50 Best Japanese Restaurants near West Orange

“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.“

“My fiancé and I play this alphabet game where we go A-Z and eat at a different restaurant beginning with each letter that we have never eaten at before. Needless to say, this was our “W.” We drove 45 minutes from North Brunswick and it was so worth it, we were truly satisfied. For appetizer we got; scallops butter yaki, chicken katsu, scallion pancakes, clear soup, miso soup, seaweed salad, and mango prawn salad. We ordered 4 specialty sushi rolls; blue crab fantastic, tropical, jersey, and rainbow dragon. For dessert we got bubble tea which was on the house 😊 we will definitely be back to eat here again! The only negative thing I have to say is that the place was very small inside and not many seats available for dine in as most of their business appears to be take out, but the food and service were so good that it cancels that out. Can’t wait to eat here again!“

“We had such a wonderful experience! Marilyn took amazing care of us.
she helped with the wine and made sure our order was perfect. Leo was so friendly and kind, and Ryan kept checking in to make sure everything was going well. The food was absolutely delicious..especially the sushi, which was incredibly fresh and flavorful!
The cozy atmosphere made everything even better.
Thank you all so much for such a lovely night!“

“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.“

“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“

“The sushi here is incredibly fresh and absolutely delicious- easily some of the best we've had! But what keeps my sisters and me coming back is the amazing staff, especially the head waitress. She's warm, attentive, efficient and truly goes above and beyond to make every visit feel special. The whole team is kind and welcoming, and the atmosphere is always relaxed and friendly. We always look forward to our meals here- it's a local gem! Highly recommend!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“You cannot go wrong ordering here, I honestly cannot pick a favorite dish! Staff couldn’t be more warm and welcoming!“

“just delicious!!“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“Great service , good attention and fresh food“

“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!“

“Lychee martini and seafood ramen“

“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.“

“We used to come here very often over a decade ago. Read the reviews online and decided to give it a try since it said it’s under new management and things have improved. It is definitely brighter in here and better decorated than before. Fast service, very fresh fish, nice presentation, tasted good. Our server was very attentive.“

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

“We used to come here on a weekly basis pre-Covid. Loved the food, but didn't like the service and felt the wait staff was rude.

Recently we had dinner here a few times and something has changed. The decor has been updated as has the menu and the wait staff is much, much better. In fact, they recognize us as former customers and are always happy to see us. We have now returned to coming here more regularly as the food is very good.

Sakura has a parking lot as well as options to park on the street. We never wait when we come here and it's BYOB, so we enjoy bringing our own selection of sake or wines.

Nice varied menu with lots of choices. Our favorites are chirashi sushi, age dashi tofu, all their special rolls are wonderful and my all-time favorite appetizer which is large enough to be an entree - Summer Garden.“

“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 is exceptional delicious in every way .The people can't do enough for you! Formerly Hunan Gardens for many years!l l think they are the best Chinese food in the Lyndhurst and South Bergen area! You won't go wrong eating there or takeout!💯👍 Delicious 👌“

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

“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! ✌️“

“Just a nice chill place with great food“

“Me and my family have been coming here for years and they never disappoint. The sushi here is so fresh, and they have more fish options than any other place I’ve been to. The owners are wonderful and the service is fast and efficient. What’s not to love?“

“This is by far the best takeout sushi in at least a 20 mile radius, short of expensive sit down omakase. Fish is always fresh, never a “fishy” smell or taste, delivery and pickup orders always correct, very nice people. The fish to rice ratio in the rolls is perfect. Special rolls are a good value and delicious. Hope it stays in business for 50 years“

“Came here after work for dinner and was not disappointed. Appetizers and sushi came out very quickly, I ended up getting both a hot appetizer as well as one from the sushi bar. Additionally each of the three rolls I ordered were well made, all fish tasted fresh. I would return to sample more of their special rolls.“

“The Sarku Japan in the willowbrook mall is the best one in the area. All the others are ok, but this one is always a perfect experience. The same guy makes my Rock & Roll every time and it’s always perfect. The set up on the counter where you can grab napkins, and pour your own soy sauce is always stocked. If you like this place but never experienced the one in the Willowbrook mall, I suggest you come and experience it. If you had sushi from a Sarku Japan and didn’t like it, then I know you were at one not at willowbrook mall.“

“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!!!!!!“

“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.“

“Solid spot for sure. Pricey but you get what you pay and this place doesn't disappoint. I've been to a few Morimoto's so I anxiously awaited the opening of this new location as it more convenient for me than the others. The sushi was top notch and my Australian wagyu was next level amazing! Next time, I think I'll order a tomahawk steak or prime rib as I saw a few other people having them and they looked great too. Regretted not ordering one but I'll be back for sure and not as the DD, saki was on point!“

“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.“

“Food is actually fair as compared to what we have tried for other japanese resto. Crews are pleasant. Ample spacing between tables, comfortable seats. High chair seen. Restroom is clean and smells neutral. Parking is difficult if it gets busy. See images and video for reference.“

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

“sakae sushi has delicious foods.“

“I enjoyed the rolls that I ordered the last time I was in town, and made it a point to go back again this trip. I was not disappointed! This time, I ordered the spider roll, dragon roll and sakura roll. All three were fresh and flavorful. Prices are fair. I'll be back!“

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

“Food and service it was good 😊“

“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!“

“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“

“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!“

“My people, this was the best food I have had scene the age of 11. It was splendid. You will enjoy every bite i promise you. I got the eel sushi. It all most made me pass out it taste so good. The texture and presentation was a living experience. Please don't deprived yourself of a wonderful experience 😇“

“Fast and easy meal that is a pleasure to watch being made. The chefs really know their craft. the noodles are the perfect degree of softness and the teriyaki sauce has the perfect hit of sweetness which complements the shrimp and chicken. They're vegetables are perfectly cooked and not too crunchy. I loved coming here when I worked in Newark.“

“Most review here are 5 stars and a random few low stars that seem to be fake reviews or people that happen to be miserable. I have been coming here for about 20 years and the quality of sushi has always been great and very fresh. The fish used for all of the sushi is always imported and prices have not changed. I have tried everything here and have not been let down. The owner is truly an expert sushi master from Japan.“

“Yellowtail is my go to sushi spot. They have an amazing lunch menu and I was pleasantly surprised that they had Toro! I also order delivery when I'm in the office and the sushi always comes in a timely manner and super fresh. I cannot recommend this place enough.“

“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“