YamaChen's Sushi — Restaurant in Sterling

I am a frequent visitor of this little plaza, and I must say that Yamachen's is my favorite of the present restaurants to dine at, though it is not my most frequent. There are a number of locations in the immediate area where one can have sushi, Yamachen ranks amongst them as head of the pack.

I give my present rating with this in mind. Taking that into account, I ask any particularly savvy reader to keep in mind that the best of local offerings may still lag behind the best and brightest of gems one may find dotted across our urban landscapes. For the surrounding neighborhoods and passersby, Yamachen is most definitely worth a visit and indulgence.

Sushi is the shining but small centerpiece of any meal at Yamachen, and this is so much the case that other dishes find themselves existing more as entertaining textural explorations. These other dishes are numerous and enjoyable, ranging from Katsu to Ramen to fried chicken and Miso soup, plenty to choose from for a friend who may not be fond of seafood. Their sushi selection is varied and split largely between an interesting collection of "Special Rolls" and a series of more traditional rolls acting as their counterpart. As always with sushi places it is more economical to order larger quantities, and from past experience their boats are both efficient and lavishly presented(often coming with delectable extras, such as their seaweed salad).

Pictured here is a pairing (roll combo) of their Iron Man roll and their Eel roll. The two made a wonderful combination, the sweet and savory flavors unified through the saltiness and tang of soy sauce. The ginger and wasabi are nothing notable, and thus perfectly suitable for their roles. So far every member of the Special Roll collection I have tried has been entitled deserving of their status and cost, and the traditional rolls taste exactly as one would crave it to be. Satisfying and enjoyable overall.

The real star of Yamachen is it's impeccable service. Their staff are perfectly punctual, pleasant, and polite. During any given meal or visit one can expect a number of complimentary items. Every visit begins with a generous helping of edamame, and every check is served paired with a sweet treat. You will not at any point find yourself lacking service, or anything at all. Paired with a serene and open atmosphere, Yamachen and it's staff provide an incredible experience.

TLDR: Very good, will undoubtedly come again when the mood for sushi and...

The waiter was nice and greeted us with some on the house appetizers and waters pretty promptly. However there were times where it was clear they needed at least one extra helping hand to man the front.

Food- Complimentary edemame was cooked well but served cold without salt sprinkles. Acceptable. They also gave us some egg rolls that we liked.

Salmon tataki was generous with the portions but covered in an overly sweet sauce with a little seaweed salad on the side. Pretty good. Kinda sweet.

California rolls were standard and good. 👍

Spider roll had very minimal soft shell crab that was not deep fried. Not what I was expecting. So so.

Christmas tree roll was ok. The whole thing was drenched in too much sweet sauce and topped with a huge pile of seaweed salad. As a result the sushi underneath it was super soggy and sweet. Not really my thing.

Yankee roll was ok. The fish they put in there was generous but again it was covered in some kind of soupy sauce which made the sushi too soggy.

The bad: If you are looking for a typical pork based chasu Japanese ramen, this is not it. The noodles may be called ramen noodles, but the broth tasted like chicken stock with a full egg mixed in hastily. Also boiled cabbage? Edamame? Imitation crab stick? Wheres the soft boiled egg? All these things caught me off guard. This was more like college dorm ramen for survival with some perks.

Anyway you know how they say art is in the eye of the beholder. In terms of sushi, the super sweet drenched flavors may be your thing but it wasn't for us.

If you get sushi I suggest maybe sticking to the standard non special rolls unless you like sweetly drenched rice sauce. (However even the spider roll didn't seem up to snuff). I think the only one we really felt was solid was the California roll.

All in all I'd eat here again sometime in the distant future but it wouldn't be my first choice when it...

I've gone here a few times, and this is by far one of my favorite sushi places in NOVA. That being said, it is a bit of a drive out to Sterling from my house, so I don't always go given I have a few other places nearby.

The place if fairly quiet which I think could be linked to its less-than-ideal location away from other business hubs. I found out about it from a coupon voucher that was sent out via mail and probably would have missed this even though, it's by TeaDM, an upscale bubble tea shop.

The staff is very friendly, and the decor is beautiful. Inspired by Japanese art and nature, it is very calming. Likewise, they have an app to gather reward points which can be exchanged for reduced priced menu items.

In terms of the price, given the quality of the fish, it is very reasonable. However, if you have a shellfish allergy or peanut allergy, I suggest being careful. Unlike most places they use real crab meat instead of the imitation crab likewise their house salad uses a peanut butter dressing. Though differentiator, it also makes their menu a bit less accessible to some especially the overabundance of rolls using crab meat. They also have a fair amount of sake options to share with friends including a...