I haven't lived in DC area for half a decade now but I swore by sushi at Raku in Dupont Circle. That place was always packed too.

My office was on H street, would take the red line from Gallery Place, get off at Dupont and head right over. Great little place that also served fusion. I would rate it at the top.

Have been to Nobu a couple of times (Ceaser's Palace Vegas), both times at my employer's dime. Liked it a lot but I would opt for less expensive alternatives if I had to foot the bill.

 

Big fan of Raku as well. Their Sushi was pretty popular. We moved because my wife got a residency out of the DMV area but that was our go-to place as well. Walking distance from embassy row where we lived.

 

DC has a pretty lively and active food scene. My daughter wasn't very happy when they closed down hello kitty cup cakes shop but then they opened Sprinkles in Georgetown and all was good again. DC is my second favorite place so far after nyc when it comes to eats..

 

Nobu, like most of the big names in Asian fusion is definitely going to be overpriced. I don’t actually care about the pricing of nobu. I care about how it stacks up to its competitors in that price range (zuma, novikov etc). Of them all, nobu is by far the best.

Some dishes you really have to try:
New style salmon
Yellow tail sashimi with the jalepeno
Wagyu beef tataki style
Black cod
Tiger prawn tempura (with the three sauces)
Fried rice cubes (not quite sure of the dish’s actual name)