Momiji

The first truly good sushi place I’ve been to in DC, Momiji is located down the street from the Gallery Place/ Chinatown Metro. You enter down into the restaurant and you can either eat downstairs (near the hibachi grill, which makes for some rather entertaining people watching) or upstairs. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, but it does fill up fast because it’s a small space. For sushi I ordered an assortment from the menu where my friend ordered one of the entrees. The entrees appear to be the good option for the more budget side as the rolls already come with a soup or salad. I also ordered the salad to start and got the standard lettuce house salad one would expect from a location with hibachi.

Salad

The entrée (Maki combo) presented on one plate with a nice display of each of the three types.

Entree plate

I ordered one piece of sushi a la carte. I’ve been told to always try the Tamago sushi so that’s what I ordered. The egg was well cooked and the sushi stayed together remarkably well. It was actually too large for one bit and I had to break it down a little to eat it.

Tomago & Hand Roll

I also ordered a Sweet Potato Hand Roll. The whole thing was crisp and warm. The potato was very sweet (without being sugary or over the top) and well breaded. Overall I thought the execution was excellent.

Sweet Potato Hand Roll

The real winner for me was the signature roll. I went for the Dancing Eel and I’d highly recommend it. The roll itself was lightly fried which warmed the rice and the cream cheese on the inside. The combo of warn cream cheese and eel was suburb. The roll was full of flavor and unexpected richness. The size of the roll was the perfect portion for a meal and I almost wish I had just ordered that (not that the other sushi wasn’t good, but I wish I’d had more room for this).

Dancing Eel Roll

Overall, I found the atmosphere charming and the sushi excellent. I have been searching for almost a year trying to find a decent sushi restaurant. This is not just a decent restaurant it’s an excellent one. The price in general is as to be expected at a sushi restaurant in DC.

For my overall review I give the restaurant a 4.5 out of 5 for amazing sushi, friendly service, a good location, and a reasonable price.