28 Best Japanese Restaurants in Austin

“Everything was good, but best brisket ever…“

“For our bachelor party in Austin, we decided to switch gears from the traditional Texan BBQ scene and opted for some Japanese cuisine at Uchi. Initially hesitant about finding top-notch sushi in Texas, I was pleasantly surprised by the impeccable quality of fish and craftsmanship on display here. While the prices may lean towards the higher end and the portions are modest (as is customary with fine dining), the food quality and ambiance are truly unbeatable. Our waiter, who was nothing short of exceptional, guided us through the menu with expert recommendations. He even treated us to a delightful surprise--wagyu nigiri (which we devoured and I totally forgot to document)--knowing it was a special occasion for our bachelor party. For larger groups like ours, I highly recommend going the à la carte route rather than opting for omakase. Not only do you get more value for your money, but you also have full control over your dining experience. We indulged in a variety of cuts of fish, unagi nigiri, wagyu nigiri, shishito peppers, salad, and mapo tofu. To cap off our feast, we indulged in some tapioca and candy bar desserts, which we inhaled in record time. In the heart of Texas, Uchi stands as a testament to the diversity and excellence of the Austin dining scene. Try it out - you won't regret it! Tip: I recommend making a reservation before visiting to ensure you secure a spot at this gem of a place.“

“I’ve been sitting on this review for a while. I’m definitely not one to tarnish any 5 star ratings!! My experience was mixed. In part by the fact that I’ve spent countless moments at midnight trying to get reservations with no luck. When I finally snagged my first res, I was shocked to be sitting next to a guy that had been multiple times (even in the past week). Most of the others also had the good fortune to be “frequent patrons”. There was one other person who said she’d been trying to grab a reservation for a while. TBH, really didn’t sit right with me.As we all know, these reviews are opinion based only. I can only give my honest assessment of my experience.The vibe seemed catered to a younger crowd for sure. I definitely felt out of place. The “F” word was used quite liberally by the staff. No big deal, just kind of off pudding when you’re paying so much. Again, I realize this may not be a popular opinion. Unfortunately we also got on the topic of church camp and “those types” which stung quite a bit since I have a strong faith base. Not really the fault of the staff but she was very much in agreement to the conversation. I am not suggesting that the chef participated in any of these convos because he didn’t.Yes, the food and drinks were absolutely delicious. I got the extra cocktail menu where we get a fun drink paired with some of the courses and also participated in the extra course which was way too fishy and slimy for me. All in all, my bill was slightly over $400. Since I just didn’t have the best experience, needless to say, it was too expensive for me.My biggest suggestion would be to not go solo.Parking: Very difficult to find.“

“Sato san is a great sushi chef, who has a great passion for his art. I tried the 45 min omakase experience and it was great. He concisely explains every dish. The food is excellent and staff is friendly, definitely a must go spot for omakase in “

“Celebrated an anniversary here and had the most superb evening! Greeted with welcome champagned and closed with coconut ice cream. Kaelynn (?) provided awesome service and recommended new items we hadn't tried previously - DO NOT miss out on the tuna tartare!“

“Wonderfully fresh sushi! This place is a welcome addition to the Austin sushi scene. Now we just need a location down south!! I haven't tried the Sandos but the sushi is fresh and delicious. Prepare to spend an arm and a leg but the quality is worth it and the lack of fast casual and good quality sushi places in Austin makes this worth the trek for me. I also love that they make their own soy sauce and give you fresh wasabi. Those things set them apart even more. Anytime it's convenient for me to stop in here for lunch I make it happen!“

“Words cannot express how much my fiancé and I enjoyed our first dining experience at DipDipDip. From the moment we were taken inside, we were whisked to what felt like a romantic outdoor market in a fishing village. Our server, Shannon, was on point, with great recommendations and a happy smile. She had help from CJ and Bradley who were equally as amazing and did a great job guiding us through every bite of our Omakase. Our night was topped off with a visit from the manager, JaQuan, who was unbelievably kind and treated us to some amazing ice cream from next door. These individuals went out of their way to create a fun, unique, and delicious dining experience right in our own backyard. I highly recommend this place to anyone!!“

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

“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!“

“So tasty! Loved the food here. The shiitake roll was my favorite. The mushroom ceviche was also quite fun, though I wish the mushroom to vegetable ratio was a little higher for extra meatiness. We had a black bean brownie for dessert which was also very tasty. And there is a nice selection of mocktails which is always appreciated!“

“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“

“I ate here while in town for Afrotech! I started with the Sunomono Salad (Cucumber, green onion, crab stick, octopus, radish sprouts, sesame seeds with ponzu sauce). I then had two rolls: 1. Who’s Your Daddy? (no rice) (Deep fried crab, cooked shrimp, cream cheese with special sauce); 2. I Love Tuna (in: spicy Tuna, cucumber out: Blue fin Tuna, green onion sauce: Garlic ponzu, green onion, masago) EVERYTHING was amazingly good, the staff was very friendly, efficient, and ensured you had a great dining experience. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!“

“The nigiri in my experience was better than the rollPlace is a little expensive for the limited menuUsed to going to hando in houston and paying half the cost for more food.Everything was very good though would go back. New little Korean owned spot“

“Phenomenal service! It was such an amazing experience. This is my favorite omakase by far. The sushi was crafted with such care and attention. The rice was so so good! The combination of techniques and flavors really made the whole service so special.This place should be on everyone’s shortlist for Austin!“

“Hidden gem!I'mma keep it a buck with you. I'm almost scared to post this review because I really don't want any more people coming here. But more than I don't want people coming here. I want this place to stay in business. Fantastic service, quiet space tucked behind the busy road, good coffee, and fair prices. Personally more than anything else the location is great. Not too many people here but just enough to give you social pressure to get stuff done. It's located in some kind of art Haven and I see lots of creatives and creative energy coming from the place. If you go here and you enjoy it, please just tell your close friends. I want to be mine and mine alone. Highly recommend“

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

“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!!“

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

“Like their sister restaurants Uchibā lives up to all hype and expectations. The highlights of our meal were the tiger cry bao, hama chili, and bluefin otoro. We ended on their divine chocolate crémeux dessert. I always appreciate how helpful the wait staff is at these restaurants in guiding you through the menu and recommending unique dishes. We will certainly be back for more!“

“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!“

“I planned to go to Chinatown North for dim sum but the sign at the entrance said to head downstairs for dim sum, where Street is below. The waiter said they are connected but different establishments and the dim sum servers upstairs would come from the lower kitchen anyway. I ate here with a close friend after wrapping up weekend meetings in Austin. The place has a good vibe and friendly service, quite modern and clean. We shared six items and everything had great flavor, with the turnip cake and prawn siu mai being my favorites. Above average pricing for dim sum but I think that comes with the experience. Good spot for a date or with friends. I would go back.Parking: Free parking lot around the building.“

“Delicious food and friendly staff! My food came out fast, fresh and delicious, but I had to take a phone call and when it was done, my ramen had gotten a little cold. I apologized to the staff and asked if they could heat it back up for me as it was my fault it had gotten cold. Without skipping a beat the staff member behind the bar immediately offered to remake it. She explained they don't have the ability to reheat it but would instead make my order again because she wanted to make sure I got to enjoy my ramen while it was fresh and hot. I can't say enough kind things about this location. When it comes to amazing ramen and the people who keep things running at this location, both are 5 stars in my book.“

“If you want to feel special and treated like you may be the only person in the world at dinner, go see Chef Endo and his team. Absolutely wonderful experience! Standouts for us were; every piece of raw fish, the Tomago was silly and the sake pairing was incredible. And of course, the unparalleled service.Thanks again guys!Much love.Luke and Ryan“

“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.“

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

“I’ve been here twice now and I love this place!!!! Rice balls are really good with excellent ingredients and seasonings. The drinks are also really good. Service is pretty quick but it can get pretty busy (because it’s so good!). So happy I found this place and will be back many times over!“

“Great location at the Yard! Staff was very helpful when we were ordering. Rolls are not the size of other places. What they lack in size they make up for in flavor. The location is an expensive place to run a business. Thanks again guys for the great experience!“

“I enjoyed this "burger speakeasy" inside ZEN. The concept is pure genius, and the execution is even better.I recently tried the Swagyu Cheeseburger, Chicken Katsu, sidewinder fries, and house-made Asian slaw, and the flavors blew me away. The Asian seasonings and sauces really take these dishes to the next level. The Swagyu burger was juicy and flavorful, and the chicken katsu was crispy and tender. The sidewinder fries were a fun twist on the classic, and the Asian slaw was the perfect refreshing accompaniment.The service was also excellent, with attentive and friendly staff who clearly take pride in their work.Good stuff! Check it out.“