32 Best Japanese Restaurants in Ottawa

“Warm welcome/service - quick - delicious. A fun experience. Recommend and will go back!“

“My family really loves to eat here.I celebrated my birthday tonight and we had fun we’re all satisfied.It is worth the price!!I also appreciate Sherry for serving us.She is really nice and patient even if we never stopped ordering.Thank you so much!!“

“We had such a lovely experience here Saturday night. I had made a reservation for four, but ended up arriving with our son as well when our babysitting plans didn’t work out. I apologized that we were suddenly five, and the staff were so gracious about it, immediately putting together a larger table for us and making us feel completely welcome.

The food was amazing, but what really stood out to me was the service. The staff was warm, attentive and seemed genuinely aware of what might make our evening easier and more enjoyable. At one point the chef even sent out a little vegetarian sushi roll for our son to try which was such a thoughtful surprise.

It was just a really lovely evening all around. Great food, wonderful service, and the kind of hospitality I'm still thinking about days later.“

“I have ordered so many times here since I moved to Ottawa I have truly lost count. There are no bad items. They even toss in free snacks every now and then! Such a sweet family and wonderful ladies who run it. Their daily special are such a great deal, and a good way to try different items in their menu.

Their sushi platters are some of the cheapest in the city, and no one can beat their quality. Salmon platter for $25 with 20 pieces is a crazy steal. So good. Their bento boxes are also so packed so thoughtfully.“

“I have been to Shinka several times and I keep bringing new people to share this great experience! Their food is incredible and the atmosphere is really neat with the speak-easy feel. Best sushi I've had by far. I especially love the dragon eye and the spicy scallop :)“

“Wonderful little place that serves alot of my favourite Japanese comfort food 😋 especially love the Halal teriyaki chicken donburi! location is a little trickey to get to. Just go inside of the front entrance of the Green Valley Office building!“

“I had an amazing experience at rice n roll - the staff were so lovely and friendly and happy to help. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, the tofu poki bowl was so flavourful and so much was included for $23! Would recommend this to anyone looking for a delicious meal!“

“Been here for dine in and takeout before and they have never disappointed! Service was fast and the servers are soft spoken, the atmosphere was also quiet. Only gripe was that they close so early! I once went at 7:30 and they were already stopping dine in service. Either way, my friends and I will still be back, hopefully earlier next time lol“

“This is always a huge dilemma for me: 4 stars or 5?

On one hand, Kuidaore is probably one of the most authentically Japanese-feeling places I’ve visited in Ottawa, especially because of the interior and overall atmosphere. On the other hand, the food didn’t quite meet my expectations.

I had just returned from a long trip to Japan, so my taste buds still remembered very well what classics like tonkotsu ramen, karaage, and takoyaki tasted like there. Naturally, I ordered all three.

The tonkotsu ramen was a little on the bland side for me. The broth felt somewhat watery and lacked the richness I expected. The chashu, however, was excellent. The biggest downside was the noodles - the texture reminded me more of instant noodles than the ramen noodles I had throughout Japan. To be fair, this is still one of the better bowls of ramen I’ve had in Ottawa; it’s just difficult not to compare it with what you get in Japan.

The takoyaki was average. The octopus was slightly chewy, but I loved the generous amount of bonito flakes on top. Visually, it looked just like something you might get from a street stall in Osaka, which brought back some good memories.

The karaage was my biggest disappointment. Japan has some of the best fried chicken in the world in my opinion - even convenience-store chicken can be amazing. Unfortunately, this karaage tasted as if it had been fried in old oil, or perhaps something was off with the seasoning. It also seemed to be made with white meat, while most of the karaage I had in Japan used juicy dark meat.

And somehow, the best part of dinner was the Orion beer. Originally from Okinawa, it became one of my favourites in Japan, and it was a very nice surprise to find it here.

So yes, I’m still struggling between 4 and 5 stars. I’m leaving 5 stars because I really like the atmosphere, appreciate having a place like this in Ottawa, and I definitely want to come back. I’ll give the ramen and karaage another try and update my review afterward.“

“I'm from Toronto and I was craving takoyaki. I got the poke bowl, takoyaki and 2 pieces spicy salmon. I tried everything right away in the car first then took it home

The takoyaki was what I expected, super yummy.
I think the fish was good. The sushi rice was a lot harder than I'm used to, not as fluffy. Maybe should have a bit more water

The poke bowl, the ingredients were good but it was missing some flavor. I realized there wasn't any spicy mayo.

I'm thinking the food could be made for the demographic since this is decently away from downtown and some my friends like less fluffy rice and the spicy mayo might be too strong for some people.

I would definitely make it optional to add spicy mayo for the poke bowl and tempura bits but I love the texture of them so that's a personal preference“

“This is my husband and I's favourite sushi place in the city! The staff are all incredibly kind and helpful, the atmosphere is so nice, there's not a lot of seating which I personally love. We regularly eat in/take out and every time the food has been fresh, tasty and quick. You have to try their beef gyoza, I think it is the best I have ever had!! My husband is obsessed with the lobster roll!! I am not a big leave a review person, but I felt this place truly deserves all the stars!!!“

“My son and I love coming here, it’s both of our favourite restaurant. The sushi is phenomenal, the price is fair and the service is always wonderful. Nice quiet dining experience, definitely recommend if you enjoy sushi!“

“Free cotton candy made this review 👍“

“Only went for drinks for a birthday. The food we saw/smelled seemed amazing. Drinks were great.

Service was a bit slow, but they were setting up for club night. So I'll blame it on timing.

The drinks were also fantastic“

“Discovered this restaurant today and happy we did. The food was excellent, great experience allowing us to cook our meal while chatting. Attentive service, excellent quality. A lot of food in the options. We really loved the experience and will definitely return.“

“The sushi are really good and the service is amazing! 😍“

“This place is very good and the sashimi are very fresh“

“Drove from Orleans to pick up an order for dinner gathering. Arrived 5 min early only to find out it would take another 30min because the kitchen’s printer didn’t print our order. They couldn’t cancel it either and I had guests waiting. Pretty disappointing to be honest, the food is great so I’m providing honest feedback here to help improve systems. Please refund my credit card as your server wasn’t able to do so at the restaurant.“

“Great sushi. Only concern is that either I have covid or their wasabi is very weak. Have to add a lot to get that zap“

“Absolutely delicious. I regularly wait for them to open in the morning for break instead of ordering elsewhere“

“이번 가을에 방문예정“

“Authentic non hyped sushii. The other places are not quality oriented the way Genji is.“

“So good. Sushi is fantastic, super fresh, with lots of variety.

I placed a really large order. If was ready exactly when I was told it would be. Everything was packaged beautifully and the ladies working there arr very kind. They clearly know what they're doing and prepare the Sushi with lots of care.

So delicious - and really generous portions. I have tons of leftover (and that's ok! 😋😁). Go here for Sushi!“

“It's an above average izakaya with somewhat expected service and atmosphere. The quality of food however exceeds my expectation in a fairly modest and typical izakaya in downtown Ottawa, the yikitori is particularly tasty and well done.“

“A great family friendly experience. A true gem in the heart of Ottawa. fantastic food, great service and a personalized interaction with your chef. 100% in my books“

“Great spot for quick, fresh sushi and poke bowls! The fish is high quality, and the poke bowls are flavorful with generous toppings. Service is friendly but a bit slow during peak hours. Overall, a solid choice for a quick, healthy meal. Will definitely return!“

“Fresh and delicious sushi and rolls, clearly prepared with care every morning. The staff are warm, welcoming, and incredibly friendly. This is definitely a must-try sushi spot in Ottawa. You can really tell the owner puts both passion and heart into the restaurant. Highly recommended!“

“Excellent, fresh, sushi. Service was quick, orders were accurate and staff were friendly.“

“We had an amazing experience at Japanese Village in Ottawa. The teppanyaki chefs are very entertaining, skilled, and make the meal a lot of fun from start to finish. Our favorite one has the baby smooth chest! We ordered the Wagyu beef with hotpot, striploin steak, shrimp, lobster tail, and chicken stir-fry, and every dish was cooked perfectly and full of flavour. The ingredients were fresh, the portions were generous, and the presentation was excellent. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere made it a great place for a special occasion or a night out. It's not the cheapest dinner, but the quality of the food and the overall experience made it well worth it. Sadly they do not offer alcohol but the food makes up for it. This is our 3rd time going here. We'll definitely be back again!“

“Had an amazing time with friends at Koreana Restaurant! The all-you-can-eat experience was top-notch, offering incredible variety and freshness. The bulgogi was tender, rich in flavor, and perfectly seasoned, and we really enjoyed grilling it right at our table. The glass noodles (Japchae), sushi, and side dishes were all delicious additions to the meal. Everything came out fast, the atmosphere was super comfortable, and the staff made us feel right at home. Truly a fantastic spot for a fun meal with friends—highly recommended!“

“Sushiman offers a surprisingly authentic amount of sushi options that are quite amazing. We often order the spicy salmon roll and are never disappointed. The location is within a shared area that mostly houses students, which can get load at times but is overall very friendly. A very good sushi spot for lovers!“