44 Best Japanese Restaurants in Raleigh

“Amazing quality and flavorful food. Every dish had the exact flavor touches it needed.
The ramen was spectacular. The sushi rolls extremely delicious and fresh. The buns perfectly balanced. Agua fresca just the cherry on top of everything else.
Super friendly staff and great atmosphere.“

“Was solid and Abby was a beautiful and attentive waitress.“

“This place is casual, calm and inviting with a limited menu of fresh hand roll, sushi and ramen along with a menu of Japanese spirits. I had the crispy rice tuna starter and then moved on to a top tier hand roll perfectly complimented by a Haku vodka highball. Daijobu translates to “it’s fine”, I recommend it as much more than fine.“

“Ventured out from our normal sushi mainstay to try something new, based on something we saw on Instagram. It turned out to be a fantastic choice. Upon arrival, there was a buzz and you got the sense this was anymore traditional restaurant versus those that position themselves as trendy. There was an electricity in the air and the sound of a bell being rung whenever someone leaves a tip at the bar. We ordered the omakase. The chef personally came out to speak with us, explaining the courses, and asking about allergies. Then our journey began. We had six courses of 16 nigiri and 5 rolls the chef created for the evening. Every piece was a feast for the eyes and a treat for the taste buds. You knew it was fresh just by sight, but it all came together when you slid them in your pinhole. All in all, this was an excellent first impression. I will return and explore the menu. My only negative is very personal, because I'm a lazy driver and would prefer a closer location. Cheers!“

“Great food and excellent service and all you can eat for under $20“

“I love Ajisai for takeout lunch or dinner. You can easily order from their website and pay online or in person, and the orders are ready very quickly. The few times I've dined inside the food is always fresh and delicious, and the presentation is always great. Waitstaff can be a little slow, I would allow extra time if you're dining there before a Goodnight's show next door.“

“First time coming here and will be back. They did not disappoint!!!! Our server Nyasia helped us have a wonderful experience. She explained everything to us and was helpful. Food is delicious, portions are on point!! And love it is all you can eat.“

“Made us something not on the menu and it was on the house! Waitstaff was very friendly :)“

“This has been my go-to hibachi place for years!! The chicken hibachi with rice is really good and I like that they offer a spicy version as well. The girl at the front, Gabi, is really welcoming and always makes sure we have everything we need.“

“Came with my kids (3) two got steak bowls, one yummy chicken bowl ( 🤤) and one steak hibachi plate. We also got the gyoza fried.
So good esp for the price. It was around 57.00 with three sodas. Will definitely come again! Oh and they have LARGE white sauce cups that come with the meals, not the usual small cups!“

“First visit with the kids and it was amazing. The staff were all great and the food was beyond amazing 🤩. I will definitely be back and will bring more people with me.“

“Best hidden gem. Amazing food and super friendly staff. We’ll be back soon!“

“My husband almost moved to Raleigh when we were engaged because of Sake House. Both our families & his job being in Virginia tipped the scale in that direction, but not by much. The sushi is excellent“

“Whenever I am in the Raleigh area and I am near, this is my favorite quick Japanese restaurant. The food and atmosphere is consistent and the quality is fresh and you receive a bang for your buck. The inside is a small quaint restaurant and I usually take it to go.“

“This is a great place to eat. Ramen! They had lots of options to choose from on the menu. The food was very good. It is a small dining room, so it could possibly get very busy. We had no problem finding seating, and a waitress took our order quickly.“

“Sono Sushi has consistently provided great service during my visits. The staff is attentive, professional, and does a good job keeping things running smoothly even when it gets busy. The atmosphere is welcoming and the overall dining experience feels well organized. You can tell they care about customer experience, which keeps people coming back.“

“good food. sat outside, nice atmosphere“

“Since moving from NY to NC, I've been looking for a really good Japanese Steak place like a Benihana or, where I came from on Long Island, we had a place called Shiro's. I found the food at Umanmi to be excellent...and, plan to go back soon.“

“absolutely delicious, the food was perfectly seasoned and so so good

also the staff was very helpful, especially Emily, with recommending dishes that fit my likings

all in all it is a very clean, sweet, and cute establishment

10/10 recommend“

“Nice place. Fried dumplings were so good.“

“Fast service. Lovely surroundings, beautiful carved tables and great good.“

“On a motorcycle ride and decided to stop and grab some food and take a break.
Trying a new thing and bought the creamy ramen chicken soup. I actually liked it and loved the egg, corn and seaweed addition. Tried this at Morgan St Food Hall. Will be back again!

Free water and cup pitcher. Atmosphere was live last night. Pretty crowded and bar was packed.

Parking deck is on the same block.“

“If you are looking for the best Japanese food in the Triangle, **Tenko Japan** is it! In my opinion, they have **THE BEST tempura shrimp and crab rangoons in all of Raleigh.** The food is always fresh and high-quality, but what makes it even better is that the **staff is incredibly friendly** and the **prices are very fair.** It’s rare to find such a perfect combo of great service and great value. 10/10 recommend! 🍤🦀
I'd post a photo but it was so good I finished it before I even thought to grab my camera!“

“Love it the people was nice food was great“

“Awesome customer service. Dining in at the bar or to go orders. Always come to this location for the past 12 years they are the best.“

“I've been to this restaurant a few times in the past month. The store itself is not all that glamorous, it's a bit unassuming I would say. However the food and service is exceptional. I really enjoyed both the dragon roll and the crab tempura roll when I had them and after recently trying both their Korean style honey glazed and sweet & spicy chicken. I can safely say this has now become my go-to place for fried chicken (if you haven't had Korean fried chicken, definitely check it out).“

“Wonderful place for Dinner“

“Great Lunch option! I get the lunch boxes for my employees and they all like how meaty and filling it is.“

“Love it the people was nice food was great“

“Had an amazing real good food just like at my friends house :) brings me back. Market I loved got more than I wanted :)“

“They use the best Quality Food and always have stellar service, super clean too!“

“The food was absolutely delicious and nothing was over cooked into chewiness. I am sad about the Japanese white sauce because it was quite runny and bland, but as the saying goes: If you have to put sauce over steak (or food in general) then the food wasn't good. However, that was furthest from the truth and I enjoyed every bite. The atmosphere is great with traditional japanese counter seating. Overall appearance is clean and well maintained.“

“I needed to order a group lunch for work and reached out to this restaurant online. Within 15 minutes, Carolyn had responded with options and an offer to talk by phone. After talking with me, Carolyn suggested a more cost effective way to order the menu items I had selected. Because pickup at the restaurant was not an option for my group, Carolyn offered to deliver our order herself. The food was great, was on time (in fact, it was a few minutes early), and Carolyn gave me superb customer service. Everyone in the group enjoyed their lunch. Side note: This was the 4th lunch order within a week for our group, and the Hibachi lunch was the only one that everyone ate. We will order again in the future!“

“Very good food and friendly relaxing awesome etc“

“This place has the best Korean chicken wings. They make them to order and the homemade kimchi was the best I've ever had. It gets crowded quickly because there isn't much space in the checkout or restaurant area, but it's worth a trip.“

“Great food , good service!!!“

“Enter Hibachi 101. High pitched Asian noises greet you as you place your order for Hibachi that absolutely slaps. The inside is unassuming but why are you here??!?? To get a massage? No. You are here for the Hibachi, now eat it.

The Vegies are also very good.

Yumyum sauce = yumyumyummy“

“Everything the server crew was amazing“

“The Spicy crab with Sriracha was amazing. I'll definitely be back.“

“eggplant in garlic sauce was delicious, spicy too!“

“Tried this place first time today. Food was awesome. Got the steak hibachi and wife got the vegetable hibachi . Also got the spring rolls which were super hot and great. Both plates were great and nice and hot with great flavor. Rice was nice and fluffy not a ball stuck together. Great place for hibachi and Owner is a super nice guy. Will be back soon.“

“Walking into this restaurant/new coffee bar, felt like walking in being greeted by family. The food was amazing, and fresh! The have some great community art plans for the restaurant!!! I highly recommend for atmosphere, food quality, and ambience.“

“Great sushi, drinks and atmosphere“

“My favorite place to buy Sushi!! It's not the fanciest place but the quality of the food is very good, which is what matters most to me. Staff is always polite and welcoming. I am and will continue to be a regular customer.“