Perry's
At Perry's in Adams Morgan, Masako Morishita fills her dumplings with pureed edamame and garlic and showers them in parmesan.
Why go
Perry's, a sushi room with a rooftop deck in Adams Morgan, turned 40 in 2024. Its Sunday drag brunch started in 1991. Saied Azali started there as a waiter in 1984 and owned it by 1989. In October 2022 he hired Masako Morishita, the first Japanese woman to run the kitchen (Washington Post). She grew up in Kobe above her grandparents' tachinomi, a 12-seat standing bar, and learned to cook from her grandmother and her mother. My food is a modern twist on what I miss eating in Japan,
she told City Cast DC in 2024 (City Cast DC). Eater DC named her its Chef of the Year in 2023, and the James Beard Foundation gave her its Emerging Chef award in 2024 (Eater DC).
Her Japanese comfort-food menu has drawn national attention,
Washingtonian's critics wrote in January 2026 (Washingtonian). Start with the edamame dumplings, the first thing her mother taught her to make, when she was 2. Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post ordered them on every visit in 2023 and wrote that A dusting of parmesan resembles just-fallen snow
(Washington Post). Thomas Rose of The Infatuation found in 2025 that the whole thing melts into a puddle of flavors on your tongue
(The Infatuation). Rose also rated her carbonara, made with udon in place of spaghetti and topped with prosciutto, a total knockout
(The Infatuation).
The sushi still earns the trip on its own. You can absolutely come to Perry's just for the sushi, and we do. Often,
Rose wrote (The Infatuation). Sietsema put the catch in 2023: the Fuji-high stairs leading to the front desk and the decibel count that requires raised voices are a yield sign for other Japan fans
(Washington Post). He measured 79 decibels. Rose found the crowd still loud in 2025, from suited businessmen to families and George Washington students under the crane and chrysanthemum wallpaper, and wrote that every table is in high spirits
(The Infatuation). Climb on to the roof and, in Sietsema's words, you can sup on sushi beneath the stars
(Washington Post).
Order this / avoid
- Order: the garlic edamame dumplings. Rose in 2025:
The nutty parmesan and edamame hit first, then the subtle sting of garlic, chive, and peppercorn brings it home.
2 - Order: the udon carbonara with prosciutto (Rose, 2025).2
- Order: the shrimp katsu burger, fried shrimp with cheddar and slaw on a milk bread bun. Rose in 2025:
The togarashi tartar sauce gives it a slight tangy kick.
2 - Order: a specialty roll such as the Fire Cracker, with crab, seared salmon and eel sauce. Rose told readers to try at least one in 2025.2
- Order: the Japanese apple salad in gochujang dressing with chili crunch, if it is on. Sietsema in 2023:
Heat meets sweet, and your taste buds are happier for it.
1
Good to know
- Brunch: on Sundays
lip-syncing queens take over the dining room for the city's longest-running drag brunch,
Rose wrote in 2025.2 - Breakfast: Washingtonian's critics called the Japanese prix fixe breakfasts on select Saturdays
worth their own visit
in January 2026.3 In 2023 Eater DC reported seats selling out months ahead, so book early.6 - Price: Washingtonian put dinner for two at $101 to $200 with tax and tip in January 2026.
- Booking: the house takes reservations until 30 minutes before closing (September 2026).
- Diets: the kitchen is not allergen-free and makes no substitutions (the house site, September 2026).
- Access: steep stairs lead to the second-floor dining room and the roof (Washington Post, 2023).
Verdict
should-visit — Go for Masako Morishita's cooking, which drew national notice to a 40-year-old sushi room, and have a roll as well. Dinner for two ran $101 to $200 in January 2026. Critics found the room loud in 2023 and 2025, and Sietsema warned of the stairs.