20 Best Japanese Restaurants in Singapore You Must Try [2022] 

The Japanese are known to take their food very seriously. Thankfully, Singapore is privileged with the most authentic Japanese restaurants. Ranging from small joints right up to Japanese restaurants that are run by globally renowned chefs.

Singapore has got you covered with a flavoursome range of mouth-watering sushi and smokin’ hot yakitori. Consequently, you will find a heartfelt bowl of ramen in the blink of an eye. So, get your chopsticks on and get ready to go on a delectable journey to Japan!

To summarise, Singapore has it all. In the spirit of pure indulgence, here are the Best Japanese Restaurants in Singapore that will pamper your eyes and taste buds.

1. Waku Ghin – Michelin Star Restaurant

Highlights:

• Signature dish: Marinated Botan Shrimp with Sea Urchin and Oscietra Caviar
• The dessert spread: Generally served in the dining area overlooking the gorgeous skyline of Marina Bay Sands.   

Waku Ghin is crowned as one of the most exotic restaurants in Singapore. Evidently, it has very smoothly made its debut on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Thus, this Japanese restaurant comes with great prestige. In other words, it might be extravagant for your pocket but is sure to hit the spot on your palate.

Waku Ghin is run by the internationally acclaimed Celebrity Chef Tetsuya Wakuda. Moreover, it occupies 10,000 square feet of majestic space Marina Bay Sands. Consequently, its premium magnificence serves a lavish 10-course meal to only 25 customers at a time. In other words, if you don’t mind splurging $400 on a meal, your experience will be worth the investment at least once-in-a-lifetime!

2. Shinji by Kanesaka

Highlights:

• The chef’s Omakase Special is something your palate deserves ($300)
• Enthralling ambience
• Sit back and allow the amazing chefs to cast its spell on your experience

Shinji by Kanesaka is one of the most enticing restaurants in Singapore (Not just Japanese). Moreover, they endeavour an impeccable range of Edomae sushi and traditional Japanese dishes. As a result, the wholesome spreads are beautifully plated. The highlight is they have a regional Japanese team of chefs who cook up all the magic.

Shinji is celebrated for its lunch-time sets of attractive Setsugetsuka Sushi Courses ($75). In fact, serve 9-15 pieces of delights that melt in your mouth. To sum it up, their food oozes with authenticity. Especially, the Otoro is not to be missed!

3. Sushi Mitsuya

Highlights:

• Must try: Time-sensitive stewed tuna tendon, fish liver pate, and creamy servings of Uni
• Especially curated pairings through an exclusive list of Sakes
• Craft brews like Sumikawa and Mitobe for food pairings

Head Chef Ryosuke Harada at Sushi Mitsuya is on a known mission of spreading the word of Sushi, one Omakase meal at a time! In fact, he is popular for his sheer vigour and meticulous culinary efforts. Furthermore, he manages to present an inviting array of assorted Osaka-style Oshizushi (Pressed Sushi). Overall, he lays a plethora of sumptuous offerings at Sushi Mitsuya.

Additionally, they freshly fly-in most of their produce from Japan. As a result, the only possible road to heaven in this Japanese restaurant is its Omakase menu. To sum it up, they showcase some fine signature innovations. Hence, they range from sets costing $130 up to $300.

4. Yoshi

Highlights:

• Dig into the Umami explosion with the Sakura Ebi Don ($58)
• Alternately, enjoy any one of three themed menus ($158 – $188)
• Enjoy various meat options

Did you know the basement of your city’s shopping mall houses an award-winning chef’s creations? Well, Singapore’s Forum shopping mall has been hiding a gem called Yoshi. Indeed, it is run by Chef Yoshiyuki Kashiwabara. After all, he is the same man who spent several years personally catering to Japanese ambassadors in Singapore and San Francisco. Most importantly, he is well-renowned for possessing intimate crafting skills.

Although, you will be amused by their fresh seasonal produce that comes from Tokyo’s Toyosu market. Therefore, giving you a classic Kyoto fine-dine experience. Moreover, this Japanese restaurant lets you eat with your eyes first. Above all, their gorgeously platted dishes are sure to take your breath away.

5. Shiraishi

Highlights:

• Must try: The Futomaki and fried Tempura set ($40)
• Drool-worthy platters

Located at Ritz-Carlton, Shiraishi is part of Singapore’s Japanese restaurant heritage. Subsequently, it is the avant-garde of Edomae-sushi special lunch sets. Moreover, it is pocket-friendly. For instance, it cost $50 for eight kinds of Sushi and $130 for a full Sushi course.

Besides, the full platter is served alongside seasonal dishes. Also, they are flown down from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish market every week. To sum it up, they let you devour the Tuna soup and assorted Sashimi portions.

6. Fat Cow

Highlights:

• Interiors have a modern-contemporary take on the time-honoured Japanese steakhouses
• Wooden elements constructed beautifully around the lounge bar and dining area
• Design is adapted from the Japanese “Wabi-Sabi” concept

If you’re a devoted meat-lover, then Fat Cow will throw a party in your mouth! It is a luxurious Japanese Steakhouse in Singapore. Subsequently, they serve bespoke meats with a deep inclination towards Japanese Wagyu beef. In brief, Fat Cow is popular for its exquisite range of raw, cold, and hot appetizers. Simultaneously, you can expect can embellished Omakase experience they offer.

Truly, Fat Cow is a gourmet rollercoaster for those who want to awaken their inner carnivore. Meanwhile, they import Beef from Japan’s finest farms houses. Thus, don’t miss out on the Wagyu char-grilled Sumibiyaki-style cooked the shabu-shabu way ($98).

Also, the Sukiyaki ($98) is a great pick among other scrumptious dishes. Likewise, their Donburis cannot get any more epicurean-friendly. Hint: 21 days dry-aged Nagasaki A5 Wagyu ($148). Consequently, it is served with the triple goodness of caviar, uni, and foie gras.

7. Ki Sho

Highlights:

• Interiors are equipped with a jazzy and sleek Sake room
• Eye-pleasing dining rooms in the upper deck
• A Kappo-style Sushi bar

Ki Sho resides miles away from the chaos that Orchard Road embarks. However, it is a provincial palace-like architecture carrying a quaint Japanese restaurant along Scotts Road. Chef Hamamoto – formerly from Waku Ghin at Marina Bay Sands. Truly making dinning a glorious and elevated experience.

Besides, Ki-Sho boasts of procuring and presenting the season’s best in many of their Omakase menus ($150). Hokkaido Uni, Caviar, and seasonal vegetables blanketed with refreshing dashi jelly. In conclusion, it portrays some immensely tantalizing and exquisite creations.

8. Mikuni

Highlights:

• Mikuni Summer Menu ($230) displays seven luscious Sashimi courses
• Vast variety of juicy grilled meats

The Japanese translation of Mikuni suggests ‘Three kingdoms’. That is quite a suitable name for this massive 150-seater Japanese restaurant in Singapore. Meanwhile, their Sushi platters will naturally allure your taste buds. After all, its extensive menu is categorized and headed by a troupe of 3 veteran chefs. Of course, these culinary stars are hell-bent on reinventing traditional Japanese flavours. Therefore, the dawn you with a global and wholesome experience.

Their Teppanyaki counter showcases the redefining of craftsmanship with seasonal seafood. Similarly, the Sushi & Sashimi station showcases the Chef’s hand-picked and curated Jou Sashimi. To illustrate, it is a selection of four seasonal sashimi. The Robatayaki section explores pork belly, King Prawn, and some mouth-watering vegan dishes right from the charcoal grill!

In short, Singapore’s Japanese restaurants’ culture is strong and flavoursome. It will never fail to excite all your senses!

9. Sushi Airways

Highlights:

• Indulge in fresh Sashimi that is imported multiple times a week
• Enjoy their exclusive Lunch sets, one of which includes soft shell crab salad- with fruits, Unagi Don – with egg and crunchy crumbs alongside Coffee Pudding – which their customers preferred.

Crowned as one of the ‘Top 5 Instagrammable restaurants in Singapore’, Sushi Airways showcases a unique gastronomic experience. It’s not only Singapore’s only aeroplane-theme restaurant but also a full-fledged Sushi bar and Japanese restaurant. Musing its design from the classic Douglas DC-3 aeroplane, the culinary excellence it provides should make it slip to the top of your bucket list. You could easily stroll down from Haji Lane, right in the middle of the bohemian and vibrant Arab Street/Kampong Glam zone of Bugis.

Designed like a legitimate flight manual, their extensive menu also involves a selection of sake and whiskey. Don’t miss out on their Omakase Shimasu: Grilled Lobster with Uni Sauce, Shake Harasu (Ocean Salmon Belly), $9 & Nama Hotate (Raw scallop), $11. Moreover, get ready to be swooped by their elegant presentation. In case you want to grab a quick bite amidst your shopping haul at Haji lane, opt for their reasonable lunch sets priced at $26. Shake Harasu is priced at $10, and Nama Hotate is priced at $12.

After all, who doesn’t want to take a flight that satiates your cravings in the middle of a global pandemic!?

10. The Gyu Bar 

Highlights

• It offers affordable prices.
• The restaurant has a nice ambience.
• It offers the best Japanese beef.

The Gyu Bar offers you the best Japanese beef. It buys grade A4 Kumamoto wagyu, which gives out the best flavour that does not sweeten the meal but provides the perfect taste. You will be amazed at how the meat comes right from Japan and maintains its original flavour. You can try out the Gyu Bar platter that sells at $98 for 130g. It contains different pieces of beef. There is also the beef chunk which sells at $52 for 90 grams. Their beef chunk is marbled and melts easily once eaten since it quickly sears in the grill.

The Gyu Bar also has a well-ventilated system. Hence you don’t need to worry about the meat aroma as you leave. You’ll also enjoy a cup of sake on the house as your welcome drink.

11. Tamashii Robataya

Highlights

• It offers the best Donburis
• The restaurant has very affordable prices
• The ingredients are fresh and tasty

Tamashii Robataya is a go-to place for the best Donburis in Singapore. It offers affordable prices without compromising on quantity or quality. A favourite pick in the restaurant is the robatayaki which is grilled food served on wooden oars. Other regular meals at Tamashii include the mouthwatering donburis. It consists of five items which have grilled sea eel, saga beef, and foie grass. You get to enjoy the topping of organic eggs from Japan. 

On their menu, you can try the Gyudon at $58. Other menu picks include the A5 saga beef, Akita Komachi rice, truffle shavings, and organic egg. You’ll be able to enjoy the simplicity and authentic taste of the ingredients by the richness of the organic egg.

12. Public Izakaya

Highlights

• Their meals have an authentic Japanese taste
• It offers the best Sumiyaki
• The restaurant has happy hour daily

Public Izakaya is one of the top Japanese restaurants in Singapore, with a long list of happy clients for its mouthwatering Japanese treats. You’ll enjoy excellent music, affordable prices, and foods with their original taste.

The favourite picks on their menu include the Sumiyaki, tempura, Oden, and donburi which will give you an excellent Japanese cuisine taste. To sum it all up, it has a happy hour every day.

13. Esora

Highlights

• The ambience is thrilling
• It offers affordable prices starting from $218
• The chefs are experienced

Esora is one of the perfect restaurants to try out Japanese cuisines in Singapore. Esora is an establishment that will surely satisfy all your Japanese senses with a space that has a natural light that streams from its cloud-like skylight. You’ll enjoy the serenity of the warm glow in the surrounding.

At Esora, the chef and owner is a master in preparing Kappo-style cuisine with utmost perfection. You will get to enjoy the distinctiveness of the chef’s experience. He had designed the Michelin-starred Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo and two Michelin-starred Odette in Singapore. This cooking is a mix of modern cooking methods with the right ingredients, which gives you a perfect dining experience.

14. Reiwa Soba

Highlights

• The restaurant is cosy
• Ingredients are imported from Japan
• Offers affordable prices starting from $13

Reiwa Soba is a perfect place for the best Japanese cuisine. You will find the area a bit congested yet cosy. It serves the best soba that is fresh and tasty and available both cold and hot. There are also delicious noodles that are made from buckwheat flour and imported directly from Japan. The delicacy also consists of regular flour, which gives it a smooth, slurpy texture.

Their soba is best accompanied by their juicy pork cutlets and corn fritters. Or you can try their house favourite, which consists of a Mango Salada Soba ($10) and a soup of the day ($6). All in all, their meals are tasty and affordable at $20.

15. Omote

Highlights

• Offers the best chirashi bowl
• It imports tasty seafood from Japan
• The restaurant provides delicious soy sauce

Omote is yet another excellent restaurant for those who enjoy Japanese cuisine in Singapore. At Omote, there’s always a long queue of people trying out their affordable chirashi bowl. You want your favourite chirashi, visit Omote and enjoy it at $ 12.80. Each bowl is topped with a good serving of diced seafood. The meal can be enjoyed alone or with premium uni, imported seafood from Japan, or fresh scallops. However, you can try it out with the house-blend soy sauce, a house favourite prepared by the house with your preferred seafood.

Omote also has their mentai chirashi don at $23.80. It’s one of the dazzling versions and far from the traditional foods that you can get elsewhere. Chirashi is smothered with creamy mentai sauce, which is prepared daily then torched before being served.

16. Rappu

Highlights

• It has a large seating capacity
• Prices start from $36
• Offers a variety of Japanese cuisines on the menu

Rappu is a handroll-centric restaurant that offers the best Japanese cuisine in Singapore. You’ll enjoy rap music as you indulge yourself in cocktails and wrapped rolls. An amazing fact about Rappu is its immense capacity for seating space. It’s a 36- seater sushi bar where you can enjoy drinks and while you watch as the food is prepared. 

Top picks on Rappu’s menu include a concise selection of seven hand rolls with top creations crowned with wagyu, uni, and caviar. At the cost of $36, you enjoy freshly prepared rolls which are stuffed with fresh catch. The meals contain easy options that you will love, such as the hotate, toro, and brined salmon with wasabi furikake that is a house favourite. Other options to try out on the menu include a high roller which sells at $28, which is topped with wagyu, dollops of uni, dusted with gold flakes, and caviar. 

17. Rockon Tokyo

Highlights

• It offers fresh seafood
• The ingredients are fresh and imported from Japan
• It offers affordable prices starting from $18

Rockon Tokyo is not your typical Japanese restaurant. It offers more than fresh seafood, which bowls of rice topped with fried tempura are also served at the restaurant. You’ll enjoy obanzai, which gives a taste of Kyoto-style home cooking, which features side dishes. The ingredients are fresh and prepared using the restaurant’s menu. It changes every two weeks, depending on availability. 

The menu’s best picks include the signature potato salad at $18, which is perfumed with shaved black truffles, the classic hijiki seaweed at $6. Its tossed tuna is served with beans for a perfect exotic taste. Gout-o ICU sells at $69 and consists of three mini rice bowls topped with uni, caviar, and ikura.

18. Hashi Japanese Restaurant

Highlights

• It offers the best omakase menu
• The restaurant provides large servings
• It has a team of friendly and professional staff.

Hashinda Tokyo provides one of a kind omakase experience. It has a variety of omakase menu which has different flavours. Its courses follow traditional formats, different dish temperatures ranging from cold to hot meals and other surprises. Top picks on the menu include the omakase dinner menu that sells at $350. You’ll also enjoy generous servings of otoro.

19. Tonkatsu by Ma Maison

Highlights

• It offers the best filet
• It provides affordable meals starting from $23
• The restaurant offers the signature miso sauce

Another great restaurant to try out the best Japanese cuisine is Tonkatsu by Maison. For those who enjoy deep-fried cutlets, this is your go-to place. It offers one of the best hires (filet) with rosu (loin) that will quench your craving for Japanese meat. Other great picks on the menu include the surf and turf pick, such as the jumbo prawns, oysters, and chicken roulades. You’ll also get to enjoy the perfect cabbage cuttings that are well shredded for every health enthusiast.

For those who would like to try something new on the menu, you can pick the Rosu Katsu at $23.80. It’s juicier and fattier for those who prefer their meals a bit greasy. You can top it with miso sauce which gives an unami complexity that is deep and tasty.

20. Bincho at Hua Bee

Highlights

• It offers affordable prices
• The restaurant provides grilled beef and smoky delights
• Chefs are able to customize drinks and meals

Tucked away amid coffee shops along Tiong Bahru, Bincho is a Japanese restaurant that will catch your attention. It offers you the best Japanese cuisines at an affordable price. Visit this amazing spot, take a seat in the restaurant’s marble bars and watch their grilling action or their domed booths as you enjoy your drink. Bincho at Hua Bee also offers you the best fruit, herbs, and cocktails from their barkeep. Its glass of cocktail and menu mostly consists of whims from its experienced chefs. Those who are spoilt for choice can always look at the top recommendations from the chefs.

Other picks you can try on their menu include smoky delights and grilled beef. The menu is inspired by the micro-season in Japan or the best seasonal produce featured on the menu. A must-try dish is the house signature protein tori(chicken) with cuts such as thighs, wings, and breasts that are well prepared over their bincho-tan charcoal. For a tastier and unique feel, try their unique cartilage, gizzard, comb, chicken tail, and heart.

In Conclusion

How else can you experience Japan cuisines without physically flying over? That’s right! Visit these Japanese stores to satisfy your cravings. To maximise your Japanese culture experience, you should also try out some Japanese Omakase in Singapore and Sushi Delivery. You can do some shopping with our recommendations of what to buy at Daiso Japan and Don Don Donki Singapore!

Looking for other food? We have you covered with our list of Japanese ramen stores in Singapore. For other cuisines, you can check out our list of Peranakan Food in Singapore if you want to experience a combination of Chinese and Malay food, Javanese, and more. Likewise, we also have a list of Indonesian food, Indian food, Mala steamboats, Halal food, Thai restaurants, and French restaurants for you!