Raku

This Cathedral Heights Japanese restaurant will not disappoint. They have an extensive, diverse menu, and all of it is scrumptious. We started with the butterfly shrimp appetizer. The delicate, lightly fried juicy shrimp had a savory sauce which packed a zesty punch. For my main, I had the grilled ribeye steak. This perfectly cooked ribeye was accompanied by tasty brussels sprouts and pan-seared asparagus all tied together with a creamy and zesty wasabi sauce. My wife and son had a variety of sushi offerings, and they enjoyed every memorable bite. Service was friendly and attentive. Great choice if you are looking for a high quality asian meal.

Super delicious rolls and tempura. The miso cod was divine. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion size of the meals.

The place was near the National cathedral, very convenient. The place was not crowded during lunch time on a Sunday. The service was good. We tried the katzu and tofu skin roll.

Delicious food, kind staff, and a great atmosphere. Literally everything - the dumplings, the omelette, the pumpkin soup, the toast, the salad - was superlative. Highly recommended to folks visiting the National Cathedral!

My husband and I came here for dinner for our anniversary and it was fantastic! It was super busy, so we are happy we booked a reservation. The sushi is so fresh and delicious and the braised pork belly special with shishito peppers was so good! My husband got the pan chicken and. I got the soup with udon noodles, shrimp tempura, sliced beef chicken and veggies. All of it was delicious.

Friday Night??? Looking for some scrumptious sushi??? In the Cathedral Commons Area??? No wait time!!!! Come this way. RAKU is the place for you. The variety of Sushi will not disappoint. Seaweed salad is delicious. Excellent mussels entree. Pumpkin soup was a bonus. Food is on point. Homemade Ginger Beer was the perfect beverage to accompany the meal. Service is knowledgeable, friendly, attentive and quick. Atmosphere is serene, yet lively. Come ready to eat!

The cuts of fish were great, and the happy hour price was awesome! Great roll options and the menu in general was good! The bathroom needed to be cleaned/service and I wished I had been asked / check on for more to drink, otherwise everything was perfect!! Would definitely be back!

I love stopping here for lunch and conversation with friends and coworkers. The service is always excellent - attentive but not overly so. The bento box and the vegetarian assortment are two of my favorites, and their cocktail offerings are refreshing and creative. They also validate parking, which is a bonus.

Love this place. Their udon is nice chewy- like the bubble tea chewy in a good way. The rice that came with chirashi is slightly warm which give a nice contrast to the fish. The veggie on top give a nice crunch when eat with fish and rice. Last but not least the tamago and the fish roes on the rice also bring out the sweet from the egg and salty nice flavor. 5 stars for food , ambience, price. Service was ok .

Bento is just as lavish (if a bit overpriced) as before. The sashimi that came with the bento box is fresh and delicious. The grilled octopus / shrimp salad is fantastic (first time trying it). Beware there are small bones in the cod (eat slowly!) We ordered on their own website, and food was ready in a timely manner. I miss their previous bento box (the actual, beautiful box). They have gone cheap since the pandemic. Just an ugly plastic box. No Japanese bento box charm any more.

Delish! I had the sushi and sashimi combo and tiger tear beef salad. Both were wonderful. I had this same order twice; yummo.

Just bumping up my rating now because quite frankly, their prices are inline with today's average dining experience in DC. Efficient, if indifferent service at the bar but the food hits a lot of high notes for pan-Asian cuisine. Solid!

Chanced upon this spot which is a sister restaurant of the more well known Rakuya resto due to its strategic location at DuPont circle. Raku offers a slightly different menu and has lunch specials featuring seasonal items. I got the set meal from the regular menu as I simply can't say no to Unagi. The Unagi is pretty fresh and tastes better than the one I had at Momo cafe.

We had a great affordable dinner here, party of 7...service was great. The vibe of the place was very much fun Asian fusion. (The bathroom sink was particularly creative lol.). You will certainly be happy if you order the sushi, Nigiri, and the rolls. Soups are also a great choice. My brother ordered the Bibimbop and that looked pretty good, along with an Asian spin on Calamari. He ate every bite. My husband ordered the big bowl of red curry soup. It's great for someone with a big appetite. Very filling for $15! It was nice to be able to either order a full meal, or to eat lightly. No pressure. There were specials available...all very interesting choices. The rolls were very fresh and well done. When my daughter wanted one more roll, she ordered mid-meal and it arrived quickly. Appreciated the overall presentation and the way things were plated. If I recall- Raku was founded by west coast (Berkeley CA) chef Mark Miller. I'm a big fan of Mark's southwestern cooking. I enjoy his Asian fusion menu as well.

Love the location of this restaurant. It's a great place for date night! Finding good sushi in DC is rare but I have been to this place twice! Everything I have gotten there so far has been good. I highly recommended this place!

My husband and I stopped here for sushi after having drinks nearby and really enjoyed it. I liked that the restaurant had a more casual vibe because even though we were dressed up that night, I like that it's a place we'd feel comfortable visiting in jeans and t-shirts. It was a Friday night and we were seated right away since there were a few tables open. They have a pretty extensive menu, which was great because we weren't quite sure what we were in the mood for. Our server wasn't particularly friendly, but was very attentive and helpful. The restaurant also has a really nice ambiance. After ordering, we enjoyed some nice sake and wine while we waited. When our food came out, we were both delighted and a bit overwhelmed because we didn't realize how much we had ordered lol. It worked out though because we really liked everything. All the sushi was very fresh and the rolls had interesting flavors. Even though we ordered too much food, we did finish every bite and left happy. We'll definitely be back for dinner again.

Great place to get away, consistently impressive service, food, I love the atmosphere.

Had an absolute feast at Raku tonight. Everything that I had was absolutely delicious and prepared very quickly. For the sushi rolls, I'd highly recommend the black snake and the red dragon. The nigiri was scrumptious--and the portions of fish relative to the rice very generous. The dessert (chocolate cake) was also very good. Overall, I would highly recommend this place and will be back again.

Raku never disappoints. The food is bursting with flavor. Last night was no different. My curry vegetables with tofu was to die for, especially the broth which my companions raved about. Also, the sushi was similarly amazing. Even the miso soup was stellar. My one criticism, not food related, was that tea wasn't served hot.

Sorry but this is not chirashi, and not worth $31. Raku's "chirashi" was a bed of sushi rice (got the first part right), topped with chopped up unagi, tamagoyaki, roe, pickled mushrooms and sugar snap peas. Typically, there are cuts of sashimi on top of the bed of rice, and considering that the menu said "Chirashi (14 pcs) - assorted sashimi and sushi rice"and the price, that was what I was expecting. This was a sad attempt at best and a complete rip off. Even the amount of roe and unagi is not worth the cost. I'll wrap up on a positive note to say that it still tasted ok for what it was, but caution diners to order something else.

Love the agedashi tofu! The food is elegant and delicious. Service is good. They have a nice happy hour, but they will not let you take your leftovers with you. Seriously. The server and the management forbade us from taking our four pieces of sushi home. We ordered five small dishes and two glasses of wine, and we enjoyed them until we were full. When I asked for a small to go box, they refused. They say it's to discourage people ordering from the happy hour menu with a discount as take out. I did not order extra rolls to go. This is a management problem not a customer problem. A nice meal was ruined by their unreasonable leftovers policing. I won't be returning.

Stopped by Raku after workout put down the road and had a great lunch experience! Raku has great lunch deals that are filling and fresh! I've been to the Bethesda location but never to the DC spot - nothing is different...excellent selection, friendly staff, quick service and fresh fish! I would happily go back to this new spot!

This place works for both vegetarians and meat/fish eaters. Very solid sushi game, and the drinkers I know have enjoyed the selection of cocktails. Service is efficient if not effusive.

Good japanese Restaurant in the area with a nice list of options. Ive only had the nigirj sushi platter and the miso cod but both were very good. The vibe and atmosphere of the restaurant is just okay in my opinion, and its not super high in terms of japanese authenticity so I took off a star.

Good Sushi and service, one of my favorite places for Japanese and their specials are really good.

I love everything about Raku. First of all, you don't even have to order an entree to have a satisfying meal. Their appetizers are amazing. I always go for the Tuna Tartar. Once you have it here, you won't want it different anywhere else. It's always so good. Perfect mixture of creamy and chunky tuna on a delicious warm bruschetta bread slice. The cornichons it comes with is tasty too. Skip the edamame and go straight for their Korean BBQ Hanger Steak Ssam. The Kimchee Puree is salty but just the perfect ingredient to balance the flavors. You have to wrap it in lettuce and add the rice to make it the perfect bite (or else you're just missing out). If you're in the mood for sushi, I recommend the Salmon Sashimi & Green Apple as another option. It's fresh, clean, and appetizing. The go-to for sushi lovers! For dinner, the Shrimp Tempera Udon Noodles is always a hit. It's cozy, savory, and the noodles are cooked just right. My bf loves their Beef Coconut Curry Udon Noodles. It's rich, flavorful, and filling. I could go on about their menu options. But I think I've said enough. I love Raku, and I highly recommend giving them a friendly visit. It's my fav Japanese restaurant in the area, and they're always consistent. Good service, great food, and a nice atmosphere. My happy place for date nights, early weekend dinners, and the perfect bite to eat with friends! DISCLAIMER: I accidentally posted this review for the Washington, D.C. location -- it was meant for the Raku in Bethesda. But I've eaten here several times and loved it every time so my review still applies :-)

It's my second time at Raku and I'm really in love with this place! I usually come here by myself and I enjoy sitting outdoor, and the restaurant definitely brings a relaxing and chill ambience. This time, I ordered the Tuna California roll and the red curry noodle soup with udon and chicken. I have to say, I expected the broth to be a little bit spicier (since it has a little chili icon on the menu), but apart from that, I definitely enjoyed it! The broth was rich with a strong coconut flavor and the udon is cooked Al dente which makes the chewiness just about right! For the tuna California roll, I really loved the whole combination of tuna, avocado, cucumber and fish roe. The tuna and avocado have a soft texture, and by pairing with crunchy cucumber and fish roe, the dish is very balanced! Not to mention, the servers are really nice and friendly. I would definitely come back.

This place was great. The customers service was great, waiters were so nice and the food was great. The vibe in this place is awesome. I love how there sticking with the Asian culture for even the sodas. The waiter took our food right after we finished. I highly recommend this place to everyone .

We had a reservation and were seated quickly despite it being super busy with full tables and the bar. We ordered miso soup, multiple rolls, the Korean BBQ ssam, and the Jo nigiri, as well as two of their flavored lemonades. My favorite roll was the volcano, and we loved the ssam. The butterfly pea lemonade was a nice change and not too sweet. My partner is gluten sensitive and forgot to tell the waitress until after we ordered, and she was very accommodating and pointed out which items he wouldn't be able to eat and let the kitchen know to keep sauce off his Philly roll. Overall great service and we will be back!

it's fine.. i'd rather get sushi here than at giant or whole foods. it's literally the same price if not cheaper. but i usually play it safe with more cooked stuff since it's on my lower tier of sushi spots. but it's been good for what it is. i don't expect much and usually happy with what i get. i usually do to go as well.

Inauthentic and dull food. Not much to report. Suitable for folks who want "Asian" food but don't care what that means.

So I came here with 7 minutes left till HH ended. The food was bussing! Their HH menu was solid! I got 2 Very Berry cocktails, the golden dragon and deluxe spicy tuna roll. Both were great! I was still a little hungry so I ask the bartender which did she like better between the pork ribs or the hanger steak. She recommended the hanger steak. I ordered both and they were solid. I would definitely come back.

I never like to write bad reviews as I like to support local businesses but a recent, absolutely terrible experience prompted this. I had ordered a small takeout order since I was too tired to cook anything and was hoping for a nice simple meal. Not my first time here so I expected everything to be straightforward. That was not the case. They had me waiting over an hour for my order. I had to sit inside their restaurant, being bit by mosquitos and seeing orders that were placed after me being delivered. I had asked about my order 3 times to different staff members with the response of "I will check on your order" only to get no answer. After I did receive my order, there were no apologies or explanations. The sushi is about average, same as most other mid-tier sushi place in this city. The worst part was that I was asked to pay before receiving my order and I decided to tip in advance to support their staff. My mistake...

Occasional service fails but overall consistently good quality and experience, plus a sizable menu so you don't get bored. It's become our family's go-to spot.

This is a review on the Raku Bethesda location. I am not one to write reviews, be them good or bad. I am so disappointed in this restaurant and I feel compelled to share. This has nothing to do with the food. This food is delicious, which is why I come to it frequently. When people visit from out of town, this is where I take them. They are located in a section of 'neighborhood' businesses; however, I just experienced their absolute lack of desire in being neighborly. I am sick with the flu and the only thing that sounded good to me was their Udon noodle soup. I called and requested curbside service. No, they don't do that any more. I get it, the pandemic is over, so this is no longer standard practice. I called back as this is all that sounded good to me. I offered to pre-pay, I offered to drive right up to the front of the restaurant and maybe someone could run my 'bowl of soup' out to me. No. Not enough wait staff. As I became upset, I was asked to hold on seemingly so approval could be obtained. When the person returned on the phone, I was told the BOWL OF SOUP would take one hour. One hour?? I had already expressed my being ill and the complete lack of caring could not have been more palpable. Mind you, I had just driven to pick up dog food, which I had pre-paid and the staff was kind enough to bring out to my car. Brookville Market is a neighborhood store. Brookville Pharmacy is neighborly. Pets are Home is neighborly, as are many other shops and restaurant's. Raku is not! Go for the food. I know I will return. I also know this is a 'business' with no care/concern/empathy for the people they serve.

Raku is on trend for DC! Totally unplanned visit; my daughter and I had a taste for sushi, and trusty Yelp delivered. Food: I had the Spicy Tuna Roll and the Maryland Crab Roll. My favorite of the two was the Spicy Tuna Roll. I can't say that the rolls tasted like something I've never had before, but they were good and satisfied my appetite. Ambiance: The exterior decor is unique with koi door handles - getting you ready for a seafood / sushi adventure. Inside is very intimate with dim lighting and close seating. I definitely want to go back and try other dishes. Just about everything on the menu sounded delicious!

Great service. Very friendly staff and was impressed on how quickly we received our food even though the restaurant was packed!

One of my favorite restaurants in DC, everything I've had here is top tier. I highly recommend the Thai curry soup, the salmon yuzu app, and ofc the sushi!

After months of sheltering in place and only doing carry-out we wanted to find a sushi restaurant with outdoor seating that was doing a good job of social distancing, and of course, that would have terrific sushi! Raku fit all of this criteria so we ventured in for a maiden experience with them. As promised, the outdoor area, covered by the awning but open all around, had tables appropriately spaced, sanitized before we were seated and not being too busy for a mid-weekend day. Their are purell dispensers next to the hostess stand so we were able to douse up to get in/out of the place. The hostess and servers were wearing cloth masks, face shields over them and were fully gloved at all times. We really felt good about our environment so we felt comfortable to focus on our food. So many options and combinations to choose from, along with a very expansive wine/beer menu (limited on cocktails, but for a mid-day trip it was not on our To Do list anyway). The three of us settled on a bit of sharing; the Eel special, with several large fillets of perfectly marinated, cooked and placed on a bed of rice, accompanied by a healthy portion of Udon soup, a small salad and as a special treat, a shrimp and sweet potato tempura. The eel was outstanding and really plentiful and the accompanying items made this a very satisfying meal. Next up was the Deluxe Bento box...and they are not over describing this fully packed option! The starting Miso soup was delicious with a nice blend of tofu and kombu. The box itself, very elegantly presented, featured the promised roll, tempura, sashimi and sushi. Again, more than plentiful. What really made us smile on top of the very fresh fish and it's display, was the nice side of a Seaweed salad that blended lettuce and the seaweed with a light mix of the sesame oil. Truly delicious! We rounded out our sharing plan with an order of the spicy tuna roll and the crunchy avo-q avocado roll. Both were again, fresh and ample. The only disappointment is that the soy sauce was dispensed in the traditional small bowl before the meal began, and we weren't sure if it was a low sodium or not. Our servers only slip was in not checking on us for a refill, and when we tried to flag them down for it, they were waiting on other diners, so by the time they arrived to check on us, we were well past the need. Not a big deal, but something to be thinking of in dining out under these current conditions. Just as a side note; we did make a trip to the restroom. The path in/out was clear of any diners, the facilities were immaculately clean and there was hand sanitizer available next to the door out to the patio for a final spritz. Either in the pandemic times or beyond, we will be back for the very high-grade sushi and service.

My favorite place since high school, I've been going here for 7 years! I recommend Tokyo dashi broth w shrimp tempura

We were seated on the patio shortly after 5pm on a Sunday night. November weather was chilly but the heat lamps made patio dining comfortable. Good for kids. Sushi was fresh and service was attentive. Servers all wore masks and face shields. Could not have asked for a more pleasant experience. See photos: Sushi and roll assortment Chirashi box

Love Raku, find myself here often, grabbing a drink and some noms at the bar. Today I opted to sit outside. Service was minimal but I like my space. Was a bit strange that the table next to me received their food before, but I could care less. What irked me and has me questioning coming back is the payment process. I'm used to the credit card machine being brought to me to process. Usually the bartender leaves it with you. Today, my waitress stood over my shoulder directing me. I didn't even have my wallet out. First she brought the receipt with an extra item, waiting for my card, not wanting to give me the time to review. If you can't have some patience with your customers you are trying to rip off, maybe find a different industry. Very disappointed. The food quality here is always superb, has been for years, but what has happened to the service.

Visited for a birthday lunch. Usually go to the Bethesda location but didn't have availability. Service was great - very COVID friendly (cleaning between customers, sanitizer on table, wearing masks/shields, partitions between tables on patio). The sushi is always good at Raku and they were very accommodating when I asked for substitutions on the bento box (i was more than happy to pay more for substitutions).

I was craving sushi so I decided to go to the nearest sushi location, I have been to Raku in Bethesda but this was first time here, I only didn't like the customer service at this place, they brought my sushi without any chopstick or fork or anything and then when they brought one they didn't apologize for not bringing them sooner! They also emptied our beer into our glasses without permission cause I wanted to have a taste of my friends beer but didn't get to do that!

Another great meal here. Came for lunch and had the katsu and some nigiri. Excellent fish quality. Love it here.

Amazing food and service, we had a great date night experience and highly recommend raku

I went to Raku for the second time last night. We made reservations a couple days in advance. When we arrived (at 7 on a snowy Saturday) the place was bustling. We were greeted and seated promptly. Within moments of being seated, our waiter greeted us and brought us water. He came back to get our drink orders, and then when he brought the drinks from the bar, he took our appetizer and entree orders. The pace of the meal flowed nicely and we never felt rushed. We ordered the rainbow roll to start and, due to the cold wintry day, we each ordered a noodle bowl with the red curry coconut broth. I had the tofu and veggie bowl and my friend had the shrimp one. The rainbow roll was excellent. Very fresh and did not skimp on seafood. We also loved our bowls. They were huge and I took over half home. Overall, I enjoyed both of my experiences at Raku. Their menu was extensive and the food exceeded my expectations both times. They also have a nice cocktail, wine, and sake menu. Also, the price is quite reasonable. Can't wait to go back!

This was amazing! Margaret found this wonderful place for us to try. Its a little out of our normal area for eating but it was worth it! I had the coconut milk red curry noodle soup. It was a bit spicy but very flavorful! Margaret took this picture for me! She is so techy!

Went here for lunch today and I was very disappointed. There are so many good reviews so I expected it to be good but it was mediocre. The food was bland and cold when it finally got to our table. It was clear our waitress did not want to be at work today. We were rushed and given dirty looks for no reason. Raku is just an overpriced sushi restaurant, nothing special about it.

If you be want something for everyone, this is the place. Sushi, noodle bowls, seafood stew and chicken entrees. Reasonable prices and good service. A good choice when the line Two amys Italian is too long!

While visiting my sister in Washington DC, she announced that she had made dinner reservations at her current favorite restaurant. That's one of my favorite things to hear, because she always picks great restaurants. Raku was another in a long list of delicious places where we have dined. Service was friendly and prompt, and the restaurant was very accommodating of the infant we had with us. From the apps to the sushi main courses, everything was flavorful and delicious. The sushi was extremely fresh tasting. If you read my reviews, you can see that I eat A LOT of sushi all over the world, so you can trust my judgement on that. Thank you Raku for a great dinner!

Best sushi joint in the city hands down. I prefer lunch, but over all we come here at least twice a month. The crunchy avocado roll amazing for veggie eaters and the sushi is always fresh. Ambience is great and very clean which is hard to find in DC.

I really enjoyed this sushi place. They have some really unique rolls that are unlike any other ones that I've tasted. Their Red Dragon roll has kimchi and is delicious. Their vegetable futomaki was the best vegetarian roll I've ever had! I also enjoyed some of the sauces that came on our plate. Lastly, I was impressed with how fast we got our food and our check. It was quite a treat for a lunch spot but very approachable.

The food was delicious. Sushi presentation desired more, but the taste was all there. Curry soup had a lot of flavor! The service could be better as the servers were somewhat short with us during the seating and while serving

Came here for happy hour. Its food and drink special at the bar. We didn't have any trouble getting a seat. We ordered the ribs; my boyfriend really liked them. He said they were very flavorful and fell right off the bone. We ordered the ginger soup; it's absolutely delicious! We also ordered 2 grilled salmon harasu rolls. This is usually one of my favorite rolls but it was very fishy and was mostly salmon skin. I just didn't care for it today. I also ordered 2 rolls of the avocado cucumber rolls and they were very good. This is the first time I've ever dined in. They have very fast and attentive service. I will definitely order from here again but will likely stay away from the salmon roll for a little bit.

Unfortunately, Raku didn't impress. I ordered the veggie bento box and it was bland, cold, and overall unsatisfying on a windy fall day. The waitress was quick and didn't talk much, which is a plus for my introverted self. Also, they have single-stall bathrooms if you're into that sort of thing. However, the place didn't stand out for me. Hint: If you're not vegan, get the ramen.

LOVED the sushi!! Bomb! The crunchy spicy tuna roll (left) Volcano roll (middle left) Green man roll (middle right) Philly roll (right 5/5

I've been looking for a sushi place in DC and I'm calling Raku it. I didn't get any specific rolls, but with the quality I got in my bento box, I'm excited to see the rolls. For the price tag, I would totally consider this bento box worth it. Starting from the top left to right: sushimi (which was high quality), seaweed salad and the typical ginger dressing salad, meat (which I was surprised how tasty it was at a sushi restaurant!), spinach and mashed potatoes. On the lower level from the right: a ton of tempura (I will say a little greasy but its tempura so I can't say anything), and then typical nigiri with some California rolls. I came here for lunch and definitely left full and happy. Excited to come back and try it out at another time (rolls and bento box)!