Ama Ami

Long review below so the short version is: Incredible chirashi that is “you would find this in Tokyo” level. Fresh and wonderful selection of ingredients. The kindest owner and team I have ever met which has turned me into an Ama Ami fan, lifelong customer and cheerleader. This review is way overdue. I had planned for Ama Ami to be our lunch stop while visiting Georgetown back in October 2023, and our time there completely MADE our family DC trip. We even cried happy tears after. The food is incredible and the atmosphere was so cute! We dined outside in the courtyard space, although the inside is nice too. The attention to detail, the freshness, and the selection of ingredients are among the best. We are Japanese, so it meant a lot to be reminded of home. What really solidified this as a memorable lunch spot was the love, care, and kindness chef Amy showed to my mom. I ordered our lunch ahead and asked if Amy could draw a personal card to my Mom (my Mom would soon be starting her new job as Executive Pastry Chef). Amy drew the CUTEST card for her, which my Mom still has and framed in our kitchen as a reminder of our wonderful trip. We were already blown away at this point but Amy came over to us, crouched down to my Mom’s level and spoke to her a bit in Japanese and shared a very kind message congratulating her on her new position, encouraging her and telling my Mom how much it meant to her (a total sweet stranger!!) that there are people out there pursuing and elevating desserts and pastry. As Amy walked away, my Mom, sister and I cried because we were so touched by Amy’s kindness. Even before this we knew we would be coming back, but Ama Ami now has a lifelong customer in us!

I’ve lived in Tokyo for years and eaten at scores of sushi restaurants, including several with multiple Michelin stars. Ama Ami/ Two Nine would easily hold its own among such company and is EASILY the best sushi in the DC area. The quality of the fish, the rice, the seasoning, and presentation exceeds in many cases what you would get as luxury takeout from high end restaurants in Japan. Thank you for bringing such excellence to DC without the usual trappings of pretentiousness that plague other high end places in the area. Incredible.

two nine is a pop up by ama ami, which will be opening up as a permanent store later this year. they offer a variety of chirashi and nigiri options with some special menu items as well, and japanese snacks/desserts. on fridays and saturdays they have a $27 lunch special for their mini chirashi and $25 nigiri (pictured below). they mostly operate take out, japanese canteen style. would love if they served bentos in the future! the staff is friendly and i'm looking forward to their growth.

Cute Japanese food counter in Georgetown! Both my friend and I ordered the mini bara chirashi with the spam musubi, wakame sunomono, iced barley tea. The fish was fresh and all the sides were delicious. Would recommend stopping by if you’re in Georgetown!

I love this spot. They host a lunch deal from 12:30-3 and the main dishes are fantastic as well! Great combo of ingredients and freshness is peak! Highly recommend.

$71.5 for a bowl of rice with a thin layer of fish, around 15 pieces….. For the price you pay, the quantity is very little. It doesn’t look like the photos on their website. You can get the same at bluefin (right around the corner) for $35.

What a wonderful place to eat! The fish was obviously a highlight, and was delicious and filling. The roll was had a wonderful texture and taste (and was my favorite because of my sweet tooth). Everything from meal to dessert to drink was well thought out. Pickup and ordering was super easy. No other place like it in DC!

I really miss this place and I keep checking back to see if they’ve reopened. If you love high end, super fresh sashimi and sushi, try this place! Everything feels like it’s made with care and everything I’ve ordered has been excellent. I especially appreciate them hooking me on snapper bone broth 🥰 Delicious!!

Honestly, no words. I can't express how good this meal was. I'm obsessed with Ama Ami and crave it every single day. This gluttony bowl singlehandedly cured my depression and so many people swiped up on my story asking where this was. I wish I could eat this everyday. I'm going back for their bukkake bowl next.

Beautiful presentation! We preordered a couple chirashi boxes and pick up was pretty quick. It was too hot to sit outside so we grabbed a couple seats at a counter top nearby. The fish could have been fresher and the sushi rice was a little too vinegary for me. It's pretty pricey for the quality. I plan to order again to give them another try.

Found Ama Ami through the Mess Hall tuna deconstructing event. Right now they are only doing takeout (check their Instagram for announcements and pickup dates) and "Homakase" where they come to your house to serve you a sushi feast! Really impressed with the way the popup has been able to deliver fresh, unique, beautifully prepared meals. I am hoping they will have a place of their own soon!

Best chirashi in DC it was my first time trying the Bara box since I heard they didn't survive Covid. I have one cheat day a week and I chose AMA Ami :). The fish is so fresh and clean tasting

After waiting patiently for their schedule to open up, I was able to book Homakase for a party on my husband's birthday and I could not be happier as sushi is my husband's favorite! The party was supposed to be at 6:30 PM and I received the following email at 10:40 AM on the same day (screenshot also attached): "Good morning, Due to our House emergency this morning we are unable to Homakase this evening. As we know that today was supposed to be a very special surprise birthday dinner, some very unfortunate turns happened in our home and will need to tend to this matter asap. There has been no deposit, but we are willing to accommodate this matter in the best way possible and can offer your next chirashi order at 50% off in our Georgtown location. I am truly sorry we can't come to you for our service. Sincerely, Zachary Ramos | Chef / Co owner Ama Ami LLC 202-270-9570 mobile" ---------- I was in shock. I had people coming over for a birthday party THAT EVENING and they canceled last minute. I then emailed back to see if they could book another date for me next month, but never heard back. It has been one month since my request. Be aware if you book Homakase that they can cancel on you very last minute and you are left to find alternatives for your party. They do not care if it's a high stakes event for you. I understand that things come up, but they need to have back-up plans or at least treat their customers with more respect. I did notice they did a full chirashi pick up the very next day, so whatever house emergency it was, it cleared up by the next morning. How super unfortunate for us!

I placed a preorder after seeing tiktoks for their soft opening(?). When I arrived the food hall was pretty empty, and you order days in advance with pick up slots to choose from, so I expected it to be ready upon pick up time. Seemed to have lots of staff so maybe they were just figuring out the pick up process. I had rented a car to pick up the order but had to wait about 20-30 minutes so I had to extend my car reservation/spend more money bc the delay. The presentation is beautiful and overall it was seasoned well and tasted good. The quality of the fish--especially ikura, wasn't the highest quality and lacked flavor. Compared to other dc spots I would say the price is comparable, but I probably won't be ordering again. The POG juice (albeit small) was fresh and good, heavy on the oj tho.

ive been waiting to try out this place! decided to treat myself on my staycation and it was WORTH IT. it is hard to find this level of sushi take out in dc and this is by far the best ive had. i cant recommend this place enough even the soy sauce is high level

I am a huge fan of Ama Ami's pop ups at Mess Hall. They consistently deliver beautiful fresh sushi. Each time, they offer an amazing variety of fish plated in creative colorful ways. Recently, I've loved the previews of their upcoming restaurant in Georgetown; their desserts and drinks have all been delicious and like their sushi, also have creative twists. While their food may seem a bit pricey, I think it's worth it for the quality of fish...don't pinch pennies on raw fish! I'm excited their success has lead to new ventures but sad that my sushi treat will be moving.

Pre ordered sushi and used the address that was given to me via my order confirmation email. This sent me to the wrong location that was already over an hour drive away, I had to double back 35 minutes to get to the right location. I called once I realized I was not at the right location and asked what the correct address was. Zero customer service was given. Upon arrival at the correct location, the person who was working acknowledged that I was the person who called upset over the phone and made no efforts to right their wrong. Absolutely zero acknowledgment. The sushi is good but overpriced for what it is. Highly recommend sticking to your favorite local sushi spot. The sushi looks great for pictures but after over an hour and a half of driving and over $100, safe to say I am not satisfied.