Rakugaki: Discover Bethesda's Sushi Haven with Creative Cocktails

Rakugaki is an absolute gem in Bethesda, located in Wildwood Shopping Center, offering delicious sushi rolls, creative cocktails, and fantastic service in a lively yet cozy atmosphere. It’s quickly become one of my favorite spots for Japanese food, and a huge part of that is thanks to the amazing service—especially from Suya! She is incredible—friendly, attentive, and truly goes above and beyond to make sure every guest has a great experience. She’s super knowledgeable about the menu, always making the best recommendations, and her warm personality makes the meal even more enjoyable. If you go, ask for Suya—you won’t be disappointed! The sushi rolls here are fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Some of my favorites include the Wasabi Dynamite Roll, which has amazing depth of flavor, and the Golden Dragon Roll, which is rich, buttery, and packed with fresh ingredients. Their specialty rolls are always creative and high quality, making it a great spot for sushi lovers. But even if you’re not a fan of raw fish, Rakugaki has an extensive menu with something for everyone, including comforting bowls like beef ragu udon pasta. Cocktails here are also a highlight, with unique, well-balanced flavors that pair perfectly with the food. Prices are reasonable for the quality, with sushi rolls ranging around 12-20, ramen and hot dishes around 15-25, and cocktails typically 12-15. Parking is easy and convenient, with plenty of spots in the shopping center lot, making it a stress-free dining experience. I love coming here after my Solidcore classes—it’s the perfect post-workout meal to treat myself with fresh sushi and a great cocktail while unwinding. Overall, Rakugaki is a must-visit for sushi lovers and anyone looking for a great Japanese meal in Bethesda. The combination of fresh food, great drinks, and top-notch service—especially from Suya—makes it a place I’ll keep coming back to!

This place is new hidden gem for Bethesda, Rockville sushi scene. I like a good cut, high quality fish and this place got just that. Madai, Branzino, Otoro,... those cuts instead of just salmon, tuna, yellowtail,.. They also got great selection of Japanese whiskey too. Highly recommended!

Absolutely wowed by the selection of vegetarian options and also the phenomenal desserts and drinks available here. It’s been ages since I’ve had vegetarian nigiri as it is hard to find. I try to make a habit of reviewing places I really enjoyed. Will definitely order food here again!

A hidden gem. Seating inside and outside when weather permits. The menu js quite big which is scary sometimes. You would think it's hard to perfect something with a lot of items but it was really delicious and filling. Everything came out at a good rate. Sushi was fresh. Definitely get reservations on a friday afternoon if you decide to go

For fancier sushi in the area, this is my go to. There's a little more attention to detail with the preparation of fish and little added details to the nigiri. It's a bit more expensive but worth the splurge from time to time. A little bit of fishy taste on a few pieces of nigiri but all in all, very good. House sake price is very reasonable. The mussels are delicious as well. Beef garlic fried rice was forgettable.

Excellent choice of sushi resturant that fits in between casual and fine dining. It has an extensive menu of Japanese choices so you are not limited to sushi. I went with their sushi special offered with finer cuts of fish and was impressed with the selection. I also tried their truffle shoyu ramen and did not think it was that great. The egg which should be one of the best parts is not properly prepared. The broth just felt lacking and not rich in flavor. They gave a lot of noodles but did not find them to be very tasty. It was my fault because this is a sushi resturant and ramen is not their speciality.

This spot came highly recommended to me from a friend. So I slid out to The Shops at Wildwood in Bethesda Maryland to see what was up with it. Let me tell you...this place didn’t disappoint!! I’ll go back!! . Where I am: @rakugaki_bethesda @shopsatwildwood . Location Reviewed: 10223 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda M.D. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Mango Tango (7 with pineapple, ginger beer, & lime). This had REAL mango juice in it, & it was bubbly!! STAMP!! their Strawberry Hibiscus Tea (6 with strawberry puree, & hibiscus lemonade). Well blended, refreshing, & tasty!! LIKE THAT!! Their Summer Roll (8 with shrimp, rice noodles, peanuts, cilantro, mint, lettuce, & mint sauces). The ingredients blended well together, dip this in that soy sauce!! STAMP!! Their Chicken Tempura Nanban (9 fried chicken breast lathered in a sweet soy sauce, & topped with a tartar sauce). The tartar sauce was sweet, & just added a creamy sweetness to the lightly fried chicken!! STAMP!! Their Garlic Beef Fried Rice (17 with egg, garlic chip, butter, & scallions). Premium ingredients, buttery deliciousness!! STAMP!! Their Korean Beef a Bulgolgi Yaki Udon (29 with marinated sliced ribeye, onions, scallions, kimchi, egg, & udon noodles). Thinly sliced, & perfectly seasoned bulgogi, with thick & saucy noodles!! STAMP!! Their Large Volcano Rolls (13 with shrimp Tempura, spicy tuna mayo, eel, avocado, fish roe, cucumber, & eel sauce). Crisp shrimp, fresh ingredients, tasty!! STAMP!! Their Philly Rolls (10 with smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, cucumber, & lemon caper sauce). Well seasoned, creamy, & lemony!! STAMP!! Their Choco Parfait (10 with vanilla soft serve ice cream, chocolate marshmallow mousse, bananas, a house made chocolate lollipop, & chocolate pearls). Perfect ending to this fantastic meal!! . Parking: Decent. . Customer Service: On Point. . Recommendations: Get what I STAMPED!! Accessibility: This spot is wheelchair friendly, & differently abled persons friendly. STAMP LIKE THAT DELICIOUS DECENT PASS NAH #Bigschlimsreviews

Love this place. Our favorites are the shrimp tempura, pretty much any nigiri sushi they carry, the beef fried rice, and usually anything on the daily specials menu. We will eat her at least three times a week because the food is excellent, the service is even better and it has a great ambience. We go at off times or make a reservation as it can get busy there. Highly recommend this spot.