Glover Park’s tried-and-true place (Joe Biden was a regular here while he lived nearby in the Vice President’s residence) for raw fish is known for its Butterfly Roll, a generous lineup of shrimp tempura, crabmeat, and eel topped with spicy mayo. The flounder carpaccio with truffle vinaigrette sauce is another hit. Wash down offerings with hard-to-find Japanese beers like Orion. Plus, owner Ferry Huang recently opened Onkei at Western Market with more small plates, sushi, Japanese sake, and wines on offer.

Sushi is but one speciality for this restaurant from Darren Norris, formerly of Kushi and Perry’s. The menu brings together ramen, kushiyaki grilled over binchotan charcoal that reaches temps of 975 degrees, small plates like the lauded Japanese potato salad, and fresh sushi.

Many people flock to this affordable sushi restaurant in the Palisades that sticks to basic nigiri and maki. There are no monstrous dragon rolls at Kotobuki. Instead, find items like kamameshi (vegetables and meat serve in an iron kettle) accompanied by sashimi and small dishes.

Michelin-starred Sushi Taro is a pull-out-all-the-stops kind of a restaurant. The omakase counter tasting starts at $250 per person ($350 on Saturdays) with regular menu items including A5 Wagyu beef and lobster. For more affordable options, there is a daily a la carte menu and special sushi lunch dishes. Before the pandemic, sushi happy hour at the bar would command a line out the door before its 5:30 p.m. opening time.

Union Market district’s sleek Japanese spot satisfies with traditional sashimi and sushi feasts, as well as small plates like Korean-style wings with Maytag-yuzu blue cheese, meats and fish cooked over a robata grill, and sake. O-Ku has rooftop seating, too.

Chefs selections of nigiri and sashimi go for $30 and $35, respectively, at restaurateur Michael Schlow’s foray into sushi. One crunchy hand roll folds in salmon skin, cucumber, tempura flakes, red roe, and eel sauce. Vegetarian nigiri (spicy eggplant, beet tartare) are not to be missed. It’s also worth deviating from sushi for small plates like pork gyoza in a velvety soy-truffle broth or a kobe beef slider. Meanwhile, Nama’s sibling bar is running out of Tico on 14th Street NW also serves signature maki with Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) touches.

One of the city's sushi pioneers, Kaz Sushi Bistro serves omakase, chef's choice selections, lunch specials, and more. Despite being open for more than 20 years downtown, Chef Kaz Okochi still shakes things up on the menu. Try the sea bass napoleon with cilantro, peanuts, and fried wonton skin.

This punky, party-ready sushi dive turns stuffy dining on its head with a gong that rings with every order of a sake bomb, creative rolls with fillings like tempura-fried sweet potato, and buckets of tater tots. For those not into the super-fresh fish, the menu includes lots of vegan options.

NYC-import Sushi Nakazawa’s 20-course nigiri-sushi omakase that stuns in the expert hands of “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” chef Masaaki Uchino. There’s no dinner menu, which leaves more time to linger over an impressive list of Japanese whiskey and sake. The most coveted seats are at the 10-seat sushi bar that offers the best view of the action.

Bangkok-born chef Saran Kannasute fulfilled his dream of opening his first restaurant on the outskirts of Arlington in 2018. Holding court behind a sleek sushi counter framed with a graffiti-splashed geisha mural, he’s not afraid to play with offbeat flavors like lavender-smoked salmon, monkfish liver, and uni with torched wagyu. “The Winner” is a fancy tower of foie gras, unagi, tuna rose, and caviar.

Takumi draws raves from the suburban set for dishes like seared scallop with yuzu and a delicate chirashi bowl. Don't be turned off by the unassuming strip mall location and neon signage. Chef Jay Yu is a veteran of Kaz Sushi Bistro who worked his way up from a start at Safeway.

This sushi counter at the Roost food hall is from brother-sister duo Ken and Aki Ballogdajan (the former spent several years at Raku). Look for elaborate rolls like the White Tiger, with seared scallop, salmon, eel, granny smith apple, avocado, puffed rice, and sauce. Customers at Shelter beer hall can order sushi via QR code.

After parting ways with the Wharf’s high-end Japanese sushi spot Nara-Ya, Hawaiian chef Lucas Irwin now showcases his snazzy knife skills at a new pint-sized takeout and delivery operation in Navy Yard. His small but mighty sushi shop (attached to Side Door Pizza) sends out neatly packaged wooden boxes of soy paper-wrapped hand rolls, nigiri, sashimi, and experimental creations bursting with color, creativity, and top-tier ingredients. Think: Hawaiian amberjack, Alaskan king crab, torched big-eye tuna or salmon, and foie gras with a truffle ponzu glaze.