Best Japanese Restaurants Around the World

Kikunoi Honten 3 ★ ★ 4.9

The defining three-Michelin-star kaiseki room in Kyoto. Third-generation Yoshihiro Murata runs Kikunoi Honten, a 1912 ryotei below Kodaiji. Priced at ¥¥¥¥.

SignatureKaiseki, Hamo, Ayu

Book1 to 3 months ahead

Hyotei 3 ★ ★ 4.9

An Edo-era teahouse at the gate of Nanzen-ji in Kyoto, restyled as a ryotei in 1837. Located in Northern Higashiyama. Led by chef Yoshihiro Takahashi.

SignatureMorning gruel, Hyotei tamago, Hassun

Book1 to 3 months ahead

Kitcho Arashiyama Honten 3 ★ ★ 4.9

Three-Michelin-star kaiseki on the Hozugawa river bend in Arashiyama, Kyoto, run by chef Kunio Tokuoka in a sukiya-style garden tatami room.

SignatureKaiseki, Hassun, Hamo

Book2 to 4 months ahead

Den ★ 4.9

Zaiyu Hasegawa's Den in Tokyo is the modern kaiseki room that put playful home cooking on Asia's 50 Best, ranked No. 1 in 2022 and No. 22 in 2025.

OrderThe DFC fried chicken parcel and whatever donabe rice closes the menu.

TipClosed Sundays.

Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama 3 ★ ★ 4.9

Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama in Osaka holds three Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, with chef Hideaki Matsuo drawing.

Book4-8 weeks ahead

Tohru in der Schreiberei 3 ★ ★ 4.9

Tohru Nakamura's three-star Tohru in der Schreiberei in Munich's Altstadt cooks a German-Japanese tasting in the city's oldest townhouse, up a wooden stair.

Book6 weeks ahead

Narisawa ★ 4.8

Yoshihiro Narisawa's Aoyama room runs innovative satoyama cuisine. Two Michelin stars plus a Green Star, Japanese foraging through European technique.

OrderThe bread of the forest course, served with bark-scented butter.

TipClosed Mondays and Sundays. Lunch is the easier seating; reserve six weeks ahead through TableAll.

Florilege ★ 4.8

Hiroyasu Kawate's Florilege moved to Azabudai Hills in 2023 with a communal counter and a vegetable-forward French tasting menu. Two Michelin stars in Tokyo.

OrderThe signature beef-and-dairy course that takes you through the life of one cow.

TipClosed Mondays and Tuesday lunch. Online booking opens exactly one month ahead at 10:00 JST.

Kashiwaya ★ 4.8

One of Osaka's three three-Michelin-starred restaurants: kaiseki in a wooden sukiya house in Senriyama, built on Naniwa vegetables and Awaji produce.

OrderSeasonal kaiseki course

Takoume Honten ★ 4.8

Operating since 1844, this Dotonbori institution serves the city's most storied oden: daikon, octopus, ganmodoki in unchanged ancient dashi.

OrderTako kanroni, Daikon oden, Kinchaku

Sushi Nishinokaze 1 ★ ★ 4.8

Sushi Nishinokaze is chef Vincent Gee's eight-seat Edomae omakase in Mile End, Montreal, awarded a Michelin star in 2026 for exacting, understated sushi.

OrderThe full omakase, plated one piece at a time by the chef.

TipJust eight seats and one nightly seating, so book the moment reservations drop on Resy.

Senia ★ 4.8

Senia in Honolulu Chinatown is chef Anthony Rush's fine dining tasting room of eight to ten courses, drawing on Hawaiian, Japanese and French training.

OrderChef's tasting menu, with the smoked ahi cigars and bone marrow course.

Book3 weeks ahead

TipSit at the chef's counter for a closer look; book through Tock three weeks ahead for prime time.

n/naka ★ 4.8

Niki Nakayama's modern kaiseki house in Palms, Los Angeles, runs a 13-course tasting menu that changes by season and books months in advance.

OrderThe 13-course modern kaiseki, including chef Niki Nakayama's spaghetti course.

TipBookings open at midnight Pacific on the first of the month for three months out. Refresh the page; tables go in 30 seconds.

Uchi ★ 4.8

Uchi in Austin is Tyson Cole's James Beard-winning sushi room on South Lamar since 2003, the kitchen that codified modern Japanese on the south side.

OrderThe hama chili and the maguro sashimi, ordered before anything else.

TipSit at the sushi bar; the omakase is built in real time and the chefs talk you through each piece.

Sushi Den ★ 4.8

Sushi Den in Denver is Toshi and Yasu Kizaki's South Pearl sushi house since 1984, with fish flown daily from Toyosu Market via the brothers' Japanese supply.

Book4 weeks ahead

Monta Japanese Noodle House ★ 4.8

Monta Ramen on Spring Mountain in Las Vegas is the 20-seat Chinatown shop since 2010, simmering tonkotsu broth in-house and turning out kaedama refills.

Why locals goTwenty-seat Chinatown shop in a strip mall that locals queue at; tonkotsu broth simmered the slow way since 2010.

TipGet on the Yelp waitlist before you arrive; tonkotsu with a kaedama noodle refill is the standard, the seasonal limited bowls go on the chalk wall.

Joy ★ 4.8

Joy is the 10-seat counter on Ann Street in Fortitude Valley. Sarah Scott runs short and long tasting menus with Japanese cadence, two seatings only.

Book6 to 8 weeks ahead

Kisser ★ 4.8

Brian Lea and Leina Horii's 40-seat Highland Yards Japanese comfort-food room earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand and Garden and Gun Hot List in Nashville.

OrderOkonomiyaki with bonito flakes, plus seasonal curry rice and karaage.

TipLunch only Wednesday through Sunday. No reservations; queue starts before opening on weekends.

Maeve 1 ★ ★ 4.8

One Michelin star in the 2025 Netherlands guide. Tommy Janssen's tasting menus blend Japanese technique with Dutch terroir; vegetables lead every course.

Book3-4 weeks ahead

Sushi Shikon 3 ★ ★ 4.8

Sushi Shikon at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental is the Hong Kong outpost of Tokyo's Sushi Yoshitake, holding three Michelin stars for an eight seat omakase.

OrderWhatever the daily nigiri course is flying in from Toyosu.

Book6 to 8 weeks ahead

TipLunch service is the same omakase at a slightly lower price; book the moment the calendar.

House of Small Wonder ★ 4.8

House of Small Wonder on Berlin's Johannisstrasse cooks a Japanese-American brunch in a leafy spiral-staircase room; the okinawan taco rice and eggs benedict.

OrderThe okinawan taco rice bowl with avocado; the eggs benedict with miso hollandaise.

TipNo reservations, walk-up only. Arrive before 11:00 on weekends or wait 60 minutes.

Hibana by Koki 1 ★ ★ 4.8

Hibana by Koki in Hanoi is Vietnam's only Japanese restaurant holding a Michelin star, a 14-seat teppanyaki counter in the Capella Hanoi basement.

OrderThe Yaeyama Kyori beef teppanyaki and the seasonal seafood course; sake pairings come from a Japanese-only.

Book3-4 weeks ahead

Tip14 seats only and bookings open 30 days ahead. The counter at the chef's centre is the best view of the grill.

Owan ★ 4.8

Owan is a six-seat japanese counter in punavuori serving a short menu of clean, umami-led rice bowls and soups, easy to walk past and hard to book.

Why locals goA six-seat Japanese counter in Punavuori serving a short menu of clean, umami-led rice bowls and soups, easy to walk past and hard to book.

TipWalk-ins at lunch, bookings for the dinner sets; with only six seats it fills fast, so plan around it.

Aji Takebayashi ★ 4.7

Yuzuru Takebayashi's Akasaka kaiseki counter in Fukuoka has run since 1993 and held a Michelin star in the 2014 and 2019 Kyushu special editions.

OrderThe seasonal multi-course kaiseki built around whatever the Genkai Sea morning catch delivered.

TipAkasaka Station is eight minutes on foot. Counter and two private rooms; reserve a week ahead minimum.

Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Honten ★ 4.7

Toriden simmers a home-bred chicken six to seven hours with water and salt; the collagen breaks down into a creamy yellow mizutaki that defines Hakata.

OrderThe TENJIN course at 6,600 yen per person: appetisers, goma saba, mizutaki, zosui, dessert.

TipReservations essential, especially weekends. The Yakuin branch is quieter; same kitchen.

Yakitori Mako ★ 4.7

Mako grills Kuro Satsuma chicken from Kagoshima, raised 120 days. Listed in Tabelog Yakitori Top 100 in 2024. Eight counter seats, charcoal smoke.

OrderOmakase yakitori course with the Kuro Satsuma flight.

TipReserve four to six weeks ahead through TableCheck. Closed Sundays. No walk-ins.

Mitchan Sohonten Hatchobori ★ 4.7

Mitchan Sohonten in Hiroshima layers cabbage, pork and crisped soba on the teppan at its Hatchobori flagship, the shop whose founder set the postwar template.

OrderSoba niku-tama, the layered pork, cabbage and noodle okonomiyaki

TipThe counter seats fill before 12:00 on weekends, so arrive at opening or plan a late lunch after 14:00 instead.

Jun Sakamoto 1 ★ ★ 4.7

Jun Sakamoto in Pinheiros has no sign on the door. Chef-owner Jun Sakamoto and chef Ryuzo Nishimura each run their own omakase for guests in Sao Paulo.

OrderNigiri omakase, either the Sakamoto or the Mesas menu

BookTwo to three weeks; book directly with the restaurant ahead

TipTwo separate omakase menus run side by side, priced differently depending on whether Sakamoto or his chef Nishimura is cooking.

Mori 1 ★ ★ 4.7

Mori is Busan's one-Michelin-star kaiseki room in Haeundae, run by Japan-trained chef Kim Wan-gyu and his Japanese wife, with a single seasonal course.

OrderThe single kaiseki course, built around that day's fish from the Busan markets.

TipBook on Catchtable well ahead; the room is small and Monday is the weekly closing day.

Miyazaki Japanese Takeaway ★ 4.7

Takashi Miyazaki's cash-only takeaway on Evergreen Street, run separately from his bistro, serves Fukuoka-style Japanese street food from a tiny kitchen.

SignatureKatsu curry, Ramen, Tonkatsu

Matsu ★ 4.7

Matsu in Footscray holds two Good Food Guide hats for kaiseki across 12 seats. Chef Hansol Lee's room runs near-silent; the cooking demands that attention.

Book3 to 5 weeks ahead

Ante ★ 4.7

Japanese sake bar on Wilson Street, Newtown, Sydney. Kaiseki-style seasonal plates pair with one of the country's deepest sake-by-the-glass lists.

SignatureOtsumami snacks, House-made tofu, Seasonal sashimi

Uchiko ★ 4.7

Uchiko in Austin is Tyson Cole's elevated farmhouse sushi room on North Lamar, the second of the Hai Hospitality kitchens and a Top Chef alumni line.

OrderThe Yokai berry course; it has been on the menu since opening for a reason.

TipHappy hour from 5 to 6pm at the bar runs a $5 sushi list; it is the cheapest way into the kitchen.

UNI ★ 4.7

Ken Oringer's UNI inside the Eliot Hotel on Commonwealth Avenue has run the city's contemporary izakaya programme in Boston since 2002, expanded 2016.

OrderThe omakase nigiri flight and the spicy tuna roll with toasted sesame.

TipLate-night ramen menu kicks in at 22:00; the room is at its best after the dinner rush clears.

Wisteria Tea House ★ 4.7

Wisteria Tea House is a 1920s japanese timber house turned into taiwan's pro-democracy gathering place and now serves aged oolong from the cellar.

Why locals goA 1920s Japanese timber house turned into Taiwan's pro-democracy gathering place and now serves aged oolong from the cellar.

TipOpen 10:00-22:00, closed Mondays. Reservation by phone; two-hour minimum.

Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine ★ 4.7

Kru on Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento is Billy Ngo Japanese omakase room, the city destination sushi address with a deep sake list to go.

OrderThe chef's omakase nigiri course; the seasonal sashimi flight

TipCounter omakase requires advance booking. Sake pairings worth the upgrade. Closed Monday.

Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto 1 ★ ★ 4.7

Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto in North York is chef Masaki Hashimoto's eight-course kaiseki tasting room since 2009, Michelin one-star since 2022.

BookBookings 30 days out with $50 non-refundable deposit ahead

Yasushi Sasaki Patisserie ★ 4.7

Yasushi Sasaki Patisserie (Japanese) in Brussels: Closed Monday and Tuesday. The yuzu millefeuille sells out by Saturday lunchtime; pre-order for parties.

Why locals goWoluwe-Saint-Pierre patisserie where a Japanese pastry chef works yuzu and matcha into the French canon, in a residential quarter east of the centre.

TipClosed Monday and Tuesday. The yuzu millefeuille sells out by Saturday lunchtime; pre-order for parties.

Kenzo Restaurant ★ 4.7

Kenzo has held its Michelin star since 2018 under Chef Kenji Miyaishi. The seasonal kaiseki menu pairs with Japanese sake and Kenzo Estate Napa Cabernet.

OrderThe kaiseki tasting menu with the full sake and wine pairing.

TipBook the sake-and-wine pairing. The combination of Kenzo Estate Cabernet with Japanese seasonality is the most Napa-specific fine-dining experience in the city.

Restaurant KEI 3 ★ ★ 4.7

Kei Kobayashi's Restaurant KEI in Paris was the first restaurant cooked by a Japanese chef in France to hold three Michelin stars, awarded in 2020.

OrderThe garden vegetable composition starter; the sea bream main course.

Book8 weeks ahead

TipThe eight-week lead time is real. Set a phone reminder for the day bookings open.

Sushi Ota ★ 4.7

Sushi Ota in San Diego is Yukito Ota's Mission Bay Drive room since 1990, the strip-mall sushi counter that has trained more San Diego sushi chefs than any.

OrderThe omakase, ordered by sitting at the counter and asking the chef directly.

TipBook the counter, not the dining room. The strip-mall location is intentional; ignore the parking lot and step inside.

Koya ★ 4.7

John Devitt's hand-pulled udon counter on Frith Street in Soho London, opened 2010, runs the city's most serious Japanese noodle kitchen. Priced at ££.

OrderHot udon with the English breakfast (bacon, egg, mushroom) at brunch, or the kake bukkake at dinner.

TipWalk-up only. Doors open 12:00; arrive at 11:45 for first sittings without a wait. Closed Sundays.

Au 14 Fevrier 1 ★ ★ 4.7

Au 14 Fevrier in Vieux Lyon is Tsuyoshi Arai's twelve-seat Michelin-starred room where Kyoto training meets French sourcing across a French-Japanese tasting.

OrderThe set tasting; the room only does set menu, no carte.

Book4 weeks ahead

TipTwelve seats means tight booking; reserve four weeks ahead minimum.

Iyo ★ 4.7

Iyo in Milan's Sempione district was the first Japanese restaurant in Italy to hold a Michelin star (2015). Located in Isola. Priced at €€€€.

OrderThe kaiseki tasting set or the omakase sashimi at the counter; the black cod with miso is the signature desser

TipBookings open one month ahead. The Iyo Aalto sister room in Porta Nuova holds the second star; book that for sushi.

Wasabi by Morimoto ★ 4.7

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's Mumbai restaurant runs sushi, sashimi, robata and omakase at the Taj. Black cod miso and toro tartare are the menu signatures.

Book2 weeks ahead

Fufu Toulouse ★ 4.7

Fufu Toulouse on Rue de Metz is the small ramen counter with thick tonkotsu broth and gyoza turned to order, opened by the team behind a Paris noodle shop.

SignatureTonkotsu ramen, Gyoza, Donburi bowls

TipLines start at 12:15; the takeaway window is the easier midday route if the indoor counter is full.

Nijo Ichiba Ohiso ★ 4.6

A Nijo Market sushi-and-donburi counter. The cheapest kaisendon (mixed seafood-over-rice) bowls land 1,800 yen; uni-ikura-crab triple bowls 2,800.

TryKaisendon

TipWalk in early; the queue stretches by 09:00 in summer Cash is faster than card.

Yagenbori Hassho ★ 4.6

Yagenbori Hassho is the Hiroshima okonomiyaki counter that works slowly, resting the cabbage under pork belly for 20 to 30 minutes before the soba lands.

OrderSoba niku-tama at 1,150 yen, the only order most regulars ever place

TipCooking takes 20 to 30 minutes per griddle cake, so this is a sit-down dinner rather than a quick stop.

Lopez ★ 4.6

Lopez in Hiroshima is run by a Guatemalan okonomiyaki cook in Kusunoki-cho, and the jalapenos on the griddle are the reason people cross town.

OrderVegetables, pork and egg with soba, plus jalapenos on top

TipThe counter is small, opens only in the evening from 16:30 and shuts all weekend, so plan a weeknight visit.

Kanoe 1 ★ ★ 4.6

Kanoe is an Edomae sushi counter in Jardins from the Omotebako group, where chef Tadashi Shiraishi ages fish in house for the omakase in Sao Paulo.

OrderOmakase built around house-matured (jukusei) fish

BookPaid in full at booking; several weeks out ahead

TipReservations are charged in full when booked and diners must list allergies and restrictions in advance for the whole party.

Kinoshita 1 ★ ★ 4.6

Kinoshita traces to a 1970s Liberdade restaurant and now serves kappo cuisine in Vila Nova Conceicao, Sao Paulo, the only Krug Ambassade room in the region.

OrderKappo-style tasting menu of seasonal fish and shellfish

BookOne to two weeks; book directly with the restaurant ahead

TipThe separate Krug Room pairs a chef's menu with Krug champagne for special-occasion bookings.

Hayato 1 ★ ★ 4.6

Brandon Go's Hayato in Row DTLA, Los Angeles runs a strict Kyoto kaiseki at a single seven-seat counter, ingredients flown in twice weekly from Tokyo.

Book8 weeks ahead

Geta Sushi ★ 4.6

Geta on 41st Street is the small sushi counter that quietly runs a ten or fifteen-piece omakase, hidden behind Piedmont Avenue's higher-profile rooms.

OrderTen-piece omakase at the counter.

Why locals goSmall Piedmont Avenue counter overshadowed by Commis nearby. Quietly serves the East Bay's most-trusted neighborhood omakase.

TipTuesday through Saturday only, lunch and dinner. Reservations a week ahead for the counter.

Cafe Sushi Nisei ★ 4.6

Brothers Kenshi and Seizi Imura run Cafe Sushi on Mass Ave near Harvard Square in Cambridge since 1984. Priced at $$$. Kitchen leans japanese.

OrderThe full omakase, $90 for 10 pieces and one cooked dish.

TipTwelve counter seats only; book on Tock 30 days ahead. Take-out bento boxes are the off-menu deal at lunch.

Uchi ★ 4.6

Uchi in Denver is Tyson Cole's Hai Hospitality sushi room in RiNo since 2019, the Austin original's third location with the same omakase template and modern.

OrderThe hama chili and the maguro sashimi to start, both signatures of the Uchi template.

TipHappy hour at the bar runs Sunday-Friday with a $5 sushi list; cheapest way into a Hai Hospitality kitchen.

OTOTO ★ 4.6

OTOTO in Denver is the Kizaki brothers' South Pearl third room beside Sushi Den and Izakaya Den, a casual ramen and rice-bowl counter since 2018.

OrderThe tonkotsu ramen and the chicken karaage; the bao buns are the easiest snack with a beer.

TipWalk-in only at lunch; the dinner counter takes reservations on Resy. Tap room next door pours sake by the glass.

Hōseki 1 ★ ★ 4.6

Hōseki is a one Michelin star sushi counter on the fourth floor of Bulgari Resort Dubai, where chef Masahiro Sugiyama builds each omakase around the guests.

Kaiseki Yuzu ★ 4.6

Kaiseki Yuzu in Las Vegas is Kaoru Azeuchi's intimate kaiseki dining room on West Sahara, a 14-seat counter with seasonal multi-course Japanese tasting menus.

OrderThe full kaiseki tasting; the courses change with the season and the chef's sourcing from Japan.

TipReservations 14 days out only; the kaiseki menu rotates monthly so repeat visits get a different table.

Hôntô ★ 4.6

Hôntô on Alden Street in Fortitude Valley runs the moody basement izakaya through to midnight. Otsumami plates, yakitori and deep sake list to last orders.

Masa Japanese Cuisine 1 ★ ★ 4.6

Masa Japanese Cuisine on Frankfurt's Hanauer Landstraße holds a Michelin star for washoku tasting menus that read Japan through Hessian produce.

OrderThe Chef's Choice menu; the €115 lunch version is the shorter road in

TipThe room seats very few and books out weeks ahead; reserve through the site rather than calling and watch for lunch releases.

Kanazawa 1 ★ ★ 4.6

Kanazawa in Belem, Lisbon: Paulo Morais's eight-seat counter cooking traditional kaiseki to a single set menu, one Michelin star since 2022.

Book3 to 5 weeks ahead

Koy Shunka ★ 4.6

Koy Shunka in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter is Hideki Matsuhisa's one-star Japanese counter where the sashimi and nigiri arrive piece by piece from a U-shaped.

OrderThe Omakase tasting menu and the seaweed-and-yuzu starter.

TipCounter seats face the chef; book those over the back tables. Closed Sunday.

Kamo ★ 4.6

Kamo in Brussels is chef Tomoyasu Kamo's omakase counter on Chaussee de Waterloo. Located in Ixelles. Priced at €€€€. Kitchen leans japanese.

OrderThe omakase in full; the sake pairing is by the bottle, not the glass.

TipClosed Sunday and Monday. Counter seats book six weeks ahead; the back table seats four.

Yardbird ★ 4.6

Yardbird in Sheung Wan is Matt Abergel and Lindsay Jang's yakitori izakaya with one Michelin star, serving 20 plus skewers from local three yellow chickens.

OrderWhole Mei Hua chicken yakitori platter, pre order required.

TipOrder the Mei Hua chicken whole when you book; it sells out by 21:00 and is the kitchen's headline dish.

Le Rigmarole ★ 4.6

Le Rigmarole in Paris pairs Robert Compagnon's binchotan yakitori grill with Jessica Yang's hand-rolled pasta. A nightly tasting menu only, no a la carte.

OrderTrust the kaiseki-style yakitori order; ask for the pasta as an extra course.

TipOne seating at 19:30 and one at 21:30. Book six weeks out for weekends, four for a Tuesday.

Sushi Tadokoro ★ 4.6

Sushi Tadokoro in San Diego is Mitsui Tadokoro's Old Town omakase counter, the long-running Michelin Guide-listed Japanese kitchen with traditional.

OrderThe omakase nigiri course; the toro sashimi with grated wasabi made tableside.

TipReservations strongly recommended; the counter seats twelve and books out a week ahead.

Jont 2 ★ ★ 4.6

Jont in Washington DC is Ryan Ratino's Michelin two-star tasting-menu counter above 14th Street, a 24-seat sister of Bresca with Japanese technique.

Book6 to 8 weeks ahead

Raw Omakase DC ★ 4.6

Raw Omakase DC in Washington DC is Chef John Yi's Logan Circle Japanese tasting counter on the third floor above Takara 14, a sub-ten-seat Edomae nigiri room.

Book2 to 4 weeks ahead

Yamazato 1 ★ ★ 4.6

Yamazato at Hotel Okura is the longest-running Michelin-starred Japanese kaiseki room in Europe, an Amsterdam dining room that has held its star since 2002.

Book2 weeks ahead

Uchi Houston ★ 4.6

Uchi Houston is Tyson Cole's James Beard-winning Japanese room in Montrose since 2012, with hama chili, untraditional sushi and one of the city's strongest.

OrderSit at the sushi bar and order omakase off-menu. If a la carte, hama chili and maguro-and-goat-cheese.

Book2 to 3 weeks ahead

TipSushi happy hour 5 to 6:30pm Sunday to Thursday is the city's best deal. Bar seats only.

Sado ★ 4.6

Nick Bognar's sushi-forward Japanese room on The Hill plates high-grade seafood flown in several times a week. It shares a building with his omakase Pavilion.

Book1 to 2 weeks ahead

TipOrder broadly off the sushi and sashimi list and let the counter steer. Reserve on Resy a week or two out.

Jingisukan Daruma Honten ★ 4.5

The Susukino jingisukan room since 1954, with dome grills at every seat and a one-cut lamb menu. Atozuke-style dipping sets Daruma apart in the city.

OrderOne-plate Sapporo-cut lamb served with sliced onion, leek and the house tare.

TipCash only at the original Honten; expect a queue from 17:30. The 4-4 branch around the corner takes the overflow.

Magic Spice Sapporo Honten ★ 4.5

The original soup curry shop. Founder Taizan Shimomura coined the term here in 1993, riffing on Indonesian soto ayam with chicken broth and 30 spices.

OrderChicken-leg soup curry at the kakuteru spice level; rice on the side, fork-and-spoon.

TipSix heat levels from junrei to sumire; ask for haskap lassi as the cooler. Closed Wednesdays.

Kumako Ramen Japantown ★ 4.5

Kumako Ramen Japantown in San Jose is a perennial Metro Magazine best-ramen winner, serving tan tan and four classic ramen styles in Japantown.

TryTan tan ramen

KazuNori ★ 4.5

KazuNori on Main Street in downtown Los Angeles is the original temaki handroll bar, with the five-roll set delivered within 30 seconds of rolling.

OrderThe five-roll set: blue crab, scallop, lobster, yellowtail and toro in sequence.

TipWalk-in only, the line moves once a seat opens; eat each handroll within 30 seconds, the nori loses snap fast.

Ramen Shop ★ 4.5

Ramen Shop on Rockridge's College Avenue runs a daily-changing ramen lineup with a full bar and a private karaoke room. Open every night, dinner only.

SignatureSpicy miso ramen, Yuzu shio ramen, Karaage

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka ★ 4.5

Santouka on Brighton Avenue has poured Hokkaido tonkotsu shio ramen in Boston's Allston since 2022. Located in Allston Brighton. Priced at $$.

OrderTokusen toroniku shio ramen: braised pork cheek on shio broth.

TipLunch at 11:30 is the easy walk-in. Order extra noodles only after you finish the bowl; the broth is the menu.

Zuma ★ 4.5

Zuma in DIFC, Dubai, is a contemporary Japanese robata grill from the global Zuma Restaurant Group, ranked among the MENA's 50 Best Restaurants.

SignatureRobata grill skewers, Miso marinated black cod

Umi ★ 4.5

Umi in Buckhead's Charles H. Candler building, Atlanta runs a modern Japanese kitchen with sushi, robata and wagyu service since 2013. Priced at $$$$.

OrderSushi omakase at the counter; the miso black cod from the kitchen.

TipReservations on OpenTable. Dress smart casual; the room runs Buckhead-elegant.

Noto ★ 4.5

Stuart Ralston's Thistle Street dining room in New Town Edinburgh, opened in 2019, a Japanese-inflected small-plates kitchen in a former townhouse basement.

OrderThe wagyu tataki with truffle and the miso-glazed octopus that anchor the menu.

TipBar seats look directly onto the sushi pass. Stuart's other rooms, Aizle and Tipo, sit within a four-minute walk.

Kabuki Lisboa 1 ★ ★ 4.5

Kabuki Lisboa in the Galerias Ritz, Lisbon: Sebastiao Coutinho's one-Michelin-star Japanese-Mediterranean room, the Spanish group's first stop outside Spain.

Book2 to 3 weeks ahead

Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar Midtown ★ 4.5

Mikuni on J Street, midtown Sacramento, is the Taro Arai Mikuni group flagship sushi room, the Northern California chain downtown branch outpost.

OrderThe Incredible Roll, the Lover Roll, the omakase nigiri course

TipClosed Monday. Happy hour at the bar. Sister locations in Folsom, Roseville and Fountains at Roseville.

Maneki ★ 4.5

Maneki in Seattle's International District is the oldest Japanese restaurant on the West Coast: opened in 1904, surviving wartime internment.

OrderThe geoduck sashimi if it is on the board, otherwise the chef's nigiri set with a tatami room.

TipReserve a tatami room four to six weeks ahead; the bar runs walk-in but the room shapes the meal.

Noble Rice ★ 4.5

Noble Rice at Sparkman Wharf is the minimalist Japanese sushi room flying bluefin and uni from Toyosu weekly, recognized in the Michelin Guide.

OrderEight-piece nigiri omakase plus the toro hand roll and a cold sake pairing.

TipReservations open on the 15th of each month for the following month through Tock; the chef's counter books out first.

Akira Back ★ 4.5

Akira Back at the Bisha Hotel is chef Akira Back's first Canadian outpost since 2017, the 2nd-floor Japanese-Korean fusion room behind the hotel lobby.

OrderThe tuna pizza and the AB tacos with hamachi.

TipReservations on OpenTable. Sister Kost on the 44th-floor penthouse upstairs.

M Tempura ★ 4.5

Michael Lee's tempura specialist earned a Bon Appetit Best New Restaurants spot, with former Top Chef contestant Savannah Miller leading the kitchen.

SignatureVegetable kakiage, Soft-shell crab tempura, Dashi broth

Izakaya Minato ★ 4.5

Izakaya Minato on Washington Avenue in Portland runs binchotan-charcoal yakitori and a sake list from a 2026 James Beard finalist for Best Chef Northeast.

Why locals goA small Japanese izakaya off the Old Port tourist track, with binchotan-charcoal yakitori from a 2026 James Beard finalist (Best Chef Northeast).

TipTuesday to Saturday from 17:00. Resy reservations open 30 days ahead.

Nour 1 ★ ★ 4.5

Nour in Stockholm's Norrmalm pairs Swedish produce with Japanese technique under Sayan Isaksson on the third floor of a city-centre townhouse.

OrderThe five-course tasting; the dashi-cured fish and yakitori pigeon are the kitchen's calling cards.

Book3 weeks ahead

TipThe room is intimate at 24 covers. Book the eight-course if you have time and want the full arc.

Ozakaya ★ 4.5

Ozakaya in Prospect Heights is the Brooklyn Japanese room on Vanderbilt Avenue serving traditional Japanese cuisine with a focus on fresh seafood.

Why locals goProspect Heights Japanese spot off the wider Brooklyn radar, with a seafood-led seasonal menu

TipBook through OpenTable a week ahead; the sashimi flights are the reliable order

Gi-Jin ★ 4.5

Gi-Jin on 6th Street downtown serves sushi, hand-rolls and an omakase counter in Pittsburgh. A DeShantz raw bar pairing gin, sake and Japanese whisky.

OrderSit at the counter for the omakase, and order a flight off the gin list.

Book1 to 2 weeks ahead

TipTuesday to Saturday from 17:00. Reserve ahead; the counter seats fill on weekends.

Iki ★ 4.5

Iki on Calle Luis de Morales in Seville's Nervion is a Michelin-Guide-recommended Japanese counter open since November 2017 under chef Kosuke Takanezaka.

OrderThe sashimi flight and the chef's tasting selection at the bar.

Book2 weeks ahead

TipOpen Mon-Sat 13:30-15:30 and 20:30-23:00. Sit at the counter for the omakase experience; the dining room is more carte than tasting.

Park ★ 4.4

Park is chef Antonio Park's Japanese omakase restaurant in Westmount, Montreal, where sustainable sushi meets subtle Korean and Argentine touches.

OrderThe omakase counter, or the signature sushi and sashimi platters.

TipSit at the counter for the omakase; the dining room is fine, but the sushi bar is where the real show happens.

Ichigo Ichie Bistro ★ 4.4

Takashi Miyazaki remade his former Michelin-starred kaiseki room as an approachable Japanese bistro and natural wine bar on Sheares Street in 2024.

SignatureHandmade teuchi soba, Donburi rice bowls, Natural wine pours

Ichigo Ichie Bistro and Natural Wine ★ 4.4

Takashi Miyazaki's more relaxed reinvention of his former Michelin-starred kaiseki room: handmade teuchi soba, donburi rice bowls and small sharing plates.

Book1 to 2 weeks ahead

Minato Japanese Restaurant ★ 4.4

Minato Japanese Restaurant in San Jose is the Japantown institution since 1957, a Parts Unknown stop known for teriyaki spareribs and katsu curry plates.

TryTeriyaki spareribs combo

Shirube ★ 4.4

Shirube runs a charcoal-grill izakaya on Wilshire in downtown Santa Monica, corn ribs in shoyu butter and blowtorched mackerel with most plates under 25.

OrderShoyu butter corn ribs and the mentaiko udon

TipSit at the bar for the courtside view of the charcoal grill; the mentaiko udon disappears early on weekends.

Geta Sushi and Bento ★ 4.4

Geta is the small Piedmont Avenue sushi counter that quietly serves an omakase in ten or fifteen pieces. Lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday only.

SignatureOmakase, Chirashi bowl, Bento box

Chaco Bar ★ 4.4

Yakitori counter on Victoria Street, Potts Point, Sydney. Chicken skewers cooked over binchotan, ramen at lunch, sake and Japanese whisky list.

SignatureYakitori skewers, Ramen, Mentaiko tamagoyaki

Raibu Sushi Bar ★ 4.4

Raibu Sushi Bar in the North End is Boise's most rigorous sushi room, sourcing fish as meticulously as its rice and reserving half its counter for omakase.

OrderOmakase at the six bar seats reserved for chef's choice service

Yellowtail Japanese Restaurant and Lounge ★ 4.4

Yellowtail at Bellagio is Akira Back's Strip Japanese room, daily fish flown from around the world and a terrace overlooking the Bellagio fountains.

OrderAkira's signature yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and yuzu soy.

TipAsk for a terrace table to overlap with the fountain shows on the half-hour.

OK Yaki ★ 4.4

OK Yaki in Atlanta's East Atlanta Village is the late-night Osaka griddle: okonomiyaki, yakisoba, Japanese street snacks until 01:00 on weekends.

TryOsaka-style okonomiyaki, yakisoba, Japanese street snacks

TipWalk-in only and the room is small. Wedge yourself in at the counter and order the pork belly okonomiyaki.

Harajuku Kitchen ★ 4.4

Kaori Simpson's Bruntsfield Japanese kitchen on Gillespie Place in Edinburgh, opened in 2013, a family-run kaiseki and izakaya room cooking authentic Tokyo.

OrderBento set at lunch and the gyoza dumplings; ask whether the homemade kimchi is on the day's menu.

TipThe Bruntsfield branch is the original; the Stockbridge offshoot is brighter but the south-side room takes more walk-ins.

The Sakai ★ 4.4

The Sakai runs a Michelin Guide listed omakase counter on Hedderichstraße in Frankfurt's Sachsenhausen, with parallel fish, Wagyu and vegan menus.

OrderThe Red omakase with Wagyu; vegans get the full Green menu

TipBook the counter, not a table; the last seating at 21:00 means this is an early, focused dinner by design.

Aokamo ★ 4.4

Aokamo is a neo-izakaya on Rue Pierre Mauroy in Lille, standing room at the bar downstairs and sit-down Japanese menus with a sake list upstairs.

OrderAgedashi dofu, silky fried tofu in hot broth.

Book1 week ahead

TipDownstairs runs tachinomi style, standing at the counter, with plates from about 10 euros in the evening.

Tasca Kome ★ 4.4

Tasca Kome is a traditional japanese kitchen on rua da madalena run by a japanese team, no fusion gimmicks, lunch zukedon as good as anywhere in lisbon.

Why locals goA traditional Japanese kitchen on Rua da Madalena run by a Japanese team, no fusion gimmicks, lunch zukedon as good as anywhere in Lisbon.

TipBook salmon zukedon for lunch. Closed Mondays and most of August.

Soba et Sarrasin ★ 4.4

Soba et Sarrasin is the buckwheat workshop near Place Canclaux in Nantes, sarrasin noodles, onigiri and mochi made behind a glass laboratory.

OrderSoba salad or soba ramen, with a black sesame mochi after

Why locals goSophie de Thy developed her buckwheat noodles at home for three years before opening this workshop near Place Canclaux, where they are made in a glass laboratory.

TipThis is a takeaway counter and Japanese grocery rather than a restaurant, and it shuts at weekends; go on a weekday at lunch.

Rondo Japanese Kitchen ★ 4.4

Rondo Japanese Kitchen in Seattle's Capitol Hill is Taichi Kitamura's 2020 izakaya, an omakase counter, sake from Japan-only allocations. Book 2 weeks ahead.

Book2 weeks ahead

Belle's Bread Japanese Bakery ★ 4.4

Belle's Bread Japanese Bakery at Columbus's Kenny Centre is the Japanese-French bakery and cafe, with milk bread, melon pan and strawberry cream cake.

Why locals goInside Kenny Centre's Japan Marketplace, the Japanese-French bakery counter pulls milk bread and strawberry cake.

TipClosed Sunday; morning pickups are the freshest.

Azumi ★ 4.4

Azumi in Harbor East is Atlas Restaurant Group's contemporary Japanese room inside the Four Seasons, flying in fish for sushi, crudo and a long sake list.

OrderAn omakase run of nigiri, plus the crudo selection.

Book1 to 2 weeks ahead

TipSit at the sushi counter for the omakase; the dining room overlooks the waterfront.

Restaurant Ishikawa ★ 4.4

Restaurant Ishikawa on Rue du Ha in central Bordeaux is chef Yugo Ishikawa's elongated minimalist Japanese room, with Ginza-trained technique applied.

SignatureTonkatsu shoulder of pork in breadcrumbs, Tuna tataki with ponzu oroshi, Tsukemono pickled vegetables

TipThe daily specials board changes with the morning market; book the bar counter for a clear view of the kitchen pass.

Megu ★ 4.4

Megu has run Japanese fine dining at The Leela Palace in Delhi since 2012, with fish flown in from Tokyo twice a week under head chef Shubham Thakur.

OrderNigiri or sashimi from the twice-weekly Tokyo fish, then salmon tartare with ikura.

Book1 to 2 weeks ahead

TipMegu ranked No. 39 in CNT India's 2025 Top 50; dinner starts at 19:00, so book ahead for weekend evenings.

NORI Vegan Sushi and Wok ★ 4.4

A fully plant-based sushi and wok restaurant on Beurstraverse serving nori rolls, crispy tofu, and Japanese-inspired bowls. Located in Centrum.

OrderVegan maki rolls and the tofu ramen.

TipThe dragon roll with avocado and tempura is the signature; order two portions between two for a full meal.

Izakaya Goshi ★ 4.4

Izakaya Goshi has cut sushi in San Luis Obispo for decades from its Creamery room, and its Sushi Goshi counter at SLO Public Market flies in special fish.

OrderThe nigiri selection; the fish case moves quickly on weekend nights.

TipLunch runs 11:30-13:30 only; arrive before noon for a seat at the small bar.

Mochi ★ 4.4

Mochi on Praterstrasse in Vienna's Leopoldstadt cooks informal Japanese plates with the chefs visible at the counter, the second district's most consistent.

OrderA yakitori flight from the binchotan grill, plus the gyudon if lunching.

TipTables go fast; book online a week ahead. The takeaway across the street serves the same kitchen.

Iwa ★ 4.3

Iwa runs an aged-fish omakase counter behind Haeundae Beach in Busan, a Michelin Guide sushi room whose chef holds a patent on his ageing method.

OrderThe dinner omakase; the aged white fish courses are the signature.

TipLunch omakase is the gentler entry at 80,000 won; corkage is allowed for a fee if you bring wine.

Unaju ★ 4.3

Unaju grills eel twice over charcoal on a Cheongsapo hillside in Busan, a Michelin Guide hitsumabushi house drawing on a 1948 Nagoya restaurant's recipes.

OrderHouse hitsumabushi, 39,000 won, eaten plain, then with condiments, then in broth.

TipPair it with the Cheongsapo daritdol skywalk; the weekday lunch special at 28,000 won is the deal.

Kazu ★ 4.3

Kazu is the tiny, roaring Japanese counter on Sainte-Catherine in downtown Montreal, famous for its 48-hour pork, salmon bowls and long sidewalk queue.

OrderThe 48-hour pork and the salmon and tuna bowl.

TipExpect a line and cash-friendly bowls; go at opening or off-peak to skip the wait.

3Fils Abu Dhabi ★ 4.3

3Fils Abu Dhabi is a Michelin Bib Gourmand Japanese restaurant at the EDITION marina in Al Bateen, sister to the Dubai original, and takes walk-ins only.

OrderThe chargrilled baby chicken, prawns and sashimi from the open kitchen, then the Take Me To The Moon dessert.

TipAbu Dhabi takes walk-ins only; on weekdays from 12:00 to 18:00 it serves four set menus from AED 90.

Zuma ★ 4.3

Zuma is a Michelin Selected Japanese restaurant at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, known for robata grill seafood and a lively dining room.

OrderSeafood from the robata grill and the corn-fed baby chicken, as recommended in the Michelin Guide.

TipThe lounge serves the main menu from 12:00 throughout the day, and the Saturday brunch runs from 12:30 to 16:00.

Strawfire by Ross Shonhan ★ 4.3

Strawfire by Ross Shonhan is a Michelin Selected Japanese restaurant at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, cooking Warayaki over burning straw beside a live DJ.

OrderThe prawn toast, miso-glazed Chilean sea bass and spaghetti mentaiko the Michelin Guide lists as must haves.

TipArrival is through the Tsukimi Lounge, and the Toyama private dining room seats up to 18 guests under a 7.3 metre Shimenawa rope.

Sunny Blue ★ 4.3

Sunny Blue wraps made-to-order omusubi on Main Street in Santa Monica, miso beef and curry rice balls pressed warm behind a six-seat counter.

OrderMiso beef omusubi, plus a spicy salmon to go

TipMiso mushroom is vegetarian and gluten-free; get one spicy salmon for the walk down to the beach.

Omakase Experience Braga ★ 4.3

An unexpected omakase counter in northern Portugal. Chef Michael Choi delivers ten to twelve courses of seasonal fish, hamachi, wagyu beef and Japanese.

Book2 to 4 weeks ahead

TipAdvance booking required. Wine pairing is available at supplement and worth adding for the full experience.

Sushi Azabu ★ 4.3

Sushi Azabu, the Kuala Lumpur outpost of a New York sushi house, runs a 12-seat omakase counter at Isetan KLCC with seafood flown in twice weekly.

OrderThe 14-course omakase of seasonal nigiri, two cuts of tuna, rolled sushi and gyoku.

TipOmakase runs about RM388 to RM588 a head. The counter moved from Lot 10 to the ground floor of Isetan KLCC and is pork-free.

Yoko ★ 4.3

Yoko is Julien Lemarié's Japanese small-plates room next to Ima in Rennes, donburi and okonomiyaki at lunch and a €55 blind tasting menu at night.

OrderThe donburi in the weekday lunch formule, or the €55 blind tasting at night

Kid Kyoto ★ 4.3

Late-night izakaya on Bridge Street, Sydney CBD. Open past midnight on weekends, walk-in friendly, sake list and yakitori counter for post-midnight diners.

TryWagyu tartare

Nobu Dubai ★ 4.3

Nobu Dubai on the 22nd floor of Atlantis The Palm is Nobu Matsuhisa's Japanese and Peruvian room, listed in the Michelin Guide for its sushi.

Arume Sushi Bar ★ 4.3

Arume Sushi Bar has worked Carrer de Sant Miquel in Palma for years, with chef Tomeu Martí cutting Japanese plates against Mediterranean produce.

OrderThe sushi selection, cut against Mediterranean fish rather than imported stock.

TipThe kitchen shuts for the whole of August. Check before planning a late-summer dinner.

Mar de Nudos ★ 4.3

Mar de Nudos sits on the Moll Vell marina in Palma, running a Mediterranean and Japanese menu from a dining room that stays open until 01:00.

OrderRaw fish from the Japanese side of the menu, eaten on the marina terrace.

TipThe kitchen runs straight through from 13:00, which makes it useful for a late or early meal.

Qing Tian 76 ★ 4.3

Qing Tian 76 turns a 1931 Japanese-era professor's house into a Showa-era dining room serving set lunches and small kaiseki suppers, tatami floors intact.

OrderSet lunch in the tatami room and the wagashi-and-matcha dessert pairing.

TipClosed Mondays. Phone reservation required; remove shoes at the entrance.

Osteria Kobuta ★ 4.3

Osteria Kobuta cooks Japanese-Sardinian plates in Cagliari off Largo Carlo Felice, a seasonal menu built for sharing in a room of maybe ten tables.

OrderThe seasonal sharing menu, start to finish.

TipClosed Tuesday, and the kitchen writes a new menu each season; WhatsApp booking is the fastest way to get a table.

Tachibana ★ 4.3

Tachibana has served Lexington sushi, yakitori and teppanyaki since 1987 on Newtown Court, the city's longest-running Japanese dining room by some distance.

TipLunch is weekdays only, 11:30-13:30; book a tatami room for groups and order from the sushi bar.

Ebisu ★ 4.3

Ebisu pours sake at 116 Quay Street in Britomart, Auckland under a heritage facade. Classic Japanese and European technique across sushi and grilled plates.

SignatureNew-style sushi, Sashimi, Wagyu yakiniku

Masu ★ 4.3

Masu cooks robata-style high-end Japanese with New Zealand produce on Federal Street in Auckland's CBD. Theatrical room and tasting flights.

Ramen-Ya Hiro ★ 4.3

Ramen-Ya Hiro in Barcelona's Eixample is the locals' tonkotsu counter where the pork broth simmers 12 hours and the queue starts forming at 13:30.

OrderThe tonkotsu ramen with chashu pork and a side of gyoza.

TipNo reservations; queue forms before 13:30 for the lunch turn. Closed Monday all day.

Tora ★ 4.3

Tora, a Japanese robata and sushi room on Nichupté Lagoon at Boulevard Kukulcán km 15 in Cancún, serves Kobe beef from Hyogo and offers an omakase.

OrderThe duo tartare of bluefin tuna and Ora King salmon, then Kobe beef or robata Nordic salmon.

TipOrder several small robata and sushi plates to share, and book a dock table on the lagoon for dinner.

Tensuke Express ★ 4.3

Tensuke Express at the Japan Marketplace in Columbus's Upper Arlington runs the bento, onigiri and ramen carryout counter inside Ohio's Japanese grocer.

Why locals goInside Kenny Centre's Japan Marketplace in Upper Arlington, the bento and ramen counter sits behind the Japanese grocer.

TipBento and onigiri are made fresh through the afternoon; arrive midday for the broadest selection.

Musashi Noodles and Sushi Bar ★ 4.3

Musashi on Capel Street in Dublin 1, Northside's regular Japanese noodle and sushi counter, the city's most reliable sub-€15 ramen and tuna nigiri lunch.

OrderTonkotsu ramen with extra chashu, a side of pan-fried gyoza.

TipThree Capel Street locations within a block. The original 15 Capel sits busiest at lunch; the IFSC branch is quieter for dinner.

Musashi Capel Street ★ 4.3

Musashi on Capel Street in Dublin 1, Northside's reliable Japanese noodle counter, the city's most reliable sub-€15 tonkotsu ramen and donburi lunch order.

TryTonkotsu ramen

TipThree Capel Street locations within a block. The original 15 Capel sits busiest at lunch; the IFSC branch is quieter for dinner.

Izumi's ★ 4.3

Izumi's on North Prospect Avenue on the East Side runs a sushi bar, yakitori counter and hot-plate Japanese menu since 1988, with omakase by reservation.

OrderOmakase at the sushi bar and a yakitori sampler off the binchotan grill.

TipReservations on OpenTable; the omakase counter has six seats only.

Tora ★ 4.3

Tora at Plaza Jardín in Mérida runs an omakase nigiri counter and a robata grill, one of the city's few serious sushi rooms north of Paseo de Montejo.

SignatureNigiri omakase, Sashimi, Robata grill, Japanese-Yucatecan fusion

Keisuke Matsushima ★ 4.3

Keisuke Matsushima on Nice's Rue de France runs Kei Matsushima's modern French Japanese kitchen, the room awarded a Michelin star in 2006 and known.

OrderThe chef's tasting menu; Matsushima leans French technique against the umami of dashi.

TipThe room is small; the weekday lunch tasting at the counter is the value play.

Ting Bakery ★ 4.3

A small-batch bakery on Mejlgade making laminated pastry with Japanese and Korean flavour profiles that no one else in Aarhus attempts. At Mejlgade 20.

Why locals goOnly open Wednesday to Sunday, sells out by 11:00, has no phone and no reservation. Locals queue outside the locked door 20 minutes before opening.

TipWednesday is the quietest day. The matcha croissant is limited to 30 per morning.

Sorae Sushi Lounge ★ 4.3

Sorae is a high-end Japanese restaurant and lounge in the AB Tower, serving sushi, sashimi and wagyu across a dramatic space with skyline views.

OrderThe omakase sushi selection or the wagyu.

TipIt sits at the base of the AB Tower; dress smart and book a window table for the view.

Bamboo Sushi ★ 4.3

The world's first certified sustainable sushi room, born in Portland in 2008. The SE 28th flagship runs nigiri, rolls and the wagyu burger. Priced at $$.

OrderThe chef's choice nigiri platter

TipFour Portland locations. The SE 28th room is the original, with the longest sake list.

COD ★ 4.3

COD on Tērbatas in Centrs cooks contemporary Japanese on a robata grill with tataki, tempura and sushi, listed in the Riga Michelin Selected guide 2026.

OrderBlack cod with sweet miso, the kitchen's signature, finishing with mochi ice cream.

TipStart in the cocktail bar before heading into the dim-lit dining room.

Marukame Udon Waikiki ★ 4.2

Marukame Udon Waikiki in Honolulu is the theatre-kitchen Sanuki udon counter on Kuhio Avenue where you watch handcut noodles boiled to order and finished.

OrderNiku udon with a sweet beef topping and a kakiage tempura on the side.

TipQueue snakes down Kuhio but moves fast. Average bowl is around $6 to $8; cash and card both work.

Ta-Ke Don ★ 4.2

Ta-Ke Don on Little Lonsdale Street is the CBD's fast donburi canteen: A$10 small and A$15 large bowls of katsu, karaage and tempura over rice with Japanese.

OrderKaraage donburi with Japanese curry sauce

Salon UBU ★ 4.2

Salon UBU on Rue Pierre Mauroy in Lille makes onigiri and onigirazu to order, a lunchtime-only counter that most visitors walk straight past.

TryOnigiri and onigirazu

TipSaturday is the only day it stays open into the afternoon.

Makoto ★ 4.2

Makoto boxes homemade bento on the Île de Nantes for €14.90, each holding rice, a marinated egg, tsukemono and the vegetables of the moment.

TryBento of rice, marinated egg, tsukemono and seasonal vegetables

TipThere are only about ten seats, so the boxes are best taken away; vegetarian is the default, and vegan or gluten free versions are made on request.

Samurai Blue Sushi ★ 4.2

Samurai Blue in Centro Ybor runs sushi rolls and Japanese plates with a busy weekend bar in central Ybor City's nightlife corridor. A Tampa table.

OrderSamurai Blue specialty roll and the spicy tuna crispy rice.

TipCentro Ybor location is the bigger of the two; cocktails and sake until late.

Han Hand Roll and Ramen Bar ★ 4.2

Han Hand Roll inside Heights Public Market at Armature Works runs hand-rolled temaki and tonkotsu ramen, with a counter open through the food hall.

OrderTrio of hand rolls plus a bowl of tonkotsu ramen.

TipInside the Heights Public Market; order at the counter and pick up.

Uncle Tetsu ★ 4.2

Uncle Tetsu on Bay Street is Toronto's first North American outpost of the Japanese cheesecake brand since 2015, jiggly cotton cheesecakes baked daily.

OrderA whole jiggly cotton cheesecake, hot from the oven.

TipLineup at peak 14:00-16:00. Same-day-only cake; doesn't keep. Sister madeleine and matcha tiramisu shops on Dundas.

Japanese Don Dining Kounosuke ★ 4.2

Kounosuke on the Westerkade specialises in donburi: a deep bowl of steamed rice topped with fish, meat or vegetables and house dashi broth. Tue to Sun.

OrderHouse donburi with seasonal toppings and dashi broth

Tane Vegan Izakaya ★ 4.2

Berkeley 100 percent plant-based Japanese izakaya. Vegan nigiri, mushroom karaage and seasonal small plates. California organic produce. Sister to Shizen SF.

Eatchu ★ 4.2

Eatchu fries and steams handmade gyoza on Exchange Avenue at St Nicholas Market, Bristol's Great Taste-winning dumpling counter since its stall days.

TryHandmade gyoza

TipThe chicken and nori butter gyoza is the signature; the Clifton Triangle shop seats you down if the market is heaving.

Kawa Ramen and Sushi ★ 4.2

Kawa on North Farwell Avenue on the East Side serves tonkotsu and miso ramen alongside a sushi counter; UW Milwaukee students fill the room weeknights.

OrderTonkotsu ramen with extra chashu and the spicy tuna roll.

TipWalk-in only; arrive before 18:30 weekends or expect a 45-minute wait.

Den Den Cafe Asiana ★ 4.2

Den Den Cafe Asiana on Benefit Street is the all-day Asian counter from the Den Den hospitality group. Bibimbap, soba, tonkatsu, rice bowls, gyoza.

OrderHot-stone bibimbap and a seafood pancake; an order of fried chicken to share.

TipCounter ordering; bring it back to the small dining room or take out. Late lunch is the quietest hour.

Wara Wara ★ 4.2

Wara Wara on Hope Street has been serving ramen, cold sake, oysters and tapas since 2016. Compact dining room; the bar takes counter orders late.

OrderA bowl of tonkotsu ramen, pork belly buns, a glass of cold junmai.

TipClosed Sunday; the small bar turns over for walk-ins on weeknights.

TAK ★ 4.2

TAK on Brunkebergstorg in Stockholm's Norrmalm runs a Japanese-Swedish kitchen across two rooftop floors; sushi counter, robata grill and a Stureplan-style.

OrderEight-piece nigiri counter set with the chef's pickle plate; finish at the rooftop bar.

TipTwo service tiers: the sushi counter books online; the main dining room runs to 23:00 on weekends.

Nobu Cape Town ★ 4.2

Nobu Cape Town sits inside One&Only Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront, the only branch of the global Japanese dining brand in southern Africa.

OrderYuzu cured sea bass and the springbok with truffle tosazu, plated with local Cape ingredients

TipThe reimagined Rockwell Group dining room reopened with an omakase menu that mixes Nobu classics with dishes made for Cape Town; ask for it when you book.

Ta-Kumi ★ 4.2

Ta-Kumi is a Michelin Guide Japanese restaurant in central Málaga, a long-running sushi and robata counter drawing on the day's catch from Atarazanas.

N7 ★ 4.2

N7 in New Orleans is the Bywater French wine bar behind an unmarked fence on Montegut Street from Aaron Walker and Yuki Yamaguchi, with French bistro plates.

OrderThe tinned-fish board with bread, then steak frites with Bordelaise.

TipReservations are tight; the garden seating opens at 17:00 and walk-ins land best on weeknights.

Noshi Coffee ★ 4.2

Noshi Coffee is a Japanese-leaning specialty cafe in Porto with milky filter coffees and miso scones, on a quiet Bonjardim block; closed Monday.

Why locals goJapanese-leaning specialty cafe with milky filter coffees and miso scones, on a quiet Bonjardim block locals send friends to before tourists arrive.

TipClosed Monday. Filter coffee menu rotates every two weeks; ask what the kitchen has open.

Haru Ichiban ★ 4.2

Haru Ichiban in Copacabana serves sushi, sashimi and temaki from chef Menandro Rodrigues, with a separate 16-course omakase counter, in Rio de Janeiro.

OrderThe omakase menu, or the 16-course UMAI counter experience, which is booked separately

TipThe whole restaurant closes on the first Sunday of every month, and the UMAI omakase counter has its own booking.

Sushi Ryu ★ 4.1

Sushi Ryu runs two omakase menus at an eleven-seat counter inside Platinum Park, Kuala Lumpur, with lunch from RM279++ and dinner from RM579++.

OrderAn omakase at the eleven-seat counter, with wild-caught fish served as sashimi.

TipIt sits in unit 3.3 on Level 2 of Platinum Park Tower 1, and two private dining rooms take larger groups.

Suupaa ★ 4.1

Suupaa in Cremorne takes the Japanese konbini concept seriously: udon bolognese and tamago sandwiches with precise daily specials and excellent canned sake.

OrderUdon bolognese and the daily onigiri

Hanami Ramen ★ 4.1

Hanami Ramen simmers its broths under lanterns and Japanese masks beside the Halles Centrales in Rennes, chef Mitsuhashi's bowls made from local produce.

OrderThe house tonkotsu-style bowl; broths simmer long and it shows

Nippon Kitchen ★ 4.1

Nippon Kitchen is a City Centre Japanese restaurant in a grand West George Street building in Glasgow, running teppanyaki grills, sushi and bento at lunch.

OrderA teppanyaki set from the grill, or a mixed sushi platter at lunch.

TipThe lunchtime bento boxes are the best-value way into the menu before the pricier evening service.

Tanuki ★ 4.1

Tanuki in Bruges has cooked Japanese food on Oude Gentweg near the Minnewater for decades, turning out sushi, sashimi and multi-course menus in a serene room.

OrderThe multi-course menu; the kitchen also handles vegetarian sushi well.

TipNear the Lake of Love at the south edge of the centre. Book for the sushi counter.

Japanese Palace ★ 4.1

Japanese Palace on Camp Bowie W Blvd in Fort Worth is a teppanyaki restaurant where chefs cook beef, shrimp, and chicken on open hibachi grills.

OrderHibachi steak and shrimp combo cooked tableside with fried rice and vegetables.

TipShare a hibachi table with others at the communal grill for the full teppanyaki experience.

Kinki Restaurant and Bar ★ 4.1

Modern Japanese restaurant and rooftop bar in Customs House on Collyer Quay. Rooftop terrace views over Marina Bay; underrated Singapore evening settings.

OrderThe salmon belly sashimi and a rooftop cocktail at sunset over Marina Bay

TipBook the rooftop table for sunset on weekdays; weekends require advance booking weeks ahead.

Kaita Restaurant ★ 4.0

Kaita is a family-owned San Jose Japantown gem serving authentic Japanese comfort food with daily rotating lunch and dinner specials on Jackson Street.

OrderDaily lunch special with rotating seasonal Japanese dishes

Michizaki ★ 4.0

An izakaya-style counter from chefs Guilherme Yamato Michishita and Marcos Kurosaki (the name is a portmanteau of their surnames). Priced at €€.

OrderLunchtime bento box: traditional compartment box assembled fresh by chefs Yamato Michishita and Marcos.

TipSit at the counter rather than a table; the chefs explain each plate and pour newly tested dishes when they trust you to try them.

Marukame Udon Fort Street ★ 4.0

Marukame Udon on Fort Street Mall is the Downtown Honolulu cousin of the Waikiki cafeteria-line udon shop, slinging Sanuki-style noodles to office workers.

OrderCurry udon and a shrimp tempura, plus a musubi if you skipped breakfast.

TipLunch line peaks 11:30-13:00; before 11:30 the kitchen is calm.

Ikimasho ★ 4.0

Ikimasho rebuilds a Tokyo alley on Rue Baudrairie in Rennes, ramen, donburi, gyoza and tempura served non-stop from morning to night, seven days.

OrderA ramen and a side of gyoza under the Tokyo-alley lanterns

Suehiro Japanese Restaurant ★ 4.0

Suehiro Japanese Restaurant, a longtime Fort Collins sushi room, now rolls its nigiri, tempura teriyaki combos and katsu at Front Range Village.

OrderA roll selection with the tempura teriyaki combo

TipThe Old Town branch closed; Front Range Village on Corbett Drive is the one operating address. Happy hour keeps rolls affordable.

Bento B ★ 4.0

Bento B is a vegetarian Japanese diner inside the Crossword bookstore at KK Square in C-Scheme, Jaipur, serving ramen, sushi and bento boxes.

OrderA bento box or a ramen bowl, then sushi; the whole Jaipur menu is vegetarian.

TipIt sits inside a Crossword bookstore, so books and manga share the table; the kitchen runs 12:00 to 22:30 every day.

Cha-Ya ★ 4.0

100 percent vegan Japanese in the Gourmet Ghetto: sushi, tempura, rice dishes. Cash or Venmo only. One of Berkeley's longest-running vegan restaurants.

KAI ★ 4.0

KAI at Plaza La Isla 2, Boulevard Kukulcán km 12.5 in Cancún, serves contemporary Japanese food with Kumamoto oysters, soft-shell crab tacos and a nigiri bar.

OrderKumamoto oysters, the soft-shell crab tacos, and nigiri from the sushi bar.

TipOpen daily 13:00 to midnight; martini nights and omakase evenings are listed on the website's events page.

Gom Ramen ★ 4.0

Gom Ramen on Hunter Drive is El Paso's most-noted ramen shop, serving rich broths and carefully balanced bowls that stand out in a city where Mexican.

OrderTonkotsu ramen with marinated soft-boiled egg

TipClosed Mondays; the tonkotsu is the richest bowl; choose your spice level at the counter.

Nanakusa ★ 4.0

Nanakusa is a City Centre Japanese grill on Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, turning out ramen, sushi and robata skewers to a steady after-work crowd.

OrderA bowl of tonkotsu ramen and a few charcoal robata skewers to share.

TipIt is one of the few kitchens on this stretch open through the afternoon, handy for a late lunch.

Morimoto Napa ★ 4.0

Morimoto Napa delivers modern Japanese cooking with American scale in a glass riverfront building, drawing on the Iron Chef's Japanese-American idiom.

SignatureTuna tartare, Wagyu gyoza, Chef's tasting menu

TipThe full sushi bar counter is the best seat in the house for watching the kitchen in action.

Lily's Original ★ 4.0

Open since 1999 on Langstrasse: Japanese noodle bowls, Pakistani curries, Korean salads on long communal tables. Under CHF 25 reliably for a full plate.

TryPan-Asian noodle bowls

Sake Ichi Oden ★ 3.9

Sake Ichi Oden on Shaanxi South Road in Shanghai serves chicken soup oden and tsukemen from a warm-wood room that feels like a Tokyo backstreet at night.

OrderChicken soup oden with rice cake fudai and a flavored highball.

TipHighballs start at about ¥30, so it is a cheap late-night stop even without ordering much food.

Butanchu Ramen ★ 3.9

Butanchu Ramen down a warehouse alley in Shanghai draws a daily rain-or-shine queue for its Hakata-style, extra-thick tonkotsu pork bone broth.

TryHakata-style tonkotsu ramen with a sauce-thick pork bone broth

TipArrive early: the queue forms rain or shine, and the shop sells out once the day's broth is gone.

Osaka Braga ★ 3.9

A clean, modern Japanese room on the main pedestrian street with high-quality sushi and Asian fusion rarely found at this standard in Braga.

OrderChef's sushi selection: the freshest daily cuts assembled without a rigid printed menu.

Ippudo ★ 3.9

Ippudo's Pavilion counter serves the Hakata chain's tonkotsu ramen inside Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur's busiest shopping and dining strip, daily.

OrderAkamaru Modern tonkotsu ramen with a soft-boiled egg.

TipIppudo was the first ramen house to name its broths by colour: Shiromaru is the white bowl, Akamaru the red one.

JAWS Sushi ★ 3.9

JAWS Sushi rolls student-friendly maki and pours hot sake on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, with an 11:00-13:00 happy hour on rolls.

OrderTwo happy-hour rolls and a tokkuri of hot sake

TipClosed Mondays. The 11:00-13:00 happy hour is one of the cheapest sushi lunches in the city.

The Sushi Company ★ 3.9

The Sushi Company serves Japanese and Thai dishes, from sushi to wonton ramen, in a leafy garden setting on Sardar Patel Marg in C-Scheme, Jaipur.

OrderThe wonton ramen, which Travel + Leisure Asia names as the dish to try, with sushi alongside.

TipTravel + Leisure Asia calls the menu vegetarian-only but EazyDiner lists non-vegetarian food too, so ask; it opens at 14:00 and a meal is about ₹1,200.

Umami Ramen & Grill ★ 3.9

Umami Ramen & Grill ladles tonkotsu-style bowls, katsu curry and teriyaki plates on Euclid Avenue, Lexington's budget-friendly ramen stop near the UK campus.

TipRamen, fried rice and bubble tea cover most tables; Sunday opens at noon, every other day at 11:00.

Tsune ★ 3.9

Tsune is a Japanese restaurant on Jl. Aruna in Sanur, Bali, known for its Sushi River of floating sushi, with fish grill dishes and a breakfast service.

SignatureSushi River, Nori beef

Kyoka Japanese Kitchen ★ 3.9

Kyoka Japanese Kitchen on Jalan Dewi Sita in Ubud, Bali, serves modern Japanese comfort food, from ramen and udon to sushi rolls, with sake and cocktails.

OrderOrder the nabeyaki udon or the tonkotsu ramen, then a Japanese-style cocktail.

TipThe co-owner mixes the cocktails, so ask for a signature. The sister restaurant Ibu Susu serves pan-Asian food on Monkey Forest Road.

Umai ★ 3.9

Umai is a Japanese restaurant on the first floor of the Belroy complex on Avenida del Mediterráneo in Benidorm, serving sushi rolls, sashimi and teppanyaki.

OrderA round of uramaki and sashimi, then something off the teppanyaki.

TipLunch and dinner only, closed on Monday and Tuesday; the kitchen also does takeaway for collection.

Daikan ★ 3.9

Daikan on Maastrichter Strasse in Cologne's Belgisches Viertel combines ramen, sushi and poke bowls in a modern Japanese-inspired room with a small summer.

OrderTonkotsu ramen with rich pork-bone broth and chashu pork belly

TipThe small terrace is one of the best spots on Maastrichter Strasse in summer; arrive early to claim a seat.

Aki ★ 3.9

Aki serves ramen, donburi and okonomiyaki on Place Émile Zola in Dijon, a Japanese counter with every main dish priced under fourteen euros.

TryRamen, donburi rice bowls and okonomiyaki

TipSunday lunch is closed, so this is an evening-only day for a bowl of ramen here.

Genki Bento Atelier ★ 3.9

Genki Bento Atelier makes Japanese bento boxes for takeaway and delivery on Avenue Jean Jaurès in Reims, the second Reims address of the Genki ramen house.

TryJapanese bento boxes to take away

TipOrders can be placed for click and collect or delivery; the ramen and takoyaki menu belongs to the original Genki on Rue Chanzy.

Sobamichi ★ 3.8

Sobamichi on Xianxia Road in Shanghai, run by Japanese owners since 2015, serves thin or thick country-style soba with house-made dipping sauces.

TryZaru soba, chilled buckwheat noodles with a soy-mirin-dashi tsuyu dip

TipBeyond the classic tsuyu, try the black curry or duck dipping broth; the buckwheat tofu made with cream cheese is another house specialty.

Tso Sha ★ 3.7

Tso Sha in Peelwa Garden on Moti Doongri Road, Adarsh Nagar, Jaipur, serves spicy miso ramen and other Japanese plates in a lantern-lit room.

OrderThe spicy miso ramen with tofu.

TipTravel + Leisure Asia notes valet parking and a mix of indoor and outdoor seating, for date nights and casual catch-ups.

Arigato Sushi ★ 3.7

Long-running State Street sushi bar with candlelit energy. Known for the magic mushroom roll and black cod. Japanese technique meets Californian produce.

SignatureMagic mushroom roll, Black cod, Nigiri omakase

IRamen ★ 3.6

IRamen ladles the broth bowls Parma's traditional kitchens never touch, with vegan ramen options listed on HappyCow, across from the Parco Ducale side.

OrderThe house ramen; vegans get their own broth and toppings.

TipThe most dependable non-Italian kitchen in a city that has few, and one of the only places in Parma where a vegan gets a hot main after 21:00.

Hanaki ★ 3.5

Hanaki is an all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet on Carrer Major in Salou: more than 160 dishes ordered from a tablet, cooked to order and brought by a robot.

OrderSushi and hot dishes in small rounds from the tablet, so nothing goes cold.

TipWeekday lunch is €16.95 a head and dinners, weekends and holidays €22.95; children aged 3 to 8 pay less, and there are vegan dishes.

Hokusai ★ 3.4

Hokusai is an all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet by Plaça del Carrilet in Salou, its walls covered in manga murals and neon, serving sushi in unlimited rounds.

OrderRounds of sushi ordered a few pieces at a time so you never pay for leftovers.

TipWeekday lunch is €16.95 and nights and weekends €22.95; the whole table has to take the same buffet option, and leftover food is charged.