50 Best Japanese Restaurants in Austin

“I would like to respectfully start with; I’ve been to Uchi multiple times over the years and will never forget my first experience (which will always be the best in my mind.) That being said — tonight might have been the closest to first I’ve ever had. Chance, our server was attentive, knowledgeable, easy going, brought some of the best plates when we asked “bring us what you like/anything you think we missed” literally 12/10 would recommend. Ask for Chance, he knows his shiiiiiiii* and made our night absolutely amazing and something we will never forget!“

“Everything was good, but best brisket ever…“

“This is hands-down, my favorite restaurant in Austin, if not honestly, the world. We come at least once if not twice a week the menu is extremely diverse in the staff are just absolutely delightful. We love Carmen, jasmine, Enrique, anola, Luis, BZ, Jacobi, and Adam. 10/10 reccommend“

“Everything about this place is amazing..“

“First time here. Excellent service; very friendly wait ataff. Great selection of sake. Also beer & wine. Very good selection of sushi & sashimi. Very reasonable prices. My only suggestion would be to make the spicy sushi a bit spicier. If I lived in the area, I’d definitely be back!“

“Exceptional omakase. One of my favorite restaurants in Austin. The chef is extremely personable and kind. Made me feel incredible comfortable throughout the whole experience. My girlfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. The food itself was absolutely delicious. Every single nigiri was exceptional, with wonderful rice texture. The fish itself was always excellent quality and the sauces lightly coated on each fish were excellently paired with the flavor profile of the fish itself. Drinks: I did the sake pairing which had two options, a standard pairing for $80 iirc, and prestige pairing for $100. I did the pairing for $100. It was outstanding. My friend opted to do the prestige wine pairing ($110); she thoroughly enjoyed that pairing, as well. After the 22 courses, we went back the bar/lounge area and opted to finish our night with a glass of or Born Gold sake. The service team was incredible throughout the meal. Their presence was very low-key, but they were informative and really kind. Will absolutely be returning in the future.“

“Only next level Japanese dining enthusiasts would be able to immediately recognize that they have chosen well. If you are lucky enough to discover the Happy Hour menu then you’ve hit the jackpot. Do yourself a favor and go because ain’t nobody have dry aged fish! What?!? Yes this separates Lucky Robot from the rest of the Japanese places in Austin. Put it on the bucket list folks!“

“There are a LOT of gluten free options, and the sushi is incredible!“

“Incredible food. loved the salmon. ice cream very rich and creamy.“

“Tonight, my husband and I tried Uchiko for the first time. We had the Okamase. Everything was absolutely delicious. They put so much creativity and detail in every dish. We had a wonderful waitress. I would definitely recommend it.“

“This is not necessarily the best Sushi that you can get in Austin. When you're coming here, you're booking for the 45-minute omakase experience. Mind you it is definitely an experience and that does come with a price tag. The place is very cozy and you are sitting at a bar like structure with a sushi chef at the center and a drinks/sake guide.

We immediately went in and started to get our nigiri pieces of fish. Each time the chef put a new nigiri on our plate, he explained every single detail that went into making that particular piece of the nigiri. I would definitely say that the additions to the fish really was thought out on all of the flavors to compliment that particular fish.

This is definitely an experience because instead of just getting a piece of fish you're getting something very creative. In fact, I would say perhaps something you might not be able to get at other sushi places. We started out and the sushi was pretty good, but as we continued through the courses each piece got better and better. The A5 wagyu Sushi piece was mind-blowing and also the uni was so buttery and did not taste bitter which I give all of the compliments to the sushi chef. As the sauce and pairing of what was in the sushi must have really brought out the flavor.

My favorite pieces were the A5 Wagyu, the Ebi, toro, and Uni.

I got the sake flight and it was a very good pairing with all of the different sushi pieces. I do wish that I had maybe three to four more pieces of sushi, but maybe that is just wishful thinking because everything was so good. If you haven't been to Omakase in Austin, I would definitely give this a try.

I did happen to go the place next door that served hand rolls and got a spicy tuna and salmon. I'm definitely going to try to hit this place up for lunch one day and gorge myself in hand rolls. You can definitely tell that the fish was fresh.“

“Awesome meal as always Great rolls Great service“

“Fantastic meal tonight NYE 2021. Best sushi 🍣 in town in my opinion.“

“We came to Tare for date night and had an amazing experience. The omakase was the star of the evening—creative, beautifully prepared, and we loved the subtle Mexican flavors throughout the meal. The cocktails weren’t our favorite, but the quality of fish was amazing. We’d definitely come back!“

“My friend and I were craving some sushi so we decided to get some for lunch. We had no place in mind, so when we were driving we came across this place. Never heard of it and thought we would try it out. Best decision ever. Great service and yummy sushi.“

“A wonderful date night with Fred Dingerson!❤️❤️“

“Great place! Love the peppered Tuna! Great happy hour!“

“I love the flavors, and the creativity of the chef's for making the chef's specials so pleasing to the eye as well as delightfully satisfyingly delicious. Yumm !! I ordered the dynamite, and the spicy shrimp roll this time. So good!!“

“This is your sign to visit Nabe.
If I could, I’d give them 10 stars. delicious and fresh sushi, exceptional service (special shoutout to Anna) and beautiful ambiance - l it’s not so loud and you can have a convo with your party.
I have some sushi-snob tendencies and let’s just say I don’t like going anywhere else lol“

“We love Yanagi! They have great Happy Hour prices, the food is all excellent, and the staff is amazing!“

“Best sushi I’ve ever had in my life! It’s so fresh and melts in your mouth. Get here when they open so you can get to choose from everything they sell fast! Sooooo good highly recommend. I drove from Fort Worth so worth the drive.“

“Absolutely the BEST vegan sushi, noodles, red rice, fried eggplant, & Chive pancakes!! My new fave!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“As you can see, we got a decent spread of things for the two of us. Everything tasted very well to be fair. The quantity / price ratio is a bit off but as someone’s who’s ate sushi a fair bit some chefs pride themselves on the tiny bites they make or the larger bites they make.

I enjoy a larger portion for my sushi especially when the cost is going to be higher. Other than that the food was great to be honest they have a little beer and sake combo for 10$ which is pretty great! Also the tempura was not actual tempura it was tempura fries which was okay the sauces were making my mouth water every bite

The restaurant is cool slightly dimmer everything’s prepared in front of you cool bar seating in front of the chefs. They really tried to make it feel like a private Omakase that you would find typically in Japan so hats off for that.“

“Everything was perfectly done. Outstanding flavors. Will be back!“

“Great ramen and dumplings!!!“

“10/10 — Absolutely Amazing Sushi!

Umi Sushi is hands down one of my favorite sushi spots! Everything is always so fresh, flavorful, and delicious. My absolute favorite is the Shaggy Dog roll — I could seriously order it every time I come here! 🤤

And if you haven’t tried the Kani Puffs, you’re missing out! They are SO good and easily one of my favorite appetizers. Everything I’ve had here has been amazing, and you can really tell they put care into their food.

If you love sushi, definitely give Umi Sushi a try! I highly recommend the Shaggy Dog and Kani Puffs. 10/10 every time!“

“Definitely worth a visit at least once! Soulful meal and service experience.“

“Highly recommend as this is truly the ultimate culinary experience! Not only that but Chef Saine is adds a personable touch to the service and is also super entertaining. TJ does phenomenal recommending drinks with the dishes. Truly a unique experience.“

“es la primera ves que estamos aqui mi esposo mi hijo y yo todo estubo delicioso un poco de tiempo la espera pero valio la pena esperar.. nos encanto definitivamente regresaremos. El personal super amable. lindos. muchas gracias“

“Delicious food, amazingly quick and polite service. We will be back again soon!“

“The Japanese fried chicken rice ball was SO GOOD!! I already want another one! We will definitely be back ASAP!!“

“I have been dying to try Chef Choo's shop for a while now and I am so sad I didn't stop by sooner! The chef's special box that I chose today was truly an amazing experience! The cuts of sushi are so soft and delicious, with meticulous handcraft going into preparing them. The owners were on-site whipping up new masterpieces in the back, with a clean dining area to enjoy this box! If you get the opportunity to stop by, please do!너무 맛있었어요. ^^ 감사합니다. 다시 먹으러 올게요. ㅎㅎ 화이팅!“

“Excelente staff 💓 very friendly“

“After a seven month wait, we finally made it!!! If you ever want proof of concept that less is more, look no further than Tsuke Edomae. Chef Michael and his partner provided the eight of us an evening of seamless service. Every bite was, honestly, I don't know how to describe. The flavors are all familiar, just better. There is no place in Texas where you can get fish as fresh, as he personally procures the ingredients weekly in Tokyo. What we were lucky enough to eat last night had only been in the country 22 hours. We have eaten sushi all over the country and the world, but the closest I've been to Tokyo in Texas is at Tsuke Edomae.“

“Food was great we will definitely be back.“

“Korean review: really inexpensive and one of the only places in South Austin to get your Korean food fix. I know other reviews had some service problems but experienced NONE of that. Greeted immediately when walking in, we picked our seats and had multiple staff during our hour and a half stay check up on us even with a crowd of others arriving after us. We got the Kimbap appetizer split it for two (was delicious didn't need anything else like a sauce - perfect on it's own!). I got the beef bulgogi and my friend got the Rock Bibimbap with spicy pork (like regular Bibimbap but in a hot pot!). YALL LEMME TELL YOU THIS WAS SO GOOD. I was having an emotional experience with these flavors. Banchan selection was good too. Got 6 of them and one of them kimchi. I'll be back for take out and eventually try out the Japanese and Sushi portion of the menu.“

“Amazing! I loved the spicy aioli bowl over noodled. Its called the pasta bowl. I’ve had a lot of dishes styles of asian cuisine but this was original, a bit of sweet and spicy mixed perfectly. The music and inside dining is fun too!“

“This place's previous employees kind of soured me after a rude DoorDash pickup a few years ago. but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Had the ginger lime salmon with tempura shrimp, and it was filling enough for me and my boyfriend. Sauce was delicious and the tempura was fresh.

Kids eat free on weekends, mine got a steak bowl, loved the edamame and got herself a strawberry Ramune. We're all looking forward to the matcha gelato!

Miranda and her colleagues were quick, respectful, and knocked out a massive lunch rush line like pros. On top of that, the decor, the customers, and the music are funky and weird in the BEST way. Can't wait to come back!“

“If you looking for good Japanese food! friendly waiter!i“

“I absolutely love this place! I’ve been ordering from them for 10 years, and my kids literally grew up on their chicken bento box—it is genuinely that good. Their sushi rolls are equally fantastic. I like their spider roll, drunk fish, caterpillar roll. They are generous in size and taste great.
The location is another huge plus. They have outdoor tables with a lovely view, and the area stays pleasantly uncrowded. It’s a small, cozy spot, which makes me like it even more! Will definitely be back!“

“Fantastic personal, great food. 5 Star place.“

“I’ve been here many times. The drinks are not consistent, but the kitchen is 1000% reliable. The matcha, katsu curry and toasts are so delicious. Today’s hojicha just tasted like plain milk.

This is a great place to work/study outside of lunch time (11:30AM-2:00PM). TRUST ME. It is very very loud during lunch with high incoming/outgoing traffic which is distracting.

That being said, this is a great place to grab lunch.“

“Amazing happy hours and the sushi is great!“

“Not only was the staff super nice, the food was amazing! Great quality all across the board!“

“The food was good and the presentation was clean and creative. The sashimi and nigiri pieces were quite large—I ended up cutting them into bite-sized pieces with my chopsticks. The handrolls were a good size and easy to eat. The menu doesn’t offer much variety, but now I know: if I want more options, I’ll just go elsewhere. Still, a solid spot if you know what to expect.“

“Elvia is awesome sushi is fantastic I’ve been there 3 times this week“

“My visit was EVERYTHING I thought it would be and I came right after work to avoid traffic on a Thursday. You cannot go wrong with anything on the menu and Charmagne has thee best recommendations, service, and welcoming energy!!! Ahhh I felt like I was back home in Cali. Thank you Tora.“

“I go here about once a week and I love it! To all the people giving this place low reviews I would say two things:1) it seems like a lot of people are buying their premade bowls instead of their made to order bowls. The premade are good when you're in a hurry but it's much better right off the grill.2) I would agree that the portions are pretty skimpy on the skewers (they are very reasonably priced, so I'm not mad at it). What I always do is get their fried rice and then get the Brisket from True Texas BBQ in the food court and make some brisket fried rice.I don't order their sushi but a lot of other people do and they love it.“

“The food was delicious and the service was great!!!“

“Very good bento box! I had the beef bulgogi and kiddo had the chicken teriyaki. Everything tastes fresh and well prepared. It was a good value with 2 pieces of nigiri in addition to the typical Cali roll, tempura veggies, soup, salad, rice, veggies, and gyoza. We will be back!“