Image: Too pretty not to eat.
Last Updated: November 2025
Overview:
In the morning, varieties of coffee and some pastries are served from behind a glass window down an alley, behind a florist, in Georgetown. At lunch, the menu rolls over to beautifully crafted bowls of churashi and other sushi options. Upstairs from the alley window is a small dining area, primarily a bar. It is a quiet space, where even other customers tend to speak in lowered voices. You can bring your take-out items up here, but there is no service and you are kindly asked to buss yourself when finished.
The aforementioned bowls are truly beautiful, and the social media pictures helped the idea take off. The team of chefs Amy Phan and Zach Ramos did stints at various D.C. spots and met while working at Sushi Taro. They did a catering business on the side that eventually led to launching “homakase” service during the covid-era where they brought the experience to people’s homes.
The attention to details is seen in moves like, changing the rice recipe seasonally to complement the available fish. As they explained to Washingtonian, “for example, fattier, sweeter winter fish is paired with a more acidic rice seasoning. Leaner fish in springtime comes with more lightly dressed rice so it’s not overpowered by the vinegar. The chefs also use Okinawan black sugar in the seasoning to give the rice its darker color.”
Specialty drinks like matcha variations and hojicha (Japanese roasted green tea), in addition to coffees and cold-brewed teas are also available.
In the evening, the upstairs space converts to dining service of a decidedly not casual take on omakase. We do not doubt it is good, but have only tried the daytime “café” side of the operation. We will update this post when we do, but we did not want to wait any longer to add Two Nine to our recommended list.
Other Guidance: Stairs needed to get up to the second-floor space. The fish and rice focus means GF can do well, but vegetarians are largely out of luck.
Summary:
Cuisine: Japanese
Neighborhood: Georgetown
Address: 1218 31st St NW suite B, Washington, DC 20007
Website: https://omakase29.com/
Reservations: Opentable (for Omakase dinner)
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: No coverage yet.
Washingtonian: Preview.