Izakaya Shun — Restaurant in Paradise

An Unforgettable Culinary Escape at Izakaya Shun

Dining at Shun is like stepping into a hidden corner of Tokyo—right here at home. From the moment you walk in, the warm glow of lanterns and the soft hum of conversation set the tone for an authentic izakaya experience that balances elegance and comfort.

The food is simply exceptional. Every dish—from the perfectly seared sashimi to the savory grilled skewers—showcases fresh ingredients, thoughtful presentation, and deep respect for Japanese culinary tradition. The seasonal specials live up to the name Shun (旬), meaning “in season”—and you can truly taste the difference.

The drink selection is equally impressive, with a curated list of sake, shochu, and Japanese whiskeys that pair beautifully with each course. The staff are knowledgeable, kind, and genuinely passionate, offering spot-on recommendations with a smile.

Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite after work or settling in for a long, relaxed evening with friends, Shun delivers an experience that’s both elevated and deeply comforting. A true gem—I’ll be back...

There was a restaurant further up Maryland parkway that I actually wanted to eat at, but it was packed with a 45-minute to an hour wait, and it did not look like a relaxing experience so I came here. The atmosphere was inviting and relaxing. I did have a problem with one of the items I ordered. It was scallops robata. After a very long wait, they brought it to me, and when I took a taste of it, I could tell that it was undercooked. The second piece I took a bite and it was clearly raw inside, so I summoned the waitress and showed her. They then attempted to make the entire order over again and we're sure to cook it so it would be done without any of the sauce that normally comes with it. At that point I completely lost interest. The yakitori and eggplant that I ordered were both fine. But I will definitely say that you should skip the robota, whoever is doing the robata cooking there doesn't seem to know what they're doing. I was clearly dissatisfied, and the girl attempted to explain that that's how they cook the robata. If it...

The food here is excellent. We had Wagyu beef skewers, chicken bal skewers, mushrooms skewers, calamari, beef bowls and rilled salmon and every single item was equally delicious. The food was fresh, well cooked and perfectly seasoned. For our party of 3, we all ate and had 5 total drinks and took 2 beef bowls to go, we paid $.96 plus the tip.(Keep in mind, parties of 5 or more are charged an 18% service fee.)

On the other hand, while the service was very friendly, it's exceedingly slow. We waited 10 to 15 minutes to get drinks and over 30 minutes for any actual food. Big you're not in a hurry or an impatient person, then the quality of the food makes it easier to forgive the slow service.

The atmosphere is simple and casual like the name suggests it will be. Izakaya loosely translates to dive bar in English. It's very clean, the music isn't too loud and there's enough light to actually read and see the menu. Overall, we had a great dining experience and will...