7 Best Japanese Restaurants near New Haven

“When I posted content on IG concerning my recent first visit to Hachiroku, some prominent CT Foodies reached out to express their love for Hachiroku. Some even called it one of their favorite restaurants in CT. Wow! High praise! You know what's a baller move for a restaurant? No sign. The Beatles White Album. Hachiroku feels a bit like a Yale Secret Society. I was able to match the Orange Street address number on their Yelp page to the 261 on the outside of the restaurant, but Hachiroku's Instagram page also refers to a 966 State Street address. That would seem to put a second location near Jordan's Hot Dogs & Mac and across from Tavern on State. In any event, I visited the red brick building at 261 Orange Street. There are two parts to Hachiroku's name. One is Sake Bar. I am a novice Sske Drinker. Hachiroku, I suspect, is one of the better area places for Sake experts. Hachiroku has an extensive Sake menu that would rival the wine list at a French restaurant. They serve by the glass and bottle. they also offer premium sake flights. I ordered a glass of Matsu no Tsukasa 'Azol 50'. It definitely felt like one of the best sakes I've ever had. Notes of tropical fruits. But as I said, I'm not experienced with Sake. The second part of Hachiroku's name is "Shokudo", which means "diner" in Japanese. You should suspend your normal mental pictures of what diners look like, because Hachiroku has more of a Manhattan restaurant vibe and a menu full of elegant food. Tuna sashimi flights. Black Cod. Wagyu Beef Rice Curry. You know, typical diner fare. LOL I ordered the Signature Jako Anchovy Salad, with fried dried anchovy, arugula, mixed radishes, a poached egg. Bonita Flakes, Nori and a signature onion soy dressing. It was full of interesting shapes, and contrasting flavors and textures. A very cool and elegant salad. I also ordered the Mini Miso Haruso Salmon Don, which was grilled salmon belly pieces, salmon roe, pickles and garnishes atop white sticky rice. With a scallion dotted orange salmon roe skyline, it arrived as a beauty in a matte black bowl. My favorite part of the dish was the bursts of salty juices from the salmon roe. Service was friendly and efficient. I felt like my orders each came out more quickly than I expected. In a good way. I just scratched the surface of what Hochiroku is and does. With so many knowledgeable people expressing admiration for Hochiroku, you should think about visiting. Five Stars“

“Delicious! Just had my first meal here. Beautiful decor, kind people, and really good food. Excited to go back!“

“This is one of the best omikase places in New Haven. The management is thoughtful and truly cares about its customers. I can't rave enough about what a gem Rockfish is. Every person who works here is kind and caring. They really will take their time to answer any questions. The fish is fresh, flavorful, and delicious. The packaging is clean and informative, great for Omikase newbies like myself and seasoned Omikase friends!“

“Ben is an amazing sushi chef! Friendly, creative, and like watching an artist! Enjoyed our sushi bar experience! Thank you!“

“The food is super tasty and the service is very nice.“

“My friends wanted to meet up and had picked out this ramen spot. I ordered the spicy beef ramen with marinated egg, and a bowl of edamame... both were superb.I didn't take a picture of the edamame, but it was prepared very well and had a wonderful taste. Seemed like it was pan cooked with soy sauce and garlic maybe. Either way, it was very good, and I enjoyed my ramen as well.Nice little spot that was a pleasant surprise. The edamame alone would have me return and try a different entree and maybe some sake in a beaker, in the future.“

“I discovered this place because I was new to the area looking for somewhere to order Japanese food from. I found two places, but went with Yamasaki Teriyaki because they were much less expensive - not to mention the catchy name! I ended up ordering the tempura shrimp bento with an eel & avocado roll. The taste, quality, and the portion sizes greatly exceeded my expectations. Since then, I've been ordering from here regularly and recommending them to all my friends.“