Boston’s Japanese food scene has been evolving for years. Nowadays, no matter sushi, omakase, ramen or the izakaya vibes and yakitori-yas, there will be a Japanese restaurant in Boston to fit your taste. Today let’s take a look at the best Japanese restaurants in Boston. And once you’ve explored these eateries, you can also check out other regional Asian specialties, like the Top 5 Chinese Restaurants in Boston or the Top 5 Asian Restaurants in Boston.
Top 10 Japanese Restaurants in Boston
1. Oishii
Oishii is a very delicate Japanese food restaurant. The location of this Japanese restaurant is relatively hidden, which is not easy to find. However, the environment inside the Oishii is clean and spacious, and the interior lighting is particularly dim, which is very atmospheric. Besides, there are multiple options of seating, like the lounge/bar, sushi bar and tables. In addition, reservations need to be made in advance, which can be made on the official website or you can search the restaurant directly on Google map and there will be reservation options. Wagyu Beef Ishiyaki is one of the most highly praised dishes in Oishii. The preserved Japanese wagyu beef is not greasy and after burned on the hot stone, it tastes super tender and the meat literally melts in your mouth like butter. Moreover, the waitstaff are attentive and the service is excellent.
Address: 1166 Washington St. Boston, MA 02118
Business Hours: Tuesday – Thursday: 4:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Friday – Saturday: 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Recommended Dishes: Wagyu Beef Ishiyaki, Salmon on Fire, Hamachi, Foie Gras Truffle, Wagyu Beef Tartare
2. Tora Japanese Restaurant
Tora Japanese Restaurant specialises in sushi and exquisite noodle soups. Parking is not easy near the store, so we recommend to choose public transportation. The overall environment of the store is Japanese simple style with sushi Bar and diners can choose bar or table. However, there aren’t many seats inside. But there are glass partitions separating diners, which make diners feel safe and comfortable while eating. A popular dish in Tora Japanese Restaurant is Sake Aisuru Don with rose-shaped salmon. Also, the restaurant has the best raw fish rice in Boston. The sweet sea urchin is served with a variety of soft and sweet sashimi to create a wonderful balance on the rice overflowing white rice. Besides, the special soy sauce is added to stir well. The sashimi is fresh, thick and juicy, and when combined with the warm rice, each bite is fragrant. In addition, the Akasaka Maki sushi and crispy shrimp tempura rolls, are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside and it tastes great when stained with special sauce.
Address: 20B Tyler St Boston, MA 02111
Business Hours: Monday – Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Recommended Dishes: Sake Aisuru Don, Maguro Toro Don, Pinku Maki, Takoyaki, K2 Uni Ikura Don
3. Omori Izakaya
Omori Izakaya is a cozy izakaya located in Brookline Village and it has been serving no-frills Japanese bar fare for years. The service in this Japanese restaurant is incredibly quick and polite. Additionally, Omori Izakaya is one of the best places for the takoyaki. The flavors in the ball itself are on point and the octopus is in a perfect chewiness. Besides, the nine palace grid is popular and fresh and each compartment featuring a sashimi or onigiri decorated in exquisite detail, which is also perfect for taking photos and posting. Furthermore, the Miyazaki roll is fantastic, which has avocado, cooked shrimp, and mayo covered with seared melt-in-mouth wagyu with unagi sauce.
Address: 195 Washington St Brookline, MA 02445
Business Hours: Monday – Thursday: 12:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Friday – Saturday: 12:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM – 9:45 PM
Recommended Dishes: Pork Belly, Squid, Pork Belly Bun, Octopus, Soft Shell Crab, Grilled Squid
4. Three 1 One
Three 1 One is the new hot Omakase in Boston. This Japanese restaurant located in the heart of Boston’s vibrant South End neighborhood. The name Three 1 One symbolizes the trinity of the chef, the ingredients, and the customers — with the number 3 representing creativity, self-expression, and communication, and the number 11 signifying intuition, spiritual awakening, and enlightenment. The Hairy Crab is a must in wine dishes, and its shell is filled with crab meat, sea urchins and caviar, which is very delicious. Besides, the Fish Roe Macaron is also good with a crispy mochi crust. Moreover, the Tamago in the restaurant is very special, which is sprinkled with white sugar and burned to create a crisp caramel. In addition, the Cheesecake in this Japanese restaurant is better than 99% of the dessert place in Boston.
Address: 605 Tremont St Ste G Boston, MA 02118
Business Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 5:30 PM – 11:00 PM
Recommended Dishes: Hairy Crab, Egg Omelette, Fatty Tuna, Tai Truffle, Shirako, Hotate
5. Fuji at Ink Block
Fuji at Ink Block is located in the vibrant South End in Boston. The Fuji at Ink Block menu offers a variety of dining options from à la carte makimonos and appetizers to shareable wok-tossed combinations and Omakase dinners. There are traditional sushi classics, inventive makimonos, explosive stir-fries, an extensive beer, wine and sake list and creative cocktails in this Japanese restaurant. Besides, the service in this restaurant is great and the staff are attentive. Moreover, Wagyu Beef Fried Rice is their specialty and super recommended. Besides, the Sushi Boat is mainly a sushi platter, and the portions are quite large.
Address: 352 Harrison Ave Ste B Boston, MA 02118
Business Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday – Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:45 PM
Recommended Dishes: Miss Waldorf, Prism Dream, Black Truffle Maki, Wagyu Beef Clay Pot, Toro, Lobster Rangoon
6. Yamato II
Yamato II is a buffet restaurant, and most items are included in the buffet price, except for a few items that require an extra charge. The AYCE sushi comes with a huge selection at a great value and includes a lot of types of food in addition to sushi, like fried rice, noodles, smaller dishes like agedashi tofu. Besides, the buffet menu recommends tempura, beef and sashimi. The quality of the sashimi is great. In addition, this place has a lot of seats and also bar seat options if you want to eat alone or see the chefs make the food. For dessert, the ice cream and fried ice cream are great ways to top off the night. While you can get different flavors of the ice cream, the fried ice cream always comes as vanilla.
Address: 545 Boylston St Boston, MA 02116
Business Hours: Monday – Saturday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Recommended Dishes: Seaweed Salad, Shrimp Tempura Box Lunch, Shumai, Gyoza, Ramen, Agedashi Tofu
7. Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
Gyu-Kaku is a Japanese restaurant mainly deals with Japanese barbecue. In the restaurant, you can choose self-service or a la carte. It is a cost-effective restaurant. The self-service is only available from Monday to Thursday and comes in three prices that can be selected according to individual circumstances. For a la carte, we recommend you to try all kinds of beef, as well as pork belly. Moreover, the Hanger Steak and the Angus Beef Rib are highly recommended. Besides, everything was seasoned perfectly to pair well with the spicy dipping sauces available at the table. Besides, the service is good and the staff are attentive. The staff will kindly replace the grill regularly and are always ready to answer any questions. In addition, it’s better to make a reservation in advance, which can be made on the official website or via Google map.
Address: 23 District Ave Dorchester, MA 02125
Business Hours: Monday – Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Recommended Dishes: Gyu-kaku Salad, Japanese Fried Chicken Karaage, Spicy Addicting Cucumber, Crunchy Garlic Shrimp Noodles
8. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a tiny Japanese restaurant that serves delicious Japanese ramen. The place seemed a little run down but the service is quick and nice. Their quantity of noodles is more than that at other ramen restaurants and it is well cooked. Besides, you can choose the spiciness of the ramen according to your preference. Moreover, the ramen broths are delicious, the chasu pork is very tender. The restaurant is cozy. Besides, there are family style seats, so be prepared to be seated at a table with strangers. The queue for a seat can get long, but it’s worth the wait.
Address: 66 Hereford St Boston, MA 02115
Business Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Recommended Dishes: Kara Miso Ramen, Shio Ramen, Spicy Miso Ramen, Pork Belly, Rice Bowls, Goma Miso Ramen
9. Judy's Bay
Judy’s Bay is a cozy izakaya, with “wall-facing” bar seats that highlight Japanese culture. Uni Tuna bowl is beautiful in appearance and the sea urchin is delicious. Besides, the Tuna is Nakaochi, which is slightly fishy, but it goes well with vinegar rice and wasabi. Moreover, Matcha ice cream is one of the recommendations on the permanent menuthe. The thick ice cream is really excellent and the matcha is just right with the mellow texture. Besides, the matching ingredients, crushed biscuits, red beans, mochi are great. Furthermore, another recommendation is the Sake Flight, which comes with three different types of sake to choose from. We recommend the Classic and the first glass of Everlasting Roots is very much like Chinese baijiu. The second glass of Wandering Poet is refreshing and slightly sour, while the third one Kikusui is just fine.
Address: 279A Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139
Business Hours: Wednesday – Sunday: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Recommended Dishes: Lobster Roe Pasta, Miso Pork Belly, Oyster Mushrooms, Miso Ribs, Strawberry Tapioca
10. No relation
No Relation is a nine-seat, secret sushi restaurant located within Shore Leave. Chef Colin Lynch leads the inventive omakase menu, where includes the Japanese technique and his creative interpretation of a sushi-ya. Besides, each evening, there will be over approximately 14 courses presented. Wagyu, the most umami mouthful one, is super rich and decadent. Besides, Shima Ali with uni, sourced from Hokkaido, is also delicious. For Toro, you cannot go wrong with fatty tuna. There are lots of garnishes and toppings on the nigiri – think lemon zest, black truffle, ginger, scallion, which is a feast of sight and taste.
Address: 11 William E Mullins Way Boston, MA 02118
Business Hours: Monday – Sunday: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Recommended Dishes: Lobster Roe Pasta, Miso Pork Belly, Oyster Mushrooms, Miso Ribs, Strawberry Tapioca
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FAQ
Yes. The Shops at Porter is the only “Japan Town” there.
Omakase directly translates to – “I leave it up to you.” Omakase, a chef-curated dinner, is famous for its direct interactions with the chef. The customer leaves the order details to the sushi chef.
Tempura.
Noodles: soba, udon and ramen.
Sushi.
Okonomiyaki.
Teppanyaki.
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