Oya

OYA
Penn Quarter
777 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202.393.1400

Restaurant Hours
Lunch: Mon – Fri 11:30 til 2:30
Dinner: Mon – Thu 5:00 til 10:00
Fri & Sat 5:00pm – 11:30pm
Sun – 5:00 til 9pm

Service: 10
Atmosphere: 11
Price: $$$


We really enjoyed this restaurant and would definitely go back. A last minute decision on a Tuesday, we headed into DC looking forward to great sushi and to walking around in the summer air afterward. We found an amazing atmosphere, with impressive service and a much more extensive menu than we had anticipated. Also, decent prices!

Oya is a sister restaurant to Sei (see review), and there is definitely a resemblance. Both have a low-lit lounge atmosphere, with white floor to ceiling, including the tables and chairs. I really like the fire along one of the walls, and waterfall on an opposite wall that was framed by rosebuds. Wow! Our waiter was great. The tables are close, but not too close. We sat at a booth/chair table close to other parties. We had some edamame to start with our drinks. A server came to empty our edamame shells before the bowl got too full. Not bad!

I was really impressed by the menu. Lots of sushi options (which people always talk about, so that's all I expected), but there is a lot more. They had a 3-course prix-fixe (only $29 and $21 before 6:30!). We had some spicy salmon tempura rolls, spicy crispy shrimp roll, traditional fish and chips on a bed of stir-fry veggies, molten lava chocolate cake (Juan insisted. Of course, he had two bites and I ended up eating the rest), and banana bread for dessert. Really impressive dessert menu, and I do speak from experience!

I saw some other fun dishes that I'd like to try next time, Grilled Cheese with goat cheese, Lobster mac and cheese, and Seafood Sliders! We definitely recommend Oya! Great food, different, fun, and decent prices!

CityZen

CityZen Restaurant

1330 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20024, USA

T: (202) 554 8588

Service: 12
Atmosphere: 10
Price: $$$$
Well, we finally got a reservation here! It seems almost impossible to get a reservation on the weekend, so we went on a Tuesday. Inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, close to the SW Waterfront, this restaurant will not disappoint. I can't say the atmosphere inside the restaurant was anything extraordinary, though it was very nice, but the service and food were great. We went at 6:30 and the restaurant was pretty empty, but by 7:30, it was full. Pretty impressive for a Tuesday night! The dining room is not large, probably seats around 100.

One thing we liked about CityZen was that the food was wonderful, but there was not too much of it. We left full, but not stuffed, which was great. The menu is impressive, but not overwhelming. Each menu is signed by the Chef, Eric Ziebold. There is an option for a 3 or 6-course prix-fixe menu ($75 and $110). We chose the 3-course menu and were very pleased. We enjoyed a wonderful sauteed asparagus in butter sauce and tempura softshell crab for our first courses. For our main courses, we had halibut and red snapper. A nice little extra was the box of tiny (1 inch) scrumptious, buttery, bread rolls! For dessert, we had the Boston Creme Pie Souffle and the Applewood Bacon Waffle with Huckleberries. Fabulous. Of note was the Cheese Trolley, probably 15 types of cheese selections brought to the table to choose from. That will be on the list for next time.

We really loved the personal touches at CityZen. It was Juan's birthday, which we told them ahead of time. Our waitress brought a card signed by the entire staff, as well as a complimentary dessert wine and some delicious petit-fours surrounding "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate script!

The kitchen at CityZen is impressive. It's interesting to see all the chefs lined up next to one another working diligently at their respective tasks.

All in all, this was a very memorable experience. Not only is CityZen a treat, but the Mandarin Oriental Hotel is beautiful as well. Do not miss the chance to walk around the lobby. It has a 'zen' feeling, with rocks and running water and a nice spa! Also, the staff is very nice and welcoming.

If you're looking for exquisite food, impeccable service, and a memorable experience, add this restaurant to your list!