50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Pleasant Hill

“We had a great dinner here! Everything felt very authentic, and you can tell they put a lot of care into preparing their seafood. The proportions were spot on.
A huge surprise was the miso soup—it was so good that even my kids, who usually don't touch it, finished the whole bowl. The salad was simple and refreshing, and the fried chicken (karaage) was perfectly crispy and tender. The beef was a little on the salty side for my taste, but overall, it didn't take away from a really enjoyable meal.
We liked it so much that we even grabbed some nigiri to go, and the kids absolutely loved it. Definitely a spot we’ll be coming back to.“

“One of our favorite local spots! The fish is always fresh and all of their food is really good! Our favorites were the 49er, phoenix, and pleasant hill roll. Great family owned restaurant that is always clean with kind service! 10/10 recommend!“

“The freshest sushi I’ve ever had in this area. Hands down. Will definitely be back!“

“it's always pretty good here. The prices are fair and I'm always up for a repeat“

“Anytime we are in Pleasanthill area we try to eat at Jo’s Honda Sushi. We used to live in Pleasanthill and we would go there at least once a week. We love Honda and all his family ❤️“

“Very fresh and would definitely recommend the Big Combo Appetizer (Shumai, Gyoza, Tempura & Yakitori) to go with your Meal. Very friendly people, satisfied with the Food and Service😋“

“Tatsu is a solid spot here that really delivers on atmosphere and flavor. The authentic Japanese design stands out right away - warm wood tones, pink Sakuras, clean lines, and a cozy layout that makes the space feel both traditional and welcoming.

On a packed Saturday night, the team was clearly working at full speed. The chef in particular was impressive - focused, efficient, and handling a nonstop flow of orders without missing a beat. You could feel the effort and care behind the counter.

The sashimi was fresh, clean, and genuinely delicious - exactly what you hope for when you sit down at a sushi bar. The specialty rolls like Flaming Dragon were beautifully plated with a bit of flair, and the uni shooters were the highlight of the night - rich, briny, and absolutely outstanding.

Overall, a lively, high-quality sushi experience. When a restaurant is that busy and still maintains this level of freshness and service, that says a lot. Definitely worth coming back.“

“Hands down the best restaurant in Martinez. I travel from Vallejo to enjoy the Salmon and steak hibachi. The staff are so kind and friendly. The dining area is always spotless. I highly recommend you come here if you’re looking for a good quality meal!!!!“

“Amazing as always! This place delivers consistently excellent sushi—super fresh, and just look at the picture to see how thick their sashimi cuts are. It’s not only fresh, it’s truly a great value.

I ordered four pieces of sashimi, the katsu curry with an add-on of California roll for an additional of $5, and it all even came with a salad. The pork in the katsu curry was juicy with two thick, satisfying slices.

Not to mention they gave me free tea. So generous.

Service was outstanding—the true definition of great customer care. The ambiance is cozy, welcoming, and very clean. Highly recommend!

I love this place and the owners!!!“

“Excellent sushi again and again. Highly recommend this restaurant. Great service and fresh fish every time.“

“Nothing but a 5-star experience at Tanoshi. Great value for their combo - at $14? Am I even living in 2026?! I doubt this will last long... And the food was amazing! Katsu and tempura were very well executed - even stayed crunchy after the whole meal. Raw fish taste fresh. Miso soup was well balanced. The salad was well dressed... What else can I say? Hmmm with such good quality of food and great pricing, their decoration was also very pleasant - their bathrooms were also well decorated!

Ok, nothing is perfect. Two things here. 1 - Low on staff. This place can get very busy and you might have to wait in line for a while. 2 - Shrimp tempura was the biggest disappointment. Microscopic shrimp with a thick blanket of flour. Still, couldn't recommend this place more.“

“Hakashi is truly one of the best sushi restaurants in the East Bay. The sushi is always fresh and delicious, and they add their own creative twist with unique flavors and presentation. Their drinks also have a personalized touch, definitely try the tamarind and hibiscus mocktail. For sushi rolls, the 49er and the Hakashi roll are must-tries, with the Hakashi roll being my personal favorite.“

“The place offers a pleasant and easy ordering experience with a standard, simple design that keeps the focus on the food.
The dishes are fresh and flavorful, especially the large poke bowl made to order with the option to add plenty of extras, which makes it both satisfying and customizable.
Everything tastes clean and well-prepped. One thing to note: they don’t serve alcohol, so plan accordingly.
Overall, a solid spot for a fresh sushi or poke fix.“

“The best omakase around!!“

“Very beautiful!!!! Vale a pena conhecer“

“Low key, family-run sushi spot out in the burbs. I usually get sashimi or one of the rolls. Now if you want to throw caution to the wind, get the roll called "I don't know". It's chef's choice, and it depends on the ingredients on hand that day. Sometimes it's great, sometimes less so. Regardless, the portion is always generous, and it's always a surprise.“

“Been here a few times, I see Japanese people eating here so the food must be good. Sushi rolls, hand rolls, miso soup, eel are good choices. It's hard to miss the plaza entrance to the parking lot as it's hard to see from the road.“

“My partner and I just went for the first time - it will be our new typical date night spot! The reviews were great so we thought we’d check it out - we were pleasantly surprised by the immediate seating at 630PM on a Saturday, and the decor was nice. We ordered the gyozas, miso soup, California roll, rainbow roll, and dynamite rolls and they were all fantastic and beautifully presented. The owner of the restaurant also dropped off a complimentary appetizer (mushrooms) and dessert (chocolate ice cream). Overall, fantastic hospitality and very good fish. We will be back!“

“It was just me when I went in, very polite server, I had just gotten back from a strenuous hike and was looking to eat good food. The food was delicious if I ever hiked up Mt. Diablo from bottom to peak again, I'll definitely come back here.“

“Fantastic! Can’t wait to go back!“

“Love the buffet around the sushi bar! Best place to sit!“

“Loved this place, but removing a star because they took the teriyaki salmon option off the menu. Strange, because everyone loved it and it was often sold out! The raw fish is hit or miss. Bring back the teriyaki!

My roommates and I check doordash every week or so, just to see if they have Salmon Samba.“

“Great atmosphere, great food, great service. Highly recommend Yokohama Sushi! 👍“

“best sushi and cheap!!! will come again!!!“

“We come here frequently. Service tonight was excellent, our server Josh (whose section we are often in) was attentive and friendly. The food was great: yellowtail nigiri, john roll, Telegraph roll, and S.P. rainbow roll; we were hungry but still didn't finish it all“

“Delicious and everything was so fresh 😋“

“My daughter and I love Yo Sushi 🍣“

“It’s so nice that there’s an actual Japanese-owned ramen shop in this part of inland Contra Costa County. Usually, your average suburban ramen shop (like the Ramen 101 chains) is owned by Chinese or Koreans. They’re not bad per se but the ramen they serve is not Japanese.

I knew this place was authentic because of their noodles: their tonkotsu ramen has the thin, firm white noodle normally seen in Hakata-style bowls, whereas the Yuzu Shoyu comes with the classic, wavy egg noodles. It’s a nice touch that shows they are serious about serving good ramen.

Chashu is delicious….its slightly smokey from being torched but it also falls apart in your mouth. It’s also thicker than your average chashu slice.

Tonkotsu broth is creamy and rich, without being too salty. It’s also balanced with the addition of pickled ginger.

The Yuzu-shoyu on the other hand, is more savory and tart, with a good amount of spice from sansho (Japanese Sichuan pepper).

Service was good and straightforward. I’d come back again when I’m craving real ramen but don’t want to cross the tunnel.“

“Fabulous, Fabulous, Fabulous. The decor takes you in, feels like a Japanese restaurant tucked away and cozy. Beautiful wood work and decorative. The service was 10/10. Prompt, great conversation, attentive and informative. Food was delicious, interesting and plenty to choose from. I particularly enjoyed their different ways to eat rolls and appetizers. The specials were fantastic and the soups brothy and delicious. Eat here as often as possible and twice on Sunday.“

“This sushi place is the best one I’ve been to. The friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere is amazing! They never rush me and even accommodate me if I’m running late for another event. Also the place is very clean, the lighting is inviting and the food is very delicious. I’ll be back next week, as they know😊🍣“

“Island Special Rolls are amazing!!! Phoenix, Pearl, Orinda and Super Star are a few of our favorites!!! #sushigood“

“It was the best sushi! We will be back!“

“We love this place! The best of Thai and the best of Japanese! I have the salmon skin ham roll today and a Poké bowl. Both yummy. Services is friendly. Food is great.“

“I think my wife and I found our new favorite sushi spot, certainly much closer than our other one!
We came to check this place out. Standard menu, lots of options without having too many to look though either. My wife got a pork Katsu Bento box, I got a couple rolls, and we shared an appetizer or two.
Food was satisfying and the server was attentive on refills and checking on us. Best of all the prices are still reasonable here, which is nice with how much they seem to be going up everywhere else.
I think we will be going here regularly to get our sushi fix!“

“Good food, good service and value for money!“

“Great food, great service!“

“Absolutely love Hanabi! It's our favorite sushi spot, and it never disappoints. The quality of the fish is consistently fresh and delicious, and the presentation is always beautiful. The staff is friendly and attentive, making every visit feel special. Whether we're craving classic rolls or trying something new from their menu, Hanabi always hits the mark. Highly recommend for anyone looking for reliable, top-notch sushi. We'll definitely be back!“

“First time here. Super cute & chill vibe. Pic of food was after I ate one shrimp tempura then remembered I wanted a pic of our dinner. The presentation was much better when it arrived. One teriyaki chicken bento with shrimp tempura and a lion king roll was more than enough for two. Overall, super happy with quality and quantity of food. Definitely recommend trying out this place.“

“Fresh and delicious! So nice to grab a quick, easy dinner here on a hot night.

Dietary restrictions: Very accommodating regarding my need to avoid sugar. They even let me taste 1 drop to be sure I wouldn't get myself in trouble with a blood sugar spike.“

“I absolutely love this restaurant and have been coming here for nearly 20 years. The staff are attentive and kind, and the food is consistently delicious and fresh. We have celebrated birthdays here and they make it special.

Whether you’re going for a bento box or sushi (or both!), you will be happy with your meal. What I love is that it’s consistent from visit to visit. The sushi is especially fresh and, in the past, I’ve asked them to recreate some of my favorite rolls from other restaurants and they were happy to give it a go (and it came out great).

We visited again a few weeks ago and I was so happy with our meal that I wanted to leave a review. I should have done this sooner… they deserve every 5 stars!

Oh and if you’re a plant lover… check out the gorgeous ficus at the entry. 😍 It’s real and thriving!“

“Everything was absolutely amazing!! We’ve passed by this place so many times, I’m sad we didn’t try this place sooner! We have eaten plenty of sushi, and I’m happy to say that everything we ordered at Toyosu was SO delicious. Not pictured was the o toro hamachi, which was definitely my favorite. Now we’ve tried and enjoyed 4/4 of our ordered dishes, we will 100% return.“

“The sushi was really good“

“We were visiting a friend in Moraga and stopped by for dinner. Based on the recommendations, we ordered seafood soup, salt and pepper fish, and asparagus chicken. We were very pleased and all the dishes were excellent. Service was wonderful and attentive. Highly recommended.“

“Outstanding! Always…… Dave Y. You’re just a Karen. Everything about RJ’s is fantastic. If anyone doesn’t like RJ’s, they have much greater hurdles to deal with and simply can’t find the good in anything. Hats off to the staff, the owner and the regulars.“

“The sushi was great, but like others have posted, the rolls are really large and make it difficult to eat.

The service was awesome very speedy and on brand.

The atmosphere is a normal bistro, and designed to be super fast.“

“New Peking is a delicious new addition to the city of Martinez. Conveniently located right off the Morello Avenue exit, it has quickly become our go-to Chinese restaurant in the area. On our first visit, we tried the crab rangoon, beef chow fun, and steamed dumplings, and were pleasantly surprised by the quality and flavor of each dish.

Tonight, we ordered the beef with scallion, shrimp fried rice, chicken chow fun, and the beef scallion wrap. The portions were generous, everything was delicious, and nothing disappointed. The new owners are also very kind and welcoming.

We will definitely be back!“

“I always have a great time when I come. The quality of the food is great with good portion sizes, especially for the price. The menu is huge so everyone can find something to get.My favorites are the hamachi kama, green beans, house salad (they put a lot of dressing, you can always ask for less), fried rice, and honestly any of the rolls (I've had several of them and I liked all of them)!Staff is always super friendly, attentive, and treat you like family.“

“Sasa is a staple for us anytime we want great food, great atmosphere and great service. My husband and I have been going regularly for years and we have never had a disappointing meal, or service. Best sushi around! Staff is fantastic!“

“I have been going to this place since I was probably 14 or 15 yrs old. The owners are great and their food is Amazing 😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩......So I thank you for remembering me from working ant the movie theater, and then when I got home after being away for almost 5 or 6 yrs. A+“

“Freshest fish....my favorite local sushi place!! They have great specials and the staff“