20 Best Japanese Restaurants In Singapore

22nd May 2023

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Best Japanese restaurants in Singapore

Singaporeans love Japanese cuisine, and that has led to Japanese restaurants of every shape and form sprouting up across the country. We have all-you-can-eat buffets, kaiten sushi chains, affordable ramen joints, chirashi specialists, and high-end Michelin-starred restaurants—the list goes on.

While we wish we could dine at Michelin-minted establishments every time the Japanese food craving strikes, we also know that quality doesn’t have to come at a high price. Here are 20 of the best Japanese restaurants in Singapore to dine at any time your palate feels like taking a trip to Tokyo. As a bonus, all of these are affordable and won’t burn a hole in your wallet.

P.S.: We have a guide for halal Japanese dining destinations too!

1. The Sushi Bar

Image credit: The Sushi Bar

The Sushi Bar began as a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Far East Plaza but has since expanded to Ngee Ann City and Tampines1. The franchise specialises in a wide array of Japanese dishes made with fresh, quality ingredients, available at price points that don’t break the bank.

They have a wide variety of menu items, from appetisers to grilled yakimono dishes, but a meal here isn’t complete without some sashimi or chirashi. The former is sliced to order and starts at $28.90++ for a 3 Kinds Sashimi Platter. For chirashi, you can enjoy different combinations of fish with your rice, but the classic go-to is the Kaisen Chirashi (from $27.90++), which comes with salmon, tuna, yellowtail, aburi salmon belly, tamago, scallop, and ikura.

Website
Full list of locations
The Sushi Bar is not a halal-certified eatery.

2. Koh Grill And Sushi Bar

Image credit: @gnimochi

Another casual sushi diner is Koh Grill And Sushi Bar at Wisma Atria. This Japanese restaurant still manages to draw long queues to this day, mostly for their signature Shiok Maki ($16.80++). If you have never tried it, the fusion maki roll contains aburi salmon, loads of ebiko roe, and a seriously generous drizzle of a creamy, cheesy sauce.

Apart from the maki roll, Koh Grill And Sushi Bar also specialises in kushiyaki, AKA Japanese skewers grilled to order, and a range of other dishes. You should order the Garlic Chaahan ($5++), a wok hei-infused garlic egg fried rice, to carb up your meal.

Address: 435 Orchard Road, #04-21 Wisma Atria, Singapore 238877
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 10pm
Tel: 9180 3805
Website
Koh Grill is not a halal-certified eatery.

3. Sen-ryo

Sen-ryo is famous for its wallet-friendly, but gourmet Japanese fare. Their flagship restaurant at ION Orchard always requires reservations, any day of the week.

Order the Sen-ryo Premium Bento ($25.80++), which comes with nine different top-tier bites, including unagi, fatty otoro, and salmon belly. Another hot favourite here is the Zuwaigani Soy Nabe ($48++), a nabemono hotpot with a broth made from Japanese soybeans, served with a whole snow crab leg.

Read our Sen-ryo review.

Address: 2 Orchard Turn, #03-14, Singapore 238801
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6974 6782
Website
Sen-ryo is not a halal-certified eatery.

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4. Waa Cow

Image credit: @fatty,png

Wagyu donburi bowls under $30 are what you get when you dine at Waa Cow. They have multiple locations islandwide, giving diners easy access to their delicious, smoky Wagyu-topped donburi bowls, each served with an onsen egg and pickled radish. The Original is priced at $21.90++, but you can get bowls zhnged-up with additional sauces, like Mentaiko ($24.90++) and Truffle ($25.90++).

While beef is the signature here, diners who prefer seafood can opt for their Chirashi (from $18.90++), or Teriyaki Chicken Don (from $15.50++).

Website
Full list of locations
Waa Cow is not a halal-certified eatery.

5. Una Una

Unagi don is delicious, but it doesn’t come cheap. That is unless you’re at Una Una, where a hitsumabushi starts at just $12.80++. The quality and flavours here come close to what we’re used to from Man Man, the Michelin Bib Gourmand unagi eatery in Keong Saik, albeit at a way friendlier price point. The eels here are also air-flown from Japan.

For those who aren’t familiar, Hitsumabushi is a dish that hails from Nagoya, and sees grilled, smoky eel served atop pearl grain rice, with a medley of condiments on the side. A dashi broth accompanies the portion, and you’re meant to eat the don four ways: on its own, with the condiments, with the dashi, and however you like.

Read our Una Una review.

Website | Full list of outlets
Una Una is not a halal-certified eatery.

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6. Nanbantei Japanese Restaurant

Image credit: @soraasidoremi

A dining experience one can’t miss in Japan is spending an afternoon at a yakitori joint, having a variety of skewered chicken parts grilled to order before your eyes. Nanbantei Japanese Restaurant gets you as close without having to board a plane. They have been around for almost 40 years, with over 640,00 sticks of yakitori sold since.

Start off your meal with their yakitori skewers, priced from $5.50. If you’re dining between two, you can opt for their Special Course, which feeds two for $72++. The menu includes 10 yakitori sticks, a nabe stew, grilled fish, sashimi, garlic rice, and dessert.

Website | Full list of outlets
Nanbantei is not a halal-certified eatery.

7. Kazu Sumiyaki

Image credit: @kazusumiyakirestaurant

Cuppage Plaza is a haven for Japanese restaurants, and a popular one for kushiyaki, AKA skewers, is Kazu Sumiyaki. You’ll find quite the crowd of Japanese expats here, especially when seasonal produce arrives from Japan and appears on the menu. The restaurant has also been operating since 1993.

You can get skewers under $5, and sashimi under $10, but do note that each is charged per piece. Apart from the small bites here, the eatery also serves carbs under $10 to accompany your meal, so try out their Ochazuke, Tori Zosui porridge, and more.

Address: 5 Koek Road, #04-05, Cuppage Plaza, Singapore 228796
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 6pm to 10pm
Tel: 6734 2492
Website
Kazu Sumiyaki is not a halal-certified eatery.

8. Tomi Sushi

Image credit: @yulifesingapore

If you’re in a mall and craving quality Japanese food, but don’t want to settle for the usual handful of chain restaurants, then pay a visit to Tomi Sushi. They have several outlets islandwide, and 21 in Japan, operating since 1954.

While they are nigiri sushi specialists, we also recommend coming down for lunch so you can enjoy their affordable bento sets, priced around $20++ to $30++, with the most expensive being $45++. Each contains the A-Zs of a meal, with appetisers, small bites, a main, and fresh fruit. The Nigiri Sakura ($28++) is one to try if you’d like a sampling selection of their best sushi, served with a side of tori karaage.

Website | Full list of locations
Tomi Sushi is not a halal-certified eatery.

9. Sabar

Sabar is Singapore’s only mackerel specialty restaurant, highlighting this popular Japanese seafood dish. They serve fatty toro saba, a premium version of mackerel that weighs up to 550g a fish.

You can expect a wide range of saba dishes here, starting off with sushi (from $13.80++), to the standard combination of grilled mackerel, rice, and miso soup. The latter starts at $15.80++ for half a salt-grilled fish. Apart from the classics, you also get interesting spins on saba at this restaurant, including a Saba Katsu Curry ($16.80++), mackerel Histumabushi ($25++), and Fish & Chips ($13.80++).

Read our 100AM food guide.

Address: 100 Tras Street, #03-14, 100AM, Singapore 079027
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 3:30pm, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Tel: 6443 8827
Website
Sabar is not a halal-certified eatery.

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10. En Sushi

Image credit: @hungryybearr

En Sushi is a multi-award-winning contemporary Japanese restaurant in Bras Basah that has a menu chock full of dishes. There is every category here, from handrolls to hot don bowls, and price points are friendly, with most dishes going below $30++. If you’re overwhelmed by choices, their Chirashi Don ($26.40++) is a good place to start, as each bowl comes with fresh, thick slices of fish atop well-seasoned pearl rice.

They also have a wallet-friendly omakase option here too, starting from five courses. Price differs according to the produce available.

Address: 12 Middle Road, #01-00B Midland House, Singapore 188970
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm, Fri-Sun 11:30am to 3pm, 5:30pm to 10pm
Tel: 6259 8548
Website
EN Sushi is not a halal-certified eatery.

11. Ganko Sushi

Ganko Sushi hails from Osaka, where it was first established as a family-run restaurant in 1960. They have since expanded to Singapore with an outlet at Dhoby Ghaut, which doubles up as their first-ever Southeast Asian outlet.

The produce here is air-flown from Japan three times a week, so you’re really getting the freshest sashimi on your table. Experience this with their Sushi Platter ($50++), which comes with nine types of sushi, including uni, unagi, and ikura. They also have a wide variety of aburi items and ala carte dishes to go with their sushi. Try their Tempura Set ($28++), which comes with a mix of airy, crisp tempura items.

Read our Ganko Sushi review.

Address: 9 Penang Road, #01-01, Singapore 238459
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 2:30pm, 6pm to 10pm
Tel: 8828 2280
Website
Ganko Sushi is not a halal-certified eatery.

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12. The Public Izakaya

Image credit: @tiffany.foodie_

Izakayas are another major pillar of Japanese dining culture. These watering holes are where people congregate after hours to unwind over simple, tasty fare, usually skewers and small bites, along with beers, sake, and a highball or two. Head down to The Public Izakaya to experience that on home soil.

We highly recommend getting the Okonomiyaki ($13++) to accompany your drinks, as this thick okonomiyaki is a tasty, savoury counterpoint to all that boozing. Each pancake comes with the usual suspects of cabbage and sprouts, but contains chewy squid and earthy soba noodles too. The Omakase Oden Set ($19++) is another one to try if you feel like comfort food. Each order comes with six oden pieces, and a simple, but soul-warming broth.

Website | Full list of locations
Public Izakaya is not a halal-certified eatery.

13. Ajiya Okonomiyaki Restaurant

For DIY okonomiyaki, head down to Ajiya Okonomiyaki Restaurant. This Beauty World restaurant is small and cosy, with only eight tables, so be sure to head down early to nab a seat. You can choose the type of ingredients you want to go into your pancake, or choose from fixed combos, such as the Meat Lover ($16++), packed with pork belly, bacon, and cheese.

No visit is complete without an order of their Potato Cheese Mentai ($11++), a hotplate of grilled potatoes doused in torched mentaiko sauce, as well as shredded mozzarella.

Read our Ajiya Okonomiyaki Restaurant review.

Address: 104 Jalan Jurong Kechil, Singapore 598603
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 12pm to 2:15pm, 5:30pm to 9:15pm, Sat-Sun 12pm to 2:15pm, 5pm to 9:15pm
Tel: 6463 3461
Website
Ajiya is not a halal-certified eatery.

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14. Tonkatsu by Ma Maison

Image credit: @singapore.solofoodies

Another big component of Japanese dining is youshoku fare, or Western-Japanese cuisine. Tonkatsu by Ma Maison is one of the best Japanese restaurants for youshouku dining, especially if you’re looking for tonkatsu. The eatery has been open for 37 years now, serving up over 20 different types of katsu dishes.

Prices differ depending on the outlet you visit, but you can expect most of their offerings to be priced under $20++. Look forward to their Tonkatsu Omurice sets, Katsu Curry, and even Katsu Sandos.

Website
Full list of locations
Tonkatsu by Ma Maison is not a halal-certified eatery.

15. Omote

Popular chirashi chain Omote is well-known for their affordable Japanese food overall. Most of the menu costs under $30, spanning appetisers to generously portioned mains. We are big fans of their famed Tamago Mentai Chirashi, served with chunks of raw and lightly torched fish, as well as tamago dressed with seared licks of mentai mayonnaise. If you order a main and you’re feeling extra peckish, Omote now has a Power Up add-on, which lets you add 10 different side dishes, including a dessert, to your main, for just $9.80++.

Read our Omote review.

Address: 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-44C Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103
Opening hours: Sun-Thur 11:30am to 2pm, 5:30pm to 8:45pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 9pm
Tel: 9899 3670
Website
Omote is not a halal-certified eatery.

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16. Minami Maki

Alexandra Central Mall might be the last place one expects for some of the best Japanese food in Singapore, but Minami Maki proves us wrong. The humble Japanese eatery on the second floor of the mall offers unique maki rolls, such as their Signature 1 ($14.80), rolled with tempura prawns, avocado, and crab stick. They also have a Bara Chirashi bowl that’s just $12.80, topped with fresh, seasonal fish. Everything here is simply done, but executed well, and wallet-friendly to boot.

Read our Minami Maki review.

Address: 321 Alexandra Road, #02-43 Alexandra Central, Singapore 159971
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11:30am to 2:30pm, 6pm to 9pm
Tel: 6542 0302
Website
Minami Maki is not a halal-certified eatery.

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17. Ichi Tei

For many a student, Sunshine Plaza brings about memories of printing stores and school assignments. It also happens to be home to Ichi Tei, a hidden gem Japanese restaurant that has been around for over a decade now. The casual Japanese eatery offers most of its dishes under $20, but quality is never sacrificed. Their Unagi Udon ($14) for example, sees a comforting bowl of udon served along with a full fillet of unagi, grilled in a sticky-sweet tare. For something more premium, get their Kaisen Don ($20), a loaded donburi bowl full of fresh sashimi, including thick rounds of Hokkaido scallops and prawns. The bowl also comes with a lesser-seen nishin sashimi, where sliced herring is served topped with roe.

Read our Ichi Tei review.

Address: 91 Bencoolen Street, #01-51, Sunshine Plaza, Singapore 189652
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11:45am to 7:45pm
Website
Ichi Tei is not a halal-certified eatery.

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18. Unatoto

Singapore has plenty of unagi don eateries, but Unatoto is one of the newest kids on the block. The brand hails from Japan, and is known for being a chain that serves affordable unagi dishes. Here, you can find Japanese grilled eel all over the menu, from appetisers such as Umaki ($3+), where tamago is studded with a morsel of eel, to mains such as their Unagi Don, priced at $9.50+ for a single portion. If you’re looking for a more substantial meal, add on $4+ for a Value Set A, which comes with a soup of the day and an appetiser of your choice from their menu of nine.

Read our Unatoto review.

Address: 7 Wallich Street, Guoco Tower, #B1-03, Singapore 078884
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Website
Unatoto is not a halal-certified eatery.

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19. Ima-Sushi

SMU is another unlikely location one thinks of for Japanese food, but there’s where you’ll find Ima-Sushi, a joint that specialises in affordable sushi platters and chirashi bowls. Their Sashimi Moriwase, for example, is priced at just $23.80 and comes with five different thick cuts of sashimi, ranging from salmon to tuna. If you’re team sushi, most of their gunkan and nigiri are priced under $3 for two pieces—a steal when you consider the quality. For mains, you can splurge on a chirashi bowl, or opt for homely classics such as their Oyakodon ($6.40) or Spicy Tori Karaage Don ($8.80).

Read our Ima-Sushi review.

Address: 70 Stamford Road, #B1-24, Singapore Management University, Li Ka Shing Library, Singapore 178901
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11am to 8pm, Fri 11am to 9pm, Sat 11:30am to 2:30pm
Website
Ima-Sushi is not a halal-certified eatery.

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20. Kurohanabi

A steamboat with beef innards may not be the first thing you think about when you think of Japanese food, but it is quite the under-the-radar staple. Known as motsunabe, you can get this hotpot with Wagyu innards at Singapore’s Kurohanabi, which hails from Hokkaido. Beef entrails may not be as common as pork at our local eateries, making Kurohanabi quite the welcome treat if you love offal. Try their Hokkaido Motsu Nabe ($32++), which comprises a sesame miso soup, tofu, cabbage, enoki, chives, and a selection of Wagyu beef intestines. These are particularly fatty and melt-in-the-mouth, great to enjoy with some short-grain rice.

Read our Kurohanabi review.

Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, #03-316, Suntec City Tower 1, Singapore 038983
Opening hours: Daily 11:30 am to 3 pm, 5:30pm to 10 pm
Tel: 6250 1561
Website
Kurohanabi is not a halal-certified eatery.