Okaeri Japanese Cafe

Once in a while, I will mention that the world would be a better place if there were more cafes, restaurants, eateries, or establishments offering food that transcends all of our prejudices, indiscretions, or immature forms of nationalism .... well, this is one of those places.

The soufle pancake is ETHEREAL and HEAVENLY. I can find very few words to describe the experience. There is absolutely zero fancy dessert cafe or $$$$ restaurant that serves dessert like this in the entire VA-MD-DC metro area. Truly Japanese in flavor and quality. But be prepared, it is so good, it can be a 35-40 minute wait if you order during their busy hours.

Went here twice already. The first time it was super packed and had to order out since it was way to crowded. Their pancakes are pretty good but it's a big wait once you order. The menu is pretty limited but everything I had so far is tasty. In particular their mochi doughnuts were great and the reason I returned the next day to buy some more!

Extremely nice people although the efficiency can be improved. Would recommend but be warned it can get busy at times!

Highly recommend checking out Okaeri. We tried several onigiri (pork, karaage, beef curry and spicy tuna), the strawberry soufflé pancake, strawberry sandwich, and the choco banana sandwich. Everything was delicious!! None of the flavors were too strong or overpowering. The pancakes and the cream in the sandwiches were light and airy, slightly sweet and heavenly! The onigiri had a good rice to filling ratio. Can’t wait to go back!

I guess it is super new since it was so busy when I went. Cute interior but it's small. Not much seating for the crazy crowd that was there. They do have a screen to order from as well as the cashier. On a non busy day it seems the souffle pancakes take 20 mins to make. I waited an hour for my pancakes due to the crowd. However all the food is really amazing. The onigiri and sandwiches are already premade so you can just get then from the counter. The drinks come out pretty quickly and I love that they have hojicha.

Got lucky and visited Okaeri during a "slower" time with minimal crowds. It's a pretty small space with limited seating but it resembles a small Japanese market stall, it was a cute aesthetic. Ordering can be done via touchscreen or at the register. They have sandos, onigiri, drinks, and other snacks for sale, but I believe the main draw for most people would be the kakigori, which is Japanese shave ice with various toppings, and their souffle pancakes. We ordered the melon kakigori and the strawberry pancakes, I have to say we were extremely pleased with both of them. The melon kakigori had honeydew melon balls with some kind of grape jelly puree that tasted fantastic and would have been perfect for a hot summer day. The pancakes passed the jiggle test, and felt like eating clouds straight out of the sky. It takes a while for its preparation so please be patient if you do order the pancakes, but it's worth the wait. We also had a tea drink that paired well with our desserts. Next time we will give the sandos and other snacks a try for sure!