Hong Kongers have a love affair with Japan; we’re smitten with the culture, the shopping, and, most of all, the food. It seems that new Japanese restaurants pop up here on the daily, and it can be hard to keep up. Not only that, but there are so many sub-genres within Japanese cuisine – ramen, sushi, and teppanyaki, just to name a few. Never fear though; we’ve got you covered, having scoured the city for the best of the best when it comes to Japanese cuisine.
Bookmark Foodie’s round-up of the top Japanese restaurants in town, which we’ve divided into categories of fine-dining eateries and more wallet-friendly spots. This list will surely come in handy the next time someone asks the inevitable, “What’s your favourite Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong?”
The best fine-dining & premium Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong
Teppanyki Mihara GOTEN
Opened in October 2023, Teppanyaki Mihara GOTEN is chef Terufumi Mihara’s temple to teppanyaki, this time with a kappo-style twist. The chef’s innovation and refined use of Western ingredients and techniques make this snazzy teppanyaki eatery stand out from the pack. The multi-course kappo teppanyaki tasting menus are priced from HK$1,580 per diner and include standout dishes like braised South African abalone with lemon-butter sauce, grilled thick-cut A4 Miyazaki Wagyu sirloin, and even creative desserts like strawberry soup cooked on the teppan.
Teppanyaki Mihara GOTEN, 3/F, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay, WhatsApp 5394 3689, book here
Toritama
Grilled chicken is elevated to the nth degree at yakitori specialist Toritama, standing strong on Central’s Glenealy for nearly a decade. The refined yakitori import from Tokyo is famous for perfectly grilling 30 chicken parts (the local chickens are sourced live from Yuen Long each day). The 10-skewer omakase course (HKD788 pp) also comes with salad, pickles, chicken soup, and dessert and is our recommendation for experiencing the breadth of the restaurant’s kushi offerings, which run the gamut from kawa (chicken skin) to aburatsubo (root of the chicken tail). Toritama is more fine-casual than fine-dining, but it’s all the better for it.
Toritama, G/F, 2 Glenealy, Central, 2388 7717, WhatsApp 9882 3732, book here
Sushi Saito
Sushi master Takashi Saito brought Sushi Saito from Japan to Hong Kong’s Four Seasons hotel in March 2018, and it’s remained at the pinnacle of Edomae sushi artistry ever since. The premium seasonal seafood showcased at Sushi Saito is hand-picked and flown fresh daily from Tokyo to Hong Kong. It’s notoriously difficult to nab a spot at this sky-high Michelin-starred sushi counter; reservations are only accepted by phoning the eatery between 12PM and 8:30PM every day except Wednesday. If you’re lucky enough to secure a booking, be prepared to shell out HKD1,980 for the lunch omakase menu or HKD3,480 for the dinner omakase menu.
Sushi Saito, 45/F, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, 2527 0811
Yakiniku Great
Our pick for the best yakiniku in town goes to Yakiniku Great, with branches in Central and Sheung Wan (the OG Sheung Wan location is more laid-back). This is a carnivore’s paradise, where the lusciously marbled, top-quality Wagyu cuts are grilled up by knowledgeable, attentive servers. There are three omakase menus (HKD580/HKD680/HKD880) on offer, and they all include six to eight rare cuts of beef. The ultimate Kiwami menu also features chateaubriand topped with a mound of uni and the most popular A5 Wagyu cut of all – misuji, or oyster blade – which offers an artful distribution of fine lines of fat.
Yakiniku Great, 1/F, The Steps, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central, 2758 8688, book here
Yakiniku Great, Shop 1, G/F, Manhattan Avenue, 255 Queen’s Road Central, Sheung Wan, 3565 6129, book here
CENSU
Winner of the Foodie Forks 2024 Best Japanese Restaurant award, CENSU redefines Japanese cuisine, blurring the lines between rustic izakaya and chic fine-diner. The brainchild of affable Shun Sato, the chef’s creative flair is evident in dishes like the unigiri (HKD278). This dish, a play on Japanese onigiri, features a crunchy toasted rice ball topped with creamy sea urchin and fragrant shiso bathed in a light abalone dashi. The beef tartare (HKD178/2pcs) is another standout bite; here, Wagyu beef is enrobed in a sweet and spicy sansho dressing and then loaded onto slabs of toasted Hokkaido milk bread.
CENSU, G/F, 28–30 Gough Street, Central, 2997 7009, WhatsApp 9887 5592, book online
Kappo Rin
Amongst all The Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s starry restaurants, Kappo Rin stands out from the pack. The one-starred restaurant highlights the beauty of seasonal produce from Japan, showcased in multi-course omakase menus by chef Masaru Furukawa that feature both raw and cooked dishes. Priced at HKD2,000 for lunch and HKD2,500 for dinner, each dish is a true work of art, worthy of splashing out.
Kappo Rin, 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, LANDMARK, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, 2643 6811, book here
Sakakibara
For an unforgettable omakase (HKD628 for lunch; HKD1,080/HKD1,380 for dinner) experience in the heart of Tin Hau, head to Sakakibara at F&B landmark Park Aura, which offers soothing views of nearby Victoria Park to boot. Every dish at this intimate restaurant is meticulously crafted with the freshest ingredients, hand-selected daily by the chef. The most luxurious of the omakase menus, the dinner-only Hotarugari, features a whopping 20 courses of Japanese seasonal bliss.
Sakakibara, 16/F, Park Aura, 54 Electric Road, Tin Hau, WhatsApp 9488 1423, book here
The best affordable Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong
Kamitora Tonkotsu
Kamitora Tonkotsu’s tonkotsu ramen remains one of our must-try noodle dishes in Hong Kong, Japanese or otherwise. The eatery’s signature noods come in an incredibly rich, creamy pork-bone broth with a depth of flavour that only hours of slow-cooking can achieve. The standard bowl contains homemade meatballs and tender slices of roast pork, but it’s the upgraded pork-belly version – the Kamitora ramen special (HKD140) – that gets us drooling each and every time, crowned with a thick, juicy slab of seared and caramelised pork belly.
Kamitora Tonkotsu, G/F, 6–16 Tai Wong Street East, Wan Chai, 2811 0338
Kamitora Tonkotsu, G/F, Block H, Tai Shing Building, Cosmopolitan Estates, 74 Ivy Street, Tai Kok Tsui, 2316 2830
Sushi Nyoi
For excellent sushi at prices that won’t break the bank, we recommend Sushi Nyoi, especially for the restaurant’s omakase lunch menus, clocking in at HKD368 per person for the “premium sushi” nine-piece menu and HKD438 per person for the “deluxe sushi” 12-piece menu. This is very competitive pricing for such high-quality seasonal sushi that’s always beautifully prepared and presented.
Sushi Nyoi, 18/F, The Sharp, 11 Sharp Street East, Causeway Bay, 2352 3368, book here
Kushitei
Celebrating its first anniversary this year, Kushitei, brought to Hong Kong from Tokyo, specialises in seasonal omakase-style kushiage, or batter-dipped and deep-fried meat, seafood, and veg on skewers, making for a welcome (albeit heavier) change from grilled skewers. The skilled Japanese chefs work their magic with the 10- and 12-course omakase menus (HKD498/HKD698), which are truly great value for money. Highlights for us are the Wagyu sirloin with truffle sauce, mackerel with white sesame, Sangen pork tenderloin, and salmon with salmon roe.
Kushitei, Shop G04–05, G/F, Grand Centre, 8 Humphreys Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2688 6150, book here
Genki Ippai Japanese Farmhouse Style Restaurant
Whenever we question a Japanese expat about their preferred Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong, Genki Ippai usually comes out on top. The laid-back izakaya, decked out in traditional Japanese style with a homey vibe, has something for everyone on its wide-ranging menu of cooked and raw dishes. The weekday and weekend lunch menu is truly unbeatable in terms of cost and quantity; particular favourites include the sushi rice topped with minced tuna belly (HKD135), cooked chicken and egg rice bowl (HKD83), and assorted tempura and soba noodles (HKD120). Reasonable prices, authentic flavours, and a large Japanese clientele – what more could we ask for?
Genki Ippai Japanese Farmhouse Style Restaurant, Shop 406, 4/F, Mira Place One, 132 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2375 8100
KOZY
KOZY is a top choice for a fun night out spent relishing authentic plates of teppanyaki and okonomiyaki in a lively space, where the staff make you feel like you’re at home. We love the okonomiyaki with pork (HKD68) and fried noodles omelette (HKD108) for carb-heavy bites. KOZY stays open till 2AM most nights, so it’s ideal when a late-night Japanese craving strikes.
KOZY, 9/F, Circle Plaza, 499 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, 2591 1281
Nan Tei
With locations as diverse as Happy Valley and Tsim Sha Tsui, Nan Tei is a long-standing favourite for consistently high-quality yet affordable yakitori in Hong Kong – shout-outs to the prime cut beef tongue slices (HKD76), asparagus wrapped with pork (HKD44), and chicken wings (HKD47) in particular. In addition to Nan Tei’s skewers, we love the high-energy vibe of this cosy Japanese spot.
Nan Tei, G/F, 10 Yuen Yuen Street, Happy Valley, 3118 2500, book here
Nan Tei, Shop 9, G/F, The Pinnacle, 8 Minden Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui , 2763 2500, book here
