Ariake Japanese Restaurant
“Ariake in fairfax breathes fresh life into the DMV’s sushi scene.”
There aren’t many places I can say that have cemented themselves as locations of recent family memories. Many of my favorite restaurants have been associated with childhood, with an immeasurable nostalgia factor that makes me recall them fondly enough to bring me back for a return visit. A few of those eateries like Peking Gourmet Inn have changed owners and the new management style doesn’t feel like home anymore. Some others updated their menu like Oseyo to remove some of my favorite dishes. Having lived in a “food desert” for a number of years, coming home to Northern Virginia where there are an overabundance of ethnic foods is a chance to satisfy my cravings with one of my “tried-and-trues.” This time though, I’m so glad that my younger brother convinced me and my parents to give Ariake a chance.
I’ll admit that I was skeptical at first when I checked out this spot. A quick Google Maps search revealed that the Ariake Fairfax location used to be a Pizza Hut, iconic trapezoid roof and all. In fact, the Google street view didn’t even have the restaurant’s name on the building - it was still in the process of being renovated. So you could color me pleasantly surprised and impressed when I opened the door to Ariake and saw an elegant, open dining space with lots of natural light flooding in from the outside. The tables, chairs, and floor are themed a dark black marble not unlike Korean restaurants in the area, and the neighborhood friendliness of the hostess and servers offset the feeling of being inside of an iron pot. Over the span of only 2-3 visits spaced months apart, the restaurant staff remembered our family and even where we preferred to sit on our previous visits. That sort of detail-oriented customer service is so hard to find nowadays that it should be heralded at every opportunity.
As I perused the menu, I was intrigued at the inclusion of several omakase options. Omakase is a chef’s choice tasting selection that has since grown in popularity, but is usually still largely reserved for only the higher dining experience. Not only that, but the nigiri a la carte had such a deep breadth of fish varieties, even including two different kinds of uni (sea urchin), distinguishing them by California- vs. Japanese-caught. The omakase and types of uni clued me in: I was in for a treat that day.
As a sushi lover in search of the best restaurants, I usually exclusively order off of the nigiri a la carte menus. It gives a perfect chance to taste the vinegar blend of sushi rice in combination with the natural flavor of each fish. Not only that, but it allows for comparison of specific cuts between restaurants. Unlike other dishes that require cooking, sushi is an ingredient purist’s fantasy - the difference in sushi often comes down to the freshness of each restaurant’s supply.
On my first visit, I ordered several orders of nigiri: sea scallop, freshwater eel, clam, seared A5 wagyu, hamachi yellowtail and yellowtail belly, sea bream, and one of each kind of uni. Each piece of sushi was perfectly crafted with each piece of fish expertly cut and the texture of each rice grain firm but fluffy together. It’s not with lightness when I say that the ingredients from Ariake are truly top-notch for the DMV area. As someone who watches a lot of sushi documentaries, I was able to differentiate between the California uni (which I’m guessing is from Santa Barbara) because of its sweetness and deeper flavors compared to the lighter, more watery complexion of the Japanese uni. Even the A5 wagyu came out warm with a tad of freshly ground wasabi on top. A lot of places like to introduce fusion flavors to make up for lackluster ingredient quality, but Ariake will call your bluff and show you a full house of natural tastes, both clean and savory.
I was so amazed from the first round that I actually ordered 4 more pieces of sashimi (raw fish, no rice) to enjoy: salmon, akami (lean tuna), and aji (horse mackerel). The cleanest, most neutral taste in my opinion had to be akami, while the hamachi struck an amazing balance of great taste without lingering. Aji and salmon are often the most strong in profile - aji leaves a salty aftertaste while salmon tends to coat the tongue and palate in its oils. Both cuts at Ariake felt clean, yet full-bodied. It was an absolute treat to enjoy.
On subsequent visits I tried the spicy scallop rolls (which were generous in their scallop portions), eel and spider crab rolls, and a different medley of sashimi. With every visit I made I was never once disappointed with the quality of food or service I received. For that sort of experience and accessibility, I would wholeheartedly recommend anyone to take their friends and family to visit Ariake in Fairfax. Such a gem in the DMV deserves high praise for what it provides.
Fun fact: Not many people know that salmon, while synonymous with sushi today, was not traditionally part of the Japanese diet. In fact, Pacific salmon was known to be parasite-ridden, and it took a long time for Nordic countries who wanted to export Atlantic salmon to the East to market the fish as safe and edible as recently as 1995.
Food Quality: 9.5/10
Meal Value: 7.0/10
Dining Experience: 9.0/10
Overall: 8.7/10
