Of all of our Midtown Village and Gayborhood neighbors who, ahem, put up with a little of our dust during construction, 1225Raw Sushi & Sake Lounge on Sansom Street was one of the most patient parties.

A member of the neighborhood since 2005, the restaurant’s 13-year tenure has been marked by all kinds of evolutions. At the beginning, the neighborhood’s occupants looked quite different: besides a restaurant operating in the space that is now El Vez, other tenants ranged from a check cashing storefront to a nude cabaret. There wasn’t another fellow restaurant in the area until Lolita first opened on 13th Street.

Our mini bottle collection. Left to right: Strawberry ? Nigori, Aladdin Yuzu Sake, Funaguchi, Winter Stroll Bunnies, Kikusui Perfect Snow Nigori, Kizakura Junmai, Miyazakora Panda ? Cup, Gekkeikan Cap Ace. #sake #philly #midtown #sakelover #mini #bottle #comeandgetit #1225raw #sumorobata

A post shared by 1225Raw (@1225raw) on Apr 20, 2017 at 2:01pm PDT

Originally, says owner Tony Rim (pictured in lead photo), 1225Raw was mostly a spot for dates or corporate lunches—there wasn’t much in between. Rim’s initial vision for the space was a weekend sushi lounge where DJs spinned dance tunes as guests enjoyed delicious sushi.

1225Raw operated as such for the first three months, but once visitors began to stop by asking if the restaurant was open for dinner, Rim and his team realized they might be missing a major opportunity. From that point onward, a fully-functional restaurant was the dream.

Designed to resemble the alleyway sushi restaurants of Japan, 1225Raw consists of both an indoor dining room and an outdoor terrace that’s picture-perfect for any private party or event. The building’s outer facade was what first attracted Rim to the location, and after extensive renovations over time, the space is now a bright oasis from the bustling city streets on the other side of the walls.

And how could we forget the food itself? Rim is always on the lookout for ways to evolve 1225Raw’s Sumo Robata menu to enhance the dining experiences of guests. Although sushi and sake obviously remain the superstars of the menu, guests can dine on anything from ramen to sumo tacos.

When it comes to the fabric of Midtown Village, 1225Raw is an essential piece. They’re an active participant in each year’s Midtown Village Fall Festival—Rim says they’ve even rented sumo wrestling costumes for attendees to wear in the past—and the restaurant is even known to host a “yappy hour” every now and then, making it a perfect across-the-street destination for 1213 Walnut residents and their pups.

It’s already clear to us that 1213 Walnut residents will have a special place in the hearts of 1225Raw, and vice versa. In fact, all 1213 Walnut residents will receive exclusive discounts cards to use when they visit the restaurant!

Book a tour today to see exactly how close your go-to sushi spot will be.