50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Maplewood

“Very straightforward Japanese food. Sushi bar was small and crowded in by take out preparation and close tables. That detracted from the fun of watching experienced chefs make the art. We also had a very loud bunch right behind us at a table so loitering over a sake was just not going to happen. We ate and dashed.“

“You’d never think this little spot in a strip mall area is anything, but it’s some of the best sushi I’ve ever had! Also the kimchi they give right when you sit down is amazing. I am a huge sushi fanatic and this is definitely Top 3 I’ve ever had. Service is wonderful.“

“The food is top notch. From the soup to the sushi. Even the ice cream is delicious. What really bothers me though is the service. There is a 90 minute time limit which I get but when you are rushed to get out by an hour that’s not right. Also when you’re hounding tables waiting to literally take a plate because you have nothing else to do that’s a problem. Finally when you’re coming up to tables and asking them for platters back because you don’t have enough supposedly that’s not good either. Last night I was hounded constantly. Twice I had people tell me to move my sushi to my paper plate because they needed the platter. May I suggest buying more platters. Love the food and yes I know I’ll be back but the service was ridiculous in your face. Don’t come here for date night because they don’t leave you alone“

“Love Curiosity! Delicious, fresh and well priced food. The garden provides a great atmosphere. The staff is so friendly and the owner treats you like an old friend as soon as you walk in. Highly recommend Curiosity for your dining experience.“

“Sushi Koshi is my absolute favorite sushi spot! The food is always amazing fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. I find myself coming back all the time. The staff are super friendly, and the owner is wonderful too. We had such an amazing experience.“

“A cozy little Taiwanese joint in Harrison, NJ. I ordered the salt & pepper chicken bento — the fried chicken was super crispy and juicy, and the portion was bigger than expected. What really stood out was their homemade chili oil — rich, fragrant, and perfectly spicy. The side dishes were thoughtful and balanced, not just fillers. Great vibes, warm service, and a menu full of familiar flavors. I’ll be back.“

“I must say this was probably the best sushi I've had. Great 'little' place, two, extremely kind, owners work the restaurant. I had the Tsunami Roll, my daughter had Shrimp Tempura and Pink Lady Rolls, and ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!! We had one of each Mochi (4), Strawberry, Coconut, Green Tea and Mango...delicious! I would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant, great food, service and relaxing place, very nice ownership with great pride in their business.“

“just delicious!!“

“This food does not disappoint! Highly recommend the Bento Box dinners! It’s literally enough for 2-3 meals or if you can agree on the 2 choices definitely enough to share. Sashimi is fresh and delicious, sushi rolls are creative.“

“I had an incredible dining experience at this sushi place!
The food was fresh and absolutely delicious, with the fish tasting as if it was just caught.
The service was excellent attentive and friendly, making sure everything was perfect throughout the meal.
The highlight of the evening, though, was the mango panna cotta. It was the perfect way to end a delightful dinner—refreshing, smooth, and bursting with flavor. I cannot wait to return! Highly recommended!“

“I love coming to Wasai Bistro whenever I’m visiting the east coast. I’ve followed Chef Nelson since his days at Aozora and Wabi Sabi. His food quality, menu options, and value are unmatched in the area. Once you try his food you will understand why he has so many repeat diners. I highly recommend the Mes Reves Roll, Uni and bone marrow ramen, Miso glazed sea bass entree and salmon lover entree but it’s very hard to go wrong with anything Chef Nelson serves. Parking is street parking only but honestly I’ve always had a very easy time finding a spot. BYOB so you can drink what you love.“

“We love Ninja Sushi! It’s our go-to sushi spot in the area. The food is always so fresh, professionally prepared and the staff is super friendly. Try the OMG roll, because…. OMG, the presentation says it all! It’s where sushi meets comfort food. Delicious.“

“Woman who takes orders is absolutely the worst. It’s my birthday she won’t even give a single smile or have any sense of being personable. You need to replace her or your reputation is gonna go down the drain. Ruined my birthday lunch. I had a feeling she might be awful every day cause this has happened before so we called ahead to warn it was my birthday and they assured we should come. Regret it! Seriously get rid of her!!!!!!“

“This place has really good sushi and sashimi. I can't really comment on service since myself and my wife order mostly take out or delivery, but we order from them quite often and we are never dissatisfied. We dined inside only a few times and the service was so so, but it was not like one of those horror stories I read;)“

“Kyoto is the reason why I started loving sushi!!! They have lots of dishes with cooked fish for sushi (as my stomach cannot tolerate raw fish) and they absolutely nailed it. I keep on forgetting the name of the dishes I ordered but every time me and my husband go there we show them the pic below and they gave us the same order ? thanks guys ❤️“

“Great service , good attention and fresh food“

“very entertaining n food was very good“

“A friend and myself came across this gem by happenstance. The wait staff is incredibly kind and patient. The atmosphere was calming and the food is FANTABULOUS!!! I recommend this place for lunch and dinner. Whether it's just friends or a casual date.“

“Definitely one of our go to places to eat in Westfield but then again can’t fault any restaurant. Food is always amazingly fresh, service is friendly and welcoming and the drinks free flowing….“

“Love the sushi never a dull moment and the owner is very friendly and Great service“

“What a great addition to Rahway! Super fresh sushi, extremely fast service, and their shumai are fried. Went in on a whim on a Wednesday night coming home from work and was helped immediately. Inside was also clean and inviting if you'd like to dine in. Was out of there in under 10 minutes. Wonderful addition to the lacking Rahway sushi scene, especially since Rahway sushi has been closed (with good reason). Nice to have another option near the downtown area.“

“Authentic taste. The hot tea is excellent, and, the vegetarian options are plentiful.

Vegetarian options: The menu offers a lot of options for vegetarians in rolls with avocado, cucumber, mango, and others. Also, the noodles soup with veggies is of very generous quantity. The broth in the bowl is very flavorful.
The bottomless hot tea is great!“

“Very good dinner. Good size portions for the price. Definitely will come back“

“Just a nice chill place with great food“

“We've been meaning to to try so many of the new restaurants in the area. We finally got here for a late lunch today. Not surprisingly on a Thursday at 2PM and snowing, we had the place to ourselves. It was fortunate because the woman who took care of us explained everything to us in detail. I wasn't familiar with the Kurobuta pork. Apparently it's known as the, "Kobe beef of pork." All their pork come from Berkshire pigs. They come from a farm in Jersey. I'm guessing North Jersey. (Lot's of cool info if you Google them) Cooking is done using White charcoal which is used in traditional Japanese cooking. We started with the crispy cauliflower. It had crispy shallots & tahini vinegarette on them. They were delicious! Then the Shanghai bao. Filling was pork. (naturally) So delicious and juicy! When you slice them in half watch for the juice to squirt! We ordered six skewers. Two with pork jowel (cheek) Two regular pork and two fish. Again, delicious. i also had a bowl of spicy miso ramen. Our server explained how the broth is simmered for eight hours with pig bones and marrow. I could tell as the broth was very rich! That was it for us. We were both very full and i even took half of my ramen. We can't wait to return and bring friends! Highly recommend! ✌️“

“Sushi lovers and soon to be sushi lovers will enjoy this place! My wife and I visited this place for dinner before attending a show at the Paper Mill Playhouse.
Great food, atmosphere, and service! Definitely recommend the curry chicken entree!!

Parking: Approximately 8-10 spots next to the building. Since restaurant is on a one way street, you will turn left onto side street then a right into lot

Wheelchair accessibility: Ramp from parking lot to street level entrance for restaurant“

“Food was Delish and Service was great!😊👍🏼“

“To start with, the service was fantastic. everyone was attentive to our needs but at no time did we feel like we were being pressured. The food was all delicious and the pricing for main dishes and sushi was very reasonable. The menu is very creative and the dishes are presented beautifully. Definitely worth trying and I would eat there again.“

“This place is fantastic, the taste is good, the service is friendly, the atmosphere is great. I'll come again next time.“

“Had a nice experience at the hibachi. Yen was very friendly.“

“Really nice people and excellent sushi! Cute little place for a date and its byob“

“Impossible better!!! Very complete rotation, with many options. Everything was delicious and impeccably presented. The attendant Mara was the icing on the cake, super charismatic, attentive and helpful; We were very well received, explaining how the rotation worked and helping us make choices so that we had the best experience. I definitely recommend it to everyone.“

“This was my first visit to Blue Wazabi I Loved It!! Large menu selection and wonderful food and portion size. Definitely, will visit again.“

“Absolutely delicious!!! Great prices fast service, definitely my go to place“

“I wish I could give 4.5, my sushi rolls were fantastic and beautifully displayed. My husband's dish, beef soba noodles, was great but not excellent. Staff were very friendly and the food came out very quickly Overall wonderful experience!“

“I have been coming here for dinner with my friend since 2016.
The food is consistently excellent. We normally get two or three different types of sushi & a hot dish. Favorites include -seaweed salad, gyoza, tropical roll and chicken /beef/ shrimp teriyaki. 🍣“

“Me and my husband went to eat dinner on Sunday. I ordered the opening special, chicken teriyaki with a California roll. I was impressed by the sizable meat and roll. The food was tasty and fresh. My husband had beef teriyaki, he ate it all. He raved about how fresh it was and tasty. We will be back.“

“I get poke here after all my afternoon hikes and it’s definitely one of the best in NJ. Ingredients taste fresh and the portions are fair and filling. Theres so many different combinations. You get up to 2 protein, 5 topping, 3 crunchy toppings, and 2 sauce. Everying else is a bit extra. Really yummy and I’ll continue to eat here“

“The minute I walked in I knew I was in an awesome place. The staff was wonderful and the food was unbelievable. My girlfriend and I need to go back soon as there is too many things I want to try.“

“Nice place. Friendly staff. Good came out within minutes. Seating arrangements were.. humble. The food was delicious. The amount you get for the lunch special is amazing. Definitely recommend that. With extra chicken. Sushi was okay. Not too much of a fan but was still enjoyable. Great for quick bite.“

“By far one of the best Korean Japanese restaurants. I’ve been ordering from Sea Shai since 2021/22 & the consistency of the food and customer service is always amazing! The flavor of the food is spectacular. I travel to Sea Shai to pick up my order because it is several neighborhoods away, totally worth the drive. The food is priced fairly for the portion and flavors you are receiving. Highly recommend trying this restaurant out. I cannot get enough of the Bulgogi with white rice platter, A M A Z I N G!

Kid-friendliness: Friendly environment, has big tables available for families who want to dine in.

Wheelchair accessibility: First floor, no issues getting in or out the restaurant“

“Delicious! We always enjoy it there.“

“My daughter and her roommate from rutgers went there got all you could eat sushi weren't happy with it and they were charged for the entire thing even though they told the owner it didn't taste right they've been sick for the last 2 days throwing Up from both ends don't go near this place“

“Great customer service , and good food !! Keep it up“

“fresh... fresh... fresh... we love this place!“

“Tried eating here for the first time. If you love good Japanese food...you MUST eat here. Out to go order included tempura green bean appetizer that was perfection on a plate. Next we got the shrimp and vegetables tempura that had 5 large delicious shrimp and pieces of sweet potato, broccoli, and onion. Crispy and tasty. We also tired the teriyaki chicken and the teriyaki salmon, both with salad, soup, and veggies. The salad come with a citrus ginger dressing (really good). The portions of chicken and salmon were just right and the flavor was one of the better teriyaki we have had in a long time. Overall, 5 out of 5. This may have been out first time, but it will not be the last! Eat here... you can thank me later.“

“awesome food for an awesome price. Coming in at barely double digits $9.99 for chicken teriyaki is definitely a good deal.
Plenty of food coming in only 1 order enough to feed an entire family of 3.
Delivery driver Justin was friendly and attentive to communicate the time duration my food would arrive in. Arrived warm and ready to eat. The restaurant even provided free condiments and utensils for their customer's convenience. All in all: Great service, great people, and great food. Sakura Japan.“

“sakae sushi has delicious foods.“

“I’ve been getting food from hibachi express with my family and friends since they opened about 1.5 years ago and have never had a bad experience. The food is always amazing and the service is always great! I 100% recommend trying hibachi express!“

“Great for and great service. Must try the creamy dressing! The baked salmon was especially tasty!“