31 Best Japanese Restaurants in San Diego

“Amazing omakase, friendly and knowledgeable staff“

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

“My adult son and I attended the Romanian dinner and it was FABULOUS! Four course delicious and innovative! We will return:) Artifact is mot to be missed. I've enjoyed several lunches before theatre and last night's Romanian themed dinner. One of my fave restaurants:) thanks you and see you soon.“

“The shrimp head moving scared the crap out of me but everything was delicious and awesome“

“Came here on a Saturday night. Place was busy. Most of the dishes were good. Servers were overall great. Main issue is that food comes out a bit slowly so there can be a wait between dishes. We sat in the patio but somehow diners inside the restaurant who sat down 2-3 dishes after us, caught up and finished before us. Overall took 2.5 hours for the Soichi omakase. There was a heater on the patio if needed which was nice.“

“I’m not much of a reviewer unless an establishment is amazing or the opposite.
I must take the time to let everyone know that this was the BEST fish and sushi that I’ve ever had. It was incredibly fresh and each dish was better than the next. It is most certainly worth the price (although less expensive than some other spots). The drinks were also suberb and service was excellent and genuine.
Don’t be fooled by the exterior appearance. Once you go inside, it’s chic and modern.
Absolutely will give Hane 10+ stars.“

“Fantastic food quality. Purist food.“

“Inspiring, creative menu that rivals the best menus in the world. Surprising affordable and unforgettably crafted cocktails. Entire staff is friendly, approachable and highly knowledgeable.“

“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.“

“Dare you to find a better dining experience in San Diego. Best Omikase in San Diego County, regardless of what stars and mentions others may have. Incredible, knowledgeable staff; they know food, sake and wine. Food and service are spectacular. True artists delivering the best Omikase!“

“We dined at their SM North Edsa branch. Good food. 👌 Crews were accommodating. 💯“

“We had a great time here tonight. The restaurant staffs and the sushi chef were friendly and the omakase dinner course portion was generous and super delicious. :)“

“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.“

“Luke is an amazing multitasker❤ made us feel very welcome.“

“I had a salad which was perfect except the chicken I ordered with it was excessively salty. Nobody seemed to apologize or even try to make things right. I tried one piece of chicken and it felt like I was eating a salt pack. I tried another in case I just happened to get the saltiest piece, but each of the pieces of chicken were very salty. After I told the waitress, I ordered it next with a side of shrimp. It was kind of disappointing because they give you a few baby shrimp and some of the pieces were also pretty salty, but I didn’t want to call them out on it. My daughter had the curry udon. The taste was great, but because they put the beef on top of it, it was quite oily. The salmon onigiri was fantastic and well worth the price. It was my favorite savory item we ordered.

The best part was dessert. We had strawberry and mango shaved ice. It was enormous and they use fresh fruit. I think they make their own flavored sauces too. It comes with whipped cream which adds a nice touch.

I also tried the 3 mochi sticks. It was not what I expected. I got it to go, and the three skewers of mochi were very puny soggy and wet. They packed the sauces on the side. It was not very appetizing for the price that you pay. You can get better mochi in the Japanese markets.

Overall, I think it’s a really great place to go for a beverage and dessert. The shop is very cute and beautifully decorated. It is like stepping into Japan and savoring the beauty of the cherry blossom season. It’s definitely worth trying as an overall experience.“

“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. 🤙🤙🤙“

“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.“

“Eaten here numerous times. Excellent quality food, and service. Equivalent to San Francisco Bay Area Japanese restaurants..which are outstanding.“

“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!“

“Best Sushi, Omakase, and experience hands down.
These chefs are masters and the nicest guys who put everyone at ease and take your taste buds on an journey of pure joy and deliciousness.

Everything is sooo fresh and top quality. Each bite feels sacred, you can't help but close your eyes when enjoying the symphony of flavors.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars. My only advice: sit at the sushi bar and enjoy the ride :)“

“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!“

“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.“

“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“

“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.“

“This place bangs. Disagree heavily that the food was bad. This place is not a 2 star. Absolute insanity to give it such a low review. I love the atmosphere, and I wish more people would check it out.Also, maybe it's the location? Come to Convoy guys, we'll treat you better.“

“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 :)“

“Fantastic fresh food; great sushi bar. Wonderful service from Kaz. I highly recommend..best sushi and sashimi around!“

“This was the BEST sushi we have ever had. The entire experience was so wonderful. We left feeling relaxed and happy. Highly recommend this place and the staff were all fantastic and very attentive.“