50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Lexington

“Had my birthday here, and I have to say this has been one of the most unexpectedly unique dining experiences I’ve had. People have said a lot of nice things—how inventive, creative, fresh—about the food, but I’m moved by the stories behind each bite. The place is not your regular omakase. Each course contains a little bit of where the chef’s from, where he’s been and worked, and what he—most locals — grown up eating. If other omakase are trying to out do each other in exclusivity and luxury, then this place delivers sincerity, originality, and a taste of New England you can’t find in any other omakase place. You are guaranteed to walk away with a meaningful and beautiful memory. I hope more people go and give this place a try.“

“Fresh, clean and authentic. Incredible menu. You won't be disappointed.“

“Only reason 4/5 for atmosphere is that they turned down the lights drastically at around 7 PM weekdays, it was too dark to see your meal properly.

However by then my meal was finished.
Ramen is delicious, I didnt ask for chili oil as broth was sufficient alone.

Ordered one sushi and it was one roll but loosely wrapped in seaweed.

Service is quick, I would be surprised if anything takes more than 10 mins.

If you with a group, get a table. Two or a pair can share side by side bar/top seating.“

“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!!“

“Run don't walk to Pagu for absolutely scrumptious food that weaves together Japanese and Spanish Basques Cuisines! A must order is the Tuna Collar - I've never had anything like it - it's huge, great for a crowd, bone-suckingly good (literally have done that) served with rice and nori! Also make sure you don't miss Tracy Chang's homemade nonalcoholic sparking teas - my favorites are the genmaicha and the hojicha - again I've never tasted a drink like this anywhere else. And then you have to end the night with a Basque Cheesecake - I particularly love when Pagu makes a seasonal Matcha or Ube Basque cheesecake! Pagu's dishes and drinks are across the board innovative but also welcoming and absolutely delicious!“

“This was our second time dining at Ebi Sushi, and just like our first visit, everything was fantastic. The food is fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared every time. Our server, Amanda, was wonderful friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling rushed. It’s service like hers that really adds to the experience. Jose, the owner, has truly outdone himself with this place. You can tell he takes great pride in what he’s built from the quality of the dishes to the amazing team that brings it all together. We’ll definitely be back again before the new location opens, and we’re looking forward to visiting that one as well. Ebi Sushi has become one of our favorite date night spots consistently great food, great people, and a great vibe. 🍣❤️“

“This was one of the BEST omakase experiences I have ever had. The attention to detail was extraordinary. I ate at several two and three star Michelin restaurants last summer in France and I was happier with my dining experience at Umami. The quality of ingredients is absolutely stellar and it is truly a treat for all the senses. Go!!“

“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!“

“レベル高いうまさです“

“Decided to go out for dinner with a few friends and it was delicious. I liked the citrus dressing on the avocado salad. The filet mignon was tender and flavorful. For dessert, green tea ice cream is a must!“

“Overall ingredients + service + ambiance, I give it 3 stars 🌟🌟🌟 (Hawaii's is a bit better 😆🌺)“

“Great food and great service“

“First-class dining right in Chestnut Hill. I’m so glad I discovered this place.

I visited during a tasting event, which offered a great opportunity to sample several dishes from across the menu. The fish was beautifully prepared and expertly seasoned throughout. The standout was the black cod, perfectly balancing savory richness with just the right touch of sweetness.

The shiromi ususukuri — Japanese white fish sashimi — was delicate and refreshing, with candied quinoa adding an unexpected and satisfying crunch. On the meat side, the pork belly bao bun was superb: melt-in-your-mouth pork tucked inside a pillowy, perfectly steamed bun.

Every dish felt thoughtful and polished without being fussy. Hands down one of the best meals I’ve had in the area. I can’t wait to come back.“

“One of, if not the best meal I've had in Boston. The fish on the sushi bowl was so fresh and clean. The lobster pasta was incredible. The pork belly was perfectly cooked, crispy with melt in your mouth fattiness. The flavors were phenemonal“

“I’m truly impressed by the thoughtfulness and quality of food given the price point. This is better than those expensive omakase in Boston I’ve ever tried.

One comment - the sauce for eel hand roll is way too sweet & heavy - and it covered the natural umami flavor of the fish. Besides this, great experience!“

“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 love their food jun our server she is great“

“Chiharu House Roll! Almost too pretty to eat. Almost.“

“Great food as always, and the staff are really nice once you walk into the restaurant they always say hi to you“

“Cafe Mami is a neighborhood gem. We've been coming here for years to enjoy their variety of Japanese comfort food. They have probably the best curry in Boston. Love the depth of great fruity curry flavor with their pork and chicken katsu and hamburger. Their gyudon has crispy sliced beef and beansprouts. Couple of our favorites are the Nininku chicken and beef tofu sets. Sauces are great and free refills on rice. They offer great value and quality. Staff is friendly and efficient. So happy they are still in the neighborhood after all these years.“

“Definitely some of the freshest and tastiest seafood and innovative sushi and asian food I've had in a while, very fresh and tasty!“

“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!“

“Great sushi Great service“

“Excellent Poke bowls. Lots of options to choose from including diced mango and avocado is included! Great addition to the Burlington food scene.“

“This my second time ordering take out from Sumi House. We had a large order for 10 people, with a variety of special rolls and gyozas. The order was ready on time, despite of the short notice. The presentation on the platters was lovely and the food delicious! Although the restaurant is small, it's clean, cozy, and very welcoming. We're looking forward to coming back soon to dine in!“

“The food is fresh and sooo yummy, just incredible! New favorite lunch spot! Definitely recommend!“

“I LOVE this place! If you want to eat meals that feel homemade, this is the place to go!

I don’t usually leave reviews, but I’m writing this one because I placed an online order in a rush because I was so hungry that I didn’t even realize I had ordered from the Somerville location. When I got there and realized my mistake, they made the order for me without charging me anything! 🥹🫶

Such amazing service! I truly appreciate their kindness“

“fish amazing but also blown away by vegetable roll!“

“It's a nice little restaurants serves Japanese and Chinese food

I thought it was just average. Not exceptional. I had salmon shrimp noodle hot iron plate 4 stars

The green onion pancake 2.5'stars

Rolls were ok 3.5-4 stars“

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

“Love the food but their delivery is getting worse and worse. If you order before 5 p.m. it is nice if it can be delivered by 6:30 pm (especially if that is the window they promised). Did all we can to keep this place open during the pandemic but may need to start looking elsewhere for our family's sushi fix. VERY disappointed about their service.“

“Genuinely don’t understand why this place is empty save for my family when we come in - The waiters are attentive, and the food and milk tea are both spectacular. They offer a lot more options than most sushi restaurants as well! Seems like a really lovely family business and I would definitely recommend.“

“Great sushi, particularly liked the Around the World roll if you’re in to salmon tempura.“

“Worker ran down the stairs and ran to find our car and give us a roll they missed to give us. If that’s not dedication then I don’t know what is, you guys have to check this place.

Ps. The food was amazing 10/10 would come here again“

“Thank you to Chef Jon for allowing us to pick up a package of frozen dumplings during our visit to Artifact on Memorial Day. Cooked them up tonight and they were delicious, as was the edamame salad!!“

“Open til 1am. sushi is decent. i got the red sox maki and the unagi with rice. got free edamame with my purchase. it's a very small place, so take out is better. i got a spot on the street right in front so parking wasn't an issue. it was 9 pm.“

“Unique, delicious pastry. Best croissants and sourdough bread. Nice people. Can sit inside or outside.“

“This well-known gem is worth the wait and will give one an experience rarely found in Greater Boston.
The dishes are unique, tasty, and well prepared. You need to have your entire present to be seated and they do not take reservations as there are few tables. The larger group I saw about six people. It's not a large place and has a very minimalist feel with the decor.“

“Tres velar experience!! Top chef!“

“Most corporate feeling ramen shop I've been to.

Went to Brookline one last year, and this new Burlington outpost this past week. Kyuramen’s parent group bought Aoko last year, so with this location, they had a counter up front so that you could grab a matcha gelato on your way out.

The whole chain is obviously built around ramen, but both my friends and I gave up on that side of the menu after Brookline. Instead, we went with our usual order. Pork katsu with omurice and some apps.

From the apps, we got the chili cucumber and the chili wings. Chili cucumber was bad. The rule with chili cucumber is you need a decent amount of chili sauce either pooled at the bottom or mixed all the way through, and more importantly the cucumbers have to be sliced paper thin, because I hate that raw cucumber smell and thin slices keep it from coming through while making the bites more refreshing. These were cut thick and uneven. Chili wings were just fine.

Best thing was the pork katsu omurice with demi glace, which took forever because they apparently “ran out” of fried rice, then they comped it, so not a lot of complaints. Not mind blowing but good satisfying comfort food, and the one thing I'd order again, which is a little odd at a place where almost everything else is noodles.“

“We ordered from this place for the first time today, and we absolutely loved it! The service was excellent , everyone was very kind, fast, and attentive. And the food… truly amazing! The sushi is incredibly fresh, delicious, and beautifully prepared. The portions are generous, and everything tastes fantastic. This spot definitely became one of our new favorites in the area. Totally worth it! 🍣💛“

“Must-try the sashimi here!! We ordered the Sakura box with miso soup, sushi, sashimi, scallops, octopus, and crabmeat salad for 2 people. The fish was so fresh with a variety of different kinds which makes it fun to try!! They also have bento boxes, rolls, and ramen. I love the cozy atmosphere here and friendly staffs that highlighted our experience“

“Tried it for the first time at the farmers market, it was super delicious. I will absolutely be buying it again.“

“Very good fish. Fatty tuna was incredible, salmon was pretty good. One disappointment was that they only gave wasabi and ginger with the appetizer, but the maki roll came with none. And I ordered two items was given two soy sauce packets. Will probably go back at some point. If i’m paying over $30 for a small paper bag of food i think those sides could be improved.“

“Excellent food, service and ambience, highly recommended!“

“Excellent salmon bento box!“

“the lunchbox meal was delicious! reasonable prices“

“Ken was very hospitable. He gave us a seaweed salad for free because the premium don came out slightly later than my friend’s food. I’m not sure if this is standard, but he also brought it out with a carpaccio type fish dish and seaweed and soup and explained that I could make hand rolls and how to use the soup to mix with the rice or have as soup if I wanted. I was really taken aback by this because I thought there wouldn’t be service since it’s mostly a take out place. He also brought out hokoro inari for free as well for unclear reasons which was really nice. I thought the sushi grade was very good“

“Food was FANTASTIC!! Exactly what I was looking for, and great price for what you get. The chicken katsu was fresh and perfectly crunchy 😛 The people working were so nice and helpful, I would absolutely recommend. Take-out is nicely packaged, and dine-in is beautifully arranged.“

“I've done both dine-in and takeout, and have eaten a variety of their mains, apps, and hand rolls. Their food is all excellent, and the miso cod (available as a main or as a hand roll) is good enough on its own to justify a visit. The prices are also extremely reasonable for the quality of food.

Edit: came back again and everything was amazing. Thanks Flora!“