Multiple Sakaba restaurants exist, each with varying chefs and menus. Some offer upscale sushi, others are more casual Izakayas. Specific details require specifying the location.
first time i've been to sushi taro for the non-sushi items and everything was amazing! my partner and i both thought the firefly squid tempura, which was our server's rec and one of the daily specials, was our favorite of the night. the kobe beef on a leaf over charcoal was also amazing. other dishes we tried: ebi tempura udon, shrimp cream croquettes, kakuni (sweet marinaded pork belly), hojicha pudding (another favorite of the whole night)
side note we came around 7 on a wednesday night without a reservation and were immediately seated
My friends and I came here because of its Michelin Star status and overall we had a good time tasting every dish that we ordered. It was clear that all the dishes were curated very carefully to ensure that every bite was worth it. While I still thought the price was exuberant, the overall experience was good enough for me to recommend this establishment if one is looking for good sushi around the area with little to no budget limitations.
The live soft-shell crab tempura looked like it was burnt since it looked so black, but it wasn't the case in reality. Every bite had very potent crab flavor which was pleasantly surprising, even if each small piece was really thin. The dish that had the cooked salmon and salmon roe had very tasty bites, because the salmon had just the right amount of crisp on the outside, good flavor inside, and the koshihikari rice itself was flavorful, too. The urchin sushi pieces had very potent flavor because urchin itself was like that, which testified its authenticity. Pretty much all the other pieces of nigiri, rolls, and sashimi were good, but the dishes that I mentioned were the big highlights. Since the rest of the pieces didn't leave as much impression on me, I think it's fair for me to give this establishment a 4 instead due to its exuberant price.
They have various styles of dining, ranging from a la carte to their omakase experience, which my friends had tried before. While I am not an omakase person, I would encourage those that are okay with a fancy experience to give it a try, because the dishes when ordered a la carte were already more than decent.
2026年 Osechi bento review:
Excellent traditional bento, beautifully prepared with high quality ingredients. 100% worth the price. You can tell a lot of time and effort was spent preparing this bento. I was very very impressed. I will be ordering this every year. どもありがとうございます！
The service at Sushi Taro was excellent—attentive, professional, and very knowledgeable about the menu. The food was high quality and beautifully prepared, but the portion sizes felt a bit small for the price point. Overall, a great dining experience, especially for the service and quality, but I wish the servings were a little more generous.
Visited during restaurant week, this used to be one of our favorite Japanese restaurants and since there are more Japanese restaurants where I live, we don't come to DC as often.
I have to say I am a bit disappointed with the sushi, I can probably get similar grade sushi at my nearby sushi restaurant. The presentation is underwhelming. I suppose is restaurant week, the affordable menu and so no need to put thoughts into the dish. There is just nothing that jumps out and wow us except for the hoji-cha pudding dessert. Silky smooth and the aroma of the hoji-cha was perfect. I did pairing and the dessert goes well with the green tea plum wine.
