Okaeri Japanese Cafe in Rockville, MD: Beyond the Soufflé Pancakes, the Best Japanese Comfort Food on Chef Junzo Miyajima's Café Menu

Okaeri Japanese Cafe is an IVEA restaurant. We publish this story to introduce our own restaurant; it is not an independent review.

Okaeri Japanese Cafe & Anime is a counter-service Japanese café at 1701 Rockville Pike, Suite B1, in The Shops at Congressional Village, Rockville, MD. It soft-opened on August 28, 2024, MoCo Show reported, as the second Okaeri after Centreville, VA. Okaeri means "welcome home" in Japanese. Bethesda Magazine notes it sits "in a concealed cluster of shops in back of a small, street facing strip," so look behind the storefronts on the Pike.

Chef Junzo Miyajima created the menu. He is best known here for the soufflé pancakes he perfected, which Northern Virginia Magazine called "the region's only authentic version of the Instagram-famous pancakes." When Rockville opened, the café's announcement said, "From Centerville to Rockville, we've expanded our menu just for you": curry, hamburg steak, udon, onigiri, dorayaki, kakigori, parfaits, fruit sandwiches and dango.

Anime shop in front, kitchen in back. The front room sells Pokémon cards, anime dolls and toys, and the café is in the adjoining room, Bethesda Magazine reported. You order at touchscreens and can watch the pancakes being made in the open kitchen. The magazine's verdict on the cooking: "This is real food, made in the moment."

The most talked-about dishes. On the café's Uber Eats page, the most-liked dishes are the Chicken Karaage Curry, the Napolitan Japanese spaghetti and the demi-glace Omelette Rice. Bethesda Magazine's pick: "Apart from the pancakes, the other must-get is the Japanese egg salad sandwich." Also on the menu: Shrimp Tempura Udon, Mentaiko Cream Udon, a Japanese Onion Sauce Hamburg Steak and onigiri in salmon, beef curry, spicy tuna, mentaiko mayo and umeboshi.

The pancakes and sweets. Soufflé pancakes come plain, matcha, chocolate banana and ube Montblanc. Because each stack is made to order, order it with your meal, not after. Ube dango and fruit sandwiches are quicker sweets.

Drinks. Bethesda Magazine: "Rockville Pike is strewn with bubble tea spots, but don't miss the bubble teas here, particularly the yuzu, which eschews the sweetness of many shops." Melon Cream Soda and a Strawberry Matcha Latte are on the menu too.

Our best order for two. One Chicken Karaage Curry, one Shrimp Tempura Udon, an egg salad sandwich to share and one soufflé pancake, plus a yuzu bubble tea. Okaeri also cooked for its neighbors at the BiteMe Charity Festival in Rockville in 2025, which Junzo led.