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. 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 Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong
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. On offer here are three omakase menus (from HKD680 pp) spotlighting rare beef cuts. The ultimate Kagayaki menu (HKD1,200 pp) in Sheung Wan comes with a whopping 10 cuts, including chateaubriand and kimura yaki, a generous slice from the finest part of the sirloin served sukiyaki style with homemade sauce and Japanese egg.
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
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Lung Fu Pao
Loud and proud, Lung Fu Pao is a sex-themed restaurant named after a local porn magazine, with pages of the mag adorning the ceiling and even the toilets. The menu focuses on sashimi, sushi, maki, and kushiyaki for a funky izakaya-like feel. The fusion maki is either mega (uramaki) or short (hosomaki). One big-time maki winner for us is The Ultraman (HKD108), a deep-fried mix of crabmeat, salted egg yolk, mozzarella, tobiko, and Sichuan mayo. The premise of the restaurant is meant to be confronting, but the team are also serious about their food and drink.
Lung Fu Pao, G/F, 47B Elgin Street, Soho, Central, 3460 4609, book here
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Yurakucho
Inspired by the lively small-town izakayas of Japan, Yurakucho is a hip Central hotspot offering an atmospheric glimpse into the culinary culture of the Land of the Rising Sun. Pair your sake and handcrafted Japanese cocktails, designed by veteran mixologist Gagan Gurung, with a flurry of skewers served up at the robatayaki open-kitchen grill. On the non-grilled side, we can’t get enough of the Wagyu sando (HKD118) and Yurakucho mochi (HKD68) in matcha and mango.
Yurakucho, G/F, Yu Yuet Lai Building, 43–55 Wyndham Street, Central, 2663 0068, book here
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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$1,780 per diner and include standout dishes like Australian lobster thermidor, 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 around 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, rice, 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, 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
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 stellar 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 makes a statement. 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 (HKD438/HKD538/HKD668 for lunch; HKD1,180/HKD1,480 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
GODENYA
Chef Goshima Shinya brought GODENYA to Hong Kong from Tokyo, and this minimalist, rustic Japanese restaurant with just eight seats has gone on to achieve Michelin-starred excellence in the city. It’s Goshima-san’s unique sake-pairing course (HKD2,100/HKD2,300) that is booked out months in advance. The seasonal kappo-style dishes are paired with rare and small-label sake, each served at the optimal temperature accompanied by explanations courtesy of the passionate sake master and chef.
GODENYA, UG/F, 182 Wellington Street (enter via Kau U Fong), Central, book here
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
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 three- and five-piece kushiage assortments (HKD98/HKD158), which are truly great value for money. Highlights for us are the Wagyu sirloin with truffle sauce, ginger teriyaki with pork belly roll-ups, 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 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 (HKD88) and fried noodles omelette with cheese (HKD120) 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 US Prime beef ribs (HKD79), asparagus wrapped with pork (HKD38), and chicken wing (HKD42) 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
Kyoto–ODEN MASA
This restaurant places oden on a pedestal, a simmered one-pot dish filled with an assortment of fish cakes, daikon, atsuage (deep-fried tofu), and more Japanese goodies cooked in a dashi-based broth. We recommend the premium oden platter (HKD600) at Kyoto–ODEN MASA for a taste of it all. The eatery’s authentic oden, delicate yet umami, really hits the spot in terms of comfort, especially when there’s a bit of a chill on.
Kyoto–ODEN MASA, 19/F, L’Hart, 487–489 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, 2891 1530, book here
