Kotobuki

We tried a few different types of kamameshi, all of which were flavorful and came with four tasty side dishes that complemented the meal nicely. The staff was warm and welcoming, adding to the overall experience. The dining area is cute but small, but we had no trouble getting seats around 6:30 on a Saturday. A solid spot for a casual Japanese meal.

The best sushi in my life! ❤️ We tried almost every type of fish here, and it was unbelievably delicious. The freshness of the ingredients, the perfect balance of flavors, and the exceptional presentation made this an unforgettable dining experience. I also tried the eel kamameshi, a delicious dish of steamed rice topped with eel and served with seaweed, pickled beets, and radish. What can I say? It was amazing! Plus, it’s a great option for pregnant women since it doesn’t contain raw fish. Highly recommend to all sushi lovers! 🍣

I was scared to review this place because it might be mobbed and I want to keep my knowledge of it to myself, selfishly. But facts are facts and this is, hands down, the best sushi in DC. No arguments! The serves have been working there for years and are great without constantly coming to check on you. This place is a true hidden gem, and absolutely amazing. I come here every year for my birthday, with my Dad.

I was there on a Friday evening and it was not busy at all. We had the calamari salad (yummy!) the Kamameshi set with eel—the rice in the iron pot was very good! The sushi rolls were also good sadly I don’t remember which we had

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I have so much to say, but I'm going to start with this. The entryway was elegant all by itself. When you walk in, you walk down some steps, and you just think you're going into some kind of secret place that makes you anxious to see what's behind those doors. If you have not been to this place, now I know it's expensive, but it is totally worth it at least once or twice a year to treat yourself. You work so much, and sometimes you think, why are you working or you look at your bank account and say where the money went? I have nothing to show for it. Well, this is the time to treat yourself and treat yourself here because it is well worth it. You need a reservation, and for them to know that you're serious, you have to put down a down payment because when you put a down payment on something, your butt is coming. Listen here there are a courses, and you also have to get the sake drinks. It is an added addition but they pay it with the meals and it is so delicious. So I hear they change the menu each season, and this season was wagyu beef, and oh my gosh, I swear if I could afford it, I would have gone the next day just for the experience. They also have caviar that you can add to your meal as well, but that is up to you. The waiters and waitresses are super nice the bartender and I forgot his name but he was killing on the drinks the sous chefs were awesome and the MasterChef that lady oh my gosh I forgot her name too but she was out of this world and she's gorgeous. But again, if you have not come to this place yet, definitely come down and experience for yourself because my words aren't even enough to express how this place is. Oh, and I almost forgot if your person that want to be substituting stuff and don't like certain things and don't like to experience food this is not the place for you because they do no substitutions. And they mean it! But I tell you if you enjoy the food and you want to sit on your palate and just absorb every ingredient of the dish, come get your experience at this place.

The price has gone up a bit but still a great sushi restaurant, always fresh and good quality fish. Love that they don't pack a huge piece of rice for the sushi and it shouldn't because you are supposed to eat the sushi in one bite. The restaurant also server rice in a pot (Kamameshi Set) which I also recommend.

As always this place has never failed in high food quality. Please see the specials (photo);as they are worth exploring. The place is small so go early. The prices have gone up in the past 20 years as expected. Enjoy the best sushi on the Boulevard in an informal environment.

Nice little authentic Japanese eatery. Chirashi and Unagidon were both excellent. Kamameshi is their real specialty, and it comes with sashimi and 3 side dishes. I do not recommend Chicken Kamameshi, though, unless you are OK with ground instead of diced chicken. Their sushi is also quite good in ingredients but a bit lacking in craftsmanship.

Great sushi, fast service. Take out is great, recommend the kamameshi and salmon avocado rolls as well.

TL;DR: Toro is where it's at Came here close to the end of lunch time and was able to snag a seat. Interior is small and minimally decorated, but very cute. Service is very fast and friendly. FOOD: ~Toro Sashimi (5/5): they let the product speak for itself. Very good ~Chirashi Deluxe (3.9/5): I love the variety of fish they give. Flavor/quality varies depending on the fish. I LOVED the mushrooms that came with this, I thought about asking for a bowl of it. Favorite fish we liked from here were: toro, crab stick (surprisingly), and white tuna. ~Eel and avocado roll (3.5/5): basic ~CA uni (4/5): yummy and fresh ~Hamachi (3/5): mid quality and flavor ~Scallop (3/5): again, not up to par ~Saba (2.5/5): didn't have that pungent flavor that mackerel usually has ~Aburi salmon (2.5/5): was over charred and couldn't taste anything but bitterness Overall, if we stick to the main things we liked, this place would easily be a 5/5. But if you want a variety of things every time you visit, then you MIGHT be disappointed.

Had a chance to come to Kotobiki on a Friday night before new years. Situated upstairs in a small cozy shop, kotobuki really made you feel like you were in a no frills, "all about the fish", sushi shop. The food also didn't disappoint. We started off with a miso soup and a clam miso soup. Both were good but the clam miso had a fresh seafood flavor that elevated it above the traditional miso soup. For our entree we got the chirashi and the sushi and sashimi combo. Not too much to say here except that the fish tasted very fresh. The price was a bit high but I feel like you can say that about any Japanese restaurant in the DC metro area. Overall was a good experience and would definitely be willing to come back!

This place is gold! I first discovered this place when I went to school at GW and this was close to the Vern campus. I remembered I thought the sushi was really good here but once I graduated and didn't have a car, I haven't been back in a while. Recently, when I had sushi cravings I remembered this spot and mentioned it to my husband so we came to check it out again. I am kicking myself for not coming back sooner! I love getting chirashis and not only do they give a generous amount of fish in their chirashi, they are all extremely high quality and fresh fish--all at very reasonable price too! I also got the clam miso soup which was very tasty and the clams are shell-on so it's extra flavorful. Staff is super attentive and friendly too, and the place is small but cozy! I do wonder if on busy nights there'll be long waits. I will definitely be back often!!

I came here for the first time in probably a decade or more a couple of weeks ago. It's a small spot with about 8 tables. Service is attentive and friendly. Most importantly, the food was excellent quality and a good deal, especially in the current inflationary environment. For appetizers we got the ohitashi (poached cress/spinach with a refreshing soy based sauce), and ankimo (monk fish liver with roe and soy vinegar). Both were excellent and perfectly salted, a great and bright and healthy start to the meal. This time I got a bunch of rolls. The spicy rolls use spicy flakes not a mayo based sauce. The salmon, tuna, scallops, and salmon skin were all very fresh--the tuna is quite tender and flavorful. Next time we visit we might try to special clam hot pot meal, chirashi, and sashimi/sushi now that we know the fish quality is high. We will make this one of our regular neighborhood spots. It's a true gem!

Nice intimate spot in a quiet area. Food was good and simple. Service was friendly and nice.

This restaurant is in a quieter part of DC. It had a cozy atmosphere and seemed authentic. I liked the edamame, shumai, and shrimp tempura roll. It was cool how the sake came in a box with some salt to put in the corner which I've never seen done before. The service was good and I had a nice experience overall.

Parking is challenging with new construction across the street. The sushi are amazing. Fresh. Tasty. Well cut. Patronizing for 20+ years.

(3.5 stars) Love the lunch specials here, fish was fresh and portions are plentiful. Also a really pleasant atmosphere to relax and dine in. Just wasn't crazy about the spicy tuna roll.

I've been hearing about Kotobuki for a good 10 years or so as the 'casual sushi joint above Makoto where they source the same fish'. Makoto was probably the best sushi experience I've had in the DMV but that is no longer available since their closing a few years back. We were in the Tysons/Mclean area and needed to kill a few hours for dinner and we see no traffic to Palisades on Waze and, to top it off, when we call Kotobuki...no wait! So we head over...finally I have my chance. I am very tempted by the Kamameshi as others have mentioned but I decide on the Chirashi Deluxe. My fellow diners go with the Sushi Deluxe and the unadon set. The complementary miso soup is top notch...the dashi broth is so flavorful and you can immediately tell this is owned by Japanese folks (although you should be able to distinguish that even outside the miso). Good start...the main dishes come out immediately after and the sushi looks very fresh and it doesn't disappoint. The chirashi bowl is actually quite large with a heaping mound of rice and tasty seasoned mushrooms underneath. The unadon is also excellent and I really enjoy the authentic veggies provided in the set...not the usual stuff provided in a bento box which adds to the authenticity. The wife asks what I think...I enjoyed all our dishes and would make the trip out to the Palisades again to try the Kamameshi and other dishes. As the Terminator said..'I'll be back...'

Kotobuki notably offers kamameshi, a unique Japanese dish, in a small spare room above the space that previously housed the acclaimed Makoto sushi restaurant. I've never seen kamameshi offered elsewhere in DC, a steaming rice bowl with eel, chicken, or vegetables cooked to toasty perfection in an iron pot, set on a thick wooden trencher and accompanied by miso soup, sashimi, and a variety of small dishes of fresh and pickled vegetables. It was filling and savory - perfect after our hike on a blustery day. The menu otherwise offers a selection of sushi and sashimi, including a special menu with large sushi trays that would be good for a catered event. The restaurant itself is just one room with a few small tables and seats around the sushi bar, well lit and clean. It's intimate in it's small size and simplicity. Food 4, service 4, ambiance 3

I absolutely love this restaurant. Some of the best sushi I have tried. Located on a nice, quiet street in DC. It is upstairs, so keep that in mind if you're mobile impaired. Very small space too, so be prepared to wait. By far the best chirashi bowls I have had. Easily my go to dish here aside from the sushi. I also tasted the eel kamameshi, and it's very good. Love how the rice is cooked to a crisp alongside the metal bowl it's served in. They have a top to keep the dish hot and big tasty chunks of eel throughout. The small side dishes they serve with it are also great. Servers are busy but helpful and nice. Looking forward to coming back!

Perfect spot for a weekend or Friday evening with loved ones! Cold sake is served with pinch of salt, which is unique and first time in the US.

$25 for this set was great! Food was fresh. A little bit less salty but tastes very healthy

Traditional Japanese sushi, no frills, high quality, fast service, friendly staff, and good miso soup. You wont find fusion sushi here. Highly recommend it for quick dinners. Sushi Deluxe is an easy sampler.

What has happened to Kotobuki?? I am no expert in Japanese food, just a passionate consumer, but I recognize bad rice when I eat it. I couldn't even pay much attention to the fish and vegetables (quite good) in the sushi that I ate tonight because the rice was truly awful: overcooked to the point of mushiness and completely bland. Rice is the fundamental building block to sushi, and I am not even sure if what I ate was sushi rice. Before Covid, I used to like this restaurant but regretfully I will not be returning.

Service was always good no matter how busy they were. Sushi was always fresh and eel/clam rice combo was always a hearty meal.

Situated off MacArthur, kotobuki has always received high praise from my local friends. This time around, I finally managed to make it there with a crew of 4. We had called ahead, worried about the place being packed on a Saturday night @ 5:30, but were told we could chance it. It's a good thing we came at 5:30, because the place was packed by 6. Their kamameshi came highly recommended. However, this time my friends and I were feeling the chirashi deluxe. The chirashi deluxe was enough to satisfy each of us and then some, and was well worth the price. Honestly, the mountains of fish will satisfy any craving for sashimi that you have. If you're in the area, this is definitely worth the trip!

Honestly wasn't super impressed by the eel dish. It was good, but the flavors were rather bland and it was not a lot of eel for the price. I appreciated the side dishes though. The chirashi was fresh but nothing out of the ordinary

I thoroughly enjoyed Kotobuki. I would return. I went because it was the only sushi within walking distance of the AirBnB where I was staying, in the Palisades. It more than meets the grade for a neighborhood joint, and it would be worth driving to from nearby. I had the chirashi. That is always a good dish to order. Its presence on the menu signals the place is serious and the clientele knowing enough to order this "scattered" raw fish atop rice, usually with other items such as mushrooms and pickles. The assortment offers an easy means to assess what the chef has available, e.g., if it is tuna and salmon only, or if there is also ikura and uni (in this case, a good helping of the former). The fish was high quality, including two slices of toro. I was there early. I was the first diner. They filled up over time. I lingered to enjoy beer and then walk back to turn in early due to a half marathon the next morning. The clientele it seemed to me were sophisticated about their sushi, a father explaining to his son, maybe seven years old, what was what. The other important aspect to mention is the patrons were well heeled but dressed casually. I am not sure why, but I have been to more than one Japanese restaurant in the States where they play the Beatles non-stop. There are worse choices. The Beatles certainly have a catalog of enough to make it not monotonous, though over time these songs must repeat in the staff's sleep. I like the Fab Four. I am noting this background, in the event a reader is not a fan. The fancy place downstairs, Makoto, has closed, apparently to reopen in downtown digs dedicated to all things Japanese. I do not believe these establishments were related -- there was a character named Makoto Kotobuki in a Japanese domestic market videogame, but that likely is mere coincidence. Anyway, Kotobuki is a fine restaurant in its own right.

Kotobuki is an authentic Japanese restaurant in the Palisades neighborhood of DC. If you're lucky, you'll find street parking nearby. I wasn't in the mood for sake so I enjoyed a cup of Japanese green tea. Half of my party enjoyed a cold house sake. It came in a box that overflowed into a dish. You place salt at the corner of where you drink from. We enjoyed several appetizers including Edamame, Seaweed Salad, Ankimo, and Calamari Salad. Among the appetizers, my favorites were Ankimo and Calamari Salad. The Ankimo consisted of three pieces of steamed monkfish liver pate with cucumbers and seaweed in a sweet soy vinegar. The Calamari Salad consisted of sliced orange cuttlefish tossed with shredded wood ear mushroom, ginger, and chili. I liked how it wasn't a spicy dish but rather a spiced dish. Other guests enjoyed Shumai and Shrimp Tempura Roll with Avocado, Eel Kamameshi Set, and an assortment of rolls. I enjoyed the Aburi Salmon Belly Nigiri, which consisted of seared fatty salmon belly with lime juice and sea salt over sushi rice. I also enjoyed the Oshizushi, which consisted of pressed saba over sushi rice. Not sure what filled me up but I ended up only eating the pressed saba.

Not sure why this place has such high reviews. The only good thing is you can get a lot of sushi for relatively cheap at happy hour. But even for that I wouldn't go back. The rice doesn't taste fresh. The tuna in my tuna roll was not a cut of fish and was instead just mushy ground up tuna bits. The salmon skin was chewy and flavorless. The spicy salmon roll was for some reason chopped up cuts of fish with green onion and no spice. The only edible thing was the avocado roll and the eel roll.

Best place for sushi in DC. And if it matters, I'm half Asian, was born, raised, went to GW, and did my first 4 years in Arlington, so I know a few things about sushi and about DC generally and this place is the best. Small, so call ahead, or ideally just order takeout. ...also my family has been ordering like gigantic, unreasonably complicated orders from them every family holiday for about 10 years and they always get it right, so kudos to them for accuracy and also putting up with our shit!

This is a small sushi place that has some delicious Japanese cuisine that sets it apart from other sushi places. We had the unadon (eel) dinner set, scallop nigiri, monkfish lover pate, and two items off of the special menu - seared salmon belly and fatty salmon. The fatty salmon special was really delicious. The scallop was fresh. I wasn't a huge fan of the monkfish liver pate, I think it needed something else to add to the flavor. I would come back here just for the scallop nigiri and would also get toro nigiri next time! The chirashi bowl also that others had gotten looked good.

Super delicious and fresh fish. Great price. We ordered the eel Unadon and the sashimi, both of which were excellent.

Great cozy sushi place. Unassuming but caring service and wonderful food. Will be back for sure. Chirashi was bomb.

Sad to say that I will not be returning to this restaurant because the chirashi bowl I ordered did not sit well in my stomach and I was hurting for the entire evening. We ordered two deluxe chirashi bowl, and had to sub out some items, and although hesitant, they were accommodating. The staff is friendly, and the presentation of the food is superb. They just might not be busy enough to have fresh fish at this time. There was pink color from the fish stained onto my rice as well, which might indicate that the fish was dyed to look fresher than it is. Regardless, I really wanted to like this restaurant, as their rice was delectable, but I would be very weary to try this again as the food made me feel miserable after.

My first visit since the Covid epidemic started, but before that I came whenever I was in the Pallisades. In Dec 2023 Kotobuki is better than ever. Staff a little older, but still very welcoming. Now for the serious note: The quality of their fish is amazing at this price point. You could easily spend 2-3x more at *** restaurants in DC, but you will not get better sushi/sashimi for the same price. Only down sides are that it's a small, truly neighborhood restaurant, with limited seating; as many have noted, the Fab4 play on an endless tape loop; the decor is nice, but basic; and parking can be a b***. If you can get past these minor issues, enjoy some of the best Japanese food DC has to offer at affordable prices.

yes, there are fancier, more costly sushi restaurants in the area, but if you're searching for consistently fresh and tasty sushi, you must try KotobukI. The setting is more than casual, but go for the quality of food, you'll not be disappointed. Abe-San, the owner/chef is a master.

Ordered sushi, Eel Kamameshi, Seaweed Salad and aburi Salmon. Great food and service!!! Definitely recommend aburi salmon. It just melted in my mouth. Everything was fresh.

i'd been wanting to come here for weeks, and knew already that i had to get the eel kamameshi. yes, there's a lot of rice in the bowl, but it's really flavorful from the eel sauce and pairs well with the side dishes. the eel itself was immaculately tasty. doesn't leave you feeling sluggish either. the miso soup was also good--not too salty like it sometimes is. friendly and quick service too! got our food in around 10 mins on a saturday at 12:40.

I don't get the buzz about this place. Ive driven by here numerous times and never made the effort but came based on the 4* reviews and written accolades. The best thing about this place is the service and speed. Avoid the watercress cold appetizer that is swimming in a pool of unflavored sauce. The edamame was just bizarre and I think I've been sitting in the freezer for way too long. The flavor of the sushi is fine but there is very little substance/fish to the rolls and loads of rice. For seven or eight dollar rolls I expect more. The Chardonnay is cheap and terrible and I guarantee there will be a headache in the morning. There were definitely no green tea or mango in either the green tea or mango mochi and both had freezer burn. The three stars for this review are based on the service and the authentic/relaxed nature of the atmosphere. That's it.

This is a neighborhood stable and great quality. The dine-in seating area is "intimate" (see small), but the atmosphere is good.

This has been a neighborhood mainstay for a long time. They have gone through different ownership I think but the quality has stayed pretty consistent and of course affordable. There have high-qualiTy Toro available a la carte or with their chirashi. The chirashi is a good portion sized and comes with a well rounded variety of sashimi plus soft, white rice and sautéed mushrooms. They also used to have Sukiyaki.

Delicious food, stopped by just before closing and was seated immediately! Friendly staff, good sushi, cozy space. Definitely coming back!

You have to try their Kamameshi - maybe the only place in DC that offers this hearty yet light meal. Kamameshi is translated in Japanese as kettle rice and has very toasty smell after it's cooking process. It's really something you can enjoy in winter and summer while the flavor stays enriched but not heavy.

Kotobuki is a great place that serves consistently high-quality sushi without breaking the bank. Their chirashi bowls are always great and if you want to customize and pick your own sushi/sashimi, they have a decent variety of fish to choose from. Some of my favorites are the salmon, scallop, toro, and yellowtail. They also have some pretty great appetizers such as the monkfish liver. I've also tried their eel kamameshi which was good but personally, I prefer their sushi more. The restaurant is tiny but we've never had to wait too long for a table before. I would not recommend this place for large groups though.

Recommended by a friend; this is one of those places you could drive by all the time and not realize it's there or how good it is. As of February 2021, it's open for takeout; you can order there or call in. The sushi was delicious & the tuna hand rolls were phenomenal. It was my first time trying eel sashimi & it was The hand rolls were meaty and so fresh; I could eat those everyday. The presentation was beautiful even with it being takeout. My husband and I went on a freezing cold day after a long hike. Kotobuki threw in free miso soup with our order and it was the perfect warm treat after the hike. I don't know for sure, but I think they may pickle their own ginger... it was super fresh, but not as acidic as most. It's a little thing, but I really enjoyed that. Would highly recommend!

4.5 stars. Stopped by for a quick snack and was not disappointed! Small cute place. Quick service. We were in and out within 30 min! I got a scallop, sea urchin, and fatty tuna nigiri. All of them were very fresh and delicious. Melts right in your mouth! Highly recommend them. Also VERY affordable for quality sushi!!! I would say this is almost as good as Yoshi Sushi in Vienna (my favorite sushi place). The only thing was that the rice didn't stick well together and some of my nigiri fell apart. I will need to try other things whenever I'm in the area!

Great food, extremely authentic, and all ingredients are fresh. I totally recommend the scallop and the spicy tuna.

I'm always up for finding amazing traditional Japanese restaurants. I think I've hit the jackpot with Kotobuki. The parking around here is kind of weird, so I suggest you come during off hour so you can find parking on the street as this place has no parking lot. We came here around 8pm on a Saturday, got a little confused, but just walk upstairs right above another Japanese restaurant called Makoto. It's very small hidden hole in the wall place. We tried two of the sashimi and ever since coming back from Japan, we don't really eat sashimi as nothing compare to Japan. However, Kotobuki had pretty decent sashimi that we were pretty impressed. We both got the eel Kamameshi as we've never had it before, even in Japan. It was such an interesting concept we had to wiki what kamameshi was. It's "kettle rice" made popular after the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake. It's pretty to similar what is "clay pot" in China. The eel here is really good, next time I think I'm going to try the eel unagi. Overall, great Japanese food, can't wait to come back!

I ate lunch today. I and my husband were very disappointed because of the quality of rice. the rice quality(over cooked and not good rice) and vinegar amount were not matched and it was not good at all. I understand very much that it is getting rise up everything. I just want to let you know.

Wonderful fresh sushi, very low key and casual. A cozy neighborhood spot. The owner/chef has a thing for the Beatles- that's all he plays which is kind of quirky but adds to the charm.

Craving sushi one night but not wanting to drag our lazy asses all the way out to the 'burbs in Maryland or Virginia where the better sushi spots are or trading our sweatpants for something presentable to be deemed worthy of trendy sushi in DC, my boyfriend and I decided to finally check out Kotobuki in the Palisades. What a cute neighborhood gem! Getting straight to business. Don't get the shrimp tempura roll, it was soggy, chewy, and tasted reheated. The sushi deluxe was excellent though! The sashimi and eel were fresh and the rice was soft and well seasoned. Having never even heard of kamakeshi, we knew we had to get the eel kamakeshi set. Essentially, rice, veggies, and eel were cooked in a traditional iron pot, which is what you also eat out of. The set came with three slices of sashimi, three small side dishes, and a bowl of miso soup. The combination of everything was very tasty and felt homey! Since Kotobuki is a tiny restaurant on the second floor, it isn't be the best place for big groups since you'll probably have a longer wait. If you're tall, this might also not be the most comfortable. The only way to stop my 6-foot boyfriend's whining about his cramped legs was to stuff his mouth with delicious food. He'd say it was worth it!

Personally i have a lot of good memories in the place. Their chirashi deluxe is still my No.1 go-to chirashi in the area. The food quality is above average for a little restaurant like this. Besides chirashi, you can have many different dishes that is not usually seen in other local restaurants. 個人的に私はその場所にたくさんの良い思い出を持っています。彼らの散らしずし、今でも私の地域で一番の頼りになるちらしです。このような小さなレストランの料理の質は平均を上回っています。ちらし以外にも、他の地元のレストランではあまり見られない様々な料理を楽しめます。

Just came here for my birthday. Excellent vegetarian sushi, especially the asparagus, the avocado, and the other veggie stuff. Really chill, calm vibes. LOVED it.

This has been one of my favorite sushi restaurants since high school. The service has always been great and the sushi is always fresh! The prices here are pretty good as well compared to other places in dc. I love the spicy scallop rolls and salmon skin rolls are delicious as well! The place itself is a bit small and it can get crowded at times but the wait is never too long. Check this place out!

This is pound for pound the best sushi spot in DC. When you compare price, fish quality, chef skill and service there is just no better place - PERIOD. Even more it's a rare hidden gem in DC. It's become my favorite out of the way spot when I don't feel like being trampled by the masses in larger more popular sushi spots. You have to eat here at least once if you live in the DC area. You won't regret it. I promise. In fact DM me if you didn't like it. I'd literally need to speak with you to find out why not.

So happy to have quality sushi for a reasonable price! My boyfriend and I came here for dinner a little before 6 pm on a Saturday, and there was no wait at all. We ordered eel kamemeshi, sushi deluxe, and uni. We also received two miso soups as complimentary appetizers. We both thought the food was great, especially the eel nigiri and hamachi nigiri included in my sushi deluxe. The hamachi was so soft and full of flavor. The eel had a tender texture and the sauce was very sweet. The kamemeshi came with four appetizers, almost none of which we particularly liked (except the sashimi.) They were a little too traditional for us. The main dish itself was homey and yummy - it came out really hot in a small pot. It reminded me of the Chinese clay pot rice my mom used to make during my childhood. The dish contained eel, carrots, kikurage, and a leafy sansai vegetable (reminds me of yu choy but sweeter.) Such a delicious combination! The uni was sweet and creamy. I definitely want to come here again for lunch sometime. Prices are at least $10 cheaper than dinner, though I'm not sure if portion is smaller too.