blue ocean
9440 Main Street, Fairfax
Premium miso ramen, four pieces of authentic nigiri (including tuna, shrimp, and salmon), plus one sushi roll, all in the noodle-focused — if euphemistically named — lunch box D that comes in at $17.50 and is one Of the many pintos plentiful here.
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Yunnan from Potomac Noodle House
814 N Fairfax St., Alexandria
At this restaurant in southwest China, weekday bento lets you choose six dishes for $25. Choose three small plates, a bao bun or dumpling, a rice noodle bowl, and a cheesecake custard. Unconventional options vary, such as “Peking-ish” duck dumplings and bao burgers with shiitake jam.
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Rakuya and Raku
1900 Q Street, NW; 3312 Wisconsin Avenue, NW; 7240 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda
These reliable Japanese places offer generous selections of bentos and donburi for $20 or less. Our favorite dish: a sake don rice bowl topped with raw, seared salmon and salmon roe, which comes with udon noodle soup, shrimp tempura, and a side salad.
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Sushi Yoshi
101 Church Street, Northwest, Vienna
Beautifully fried shrimp, vegetable tempura, and not-so-sweet salmon teriyaki are the stars of the $16.95 teriyaki bento at this cozy sushi restaurant. Or choose a California and spicy tuna roll as the centerpiece. You can also get a delicious miso soup and a small salad.
This article appears in the August 2023 issue of Washingtonian magazine.