A Chef's Map: Where to Eat Chef Junzo Miyajima's Food in DC, Maryland and Virginia

Chef Junzo Miyajima, IVEA Concepts' Executive Master Chef, designed, set up or relaunched a string of Japanese restaurants across the region. Each one has a different job, from a celebration dinner to a lazy weekend breakfast. Here is where to find his cooking, and what to order first.

Gyu Shige, Mosaic District, Fairfax, VA. Best for a special-occasion yakiniku dinner. It is the first U.S. location of a Tokyo yakiniku chain founded in 1988, opened in 2021 with Junzo as the creative force behind the menu. Order the Miyazaki A5 Wagyu, the restaurant's signature, and grill it yourself a few seconds per side. As owner Edward Wong said at opening, "we want people to take the time to enjoy the whole process."

Gyusan, Arlington, VA and Columbia, MD. Best for a big group that wants Wagyu. Premium all-you-can-eat Japanese barbecue and sushi, with hand-cut A5 Wagyu grilled over ceramic heat. Tiers run from $58 to $98 for 90 minutes. Columbia, which opened in October 2025, adds a 360-degree sushi bar and wood elements brought from Japan; save room there for the Gyusan Ramen and the Wagyu Fried Rice. Order the A5 cuts first, then a hand roll.

Okaeri Japanese Café, Centreville, VA and Rockville, MD. Best for a slow weekend breakfast. Junzo perfected the recipe for its soufflé pancakes, whipped tall with meringue and cooked low and slow, which Northern Virginia Magazine called the region's only authentic version. Share the strawberry stack and grab an onigiri, the café's other bestseller. There are three pancake versions: plain with vanilla cream and fruit, matcha with red bean and mochi, and strawberry.

Genki Izakaya, Fairfax, VA. Best for drinks and small plates with friends: torched sushi, binchotan skewers and highballs. Order the Tornado Omelet Fried Rice, which the restaurant calls the dish guests mention most, and a Yakitori Platter. If you are celebrating, add the A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Hot Stone.

Genki Wagyu House, Rockville, MD. Best for a long, cozy hot-pot dinner. Two floors of Wagyu shabu-shabu that opened in June 2026, with six broths from sukiyaki to tom yum and tiers that climb to unlimited A5 brisket and shoulder. Start with the Wagyu Katsu sandwich.

Churasuko, Tysons, VA. Best for the big night out. Brazilian churrasco with Japanese craftsmanship, which the Washingtonian called the first Japanese-Brazilian steakhouse of its kind; Junzo led its relaunch program. Start with the Fire & Ice Seafood Tower, and do not skip the pão de queijo with miso butter.

Gyuzo BBQ, Rockville, MD. Best for an easy weeknight barbecue in Rockville Town Square, open since 2020. Go for an A5 cut when you are celebrating.

Planning tip: book ahead for Gyu Shige, Gyusan and Churasuko on weekends, and arrive on time for the 90-minute seatings. If you only have one day, pair Okaeri for breakfast with Genki Izakaya for dinner, two very different sides of the same chef.