29 Best Japanese Restaurants near Helotes

“I’ve lost count of how often I have eaten here. The food and service has always been exemplary. I fear I’ve turned too many people on to this gem as it’s often crowded now. If you have to wait for a table, it’s worth the wait!“

“We went to celebrate my Hubbies Birthday! The food was amazing! Every time we go the food is consistently delicious😊 Wish we had a bit more showmanship from our chef but he was super nice and cooked everything to perfection 🤌🏽 One of favorite spits for sure🙌🏽“

“Finally got around to bringing the family and a few of my daughters friends we all loved it super friendly staff very clean inside and just a great experience overall highly recommend will be returning soon.“

“Google isn't allowing me to upload photos, but I'll check back in to try again.
I debated whether or not to post this review because I absolutely want to gatekeep Yozora. However, I also want Chef Emanuel and his team to succeed, so whatever. Just as long as you leave me a table, I’ll let you in on the secret.
The interior is mid-century modern with a chill vibe. The clean lines and no-frills interior didn’t feel sparse but instead gave me Mad Men vibes. The vinyl set up to the left of our table screamed 70s basement party in all the right ways. The music was kept at an acceptable level—not too loud that it kept us from hearing our conversation but loud enough to tempt me into shaking my hips when a slammin’ Bossa Nova came on.
**Be advised: we ordered damn near everything on the menu, and our bill reflected as much. Don’t think too hard; just donate some plasma next month.**
It’s not hard to go a little menu crazy with the izakaya-inspired menu.
Lucky Chicken is a red ale IPA from Kyoto, Japan. I had the yuzu sake high ball, which was crisp and refreshing.
The Asian pear cucumber salad was addicting. The floral pear and the mildly sweet cucumber cleansed the palate in anticipation of the meal. The Shiro Wrap (which I assume is named for Yozora’s predecessor) is a spicy avocado and panko-fried soft-shell crab filling surrounded by a soy wrap, masago, and chives. It’s one of those dishes you think of occasionally and wonder if it misses you as much as you miss it.
The Charcoal Grilled Chasu had a unique combination of fatty braised pork belly scented with charcoal that highlighted the salty creaminess of Reggiano cheese. The scallion kimchi that accompanied it mixed spicy with the herbaceous punch of the scallion tops.
The Garlic Edamame is like a toxic relationship: it hurts you but is so addictive and lovely that you can’t help but keep coming back to it. I spent the rest of the meal slurping soybeans from their pods while I conquered the rest of our meal. These have moderate spiciness, so if you’re sensitive to heat, I would skip them.
Hot Line Crispy Gyoza is a fried pork dumpling tossed in 911 sauce (it was more urgent care to us) and topped with parm-Reggiano cheese. These weren’t our favorite, but we’d demolish them after a night of drinking.
We moved on to the Yakitori section of the menu and enjoyed the Negima (chicken thigh and Japanese leek) and Waygu. Both were grilled exceptionally and remained juicy and tender.
We chugged on over to the “Crudo and Battera” section and ordered the Toro Tartare (I wished the lotus chip was thicker to accommodate the weight of the rich tartare), the Pepper Fin (I could drink the citrus soy/chili oil situation), and the Crispy Toro (we loved the juxtaposition of the creamy, fatty toro and the hidden crispy rice).
You might think we were ready to tap out by now… and we were, but we had ordered the Waygu Teriyaki, and we’re no quitters. The Wagyu was cooked perfectly, a gorgeous medium-rare, and the soy beurre blanc sat in was nothing short of seductive.
Our final push was the Yuzu Japanese Citrus Pie. I don’t know if they have an in-house pastry chef, but whoever created this dessert knows what the hell they’re doing. The yuzu offered the right amount of pucker factor, and the crisp, buttery crust added just enough sweetness to balance it.
Our server (I want to say his name was Ray or Roy) was exceptional in his attentiveness, engagement, and hospitality.
I wholeheartedly recommend Yozora as I think it should be on everyone’s list of must-eat places in the San Antonio area.“

“Oh my WORD! This is a sushi lovers HEAVEN! I can’t wait to go back!!!“

“Ginza has fresh tasting food and large portion sizes for all meals. I can never eat it all. The Boba smoothies are sooo gd. I usually get the chicken and rice or chicken with Ramen soup. The chicken is crispy so gd. Or teriyaki chicken also gd. Staff are very friendly.

Parking: The parking is in a long strip of other stores so sometimes it's hard to find parking. There are only about 3 handicap spots.

Kid-friendliness: Kid friendly meaning many families go here

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes entrance is flat no stairs“

“One of the best places I try chicken teriyaki , and the portions are huge to full you up , but after going for years I started getting the broccoli shrimp spicy, omg I felt in love with that plate, I recommend it to everyone who loves shrimp.

Parking: They bring the food to your car you don’t even need to get off ,“

“Hey Kumori, your lemonade is like water with a sneeze of lemon and sugar... and you're charging $2.99 forrefills. Your service continues to decline as you become more and more greedy. Sad to share with people that Kumori was my first job. You keep on falling short each time.“

“I had heard about @bluefin_sanantonio opening but hadn’t seen any reviews yet on the San Antonio Restaurant Facebook page. We thought to check it out for Sunday lunch. The reviews that I read spoke highly of the great service and quality. They opened about 6 months ago and have locations in different parts of Austin. This location is at The Rim right next to Tiago’s.

Dad had Pink Lemonade, I had the non-alcoholic Pina Colada, and Hubby had the UCC Iced Green Tea. Dad and Hubby shared the Eby Fry with the mayo and masago on the side and the Agedashi Tofu. The Wagyu Hot Rock was tasty and awesome value at $18. We shared the Bluefin Special Roll but did the non-spicy version without the jalapenos and habanero masago on the side. Hubby and I each had a Mixed Green Salad then we shared the Fatty Yellowtail and Fatty Salmon.

This place definitely has a great variety of food and drinks and is top notch. True to the reviews, multiple servers stopped by to check on us. We didn’t even try their ramen yet. Next time might have to be during happy hour as well. Looking forward to going back!“

“Seriously one the best ramen places in SA. Atmosphere was so fun and they were playing One Piece while we dined in! The buns are delicious, drinks are refreshing and the ramen is *chef's kiss* beautiful.“

“The flavor of Korean spicy ramen was good it is spicy so beautiful careful if you can't handle the spicy food. We ordered the Las Vegas sushi roll and here was a little disappointed, the sushi was so small portion almost every place serves between 8 to 10 pieces but in this places it was 6 for the price even the plate was so big for the small portion the flavor wS good“

“Seriously one the best ramen places in SA. Atmosphere was so fun and they were playing One Piece while we dined in! The buns are delicious, drinks are refreshing and the ramen is *chef's kiss* beautiful.“

“Best service and food ever!!!“

“First time & they did not disappoint! The food was so good & did not wait long. They are super friendly! Definitely going back!🥰“

“Don't remember the server's name but she was excellent and extremely attentive, especially when my parents both dropped their chopsticks and had a fresh set within 20 seconds each time.

I really liked the privacy screens between all the tables, reminded me of some of the restaurants in Japan.

My parents got shoyu ramen miso ramen and they enjoyed it. my bento with the spicy pork was also really good. Would come back if I'm in the area.“

“The iced matcha was really good . 10 out of 10 and had a good experience with my boyfriend and their ice cream cones were tasty and great fun presentation. We are definitely coming back .“

“Delicious!!!!!
I love this food!!!!
I recommend it 💯% . The atmosphere, it's the mall, if you don't like being around a lot of people get the app and take it home. Actually get the app and order ahead, there's almost always a line, it's that good“

“Our dinner was good. This was our first time to Hotaru and we needed a little guidance about the hibachi menu. While our waitress, Naomi was very nice, she didn't provide much guidance and walked off during our drink order and only came back when I called to her. We were looking for not just good food but an experience. The spring rolls were delicious. We ordered the shrimp and scallop hibachi with fried rice. The shrimp was overcooked. We also ordered pad thai. It was good. It was a dish that 2 could share. We were really interested in learning about the different types of sake but didn't get a chance. We will be back to give it another chance. We want to try some sushi and try sake.“

“Kin Thai & Sushi (San Antonio Dominion Restaurant) - Just discovered this place. We went there for Thai cuisine, which we had, but the sushi rolls we saw come out looked fantastic, so we will definitely go back for sushi next time. We ordered the Thai Spring Rolls, Chicken Phat Thai, and Chicken Phat Khing, and were treated to some Mango Sticky Rice for dessert. Everything looked great and tasted delicious. The Phat Thai was as good as we have had anywhere! The servers were efficient, attentive and courteous. Prices very reasonable. The dining room was full, but not noisy. A very pleasant ambiance for a casual dinner.“

“I highly recommend Ichiban. The food is fresh and delicious. I recently enjoyed Hibachi shrimp, fried rice, broccoli and a spring roll. Very few restaurants know how to cook fresh broccoli. It's often over-steamed and has the consistency of baby food, but the broccoli at Ichiban was very fresh, crisp tender and delicious. We will return soon.“

“Enjoyed my Ramen! Quick, friendly service.“

“Excellent customer service! Phenomenal Eats!! Food is excellent! Great atmosphere! Highly recommend! We’ll be back for sure!! We need a place like this in Deep South Texas!“

“This is my new favorite for Sushi!!! 🍣 10 out of 10“

“I was leaving La Cantera and asked my mom, who lived in the area for five years, for a recommendation. She suggested Yellowfish, and let me tell you—it was well worth the trip! The food was incredible, the staff was friendly, and the atmosphere was relaxed and super clean. I’m glad I stopped by and would definitely recommend it to others. Five stars!“

“Great food and atmosphere. Very clean. Will eat there again“

“A most excellent choice for fast and delicious Asian Food. A wide variety of choice coupled with fast service and courteous staff, tucked away in a nice spot near many shops and a movie theater with plenty to choose from after you're done filling your tummy with the excellent food at this establishment.“

“Always good food and good friendly service“

“Always friendly service, some chefs better than others and can make your experience over the top or just meh. We have had both experiences. Food is usually phenomenal but is so expensive now. Most of our visits have been worth the money. This last time, though the rice was so bad, I was actually disappointed, and the server was very inexperienced and way overcooked our steaks to well done. It was for my son's graduation, and the bill was $600 for 8 people. I will return, although I wish that with this being for a celebration and had family in from out of town, food and chef experience and confidence would have been better.“

“Love this Sushi Zushi location. The sushi is fresh and is best when eaten in the restaurant. Recommendations include:Red Moon Roll, Diamond Roll, Brandon’s Tuna Roll, Torreado Roll with Scallops, and the Strawberry Roll for a dessert roll. The yakiudon and yakisoba are both great as well. Overall a great option for good sushi that is reasonably priced. There are kids bento boxes and kid-friendly options. The location is getting older and is dated, but for my family and I, it’s nostalgic.“