Japanese restaurants in USA
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Imanas Tei
At this top-rated izakaya (a Japanese pub serving food), enjoy world-class sake while grazing on delectable sushi and crowd-pleasing nabemono (do-it-yourself meat and vegetable soups).
reviewed
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Sushi Hatsu
A Korean-Japanese place that serves excellent kimchee and sushi, and gets several thumbs-up.
reviewed
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Sushi Taro
The argument over best sushi in town comes down to this place and Makoto. In some ways, the issue boils down to aesthetics and service – both kitchens seem to (rightly) obsess over serving the finest, freshest fish possible arranged with beautiful sides and garnishes, presented with that attention to detail where the Japanese exist in a league of their own. A quivering bit of fatty tuna comes with a side of wasabi freshly grated from one long stem of Japanese horseradish into slivers of nose-tingling happiness. The tastes have almost mathematical layers of complexity, yet this intricacy is arrived at from the seemingly simple combination of a few fresh ingredients. The lo…
reviewed
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Makoto
When we want sushi in the city we often opt for Makoto, simply by dint of it being so classically… Japanese. We probably need to clarify that comment. See, we don’t just mean the staff are Japanese or there’s flute and funny-one-string-guitar music playing in the back (although they are, and there is). It’s that special Japanese attention to detail. The napkins look like origami. The wasabi is fresh grated. You leave your shoes at the door. The geisha – ok, waitresses, but they’re so attentive you’d be forgiven for mixing up the terms – might as well wipe your mouth and hold your hand in the toilet. And the food, needless to say, is excellent. There’s no mucking a…
reviewed
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Megu
A shrine to both style and substance, this is the place to have all your senses wowed. The space itself is wondrous – various levels of high ceilings, low lighting, Japanese art installations and sleek banquettes – and the food is equally exciting. Lobster salad with yuzu and passion fruit sauce, elegant edamame soup, slippery-fresh sushi and Kobe beef (grilled, carpaccio and tartare ) are stunners. Or go for the gusto with a drawn-out tasting menu, starting with a spoonful of raw ‘egg’: pineapple juice, coconut milk and a yolk-ish filling.
reviewed
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Fujimamas
Fujimamas blends hip, eclectic ambience - something Kailua's restaurant scene sorely lacks - with chic presentation, making it a very exciting new addition. The heavily Japanese-influenced menu includes sushi, wok dishes and 'things that make you go ummm'. The handmade Chinese noodles with mushrooms and truffle oil get wide acclaim, as does the grilled pork chop on tempura sweet potato bread with apple chutney and miso sesame sauce.
Oh, and leave room for the insane desserts, such as banana tempura on tropical French toast.
reviewed
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Matsuri
Note the customers: Matsuri, tucked into a nondescript shopping center, is consistently packed with Japanese people. They don’t want scene; they want a taste of home – although many are South American Japanese who order unagi (eels) in Spanish, which is a cool dining sight in and of itself. Spicy toro (fatty tuna) and scallions, grilled mackerel with natural salt, and an ocean of raw fish are all oishi (delicious). The $8 bento lunch makes the rest of the day disappointing compared to your midday meal.
reviewed
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Kaze Sushi
The most refined option on the Roscoe St strip, Kaze’s Tuesday night tasting menu features their signature specialties: inventive sushi and Japanese dishes with a French inflection. The seasonal menu has much to offer in the way of large plates, though sushi aficionados will delight in the creative rolls – like the Blue Fin tuna dressed with pickled onions, burdock root, chives and truffle oil – and simple nigiri cuts, ideal to accent with the house-made soy sauce.
reviewed
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Miya’s Sushi
Superlative sushi – probably the best in the state – is prepared in this low-key spot by chef Bun Lai, two-time winner of the Taste of the Nation Award. Sushi appetizers sport alluring names like the Concubine’s Delight (smoked salmon and goats cheese wrapped in tempura eggplant), but the true star is the kaiseki ($30), a truly exceptional prix-fixe meal highlighted by several inventive sashimi arrangements, which must be ordered in advance.
reviewed
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Tsuki
This large urbane sushi destination is beloved for its fresh sashimi and playful approach to traditional rolls. Top picks include the smoked duck nigiri (served on top of the rice instead of rolled like maki) and the intriguing pistachio-salmon teriyaki. Soba and udon noodles and tempura round out the menu, which also includes some vegetarian selections. Most items on the simplified lounge menu are $5 or less, making them some of the best nighttime eats around.
reviewed
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Benkyodo
Everything you really need in life is within reach of your stool at Benkyodo. The perfect retro lunch counter cheerfully serves an old-school egg-salad sandwich or pastrami for $3.50. Across the aisle are glass cases featuring teriyaki-flavored pretzels and $1 mochi made in-house daily – come early for popular green tea and chocolate-filled strawberry varieties, but don’t be deterred by the savory, nutty lima bean paste.
reviewed
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Mirai Sushi
This high-energy restaurant has an even higher-energy lounge upstairs; both are packed with happy, shiny Wicker Park residents enjoying some of the freshest sushi in the area. From the trance-hop electronic music to the young, black-clad staff, Mirai is where true connoisseurs of sashimi and maki (rolled sushi) gather to throw back a few cocktails between savory morsels of yellowtail and shiitake tempura lightly fried to perfection.
reviewed
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Koo
Sushi traditionalists flirt with this fusion Japanese joint, with sidelong glances at the scrumptious cream and dark wood interior with mid-century lamps. Surely this place must be getting by on looks alone? But Koo has smarts too: tuna with wild mushrooms and raspberry reduction, mint-miso spare ribs with potato noodles. Then there's the Spoonful of Happiness: uni and quail egg with truffle oil… uh-oh, this could be serious.
reviewed
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Kyoto
Sporting a blonde-wood interior, friendly hipster staff and, most importantly, chefs who truly care about doing some fine raw fish, Kyoto is our favorite sushi bet in the city. The menu offers all the tuna/eel/yellowtail favorites plus some local specialties such as crawfish rolls. It’s popular with students, young families and the smattering of Japanese expats we spoke with in the city, which may be the highest praise of all.
reviewed
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SushiSamba
With the flouncy colors of Rio and martial-arts flicks digitally projected onto the walls, SushiSamba presents a chic, sleek integration of Peruvian, Brazilian and Japanese cuisine, such as flawlessly grilled robata and churrasco meats, marinated sashimi seviche spiked with citrus and chilies, or delicately done tempura boxes with dipping sauces. And whoa, the sake list is encyclopedic. Reservations strongly recommended.
reviewed
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Kotobuki
Kotobuki is one of the better spots for sushi in the city, both by dint of its excellent sushi and sashimi platters (at around $12 for a lunch and $18 for a dinner platter, a good deal), its tucked-away location, which adds a feeling of random discovery, and its oh-so-Japanese interior, all stripped-down aesthetic overlaid by running cursive kanji script on the walls. It’s upstairs above a more expensive sushi joint.
reviewed
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Kyo-ya
Kyo-ya is the full deal, a formal Japanese restaurant with kimono-clad waitresses specializing in kaiseki (multi-course meals). The lengthy menu includes several sashimi and tempura pairings, along with butterfish misoyaki and a traditional Kyoto-style grill served with several small courses. Both the setting and food presentation are elegant, and it's a favorite spot among islanders for a special night out.
reviewed
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Aburiya Kinnosuke
Fairly authentic Japanese cuisine (a few nods to American can be found here and there) dished up amid paper lanterns and sleek cherrywood tables tucked behind private screens, or at the open Robata grill at the bar. Sashimi, sake and mains like salmon harasu (fatty salmon), dried horse mackerel, organic pork simmered with brown-sugar soju,and Japanese-style beef and veggie pot-au-feu dot the menu.
reviewed
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Ebisu
Lines of people wait to get into Ebisu, a Japanese restaurant that offers a choice of three dining experiences. At the energetic front sushi bar, the chefs perform their tasks with dramatic flair; in the traditional Japanese dining room, diners remove their shoes and sit on tatami mats; and, finally, there are some tables and chairs to accommodate patrons who are too American or too stiff-kneed to sit on the floor.
reviewed
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Raku
On the outskirts of Chinatown, this Japanese robata -style charcoal grill is a tasty journey. Take flight on an imported sake sampler, then dig into creative hot and cold appetizers, salty yakitori skewers, steaming bowls of udon noodle soup or oden snacks boiled in broth. There are only a handful of tables at this sleek spot, so make reservations or expect to wait outside for an hour or more.
reviewed
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Soba Nippon
The chewy buckwheat soba noodle is the star of the menu here, in this quiet and intimate nook smack dab in the middle of high-bustle Midtown. Try this melt-in-your-mouth highlight in a chilled-salad or soothing broth, flavored with sesame, soy and other subtle stabs, including tofu, duck and chicken. You’ll also find solid sushi and delicious little octopus-stuffed balls, called takoyaki.
reviewed
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Bond St
This is the new kid in town. Actually, Bond St has been around awhile, but it's been kept a secret by sushi lovers. À la carte rolls include spicy yellowtail with red-pepper miso, spicy tuna with chili mayonnaise, sesame-crusted shrimp with orange curry dressing and hot eel with diced almond. There are also mains, nigiri and sashimi plates, and a full-on tasting omakase (chef's choice) menu.
reviewed
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Katana-ya
A glorified closet of a restaurant, Katana-ya is the late-night place for a bite after a show at ACT across the street, or anytime you’re willing to brave a couple of sketchy Tenderloin blocks for steaming bowls of udon and ramen with broth so savory it’s almost dense. Avoid the bland sushi, but if you’re coming here after Tenderloin dive bars, the curries seem to have curative properties.
reviewed
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Sam Sato's
Don't even think of coming during the noon rush - islanders flock here from far and wide for the dry noodles (not really dry, but cooked with a soy-based sauce) and saimin noodle soups that are the specialties at this bustling eatery. Sato's also makes manju (Japanese cakes filled with sweet bean paste), which Honolulu residents rave about and are sold at the counter until 16:00.
reviewed
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Muracci’s Curry
On blustery days when the fog barrels down Kearny, warm up from the inside out with a steaming curry-topped katsu (breaded cutlet) or grilled chicken atop rice or noodles. Chipper counter staff take your order, and within minutes call you to pick up classic Japanese comfort-food curry – not spicy or sharp, but gently tingling, only faintly sweet, and powerfully savory.
reviewed
