The Best Japanese Restaurants in Los Angeles

Located in a Japanese supermarket's food court, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a cash-only Japanese ramen chain known for its white tonkotsu (pork bone) soup served with a pickled plum. The ordering process is straightforward: you pick from shio (salt), soy, miso, or spicy miso ramen, place your order, and wait for your number to be called. Their Hokkaido-style shio (salt) ramen, which is lighter than many tonkotsu versions, is a popular choice for a comforting meal.

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Nicole Jacobsen

Co-Founder TheFoodOffice – Stockholm, Sweden

The white tonkotsu (pork bone) soup served with a small, pickled plum in a round bowl at @ramensantoukausmawa is worth traveling for. This is a Japanese ramen chain located in the food court of a Japanese supermarket in Los Angeles. The process is simple, you line up with your cash ready (cash only), then choose from shio (salt), soy, miso or spicy miso ramen. Move on to place your order and then just wait for them to call your number over the loudspeaker. We tried the Hokkaido-style shio (salt) ramen which is a bit lighter than other bowls of tonkotsu that we have tried over the years - and damn this was a comforting bowl!! 🤤👏🏻

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This two-Michelin-star restaurant, n/naka, offers an exceptional dining experience with a modern interpretation of the Japanese culinary art form of Kaiseki. The restaurant prides itself on using the finest seasonal ingredients from both California and Japan to create a unique fusion of flavors. The menu is constantly evolving, offering a preset thirteen-course dinner service from Wednesday to Saturday, with each course exquisitely plated, balancing old and new tastes and flavors.

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Geeta Bansal

EIC of Salty Magazine – Newport Beach, USA

Chef Niki Nakayama’s 2 Michelin star, Kaiseki California take utilizing local, seasonal ingredients. In full disclosure, a reservation at the 2 Michelin starred Kaiseki style Japanese restaurant is not easy to land but definitely worth pursuing. Chef Niki Nakayama’s version is a modern California take utilizing local, seasonal ingredients, some not usually identified with the traditional multi-course style, instilling a unique sense of place to the dining experience. The vibe at n/naka is serene and elegant, the service gracious, the sake and the wine and non-alcoholic pairing well-curated. While the exquisitely plated courses open a window into modern Japanese food they magically manage to balance the old and new in taste and flavors. The dinner service runs Wednesday through Saturday with a preset thirteen-course menu. The standout course, a Chef’s choice or Shiizakana, is a nontraditional and absolutely delicious spaghetti alla chitarra, a black truffle topped pasta dressed with abalone liver and pickled roe. Since the menu is hyper-seasonal and evolving constantly, the highlights vary with each experience adding unique taste memories. Chef Nakayama and her partner Carole Iida also opened n/soto, a California Japanese style Izakaya during the pandemic offering an evolving bento with a la carte service to follow.

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Specializing in kappo cuisine, Shibumi offers an elegant and mesmerizing Japanese dining experience with a focus on seasonality. The intimate 40-seat restaurant, run by Chef David Schlosser, is known for its unique and rare selection of beverages paired with seasonal offerings. The dishes are prepared using the highest quality local, organic, and sustainable ingredients and are served on handmade ceramics, adding to the overall aesthetic experience.

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Nicole Jacobsen

Co-Founder TheFoodOffice – Stockholm, Sweden

It’s no surprise that Shibumi, a Japanese restaurant that specializes in kappo cuisine, tops our list of food experiences in Los Angeles! To be frank, Downtown LA was a​ disappointment for us but one restaurant not​ to miss out on is Shibumi - a restaurant that specializes in kappo cuisine, which results in an elegant and mesmerizing Japanese dinner with a focus on seasonality. We tried their medium-range omakase, twelve very different and beautiful dishes by chef David Schlosser.

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This Japanese restaurant, Tsubaki, is known for its intimate ambiance and flavorful sharing plates. The recommended dishes include prawns and chicken skewers, which are particularly popular among the visitors. With its roots in Japan and a California mindset, Tsubaki provides both indoor and outdoor dining experiences.

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Margaux Koopman

Foodie – London, United Kingdom

Delicious Japanese restaurant. Delicious Japanese sharing plates in Echo Park with intimate ambiance. I particularly recommend the prawns and chicken skewers.

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Transforming a former bank building into a dining space, YESS offers an uncomplicated menu featuring local seafood, vegetables, and California meats. The restaurant is known for its ambitious approach to traditional cooking. It is recognized as one of the most exciting dining spots in the US.

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Randy Moon

Restaurant Owner – Los Angeles, USA

Yess Restaurant, one of the most exciting restaurants in the US. They've spared no expense in turning a former bank building into a supremely ambitious but also uncomplicated meal of local seafood and vegetables, California meats, and old-fashioned cooking.

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