50 Best Japanese Restaurants in Boston

“Matsunori is a comfort spot I keep going back to. Boston is definitely lacking in terms of handroll places, so the opening of this spot was a win, for sure. The fish quality is pretty good and each handroll is crafted with care (in terms of ingredients pairing). I personally really love the OG miso cod, Eel with foie gras, Mango salmon, and Spicy tuna. All the ingredients mesh perfectly together without overpowering the ⭐ of the show (the fish).

While they don’t offer reservations and are usually super busy (weekdays&weekends), today we got there around 7pm (on a weekday) and there was no wait, which was nice. Our server, Duc, was so attentive and helpful. Rolls came out super quick, as always. Definitely recommend checking this place out!!“

“This mazesoba was the best meal my family and I had on our short trip to Massachusetts!! The bowls themselves were gorgeous, and the noodles were perfect to match. The decor of the restaurant is also very beautiful and inviting. The vegan mazesoba is amazing, a must try if you’re in the area and looking for a filling meal!“

“Absolutely amazing!! I can’t wait to go back.“

“Great small plates, gyoza, soft shell crab, maki is excellent Mt Fuji a favorite. Delicious drinks, fried green tea ice cream hard to find in New England!“

“Great place for Japanese food in Chinatown! Best for parties of 2-4 ppl, although we were lucky to not have a long wait for our party of 7.

Excellent ambiance, and the food was delicious and reasonably priced.

We're definitely coming back to Somenya in the future!!“

“Overall good with fun cocktails, but the space is kind of tight. While the food is good, the rolls came all at once so felt like we had to scarf down the rolls asap otherwise they would get soggy on the tray. Made it a bit harder to enjoy than like at Matsunori (I believe these are sister restaurants and their food was fresh in our memories) where the rolls are served one at a time. Bed tallow fries are always a hit.“

“Very difficult to get a reservation, but overall a good experience. Aside from the appetizers and couple of nigiri options that I thought were amazing (tilefish with crispy skin, soft Hokkaido scallop, and melt in your mouth saltwater eel), most of the other nigiri offerings were just ok (good, but nothing truly mind-blowing). I think the appetizers were intriguing, maybe a little hard handed on the herbage. As for the price, it's $280 plus 7% kitchen fee, plus tip... It's steep and I think there are better value options. That's not to say that this isn't worth going to, it's good and worth a try.“

“I really like sukiyaki and mentaiko udon, and I always want to try them out, but the portions at their restaurant are too big. The service is also excellent and very attentive. I've seen someone drop their chopsticks, but before I could even react, the staff had already brought new chopsticks over.“

“I'm a west coast Shabu purist who used to work in Japan and I have to admit this place is very Chinese hot pot inspired BUT they do it in a clean honest Japanese way. Bright flavors, great cuts of meat, and fresh veggies. Great happy vibe and the window seat is an idyllic contrast between clean cultured shabu and gritty Chinatown. Love this place!“

“5 stars all around! Moko has become our “go to” spot for dinner. Joy and staff always take great care of us. One of us is a vegetarian and there is plenty to eat for all. “The Southie” is a tried and true favorite! The gyoza are scrumptious, but it’s hard to single out one menu item.“

“Best authentic Sushi I had in the US! They brought Sushi chefs from Japan! 🇯🇵“

“M&J Teriyaki is a cute restaurant which I highly recommend if you’re in the area! They offer both dine-in and takeout and have, frankly a very nice atmosphere. The food too was really amazing (I recommend the chicken in particular) and the drinks are also very nice. I enjoyed the flavor of the strawberry smoothie.

I personally went right after having visited the MFA and so, if you’re on the lookout for a bit to eat after a museum visit then please consider it!“

“The food is amazing and the service was outstanding. Very friendly and quick.“

“Discovered yaba earlier this year on a whim and it quickly became my go to sushi takeout in Boston. I was intrigued by the high ranked reviews and packaging, then sold on the price and quality. Place is very unassuming from the outside, but you will not be disappointed.“

“Wife and I stopped in on a whim for a quick bite for lunch.

Wife had a bowl of miso soup, we got a spicy tuna roll, vegetable tempura, and pork belly fried rice.

We agreed that it is our favorite fried rice in Boston.

Great food, great service, awesome atmosphere. Will be back!“

“Best udon noodles ever 🥰 beef with kimchi nice and warm on a rainy day.“

“Ordered teriyaki chicken, rice, edamame and spring rolls. Everything was delicious! The spring rolls were extra yummy. 😋“

“Yume Ga Arukara is definitely a spot worth checking out if you love udon. We had to wait around 45 minutes, which felt like a long time when we first arrived, but in the end, it was absolutely worth it.
I went with the signature cold udon, while my sister ordered the hot version. Both were delicious, but the noodle texture was honestly the highlight. The udon was incredibly fresh, thick, chewy, and had that perfect springy bite. You can really tell that the noodles are made fresh, and the texture was outstanding — probably some of the best udon I’ve had.
I personally loved the cold udon because it really lets you appreciate the texture of the noodles. The hot version was also comforting and flavorful, so it was fun to try both and compare them.
The menu is pretty focused, but I actually liked that because it feels like they’re putting their energy into doing one thing really well. The 45-minute wait is definitely something to keep in mind, especially if you’re hungry, but once the food arrived, I didn’t feel like the wait was wasted.
Overall, I’d definitely come back. If you’re in Boston and love udon, I think the fresh noodles alone make Yume Ga Arukara worth the wait. Just come prepared to be patient — and order the udon!“

“Awesome Dumplings!! Great Service!☺️“

“We order the tonkatsu set with pork, cheese, and shrimp tonkatsu. It includes a small miso soup, rice and cabbage salad. The service is excellent and the place is cozy and pretty with japanese music in the background.
The tonkatsu set was enough to share between 2 people.“

“On our Wednesday Night Culinary 🧑‍🍳 Travels we ended up in Roslindale Village at The Village Sushi & Grill🥢. We sat outside on the Patio and were Greeted by our Waitress who was Welcoming and Helpful with Menu choices. She took our Drink and Appetizer orders for the 😋Tempura Starter, 😋Chicken on Skewer, 😋Don Shumai (deep fried), 😋Scallion Pancake, Sushi Starter, 😋Miso Soup,😋 Unagi (Eel) Sushi and an Entree of Bui-Go-Ki 😋. Everything was 😋 Delicious and Tasty. 😋 The Drinks were Ice Cold 🍷🍻. The Service was Excellent 👍.
Highly Recommend Village Sushi & Grill . ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

“25 years I have been charged mine here. In all that time, never any less than fabulous!“

“Deluxe Sashimi Platter ⭐️ It was great! It's really fresh and there are a lot of varieties, except for the sea urchin, which is a bit fishy Octopus Carpaccio ⭐️ The seasoning is very refreshing and the octopus is very chewy, I love it Torched Japanese Scallop ⭐️ It was very light, I couldn't really taste the seasoning, but it was very tender Unagi Don ⭐️ A friend ordered this. Gyu Don + Onsen Egg ⭐️ The beef is very juicy and the onsen egg is very flavorful“

“The portion was a little on the small side, but the food was delicious! The noodles were perfectly chewy and had a great texture. They were coated in a rich, flavorful sauce that made every bite really satisfying. Overall, a very tasty bowl of noodles!“

“The food at Fuji is outstanding. Far and away the best fusion Japanese food in Newton and around.“

“I cannot believe it took me a year to try this place!! If you’re looking for a casual, yummy, take-out lunch, definitely give this place a go! Over the past month, I’ve tried the chicken teriyaki bowl and multiple sushi rolls. Everything is so delicious, so reasonably priced, and always ready to go within just a few minutes of ordering. The portion sizes are large and reasonable for what they cost, and the service is very quick and friendly. This has definitely become one of my staple lunch spots in the area!“

“Great sushi and cocktails. We ate at the bar. And the bartender was excellent!“

“Sushi Today, is by far my favorite place to order form during quarantine. I ordered from them before quarantine whenever I would babysit for my neighbors. Even though a lot of places are busy and haven't gotten my orders wrong, sushi today has not disappointed me yet. Sushi Today is the only place I will ever order sushi from. They make eel avocado rolls, which are surprisingly rare and hard to find when looking for take-out. Overall the accuracy, taste, and packaging of my orders from Sushi Today have been awesome.“

“Absolutely criminal that this place only has 3.5 stars. I went here April 3rd & April 28th before going to house of blues for a concert. Hit both times. Is it expensive? Yes, but when has sushi from a restaurant been cheap? When has eating out in a city been cheap? Value is there. I really talked this place up and when I brought my SIL there the second time we went and she agreed. Her word was “impressive”. If this place was closer to home I would have a budget problem. Nori tacos are a “can’t miss” and the avocado roll is the best I’ve ever had. Seriously good eats.“

“The taste is very good, the service is very good“

“Basho is an incredible restaurant. The black cod is the best I’ve had and I have been around the world twice. I love your soup. The miso ramen is incredible the right amount of tofu spice and noodle makes it so delectable anything that ails you it will cure. The shrimp fried rice had nearly a dozen large shrimp in it the taste was sublime and full of vegetable, completely disheveled for easy consumption.. the pork Gyoza was just a vine, and the sauce that came with it was not salty, but added just the right amount of zippy flavor. Their cocktails are amazing and go without saying that they’re inventive and delicious as well as refreshing and light……. As always, I would will return to Basho even after these five years, it is one of the best restaurants in the fenway, and it is a must visit.!!!!!“

“One of those places you never notice even after passing it a dozen times. Casual noodle spot aimed at the students nearby, but I'd never heard a word about it from friends or colleagues. The dining room was fairly big, yet completely empty when we came in for a quick takeout on a Saturday evening.

The menu was split mostly between noodles and casual Chinese. Not much of it looked convincing, so we skipped the popular stuff and just ordered what we were in the mood for. Most of it was ok at best, but the scallion oil noodles with crispy pork strips were pretty good. The noodles were soaked in a good amount of scallion oil, and the pork strips added a nice textural contrast.

Probably a place I'd have frequented as a student in the neighborhood, but with better casual Chinese and noodle spots in Downtown Boston and Chinatown, I doubt I'll be back.“

“Everything was great …. Nothing Negative I Have. Our hostess Fatima was Amazing … a BIG shout of to her … thank you for everything you did for us.“

“Really great food! I ordered a bunch of different food like the chicken teriyaki roll, shrimp tempura roll, sweet potatoes, spring rolls, chicken dumplings and the Japanese cake. All tasted really fresh and I love that it wasn't salty! The portion is also excellent. Would definitely order again.“

“Food was fantastic.

The reason I took off a star isn't a great reason because we didn't all for this up front, but they refused to give separate checks or split the check more than two ways (we asked for 3 since we couldn't get our own check), that was frustrating.“

“A best kept secret. I work in a corporate office downtown, and this is one of my favorite spots for lunch.

Food is delicious. I 1000% recommend the double salmon maki and dragon maki.

Service is quick and friendly. Everything is made fresh. Space is clean. Convenient location too.

And it’s not overwhelmingly busy/slow unlike other spots downtown during the lunch rush, which is why this is a go-to for me.“

“Great foods and Great services !!! Stop by and try it out !!!“

“Friendly service and tasty dishes! Would go again.“

“Good food, friendly staff, fair price. Not something I got from any other food place at Fanueil Hall.

We got the chicken teriyaki, with vegetables, and noodles.

Chicken and noodles were awesome! Some of the vegetables were on the cold side, which is my only complaint.

Employees were very friendly and you tell they cared about their customers.

Definitely will get food from there again on our next visit.“

“Mind-Blowing Culinary Experience at UNI Dining at UNI is nothing short of extraordinary. Chef Take's talent is truly remarkable, turning every dish into a masterpiece. The sashimi is unbelievably fresh, each slice practically melts in your mouth, showcasing the incredible quality and craftsmanship that UNI is known for. One of the standout dishes was the Foie Gras sushi with pop rocks and strawberry. The combination of flavors and textures was nothing short of genius—a perfect balance of richness, sweetness, and a playful pop that left me in awe. It’s a daring creation that speaks to Chef Take’s innovative spirit. My personal favorite, though, has to be the Toro topped with caviar. The buttery, luxurious texture of the Toro paired with the briny burst of caviar is an experience I won't soon forget. It's the kind of sushi that dreams are made of. The service at UNI is also top-notch. The staff is attentive, knowledgeable, and makes you feel like a VIP from start to finish. They are well-versed in the menu and make excellent recommendations, ensuring that your dining experience is seamless and memorable. UNI is, without a doubt, a dining destination that should be on every food lover’s bucket list. Chef Take’s talent shines through in every dish, making it an unforgettable experience.“

“We love coming to Zuma. The hospitality is incredible and the vibes. Want to personally thank Sara the hostess that was able to squeeze in the 3rd person in our party to joining us. Thank you Sara. It made our night. — Roman“

“Phenomenal restaurant, service was amazing, food was excellent, and location was top-tier. I don’t write reviews often, but I went out of my way to give this place 5 stars, that’s all you have to know. Highly recommend!!“

“Came here to try the new bubble tea line. The new favors were brown sugar, ube milk, Thai milk and matcha milk . We also grabbed the Fenway special and spicy Hawaiian. Staff was really friendly and helpful. The drinks were all Delicious. They came with matcha boba balls and brown sugar boba balls. My favorite definitely the ube milk. The Fenway Special was so spectacular. All the ingredients just went well together. The spicy mayo was definitely clutch on it. The spicy Hawaiian was a well balance of flavors and textures. It's a bit pricey but worth every penny for the quality. Definitely, will be back to get my poke bowl fix.“

“In many ways the role of a food critique is a privileged one. Unfortunately I am not a licensed food critique. However if I was I would recommend this place. The seafood was unbelievably fresh and it would surprise me if they had a secret underground tunnel with direct access to the ocean to support their fish. With that said you would be a fool to ignore this place and not get any number of their items as they are at a great price and at the highest level of quality.“

“Great place to catch up with friends and families. Great food and nice atmosphere..“

“Great food for me freindly staff and workers made fresh infrount of me

Me and my dad mum order mum orderd nuddlies dad and me had rise and chickien mine was good dad had great food up had two small chicken bones in it we when after are vist to the drs“

“I went here after spending a lot of time at Bosso in Harvard Square and this place is just as amazing. It’s one of the few places in Boston to get truly authentic Japanese sushi, the location is great, the staff are awesome and it feels just like being back in Japan. I couldn’t recommend coming here enough!“

“The staff are always friendly, polite and helpful. Highly recommend the Chicken Shrimp Bento. The food is fresh and tasty although the portion could have a bit more shrimp.

I come here regularly and I’m generally very satisfied with the quality and service. Overall it’s a place I enjoy visiting and would recommend.“

“We had such a great time learning how to shuck oysters! Everyone was so friendly, nice and knowledgeable. Would definitely go back again and have already recommended to others!“

“Went to this establishment this week. The customer service ( Sawyer - our Table Staff professional ) was out of this world. The food was tasty, professionally presented and Portion size was large with a price point that is never seen these days. Pricing is beyond reasonable. Classy, elegant, yet very comfortable!“