40 Best Japanese Restaurants near Poway

“Great atmosphere, great service , Great Food 🍶“

“Our favorite spot for sushi and sashimi😍“

“Great chefs, great staff, great food, great sake… what’s not to like when everything was great!?!?“

“this is clearly one of my favorite Japanese markets in San Diego is not that big but I has enough stuff to make you happy in the dinner place is really good the ramen is amazing and I love you decoration because it makes you feel like you're in Japan looking at the samples you should totally go here will never regret it. prices are there regular has another Asian market but when you think about these being products that you don't get every where it is kind of cheap.“

“The food is SO good. The chef was super friendly and nice. We can’t wait to go back. 😄“

“Kumi Café is one of those hidden gems you find and just keep coming back to. My husband and I have been here multiple times, and every visit is just as good — if not better — than the last.

The service is always amazing. The staff is kind, fast, and really on top of things without ever making you feel rushed. They create the kind of experience that makes you feel genuinely taken care of.

Today, we had the Korean short rib, the bento box with gyoza and a California roll, and the tuna poke bowl. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. I normally don’t even like California rolls, but theirs are so good — fresh, not too mayo-heavy, and the rice is just right. My husband said his poke bowl was refreshing and delicious, and I couldn’t stop stealing bites.

We’ve also tried the sashimi and the chicken katsu curry on past visits, and both are incredible. The sashimi is super fresh and generous, and the curry — especially the chicken katsu version — is rich, comforting, and packed with flavor. Definitely one of our favorites on the menu.

The place has a chill, modern vibe — clean and simple, but welcoming. It’s become one of our go-to spots when we want something that hits the spot without breaking the bank.“

“Absolutely incredible! We have dined in with Chef Nghi and have ordered their Epic board for take out and every time it has been nothing short of incredible. We’ve tried just about all the high-end sushi spots in San Diego and we’re always left impressed by chef Nghi! Not only is their fish so fresh and their rolls fun and creative but the service is top notch! I highly recommend Ju-ichi!“

“Owner is from Hawaii. Great service and great taste. Spicy Miso Broth hit thr spot. definitely will be back when I'm in town for work. 🤙🤙🤙“

“If you are lucky in life, you occasionally get to have a real dining experience. Something that defies expectations, challenges the norms, sets the bar at an unattainable level. That often comes with high-end restaurants with renowned chefs. When it happens in a tiny, unassuming neighborhood establishment, it makes me giddy. I just had one of the best meals of my life hosted by Hiro the chef and only employee at Hanaya Sushi. In fact it was just he and I in the restaurant on a Wednesday early evening. He served me a beautiful presentation, delicious beyond any words that I possess. It was truly edible art. Hiro was amazingly talented in his food preparation, a real culinary artisan. On top of that, he was funny, kind, humble, grateful and entertaining. When it was all done, he sent me home with an awesome little goodie bag. What's clearly evident to me, that while my treatment seemed so special and personable, I know he takes care of everyone with the same effort and respect. He doesn't really want a crowd, even though he deserves one. He is happy taking care of one customer at a time and giving them all he has, grateful for the living it provides for himself. We need more Hiros in this world. I've eaten at a lot of good places and have been happy to provide reviews for the ones that really stand out. But I've never written a dining review quite like this. I'm so grateful for this very personal experience and I'm actually sad I don't live in the area so that I can enjoy Hiro and Hanaya Sushi on a regular basis. This will be a dinner I'll never forget and I hope to make it back one day. Thank you Hiro!“

“Great place. True European feel.“

“As a long-time fan of Japanese curry, I was thrilled to finally visit a Curry House CoCo Ichibanya – my first time at this particular chain, though I'm no stranger to the style, having frequented a beloved (and now sadly closed) Curry House in Westwood pre-pandemic. I was so happy to find the menus quite similar, with all my old favorites present and accounted for!
We started with the Garlic Cheese Naan, which was absolutely delicious fresh and hot, though it did lose a bit of its magic as it cooled – so definitely enjoy it quickly! It was also my boyfriend's very first foray into Japanese curry, and I'm happy to report he absolutely loved it. He opted for the spicy teriyaki fried chicken, while I indulged in my classic chicken cutlet. Both dishes were just as rich and flavorful as I remembered, hitting all the right notes of comforting deliciousness.
My only minor disappointment was that they were out of iced coffee, which would have been a perfect complement. Nevertheless, the overall experience was fantastic, and I'm already planning my next visit to have my old favorite, the keema curry! I'll definitely be back when I'm in San Diego.“

“Excellent Sushi Spot in Carmel Mountain!
This place is tucked next to Home Depot in Carmel Mountain, and it’s a real gem. We went in the afternoon, and it wasn’t too crowded, which made for a relaxed lunch. The food was excellent — we tried the Chicken Katsu combo, which was perfectly cooked and flavorful. The sushi rolls — Dewy, Grass, and Friday — were all outstanding, fresh, and beautifully presented.

For appetizers, we had the chicken karaage, which was crispy on the outside and juicy inside — a perfect start to the meal. Overall, great quality food, generous portions, and definitely worth the money.“

“Hakamaru is my absolute favorite sushi restaurant outside of Japan. The fish is fresh daily, the specials are amazing, food quality is always great, staff and service are excellent.*Shout-out to Stelle!!* I highly recommend the tempura veggie and shrimp combo, as well as the udon, and any nigiri orders. Do not sleep on this restaurant. 10/10.“

“Amazing omakase, friendly and knowledgeable staff“

“good food, friendly staff and atented“

“Great spot for sushi, the food was good, the vibes were there although they could have a better music selection, the servers were super sweet and personable, I would definitely go back especially that the prices are very reasonable and the quality is there.“

“Amazing sushi and noodles at Ayu Sushi & Noodles in Pacific Highlands Ranch in Carmel Valley. We loved everything, the tempura udon, the yume, sachi, and anata rolls, the bluefin crudo, and the salmon hand rolls. Great selection of species on the menu, next time will need to get more nigiri and sashimi. Great service, friendly and quick. We sat on the dog friendly patio. Recommend!“

“The service, prices, and atmosphere were all great. The woman at the cash register was so kind and offered us table service since we had our dog and baby. She made the experience special. My husband got the bento C and he really liked everything. Unfortunately, I got the sushi lunch and didn’t love it. Typically I love ahi nigiri, but I found theirs chewy. All the other fish were good.“

“A very nice Japanese Yakiniku style restaurant (beef, vegetables, chicken or others that you grill on the table).

They have a good selection of different meat and meat quality. All was excellent, and you can really taste the difference between the different quality levels.

The staff were very friendly and professional, and provided excellent service.

I really liked the nice, cozy atmosphere, with individual booths and wood paneling.

Definitely a fun place to come to when you have that craving for tasty yakiniku bbq!“

“We love Chiba! We lived here 8 years ago and we’re back. I am glad to see the food is still as delicious as I remember! The food was fast and I recommend the sushi! Also, our waitress was great!“

“Curry: 4.5/5 This curry is very good. It is slightly sweet, savory, and has a depth to it. That being said, it stays within the parameters of a typical Japanese curry. The only thing that docked it from being perfect was that the texture was not perfectly smooth. There is this sort of floury grain to it that I associate with store-bought curries that took me slightly aback. I also sort of miss the flavor of having spiciness cooked in the sauce rather than just putting a powder on top. Oh, and more pickles!

Karaage: 4.5/5 The Curry Club does a phenomenal job at frying. The chicken was moist and crispy. I normally do not like karaage with my curry because it has that sort of karaage taste (ginger, soy, etc.) but this was recommended by my waitress and it was awesome.

Fried Again, great fried shrimp, almost no notes. It DOES have that slight mushy texture right between the coating and shrimp that I really detest, but I have accepted that is just part of the experience at this point. Solid choice if you want seafood.

This egg was shockingly good. It puts most of the ramen shops in San Diego to shame. Well marinated, perfectly gooey, a great balance between sweet and salty, the literal perfect egg. I’m not sure if it matched the curry, but I would just eat it as dessert to be honest.

Ambiance: The restaurant is casual but nice. I don’t see why you couldn’t make this a more special restaurant date.

Service: Service was very fast and kind. They “served” just the perfect amount.

Parking: The parking lot is a vast lot. Very easy, no pain.“

“Great food 😋 and friendly atmosphere 🥰.“

“They missed the mark the last time I was here. The karaage was bland and soggy and the miso salmon was quite salty and tasted over cooked. The seaweed around the negitoro hzndroll tasted stale and was soggy. They have a great menu and the atmosphere. This is a really fun place to go with a group to share some dishes. Hope they can pay a bit more attention to the food coming out of the kitchen!“

“We had the most amazing meal there on Wednesday night! Everything was exceptional, especially the uni! The service was fantastic! We will be back!“

“Hands down the best ramen I’ve had! Everything was delicious - we had the garlic spicy edamame, oxtail ramen, and spare-rib ramen. We asked for non-pork broths and were given two great alternatives that were perfectly paired with our ramen orders. The atmosphere and service were excellent. Highly recommend! Will definitely be back“

“Ordered for takeout and the staff were nice. The restaurant is clean and I love the mural! The food is super fresh and tasty. I highly recommend. The baked sushi is the best baked sushi I've ever gotten and their nigiri is soo good it melts in your mouth.“

“Though under the same ownership (I believe) as Yakitori Taisho, Hino has more of sushi bar feel whereas Taisho has more authentic Japanese Izakaya. I felt Taisho had a bit more yakitori selections than Hino. But, Hino had better sake options including sake flights.“

“Very good price for all you can eat premium waygu meats. Very simple and to the point menu. Only wish their sauces was a little better and they had one extra side like steamed egg or japchae. It's just missing one or 2 things that would make it excellent, but for the lunch price of $35 and dinner for $40 you get your value. The parking isn't too bad either compared to other spots in clairemont.“

“Food is amazing.
Rose lychee green tea is refreshing and my new favorite

I had the chicken pad Thai level 1 spice and it was great. Not too spicy. But it has a decent kick to it.

I definitely want to try the bbq honey pork next.“

“The food was absolutely phenomenal! They had both Japanese and Korean options to choose from with both of foods being executed extremely well. They had a great quantity of food with the sushi combo and bibimbap. Furthermore, they were able to accommodate substitutions within the sushi combo which is great for those with allergies. All around would recommend and will eat there again!“

“Great no frills Japanese fare.“

“the food was good and typical japanese cuisine. i wish they put more uni on the creamy udon and the seafood kamameshi had like 2 scallops, 3 shrimps, fish roe and it was like 30$. i feel like you can get a better deal in other japanese restaurants, but that’s just my opinion :)“

“Very good sushi and ramen. Great service! Comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. We will be back when we return to San Diego.“

“The very best yakitori in all of San Diego. Great prices and service. Cooked the authentic way over Binchotan charcoal. This is the real deal. Great beers like Orion and Sapporo. Happy hour specials. They conserve Ramen and such but we only come for the yakitori and beer.“

“Friendly and fast. The food was great!“

“Delicioso y excelente servicio“

“I look forward to coming here every week during my lunch break. It is such a calm and relaxed atmosphere where I can unwind and read a book with green tea and my favorite sushi roll. The service is amazing and they are all so kind. I bring friends and family here every chance I get and am always told that this place exceeded their expectations. 100% recommend“

“Just went for the first time at Shabu Works!! Absolutely loved it… can’t wait to go back 😋“

“Sipz Vegetarian Fusion Café in Clairemont is DELICIOUS! And ALL vegetarian! That’s right none of this is meat!! BBQ Chicken Appetizer and Tangy Orange Protein: "Chicken" Spice Level: Not Spicy (I forgot to take pictures before starting to eat sooo they give you more than what’s in the photos 🤣) You can even customize which type of protein you want and spice level so you get what you really want! And it is SO yummy!! I haven’t had Chinese in SO long!! ❤️“

“This place has been one of my must-visit spots every time I'm in the San Diego area, and it never disappoints! Every dish I’ve tried here has been consistently delicious, making each visit a memorable experience.

This time, we enjoyed the spicy pork and fish cake soup, and both were fantastic! The spicy pork had a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and salty flavors but was less sugary than what you’d typically find at other Korean restaurants—making it feel healthier while still being incredibly tasty. The fish cake soup was an absolute highlight! It instantly transported me back to the flavors of my childhood in Korea. I’ve tried making this kind of fish cake soup at home to recreate the nostalgic taste of the street food I grew up with, but I’ve never quite succeeded. This restaurant, however, nailed it! I was so happy to finally enjoy that authentic flavor again.

Beyond the amazing food, the service was warm and welcoming. We arrived just after opening on a Sunday, and despite there being only one server handling multiple tables, she was incredibly friendly, efficient, and attentive.

If you're craving authentic Korean flavors with a cozy and inviting atmosphere, this spot is a must-visit! Whether you’re reminiscing about home-cooked Korean meals or simply looking for a delicious and satisfying dining experience, you won’t be disappointed. I highly recommend it!“