Tachibana Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in McLean

======= Sep 2022 Update ======= Been back multiple times and decided to change my overall review to 4-stars. The authentic preparation of the raw ingredients is clearly the best quality here. The sashimi deluxe and shishamo are still the best menu items to order. Tried the chirashi and unagi donburi (see pics) - both are somewhat underwhelming given the price. Overall, the price has significantly increased and I'm still sad that Tachibana decided not to bring back hamanabe.

Jul 2020 Update ======= 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Ok.... I missed Tachibana; especially their saba oshizushi (pressed mackerel over rice) and sashimi entrees. I know that I'm ordering food over during the covid period but I just had to satisfy my hunger for Tachibana food. Folks told me that the overall food has changed, prices went up and overall value is down. I refused to believe them..... unfortunately, after today, I have to reduce my rating.

The portions are a lot smaller, the sashimi entrees included tuna and escolar that seem to be chewy with a sinew line running through every piece. Oh, the saba oshizushi was definitely smaller for each piece and lacking flavor. Actually, overall fish lacked flavor.

.... I hope they improve .... will look to re-assess very soon.

Sep 2019 Update ======= 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Arranged for a party of 10....wanted to show them how good Tachibana is compared to all other sushi places but they didn't serve Hamanabe, or Oh Toro nigiri, and oshizushi size as well as sashimi portions seems to have gotten smaller. (.... But still slightly bigger than rival sushi competitors).

Overall, still good place to eat but it was better before. Still very sad. Was hoping to showcase Tachibana as THE go-to sushi place and show how I can find those gems in the rough places but it just didn't impress the rest of party. 😥

Original Review ======= 😁 {{Hidden 🍲 menu item in review}} 😋

Tachibana is our only go-to sushi place for 14 yrs and is currently one of my few 'death-row' meal restaurants. So I would give 7 or 8 stars if I could.

One may be inclined to drive to a super-$$$$ downtown DC restaurant where parking is a pain and formal business wear is required BUT WHY when there is Tachibana. So for myself (and there are plenty of photos already) in one sitting, I typically order: -- Shishamo {$8, for the fried fish & roe lover's; not found at most any sushi spots}, -- Sashimi deluxe entrée {$20, large pieces for awesome price compared to all other sushi spots}, -- Hamanabe {$20 , Hamanabe-clams, shrimp, and vegetable … not on menu but I keep ordering it anyways}, -- Futomaki entrée {$14, HUGE rolls with awesome ingredients}, -- Saba Oshizushi {~$19 , a filling celebration of mackerel and rice}. Why do I eat this much....?, Is it because portions are small …..? - Answer is No. I have to drive a long ways to get my sushi fix so I really do make my visit count. Additionally, all Tachibana dishes are made by a wonderful Japanese staff and helpers. Now I dare you to try and find a comparable sushi place that offers these listed items made with Japanese techniques at ~$80. Really, I have not found any that comes close as all these dishes would likely cost 50% more closer to downtown.

And if I really want to treat myself on the really special occasions or impress that special someone, I order the Oh-toro (not Chu-toro) nigiri, and Hamachi (Yellowtail) belly nigiri. You heard me, I said "Hamachi belly", not just Hamachi. Other restaurants will try to pass off generic toro as Oh-toro but not here. The Oh-toro piece is so big compared to the rice, just picking it up leaves an oil slick resembling the BP oil spill (btw, this is meant to a positive food metaphor). And yes, they ship in fish from Japan for more nigiri options on the whiteboard. Notable mention for their Chirashi entrée too since almost all their Japanese patrons order this and Unagi Oshizushi where the sweet eel & warm rice just melts...

5/5!

I had an excellent experience here at Tachibana. The food was absolutely amazing and the service was very good! The restaurant is located upstairs in a small building, and there is a decent amount of parking space as well. The restaurant is decorated nicely and gives a very authentic feel.

The Food: The food was delicious here! My friends and I ordered a couple of appetizers and sushi, and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal. For the table, we had the Croquette and Pork Gyoza. Both appetizers were delicious. Especially the Gyoza, the meat ratio was good and the flavor of the filling was very authentic. For sushi, I went with the Spicy Tuna, Spicy Salmon, Hamanegi (Yellowtail) Roll and the Smoked Salmon Roll. All four rolls were delicious! The quality of the fish was excellent, and each bite was incredibly buttery and soft. The sear on the salmon had a very nice flavor to it as well.

The Service: The service was very good. The host and staff were very kind and attentive. Water refills were on point! Which is a huge thing.

The Atmosphere: The restaurant itself was nice! The decor had a very authentic Japanese feel and was clean. There was plenty of space for seating as well.

Overall, a 5/5! This is definitely one of my top sushi restaurants in the area. I'd highly give this a recommendation if you're looking for some...

By far my favorite Japanese restaurant in the area. Tachibana serves up authentic Japanese cuisine and has the freshest sushi in NoVA. How fresh? Well, the last time I ordered scallop nigiri, the scallop was still pulsing. Tachibana also offers a variety of sushi not offered in other places and has seasonal specials as well. The prices may seem offputting at first, but they are well worth every dollar as the fish is top quality and you are given a nice portion size.

There are no reservations for the dining area, so large parties will have a wait. You can reserve for the sushi bar and I would definitely recommend the sushi bar if you are a party of two or less. Taka-san is my personal favorite. He works closest to the front door and is very friendly.

Recommendations: the squid tempura is delicious as an appetizer. The sushi is fantastic and definitely try the specials. Otoro here is a true otoro with a high fat content that melts in your mouth. The spicy scallop roll is also a favorite. Non-sushi items such as the sukiyaki is really delicious as well.

Finally, the best times to go to Tachibana are for lunch as they have great lunch specials that are cheap and delicious. Friday and Saturday nights are the best for sushi as they have just received their shipments in. But be wary as popular items are...