50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Ridgewood

“Traveled from out of town to see a friend but also maybe mostly to eat the spicy chicken katsu that I’ve dreamt of since Mini Mart/Mama Yoshi’s used to be a pop up at All Night Skate and we would go sit outside in the cold and enjoy the food and a cocktail. Moved out of reach in 2022 and my life has not been complete without the sandwhich I’ve evangelized across several countries and continents. Thankfully as spicy or at least close to as spicy as it has always been. Thanks for keeping the quality and quantity the same and the prices really much closer than I expected. And sick merch per usual.“

“Small cozy spot with a relaxed atmosphere. You order at the bar and the service is quick and friendly. No alcohol, but the focus is clearly on the food. The menu is small but thoughtfully put together, and everything feels fresh. The handroll sushi is especially great and definitely worth trying. A nice casual place to stop by when you want quality sushi without the fuss.“

“Reservation Surprise For My Birthday Amazing Service Foid Was Delicious Everything Was Awesome Enjoy My Special Day So Happy Miyama Restaurant Was Our Choice Lilly Server Was The Best : Thank You“

“The food at YSO Sushi on Ridgewood was absolutely delicious. We tried the Volcano rolls, New York rolls, California rolls, and spider rolls, and everything was fresh and well prepared. The Volcano rolls and New York rolls were especially outstanding-full of flavor and perfectly balanced. You can really tell they use quality ingredients. Highly recommend this place and will definitely be coming back.“

“The owner is always super friendly and the food is good. We leave feeling full and the food is fairly priced!

The waitress usually offers us hot tea, on the house, which is very nice and helps in the cold weather.

If you can, go in person. Going in person here is such a more satisfying experience than over paying a delivery app with a bunch of fees. Great service. Great food. Great value. Can’t ask for much more!“

“Wonder has been one of our most consistent go-tos. Pickup is usually easy, the system works, the space is clean, and the food has honestly surprised me from day one. When they first opened, it felt like every order was dialed in, like the kitchen cared.

I’ve tried a ton of the menu and there are staples I keep coming back to: the salmon is always generously portioned and perfectly cooked, the sauces and capers are on point, and the broccolini is genuinely one of the best sides I’ve had anywhere - that char + acidity goes with everything. Even the simple stuff like fries and potatoes hit when they’re done right.

That’s why I’m leaving this review: lately I’ve had a stretch of 5-6 orders with small misses that didn’t used to happen - missing toppings, uneven pizzas, a pizza with a huge bubble, broccolini missing the lemon dressing, stuff like that. Not enough to stop ordering, but enough that it makes me stick to the “safe” items instead of exploring.

Still a big fan, still ordering regularly, just hoping the consistency snaps back to how it was because Wonder at its best is hard to beat.“

“This place is the best best. I’ve ordered General Tsos bean curd and many Chinese places in the neighborhood and this is hands down the best. They’ll make pretty much any dish vegetarian bean curd edition but the General Tsos is outta sight.“

“great food excellent people I went. there may 11 it was me my wife and my daughter service was fast the food was great“

“Delicious fresh food and amazing drinks! Celebrated my friend’s bday there and we had a 12 course menu! Great atmosphere and the DJ was a great touch! Had a great time at Kaizen.“

“The food is genuinely good! Try their new lunch bento box, it’s only $14 and salmon one is $16 so pretty nice price in town🫶 I recommend the chicken bento, you can get rice onigiri 🍙 , chicken, soba salad and miso soup coming together!! Their matcha tiramisu and matcha ne drink is so delicious as well, must-try, not too sweet, but fresh grassy feeling!“

“Excellent!!! Food, service, atmosphere 👍👍“

“Just awesome. Fast. Efficient. Great.“

“Lovely food lovely variety of japanees food“

“Good food and good service 👍“

“Wonderful and friendly staff. Delish food.“

“Great Service and the foods was delicious. Will come back here again.“

“We went to Shogun Omakase in New York yesterday for lunch. My son loves sushi and it was his birthday present (our first time experiencing Omakase). We were blown away! Seriously the best sushi experience (and to be honest, one of our top restaurant experiences) ever. Chef Ryan was an amazing chef and artist, and provided top notch customer service. We highly recommend Chef Ryan and Shogun Omakase to anyone who loves sushi and appreciates fine cuisine. ❤️🎉“

“Ended up here accidentally on a layover: Hands down, the best ramen I’ve ever had (springy, slurpy perfection), amazing cocktails (if you like gin the Japanese 75 is a must try!), and whatever the whipped cream, creme brûlée’d banana dessert was tasted like heaven. I even ordered another tonkotsu ramen to go (all the way to Florida) to bring back to my fiancé. They separated all of it, packaged it so it wouldn’t leak, and wrote directions on specific timing for heating up each item! Very impressive service. I’ll be back again!“

“#組長極力推薦 #響紐約可以食到呢個level嘅質素就已經算係禾地嘅福份 😆 😆#紐約食食 #omakasetempura #係我響紐約食過最好食嘅天婦羅“

“The best homemade udon in town , strongly recommended“

“Great sushi spot for a quick, easy-on-the-wallet kinda dinner! Everything we ordered looked and tasted amazing! Staff was so warm and fast with service. The vibe here was almost lounge-like comfort with great music, lighting, and space. Great overall experience! Will come back!“

“Uzuki never disappoints. As two people with gluten and wheat allergies, it’s such a treat to find truly exceptional gluten-free soba and udon.

The Duck Shio Soba is always a favorite. Comforting, flavorful, and good for the soul. The Black Truffle Curry Udon was rich and delicious, but the surprise star of the night was the Tempura Mochi Vegetable Udon. It was our first time trying it, and we’ll absolutely be ordering it again.

The Farmer’s Root Vegetables were also great. We wanted to put that sauce on everything!

Fantastic food, attentive service, and one of our favorite dining experiences. Highly recommend! 🍜✨“

“Perfect Food, Great Service, Nice Atmosphere“

“Walked into this place on a whim because the ratings were so good. I was not disappointed. Every piece of fish was super fresh and delicious. You could tell the chef was excited about his craft and very knowledgeable. The entire staff was very friendly and helpful as well. The chared otoro was a highlight as well as the engawa.

I was a little worried that it would be overpriced but I'd gladly pay again.“

“We were very lucky to have found Sushi YOLO after a last-minute decision to extend our evening in the city. It was an incredible experience all throughout: a homey vibe with great attention to detail from Chef and the entire team and, of course, delicious courses!

We plan to come back to Sushi YOLO when we are in the city again.“

“Best sushi we’ve ever had! Chicken gyoza was so good. Udon bowl was incredible. Spicy tuna, avocado roll and yellowtail scallion were top notch. Service was amazing. What a find for a meal prior to a concert at Terminal 5. Fantastic pricing as well! Highly recommend.“

“The red snapper I had here last night was the best I’ve ever had. Each piece of omakase was incredible and top notch. The sushi chef is a master of his craft clearly. The fish quality is insane. About $100 for 12 piece and $135 for 17 piece omakase which includes more premium offerings. I did the smaller while my husband did the 17 piece and he chef still gave me the wagyu with truffles alongside my husband so we could enjoy together.
Really spectacular!“

“I brought my dad here when he was visiting from out of town to experience an Omakase restaurant. We had a blast! The service, food, and ambience were spectacular. I highly recommend coming here for a special occasion, or just a nicer dinner. The quality of the fish was also incredible, and well worth the price, especially for New York City - will definitely be coming back.“

“Food was very well prepared and quite tasty, but nothing blew me away, and that's ok. This was my 3rd yakitori restaurant, and though I almost never comment on price, I did feel like the meal was overpriced. TBH, I'd just as well go to a place like Yakitori Toto and have almost as good of an experience.“

“Pieces were on the smaller side;however the quality and freshness was exceptional especially the Ginki.

Did not enjoy the cold chawanmushi and ark shell

Pricier at $150pp compared to other NYC Omakase, but worth it for the taste. More traditional compared to others which I enjoyed.

Matcha terrine w/strawberry was amazing.

4.5/5 ✨“

“The meal is fast, the food is delicious, and the links are elegant and warm.“

“Lingo was the perfect choice for a special celebration. I brought my daughter here and the night was great. It’s a beautiful space, genuinely warm and personable staff, and excellent Japanese-inflected food with a creative twist.

We did have one miss: the ribs were too fatty for our taste. But here's where Lingo service stepped in. Without any fuss, they took the dish off the bill and were so gracious about it. That kind of hospitality is rare and says a lot about how they run their restaurant.

Everything else was delicious and the vibe was just right for a celebratory dinner. I'll absolutely be back.“

“This place is very, very special. Having visited a lost count of Omakase counters in NYC, it’s often a real risk choosing a new one, even when you do the research and read a million reviews.

My wife and I took the risk on LUYA when taking a friend to dinner a couple weeks ago and it may have been our biggest surprise in NY dining in at least a few years. There are way too many things praise worthy at this place to list them all so I’ll highlight a few and let the rest speak for itself when you go try it…

- The staff is beyond top tier. Not only are they all friendly, kind, observant and attentive, but they’re also fun to be around! Never intrusive, never annoying, always the right amount of conversation.

- The fish is some of the best, and most outstandingly fresh I’ve ever had anywhere, not just in NY. The sourcing must be incredible because every single piece is truly punching WAY above its class in terms of price, taste, and presentation.

- The natural wine bar and perfectly curated selection of sake and Japanese spirits is such a welcome surprise. The cocktails are wonderful, and the bartender (somm??) is super knowledgeable about everything there.

Just come here, you won’t regret it. Best kept secret in the city.“

“We had an absolutely fantastic experience at Fushimi Restaurant! The food was delicious, from the appetizers we ordered to our main course. Each dish was expertly prepared and bursting with flavor. We also enjoyed a couple of drinks, which perfectly complemented our meal. What truly made our visit exceptional was the incredible service provided by our waitress, Ohmie. She was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the evening. Her warm demeanor and professionalism truly elevated our dining experience. We strongly recommend Fushimi Restaurant, especially because of the outstanding service we received from Ohmie. We’ll definitely be back!“

“Excellent Sushi ! Would highly recommend. Only wished they had Saki.“

“we had a great experience celebrating a birthday, the staff was attentive, and the atmosphere feels very intimate and bonding. this was our first experience having AYCE omakase and it was a 10/10. at the end of the course, they offered to repeat any of the courses we prefer. we even got a small gift for the occasion“

“Randomly decided to dine here before a show at Webster Hall. Every single thing we ordered was absolutely delicious. Teppen gyoza, kimchi beef fried rice, dynamite roll, and mango martini. Definitely plan on returning.“

“อาหารอร่อย สะอาด การบริการดี รวดเร็ว“

“A very interesting menu. Great food and service. A must for every local and tourist.“

“Went to TORA NYC recently and decided to order takeout, but even from that short experience the hospitality stood out. While we were waiting, they offered us water and were really welcoming, which already left a good impression. The space itself looks beautiful modern, intimate, and definitely feels like the kind of place that would make a really nice date spot.

We ordered three dishes: the Yokan Roll, Negichutoro Don, and Gyudon.

The Yokan Roll was a really nice example of how modern sushi rolls balance texture and richness. Inside was spicy salmon and cucumber, and it was topped with lightly seared salmon, mentaiko sauce, tempura flakes, and tobiko. The seared salmon added a gentle smokiness while still keeping that soft buttery texture salmon naturally has. The mentaiko sauce, made from seasoned pollock roe that’s widely used in Japanese cuisine, brought a creamy, briny umami flavor that paired really well with the fish. Tobiko added those signature little bursts of saltiness, and the tempura flakes gave a light crunch that balanced the richness of the sauce and salmon. It was a well constructed roll where each topping actually had a purpose.

We also got the Negichutoro Don, which had minced medium fatty bluefin tuna over rice. In sushi terminology, tuna is categorized by fat content akami being lean, chutoro the medium fatty section, and otoro the richest cut from the belly. Chutoro tends to be the sweet spot because it has enough fat to be buttery while still keeping that clean ocean flavor. The texture here was incredibly soft and almost melt-in-your-mouth. Negitoro as a dish traditionally mixes minced tuna with scallions, since the word “negi” literally means scallion. The tuna quality here was great and the texture was amazing, but I do think it could be elevated slightly. If the scallions were minced and mixed into the toro instead of sitting on top it would distribute the flavor more evenly. A little shredded nori could add some aroma from the sea, and honestly avocado would pair really nicely with the richness of the tuna.

The Gyudon was probably the most comforting dish we ordered. Gyudon has a long history in Japan and became popular in the late 19th century as a quick, affordable rice bowl. Thinly sliced beef is simmered in a sweet savory broth that’s very similar to sukiyaki sauce, usually made with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sometimes dashi. The beef absorbs that slightly sweet umami flavor as it cooks. Here it was served over rice with scallions, sesame seeds, and an onsen egg. Once everything was mixed together, the egg yolk coated the rice and beef and brought everything together. The sauce, beef, and egg created that rich silky texture that makes gyudon such a comforting dish.

Even though we only ordered takeout, that level of service was noticeable.

Overall the food was really good and thoughtfully prepared. The fish quality was great, the bowls were comforting, and the hospitality stood out even in a quick takeout experience. The restaurant itself looks like a really nice place to sit down and enjoy a meal, so we’ll definitely be coming back to dine in next time.“

“Walked in here on a whim and was BLOWN away. Each dish was so unique— the “tuna sandwich” or “corn ribs” were a clever word play but more importantly a wildly delicious creation that you would never get anywhere. Matt took care of us and gave us great recommendations on what to order.
I don’t say this lightly- I CANT WAIT TO COME BACK.“

“Was very good meat and the atmosphere nice .“

“Party of eight and we all enjoyed everything we ate and drank. 👍 for the kitchen staff on doing everything perfect and quick. The staff was amazing and service was great. I highly recommend the burger 🍔. Will definitely go back.“

“Our 1st omakaze experience & def not the last! I love the smallness of the place, it makes it special! Everything melts in your mouth! The best Christmas gift ever!“

“I’ve had sushi all over America, and this is a top contender amongst the best I’ve had. The menu is on the simpler side, but don’t let that detract you from the absolute quality they deliver. The sushi rolls are larger than typical and priced very reasonable for what you get. Plus they serve warm sushi rice which not many places outside of Los Angeles do.“

“Every time I go to this location it feels like I'm going to my cousin's house! The workers are so friendly and I go so often that it seems they all know my name now lol. I'm just sad Wonder removed my favorite meal from the menu 😩 I will be reaching out to corporate because how dare they!? Lol The zesty Chicken bowl from Yasas is absolute GOLD in the form of food!“

“I went there with six people.

It’s located in a trendy part of Brooklyn, and the restaurant has a really nice atmosphere. The staff who served our table were also very friendly.

As for the food, I was interested in okonomi fried potato and eringi karaage, but they weren’t anything special—just generally tasty. The garlic shrimp was probably the best dish, and the sushi rolls we ordered were also just average. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the desserts.

Since it’s in a trendy area, the prices aren’t exactly inexpensive.

Given the pleasant atmosphere, interior, and friendly staff, I think it’s a good spot for a casual date to enjoy a few drinks.“

“Mr sushi always treats us so well. Excellent white fish complimentary which is a lovely way to begin this exquisitely delicious culinary experience. The staff is sensationally kind and the music just tops it off so well. I would reccomend anyone to come here.“

“Very affordable, and Mary was amazing!! Our server pointed us in the right direction for sake/wine, even offering samples. Celebrated my 21st here, Sushi was amazing, Coursed out perfectly, and amazing hospitality. Will be coming back in the future.“

“Fantastic speakeasy sushi joint. Very small, no more than an handful of people may join the omasake style bar where 3 talented (and cool) chefs serve you the best crafted sushi you can get. Definitely going back soon.“