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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Wow, I had no idea that Raleigh had good sushi. I've had sushi in San Francisco, Seattle, and Copenhagen...so I have very high expectations of sushi restaurants. My brothers have been raving about Waraji for the past couple years, but I've always blown them off because who wants to eat sushi in NC?!?
Well, this past weekend I had to take my brothers out to eat to a restaurant of their choice (it was one brother's birthday and the other brother's congratulatory dinner), so they chose Waraji. My mom warned me that it would be expensive...
So, it was VERY expensive in my opinion for what I would expect from NC prices. We ordered hamachi-kama for appetizer, sushi for two platter, and a couple of specialty rolls to start. Um....yea, that didn't fill us up. (*Note - I was the only female with 3 guys -- my two brothers and husband.) After we finished the first round, we ordered off the sushi list and just started marking away. So...another round later, we were completely stuffed. It was actualy hard to put away those last 4-5 pieces, but we finished. Add it all up -- two rounds of sushi, two bottles of sake, two bottles of beer, two green teas...came out to $225 w/o tip. Yikes!
In any case, it was well worth it. The salmon and fatty tuna were yummy. They melted in your mouth. It was almost comparable to Seattle in my opinion...although my husband doesn't agree. One thing to point out as a negative though -- their fish are definitely on the thinner side. I think it's almost half of the thickness that I would get in Seattle. Guess they're trying to save $...
Best sushi in Raleigh - no questions asked.
We've had sushi in NY and Chicago and both were amazing, but Waraji can keep up with the best of 'em!
Customize your orders and you can't go wrong. Order - Scarry Jerry - rolls on a 9/10 heat scale and be prepared for some yummy goodness!
We tried the mussels for an appetizer and they were perfectly steamed and delicious!
The servers here are hilariously funny, attentive, and willing to suggest new things to try. This time they talked me into organic sake. I have to admit the taste was pure and refreshing! Really helped to cut the spice in the wasabi!
If you like sushi this is the place to go!
No better than average in my experience. Here are the usual suspects (the fish was two pieces of nigiri sushi) and how they came in:
House salad w/ginger dressing:
Above average, classic ginger dressing with a hint of peanut and garlic. Plenty of fresh greens. Small overall
Miso soup:
Slightly above average, rich and salty.
Waraji Roll:
Average, the four very large pieces were ok. I don't care much for fried Asian food. This could have skewed the impression to the negative. The soft shell crab was nearly lost in the rice, but was good. It's in the middle of the photo, http://www.yelp.com/bi....
Tobiko w/quail egg:
Slightly above average.
Ebi:
Average, a little dry but overall quite good. Meant to order Amaebi, but now I'm thankful I didn't.
Hamachi:
Average. Lacked flavor.
Tuna:
Slightly below average. A bit stringy and not very fresh.
Fresh salmon and Hotatae:
Both below average. They seemed a bit old and the distinctive quality was mushy, not good.
Service was very attentive and friendly. Location is convenient, just off 70 on Duraleigh.
I know, don't get sushi on a Monday. And yes, I am comparing sushi here to sushi on both coasts. So, I'd go back, but there are a few other places I'd try first.
In this review, you will learn about the philosophy behind Waraji and some of the secret sushi rolls that aren't listed on the menu. I've obtained this information during a cooking class with chef Masa Tsujimura, the owner and founder of Waraji, and during countless visits to Waraji while I lived in Chapel Hill, NC.
First of all, newcomers need to get over the fact that one of the best sushi restaurants on the East Coast - and Waraji is certainly just that - is located in a nondescript mini mall with a Taekwondo dojo, a quickimart and a KFC. But once you step inside, you will be greeted by a warm, traditional atmosphere (not the flashy, club/boutique-type vibe that many of the new school sushi and Asian fusion places go for) and a very helpful and attentive staff.
Waraji accepts reservations for parties of five and larger, so if you walk in as a couple, you may need to wait for about twenty minutes. My wife and I would put our name on the list and head for a quick drink at Sharky's sports bar, a genuine salt of the earth place at the other end of the parking lot by the quickimart.
Once you're seated at the sushi bar, you are in for a treat. Waraji offers what I've found - based on my experience with countless other top-notch sushi places (I live in Seattle, WA now) - the perfect blend of traditional sushi and creative rolls. Most of all, this means that Waraji's specialty rolls are original, but still put the taste of the fish first, as opposed to being overdressed with mayonnaise or sauces and other gimmicks.
The word "Waraji" is a fusion between the Japanese words for "joining together" and "tasty". So it's all about putting together ingredients that create a tasty experience. The owner, chef Masa Tsujimura came to the US as a young man with other plans than opening a restaurant, he told us at his cooking class at Southern Season in Chapel Hill, then got hooked on the feeling of giving people pleasure by serving great food.
Along these lines, Masa Tsujimura runs a tight ship at Waraji. Sushi chefs are put through rigorous training and newcomers are only given the responsibility of preparing the sushi rice for the restaurant - the biggest "calling card" of a sushi restaurant - after earning their stripes for many years. Again, many years (!). This is because the rice has to be perfect: Soft enough so it falls apart in your mouth to enhance salivation and thereby the flavor of the fish, and firm enough as not to fall apart on your plate (this is why supermarket sushi is useless for the most part, the rice just sticks together and it's all you can taste).
The nigiri and sashimi are always fresh and seasonal. You can ask the sushi chefs about specials, and they will also fulfill special requests like seared toro tuna nigiri and such. Standout rolls on the menu include the "Volunteer Roll," an inside-out roll with a center of creamy scallop and crunchy spicy tempura, surrounded by salmon and white fish. The Mary Roll comes topped with an ample heaping of spicy tuna mixture, while the Sweet Dragon roll is covered with seared unagi (eel) and brushed with eel sauce.
Some true gems are not on the menu, but the chefs will make you these special rolls if you ask about them: If you're sitting by the bar, ask for the "Crack Roll," a delicious hand roll with avocado and spicy tuna mixture that's great for bridging the gap between appetizers and your main entrees. Other standouts include the "Ron from California" roll, the "Didi Special" (named after one of the chefs) and the "Crystal Meth" roll, if you like spicy.
You can also ask for a highly potent spicy extract handed to you on a toothpick (whatever you do, don't lick the toothpick, we saw a grown man weep in a matter of minutes).
Overall, I really miss Waraji and my wife and I are currently trying to teach Seattle sushi chefs the virtues of the Volunteer Roll. They do an okay job, although for some reason the chefs out here insist on putting cucumber in every roll, which is definitely not what Waraji does.
If you end up going, make sure to get the Ron from California roll and ask the sushi chefs and waiters about what's good and seasonal. And do check out Sharky's down the street if you can, it's an experience.
If you want a sushi place that is consistent in delivering fresh sushi, this is the place for you.
Pointing out the obvious, it's very busy on weekends so plan accordingly or expect to wait. It's worth it though.
For those people who start reviews with "I've had sushi from Ca, NYC, etc." should go back to those place and stay there b/c they obviously think that Raleigh(small city) is comparable to a major metropolitan area. Your reviews are useless.
Now I'm not a big sushi fan but I still really like Waraji! Been there twice and I have cravings for their chicken katusdon. We're talking chicken cutlets with a nice panko breading over egg, veggies and rice. Katsudon is Japanese comfort food in a bowl, love it! And my buddy had high praise for their sushi so I'll have to take his word for it now.
Waraji is not much to look at from the outside, your basic strip mall restaurant. But inside it's nicely decorated with several cute tatami (sit on the floor) rooms. The staff, I'm pretty sure is Japanese (Being of the asian persuasion, I can tell) and service is polite and gracious. In the back corner you'll find the sushi bar with three sushi-masters slicing and assembling your treats. It's not cheap nor expensive, about right for a Japanese restaurant in my opinion.
I'm definitely interested in going back and going beyond the Katsu-don. Lately I have been eating a bit more sushi, mostly the basic cooked stuff, so will hopefully be back with a full review of Waraji. But I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with the place. It may not be THE best sushi place you've been to but certainly one of the best in the Triangle.
It's definitly a favorite when I visit Raleigh, NC. I was introduced to this place by a local. Quality Ingredients and the price is reasonable. I had my doubts about this place at first but it always seems to be busy. Which is normally a good sign that the place better than average.
Even has a nice Tatami Room where you can take your shoes off. Always a plus if you're Japanese.
I'm not Japanese, but for a year my husband and I lived in Japan, where we got really into Japanese food.
I was excited to learn about Waraji's extensive soba menu (only at lunch) because soba is my favorite food of all time. So we went and we both ordered zaru soba, which is chilled soba noodles with a dipping sauce. The tasty hot green tea we ordered turned out to be free and frequently refilled, which was very nice as was the traditional hot damp washcloth offered at the beginning of our meal.
The waitress treated us nicely. We sat near the sushi bar, and we could smell the fish the whole time. The windows unfortunately looked out onto the parking lot and beyond that the highway, while Broadway melodies played incongruously. The decor isn't anything special either.
When the soba arrived, it seemed attractive and neatly arranged, but to our surprise we found that it was heaped on top of plastic wrap (instead of bamboo) and there was no ice under the soba as is traditional in zaru soba. Our soba was not cold at all, which I admit disappointed me on a hot August day, but it tasted fine. Some scallions and delightfully fresh grated wasabi accompanied the dipping sauce, but grated daikon radish was missing.
My husband felt satisfied but not impressed with his meal as well. He had ordered some tempura with his soba and we thought the tempura tasted crisp and light, while the dipping sauce was quite scrumptious. While it wasn't the best tempura we'd ever had, it was really good for the U.S. However, the tempura should have arrived with the soba and instead arrived about five minutes before, thereby splitting his entrée in two. This wasn't such a big deal with zaru soba but any other tenzaru soba meal needs the tempura to arrive simultaneously for the dipping to work properly. One of the pieces of tempura was grated carrot fried into one clump, which my husband had never had before and found utterly wonderful.
Everyone says this is the best Japanese in the Triangle, so we'll probably go back when we miss washoku too much. The sushi rolls do look very reasonably priced. But I wouldn't take any of my Japanese friends to Waraji, that's for sure.
Just had lunch there after learning that it's actually a Japanese Sushi bar as opposed to the more common Korean/Chinese run joints.
The Sushi was very good, as good as what I've had in Japan. To my delight they had Otoro, which melted in my mouth. I was shocked when I saw my bill. Otoro was only 6.75 - I can't get it for less than 10.00 in Maryland.
Not much in the way of atmosphere, but all I want is authentic, good quality Sushi. I was satisfied.
Why oh why can't Waraji be downtown!? This place is amazing!
I stopped in for some quick sushi tonight and ended up with a honeymoon roll and a shrimp tempura roll. They were definitely, without a doubt, the best sushi I've had on the East coast. And the prices are so reasonable - my two rolls cost $12 total.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is great too. The sushi bar is manned by no fewer than three sushi chefs at any given moment, and the dining room is bustling with friendly waitresses. The decor is perfect: not theme-restaurant feeling like some other Japanese places in the Triangle, but still very sushi-centric.
It's right down the street from my work, and I'm worried I'm going to be in here all the time now.
Two words, Waraji Roll. Thank you, Paul for introducing us to this fantabulous little gem of a spot in Raleigh. Very unassuming location in a brick strip mall, but inside is all sushi. Passed the first test, i.e. does not smell like fish upon entry (this test has never failed me). The interior involves a nice sized sushi bar, and a row of tatami floors and low tables on the back wall, which does much to instill authenticity to the experience.
We were there for lunch, in search of good rolls in Raleigh, and we were assured us that this place was an old Raleigh standby and would not disappoint. Right-o. We ordered the Waraji Roll, and the Spiral Ecstasy (with that name, I had to) and a variety of nigiri. Yellowfin was amazing, the Spiral Ecstasy was in a word, daunting. All in all, thrilled to have found reliable rolls, my hopes were dwindling.
One of my newer friends is a bit of a sushi fiend, and this is one of two places that he recommends in the Triangle. So much so that he managed to drag my sushi-illiterate self out here a couple times for "just a roll or two."
It actually ended up more like a roll or six. This stuff is really good, especially some of the stuff that I'd never even heard of before (not too difficult because, again, I'm not exactly a sushi expert). The yellow tuna is especially good, sweet and tender, I loved it.
The prices are more than I'd like to pay, especially sake side, but I'm given to understand that that's actually normal for the sushi around here.
Our service here is always impeccable, though that may be because my buddy knows seemingly everyone who works here.
mediocre is the word
buffet quality, restaurant price
all i remembered was the conversation with the waitress, hey i know what you're thinking, she is a Japanese my mom's age, okay
After leaving San Francisco for Durham, I thought I was going to say goodbye to great sushi.
I was very happy to discover just how wrong I was! Waraji is, actually, some of the best sushi I've ever had .
The main sushi chef seems to be a constant fixture. They quickly recognize you and make you feel like a part of the place. As I understand it, the place is ran like a family operation, with the entire restaurant closing down for certain weeks of the year when the entire staff takes vacations. What this means is that there's a consistency to the food, the place, and the staff that is great, especially since this is more of a "special occasion" place for us. That being because the prices are high (very typical of a good sushi restaurant), which means we only go a few times a year. So this is always a special treat.
-Zac Morris
Second best sushi, I've found.
HUGE rolls, which is not what I'm used to, but delicious, none the less.
Can get busy, but not if you time it right.
Friendly staff.
We went to Waraji on a busy Friday night. It was a 30 minute wait at the door before we were seated. They don't take bookings for busy evenings, which is understandable.
We were seated at the bar and got to observe the many sushi chefs at work. We were seated towards the corner and the table service was on the slow side. We were always hosted nicely though.
We ordered a combination sashimi. I think it was made by the main chef. I was not impressed. The plate arrived with very thick slices of unappetizing tuna. The thickness is just wrong. Any Japanese foodie would tell you that sashimi is supposed to be sliced thin.
The sushi rolls were ok. The better of the lot was their spider roll. The reason it was any good was because the soft shell crab was deep-fried. It's hard to get that one wrong. I wasn't too impressed with other rolls, which were generally small and tended to come apart once picked up with chopsticks.
The most basic sashimi a chef learns to do is a salmon sashimi. It is the most basic. The salmon sashimi was sliced very long, with the fish skin still attached,.. which is another no-no. The fish also felt cold on one side, as if it was frozen. I didn't think it was fresh at all.
Wine list was semi-reasonable. I wasn't bowled over by it.
Price was moderate, but more than I would pay for the sushi and sashimi.
I don't know why everyone likes this place so much. I have tried it twice, both with an open mind, but I have yet to be impressed.
The first time was terrible. I went with my roommate on a Friday night and the place was pretty busy, but that is no reason to serve nasty sushi at a snail's pace. A few other tables were in and out before we even got our first roll, and the fish was not fresh and it was slimy. I was not happy with the prices, considering what I was served.
But, since everyone I know gives such high reviews, I tried it again. This time was with a large (~15) group for a graduation celebration on a non-Friday weeknight. Again, the service was kind of slow, but the sushi was better than the first time I was there. I still didn't think the fish was that high quality though.
The interesting thing is that both times I've been in there, the wait staff claims that the wait is going to be long because they are so busy. That's fine, it's obvious that they're busy (supposedly because the sushi is so good), but hire some more chefs or something ... don't business owners know how to anticipate these kinds of things? There is no reason to have to wait that long, especially if I'm going to pay that kind of money.
I don't know, maybe I'm a sushi snob. I began eating sushi in San Diego, and can think of countless good places there. Unfortunately, I don't think that Raleigh has anything that comes close to what I had in San Diego, at least not from the places I have tried here. Waraji is definitely low on the list for me, but I feel like I gave it a fair try.
Best sushi in Raleigh.
Great service, they always remember me.
It can get very busy and is not a large place.
This is as good as it gets for sushi in the triangle!! I love this place and you will see me there every Monday at the sushi bar eating my favorite lunch the "chirashi" luch special. Always a good selection of fresh fish. Patrick and David are great if you go there sit at the sushi bar!!
It's a little odd getting sushi from a place in a strip mall, but that's suburban America for you I guess. Waraji is just one of the many sushi restaurants in Raleigh, but it's not the best that I've been too. The fish is okay, but the rolls here didn't even stick together when we got them. The miso soup was also WAY too salty, and the edamame portion was small. The prices were good though, so it wouldn't be a bad option for a cheaper bite to eat when you have a Japanese craving.
A sushi chef from Kanki left and started Waraji, which might be why there are a lot of similarities. The atmosphere is definitely more like a sushi bar and the wait staff is friendly and attentive. They'll also recognize you after going there for a few times. It's a great place to eat some really good sushi and Japanese food. Expect to pay standard sushi prices, but it's worth it.
Edit: Something that's not on the menu but that they regular make: the Scary Jerry. Think Mary roll meets Shawny, both of which are in my Top 3 favorites. DELICIOUS awesomeness. I also highly recommend the Waraji roll. MMMM. I've moved out to California now but I can start salivating just thinking about this place. I miss it so much.
SO GOOD! I too, love the cruchy roll. Fried bits of Tempora wrapped in rice and seaweed - what's not to like.
They even do a Chinese Hot Pot (chinese style fondu) which is excellent. It's not usually on the menu, you may want to call ahead and order it - it takes a lot of preparation.
It can be crowded, and check the hours before you go, it always seems to be closed when I try to go there.
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My second experience in the restaurant raised the bar. This time I sat at the bar, my server was attentive, and the sushi was served promptly - and made by the owner! A nice choice of sushi rolls and such, but it's still not my favorite sushi restaurant in the city.
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It took me 45 minutes to be served a single roll and the restaurant was not anywhere near being packed in the middle of the week. The sushi was adequate, but nothing close to the best I've had. Service was horrid.
I'll give it another chance, but my first impression was anything but impressed.
As the other reviwers commented, this place gets packed, so don't get upset if the service is slow. I recently got there around 5:15pm on a Saturday, fifteen minutes before the place even opened and there were three cars waiting in the parking lot. By 5:30pm, there were at least a dozen people in line.
Three of the rolls I had that I like very much were:
Volunteer Roll
Spiral Ecstacy
Shamoo Roll (my favorite)
If you like Sushi and haven't gone here yet, I'd recommend it.
Sushi restaurants abound in Raleigh. Waraji (Japanese for straw-rope sandals) makes itself distinct in a few ways. First and foremost, they have a dazzling sake selection. On my to-do list (in addition to riding a rhino and challenging Bruce Lee's headstone to a fight to the death) is to buy their $100 bottle of sake purely for hedonism's sake. Until that day though, I don't feel much draw to this place. I like that it has a fair amount of traditional seating (tatami mats take getting used to but it's unique) and the menu is diverse, but the quality is not stellar and it's usually pretty busy (read: service can be slow). I'm glad I went and I will go back, but it's not a mainstay for me.
This is our favorite sushi place in Raleigh, we used to love Sushi Blues but it expanded and seems to care more about the bar than the food. We always sit at the sushi bar, too long to wait for a table. Fish is always fresh, as good as Tokyo, without the Tokyo ambiance, the chefs remember you, it seems to be run by a group of them. The rolls get a bit too big, but we go for the sashimi, all-in-all, one of our favorite places to go, sit at the bar, though!
The BEST sushi in Raleigh, hands down. I may dabble in it at other places in Raleigh, but this is the only place that I really trust! In fact, when I am back in town this is where my friends and I grab a table on the tatami and enjoy a meal in true Japanese style....on our knees... *hehehe*
I wound up here last weekend for my sushi-loving friend's birthday. We were originally going to do somewhere else in Raleigh, but then my beau's friend and Raleigh resident recommended Waraji for the "absolute best" sushi in town. We came just in time on a Saturday night, as the small space filled up quickly and a line to be seated formed around 6:30. We asked to be seated in one of the tatami rooms. There are ~4 of these that line the back wall and they have partitions that can be removed to open up the space and create larger spaces for larger groups. You take your shoes off and climb the two stairs then sit at the low table. They do have decent chairs for this -- like an actual chair without legs, so you have a pillow for your bum as well as a seatback to recline into. Living in Durham, Land of BOGO Sushi, I've become accustomed to getting a certain amount of rolls for a certain amount of money, so there was a little bit of sticker shock when we looked at the menu and did some quick calculations. We tried a little of everything. Among my favorites were the crunchy roll and marry roll. The rolls were tightly wound and tasted very fresh -- the difference between the food here and at Shiki in Durham was pretty apparent. The nigiri did disappoint though. We did white tuna and it arrived with a different color and texture than I'm accustomed to. It was pan-seared and tasted very fishy, not at all like the slick subtly sweet tuna I usually get. It did take forever for our sushi to arrive, but our waitress was genuinely friendly, chatting with us, and making us aware of any hold-ups in the kitchen. She brought out free salads for us because of the long wait and was thoughtful enough to ask my date if he needed a fork (I laughed at this finding it funny that she chose to pick on him, 1 of 5 white people at the table; but then I realized she asked because he was wearing an arm cast!). To conclude the meal, the waitress brought out a dish of ice cream for my friend's birthday. She even sang! I'm happy to have been introduced to this place; the food and service make the drive to Raleigh worthwhile.
We have eaten at Sushi restaurants from NY to FL to CA and I'm telling ya'll, this place Rox!!! Very Very fresh Sushi and the owner is amost always on-site. When he is'nt his daughter is around to keep a watch!! 8~] Be sure to ask for cool stuff not on the reg menu; Scary Jerry, Eel Special, Spicy (anything!) Gunkan!!!
Two little words: Crunchy Roll. I discovered this restaurant a few years back. I'd been driving from Cary all the way to Carrboro to Akai Hana, when I found Waraji. Waraji consistently won CitySearch's best in class sushi, so why not? The line was really long. The restaurant was really small. In my sushi history, that is all the great makings of a gem of a sushi spot. I noted the tatami tables. I thought, "Man, I'd like to sit at one of those." Instead, we sat at a table. The dumplings were good. The miso was salty (I agree with the other reviewer that called that out). The sushi was fresh and well prepared. I loved the crunchy roll- still one of my faves. I also love their roll with eel and mint leaf. Good solid sushi without having to leave Wake County. Score. I made it back to the tatami table for Valentine's Day with some other couples. It was brutal. Our legs went to sleep and were throbbing, but the experience was a must have, so I'm glad I did it. I've continued to go back and introduce others. Sometimes I walk right in and sit at the bar and other times I wait. Good tempura. Great sushi. Waraji raised the bar in Raleigh. Others have opened over the years, but few compare.
If you are coming in during rush dinner time, expect a long wait - especially with large groups. I recommend coming in around 6-7pm on a week day to get good service.
Once you get over the service factor, the sushi is definitely the BEST in this area. My girlfriend and I always order sushi for 2 ($35) - 16 pieces of sushi + california roll + futomaki roll + 2 salad + 2 soup. You can't really beat that value.
PS: for vegetarians, try ordering tempura dinner piecewise (i.e. as tempura appetizer + rice + soup + salad) , you'll save 3 bucks!
The sushi is good (actually, exceptional for Raleigh); the service is unacceptably slow and unprofessional.
Raleigh, NC
Category: Japanese
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Category: Sushi Bars
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Category: Sushi Bars
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