50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Des Moines

“I am Very Impressed with, "Happy Teriyaki"!!! The food is great and I like that it is served in bowls instead of Styrofoam. They are open until 9:00 p.m. 7 days a week! Their prices are extremely reasonable. I will be going back!!!“

“I mean wow. Just wow. I ordered the spicy chicken breast and broccoli plate that comes with onions and carrots sautéed in. Can I just say how picky I am when it comes to Asian food or any food in general. My adopted mother is Chinese and cooked us original asian dishes our entire childhood she was an amazing cook. Anything she put her hands on came out like a 5 star Michelin restraint. Authentic too. I can't see her or speak to her anymore. When I smelled this dish the memories came flooding back. and then I dug in.... The seasoning is beyond anything I've had in teriyaki shops before. . The composition was beautiful. The taste brought me back to my childhood. Its been along time since I've tasted something this amazing. I will say I was blown away by this plate. I'd give it another star if I could.“

“One of the many great Des Moines restaurants, if you haven’t been, you need too. Great hospitality and amazing food. Definitely a must!“

“Excelente service thank you 🙏“

“Fantastic sushi and people. Casual, kind and some of the best service and fish around.“

“We went to visit Sumo Japanese restaurant for the first time after church service. The food and the service were great. I highly recommend this restaurant and the robots service was a great touch.“

“My favorite sushi restaurant hands down. Been coming here for years and it never disappoints. Well worth the drive to get there.“

“Friendly service, food is great, plenty of selections; Korean, Chinese, and Japanese foods in one place. I had the spider roll and the Mongolian Beef. I didn’t order the combos on purpose but who knew the Japanese food and Chinese food complimented each other very well. Talking about a great service, my wife order the sesame balls for a dessert. 2 of 5 were a bit under cooked somehow. We broke them a part but didn’t eat them. One other staffs walked by and asked if we didn’t like. My wife told her those 2 seemed like they are not full cooked so we didn’t want to eat them but we are okayed. She then insisted that she asked the chef to make a fresh batch of 5 for us. This time they were perfectly cooked. I was impressed with her and felt very appreciative. I recommend this place if you like delicious food and something quick.“

“Finally visited the new location! Their udon is so good! The owner remembers me from the original Kirkland location 5 years ago!“

“My Husband and i eat here nearly once every week. The owner Yoko is inviting and friendly. The food is very delicious! Itadakimasu!~ Many thanks for the wonderful meals, Always worth it! My favorites: + Pan Fried gyoza; delicious,crispy, perfect. + My husband orders the Miso soup, It's the most flavorful miso we have tried. + My husband loves the curry ramen, I always enjoy sipping some of the broth too! very flavorful and warming. (I think they used to be called I <3 Curry! So this fusion is wonderful!) + Okonomiyaki; beautiful and delicious. +Tonkatsu Curry is very delicious! i order this the most +Curry pork fried rice special over the summer is very delicious! I always ask if they'll still make it for me.(and am very grateful when they do!)“

“We have been there a couple of times. Everything has been excellent. Prices are comparable to other sushi restaurants in the area. Our only complaint is the tea is a bit week. Still deserves 5 stars.“

“What a great experience at this restaurant. Food was so delicious the first day, I returned the next day with my best friend. Staff and atmosphere was excellent and the place was very organized and clean. Looking forward to eating there next time. Highly recommend!“

“Kim's Teriyaki is our favorite teriyaki in Kent. Their food is absolutely delicious, their restaurant is super clean and well maintained, and the folks working are always super friendly. We usually grab takeaway from them, and when we had a busy day we once went there for lunch AND dinner. Yes. Their food is that delicious! I love their chicken teriyaki and their chicken yakisoba. We love sharing a pork gyoza order. My husband gets chicken teriyaki with 4*'s of spice and it is SPICY AS HECK and he absolutely loves to sweat and cry through it. Kim's is one place that we can always agree on going to and always sounds good for lunch/dinner. Their salads are also the best! The salad dressing is perfection.

If you haven't given Kim's a try, go! Plenty of free parking, easy to get in/out of the parking lot, and super delicious food at decent prices.

Note: the teriyaki is so good that I forgot to take a photo before I started eating it >facepalm<. The teriyaki does not come partially eaten!“

“Love this place! The staff are kind and helpful, and always greet us as tho we're the only customers they've had that month.
My husband gets the combo rice, and loves it. I think it's a tiny bit greasy for me, but he's happy. (and they'll not put in veggies if you so choose!)
I love the Mongolian Beef. The meat portion could be bigger, and I wish they'd put more of the noodles underneath, especially because they drown it in sauce, but the pieces of meat are nice and thick, and scrumptious.
Took away 1 star on atmosphere because the table we sit at to wait was sticky.

Side note, they are a bit more expensive than they should be for what you get, but I suppose that's where we are currently.
3 meals is gonna be $60... But still worth the trip.

Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Handicap parking directly in front with a ramp right to the door. Door is a bit heavy, but not so much that it can't be opened without help...“

“Amazingly generous place. Great service regardless of dine in or take out. They took care of our order to go and blessed us with miso soup that we didn't order. Very giving restaurant. Recommend them highly. I've never had a bad meal from them. Golden Gate is one of my favorites.“

“The Monster Roll I got was just that, a monster! It was so fresh and flavorful, I would come back for this! The stir fry my bf got was really good as well! We loved the sauce, and the chicken and vegetables were cooked perfectly. My only qualm was that the rice was kind of dry and had a weird texture for fried rice, but everything else was great! Very friendly service, but the place was pretty empty.“

“I stumbled upon this restaurant by chance while passing by. It offers a typical teriyaki menu, along with Korean dishes, some Japanese options (like sushi and tempura), and even jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles). The area is an industrial zone, so workers from nearby factories frequently drop in. Perhaps because of this, the restaurant opens early at 10 AM and closes early (3PM) as well.

It seemed like the owners, a husband and wife, were the only ones working (I couldn't see the kitchen). The owner’s wife took orders and served in the dining area. I arrived around 10:40 AM, a bit early for lunch, but there were already two tables with customers, and more people started coming in shortly after.

I ordered four dishes, including Korean and teriyaki options. Typically, teriyaki places don’t serve Korean side dishes (banchan), but since I ordered Korean food, they brought out banchan. The owner’s wife apologized for the limited variety of side dishes and generously brought out extra.

As I tasted the side dishes, they had a comforting, homemade quality, like a warm meal prepared at home. The flavors were neither too salty nor too bland, with a clean taste that didn’t rely on artificial seasonings. The dishes—spicy pork bulgogi, seafood soft tofu stew, stone pot bibimbap, and Mongolian beef—reminded me of my mom's cooking, which I loved. While the food didn’t have the commercialized taste of popular chain restaurants, it felt like it was made with care and attention, just like a meal prepared at home.

This restaurant pleasantly exceeded my expectations.

- Service: Following the typical teriyaki joint setup, you place and pay for your order at the counter before taking a seat. The staff then brings your meal to your table. A nice touch is the complimentary bottled water that accompanies your meal.

- Price: Considering the generous portions and delightful taste, the pricing is quite reasonable. While I haven't compared it to other eateries in the vicinity, the value for money here stands out.

- Food: The dishes shine with a home-cooked quality, free from overpowering artificial flavors. Each bite feels wholesome, capturing the essence of genuine, heartfelt cooking.

- Ambiance: The setting is straightforward and functional, characteristic of fast-food-style teriyaki spots. It's not fancy, but it serves its purpose well.

- Parking: There's ample parking available, though spaces can fill up quickly. Nevertheless, finding a spot wasn't an issue, and it's free of charge.

In summary, this restaurant offers a delightful blend of authentic flavors and efficient service, making it a noteworthy spot for anyone craving quality teriyaki and more.“

“This place is next level. It's the most intimate setting I've had the privilege to go to. The food was unbelievable and the chef was incredible. Explained every dish, the origin of each piece and the presentation was delightful. This place only accepts 3 groups of 2 at a time and reservations are booked out way in advance, so plan appropriately! We already have new reservations for next month.“

“The best teriyaki in town and the customer service is amazing“

“I have never had teriyaki like this before, most teriyaki places have sauce all over the meat, sure, but the meat will STILL be dry. NOT HERE - the chicken is the most moist I have ever had at a teriyaki place, it isn't dripping in sauce, it just has a perfect layer for flavor. I 100% recommend this place to get your teriyaki, go ahead an ask for a side of sauce, but you'll barely even need it. ?“

“You all know that good, quality, CONSISTENT teriyaki spots aren't easy to come by, and when I moved to Burien it took me weeks to find this place but I knew when I had it the first time it would be my #1 go to moving forward, and it has served me well for so many years.

Everything I've ever tried is amazing and so tasty. Big portions, nice staff. Most weeks I get the house special fried rice and there is SO much food and protein in that to-go container that I can eat it for 3-4 days for lunch at work. Their teriyaki sauce is that special thick sweet one that is so hard to find. Sad I'll be relocating east for a couple years, no teriyaki spot will replace it.“

“Got to stop by this place while visiting Seattle recommended by my friend. I was not disappointed at all. Everything was made fresh to order. I really enjoy the dumplings and the shrimp roll as well as the shrimp tempura. I will stop by again to try other options. The staff was nice and very knowledgeable.“

“Variety of rolls to choose from. We ordered Godzilla roll & Super Dragon roll. Both tasted great and affordably priced too. Very friendly staffs with cozy atmosphere. Highly recommended.“

“Good food and good staff. Thoroughly enjoyed our experience. Will be back!“

“my son told me to try the tonkatsu ... and he was absolutely tastier and juicier right👍👍“

“I ordered take out, first time here. The salad was very fresh and the salad dressing was AMAZING. I wouldn’t even mind just ordering a plain salad with there dressing. It was so good. Only thing I would critique would be the teriyaki sauce it seems like they water it down the color is super light and not as flavorful. I had some on my chicken and ordered some extra teriyaki sauces on the side and they were all the same very light brown no flavor. I would have giving them a 5 Star if they didn’t water down their teriyaki sauce.“

“I’ve been coming here biweekly for 20 years and through 2 owners. We live 20 minutes away and it’s worth the drive. The food is always good and service fantastic! Short ribs are my go to and my spouse loves the veggie yakisoba. You won’t be disappointed!“

“I have been a customer for over 35 years. Never ever have I experienced a better Sushi restaurant. I adore the owners. Fresh amazing food.“

“Good Teriyaki, pretty simple and straight forward. I feel like it’s hard to mess up teriyaki but you never know. It came with a little side salad. Teriyaki chicken, Teriyaki beef and shrimp combo they were both good. Surprised that the shrimp came on a screwer with pineapples but it was good. Only a few pieces tho. Kinda worth it depends if you really like shrimp. Overall pretty decent place. Nothing to rave about but also nothing to complain about.

Vegetarian options: Not very many vegetarian plates.“

“I love eating teriyaki and I've been to several places all around the greater Seattle area. Teriyaki Box in Renton has a unique teriyaki sauce and great salad dressing sauce too. The service is friendly and fast and the tables are clean. The prices are reasonable for what you get and I would definitely come back again.“

“Good food!my husband favorite teriyaki spot.Easy to find.great customer service. This spot is located in the parking lot of the brown bear car wash and right next to the smoke shop. The owner is super nice. Food is served hot and fresh and cook to order. Things to try Fred rice /beef n broccoli with shrimp “

“Beautiful new sushi restaurant at The Landing.
Presentation is awesome for quality sashimi and sushi!
They have another location that is much smaller in Newcastle.
The menu is large with lots of cooked items as well! Looking forward to trying more of the menu.“

“Fast, yummy and a great lunch spot. We had a group of 8 of us come in and they got our order to us in about 15 min which I was very inpressed with. Their food was well flavored and yummy. I’d stick with the teriyaki myself. The katsu was very well done as well and a giant quantity.“

“I love this place they are always so friendly and nice.the chicken katsu is super good it's my favorite don't be scared to try the other dishes they like Mongolian beef,sweet&sour chicken and much more!!! ? thank you so much for the food!!!!!“

“The Calamari was the absolute best I've ever had. Their sushi rolls are very tasty.“

“My absolute favorite sushi place in Kent, and probably in the surrounding areas too. The fish is always fresh, the portions are always so generous and they always fulfill my requests whenever I want to tweak the order. The pricing is really good too in my opinion. The restaurant itself looks clean with a very cozy atmosphere. I've dined in, done take out, and ordered delivery plenty of times and they never disappoint. Also they might have the best spicy mayo recipe I've ever tried.“

“I'm pretty picky about teriyaki these days but this place is EXCEPTIONALLY good. The staff member Rianna was super friendly and helpful and had amazing recommendations. The food is great. The katsu, teriyaki and fried rice are literally mouth watering and FRESH. This is our new go to spot and can't wait to try more!“

“Dang! As Bob Ross said “happy accident” that I found this place. Went for teriyaki and ended up having one of the best gyros I have ever had. Excellent flavor and quality. Service was over the top excellent and a happy surprise. I was starving.“

“Everyone loves their karaage chicken...huge servings! They also have the best Tom Kha...the flavor is spot on! Pad See Ew, drunken noodles, etc are all wonderful. Portions are large & prices are reasonable. But, biggest reason I keep returning is their terrific staff...just the nicest people!“

“Your typical Washington Teriyaki place in terms of service of ambience. Overall the food was ok. Seasoning, ok. Wish their Miso soup tasted more like miso.

However the best thing this place has going for them is their pricing. The price to food ratio is solid. So if you’re hungry and got $20, this place is it. Food could’ve been better, but for what it’s worth, it’s perfect.“

“We love this place. Come in 2x a week. Service is always top notch. Hubby loves the Chicken Katsu & I get the pork teriyaki. Food quality/taste are consistent & portions are generous. Huge variety of cold drinks.
Very clean & inviting atmosphere.
Best part, I can walk right in & get my food. Free parking if you're driving & right off the Othello Light Rail Station.

Parking: Free ramp parking

Wheelchair accessibility: No automatic door switch.
Ebtrance is sidewalk level.
Dining tables are handicap accessible.“

“Good portions of delicious food. We tried the chicken wings, teriyaki chicken, honey garlic chicken and shrimp fried rice. It would up being a little on the expensive side but we have leftovers for at least another meal for both of us and probably still leftovers. Maybe they could offer smaller portions for a lower cost? Staff was very friendly. This is our new favorite teriyaki place. We look forward to trying the other dishes.“

“Today, I had lunch here for the first time, and I'm surprised there are so few reviews.I love the old-school aesthetics, humble yet clean inside. It looks like take-out only, but that's what l wanted for my lunch hour.The gentleman who took my order over the phone and rang me up then bagged my food was very polite and pleasant.I ordered chicken teriyaki and egg roll combo. The price was fair and the serving was generous.The egg roll was perfectly crispy, the chicken was right off the grill and tender with charred edges. The rice was spot-on, and the salad was just fresh lettuce and dressing, but both were as fresh and delicious as can be.I'll definitely return!“

“Shari is the best !!!! I love her service she made me feel welcomed and had a big smile . I was comfortable and. Tipped her very well. If anyone need a raise is for her compassion at work !!! Let’s Go SHARI !!!!“

“This establishment is in my neighborhood. I recommend spicy chicken teriyaki and lots of chili paste on the rice scoops. I order to go because I live so close, but I have no problem with eating inside the restaurant. I kind of like it. Most of the bad reviews are ancient history. Can’t please everyone. Ignore them. The food is good.“

“I haven’t been here since probably 2 years and I went yesterday and got a ‘moms plate’ which is essentially a family meal and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of goodies you get with it for only 50$ (3 large plates of entrees with fried rice and lots of side dishes&soup) it’s supposed to feed 4 but it definitely can feed more than that. And my favorite sweet and sour chicken has gotten much better since the last time I’ve gone, they must’ve started using better chicken as it was a lot fresher and not dry. Owners are extremely kind and I’m always greeted with a big smile, certified auburn classic and I’ll be coming back more often!!“

“Loved their Spicy Teriyaki Chicken. It was actually spicy...“

“We just ate here for my last night in town because, as a PNW native, every trip home I need to get my teriyaki fix. We went here on my brother’s recommendation and boy, it did NOT disappoint!

My brother and I got the spicy chicken and beef combo. Delightful and pleasantly spicy. If you don’t like spice I wouldn’t get the spicy version but if you do enjoy a tasty amount of heat, this is spot on. Not too hot, certainly flavorful.

The rest of the family got chicken teriyaki, veggie yakisoba, and the chicken and katsu combo. We all shared a plate of gyoza. I tried most everything and all of it was delightful.

My favorite part about the place though was the people working. They were both so kind and remembered my brother even though he hadn’t been able to come by in some time. They bonded with my 4 year old nephew quickly and were wonderfully genuine in their actions. They were very quick to help with anything we needed (nothing crazy, we spilled some water and they came out with a pen so we could label our boxes without us asking for one. Just very helpful in general).

Consider me a long time fan. I will come back any time I am in the area! Thank you so much for wonderful service and phenomenal food!

Parking: Ginger Teriyaki is in a strip mall so parking is right in front of the restaurant.

Kid-friendliness: Very kid friendly!“

“This is our go-to for teriyaki. Spring rolls were awesome, I should have ordered more because the kids practically inhaled them. I got tofu teriyaki and it was great. My family loves the chicken teriyaki. They are so accommodating and a joy to order food from. Highly recommend.“

“Seriously the only place I love getting the beef short ribs, they cut it up so nice and thin and then ask for it well done to get the char on the bones seriously I don’t get it from any other teriyaki spot, all their food here is amazing, I drive all the way from puyallup just to come get their food“