50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Lake Balboa

“Great service and food💗 There are many alcohol menus and food items that other restaurants do not have, and the restaurant is not too big, so you can enjoy a relaxing, calm and stylish time. There is plenty of space for parking, and I would definitely go back‼︎“

“I'm always looking for a new sushi spots in the valley. This looks like a staple and his highly rated. I haven't got a chance to explore everything fully, but they're tuna tataki is amazing, so is their baked salmon and their tuna on crispy rice. It's kind of hard to get a seat if you don't make a reservation, and that's the only thing I don't love, but completely understand.“

“Everything was amazing from the service to the food and sushi and the environment is unassuming and comfortable. Top notch!“

“I came here for the first time and it was absolutely beautiful inside and the prices are also very reasonable for the quality of the food. The sushi was soooo good and same with the wagyu gayoza. It was also my dad's birthday and they went above and beyond with a dessert and bringing out a bubble machine it was so much fun and our waitress Corinne was so fun and sweet. I had a blast I would highly recommend this place!!! 10/10“

“okay i could write an entire novel about my experience here, but i will keep it brief. my sister and i came to the WeHo Uchi to celebrate my birthday after hearing lots of buzz about it. When we entered, we were immediately greeted warmly and had a lovely exchange with the host. The ambiance was beautiful, everything was pristine and curated, and everyone member of the staff were friendly and comfortable to speak to. Our waiter—whom i sadly cannot remember the name of— truly went above and beyond with his service. We ordered the omakase for two and a few other small dishes, but he threw in two on the house— one being wagyu as a “birthday present” and the other being nigiri. We were choosing between the nigiri and a roll, and when we ultimately chose the roll, our waiter brought us both dishes anyway. Everything felt incredibly thoughtful and personal; there was even a little handwritten card wishing me a happy birthday. The food came out very swiftly—and speaking of the food, it exceeded our expectations. Everything was fresh, beautiful in its presentation, and very unique. This is one of the few sushi places in LA that I think truly lives up to the hype surrounding it. thank you for a great birthday dinner; we will be back again, again, and again!“

“Salmon Ikura dish is amazing! So much flavor!“

“Best Sushi in LA by far !“

“Delicous handrolls and nigiri. Loved the wagyu potstickers. We did the IZAKAYA FEAST and it was wonderful. Good sake selection as well. Service was bad. We had someone with severe allergies and every single plate that was served to her they added the green onions. It was tough to watch as we made her allergies very clear.“

“Must get sushi, but don’t forget the corn tempura and momotaro tomato (seasonal). Awesome sake selection too.“

“I really love this place! Cocktails menu is amazing, the Lychee Mojito 10/10, always a must for me.
Place was packed, of course it was a Friday night and the Lakers were playing, I recommend making s reservation.
Despite how busy the place was, out server David took care of us, great service and delicious food!“

“深みのある濃厚鶏白湯ラーメン🍜 つけ麺やカレーも美味しいです 😋😋😋😋“

“Amazing and thoughtful service from Pierre!
I'm particular about my sushi, especially salmon. But I can say Azai is the best sushi I've had in California so far. The salmon sashimi is juicy and the salmon roll melts in mouth, just like my favorite sushi place in NY. I'm excited to come back!“

“I came back for lunch for the first time in nearly 25 years, and it felt like stepping back in time. Since moving away, I hadn’t visited this area at all. The interior is unchanged, the service is warm and welcoming, and the homemade Japanese comfort food is just as delicious as I remembered. You’d be hard-pressed to find another place in the Valley that serves hijiki (seaweed) rice so casually and authentically.“

“Food and owner (s/o to my girl Hazel! 🫶🏼) = immaculate vibes. If you do delivery or pickup, order directly through their website not a food delivery app!! 🙏🏽 BEWARE: THE SPICY WONTONS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!“

“Delicious Udon and other Japanese specialties“

“it’s my first time at roll roll sushi and I was offered a free miso soup as soon as I walked in I ordered the salmon lover roll and the baked scallop roll and both were delicious. I had my dog with me so we sat outside under cute umbrellas they have out. I’m so happy I decided to try this place out if you’re in the valley you need to give it a try!“

“Sachi has changed hands a few times now, we were frequenters of the OG. What we appreciate is the level of quality of the sushi remains. Wagyu perfectly lightly seared, toro melt in your mouth, and that great Hokkaido uni like butter. We tacked on the amaebi after knowing we're in good hands. Loving the late night hours as we're night owls and happy to see them do a special menu for Pride. Be back soon!“

“Fresh, healthy food w generous portions. I had the hana salad w chicken and the iced matcha cloud latte. The salad was fresh and their sauce/condiment bar made it extra tasty. The matcha was super yummy, on par or better with any specialty coffee/tea place. The Okinawa sugar made it elevated, though I ordered it less sweet. Will def be back!“

“Everything is delicious, made with love❤️ Clean, elegant, and delicious🤩😋 Friendly, helpful staff🌹“

“Masa-san serves chef's choice, and the food is fresh and delicious. Eating here is an extremely delightful experience. The sweet shrimp with eggs is one of my favorites. Always finish your meal with at least 1 (maybe 2 or ...) of his blue crab rolls. The crab is carefully hand-pulled, the rice is warm, and the seaweed is crisp. You won't find that combination of quality and easy dining experience anywhere else in the Valley. Please try it!“

“I love this family owned place! Great food and a great place to go on my lunch break“

“Hole in the wall teriyaki place. You order at the counter, you pick up your food, you clean up your own table after eating. Easy free parking lot or street parking. They have a lunch special for $11.95 that includes chicken and rice with salad. They also have specials A, B, C and D that are around the $15 to $20 price range. I had the special C that had white rice, a big piece of chicken katsu, two pieces of chicken teriyaki, salad, two small onion rings and two dumplings for about $15.95. Not a bad value. You get a teriyaki sauce and hot sauce on the side. Their teriyaki sauce is very good here! The serving is very generous. I was not about to finish it in one sitting.“

“If there’s one thing I love, it’s teriyaki plus. This restaurant is so inconspicuous and a sleeper hit of the area. It’s charming and the food is well priced and so flavorful. We got the katsu bowl, the gyoza and chicken kabobs. All perfect. I can’t quite explain why this place is so cute and charming but as soon as you step inside you can feel that you’re walking in to your new favorite restaurant.“

“Stumbled in for lunch not knowing what to expect and was immediately impressed. A lovely scent of incense and a warm, welcoming greeting set the tone right away. The ambience and decor were on point, and the service was attentive without being intrusive. The food was excellent—creative, beautifully presented, and the flavors absolutely hit. Highly recommend, and I’m already looking forward to my next visit.“

“Exquisite cuisine- chef was formally trained in Japan and his expertise shines through in every dish. Particularly the lightest, crispiest tempura once could ever hope to enjoy. Attentive, perfect service. Only knock is that it’s quite expensive, making this a once-every-five-years kind of culinary experience. That being said, we will be talking about this meal for weeks. It was *that* good. Life is short: treat yourself!“

“Amazing fresh old school sushi ❤️❤️❤️❤️. The owner is so friendly and knowledgeable and it’s now my happy place!“

“Chefs kiss! My husband and I love quality places. It’s pricey but worth it. The fish is so fresh and the chefs are very talented. Honestly better than some Michelin places I’ve been to. This is better than your average sushi but accessible. The atmosphere and vibes are also very cool. Intimate, chic, and relaxed space. Grab a seat at the sushi bar if you can!“

“This is our go-to sushi restaurant. The food never disappoints. The service is very friendly.“

“Really good food fresh and the ramen is soooooo yummy“

“Flavorful and delicious! A hidden gem for Japanese cuisine in the valley. We all enjoyed the takoyaki. The Futaba (tonkatsu) ramen and (especially) the black garlic tonkatsu ramen are so good! Someone also had the chicken katsu curry and would recommend it. Great service and also very dog friendly on the patio.“

“Just wanted to show some love to this restaurant I just finished watching a YouTube video from DuB family and it made me cry because the owner was so sweet and kind to the guy making videos. I pray that have more people come to their restaurant in the future. I Plan on going in a few months for my vacation week it’s an hour and 30 mins from me but I will make my way to the restaurant.“

“We had the Ume Omakase menu and didn't even know sushi could be so good. Such a wonderful experience for our anniversary. Atmosphere is cozy and friendly.

Boyfriend's review: How do I give 100/5 stars?!? This was honestly a life changing sushi experience“

“One of my favorite places for bento boxes! Everything is so fresh and delicious. The staff is very friendly and you can tell they care about their customers.

Please be patient, sometimes they get a little busy but always worth the wait! I will definitely keep coming back.“

“I’m so gobsmacked at how amazing this food is that I’m writing a review while I’m still here.
We had 5 nigiri sushi rolls, the crispy spicy tuna appetizer, and the wagyu sliders. It was the most incredible meal I’ve ever had. You must come here - the server we had (Umida) was insanely amazing and super helpful - she really elevated the experience and made sure we didn’t order too much food!“

“As a Japanese person, I can honestly say this place is truly outstanding. The flavors are incredibly authentic, and every dish shows great care and attention to detail. It’s rare to find a restaurant that captures the balance, freshness, and depth of flavor that we value so much in Japanese cuisine.

From the moment the food arrived, it was clear that the ingredients were high quality and thoughtfully prepared. The presentation was beautiful, and each bite felt comforting and satisfying, just like the kind of meal you would hope to find in Japan. The seasoning was perfectly balanced—nothing overpowering, just clean, delicious flavors that let the ingredients shine.

What impressed me the most was the dedication to authenticity. You can tell that the people here truly respect Japanese food culture and put their heart into every dish they serve. It made me feel a little nostalgic for home.

The atmosphere was also warm and welcoming, and the staff were kind and attentive, which made the entire experience even more enjoyable.

If you are looking for genuinely delicious Japanese food, I highly recommend this place. As a Japanese customer, I felt very happy eating here, and I will definitely come back again. Thank you for such a wonderful meal!“

“Always amazing genuine food! I always order from here and they always get it right. The #2 special is always my go to and they make it so good every single time. A little older of a building but don’t let the looks scare you away, their food is wonderful and so are the people behind the counter!“

“Love Jo&Go Sushi. They saved me when we first moved to LA and while the house was being remodeled.

4 years later... it's still as good as first discovered. It's a neighborhood gem inside the Korean Greenland Mrkt, which btw, is also awesome.

Must try is the salmon bowl, the salmon slices are so tender and buttery... they give you a crazy amount of salmon over the rice and seriously it's enough to have a 2nd meal! One note about the bowl... I'm not a fan of drenching really good cooked rice with sauce, so I always order without the sauce. The rice is not sushi rice which makes it even more delicious... the rice is always perfectly cooked. You get a miso soup and a cute little container of pickled radish (delish). I would love to know where they source the fish... it's like being in Japan, it's so fresh.

I'll be catering with them soon and happy to update the review post order.

The kind woman who takes the order is so sweet and cute, always smiling...says hi and bye all the time.

If you're in the area, definitely give it a try for takeaway.“

“Service was very spotty. Our server seemed very confused, maybe new? Good and there's a lot of variety. There is a happy hour menu, but price ($1) difference between full (8 piece) and happy hour (6 piece) rolls is not worth it. Honestly, my favorite thing was the miso soup“

“We were both super tired after a week of travel around the country. Decided to give the hotel restaurant a try. Super happy we did. Waitress/hostess was very friendly, fun and attentive. The food was much better than we expected. Really nice meal at the end of a tiring trip.“

“The menu is unique and named creatively, which I found charming. The food was well-made, and made in ample time. The service was amazing and the cashier walked me through the process, being very nice the whole time. The roll I ordered and the tea were delicious, and I'd love to come by again soon.“

“Been coming here for decades still my favorite.“

“This was easily one of the best ramen experiences I've had in Southern California. The broth was incredibly rich and flavorful without being overly salty, and the noodles had the perfect texture. The restaurant itself was spotless, modern, and had a welcoming atmosphere that made it easy to relax and enjoy the meal. The staff checked on our table frequently and made excellent recommendations. I especially appreciated how quickly the food arrived despite the restaurant being busy. Every ingredient tasted fresh, and the presentation was beautiful. I will definitely return and recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic ramen and excellent service“

“This is a rare gem of a sushi restaurant in the West Hills, Woodland Hills, Calabassas, Canoga Park area. Living in West Hills we have tried most of the sushi restaurants in this area, and this by far is our favorite.

The fish is always super fresh. The portions are generous and the service is great. The pork ramen is superb and all of their rolls and sushi and sashimi are great.

Do yourself a favor. Take the 12 minute ride out of your typical haunts and reward yourself with some of the best sushi this side of the valley.“

“Excelente...muy buena atención y la comida muy buena, lo recomiendo...“

“Who thought that classic American fare and Japanese cuisine could mesh so well??!!“

“First thing first, the sushi is really fresh. We got the toro, salmon belly, and the yellowtail belly. Saba is a little fishy. The rice is a bit mushy but good enough.

The cooked food is not as great. The agedashi tofu has too much breading and taste average. Kaiju tar tar is okayyy.

The service however took forever, and they never come to check up on us. Servers reach over to get dishes for other tables. Maybe they are short staffed but they should still handle us probably.“

“Traditional Japanese izekaya. Daily specials. A definite must try.“

“Brothers Sushi is a must. Make a reservation and you can’t go wrong with anything you order.“

“The food was amazing!! Great experience.“

“Best sushi anywhere! Been going to Sasabune for decades.“