50 Best Japanese Restaurants in Seattle

“I love Sushi Kappo Tamura and Taichi!! I have a hard time eating sushi anywhere else.“

“One of my favorite Japanese restaurants (not to mention the oldest in Seattle) and it has never disappointed me. The food is delicious and the service is friendly and warm. It’s a difficult time we are in with the pandemic of 2020, but Maneki has transitioned to take out, which it never did before, and is so organized that it blew my mind when I saw how clearly labeled each item was when I got home. I could easily tell which was part of the teishoku 定食 or “set meal.” Support this small business because it needs us now more than ever. 01 DEC 2020.“

“Service is ON POINT !!!! Food is amazing and our waitress is amazing ! We had to bring our little one last min because child care wasn’t available. But they kindly accommodate my little one and gave her some cooked sushi !!! We really appreciate it ! We definitely will come back for a different menu because their menu changes every month ! I recommend anyone coming over to try it if they want an authentic Japanese meal in Seattle !!!“

“I love their tonkatsu. I’m from Korea and every time I try tonkatsu in America, I’m not satisfied because they are just not authentic. But this place, I like that they cook pork a bit pink inside, which is very common and delicious way to eat tonkatsu in Japan/Korea. Don’t worry about safety, it’s just so good, juicy and tender!“

“A very nice experience today with nice service and nice ambience. I'm not a big sushi fan but there are many other nice options too here. 5 out of 5.“

“Grilling is n art Issian has mastered . This is why we- my family and friends- love this place.“

“Great food, broad Japanese food menu and saki options. Good flawless service. Tiny space plan for it. Also bring your Covid vaccine card or recent test.“

“Foodies, this is a must try if you are ever in the area. Most sushi houses have a hard time getting Uni, but we had 4 dishes with fresh Uni in it. You won't regret it.“

“Sushi Kashiba will provide you a memorable meal with the freshest fish. The chef are amazing of selecting and preparing amazing nigri sushi with wonderful hot dishes for your enjoyment. The omakasa is a must while a nice glass of sake or wine will pair well with your meal. Highly recommend and will be going back“

“So good!! The onigiri were huge and delicious. We really liked the California and spicy tuna. Agedashi tofu was a delightful surprise too. Lychee iced tea was on the sweet side but also very refreshing. So glad to have visited! The wait for 2 wasn’t bad at all, and there’s a nice outdoor waiting area.“

“One of the best sushi restaurants I’ve been part of!“

“Toyota Sushi is a gem in our community! As a family-owned business, they truly go above and beyond to make every visit special. Their food is consistently amazing, with fresh ingredients and beautifully crafted dishes that never disappoint. The service is top-notch—always accommodating, friendly, and attentive to every detail. I've been a loyal customer for a while now, and I can confidently say I've never had a less-than-excellent experience here. If you're looking for a sushi spot that combines great food with warm, personalized service, Toyota Sushi is the place to go. Highly recommended! Five stars all the way. Ps. We love our Tia Helen ❤️“

“The store's service is attentive and the workmanship is very detailed and painstaking.“

“Excelente service thank you 🙏“

“Provide high-quality local ingredients and creative dishes, with a comfortable atmosphere and attentive service.“

“ほんまに美味しかったです。皆さん仮装していらっしゃって楽しいディナーでした。❤️🎃“

“Spicy tuna, crispy rice, you’re tired and is chasing the dragon.“

“TLDR: Food was increadible, felt very rushed and unwelcome by the staff.

My wife and I made a reservation and got 12 sushi + 18 sashimi and a bottle of sake to share. The food was increadible and came very quickly. There were many tables empty when we arrived and plenty still empty when we left. From the time we arrived to when we finished eating was maybe 30 min. It felt like after we paid they were trying to rush us out, really weird vibe. We sat for another 15 min finishing our water and left, having stayed for under an hour.“

“excellent sushi! everything was fresh and delicious! highly recommend checking them out!“

“Incredible! The owners are super sweet and friendly, they welcome you with big smiles and the food in hella good! I asked for spicy and they delivered! The yakiudon is 10/10! Quick service, great hospitality, and great location! Definitely recommend ☺️☺️☺️“

“Best sushi. Joe is an exceptional sushi chef. His support staff are incredible. Vintage stereo equipment and vinyl records on the walls. Don’t miss out.“

“Such a gem this place. We ordered sashimi, sushi candy, magma roll. The sake menu is delightful. Fish quality was good, service was great, cute cozy spot. Next time we will be back for the omakase special. Our server Angie was so welcoming, love restaurants like this.“

“It was a great experience for my family. We highly recommend Sai Sushi & Sake!“

“(UPDATED REVIEW) I visited here in December 2023. Last time, the food was so good and the servicd was amazing. The prices weren't bad either. Im back again, and the food is still top tier. Really good dining place, the service is immaculate. The prices could be a little cheaper but its okay! Love this place!“

“We've been coming here for over a decade. When we first came the place was excellent. At some point there was a change in ownership and we felt the restaurant took a dip in quality so we stopped coming here. This was our first time back in about three years and it seems there was another change in ownership and the quality (as well as value) is back to what it was.“

“Excellent sushi. Great and fast staff with easy menu on app ordering.“

“This has got to be the best restaurant I’ve ever been to. Their staff is phenomenal and I’ve loved everything I’ve eaten there. They have a nice variety of dishes and appetizers. and it’s a restaurant I highly recommend for their delicious food and super sweet staff.“

“I LOVE THIS PLACE. So happy we stumbled upon this place during our evening stroll. Everything we had was chef’s choice and the chef did not disappoint. The rolls with the squash was delightful! Everything here truly brought me back to Japan.“

“Super quick, convenient spot to grab a delicious meal that is a solid value. I always get the chicken teriyaki, my Fiance loves the yakisoba. One of the few places in Fremont you can get a filling dinner for <$20

Parking: Usually a spot available, small lot with ~5 spots“

“Just went there for the Gyudon and it exceeded my expectations. It was very delicious and on the spot. Down side is nothing to do with the restaurant but parking. It is hard to find a good parking spot. However will be coming back but probably picking up the food rather than dinning in.“

“Amazing, will go back in the next trip to Seattle“

“Had such a great time here Wednesday the 6th of August. Came with my soon to be brother in law, and everything was spectacular. We didn't have a res, so we had to wait for a short while, had a drink across the street and in perfect timing we got a text. The GM, E, was amazing and was controlling both halves of the restaurant and running food and explaining menu items and everyone was attentive and 5 stars despite being busy. I'll definitely be back, the Chirashi bowl and sushi was perfect, not an afterthought, but the yakitori was killer and surprised me every bite. Cocktails were spot on and quick, loved the paper plane twist. 10/10. Eat here.“

“5 stars would recommend to everyone“

“Out of this world Sake, Staff and Food!!! Hannyatou took me back to my years living in Japan! The tastes, the aromas and the friendly atmosphere flooded all my senses causing my brain to feel like I was back in time We live in Maryland and would come back to Seattle at the drop of a hat just to go to Hannyatou! Kanpai!“

“We were in the city for an event and wanted some sushi before heading home. This place had great reviews and I can see why. It's pretty unassuming from the outside but the staff were prompt and friendly. The sushi tasted very fresh and the menu/flavors branched far enough from basic. We had a few items and loved them all. The ocean queen roll was my wife's favorite roll she's ever had. No alcohol available, but we'll definitely be back next time we're in the area!“

“Real beef and chicken pieces. Enough for two meals. Perfect sauce and perfect salad dressing.“

“visited for the first time with my boyfriend yesterday and we were very surprised with the flavor and quality!! the tuna and salmon were delicious and the young man making our bowls was very nice! would come here again, as the price is very reasonable compared to other poke shops!“

“I've been to Migoto a few times with my husband and we have consistently enjoyed my experiences. The atmosphere is super cozy and the service is friendly and attentive. Every roll and dish I've had has been good, with the Samurai and Caterpillar rolls being standouts. The Japanese cocktails are also a highlight, especially the Lady Apple made with nigiri - definitely worth trying. We will definitely keep returning.“

“Chef is nice and friendly. Sushi-wise I was hoping for something more, it started really well and 4 nigiri are high lights and impressed me, the yozi scallop one brings you right into summer, and the one wrapped in clear Hokkaido seaweed feels like a fresh bite of ocean, apple wood smoked salmon has the perfect balance of smokiness. Oysters nigiri is really fresh and well done.
However, it didn’t go uphill as omakase usually do where next nigiri tastes even better, towards the second half of course some nigiri feels unbalanced, or even too salty because of overpowering source, hand roll is one of them.. desert didn’t wow me unfortunately.

Overall good experience but I was really hoping it could be beyond just good.“

“Great service and tasty menu“

“it's okay! I'll leave it just like that.“

“There’s something magical about the coffee jelly here - it’s drinkable and dissolves in your mouth but not while it’s in the drink. Furthermore, it’s plant-based. At first, when I got my drink, I was a little worried that the jelly would not work with the straw, but there were no issues at all.

I got the jelly coffee and milk, which was their signature drink. The first half of the drink was really amazing - strong coffee flavor, great jelly texture, and high-quality half-and-half. You really need to mix the drink before drinking for the best results. However, towards the end of the drink there were some acidic notes, which I think is from the coffee itself. I did read about their coffee supplier, and while I’m glad they use a local roaster, I’m not a huge fan of the beans (having tried it before myself).

Everything in this shop is well-crafted and intentional, and the staff is really nice. The tables here are pretty tiny and this isn’t really a spot to hang out long or to study/work. However, I definitely think their coffee jelly is worth trying and will be back to try the tea flavors next time.“

“Excellent sushi and service !“

“First time in west Seattle and this location was recommended to us for the best teriyaki chicken. We place our order we got the chicken teriyaki with rice and lettuce and an appetizer with dumplings and eggrolls. Our total was $30 and it was the most amazing teriyaki we have ever had.“

“Delicious, curteous, fast, and they offer sake flights. Very creative specialities, and the rolls are generously sized. They also clearly label where they use real crab and where they use imitation crab, which is a level of forthrightness I appreciate in a good sushi place.

Vegetarian options: Great vegan sushi rolls too.“

“Great food, great employees ( especially Raechel). We love going to Shiku. They are very helpful with recommendations, and we've never been disappointed. We highly recommend trying them out.“

“I tried to get a reservation for my friend’s birthday in August, but it looked like there were some issues with Tock, the reservation system they use. That said, I truly think Taneda did their best to handle the situation as quickly and gracefully as possible. Sometimes life happens, tech issues are out of anyone’s control.

Although I wasn’t able to get a spot at the 11 AM and 11:45 AM open reservation time, I’m happy my friend was able to grab one after I stopped trying. I’ll definitely keep supporting this restaurant and will try again for my husband’s birthday in the future!

As for the food, this is hands down the best sushi I’ve had in Seattle. If I could eat here every month, I would. The staff is super friendly and the seafood is incredibly fresh. There were some seafood dishes I had never tried before, and every single one was a 10/10. I usually don’t even like uni, but the one they served didn’t have that oceany taste, it was so clean and buttery. Their sake selection was also really good!

Can’t wait to come back!“

“This has been somewhere I've been looking to try for a while, especially the Loco Moco Scotch Egg, which is what I ordered
The dish is an fascinating combination of a couple different things - Loco Moco, which is a hamburger patty with egg and white rice, and a Scotch Egg, which
is a boiled egg wrapped in ground beef, that's then deep fried.

This leans more onto the Scotch Egg part of things, as it's a fried & breaded ground beef ball with a soft-boiled egg in the middle, but the Loco Moco part of it is that it comes over rice and with gravy, and also mac salad

For me, the concept of this dish ended up being more interesting than the actual result
There were certainly some highlights. The egg was perfectly soft-boiled with a slightly runny yolk inside, the ground beef tasted quite good, and the mac salad was especially excellent - it had a certain spice to it that was delightful
The gravy was fine, but nothing special

The main issue was with the breading of the beef. It was really soggy, to the point that it just didn't taste like anything except like a covering that was wet from the gravy. There wasn't the slightest hint of crunch, or anything more than a damp blanket over the beef. Since the breading comprised a large portion of the volume of the meal, since there wasn't much to like about it, this lowered the overall experience
Also, the rice was on the drier side. This got better after mixing with gravy, but it was not great at the start

We also got the fried cauliflower as an appetizer - and this was decent - the upper parts were a bit lacking in sauce, but the light breading worked wel here

The price was on the expensive side, as it was $40 per person. The portions are decent, but not overwhelming. I think there are cheaper spots all along Chinatown that work better if you're looking for value

Overall, it's an interesting concept, but there are some issues here that prevent it from being a spot I really enjoyed. 7/10“

“I love Musashi! They do not have a website but unfortunately someone evil out there has made a fake one. Don’t be fooled! Call or go to Musashi’s to order food. Do not use the fake website to order or you will be charged for a fake order. Very sad.“

“Great foods and awesome service!“