for my birthday and we really enjoyed it! The sushi was innovative but very tasty. As you might know, this is located in the Roost which is more of a food hall vibe. We sat at a counter and ordered on the app and it was delivered to us. Only complaint was that it was a little pricey and only open on certain days for lunch but overall pleased with the food and experience

This place is so unrated. It has the best sushi in the DMV and the prices isn't outrageous either.

This is my first time visiting any of the restaurants in the Roost and I have to say, this was a great way to start! We got almost all of the specialty rolls and then a spicy crunchy salmon roll. One thing to note is that in the spicy crunchy rolls, they use a whole piece of fish instead of like having it chopped up inside the spicy mayo so if you've got a thing about big pieces of fish, this might not be for you. The sushi was beautiful to look at and it was served with a great amount of pickled ginger and wasabi. My favorite roll was the Devil's Kiss (but beware the Calabrian chili ponzu definitely sneaks up on you!). The fresh Granny Smith apple is a great addition. My least favorite was the Black Magic--I think they were a little too heavy handed with the truffle and there wasn't enough variety of texture within the roll. There are no servers--you just order off a QR code and they deliver it to you, which was annoying bc there was no one to refill my water when I had to chug it after the Devil's kiss haha

Bottom Line Up Front: Woefully Overrated OKAY at best food. I was hopeful and looking forward to Ako, and really wanted to like the place. I was hoping to try the fatty tuna donburi bowl, but they were unavailable. I thought this was strange as they had another dish using fatty tuna (pictured) which had no apparent shortage. Maybe they were missing some other ingredient. AKO is in the Roost Food Hall, environment is what you would assume - nothing bad, just a bunch of people who want variety in food. Unfortunately as the issue with most restaurants in food halls, you get a plethora of choices without real expertise in any of the restaurants- Jack of all trades master of none. I had sushi rolls with fatty tuna placed on top along with a salmon donburi bowl. The rice was hard and tacky, something completely unacceptable for any sushi place. With a bad base, it was hard to appreciate the rest of the dishes. The donburi bowl was seasoned nice, with crunchy chili flakes. The sushi rolls looked nice, and were strangely flavorless. I'd give another chance to AKO to try the fatty tuna donbur bowl, but I'd skip on anything else - go to a real sushi restaurant and save your money.

I'm glad I get to be the first to review AKO. Due to Covid, I haven't been able to get much of my sushi cravings due to my favorite ones not having outdoor seating. I was skeptical of a food hall sushi but their vendor stand looked well made and authentic, so I gave the 16 pieces premium cut sashimi a try at $35. It did not disappoint at all. The fish was fresh, large pieces and melt in your mouth soft. They gave large portions, it was enough for me and my wife to share, they gave two pieces of each type of fish. The sushi rice had a perfect texture to go with the fish. The tamago, and fish eggs were a perfect completely as well, and they gave a lot. The Japanese mushrooms were also a nice touch, I don't like mushrooms but these were delicious. One of the best sashimi bowls I have had and at $35, very reasonable. I would definitely get this bowl again and love that I can enjoy it outdoors.it even includes a piece of uni as well, but all the fish was great.

Stopped by for lunch and we left satisfied! After hearing nothing but great things about Kenaki in Gaithersburg, MD we knew we had to stop by at their DC location. Ako is located inside a food hall, The Roost, which offered a variety of cuisines. The establishment is very spacious with lots of seating both inside and outside. If you want to sit outside, they have fire pits and heated lamps to keep you warm. Service is self-served. You order and pay for your food beforehand. They do have staff members coming around filling up your water cup if you decide to dine in. We loved this concept as it was convenient and more efficient. The sushi rolls were all delicious and beautifully presented. We ordered the White Tiger, Devil's Kiss, Green Monster, and New Spicy Tuna. My personal favorite was the White Tiger-- which had eel, salmon, apple, and avocado topped with seared scallop and dried, crunchy chili. This was such a unique roll and different from what I usually get. I loved the chili consistency with the other ingredients. The soy sauce and wasabi also tasted delicious and it did not taste store bought. We were later told that it was all made in house (so that makes sense). Overall, the fish was fatty and good quality and the ingredients also tasted fresh. If you are looking for delicious sushi with a relax ambiance this is the place for you-- 100% recommend.

Gave this place a try and it's not bad! Don't think you're going to get the fanciest most amazing sushi ever but it's really good and lots of options with good prices! Also love you can order from multiple stalls here.

AKO is OK. I live around the corner and have eaten here maybe 35~ times since it's next to Shelter and ordering anything (food, drinks) in the Roost is connected. In those 35~ times, I've tried every signature roll, every standard roll, and the Spicy Tekka donburi bowl. I absolutely love the J-Pop Maki roll. The seared salmon belly with shrimp and cream cheese is a showstopper. The Kitchen Sink is also a favorite. Everything else is pretty much just OK. A lot of the other signature rolls are odd combinations of flavors. The Red Phantom is my least favorite--has a weird, overly fishy taste and flavors that don't round out. Didn't really care for the Crab Cali roll, or the Softshell Crab roll (didn't taste like much other than rice and a crunch, which is most of my experience here.) It's like somehow all the flavor of these rolls ends up tasting "off." I'll still return for the J-Pop if I'm sitting at Shelter with a beer, but there are better places in the city if you're on the hunt for great sushi. This is just OK overall. Lastly, I wish the Sashimi bowl was still on the menu. I'd try that if they ever brought it back, because the quality of fish is great even if the flavors of the rolls are off.

Best sushi in Capitol Hill, and maybe in DC! Everything here is super fresh and you can tell by the high quality of the ingredients. I always get a regular or spicy tuna roll and the tuna has a beautiful, deep, rich color. Each piece of the roll is stunning, and a decent size. A regular roll is a great appetizer. What I love is that they have delicious vegetarian options as well. The asparagus roll and spicy avocado and cucumber roll are super tasty. The textures of the avocado and cucumber roll is spot on with the creamy avocado and crunchy cucumber. It's very refreshing as well. The roasted asparagus has a unique flavor profile, which I really like. We try to get sushi from here once a week and I highly recommend it!

Had the shrimp tempura roll here and it was so good. Everything is very fresh and the service is super fast. They have a wide range of sushi rolls with prices from $7 to $20 the cheaper rolls come with 6 pieces while the more expensive ones may come with 8 - 10 pieces.

This Sashimi rice bowl was perfect and AKO delivered great service. The fish was super flavorful, and the texture of the sushi rice was great.

I thought the sushi here was very fresh and the service was good! I ordered the spicy salmon and it was delicious. I would say that I'm picky because sushi in NY and LA are typically fresher and higher quality than what I've found in the DMV area, and I found this to be excellent. I will definitely return!

Fantastic sashimi! I ordered the sashimi tasting and every piece of fish was fresh and high-quality. Definitely some of the best sashimi I have had in DC.

I get cravings for this place. We order from here about twice a month, and it never disappoints. The flavors are amazing, the sashimi is fresh, and I really love the varieties of rolls.

Excellent maki. Very fresh and delicious. This will be my new go-to in the neighborhood!