Nasime Japanese - Alexandria

I love Japanese food and this is one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Their tasting menu was so delightful. Every course had great flavors of fresh ingredients and the waitress always gave a full explanation of each dish. My husband did the sake pairing and really enjoyed the way each glass truly complimented each dish. I had a highball with the Japanese whiskey of the day which was light and refreshing the way they prepared it. The wagyu short rib with truffle sauce was one of the best bites I've ever eaten. I would come back just for that. So glad I put us on the wait-list for this Friday night reservation and a spot became available. I saw couples turned away for dinner because they were full. This place is really small and maybe seats 10 people so there are probably very few opportunities to just walk in and sit down. I would highly recommend making a reservation well in advance. Also do not come here to dine unless you have time to really sit and enjoy your meal. The courses come out slowly. We had a 6pm reservation and didn't get up to leave til around 8:30pm. The meal is well worth the time and money. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4

This is quite possibly my favorite restaurant in the DMV area. They only serve a a pre fixe menu based on whatever ingredients are freshest at the time; there are no a la carte options. In total, there were 7 courses, including dessert. The sashimi was the freshest I've ever had in the area, even better than some of the higher end omakase places in DC. The courses were all very creative and unique for example, we had fried ferns with our miso orange roughy and gingko nuts with our scallops. While the food was definitely fine dining quality, the atmosphere was not. The interior is very plain and nondescript, but it reminds me of some of the places I've been to in Japan where the goal isn't to enjoy the atmosphere but to focus on the food, and they delivered on that front. I counted about 12 guests in total for one sitting. Because it's run by a husband/wife duo, it's a fairly small restaurant, and your experience will run about 2 2.5 hrs long.

I am unsure what the previous reviewer thought was bad about the food. The food was STUNNING. the Wagyu beef was amazing and an out of body experience. It 's helpful to brush up a little on Japanese food etiquette so you don 't feel out of place or do something totally inappropriate like stick your chopsticks in the food straight up and down, lol. (always place chopsticks back on rester that they give you when you are not using them. bring small bowls to you to eat and don 't bend towards the food. Always replace dishes to their original place they were set when you are done as an indicator that they can pick the food up. and good grief don 't actually use the soy sauce for the sashimi course because IT DOESN 'T NEED IT. Don 't stab food with chopsticks. don 't rest chopsticks on the bowl The food was elegantly and perfectly prepared, but this isn 't the restaurant for you if you don 't care for Japanese style cuisine. I wouldn 't sit anywhere except the bar; it 's very interesting watching the chef work and when he 's not working very hard and concentrating, sometimes he 'll make small talk with you. (p.s. always accept food with both hands if he reaches out and hands you things! There seemed to be a bit larger portions than three years ago when I ate there, so that 's my only complaint that the proportions seemed a bit off in terms of what a reasonable person might be expected to finish eating. I suspect this is because people complained about the portions and so they increased that, which is too bad because I think the overall balance and symmetry was a bit heavy towards the end and reflected very western tastes in terms of portions. We honestly tried to finish all the food because it is very rude not to finish one 's food in Japanese culture, but the last noodle course was absolutely impossible to finish with the amount of food it had. This is a perfect date night spot. Plan on two hours and make sure to locate parking garages that are open late ahead of time! You probably won 't find street parking, lol. If you are coming with your date, plan on at least $150 per person with drinks. That being said, I believe it 's definitely worth it. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Sashimi, Seared Japanese Wagyu Short Rib, Fried, Soup, Scallops, Chestnuts Surinagashi

This place is a total gem. Each course was exquisite with unique but comforting flavors. Incredible sake selection and the sashimi course was so fresh. Every other dish was delicious. Our favorite was the yuba wrapped fish with fresh cucumber, asparagus, and sesame dressing. The dessert was incredible too. Amazing umami. And everyone who worked there was so lovely! Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4 Recommended dishes: Otsukuri Sashimi, Soup

This was maybe the best food I've ever had. Highly recommend!! The drinks were also delicious. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was a little off, I think the other tables would be perfect but we were seated by a storage door and the drinks refrigerator. I understand it's a small space though. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4