20 Best Japanese Restaurants near Carmel By The Sea

“There is no better sushi restaurant within 100+ miles of Akaoni. The fish is some of the freshest I've experienced. The rice portion for the nigiri is perfect. The size of the cuts are excellently portioned. The restaurant is clean, just the right size, and walking in feels like stepping into a humble sushi-ya in Osaka. Don't expect an overly friendly staff--they're disciplined, to the point, and direct. If you can put aside a need for a more jovial experience, you'll appreciate that you dined here. I recommend reviewing their current business hours as these can fluctuate based upon the time of year. If at all possible, drive by the restaurant to read the hours posted on the window. It's also good to make a reservation.“

“Fun sitting at the Sushi Bar! Great team, great service, and of course great food!“

“This is a fantastic spot to enjoy seafood! The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, creating the perfect setting for a relaxed meal. The staff is friendly, accommodating, and provides attentive service throughout. The food was very fresh and absolutely delicious. It’s a 5-star experience across the board!“

“Super chill right when I walked in, one of the least hassle restaurants I've been to.
Learn from my dumb mistake though and read the happy hour menu all the way to the end, where it says dine in only. I'm out an extra six bucks that honestly I couldn't really afford right now (just for calamari. which i still recommend the hell out of)
Exquisite fried squid and that sauce I never asked about though. I left no crumbs“

“Great little neighborhood sushi place with a decent sized menu and everything we ate was delicious, from the sushi and miso to the hibachi grill.

Dietary restrictions: Halal, vegetarian

Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair ramp in front of door“

“This place has been here for decades and is now under new management I think. Much improved decor, food quality, brighter and cleaner, but prices are still worth it. Definitely give it another try if you haven't been here in awhile. I only wish they did delivery!“

“best Japanese restaurants good service and friendly services 👌“

“I love this place... simply the best!“

“My mother lives in Marina and we visit several times per year from Florida. I was searching for good sushi in the area, and came across the 5* reviews for Maido. And no wonder - Sushi is incredibly fresh and service is great. The owners are so friendly and welcoming. The inside restaurant is quite small, and the day we were there it was too cold to open the patio which looked very nice. Highly recommend Maido!“

“So, soooo good. The Saba and Ikura were gooood, while the Unagi was PERFECT! The best I've had, soft and crispy in the right places, with a well balanced sauce. Service was polite, timely, and attentive. Very interesting take on the salad dressing, be sure to ask for some extra on the side if you order one.“

“The food is decent overall and the portion is pretty big. Loved the food the first time we visited so we went back but the second time wasn’t as good. Esp the katsu don was way too sweet. They said they use the tempura sauce for katsu don which I don’t think is the traditional way. Karaage and the sweet wasabi sauce that it comes with was good.“

“Delicious, fresh food and a warm, homey atmosphere! My family was looking for some noodles and soup to warm us up, and New Tokyo did not disappoint in the slightest. We ordered:
• pork cutlet - it was big but cut nice and thin for ease of dipping into sauce
• ramen with BBQ pork - a solid bowl of soup noodles that was just the right size
• butter and corn ramen - personally as a corn fan, this hits the spot!!
• katsudon - the sauce was so good, and the chicken was very tender.
• tempura udon (Not pictured) - one of the best tempura I've had in a while. It wasn't too oily, and it was still light and fresh. Definitely a work of art ♡
• sashimi platter - each cut of seafood was fresh and delicious
For those lovers of hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop shops, New Tokyo is the epitome of that out here in the heart of Marina.

P.S. wish I tried the chirashi ?“

“We were driving through Pacific Grove and we were going to drive to Carmel for sushi but we said how about right here and we looked up Sushi in PG and we saw Zum . What a wonderful lunch, very fresh and high quality food, service and ambience. Love this place!!“

“Excellent food!!! It beats what we had in Maui recently.“

“Solid vegan sushi roll options - all veg based (no “fake fish” creations) but very good. The mushroom roll in particular was excellent. Good spot if you need vegan food in a pinch (we were traveling) but not a super filling option. #Veganuary“

“exelent service and the food it's grate.“

“today an amazing couple paid for our tab. We are a family of 6 trust when I say our bill was not cheap. Thank you so much and may God bless. The service is always great, the food is always on point.“

“The Presidio of Monterey is one of the best military bases in the States. It has some of the most amazing views of the Monterey Bay and it’s just a wonderful well maintained active military base. I had several family members who worked on this base and I was able to spend a lot of time here. I also enjoyed seeing a section of the Berlin Wall and a cool Russian tank from WWll. I was also fortunate to have known some of the amazing former post commanders and command Sargent Majors. The Presidio is most definitely a very special place.“

“So so yummy! Been coming here for years and always receive great service. The staff is always friendly and you can really tell how hard working everyone is because this place gets packed at times. There are options for everyone whether you’re gluten free, vegetarian, or vegan!

Vegetarian options: Vegan options include all the sauces, white/brown rice, noodles and veggies.“

“Friendly staff, excellent food.“