Dawa Sushi and Ramen
Sushi restaurant · Olde Kensington
105 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19122
"There are a lot of weird, cool things under the El: a dive bar with a heavy metal night, a high-end event venue attached to a high school, and at least three hidden rooftops. Then there's DAWA, a reliable sushi and ramen spot. The restaurant is split into two separate experiences: there’s a room with 16 tables where people order shoyu ramen and yellowtail handrolls, and then there’s a seven-seat sushi bar where the owner serves 15- to 24-piece omakase meals all by himself. And aside from feeling like you’re part of his crew, you’ll get to eat fatty tuna, king salmon rolls, and lemon-spiked scallops. FYI—they only offer the omakase Thursday through Saturday, and you have to call to book your spot." - candis mclean
"Fishtown’s Dawa has a lot of a la carte sushi options and some of our favorite ramen in town, but the $180 sushi omakase is why you come here. The tasting includes 22 pieces. And while the chef seamlessly places sea bream and delicate otoro in front of you, he also talks about the right temperatures and origin of the fish. With a meal this good, you’ll completely forget about the El train that’s constantly whizzing by. " - candis mclean
"There are a lot of weird, cool things under the El: a dive bar with a heavy metal night, a high-end event venue attached to a high school, and at least three hidden rooftops. Dawa is also right under the El on Front Street, and this tiny, casual spot has some of the best food you can find in Fishtown. It’s a casual place to grab a lunch full of miso soup, otoro fatty tuna, king salmon rolls, and forget that a life of deadlines exists. " - candis mclean, alison kessler
"A lot of unexpected, cool things go down under the El, including Dawa on the corner of Girard and Front. This tiny, casual Fishtown spot makes reliably good sushi and ramen. The restaurant is split into two separate experiences: there’s a room with 16 tables where people order shoyu ramen and yellowtail handrolls, and then there’s a seven-seat sushi bar where the owner serves 15- to 24-piece omakase meals all by himself. And aside from feeling like you’re part of his crew, you’ll get to eat fatty tuna, king salmon rolls, and lemon-spiked scallops. Just know you’ll have to call to book your spot, and they only offer the omakase Thursday through Saturday. " - candis mclean
"There are a lot of weird, cool things under the El: a dive bar with a heavy metal night, a high-end event venue attached to a high school, and at least three hidden rooftops. Then there's DAWA, a reliable sushi and ramen spot. The restaurant is split into two separate experiences: there’s a room with 16 tables where people order shoyu ramen and yellowtail handrolls, and then there’s a seven-seat sushi bar where the owner serves 15- to 24-piece omakase meals all by himself. And aside from feeling like you’re part of his crew, you’ll get to eat fatty tuna, king salmon rolls, and lemon-spiked scallops. They only offer the omakase Thursday through Saturday. And you have to call to book your spot." - candis mclean
