(Updated at 4 p.m.) A new sushi restaurant has opened in Rosslyn in a long-vacant, off-the-beaten-path space.
Japanese restaurant Yuraku opened about two weeks ago for lunch and dinner, manager Mike Kim tells ARLnow, at 1850 Fort Myer Drive. That’s the long-vacant ground floor commercial space inside of the Turnberry Tower condo building a few blocks from the Rosslyn Metro station.
This is the eatery’s second location, with the original in Germantown, Maryland. The menu at the Arlington spot focuses on Japanese staples like sushi, katsu, tempura, sashimi, and donburi.
Yuraku ownership eyed Rosslyn for its expansion because of the vibrant community filled with residents and office workers that was lacking good neighborhood sushi options, Kim says.
Business has been good so far but there remains the sense the neighborhood doesn’t quite know Yuraku is there yet, he notes. The space is back from the main street with the patio and front door somewhat obscured by shrubs and trees.
The positive of the space, says Kim, is that it provides privacy for those eating on the large outdoor patio.
It was more than a year ago when ARLnow first reported the Maryland-based sushi spot was moving across the river into Rosslyn. That somewhat-hard-to-see space on Fort Myer Drive has seen a good amount of past turnover. It was once home to Secret Chopsticks and Pancho Villa Mexican Cuisine, but both closed less than 18 months after opening.
The space remained vacant for close to four and a half years until Yurkau opened earlier this month.
While there’s no immediate expansion plans beyond Rosslyn in the works, Kim says it’s “possible” that they could look to bring their Japanese restaurant to other Arlington locations in the future.