Seven Sushi Omakase Experiences in D.C. to Make a Date For

Most omakase experiences put an emphasis on an experience where you have to whisper if you talk. Not at Kiyomi, which is a sushi bar smack-dab in the middle of The Square food hall in Downtown D.C. Here this is more of a sushi party with the ’90s pop playing in the background as you savor fresh cuts of monkfish, fatty tuna, and uni in successive pairings.

This counter is also one of the best bargains in the city for a quick omakase at lunch. Seven pieces of sushi, handroll, and miso soup by chef Masa Uchi are available Monday-Friday from 11 am to 3 pm at $40 per person. Make a reservation here.

Ricky Wang’s pop-up omakase counter got so hot on the local sushi scene that the noted chef (formerly of Nakazawa D.C.) just had to make it permanent with this exquisite omakase bar above Han Palace on Barracks Row.

Climb the steps to a sushi counter experience perfect for your next date night. There are only two seatings each night. Wang’s concept consists of small dishes followed by a nigiri tasting totalling about 20 courses. Right now, the menu leans to the bounty of late summer and early fall, including a tamago-tofu topped with umami-rich tomato water gelée, shiso, and shaved ankimo (monkfish liver) in a yuzu ponzu sauce.

Glitz and glam come to mind when you sit down to experience the 20-bite omakase experience at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The restaurant came to D.C. by way of New York City thanks to Daisuke Nakazawa (of Jiro Dreams of Sushi fame).

He prepares a sushi omakase with quality fish flown in daily from Japan. The menu features seasonal options like Hokkaido chum salmon and umagatsuo, or black skipjack, from the south of Japan. The omakase menu is priced at $190 at the sushi counter and $160 within the dining room.

Sushi Taro is a Dupont Circle destination run by chefs Nobu Yamazaki and Masaya Kitayama with a reputation now more than three decades in the making. Expect a menu of escalating flavors that unfold before you like art, and always culminates with uni. Sushi Taro flies in Hadate uni from Hokkaido, Japan. The omakase counter experience starts at $275 per person.

It’s easy to love Dear Sushi. There is great care and attention in every dish, and magically, a heart appears as soy sauce is poured into heart shaped dipping trays. The experience includes seaweed salad with ume plum and Zuke bluefin tuna with shiso ponzu and luxe bites topped with caviar or gold leaf. The menu is a juxtaposition of old and new Japanese sushi styles guided by chef Makoto Okuwa’s star-studded chef prowess. The omakase experience starts at $85 per person.

In the Northern Virginia suburbs, Takumi stands tall as a price-conscious option for an omakase experience. Order up a six-piece nigiri and roll option priced at $24 per person, or a sushi tasting for two for $27 each. You can also go big or go home and sample the 17-piece sashimi for a reasonable $42. More info here.

Sushi-lovers will want to book a reservation for chef Yuh Shimomura’s Old Town Alexandria omakase experience. This sushi master was trained in Ginza, Tokyo and serves a range of tasty dishes. That includes Japanese A5 wagyu to fresh cuts of nigiri and a duck and matsutake mushroom udon noodle soup. The seven-course tasting menu is $95 per person.