50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Mercer Island

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

“Delicious sushi!! Modern, bright and clean. We will definitely be back!!“

“Highly recommend the tofu vermicelli bowl! Not just for vegetarians! The tofu is well seasoned, not deep fried, absolutely satisfying. You won’t miss the meat. Their Vietnamese ice coffee is perfect too, not too bitter, not too sweat, just smooth! My go to lunch spot.“

“It's very quick for a lot of food and the service here is beyond excellent. I was honestly surprised with how nice the staff is here. I was indecisive with how much of an amazing selection they have since they have a lot of options but I definitely recommend anything with chicken. Their noodles were also excellent. I ended up getting this to-go and there was so much food that I had some leftovers for the following day which was still great.“

“Gourmet Teriyaki is our absolute go-to spot for teriyaki in Mercer island. The food is consistently delicious, and the value for what you pay is unbeatable!
We live just a 3–5 minute walk away, and the service is unbelievably fast. We’ll call in our order, walk right over, and it’s already hot and ready by the time we walk through the door. The guy working the counter is always super friendly, warm, and welcoming.
My partner and I always get the chicken and beef combo and add an order of gyoza. The portion sizes are huge—the two of us easily get at least two meals each out of it! Incredible quality, huge portions, and lightning-fast pickup. Highly recommend!“

“Had a Great Experience. Would definitely Recommend.“

“I love Sushi Kappo Tamura and Taichi!! I have a hard time eating sushi anywhere else.“

“A very nice experience today with nice service and nice ambience. I'm not a big sushi fan but there are many other nice options too here. 5 out of 5.“

“sushi AND ramen? Yessirrr!!

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the ramen and sushi options here.

I've tried other places that specialize in making ramen. Sadly none of them really impressed me and would usually opt out for pho instead. But here, they got ramen RIGHT.

Hear me out, the black sesame squid ink ramen?? FIRE. The soup got that addictive nutty taste to it - this is my favorite ramen.

For seafood bowls, raw seafood and rice ratio is fair. Nice thick cuts of fish. Reasonable to the price.“

“Best poke in Washington! We’ve tried a lot of poke spots, and Red Bowls is still the one we keep coming back to.

The fish is always fresh, the portions are generous, the ingredients taste high quality, and the bowls are packed with flavor. They don’t skimp on the good stuff either, so you actually feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.

The staff is always friendly (sweet Korean elderly couple), service is quick, and the quality has been consistently excellent every time we’ve gone.

If you love poke, Red Bowls is a must-try. Easy 5 stars and our favorite poke spot in Washington.“

“One of the best sushi restaurants I’ve been part of!“

“Grilling is n art Issian has mastered . This is why we- my family and friends- love this place.“

“One of my favorite Japanese restaurants (not to mention the oldest in Seattle) and it has never disappointed me. The food is delicious and the service is friendly and warm. It’s a difficult time we are in with the pandemic of 2020, but Maneki has transitioned to take out, which it never did before, and is so organized that it blew my mind when I saw how clearly labeled each item was when I got home. I could easily tell which was part of the teishoku 定食 or “set meal.” Support this small business because it needs us now more than ever. 01 DEC 2020.“

“Best sushi. Joe is an exceptional sushi chef. His support staff are incredible. Vintage stereo equipment and vinyl records on the walls. Don’t miss out.“

“My new favorite sushi spot! I cannot get enough of it. I love the crispy rice with salmon or tuna. The fish tastes so fresh. I can’t believe I didn’t go sooner. The staff is great and so nice and welcoming. It’s truly a great spot for lunch or dinner.“

“excellent sushi! everything was fresh and delicious! highly recommend checking them out!“

“Nice place,good service,good food“

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

“Foodies, this is a must try if you are ever in the area. Most sushi houses have a hard time getting Uni, but we had 4 dishes with fresh Uni in it. You won't regret it.“

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

“Great, filling (I'm a dude who likes to eat), Japanese feeling spot near waterfront in seattle. Spent 40 for 2 plates for 2 people and am stuffed. Spiry teriyaki and katsu are delicious. I like the salad dressing as well. Definitely better value and possibly quality than the places right at pikes market or the water front“

“Service is ON POINT !!!! Food is amazing and our waitress is amazing ! We had to bring our little one last min because child care wasn’t available. But they kindly accommodate my little one and gave her some cooked sushi !!! We really appreciate it ! We definitely will come back for a different menu because their menu changes every month ! I recommend anyone coming over to try it if they want an authentic Japanese meal in Seattle !!!“

“This was, without a doubt, the best sushi I have ever had in my life. I would go here every day of my life if I could.“

“This place is hands down the best tonkatsu spot in the Seattle area! The katsu is incredibly crispy on the outside, but perfectly juicy and tender on the inside. You can tell they use high-quality meat. The portions are great, and the atmosphere is super cozy. If you're looking for authentic, top-tier tonkatsu, Kobuta & Ookami is absolutely the place to go. Highly recommend!“

“This place is next level! Best tempura I’ve ever experienced. Will definitely be back.“

“Had a tasty lunch! Thank you!“

“5 stars would recommend to everyone“

“Area is for the most part a restaurant desert. Parking lot is small. If you don't live nearby, please leave room for nearby residents by parking at Husky Stadium.“

“This is truly one of my favorite sushi restaurants. I’m originally from Japan, and my grandparents used to sell fresh fish and crab, so fresh seafood has always been something very familiar and special to me. The quality of the fish here genuinely brings back those memories, which makes each visit feel a little nostalgic and meaningful.

I especially love the nigiri, and I always look forward to seeing what seasonal selections they have whenever I visit. The fish is consistently fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared, and you can really feel the care that goes into each piece.

What makes this place even more special is the people. The chefs and staff are always so kind and welcoming, and they make every visit feel warm and inviting.

There’s something about being here that reminds me of home, and that feeling is one of the reasons this restaurant has become so special to me. I’m always looking forward to coming back🙏🩵“

“We had the sashimi and some offerings from the chef... to. die. for! Presentation was a work of art, and flavors matched!“

“Delicious food, great vibe“

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

“If you’re looking for a fine dining experience while in Seattle, ShoMon is the place to go. We were lucky enough to grab a last minute reservation for their 8:15 PM service while in town for a concert. I do recommend making sure you’re on time as the courses are timed and meticulously made to be done over a certain time.

When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by the staff and brought to our seats at the Kappo Counter. We were greeted by name and even the special celebration that we were there for. Masaki was on our side of the counter and was very friendly and a true host while we were there. The service was amazing and filled with conversation and vibrant descriptions of the different courses we had through the night. The sushi was all amazing and full of flavor and it was quite mesmerizing to be able to watch them prepare it through out the night.

I highly recommend this experience for anyone looking for an omakase experience.“

“Tried this very special “takeout only omakase sushi box”, Edomae style ( use cured/aged fish, and red vinegar seasoning in rice). The executive chef, chef Ryo, has worked in many renowned restaurant including Michelin star sushi restaurant “Sushi Sho”. Before joining this new restaurant “Ltd Edition Sushi” in capitol hill, he worked side by side with chef Nakazawa-an icon of edomae style in Japan, at both Sushi Sho Tokyo and Sushi Sho Honolulu. The sushi omakase box and kids fish bowl are both very sophisticated, the curing and aging techniques brings out the deep complex flavor of each fish and gives each fish this extra tender texture, the taste profile as such is hard to find here in Seattle. Chef sake flight ( we tried Haneya Junmai Ginjo and Hidakami Junmai today), one is floral and one on the dry side, pair with his sushi very well. Sushi is in a very elegant wooden box and everything you will need for the experience including a separate soy sauce dipping dish is prepared for the guest. This is, truly, a perfect omakase takeout experience. 💕💕😋“

“Amazing, will go back in the next trip to Seattle“

“It was fine, decently priced but food was pretty mid overall.

The Good:
The Karaage was well cooked and juicy
The Chicken thigh yakitori was good
Happy hour pricing was reasonable
Friendly servers

The Bad:
The ramen broth was....not good. It was like a watered down Costco ramen broth with noodles and toppings. The pork belly was overcooked. The toppings were haphazardly chosen and distributed.
The eel skewers were cold and not grilled at the time of order but were clearly pulled from the sushi case.

The rest was fine. If you're craving izakaya food late night it will do the job but if it is early enough consider other options.

Id give it 3.5 stars but I'll round up since the service was decent“

“expect a bit of a wait (~30 min to an hour) upon visiting but there is only one staff running and taking orders so we didn’t mind at all :) heard this place was known for the best onigiri in the city, so we tried miso, ume and mentaiko. the sweet miso paste was overly salty,, but the portions for ume & mentaiko were great! the regular udon was super hearty and delicious but the curry udon was a little too spiced for my liking & from the average japanese curry :(“

“Definitely some of the better teriyaki in the area! Both the chicken and the beef are tender and nicely charred. If you get the spicy variety, I'm pretty sure they just mix some sriracha into the sauce. The gyoza is nice and crispy—not sure if it's hand-made but it could be. The sushi is decent but I'll probably stick to the teriyaki. Reasonable prices, fast service. Ordered online and it was ready in under 10 minutes.“

“Just went there for the Gyudon and it exceeded my expectations. It was very delicious and on the spot. Down side is nothing to do with the restaurant but parking. It is hard to find a good parking spot. However will be coming back but probably picking up the food rather than dinning in.“

“Great food, broad Japanese food menu and saki options. Good flawless service. Tiny space plan for it. Also bring your Covid vaccine card or recent test.“

“Good was great, I ordered the chirashi and was really happy with it. Service was a little unintuitive, but after ordering at the kiosk we just waited at the table and our food was brought out to us. Definitely recommend ordering drinks though, forgot to do that...“

“Shiki is our go to restaurant when we have events around the Seattle center area. Best to have reservations as the dining area inside is cozy. Wonderful menu and I love their miso soup as they use a darker miso paste which gives it a richer flavor. Highly recommended!“

“Best place ever!! 5 stars!! The food is incredible, best vietnamese I’ve ever had. Not only is the food incredible, but the servers are so kind! Overall a great experience and would highly recommend!!“

“Restaurant slow at 5pm on a Thursday but quickly picked up! There was only server but she did a great job. We liked the Outstanding, Aloha, and the Spider roll the best. The Thai tea was weak and too milky but other than that, it was a good experience.“

“Definitely freshest and highest quality fish in the Fremont area. Skip Fremont Bowl and come here. What especially stands out (and gives me a sense of how much they care about the food) is that the surimi, seaweed salad, and egg omelette have that homemade taste.“

“The store's service is attentive and the workmanship is very detailed and painstaking.“

“A fantastic 8-course meal! Delicious, fresh, authentic Japanese food with the highest quality ingredients & unique presentation! Service & atmosphere was very pleasant and welcoming ... The entire omekase experience was One of the best we experienced in the States (or in Japan).
Chef Nori Morita is meticulous & very talented. Is was a joy for us to just watch him work. He & the entire team are very dedicated to providing the highest quality & a beautiful experience for all guests.
I wouldn't be surprised if this restaurant earns their first Michelin star in the next couple years“

“We catered food from Yamada Teriyaki and were blown away. The samosas were perfectly crispy and flavorful, and the House Special Fried Rice was a total hit, generously loaded with tender meat, shrimp, and vegetables, all seasoned to perfection.

Everything arrived fresh, hot, and beautifully packed. The portions were generous, and the quality was outstanding. The service was smooth, friendly, and reliable. For the price and portion sizes, the catering option is absolutely worth it.

One thing I also really like is that Mandalay Deli Mart is right next door, so it is super convenient to grab drinks, snacks, Burmese goodies, or quick deli items all in one stop.

Highly recommend Yamada Teriyaki for catering, authentic flavors, great presentation, and excellent value. We will definitely be back for more.“

“It was a great experience for my family. We highly recommend Sai Sushi & Sake!“

“The Salmon Bara-Chirashi Bento was quite literally the most phenomenal bento box I’ve ever had. The vibe of the restaurant was great, Japanese music, great decoration, and just felt perfect. The flavor of the rice combined with the soy sauce and salmon all summed up the perfect bowl. Totally would try again and recommended to anyone who loves themselves a good taste of Japanese cuisine.“