37 Best Japanese Restaurants in Raleigh

“Made us something not on the menu and it was on the house! Waitstaff was very friendly :)“

“Very good food and friendly relaxing awesome etc“

“Ordered several items from this place to share. The pork dumplings were hot, fresh, and full of flavor. The sushi roll, “The Ralrigh's Best,” was perfect for our taste buds. The quesabirria was just okay—we’ve had better. The consommé was thin and added very little extra flavor to the dish. The salsa was spicy and much needed to kick up the overall flavor. Probably our least favorite item. Overall, it’s a great spot to try a few things while visiting this food hall.“

“Was solid and Abby was a beautiful and attentive waitress.“

“Ventured out from our normal sushi mainstay to try something new, based on something we saw on Instagram. It turned out to be a fantastic choice. Upon arrival, there was a buzz and you got the sense this was anymore traditional restaurant versus those that position themselves as trendy. There was an electricity in the air and the sound of a bell being rung whenever someone leaves a tip at the bar. We ordered the omakase. The chef personally came out to speak with us, explaining the courses, and asking about allergies. Then our journey began. We had six courses of 16 nigiri and 5 rolls the chef created for the evening. Every piece was a feast for the eyes and a treat for the taste buds. You knew it was fresh just by sight, but it all came together when you slid them in your pinhole. All in all, this was an excellent first impression. I will return and explore the menu. My only negative is very personal, because I'm a lazy driver and would prefer a closer location. Cheers!“

“I hate having to go to Raleigh! But i had to try this place and it was the best ramen in north carolina......well out of durham and cary. I didnt take pics of the hand rolls. But it was mid, I got the tuna, salmon, scallop, and crab handroll combo set. I sat at the bar and I meet a new person. But the ramen was the highlight and the price was great and so was the sake. Great food, great ambiance“

“I had an amazing experience at Ajisai Japanese Restaurant in Raleigh! The food was fresh, beautifully prepared, and absolutely delicious. But what made the night extra special was our server, Michelle.

She’s truly the best server — super friendly, attentive, and made us feel so welcome. Her warm personality and great recommendations made our dinner even better.

If you visit Ajisai, definitely ask for Michelle. She’ll take great care of you! 🍣✨“

“Sushi Nirvana at Its Finest!!

If you're craving sushi that actually hits the spot—not just fills the void—this place is your jackpot. All-you-can-eat doesn’t even begin to describe the experience. It’s more like all-you-can-dream-of.

Whether you're a sushi snob or just here for the teriyaki and gyoza, this spot delivers. Come hungry, leave euphoric. And yes, you’ll probably dream about that spicy mayo drizzle.“

“My husband almost moved to Raleigh when we were engaged because of Sake House. Both our families & his job being in Virginia tipped the scale in that direction, but not by much. The sushi is excellent“

“Great food and excellent service and all you can eat for under $20“

“First visit with the kids and it was amazing. The staff were all great and the food was beyond amazing 🤩. I will definitely be back and will bring more people with me.“

“Definitely was a great choice! We placed our first order from Hibachi bowl via Uber Eats. It was absolutely great! Hibachi Chicken with a side of fried rice and of course some Spicy Salmon Sushi to complete the meal. Hibachi bowl is saved in our favorites and will be placing our next order soon! Thanks!“

“Best hidden gem. Amazing food and super friendly staff. We’ll be back soon!“

“I order from two different locations often. Today I ordered through GrubHub and I did not get white sauce, even though my receipt says white sauce. It’s very disappointing because I don’t want to eat the food without the white sauce. Do better“

“The food and service are always really good! I usually order the salmon but today they ran out. I won’t hold it against them since they close in an hour but I was really looking forward to it. I’m not a huge fan of shrimp in general, but I’m trying it today.“

“good food. sat outside, nice atmosphere“

“Went here with my partner earlier tonight, we were served by Danny, he provided one of the best dining experiences eating at a restaurant either of us have ever had. The food itself was absolutely phenomenal and the pricing was justified with how fresh the ingredients were. We will absolutely come back, thank you to Danny and the chefs for helping create such an amazing night for us.“

“I was craving some amazing noodles. I was looking all over Raleigh for the new place to check out. Ton Noodles hit the spot. I have the shrimp tempura udon noodle bowl. The broth was really delicious and flavorful. Noodles were cooked to perfection. Shrimp tempura was nice and crispy and well-seasoned. Service was extraordinary. Very nice people in there. Extremely clean and not too loud. Definitely worth checking out if you love noodles. They have ramen and rice dishes. They have Curry which I hope to try next time. I also had two pork buns which were absolutely incredible. I will definitely come back soon. Come check this place out!“

“Since moving from NY to NC, I've been looking for a really good Japanese Steak place like a Benihana or, where I came from on Long Island, we had a place called Shiro's. I found the food at Umanmi to be excellent...and, plan to go back soon.“

“This is my go-to comfort food after a hard day at work. Chicken hibachi noodles with extra broccoli for just $14.13 after tax, which I usually get 2 meals out of (1 meal if I'm HONGRY). The staff are always friendly, sweet, quick, and helpful. They've never asked for tips, and there's not a tip field on the receipt, which makes me want to tip them more in the jar, lol. Their food is SO GOOD, I have to close my eyes when I take a bite to savor it. Wonderful place and staff. Thank you for being my comfort place after my tiring days.“

“Wonderful place for Dinner“

“Fast service. Lovely surroundings, beautiful carved tables and great good.“

“Awesome customer service. Dining in at the bar or to go orders. Always come to this location for the past 12 years they are the best.“

“The tonkotsu ramen is delicious! I’ve had it a few times now and it’s always been great! My only slightly negative comment is about the bowls, they are a little flimsy. We took our ramen to go and it had leaked through the bottom only a couple of minutes into the drive home. Thankfully it wasn’t a bad leak, but we had a very short drive and had to immediately put it in a different container when we got home.“

“I order from here all the time. The staff is nice and my food is always great. I get the Tenko Chicken. Quick, convenient, predictable comfort food. And it's kind of silly, but I don't have to ask anyone for chopsticks, you can just grab them as you need them.“

“I've been to this restaurant a few times in the past month. The store itself is not all that glamorous, it's a bit unassuming I would say. However the food and service is exceptional. I really enjoyed both the dragon roll and the crab tempura roll when I had them and after recently trying both their Korean style honey glazed and sweet & spicy chicken. I can safely say this has now become my go-to place for fried chicken (if you haven't had Korean fried chicken, definitely check it out).“

“Nice place. Fried dumplings were so good.“

“Had an amazing real good food just like at my friends house :) brings me back. Market I loved got more than I wanted :)“

“Love it the people was nice food was great“

“The food was absolutely delicious and nothing was over cooked into chewiness. I am sad about the Japanese white sauce because it was quite runny and bland, but as the saying goes: If you have to put sauce over steak (or food in general) then the food wasn't good. However, that was furthest from the truth and I enjoyed every bite. The atmosphere is great with traditional japanese counter seating. Overall appearance is clean and well maintained.“

“affordable, nice flavors although the rice + noodles can be a bit bland

really nice service but they have a tendency of getting your order wrong---overcooked meat from what id request, added vegs when not desired, etc.

modern, spacious with ordering kiosks and loyalty cards“

“Love it the people was nice food was great“

“Great Lunch option! I get the lunch boxes for my employees and they all like how meaty and filling it is.“

“They use the best Quality Food and always have stellar service, super clean too!“

“The food here is very good! I got the dolsot bibimbap. The bowl was sizzling hot and it made the rice at the bottom very crispy. The spicy squid was also very good. The entrées came with miso soup and sides, like kimchi. It’s a casual restaurant connected to the Korean market. You pay at the front and it’s self serve pick-up at the kitchen window.“

“Everything the server crew was amazing“

“eggplant in garlic sauce was delicious, spicy too!“