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Japanese restaurant closes in Arlandria, merging with nearby Vietnamese fusion eatery

By James Cullum
Sake Express Japanese Hibachi is closed at 3827 Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

After being open for less than a year, a Japanese restaurant in an Arlandria shopping center has merged with a fusion restaurant two doors down.

Signs on the window of the Sake Express Japanese Hibachi (3827 Mount Vernon Avenue) direct customers to get their favorite dishes at the Vietnamese-Japanese fusion restaurant 2D Noodles, which serves pho, sushi, and now, hibachi dishes.

Sake Express closed earlier this month, staff told ALXnow.

2D Noodles opened last May, just months after Sake Express joined the shopping center there. The latter restaurant is from the same local restaurant chain that owns Sake Japanese Steakhouse & Bar at 2016 Eisenhower Avenue.

Staff at 2D Noodles said it was easier merging the restaurants, since both establishments have the same chef.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.