Nama Ko

4.6

323 Reviews

$31 to $50

Japanese

1926 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009-4431

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Good for groups
Lively

Nama Ko is a Japanese-inspired restaurant and craft cocktail bar by James Beard award winning chef Michael Schlow and executive chef Derek Watson, where honored Japanese techniques and innovative twists live side by side in perfect harmony. The dinner menu includes creative appetizers and entrees, along with a full sushi offering of nigiri, sashimi, signature maki rolls & more. Check out Nama Ko's collection of Japanese whiskeys and sakes, and craft cocktails. Brunch hosts DJs, singers and live music and includes bottomless drinks, dimsum-ish appetizers and entrees. Finish your meal with Nama Ko's soft serve ice cream & desserts from pastry chef Alex Levin.

Happy hour includes gratis dishes from the kitchen!

Join us on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights for a special 10+ course tasting menu at the Omakase Bar. Seating is extremely limited. Reservations are available https://bit.ly/nama-ko-omakase.

Valet parking is now offered Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings from 5-11pm

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Creative Japanese
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–7:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(202) 815-9203
Website
http://www.nama-ko.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Derek Watson
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Location
1926 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009-4431
Neighborhood
U Street Corridor
Cross street
14th between T/U. Valet Parking is on Thursday, Friday & Saturday night
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
We are located one block away from the Green line's U Street Corridor stop.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

Miso Soup$10.00
Home made miso soup, fresh silken tofu, shiitake mushroom, wakame, scallion.
Pork Gyoza$9.00
Pan seared heritage pork gyoza, served with Japanese curry sauce made from caramelized onion, sweet fuji apple, and roasted sweet potato.
Wagyu Dumplings$18.00
Hand made wagyu dumplings with a house blend of 3 different cuts of wagyu beef. Served with a truffle soy dipping sauce.
Shrimp Tempura$12.00
Double crunch tempura fried shrimp, served with a chili yuzu dipping sauce.
Shishito$12.00
Blistered shishito peppers, house made vegan 'mapo dofu' style Szechuan sauce, cripsy onion.
Hamachi Sashimi$22.00
Fresh Japanese hamachi sliced sashimi style, served with house made yuzu ponzu, chili crunch, daikon, shiso, and micro cilantro
Edamame$8.00
Steamed edamame, seasoned with cherry wood smoke sea salt.
Spicy Tuna Tacos$16.00
Fresh mixed spicy tuna blend wrapped in a crispy wanton 'taco' wrapper. Finished with pickled chilis, sesame, and cilantro.
Chicken Dumplings$13.00
Lemongrass chicken dumplings, topped with hot oil scallion relish, house made yuzu ponzu, fish sauce, cilantro, and basil.
Broccolini Gomae$14.00
Char grilled broccolini, sweet and rich sesame miso dressing, crispy shallot.
Avocado Tempura$13.00
Tempura fried avocado, warm and creamy avocado in a crisp tempura batter. Served with smokey pickled vegetables, wasabi aioli, and sweet and tangy Nanban or 'Barbarian' style sauce.
Kani Croquette$15.00
Crispy crab croquette, stuffed with fresh Maryland blue crab. Served with Aji Amarillo aioli, scallion, and togarashi.
Fire Entree$0.00
Pork Belly Fried Rice$22.00
Shima Aji Crudo$18.00
Ramen$19.00

Sushi & Sashimi

Maguro$7.00
bluefin tuna
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Hamachi$6.00
Fresh yelllowtail
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Hamachi Toro$8.00
Fresh yellowtail belly
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Sake$5.00
Ora king salmon
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Sake Toro$8.00
Ora king salmon belly
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Uni (CA)$9.00
Sea urchin
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Uni (Japan)$14.00
Japanese sea urchin
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Botan Ebi$6.00
Sweet Japanese shrimp
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Ebi$5.00
Cooked sweet shrimp
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Ikura$5.00
Salmon roe
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Tobiko$5.00
Flying fish roe
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Hotate$6.00
Japanese scallop
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Madai$7.00
Japanese sea bream
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Unagi$5.00
BBQ eel
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Hokkigai$5.00
Red surf clam
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00
Side of Rice$5.00
Koshihikari sushi rice
- Nigiri$0.00
- Sashimi$4.00

Signature Maki Rolls

Almost Paradise$18.00
spicy tuna, avocado, spicy mango sauce, tempura flakes
Candy Cane$20.00
shrimp tempura, avocado, tuna, yellowtail apple, jalapeno, tobiko
Debutante$16.00
cucumber, asparagus, avocado, tempura bits, eel sauce, black tobiko
Orange Crush$17.00
salmon, cucumber, aji amarillo, jalapeño, ikura, masago arare
Flamingo Royale$22.00
torched kind salmon, shrimp tempura, asparagus, avocado, ponzu, sweet onion dressing
Namaste$20.00
maryland crab, spicy tuna, cucumber, avocado, crunchy sweet potato
Pink Lady$22.00
tuna, avocado, salmon, soy paper
Rainbow Roll$20.00
maryland crab, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp
Vegetarian Roll$14.00
avocado, cucumber, asparagus, carrots, shiso, kanpyo, daikon
Big Kahuna$26.00

Classic Rolls

Classic Tuna, Avocado, Cucumber Roll$14.00
Fresh tuna, creamy avocado, crisp cucumber
Spicy Tuna and Avocado Roll$14.00
Spicy mixed tuna roll with creamy avocado
Yellowtail, Spicy Aioli, Green Onion Roll$13.00
Fresh yellowtail, spicy aioli, scallion
Salmon Skin, Cucumber, Tempura, Ikura Roll$12.00
Crispy salmon skin, fresh cucumber, tempura crunch, and marinated ikura.
Florida Roll - Tuna, Fresh Crab, Avocado$14.00
Tuna, Fresh Crab, Avocado
Crunchy Shrimp Tempura, Avocado Roll$16.00
Crispy fried shrimp tempura, creamy avocado.
Spicy Salmon, Shiso, & Jalapeño Roll$12.00
Fresh mixed spicy salmon, aromatic Japanese shiso, green jalapeno.
Salmon and Avocado$12.00
Fresh salmon and creamy avocado
Scallop, Spicy Aioli, Tobiko, Tempura Roll$12.00
Fresh Japanese scallop, house made spicy mayo, tobiko, and tempura crunch.
Eel, Cucumber Roll$12.00
Classic sweet and savory eel with crisp and refreshing cucumber.
Cucumber Roll$10.00
Avocado Roll$10.00
California Roll$14.00

Soft Drinks

Coca Cola - Can$3.00
Diet Coke - Can$3.00
Ginger Ale - Can$3.00
Sprite - Can$3.00

What 323 people are saying

Nama Ko reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.5Service
4.5Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

323 Reviews

AJ
AJil
New York City4 reviews
4.0
Dined on April 13, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Delicious sushi and crazy good desserts. Very attentive service.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco1 review
4.0
Dined on April 13, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Great sushi. Kitchen was running behind, but the servers were very kind
Is this helpful?
RP
RonPhillips VIP
Houston7 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 12, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
WOW...the food here was and is amazing!!! Will definitely come back when in DC...a hidden gem!
Is this helpful?
RG
RaitisG
Washington DC1 review
5.0
Dined on April 11, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We split the omakase sashimi and some a la carte sushi and sashimi. Expensive but top notch and worth the expense IMO. We will be back.
Is this helpful?
AR
AlexisR
Washington DC3 reviews
3.0
Dined on April 6, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Our experience was good the service was great! The wagyu dumpling were great and the the ribeye fried rice was good! I would recommend getting the egg cooked instead of sunny side on top of the rice.
Is this helpful?
CF
CamFung VIP
Salt Lake City13 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 3, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Their happy hour menu and pricing are extraordinary! Kudos for serving such amazing sushi fare. We also ordered off the dinner menu which was equally sophisticated. Their 5-eats tuna special consisting of high fat to low fat tuna was something super special. A must if you ask me. Thank you to Cesar for attentive service and wonderful suggestions. We will be back the next time we visit DC.
Is this helpful?
CD
ChefDC VIP
Washington DC18 reviews
4.0
Dined on March 23, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Very nice atmosphere and the service was very good. I recommend the brunch. The mimosas have fresh squeeze juices.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner VIP
Washington DC4 reviews
2.0
Dined on March 22, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
service staff seemed disjointed and uncoordinated. Took very long for anyone to acknowledge us after being seated. One didn’t seem aware what the other was doing. Price too high for what it is
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC2 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 15, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing food, great service! Good ambiance even for a special occasion. We did a date night and it was perfect. Drinks are 10/10.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner VIP
Washington DC1 review
5.0
Dined on March 15, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our server was amazing and I hate that I forgot his name! The dinner menu is phenomenal and I highly recommend this place.
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FAQs

Nama Ko offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 815-9203.

Nama Ko is rated 4.6 stars by 323 OpenTable diners.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

1926 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009-4431

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
14th between T/U. Valet Parking is on Thursday, Friday & Saturday night
Neighborhood
U Street Corridor
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sun 4:00 pm–7:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Creative Japanese
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
We are located one block away from the Green line's U Street Corridor stop.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Derek Watson
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Website
http://www.nama-ko.com/
Phone number
(202) 815-9203

Nama Ko

About this restaurant

Permanently Closed

There’s more to explore

Dining areas

Additional information

Wagyu Dumplings

Crispy Shrimp Tempura

Crunchy Shrimp Tempura Avocado Roll

From The Kitchen

Miso Soup$10.00

Pork Gyoza$9.00

Wagyu Dumplings$18.00

Shrimp Tempura$12.00

Shishito$12.00

Hamachi Sashimi$22.00

Edamame$8.00

Spicy Tuna Tacos$16.00

Chicken Dumplings$13.00

Broccolini Gomae$14.00

Avocado Tempura$13.00

Kani Croquette$15.00

Fire Entree$0.00

Pork Belly Fried Rice$22.00

Shima Aji Crudo$18.00

Ramen$19.00

Sushi & Sashimi

Maguro$7.00

Hamachi$6.00

Hamachi Toro$8.00

Sake$5.00

Sake Toro$8.00

Uni (CA)$9.00

Uni (Japan)$14.00

Botan Ebi$6.00

Ebi$5.00

Ikura$5.00

Tobiko$5.00

Hotate$6.00

Madai$7.00

Unagi$5.00

Hokkigai$5.00

Side of Rice$5.00

Signature Maki Rolls

Almost Paradise$18.00

Candy Cane$20.00

Debutante$16.00

Orange Crush$17.00

Flamingo Royale$22.00

Namaste$20.00

Pink Lady$22.00

Rainbow Roll$20.00

Vegetarian Roll$14.00

Big Kahuna$26.00

Classic Rolls

Classic Tuna, Avocado, Cucumber Roll$14.00

Spicy Tuna and Avocado Roll$14.00

Yellowtail, Spicy Aioli, Green Onion Roll$13.00

Salmon Skin, Cucumber, Tempura, Ikura Roll$12.00

Florida Roll - Tuna, Fresh Crab, Avocado$14.00

Crunchy Shrimp Tempura, Avocado Roll$16.00

Spicy Salmon, Shiso, & Jalapeño Roll$12.00

Salmon and Avocado$12.00

Scallop, Spicy Aioli, Tobiko, Tempura Roll$12.00

Eel, Cucumber Roll$12.00

Cucumber Roll$10.00

Avocado Roll$10.00

California Roll$14.00

Soft Drinks

Coca Cola - Can$3.00

Diet Coke - Can$3.00

Ginger Ale - Can$3.00

Sprite - Can$3.00

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

Does Nama Ko offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Nama Ko restaurant rated?

Permanently Closed

Dining areas

Additional information