Momoyama

Decent sushi, though the roll I received was small and overpriced. I visited during a weekday lunch to get food to-​go. I ordered a spicy tuna roll, which cost me nearly $ 10. The roll was small and there was nothing nuanced about it. It did taste good and I liked the sauce on top, but it felt generic. Would I visit again? Very likely, as it’s conveniently located. I’d definitely give them another chance, but I wasn’t too impressed during my first visit.

Have visited twice, loved it both times, food and atmosphere.

Yummy! I’ve been here twice before and both times I’ve gotten the Momo Box. It brings a miso soup, chicken teriyaki, an assortment of tempura with dumplings, 4 California rolls, and sides of rice and salad.
The staff is super kind and attentive. This place is great for a quick bite, but since its on the tiny side I recommend going slightly before or after peak lunch hours.
I should make it an effort to come here more often!

Almost in an alley! Look for it though. Good quick lunch, the soup smells were out of this world. Service was quick but all 3 people serving got at least 1 thing wrong so have patience, be kind and it will be a good experience. Quality.

The food here was okay. I took the Bulgogi box. The marinated beef was cold, and there was more onions in the dish than either beef or rice. The sushi was a big disappointment. It had no taste to it at all. The only thing I liked was the vegetable tempura and the miso soup.
The service was a bit strange. The lady who served me just stood over my head the whole time I was eating. It was very uncomfortable.

Excellent service and great food. We had two kids
and several different rolls. The staff (the owner’s mom?) was so sweet and helpful. The rolls were delicious! It’s a little out of the way but totally worth it!

It was so good! Friendly service and I was heart broken when the meal was over. We got sushi rolls and a combination plate and everything was perfect. And they have extra delicious rice that is marinated in a house sauce. So good!

really love the dish Salmon Lover! Fresh salmon sushi and salami. Price is very reasonable too.

Just awful. Initially gave me salad instead of soup for my to-​go order– not a big deal, but this caused me to inspect the rest of my order before leaving. Although the menu said the veggie combo came with 18 pieces + inari, mine came with 11 pieces + inari, which made it seem like a rip off. I asked the staff about this, and was told they meant to change the menu and forgot. They did not offer a refund. I commented that this change made their veggie sushi vastly more expensive than their regular sushi, and that it made it cheaper to order rolls individually than a combo. The response was: «maybe you should do that next time.»
The sushi itself was alright. Probably worthy of 3 stars if not for the atrocious service and seemingly deliberate deception.

It went to this place frequently before the new owner took it. It’s been less than a year since I ordered an Eel box last time, it was 12 plus tax, now it’s 4 bucks more. Ridiculous! I won’t go there again and do not recommend anyone for this business.

So my experience here was definitely an interesting one. At first we were seated at the bar, which was not a good place for a table of three to sit due to the fact that we can’t all talk to each other, which is one of the main social aspects to getting lunch together. Then the waiter let us know that there was seating upstairs and we thought this would be perfect, but I was definitely wrong. We waited for menus for about 10 minutes until we finally decided to just go downstairs and get them ourselves. They took our order pretty fast, but then it took almost AN HOUR to get our food! It was to the point where our stomachs were beginning to eat itself. Then when our orders were being brought, the server brought the wrong rolls and it got a little confusing.
Now enough about the service, let’s talk about the food. Now the food i will agree is absolutely delicious. I ordered the Momo box which consisted of rice, salad, teriyaki chicken, California rolls, and vegetable tempura. I have never had a bento box so delicious before in my life. I’ve never had vegetable tempura that tasted so delightful. If I wasn’t on my one hour lunch break I would definitely say it is worth the terrible service.

Hole in the wall — check, but a clean establishment. Likely you will walk past it once as I did.
Amazing sushi — check!!!
You should go. I am going back.

Arrived at this restaurant after 8:30pm. A short walk from our hotel close to the Capitol for a late dinner. We had seaweed salad & mixed tempura for appetizers. Both were well prepared and good portions. The 4 meals we ordered were Chirashi, Nabeyaki Soba, Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box and the Tuna Lovers Sushi Dinner. Despite the late arrivals everything was expertly prepared and super tasty. A great meal and a happy family! The owners asked us how we found them (it is tucked in out of the way.) and we told them Unilocal.They said they are the new owners and the older reviews were not theirs. We said that’s okay, as long as your food and service stays great you’ll have no problems… Check it out:)

2.5 stars. The main pro for this spot is the outdoor seating, which is hard to find. Theirs is usually available at lunch time even when the weather is nice. Plus, I like the location, hidden behind the giant Department of Labor building on a little half block with a few older buildings that somehow escaped being swallowed up by the federal government footprint. It’s far from the maddening crowds of Chinatown/​Penn Quarter.
This is a perfectly serviceable lunch option if you 1) are in the area, 2) want a sit-​down spot that is not too busy and reasonably quiet, and 3) are insistent on getting sushi. So my coworkers and I eat here every few months. I do not «crave» sushi indiscriminately, if I can’t get something excellent, I’d rather eat a sandwich. Not because I’m a sushi snob, but because I really like sandwiches. But compromise is important to maintaining a civil work environment. So to Momoyama we go.
Honestly, it’s better than a lot of the other sushi options in the area. They make the rolls and sashimi to order. Lunch specials and bento boxes are in the $ 12 – 14 range. The sashimi bento box is my personal favorite, much better than their rolls, and a good deal considering how much food you get (miso soup, small salad, edamame, shrimp & veggie tempura, rice, and about 9 pieces of sashimi – all of which are good, standard cuts, like tuna, salmon, and hamachi). The ginger-​carrot salad dressing is great (although probably from a bottle, where do sushi spots get this stuff??). I wish I could just order a giant bowl of their pale, crunchy iceberg lettuce and smother it in the orange deliciousness.
Since I’m on a noodle soup kick – the soba soup is just ok. If you’re already here, go for it, but don’t come for it. The miso broth is pretty good, unfortunately the noodles and the poached egg were overcooked when I got it. Sad face. One minute stood between this bowl of soup and greatness. Or at least «pretty good“ness.

Tiny little restaurant in a hard to find nook. Real mom and pop atmosphere. Food is well priced. Lots of combo bento boxes which are fun in their presentation and perfect for those who want to taste a lot of different things and not break the bank. The décor is basic. You are cheek to jowl with your neighbor table. But a great casual spot. The owner/​hostess is sweet as can be.

UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP
I am so, so, so sad to have learned that this place has changed ownership. My friends and I have been going here about once a month for happy hour for the past 3 years. Our outings took a hiatus for a few months because of our schedules and when we went back last night it was a very sad reunion, indeed.
First, they got rid of the happy hour. Admittedly it was a great deal, but it was only for one hour a day, 5 days a week.
Second, although it’s not a permanent thing, when we were there last night they were waiting on their new liquor license, so they could not serve us alcohol.
Third, the prices went up. And not just a little.
Fourth, the sushi is not nearly as good. Not even a little. The rolls seems smaller and the rice is weirdly sweet. Like it was cooked with a bunch of sugar in the water. Not good at all.
At the end of the day, 5 rolls (three of which were just regular rolls like salmon avocado, while the other two were the special rolls) and three waters cost us over $ 50. Nope. No thank you.
We will find a new place for our happy hours. Apparently we are not the only ones as the place was empty, which is not normal for (what used to be their) happy hour.
Sadly, the only thing that was better is the service. Our server was very nice and attentive. Sorry, dude.

I will lead off that I lived in Japan for 9 years and rarely US sushi joints don’t add up. But I came here open minded based off reviews and a need for sushi. I tried the beef gyoza and the tuna boat (I think that’s what it was called).
The gyoza was ok. Fried instead of steam fried so it was crunchy. I felt the roll portions were very small, the rice seemed dry and under cooked, and I felt you could get better sashimi at a Chinese buffet. Which is sad, because some of the ingredients in the case looked good! I can’t complain about the service, but the place was empty. I am probably cheap, but I felt for $ 13 it would be something worth it, but it wasn’t. And as is, $ 20 is way too much for a lunch.
If you think Chinese buffet sushi is good, this is a place for you. If you are looking for something better, move on. However, there is a Korean place upstairs (probably same owners, same everyone) that I will try. Bibimbab, it’s whats for lunch!

Apparently they used to have amazing happy hour specials but that was under previous ownership. They are applying for a new liquor license so who knows what they’ll offer, but for now you’re just going here for sushi and Asian food. This place was dead on a Friday night but I’m guessing that will change when they get their license back so be warned this place is on the small side. This place is hard to find the first time so trust your GPS or hire a sherpa guide.
I’m no sushi expert but did order the bulgogi box. This contained a large serving of tasty beef with a ton of white rice (I picked out the broccoli but that’s personal preference), seaweed (sounds weird but a little rubbery and not bad), pretty good salad with ginger dressing, tempura (a little too greasy for me), and enjoyable California rolls.
Sans happy hour specials, meals ran $ 15 – 20 but it was so much food I couldn’t finish it all. This wasn’t the best Asian food I’ve ever tried but a solid and not too crowded option, in a hard to find location, and I’ll be back here.

I tried the bento box special of the day. Great sushi, rolls, tempura, and miso. Kind of a hidden gem of a restaurant, as it is a bit difficult to find.
Reasonable prices and good service. Can’t wait to go again. My new favorite «casual» sushi place.

The Good: Nice alternative to us tourists from California to the Washington DC cuisine. Most places we have been to have been overpriced and underflavored. Momoyama finally made us happy. Went for a late lunch. We had 3 different bento boxes. The beef was excellent, the tofu was very good, and the chicken teri was also very good. Classic miso dressing on the salad, and the tempura was fried to crispy, but not greasy. The iced green tea was very light and just right for a warm afternoon.
The Bad: You may walk by them! Their sign is not very big and this is a small restaurant.