50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Albany

“Sushi bar runs by Chinese? Why not?
The origin of sushi has to trace the sushi’s roots back to China—and even further, to Southeast Asia. The earliest form of sushi, called narezushi, was a method of preserving fish by fermenting it with rice. This technique likely developed in the Mekong and Irrawaddy River basins and was adopted by the Baiyue people of southern China. The Han Chinese documented it as early as the 4th century BCE.
So yes, Chi ese gave sushi the practice beginning.

Twice we dined here, savoring sushi not from a Japanese bar, but from a Chinese family’s hands—gentle, precise, and quietly proud. The flavors whispered of history: from riverbanks in southern China to the bustling streets of Edo. Sushi, reborn and reimagined.“

“Great food and quick service! A must try place if you’re in the area!“

“Absolutely best sushi. The chef is extremely passionate and talented, and it shows in the food and the service that is a lost art in current times. The prices are extremely fair for this quality of sushi. I think it's honestly worth more, but the lower prices make it more accessible. They have excellent vegetarian and vegan options. Highly recommend spicy crunchy tuna roll, futomaki roll, shitaki maki vegetable tempura, and my partner recommends the white dragon roll.
I have a crab allergy and have never had any issues here.
Service is good and the atmosphere is nice. The restaurant is decorated and has a nice feel.
In the picture: white dragon roll, spicy crunchy tuna rolls, vegetarian Bento box with veggie tempura and shitaki maki. Highly recommend this place.“

“I always get the vegetable tempura it comes with rice and we also get the California sushi rolls it’s always fresh and delicious best sushi and Japanese food I think it’s family run everyone there is very nice high quality ingredients and food you won’t be disappointed

Kid-friendliness: My son n had fun he’s 6 years old they have television and music very nice atmosphere“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“I went to KEN for my birthday and it was absolutely phenomenal. The fish was delicious; so many new flavors and combinations; the chef was superb - talented and entertaining, with great attention to detail. The service was impeccable. I cannot say enough good things!“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“Reservations were a little hard to get, but the experience itself is great. Good food, although a bit heavy (as one would expect from fried food, with several meat dishes). The food is aiming to give an authentic japanese experience, and the staff were extremely nice and friendly.“

“It’s a small and cozy izakaya, perfect for dining alone or with a small group of 3–4 people. I ordered appetizers from the special menu. First up: Mentaiko Zucchini (so delicious! The very first bite was refreshing, followed by the rich umami saltiness of the mentaiko. A little dip in Karashi mustard made it even better—definitely a must-try! Highly recommended).

Next was Kuramaebi, tiger prawns deep-fried tempura style and topped with tartar sauce. After that, I ordered Ba-ra Kushiyaki and Kobe Kushiyaki (served 2 skewers each). I especially enjoyed the Kobe—it was grilled perfectly and went really well with Shichimi Togarashi. If it had the same green onion topping as the Ba-ra, I think it would have been absolutely perfect.😋“

“Excellent Japanese cuisine, service and staff are wonderful and helpful“

“If you want the freshest fish downtown has to offer.... go to Sanraku“

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

“awesome a must try, this is a hidden gem“

“I've ordered delivery from here 5 times.
Solid food (except the one time I had a scale in my sushi roll). Not bad service (wish they'd be more accommodating with requests). Takes too damn long to make (~80 min ETA every time on DoorDash).

Prefer Sushi Shio. every. single. time.

P.S. will add more photos of the food if I ever order from here again.“

“Eating is a kind of happiness, taste is a kind of interest“

“Every single meat cut was cooked to perfection!! The menu is also designed very balanced, with vegetables and steamed eggs between meat courses to balance out the flavors. Chris helped us grill the meat and he’s such a delight to chat with!“

“Every dish truly amazed me!
The flavors, presentation, and attention to detail were outstanding.
I’m a huge fan of uni, and theirs was absolutely delicious — fresh, rich, and unforgettable.
The chef and staff were incredibly warm and attentive, which made the whole experience even better.
Highly recommend!“

“I walked in for a late dinner and was able to find a seat at the bar. Jenny was a wonderful server and helped me make some very delicious choices in the chef special bluefin flight and fresh caught uni. She was very helpful in explaining the different cuts of the tuna, the sake list, and was very friendly and warm for an out of towner and first time visitor to Nara. The tuna flight was phenomenal. The two cuts of toro were the highlights, but the tuna hand roll was also super bright and a great finish to the flight. Jenny gave recommendations on order and pairing for the flight of sake and the flight of fish. Altogether just a wonderful time, the food came out quick, it was fun to watch the chefs preparing food with such delicate care, and if I lived in San Francisco this would be the spot I would take a date to impress them. 10/10“

“Probably the best meal I’ve ever had, super fun, exciting, every bite was perfect. Intimate and fast process“

“Until we get Japanese 7-elevens, I believe this is the closest we will come to authentic egg salad and fruit sandos. I’ve read about their lines, but we were lucky enough to stop in right at opening on a Holiday weekend and didn’t have to wait at all. Bonus, seating was available too. They have daily specials that were very tempting, but we stuck to the classics. 10/10 would come again.“

“Quasi-private dining experience with exquisite omakase curated with top shelf fresh seafood run by a single chef and a single waitress/hostess. Impressive culinary arts in whimsical and small dining room. Wagyu beef topped with caviar and gold flakes nigiri for the win. Improvements could include more familiar Japanese beers and sake along with allowing customer to choose tip percentage based on quality of service. (I’m not a fan of flat 20% no matter what for service fee). All in all, great dining experience and worth revisiting!“

“Great food and great service“

“Absolutely blown away by this sushi spot. It’s a hidden gem with the perfect mix of cozy romantic ambiance and truly top tier sushi. The lighting is soft and intimate which makes it ideal for a date night or a quiet evening to treat yourself.

The nigiri is next level. Fresh, delicate, and full of flavor. I highly recommend sitting at the bar and letting the chef choose a few pieces for you if you’re open minded.

Because of the chef I discovered that I absolutely LOVE Horse Mackerel Nigiri, Kutuso, and Shima Aji. These were things I probably never would have picked on my own but now I can’t stop craving them.

Every piece felt like it was crafted with care and precision. You can really taste the passion and expertise behind each bite.
Already dreaming about my next visit. Easily one of my favorite sushi experiences in the Mission.“

“Exceptional service. Delicious, artfully presented omakase at a reasonable price point.“

“This place is a gem. Stumbled in here when HK lounge was too full for lunch. It was deserted when we came in and the prices were a little high, so I was a little apprehensive but let me tell you what, this place is phenomenal. Staff is very kind and the food was fantastic. Each cut of fish was so good and melted in your mouth. Lots of effort was put into the plating. We came for lunch and had the salmon chirashi bowl and the bento box. We will be back. And soon. Also they have live blue fin tuna cutting.“

“Tasty spot with great flavors! We got handrolls, trout, hwe dup bap, oxtail jjigae, gai lan, and chocolate cake which was kind of the best chocolate cake I've had in a while. The handrolls and hwe dup bap were my favorite! I was glad to try everything but I would prob get the wagyu sam instead of the oxtail next time. Can't wait to be back.“

“Delicious food and friendly staff“

“I just moved back to the city not too long ago and the vivid memory of having bone marrow ramen popped up in my head. Before I went to the location over in the Sunset district. When I went to Google the spot, found out there was on SOMA. Went over there on my lunch break and it was just as amazing as before. I didn't grab the bone marrow add-on this time. Huge regret. However, still delicious. This is one of the ramen spots I'd recommend to friends to go to. Now that I know the SOMA location is a choice, I will stop by every so often to get my fix.“

“Super delicious 👍 I never eat Japan food super good like this before.“

“My partner told me about this place after seeing buzz about it on TikTok. We both wanted to try it and so we dined in on a Friday night. The restaurant offers outdoor heated seating, but we opted for indoors since we brought our baby. Fortunately, the wait was not too long because it sure turned frigid fast.

As other reviewers mentioned the restaurant is quite cozy. They also have a communal high table. We were seated near the window with a high chair. We ordered the frozen beer, potstickers, chicken karaage, maguro bowl and mentai spaghetti for dinner. For dessert we had the apple tart and the Hokkaido cheesecake.

We loved the cheesecake and the spaghetti. While the other dishes were solid, the spaghetti and the cheesecake were the stars! Looking forward to coming back to try the champignon pasta.“

“Good food, great, friendly service. Going to a new restaurant with young kids can be a bit harrowing, you never k ow how kid friendly the atmosphere will be. The server could not have been nicer. Chicken Katsu was some of the crispiest I’ve had!“

“The atmosphere and presentation of the food was extremely chic! The meal was delicious!!“

“Truly excellent place that has been here in the neighborhood forever. We've been coming here or getting orders togo for a decade and it's been the same folks running it the whole time and they are superb.
2025 update - still going strong. great food and great service!“

“I've been a fan of Kibatsu since their early days when they first opened Sugoi! on Valencia. Over the years, they've expanded to three locations and consistently deliver exceptional sushi and Japanese cuisine. Their food never disappoints—trust me, it's worth the visit every time.

In fact, I once dined here 8 days in a row because I just couldn't get enough! If you're unsure what to order, I highly recommend trying the Omakase—you'll be glad you did. Some of my favorites include Ponzu Walu, Walu, Amaebi, Wagyu, Uni, Umimatsu, Kimedai, and countless other delicious options.

If you're craving top-quality fish and authentic Japanese flavors, Kibatsu is the place to go. Don't miss out!“

“Incredibly fresh fish and superb attention to detail. Great experience overall.

Dietary restrictions: Waitress asked if we had any allergies or food restrictions when we placed the order.

Kid-friendliness: Our 5 and 6 year old kids were welcomed. They dropped a ton of stuff on floor but waitress was kind and gave us new utensils.“

“Intimate sushi and Japanese restaurant. The handrolls are delicious, crispy and subtle flavor. The fish is fresh (key to good sushi and sashimi). It's definitely higher level Japanese restaurant. And the servers are attentive and very friendly. They gave my toddler special attention and kept him happy ( no small feat). Definitely a premium sushi and sashimi restaurant at a reasonable price.“

“This is a great spot! The service was great and very fast. The person serving us was very nice and attentive. We had the karage and sushi combo which came with more fish than we were expecting! Everything was very fresh and nicely presented. They had a lot of different seating areas -- it was two of us this time but would be suitable for bigger groups too. I always love getting an Andes mint after dinner too:) Definitely recommend and will be coming back!“

“Jo's awesome. We had a great experience. Highly recommended for birthdays or just being together 👯‍♀️💯👍“

“It has a very interesting menu, I really enjoy the food.“

“在美國的日本味道，這是算不錯的“

“Nigiri combo is excellent! I can’t wait to try the sashimi combo next. I came just before they were closing for lunch and people were steadily coming either to pick up or eat-in up until their closing time. It seemed they were regular customers who are keeping this place a secret and happy to say, I am on it already. Can’t wait to go back.“

“We were on our way to SF MOMA for Ruth Asawa, but we were really hungry. Thankfully Japanese House was close by. We were offered tea by the very welcoming host right as we sat down. We ordered the Dragon and Tsunami Rolls, both were good, with the Dragon being my favorite. We also had the Chicken Katsu Curry which was flavorful. All in all a very satisfying experience.“

“I cannot say I had a bad experience. Everything was my favorite“

“Went for a dinner and concert (Brian Simpson, oh yeah!). Purchased premium seating tickets and also made reservations to the restaurant. If you have tickets and you eat at the restaurant they will assign you preferred seating (not premier, but all seats are good in there). The restaurant is gorgeous inside. Menu and food was excellent. Highly recommend.“

“Quality is key with any meal. Roger-San is all about quality. Sit at the bar if you can!“

“Sushi was great and Ti the owner was very generous.“

“The ingredients, the flavors, they're all top-notch.“

“Tempura, so crispy. Miso cod, sake toro. I also would like to to recommend the different tastings like the nigiri tasting, the sashimi tasting and also the salmon tasting. They also have raw oysters presented in Japanese style, so good.“

“Great fried chicken, and my friends food truck is there!“

“Very good meal, service was great, I'll definitely be back.“