50 Best Japanese Restaurants near South Orange

“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.“

“I have been coming here for many years. I love the food, always fresh, prices are reasonable, staff are friendly, and they cater!!!🙌💪🫶 You have to pick it up 😜 Nice place to bring a first date on neutral territory 🤣“

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

“Great food, great prices, great service!!! I will definitely be returning.“

“Nice ramen spot in New Jersey. The broth is rich and flavorful. Appetizers are good.

Would recommend the wings.
Pork buns are also pretty good.
Shrimp tempura are average.
Nice drink specials, and atmosphere“

“The sushi was absolutely delicious, and the presentation of the food was beautiful. The rolls were also really good, with so many varieties to choose from. I also really enjoyed the udon and the salmon bento set—they were full of flavor. The atmosphere inside is warm and inviting, and the wall art is fun and memorable. The staff are incredibly kind and welcoming. It’s the kind of place I find myself coming back to often.“

“just delicious!!“

“Not sure why I haven’t glorified this place yet because I literally come every week. I’m here to tell you to go there once and see for yourself how utterly delicious everything is. Service is amazing SHOUTOUT TO JOON who is our ROCKKKK over there. He always does a great job.

You will most likely have to wait for a table but it’s worth it..

Make sure to get the sushi with MIXED RICE it is a game changerrr. Everything is fresh and delish. You do get what you’re paying for. The yakisoba is a honorable mention. We always get the kani salad, avocado fries, and the koshi tacos so good. For sushi we get the “for two” special and order either the Watchung roll, JJ roll, or the Jersey roll all with mixed rice.. honestly been coming here for over 2 years consistently and never had a bad experience..

Love you guyssss ❤️❤️❤️❤️“

“Great food. Easily customizable to your individual tastes.“

“Definitely one of the most overwhelming and beautiful places that I’ve ever been to try sushi in my whole life, there’s no way to describe how good it was.
We wait a little more of what we expected.
But wait was worth it food was fresh, homemade and delicious, attention it’s def a 1000/10 you feel that you’re in your home, my 5yo daughter mentioned that she was being treated like her grandma treat her (so you can have an idea of how good they were) well, not many words to add.

Definitely coming back even when I have to drive 21 miles to go there“

“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.“

“Food 3/5
Service 4.5/5
Ambience 3/5
Value 4/5

I really wanted to love Tiam Tiam because the presentation is pretty good, but the execution was a bit inconsistent. On the plus side, the hospitality is top-notch; we loved the complimentary Taiwanese kimchi and dessert, and the portion sizes are generous

Pork Belly over Rice (4.25/5): The standout! It was packed with flavor, though on the oily side

Soft Shell Crab (3.5/5): The crab was well-prepared, but the avocado pairing muted the flavor, making it a bit bland

Taiwanese Fried Chicken over Rice (3/5): This was surprisingly sweet for a savory entree, which others may like that

Century Old Egg Tofu (2/5): A miss for me, it was served cold and the sauce pairing didn’t really work

Great service and a lovely vibe overall“

“The Kani Salad Sando is killer! This sandwich is LARGE and tasty. Soft, fluffy white bread (which I usually don't like) holds the perfectly put together Sando like a big hug. Be prepared to be full! The atmosphere is cute & comfy and service is lovely. Our waiter was sweet & attentive. The seaweed salad was fresh and bright. I'll definitely be back to try everything on this menu. ⚡“

“Absolutely love this place! I’ve been going for about 4 years now and I love the food! Anytime we have guests visiting I always take them here for a unique experience!“

“This is our local go-to for sushi and hibachi. The food is excellent, staff is friendly and efficient. We mostly order to go, but the restaurant itself is small but cozy with tables and a sushi bar. I'll also add that, in 7 years of ordering from them, they have not gotten a single item on any order wrong. Definitely worth trying.“

“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.“

“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“

“Great service , good attention and fresh food“

“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.“

“Just a nice chill place with great food“

“I have been coming to Momotaro for almost two years and have never been disappointed. I don’t only show up on occasion. I come once a week. The food is never bad. The quality is always consistent, delicious, and fresh. But what I enjoy most is the service and attention they always give. The entire staff is attentive and considerate. Sherry has been my server for most of my outings and she’s always friendly. She pays attention to every detail of my order even when it’s annoyingly specific. I will continue coming here for all my sushi needs!“

“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!“

“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!!!!!!“

“My order is the veggie ramen, with the kaarage chicken and a side of curry. I mix the curry into the ramen and take bits of the chicken all together and it is absolutely delicious. Love this spot, Muslims can eat the chicken it’s halal but it’s not Zabhia.

Paid 25$ all together.“

“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.“

“Food, like always, was very very good. The serving was plenty and the taste unmatched. The menu offers plenty of choices. It was so delicious and plentiful that my wife and I, even giving it the old college try, were unsuccessful in finishing our meal. Well then a takeout is necessary. Something to munch on later.“

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

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

“staff is fantastic, we came late not knowing they close in an hour and they prepared our our order quickly with no issues. 10/10 service and the environment is very cute.

we ordered the beef soup and hibiscus tea. everything came out very flavorful. will come back for the desserts“

“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!“

“The food was great; my wife had sushi, which was very fresh, as expected from a Japanese restaurant. I had some noodles with beef, which were also great! The prices are a bit more expensive, but any good sushi place is expensive, plus it's a restaurant. The staff was great and helpful!“

“The wait staff was very polite and patient. They gave us ample time to preview the menu. After we placed our orders, the food came to us pretty fast. Food was very good. And the presentation of the dishes were very pretty. I ordered the maki combo it was very good. Sorry, I ate some and I realized I forgot to take a Pic. So part of it was eaten. I would recommend trying out this place. It was a great experience. I want to go back again soon. They also offer take out. But I think sitting at the restaurant, the ambiance is real nice and having the meal there was a great experience.“

“2nd visit was even better than the first. We got the filet, sushi, and the cod which was incredible, as well as all 3 desserts. Each dish was something special. The chef also greeted us at the table, which was a unique touch. Will be back many times over“

“the food is fantastic and the staff is very friendly!“

“Delicious sushi! Good prices. Lots to pick from - we enjoyed a bit of everything from the sushi menu. They have a few tempura rolls, a few naruto rolls (cucumber wrapped, no rice), and a whole 2 pages for regular and special rolls. I enjoyed everything my table tried. Lots of variety to find something for you!

Lost a star for me on service - vibe is nice but we waited a while to order and receive our check even though there were very few guests dining in on a Friday night. Seems like a great takeout choice otherwise!“

“This restaurant offers a clean, yet serene dining area. The staff was kind and answered all of my questions about the menu. I appreciated their willingness to provide outstanding service. The food came out fresh and flawless. I would recommend this restaurant and will be returning in the future! Very good food for an even better price.“

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

“It’s a pretty quiet place to grab food or a drink. I got strawberry green tea. It was pretty good! Overall lots of different options for anyone. There’s many menu items to try! My drink was so good. You can self order at the machine as well. Give this place a try!“

“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! ✌️“

“Updated 9 years later. Still our favorite.

Been coming here for over 15 years and it’s still my local favorite Japanese style restaurant. Food is consistently good, both sushi and kitchen. Menu hasn’t changed much over the years but that’s fine, as they stay true to their strengths. A wholehearted nod to their traditional Japanese and Asian fusion flavors. My parents and I agree it’s the best and closest to authentic sushi and Japanese cuisine in the area, and we’ve been to 9 of them. Service is always attentive, warm, and accommodating. Space is polished and spacious. Great for families, with big or little ones. Takeout is always a breeze.

Solid local Japanese restaurant. Staff is extremely friendly and ambience I a respectable attempt at creating an authentic japanese dining experience. The food is consistently good and with the exception of sushi/sashimi purists, most Japanese food lovers should expect a positive dining experience. Sushi/sashimi fare is good. There are creative and tasty rolls if that is your fancy. The cooked dishes actually taste like my mom's old home cooking and my personal draw. In my opinion, they do a solid job with the hot plates and especially with their nabeyaki udon, perfect on those cold nights. Give it a try with an open mind and bring a generous serving of BYOB.“

“One of the best things about Sakura is that the prices are very reasonable for the quality you get. The portions are generous, and even the more elaborate rolls don’t feel overpriced. One of the things I really appreciate about this place is that it’s perfect for both me and my girlfriend. We have different tastes. I’m a huge fan of raw sushi and she prefers cooked dishes. Thankfully, Sakura offers plenty of great options for her too. Her favorite is the Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box. This place strikes the perfect balance of quality, variety and value. Highly recommend!“

“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….“

“Food and service it was good 😊“

“I have been coming here almost monthly since March and I would come two or three times per year for the past five years. The quality of the food is fresh, the service is pleasant, and they make your food fast! Highly recommend the sushi. I would come more, but I live out of town!“

“sakae sushi has delicious foods.“

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

“The sushi is fresh and delicious. The staff is friendly and hospitable. Thank you Mike for being a great server today.“

“very entertaining n food was very good“

“We love coming to Fujiyama Mama for our sushi Family day! Food is delicious and service is great as well.“