Raku

I ate here a couple of times on a recent work trip to DC. It is totally adequate sushi with a few interesting rolls, kind servers, and a great location with outstanding people watching.
I actually prefer any of the raw appetizers to the sushi itself (although the sushi is fine) and they do a really good veggie roll if you are bringing reluctant vegetarians with you. I also really liked the Green Tea Crème Brulee as a way of finishing the meal.
Bottom line: nice reliable place, convenient, good at what it does. Would go here on a casual date or a low stakes business meeting.

Solid Japanese-​favored Asian fare. Went with friends, and nothing we had was so remarkable that I remember it more than the conversations.

Growing up near Bethesda, Raku has always been my go-​to sushi restaurant. I have always had such an incredible experience there, that when I moved to D.C. this past year, I immediately decided to visit the DuPont location. While I personally believe the food is not as good as the Bethesda location, I have a tendency to be incredibly bias towards Bethesda restaurants, I would still highly recommend this sushi establishment. I go about once a week, and just have completely mastered my order: shrimp shumai, crunchy spicy scallop roll, and the red dragon roll. If you want to take a step on the wild side, try the red coconut curry soup. While I have personally been told by many that I have a weird food palate, I think this dish is just crazy good. If you get the deluxe, they load it up with a ton of seafood and meat and the curry broth is kind of addicting.
In terms of location, décor, service, and food, the DuPont Raku is just a great time. I personally consider Raku to be one of the top DC sushi spots, especially considering its not that difficult to get a reservation (as opposed to the other top DC sushi restaurants like Sushi Capitol where getting a table is like mission impossible). I have heard rumors that this location is moving soon and if this is true I will be very upset, so please try and check it out before it’s too late.

Veggie Lover Roll on Fleek!
Love the spot in DuPont Circle– great for people watching and right next to Kramer Books!
Green Tea Crème Brûlée was phenomenal! Super unique way to end he meal!

Asian fusion restaurant. Great customer service but food is ok. I once got sick from ordering sushi from them so I don’t get sushi anymore. Other food in the menu is ok as far as taste.
Outdoor sitting available.

This place was a reliable sushi spot that has some interesting rolls and your standard Japanese fair. If it’s relatively affordable sushi you’re craving (not expecting to be mind-​blown), check out this place

Great service from the moment we walked up. The patio was full on a perfect DC evening, however interior dining was not. They opened the windows so we could have the outdoor feel, and sat us by the window.
The service continued at great quality. Seating was tight, but I expect that is the case in DC.
Everything we had hit the spot, we started with a sushi roll, it was the special, so I do not remember what it was, but the fish was fresh and had there a kick of flavor in the roll.
My dinner mate had the Thai Beef salad which she loved. I can say I was jealous of her meal, as it looked as if it would cover many taste sensations and texturally refreshing.
I was very pleased and am now craving the Seared Tuna Tataki salad the next morning. It was exactly what I was wanting on a hot and humid late-​spring evening. It was sweet, spicy, crunchy and refreshing. The tuna was fresh and seared perfectly. The dressing was sweet and crisp pulling the entire meal together.
I will make this a must visit venue every time I am in DC. I will crave the same meal, but everything that passed by awoke my senses, making me think I had made a mistake with my meal, even though it was perfect. If you can, talk your friends into dining Asian style so you can sample as much as possible!

I had a friend who lives in DC recommend this place to me. I was looking forward to having some Pad Thai and some sushi rolls before heading out for the night. At first look, it seems to be a stylish establishment with outdoor seating. Being inside, it didn’t give the same atmosphere that I thought I’d feel looking at it from the outside. The menu looked terrible as it was a cheap piece of paper wrinkled and covered with some sauce. Also, there was one bathroom for both women and men.
My date and I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai, Volcano Roll and two orders of Salmon Sashimi. The Chicken Pad Thai did not taste like Pad Thai at all. It was way below average. The Salmon Sashimi was okay, definitely not very fresh, but also not terrible. The Volcano Roll was thicker than expected and tasted okay, but it was drenched in spicy mayo. These dishes were definitely not worth the price. I was quite disappointed. I dislike spending money on food that’s not even good.

Overall we really liked this place. If we lived in DC it would be on the list of our regular places. It was casual and bright in side, which is atypical of restaurants downtown.
The menu was a little confusing, and we were basically sitting on top of the couples on both sides of us. Other than that, this place is really great. The sushi options were vast and creative. A lot of trendy options as well as some edgier ones. I think that people who don’t like sushi would find a sushi roll that they like here. We got the green monster special (avocado heavy but great), the spicy crunchy tuna roll (the best for sure) and the Philly (a little bland).
The soft shell crab tempura appetizer was really delicious. It came with roasted cauliflower that went well with the tartar sauce on the dish.
The mojito I got was delicious too. The coconut water was a great addition to the mint.
Overall great place for dinner.

Unfortunately, Raku is closing April 30^th and moving up to Tenleytown around the second week of May.

Raku is one of those places that has been around forever and I’ve gone here a lot. That said, it is never really a destination for me either and I end up here a lot by default. That’s because my friend lives two blocks from here and is a huge fan of it. They are convenient, not too expensive. The word that she uses is «honest» to describe it and I think that is fair.
We always get the udon and have had dessert and sometimes sushi. The udon is a nice, fairly cheap meal. Seating is tight but comfortable and we never have to wait too long (though we always tend to come kind of late). A nice neighborhood joint for pan asian food, I wish there was a raku in Eastern Market for sure.

Raku Sushi has a lot of significance for my boyfriend and I. We had our first date there exactly two years ago last night (on January 31, 2013). We visited again last night to celebrate that amazing date. Even though the place is sentimental, we didn’t have the most amazing experience and since I strive to always be honest in my Unilocal reviews, I feel the need to update my review with my new experience.
Here are the things that were less than ideal:
–I made reservations 2 – 3 weeks in advance. Yet when we got there, they didn’t have our name on their reservation list and we had to wait at the bar for 20 minutes to get seated. My bf joked that it’s probably not the type of place you make reservations for that far in advance. I suppose not, but it would still be nice for them to correctly put in their reservations when guests call to make one.
–The food… the sushi rolls were smaller and drier than I remembered them and the fish was not fresh. We also ordered a steak and scallop entrée and the steak was undercooked (they didn’t even ask us how we wanted the steak done). Overall, bland and overpriced, and nothing I would ever really crave again.
–Service was rude and slow.
–The place is PACKED and they leave barely any room between their tables. Patrons are stacked right next to each other uncomfortably.
We certainly will visit again in the future, to celebrate the symbolism of our first date 2 years ago. But objectively speaking, it’s not the most amazing restaurant (pretty mediocre — edible food and nice location, but lacking in service and atmosphere) and if it wasn’t for our first date memory there, I wouldn’t really feel the need to visit too often (esp since Dupont has so many great restaurants).

Raku is a great spot for lunch — also not sure why it only has 3.5 stars, especially in comparison to other places around Dupont. It serves the standard DC pan-​Asian cuisine, everything from Thailand, Vietnam and Japan all rolled up into one. This is a restaurant concept that I just don’t understand, since everything ends up being just better than mediocre, but whatever, DC restaurants can’t seem to pick one cuisine and stick with it. But alas, I’ve accepted the pan-​Asian style here and not judging Raku on that practice as a result.
I had the vegetarian bento box (which is almost vegan — just request no cheese on the asparagus), which was totally delicious. Just the right balance with avocado rolls, tempura, tofu/​seaweed salad, and asparagus salad. I’m probably forgetting something, but I definitely couldn’t finish everything and left satisfied. They are super efficient and understand the lunch crowd. We were in and out in 45 minutes. Great service, and good food. Would definitely recommend for business lunches or meetings.

This place is very, very, very loud. I came on a weekday night and the place was packed and because the seats are right on top of each other it makes for a very loud evening. This is not ideal for a getting to know you meal.
Food was pretty blah, the sushi rolls were fresh but not well prepared. The rolls consistently fell apart when I attempted to grab them with chopsticks. This shows me either the chefs are inexperienced or careless either way it doesn’t lend to me wanting to rush to return.
I don’t didn’t enjoy the vibe or what was presented as far as my meal at Raku and therefore have no plans to return anytime soon.

An Asian diner? Is that anything like a Jersey Diner? No not really, the menu isn’t 20 pages long, no pancakes and they’re not open all night lol. But Raku has a counter, an open kitchen and is noisy & packed with people like any good diner. Great rolls here, good appetizers too but weak drinks when we visited on a Wednesday evening; 3 stars is about right but I’m not rushing back.
Ok lemme get the bitching about the bar service out of the way. Only 4 taps, the Kirin Ichiban keg had kicked, neither Ranger IPA nor Fat Tire was so exciting. No gin to be found among the special cocktail list so we ordered basic gin & tonics, $ 8 each. I’m a lightweight so one G&T on an empty stomach is usually plenty. not here, just wasn’t a respectable drink, argh. Not a fluke, the second one was no better. Double argh.
Started with crispy kale salad. The leaves were dried out and crunchy but not especially in a good way, lots of cheesy croutons on it, nice dressing, tasty but I can’t recommend.
I *can* recommend the Green Monster roll, a special that evening, basically an enormously long tempura shrimp wrapped in rice and seaweed paper (nori), dressed heavily with sauce, smoky curly wisps of bonita on top are awesome, exceptionally tasty, don’t miss.
Also tried the bbq skirt steak Ssam, this is a variation on bulgogi with marinated beef served with lettuce, a bit of miso paste, rice and a mild chopped red pepper salsa; excellent little taco-​like finger food.
One more, the crispy kimchee chicken was fried parts on top of a bowl of onion, cucumber, cabbage plus other unidentifiable veggies, nicely dressed with a spicy kimchee sauce and fresh cilantro, good.
Vegetarian rating: 2.5 stars; the edamame and a roasted mushroom & asparagus apps are good choices (we devoured the ‘shroom/​sparagus combo), and one of the tofu combos might light your fire. And there’s a vegetarian assortment «sushi», boy that warps the word right out of the park.

Raku is still a really hoppin’ spot, even on weeknights.
Yesterday I tried their udon noodle soup in the «Tokyo dashi stock,» which came with plentiful veggies and generous amounts of soft tofu. You can top this soup with anything – meat, seafood, or veggies. Be sure to add some togarashi (they’ll bring it out to you) for added heat and flavor.
This soup was really comforting, though not terribly complex. And surprisingly, it wasn’t too salty. Not a bad fix if you’re craving noodle soup in the middle of Dupont Circle. Only flaw: Adding a poached or boiled egg is not an option. Didn’t quite understand the server’s explanation, but my guess is that they use egg beaters instead of whole eggs.
A few years back, I tried the green tea crème brûlée, and it was delicious. Wonder if it’s still good…
Overall, a good place to meet friends, pretty centrally located. It’s a good spot if you’re looking for Asian dishes before hitting up neighboring bars or Kramers.
Service is okay.
Raku gets 3.5 stars for dependable but not life-​changing pan-​Asian cuisine in a relaxed environment.

Um not sure how to review this. Sushi very oily and limited.
Cooked food tasty. I won’t eat sushi there again.
Cute spot for cooked hot oily asian food

With limited Asian food options in DC, my husband and I had not had Japanese since we moved.
Although Raku is far from authentic Japanese, we were pleased by freshness and creativity. Who knew pork belly would tasted this amazing in a sushi roll? And mango sauce with salmon? Delish!
Aside from Japanese, Raku also offered a limited Thai menu! Unlike most Chicken pad Thai where I am overwhelmed by the amount of ketchup and peanut, this had the perfect balance and also came in a generous portioned size.
Overall — 3.5 stars — Although the price was a bit steep and the service was just okay, I would come back for their food especially to more of their specialty rolls!

One of the better sushi/​Japanese restaurants that I’ve tried in the DC area. My food was good, and other people’s foods looked amazing. I’m definitely coming back here to try what other people ordered because it looked so amazing!
I ordered their deluxe sushi, which comes with 12 pieces of nigiri, including sea urchin and sweet shrimp. The cuts of the fish wasn’t that big, but the variety was good. Although it doesn’t quite compare to what I’ve had in Los Angeles, I was still happy with my meal. Mine came with a few pieces of white fish — albacore, yellowtail, and so forth,. I’m not too sure, but I ate it. It came with a couple pieces of salmon — one regular salmon and one that was seared. Both were very delicious — my favorite. The sea urchin was more orange than I’m used to, but the texture was interesting in a good way. The eel had a little bit of eel sauce, which is just standard. I’m normally not a fan of eel, but this one was good. It also came with sweet shrimp, which was delicious. It had that raw piece and that fried head. Yum! The ikura (roe) was standard too. Full of yummy fats and whatnot.
It was difficult to decide what to order, but I went with the sushi because I crave that stuff way too much. Their bento boxes seem to be the best deals though because they are big, and packed with good looking food. For example, the girl next to me ordered the vegetarian bento box, and it was absolutely packed! It had salad, seaweed salad, lots of tempura, and more. YUM!!!

Fantastic vegetarian sushi!
Chicken pork dumplings were unlike anything I’ve had before– but still good– just not what you’d expect really.
Try the Crunchy Avo-​Q sushi — delicious!