Awabi
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
111 S Loudon StWinchester, VA 22601
(540) 686-7432
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sun 11:30 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
20 reviews for Awabi
Review Highlights
-
"An excellent choice on the walking mall." In 3 reviews -
"I had Yellow tail, Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel, Uni-all..." In 7 reviews -
"The Udon was simply the BEST I HAVE EVER HAD." In 7 reviews
Loading...
20 reviews in English
-
Review from Erica C.
5/3/2012
I have been here a few times and love it.
I think the udon here may become my new obsession. The steaming cast iron pot with a yummy fried pork cutlet just warms my soul. The rolls are also fantastic. They know how to do a simple tuna and avocado roll with ease. The Loudon roll is also quite fantastic. My friend and I did not let any portion of the roll sit for long. I tend to get something complimentary when I go. One time it was miso soup and a salad, another time it was edamame. I don't know if they do things like this all of the time, or I just got lucky. Either way, I truly enjoy it. This is a fabulous place to dine on the walking mall.
The atmosphere of Awabi is simply adorable. It is cozy and well decorated, plus it is clean. I also like that you get a Hershey Kiss with the bill. I think that is a sweet touch.Listed in: Wild and…
-
Review from Ron S.
Pittsburgh, PA
4/16/2012
Awabi sits on picturesque Loudon Street at the center of Old Town Winchester, with tables spilling out onto the promenade. I stopped in after a long drive, early on a Monday evening, and found it empty. Nonetheless, the service was bright and attentive, and the menu gave the impression that Awabi serves more than workaday sushi.
I sat at the sushi bar and ordered a tall Koshihikari Echigo beer - not something I'm accustomed to seeing on sushi menus back home. I started with a splendid sashimi appetizer, the Basil Tail, consisting of diced yellowtail marinated in sea salt, oil and basil - imaginative and delicious! Ordering a la carte, I had the Loudon roll (tempura shrimp & avocado, with cucumber, crab and scallion), as well as some nigiri Lobster and Tuna. I had also ordered Squid, but for some reason I ended up with Inarizushi - not really my cup of tea, but sweet and filling. The Loudon roll was a little over-dressed, but tasty, as were the Lobster and Tuna. For a weary road warrior at the end of a day's journey, despite a few glitches, Awabi was a welcome oasis, with a serene vibe and a surprisingly varied menu of good quality sushi. -
Review from Peggy P.
Gulfport, MS
5/12/2012
We ate here three times during my stay in Winchester and really enjoyed it. The fried avocado roll was delish! My favorite was the chicken terriyaki bento box, the tempura was very good. The miso soup was very tasty as was the salad. It is definitely worth a try and I would go back in a heartbeat!
-
Review from Carolyn J.
Cambridge, MA
Updated - 1/30/2012
We loved Awabi so much the first time that we called them up for take out.
When I arrived to pick it up, I was disappointed to find a $2 charge for swapping out Tempura for $1 cheaper Yaki in my sushi box. The hostess refused to take the $2 off the bill. Out of protest, we will not be back. I'm averaging this two star experience with my previous four star one to give them three.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/20/2012
Reasonably priced and delicious. My hubby and I are staying in Winchester for a few weeks with no… Read more »
-
-
Review from Tony C.
Shepherdstown, WV
11/21/2011
We stopped for lunch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. We basically wanted sushi and Googled a nearby spot.
The atmosphere was cozy and service was very good. Our server was attentive, but not annoying. The little touches, like easy to read menus with a full ingredient list for each item, was a big plus. The decor was nice, too.
We had the Loudoun roll, Boston roll, spicy tuna, and lollipop roll. The Loudoun roll was excellent, worth the trip. The Boston was okay, but didn't have much flavor. The spicy roll was also good, but a basic roll. The lollipop is novelty roll that is served on skewers a la lollipop style. It was kind of bland, though... like it needed a little more of something to give it a flavor punch. Soy, ginger and wasabi couldn't save it.
There were plenty of the condiments, napkins and chopsticks. The cost was reasonable, though a tad steep on a couple of basic rolls.
Overall it was a good meal. I would return, but would be more discerning about the rolls I ordered. -
Review from Ashley H.
Winchester, VA
2/7/2011
I'm so happy to have found a good sushi place in Winchester that has a variety of veggie sushi!
We went here for a late lunch on Super Bowl Sunday, so the place was empty when we walked in. The waitress was super friendly and gave us menus and sushi order sheets.
I saw some reviews that said the decor was lacking, but I think they've taken care of that now because I thought it had a nice atmosphere. There are a bunch of cute japanese cat pictures on the wall, a small display of sake glasses and chopsticks and trays, a room divider screen, etc. The chairs are wooden and they have super comfy cushions on them, which is a huge bonus with me because I find wooden chairs way uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time. There was music playing but it wasn't too loud and the place seemed pretty casual.
After she seated us, the waitress told us that the guy who makes the sushi had just stepped out but she called him right away to get him to come back.
You get free soup or salad and we chose salad. When we ate our salad (very yummy, by the way, with a ginger-peanut dressing) and the sushi guy wasn't back yet, she offered to give us some soup as well. We declined since we had ordered an appetizer and by the time we ate our appetizer, the guy was there making our sushi... so it didn't cause any real delay for us.
What we ordered:
Veggie Gyoza
1 order Avocado Rolls
1 order California Veggie Rolls
1 order Vegetarian Rolls (This was listed as a special at the bottom of the sushi list)
The veggie gyoza came out on a bamboo steamer tray and they were crispy and delicious! There were 6 of them and they had a variety of veggies in them.
The avocado rolls were amazing! They were "taller" than most I've had before and the piece of avocado in each one was quite large and perfectly ripe, not brown at all.
The California veggie rolls were pretty fantastic as well. They had asparagus, cucumber, and avocado in them. Everything about them tasted fresh and yummy. The asparagus was well cooked, but still had a little crispness to it.
The vegetarian rolls were probably our favorite. They were much larger than the other two varieties we tried (like the size of the cap on a wide mouth gatorade haha) and they had marinated shiitaki, inari, pickle, radish, and a few other things that all combined to make a really interesting flavor. They also had a slight crunch to them.
After eating all of that, we were still hungry, so we ordered more avocado and california veggie rolls. We wanted more of the vegetarian rolls, but I'm not supposed to have soy and as I mentioned, they had inari in them.
For everything we got, our bill was $30. Pretty awesome for that much food... We will definitely be back again!!!
_______________________________________________
I updated my review and took away one star after another visit. We took some out of town friends here for sushi and they ordered california rolls, which contain caviar. Our veggie rolls were brought out on a separate plate, but they had caviar ALL OVER THEM. Veggie sushi should be made on a separate surface, not the same surface they use to prepare raw fish sushi. There was no way to pick the caviar off the sushi... it was smashed into the rice. Bummer. -
Review from Cassie W.
Smith Mountain Lake, VA
12/19/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
We received gracious service and very tasty sushi. We were passing through on vacation and noted the Yelp deal and took advantage. The sushi was fresh and very visually appealing. We were very happy to find fresh scallops, which are sometimes hard to come by. Overall, a very good place for sushi and sashimi, especially for a town this size.
-
Review from Cindy R.
Middletown, VA
2/20/2012
So glad to find a great Sushi place. We normally go to Front Royal, because there is a excellent one there. Since Winchester is in the opposite direction, we got both sides covered. The service was very friendly and the decor is warm and nice. The sushi was delicious. spicy salmon, shrimp tempura and lollipop. I wish they had a crunch roll. Good experience nonetheless.
-
Review from Scott M.
Falmouth, ME
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice afternoon in Winchester and we were interested in Sushi. We sat outside which was really nice. Difficulty to rate this place compared to others in the area, but we were more than satisfied with the offerings. The fish was fresh and tasty. Had Tuna, Salmon, Unagi. Comp soup (Udon) and salad was a nice touch! We would go back for sure if in town!
-
Review from Jay M.
Winchester, VA
7/24/2010
Wow! Awesome Sushi in Winchester?!? It is about time. We have decent Sushi at a couple of different places in town, see the other reviews. However, this was actually REALLY GOOD Sushi. Now, since he's only been open for a day, it could just be that everything is super fresh from that. However after talking to the owner/chef during our lunch today, I'm pretty sure he's going to keep quality at the highest levels.
We had: Seaweed Salad, Miso, Shumai, Spicy California Roll, Cucumber Roll, Shitake (Marinate Mushroom) Roll, Hamaci (Yellowtail) Hand Roll, Uni (Sea Urchin), Maguro (Tuna), Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe), Shrimp Tempura Udon, Geisha Roll (Shrimp Tempura, spicy, etc), Vegas Roll (Deep Fried Eel & cream cheese roll), and Red Bean Mochi. We're not eating dinner tonight... :)
Seaweed Salad was the average fare, it was fresh which is the most important thing. The Miso was awesome and not just microwaved real quick, didn't have tofu or seaweed in it, but that made it much easier to just drink with the Sushi as I like to. The Shumai while again, standard fare shipped in, was actually steamed as it should be instead of microwaved like everyone else does around here; some Japanese spicy mustard with the Shumai would have made it perfect, but they had Tempura sauce which was pretty good.
The California/Cucumber/Shitake rolls were all excellently prepared. Very happy to be able to get Shitake roll here in Winchester, I've been missing that. The Hamachi was fresh and excellent and the hand roll was very well prepared as well. The Uni was from California (avoid Maine Uni, might as well drink a bottle of Iodine) and as good as everything else. Frankly all the Sushi was excellently prepared and some of the best I've had anywhere outside of San Fran, Los Angeles, and New York. Easily on par with Blue Ocean and Arigato/JRIII in Fairfax and almost as good as the place in McLean I can never remember the name of (big house looking place in the middle of a neighborhood like area) and Kaz Sushi Bistro downdown. Of course, I've lived in Winchester for 5 years now, maybe all those places suck these days. :)
The Udon was simply the BEST I HAVE EVER HAD. The flavor was incredible, the noodles were cooked perfectly, the poached egg was perfectly runny and blended with the soup to make it incredible. Wow, just wow!
We were already full but the chef owner, Marcus, just forced us to finish the meal off with some Red Bean Mochi... my favorite. :) Basically, the best Sushi meal in Winchester by far, and the best we've had in a very long time. Hopefully there are enough folks in town to support Awabi! -
Review from Deborah D.
Canton, GA
9/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
We don't even live here & love this place! We come up to visit family a few times a year, but are from Atlanta. We found this place last December & were so happy to have a great sushi place to come to when we visit. They have such fresh rolls & several that include white tuna which we usually have to request as an add-in. Try the shumai soup on a cold night. You'll love it! If you love real sushi you're going to love this happy little place.
-
Review from Christi J.
Winchester, VA
7/3/2011
Wonderful! The Miso soup and Udon were some of the best I'd ever had!!! The sushi was made with fresh ingredients and was very good! The cold house sake was good too. We ordered a seaweed, crab, and caviar salad and 4 different rolls not realizing we'd get steamed edamame and the soups while we waited!!! We were almost too full to enjoy our sushi when it came!!!! The ambiance was nice and the lication on the Loudoun St. Walking mall was great as that is an up and coming area again!!! We'll definitely be back!!
-
Review from Lucy L.
Winchester, VA
8/23/2010
Oh yeahhhhhh. I am definitely a fan.
I even gave them 5 stars without the liquour license even though a glass of wine would have complimented my meal perfectly.
The best sushi in town. No question. Glad Jay recommended the Shitake and Sour Plum Roll. Both were fantastic and different from anything I've had before.
I'm was not familiar with Udon soup until today. All I can say is Wow. It's that good. I envision many a fall/winter night slurping this stuff down. Go get some. NOW.
The Shumai dumplings melt in your mouth. They really do.
This meal made me very happy. I will definitely be a regular. Please don't steal my little bar seat by the window. I already claimed it. Thanks. -
Review from Deneane C.
Front Royal, VA
8/4/2010
WOW.....
Found this little jewel in Winchester and I'll defiantly be back.
Has the best sushi in town at a reasonable price. The Udon soup and the Spicy California rolls is out of this world.
Can't wait to go back.
Excellent, Excellent Excellent. -
Review from L R.
Falls Church, VA
12/3/2011
After riding a motorcycle to this delightful town, I wandered the walking street checking on various restaurants, then chose this one. Gracious greeting, window table, hot tea on a cool day, and a lady server who explained in detail the phenomenal menu....just too much to choose from ! I had cherry blossom sushi plate and white tuna which were just perfect. Excellent rice, good wasabi, and large portions. I thanked the chef, complimented the menu and service. On a warm day, they'd have tables outside.... An excellent choice on the walking mall. Will return to this excellent place.
-
Review from def j.
Front Royal, VA
7/30/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I have had sushi at almost every other establishment in Winchester that offers sushi and this place is the most legit. I have been there three times already since they opened and the fish has always been of the highest and freshest quality. If you're a fan of udon also, Japanese noodle soup, the udon is unbelievably good. They are very friendly, and their prices are very reasonable also. I particularly like the spicy salmon tempura roll. I usually eat nigiri and sashimi and if that's your thing then this is definitely the spot for you. I had Yellow tail, Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel, Uni-all extremely fresh.
-
Review from Amy C.
Front Royal, VA
8/3/2010
I love this restaurant! The best sushi at great prices, nice ambiance, great service. The other food on the menu is awesome too, I recommend the Udon soup.
-
Review from Tim B.
Berryville, VA
9/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent boxes. Good sushi. Reasonably priced. Bring your own sugar, as they only have Splenda.
-
Review from Jessica G.
Roanoke, VA
10/28/2010
I have to be honest, before I went to this place, my experience with sushi was less than pleasant. In fact, it took some convincing from my friends to actually try it again. But, all the previous reviews said the fish was fresh, so I was willing to give it a try.
First, the atmosphere is very chill. It's bare as far as decorations are concerned, but not in a bad way. I've been twice so far (third time this weekend!), and even when it's fairly full, it's a quiet relaxing feel. One thing I will say, there are not a lot of tables, maybe 4 or 5 tables for four people, plus a window bar and stools at the sushi bar. But, I haven't had to wait yet. The staff is very friendly and welcoming, willing to answer questions about the food/portions etc. Both times i've been, we got complimentary soup (the last time soup and salad), and the soup is AMAZING! I would pay the $1.50 just to have it with each meal.
On to the sushi. The first time, I wasn't feeling exceptionally adventurous, so I stuck with a simple salmon roll. They were a bit on the small side, but as previous reviews said, the fish tasted exceptionally fresh. The price wasn't bad either (though again, I don't eat sushi much to compare prices), about $4-5 for 6 rolls. I also tried a seared tuna appetizer they had, FANTASTIC, though a bit smaller on the portion for the price. One of the people I went with ordered the Dragon rolls (cooked eel rolls with an eel sauce), and I finally worked up the courage to try one, i'm now a total convert. I believe it had avocado and either crab or some sort of fish as well, with this sweetish sauce, and I can't WAIT to order some this weekend.
One thing to note before you go down to the walking mall: They are NOT open on Monday! We made a trip down one Monday without checking, and ended up eating at Thai Winchester instead. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Westminster, MD
6/30/2011
Fantastic! Some of the best sushi I've had and i've been eating sushi for over 30 years. Very nice staff....they remembered that I don't like Tomago on my Chirashi, after only 2 visits but LOTS of carry out. Highly recommend a visit. If price is an issue - sushi isn't your cuisine.
