Real Japanese Food with Great Service
I found the food to be excellent and authentic at The Blue Ocean Japanese Restaurant. It is the only Japanese restaurant in the area that is managed and staffed with Japanese people, thus giving it the feel of an authentic restaurant. (I should know since I lived in Japan for 10 years.)    [18 Nov 2001 15:43:41]

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     ­Anonymous   

Fabulous Food and Prices
The food is always fresh, tasty and well priced - especially the lunch specials. The proprietor and staff are always friendly. The service is spotty - depends on the waiter/waitress. We've patronized the restaurant for 4 to 5 years and the food is consistently great.    [18 Jun 2003 16:41:03]

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Recommended Dishes: sample/box lunches, lunch salad bar with some meals, sushi/sashimi/rolls/tempura/salmon teriyaki

     ­Anonymous, Fairfax Neighbour   

Consistent, Excellent, Authentic
Blue Ocean far surpasses the sushi standards in the greater Washington, DC area. Fish is, without exception, fresh, generously served, and beautifully presented. The menu regularly includes special offerings, such as monk fish liver, conch salad, jelly fish salad. As sushi connoisseurs we have sampled many Japanese restaurants, but Blue Ocean has made all others pale in comparison. Every visit is like a mini-vacation to Japan.    [07 May 2004 09:09:36]

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     ­Anonymous   

Very Good Japanese Food
The food is outstanding; the staff, friendly. Sometimes, unfortunately, the service can be very, very slow. (There are times we've waited 45 minutes for sashimi.) I suspect they are sometimes understaffed.    [14 Aug 2004 16:51:26]

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     ­Anonymous   

Excellent food
I've eaten at the Blue Ocean many times. Not experienced slow service. Food is always great and extremely fresh. Restaurant is always filled with Japanese patrons. Love the place.    [09 Sep 2005 10:47:05]

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Recommended Dishes: Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura, Beek Teriyaki, Hot noodle soups, Shushi

     ­Tom M   

Excellent Sushi
When traveling on business, I always seek out the best sushi I can find. After looking over the possibilities online, I decided to give Blue Ocean a try because it appeared to be most authentic of the 'Japanese' restaurants. I am glad I did. The nigiri sushi was excellent, with very fresh atypical offerings like spotted sardine and peony shrimp, both of which were great. Service was good. This foodie really enjoyed the meal!    [19 Apr 2006 22:46:26]

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     ­David M   

OMG, this place is great.
A woman at a nearby Japanese store ("Japanese Outlet") sent me there. I asked the waitress to help me order off the Japanese menu. I first had hamachi sushi, the best I've ever had, thickly sliced and fresh. Then had age mochi kinoko, a lightly fried mochi patty surrounded by exotic mushrooms in a cool dark broth. Wonderful. Then had a vegetable croquette, also wonderful, and spicy teriyaki fried tofu. And brought home Kitsune Udon for my kids. What a find. As good or better than the Mom and Pop places I've eaten at in outlying areas of Kyoto and on Shikoku.
GO!    [25 Nov 2006 22:50:06]

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Recommended Dishes: Age Mochi Kinoko- be adventurous!

     ­EileenD, Springfield, VA.   

A pleasant surprise
This place is great. It's very casual - not like the other "Japanese" steakhouses you find in the DC area. The chefs are trained, the staff is Japanese and speaks the language and the place is frequented by Japanese. The sushi is great quality. I never thought I would find a good Japanese restaurant after The Japan Inn in DC closed, but I think I found it here.    [30 Nov 2006 10:36:52]

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     ­Anonymous   

We've been coming here for seven years
This restaurant is very modest in appearance and their prices are also modest for the quality. The food is consistently very good. Several Japanese neighbors of mine tell me the local Japanese community regards this restaurant as "real Japanese--Japanese country food".    [30 Dec 2006 18:35:55]

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Recommended Dishes: Blue Ocean Salad, chirashi, and udon soups

     ­Anonymous   

One of the Best!
This is by far the best Japanese restaurant in the Washington metropolitan area. The food here is excellent and the service staff is always courteous and polite, though at times the service may be a little slow. Believe me it is well worth any wait you may encounter. I lived in Japan for nearly five years so I know how Japanese food is supposed to be prepared and, more importantly, how it should taste…this is as authentic as it gets.    [13 Jan 2007 16:11:25]

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Recommended Dishes: Ramen, Fried Squid Legs, Sashimi

     ­Troy M.