Do not get take out from Awabi. We paid $42 for 3 bento roll boxes and a seaweed salad. The contents of the boxes was different than we get when we dine in house (which we do every Friday...at least until now). I called to ask why there was no tempura in our boxes and I got some explanation about it being a "lunch" box. Funny, pretty sure we paid the same price as the "dinner" boxes. Ok..maybe I could buy that, but the disgusting broccoli that had been cooked until it was brown and mushy gave me pause. Then my son and my husband both had to spit out the tuna roll they attempted to eat because it was so gross. I stuck with the cali and cucumber roll and threw the rest out.
We have eaten here in house every Friday for months and it has been fabulous. I will never order take-out again. In fact, I'm not sure we're going back.

A 22-ounce bottle of Echico Stout is advertised on the menu for $8.95. When brought, the bottle was 11.15 ounces. When I asked the waiter about the discrepancy, he asked the owner and returned with a message from the owner that Echico Stout only comes in the one size and it is $8.95. No apology from the owner for the misleading advertising. No offer to correct the obvious problem.
I live in Winchester and have been to Awabi with my family many times in the past. We won't go back.

That sure sounds like shady advertising! Their online menu clearly states that it is 22oz for $8.95. Sounds like you should have been given more beer or your money back. That kind of service will not draw new customers like myself.

I went there the other day for lunch and the servicece was horrible, I'll never come back to this place again. I would come a lot on my breaks from college and I think it has went downhill in the past year

Had dinner for the 1st time here this evening. We enjoyed it very much. We are a little familiar with some of the menu items, but had some questions for the waitress. She was VERY helpful with our foods and drinks selections. We had the box dinners, along with an extra roll, and everything was great tasting.

I can not understand how this restaurant has received so many positive reviews, especially relating to their sushi. On my last visit to Awabi I watch the sushi chef remove EVERY single item I ordered from a freezer sitting in the dining room and proceed to defrost it right in front of me. Judging by the flavor of the fish I received I can only guess that there is some pretty nasty stuff in the freezer because in addition to a freezer burnt taste there was also a multitude of other flavors that had been absorbed by the fish. While disturbing the frozen fish really shouldn't have come as a surprise to me since there have been no more than 5 customers in the restaurant at any given time I've been there. How else would you prevent the fish from going bad with that volume? I gave Awabi 2 stars because while I find what they are doing with fish deplorable they do make a very nice udon and the staff is fairly friendly.

Sorry that the flavors you experienced were off and that you had a bad experience with this restaurant, as I never have. My experiences have been great, but one thing you need to know is that it is an FDA requirement that all fish be frozen before served raw to ensure that no live parasites may be ingested. Anyone who is serving you actual "fresh", never frozen Sushi is, in fact, breaking the law and ignoring safety precautions at the risk of your health. Diners in the United states need to be more aware of certain stipulations and the reasons behind them. It would help a lot if we as consumers were a bit more educated.

Jimmy I appreciate that your experiences may have been much different than mine and I am well aware of the guidelines for serving raw seafood. While you are correct that FDA guidelines do require that fish be frozen prior to serving raw the process they are referring to is an offsite, deep freeze at a minimum of 76 degrees below zero to kill parasites. No where in FDA guidelines does it suggest that you should store high quality fish in a an upright freezer designed for residential use. And to truely maintain the integrity of the fish when being served in a raw form regardless of how it is stored it should be thawed in a refrigerated space over a long period of time not in a bowl of warm water. I've eaten at and worked in several sushi restaurants both in Winchester and all over the country...what I saw was not a practice that I have witnessed anywhere else.

Thank you Amanda, your response is noted. It has been a while since I have been to this establishment and you did not make it clear how the thawing or storage was done in your first review. That is disturbing and it makes me sad that this place would do such a thing. You sound like you know your food and I apologize if I was harsh, but I see too many reviews on here that are unfair due to lack of reviewer knoweledge. From an industry perspective people do have a tendency to react to down business in many ways, clearly this is not a good one. I hope this restaurant turns it around, as I liked my experiences there and would like to see them succeed. Again Many apologies for any offense.

Went there yesterday at 3:15. They were closed for a break, but the sushi chef came outside and told us to come in anyway. He waited on us and made the food. Everything here is amazing!!

I've been there for their sushi and it was fine. Went the other night and had one of their chicken boxes. It was absolutely delicious. So much food...it came with a salad w/ginger dressing, a bowl of miso, and then, the box. It had 6 pieces of California roll, a cute little flower-shaped serving of rice, a serving of Tempura, which included potato, green bean, watercress, onion, and shrimp, and the delicious strips of chicken -- tasted like teriyaki and was quite a huge serving. Very gracious service, too.

I went to Awabi for their All You Can Eat Sushi special. Nigiri sushi was only included (no special rolls), which is fine for me because I love the pure taste of the fish. It was incredibly FRESH! They searved slightly smaller pieces of sushi for the all you can eat, and I thought that was a great idea, so you wouldn't get too full and could get A Lot! Which I did! I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone.

After winning a gift certificate from WincFood, we paid a visit to Awabi and really enjoyed our experience. The sushi was very fresh and tasty. I actually don't have much sushi eating & ordering experience, so I let my dinner companions take charge. They were both really pleased with the quality of the food. The atmosphere is very calm & welcoming and our server was very polite. I can't remember the names of any of the rolls we got, but the veggie appetizers were very good.

Heard about Awabi from several locals and had to try it. Was pleasantly surprised. Fresh ! Have been back quite a few times since my first visit 2 months ago. In fact, am planning to go today for a late lunch. Am not greatly versed in all the particulars of sushi, but I know what I like, and this place delivers ! Have tried the tuna boat, the lovely udon soup, and the bento boxes. Have never been disappointed ! TRY IT !

Polite, attentive, and not overbearing service started my experience off with a bang. I am picky about service I do not like to be forgotten but like to be over-served even less. Thought the menu to be adequate with something very special, The Umeboshi plum maki!!!! This was creative and fantastic!! I love Umeboshi Plums and love when a restaurant has them. The room was cozy and the chef was friendly. I can imagine at peak time this place is bustling, loud and alive. I will have to return to experience a delightful restaurant when it has a pulse. I was having a late lunch and it was slow. They only missed the 5th star because the lack of their namesake on the menu. I would have loved to see Abalone on the menu. Hopefully it is there and I missed it!!! I will be back, A LOT!

Tried this restaurant out around Apple Blossom and the sushi was great and if you have never had the udon soup, you must try. Very good. Friendly people and good sushi. A must try for sushi.

I am a very picky snob about Japanese food. I can tell instantly when the food is fresh and prepared properly. Awabi has passed the test! The food was superb! I am so thrilled that a traditional, family-style Japanese restaurant is in Winchester now and hope they stay in business for a long time. Though Sansui is okay, I do not like tepanyaki style and wind up eating everything at the bar (not my cup of tea). So Awabi provides a place to actually enjoy a meal in a gorgeous atmosphere. The tempura was perfect, sushi was out of this world, and the house salad was to die for. Well done, I'll be back again and again!

Great food great service YUM!!!!!!

Had lunch here today, got their 'salmon boat' lunch special! It was GREAT. The fish was really fresh and the sushi chef/owner even let me try two pieces of sushi. Service was ok, but I don't mind ok service when the sushi is King.

This was the worst restaurant I have been to in recent memory.The waitress could not answer any question I had about the menu. I asked for an item specifically stating to omit an ingredient and that request was not adhered to. Once our food was dropped off we did not see her again until it was time for the check. I will NEVER return to this unprofessional establishment.

what a thoughtful and sensitive review. thanks for sharing! you sound like a real winner.

Great atmosphere...great sushi....great service! My 12 year old proclaimed Awabi his new favorite restaurant!

Great place - excellent sushi - great presentation, Really enjoyed everything - will go back for sure!

My boyfriend and I just stopped into this newfound sushi place. I must say I was quite impressed! We have been to all the places in Winchester that carry so call "sushi"... Thank God this place came to town. The quality of their fish is excellent, the restuarant is very clean, and the staff was so incredibly helpful and knew what they were talking about. I have been to other places and have had waitresses give me a puzzled look when I ask them for "unagi". Hello! If you eat sushi or at least work in a place that carries it you should know! Also, I was very satisfied with the sample Udon soup they handed out. Never haved tasted Udon like this. Sooo good. Last but not least, we were very happy with the atmosphere and wine and sake collection. They carry sake nobody else has in town. The kind where you can only find in Japan. Oh, and of course their blue fin tuna, also rare to find. As you can tell I love this place and support the newfound resturaunt on the walking mall. If you are looking for true Japanese sushi, music, sake, beer. This is the place. I will most defidently be coming back.

I love sushi and have been eating them all my life. My dad and I checked out Awabi so we could compare it to other sushi/Asian restaurants in town. I got udon, which is one of my favorite noodle dishes. I thought the portions were small. I can go up to NOVA to a real authentic Japanese restaurant and get double the amount for lower price. The sushi were okay. I think for the price, its great but I can get better sushi at Mikado.

Great service and nice atmosphere. Very fresh sushi! Didn't get Anything too fancy but I'm sure it's all great! Definitely going back again soon. And the prices are so affordable.

I'm new to sushi but wanted to try something when this place opened since it's on my way home. I stopped today and got a Miami Roll to go. It was WONDERFUL! I wanted to go get more. I'm looking at the menu now deciding what to try next. This may become my favorite downtown restaurant.

Amazing. We started with seaweed salad, which was crisp and fresh, perfectly complimented by the crab and caviar. Next was nabeyaki udon soup, which was so delicious and unlike anything I've ever tried - the noodles were sublime and the broth had a mild sweetness that was so unexpected. We took the chef's recomendations on sushi rolls and I was absolutely blown away...we inhaled Vegas, Miami, spicy salmon and cherry blossom rolls and each one was simply delicious. My absolute favorite was the cherry blossom - it was unbelievably smooth, flavorful, melt in your mouth good...and I can say that what makes it so perfect is that the flavor of each and every piece of the roll can be savored - it's not masked by heavy salty or spicy components, every part just adds up to create a whole, complete taste experience. Loved it. We will absolutely be back, very soon.

Saw great reviews, so I headed there after a great dinner at Thai Winchester. I had the soft shell crab and spicy tuna hand rolls ($9 total). Both were very good snacks. Will try to get back there for lunch on Friday before I leave town.

Great food, went with my girlfriend who is a sushi expert, and she loved it.

This is, by far, the best place for sushi in town.

Most importantly, the fish is fresh and high quality. The sushi chef and owner (Marcus), is clearly well-trained and enthusiastic about his food. Unlike many other places in Winchester, the sushi's fish is cut properly and served over the right amount of rice. The rolls are tight and keep together (even the deep-fried ones)--no big, floppy, thinly-sliced rolls here. It's all very easy to eat.

The shumai was steamed, which let us enjoy its taste and texture. Other places in town microwave the shumai, so it's a thousand degrees on the inside--not fun. The miso soup at Awabi also isn't microwaved (again, unlike other places in town). It's also surprisingly good. I'd forgotten what miso soup was supposed to taste like. This is it. The gyoza (vegetarian or otherwise) is also very good. The udon is absolutely delicious. I've never had it quite like this. It's worth a trip just for the udon.

For people unfamiliar with sushi, the menu lists the fish in English (as opposed to in Japanese, with the English in parentheses, if at all). If you are familiar with sushi and sushi restaurants, don't let this put you off. It surprised us a little (especially given the high quality of the fish and preparation), but it's of no consequence. I imagine it's just a way to ease new people into wonderfulness that is sushi.

In our few trips since the opening, we've had a variety of the vegetable and fish rolls, as well as a couple of the special rolls, including the "Japanese lasagna". Everything was well-made and yummy. The deep-fried Vegas roll was excellent. The fact that Awabi had California uni made my dining companion's entire week. I didn't have any, but he said it was perfect.

A special highlight was the sour plum roll. I haven't seen it on a menu at any of Winchester's sushi restaurants (and if I have seen it on a menu outside of town, I overlooked it). On our second visit, since everything was so good, we decided to give the unfamiliar a try. It was wonderful: pungent and strong and richly flavorful. The wasabi brought out the tastes (which may to too strong for some people). I urge anyone visiting Awabi to give it a try.

Speaking of the wasabi, it isn't the green paste you may be used to. I don't know the technical terms, but it's looser in consistency, with bigger particles. It's stronger than the green paste type (but not overly so). It also tastes a little fresher. It's clearly superior to the green paste, just use a little less of it until you get used to it.

It's been hard finding green tea ice cream in Winchester, even at Japanese restaurants. Awabi made my week by having mochi! Mochi ice cream is ice cream (duh) in a thin rice flour dough. They have it in green tea, red bean, and mango. We've only had the red bean and mango so far. Green tea, next trip!

The only downside to Awabi is the wait staff. They're young and obviously inexperienced, not only in the Japanese restaurant setting, but at waitressing in general. They are, however, enthusiastic and friendly, which goes a long way. They've already improved over our three trips, and I know they'll get better, though the learning curve is steep.

Yes, I made a wincfood.com account specifically to write this review. I've been in Winchester for five years now and I despaired of ever having good sushi within a short drive. I thought we'd have to move closer to DC for that to happen, but Awabi's opening brought the sushi to us. It's a genuine, professional sushi restaurant, and I could not be happier that it opened in town (and right next to a parking lot on the Old Town Mall).

If you're in Winchester, or just passing through, give Awabi a try. It's only been around for a week, but I'd be heartbroken if there aren't enough discerning customers to support it. Mochi!

One note: The contents of the tip jar on the sushi bar are not earmarked for the sushi chef. I understand that as the owner, he wants to make sure that his servers are treated well (all tips in the jar go to them), but with the amount of work he does and the thought he gives to his food, I'd really like to be able to tip him.

Yes, I noticed that the sushi menu lists "REDDISH". They meant to say RADISH or OSHINKO. But if you know your sushi and you ask, then all works out just fine.

We went to Awabi on Sunday, July 25, 2010, a couple of days after they opened. The food was fresh, but oversalted, and the meat (chicken and pork) was tough and overcooked. The waitresses are very perky and friendly, eager to please--but they are inexperienced and need training in proper restaurant service. We will wait a month or so to give them a chance to iron out the wrinkles, and give them another try. Based on the previous reviews, we'll probably try the sushi next time.

Ate here on Sunday, no A/C but the sushi was fresh and delicious!! Try the lollipop roll it's very unique. We also got a 'vegas' roll on the house. Amazing! We will come back.

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 is enough folks in town to support Awabi!

Also, it forms the triangle of great food in our opinion. Awabi for Sushi, Thai Winchester for Thai of course, and One Block West for fresh seasonal, sensational cuisine!

Awabi opened yesterday.The food and the service were excellent. The sushi is very fresh and well prepared.I highly recommend it.