The best Japanese fine dining restaurants in KL

You can’t go wrong with Zipangu for the simplest fact that they don’t stray far from tradition. The space is classic Japanese, with interiors dominated by wood, featuring rock gardens and water features. Aside from the main dining hall, there are also separate sushi and teppanyaki counters. 

The menu ticks all major cooking styles and preparations, so yes, there are sashimi, sushi, teppanyaki, grilled items, tempura, rice dishes, hot and cold noodles as well as a small vegetarian selection. Fresh seafood is flown in twice a week, so you can be sure of the quality – plus the sashimi come in thick cuts.

If you plan on getting more bang for your buck, come for the Saturday Sushi Brunch Buffet (RM105nett per person). Selections include hand rolls, teppan grill sushi, extra spicy sushi and even dessert sushi, as well as sashimi, noodles and miso soups.

Pork free

Nobu is known for its take on Japanese-Peruvian cuisine, of which the apotheosis is the famed black cod with miso. This iconic dish has spawned countless imitations elsewhere, but here is where it originated.

At Nobu, you can expect every course to be executed perfectly, where traditional Japanese preparations and fare are elevated with Latin American-inspired spice and heat. Some of the most well-loved dishes include yellowtail sashimi jalapeño, Chilean sea bass with red jalapeño miso, and the Matsuhisa sliders, among others. Admittedly, the prices are on the high side, but with it you’ll also get a gorgeous view from the restaurant’s lofty height on the 56th floor of Menara 3 Petronas. Perfect for those special occasions.

Pork free

With Japanese chef Fujiwara Toru’s French culinary background, you can expect some contemporary Japanese cuisine (such as kingfish carpaccio with jalapeño and calamansi lime dressing, foie gras dishes, and a peach and tofu parfait) on the menu, along with the usual sushi, shabu-shabu, tempura and sukiyaki offerings. The seafood is flown in from Kyushu Island, Hokkaido and Tsukiji – so no question about the freshness and quality of the fish and produce here.

Pork free

The interior at Ten is unlike most Japanese restaurants in KL; with soaring steel structures and a palette of black and gold, the design is almost radical by Japanese restaurant standards. It looks cool and spacious, with separate sushi and teppanyaki counters on top of the main dining hall and private rooms. But what really impresses about Ten is the sheer variety of dishes in the menu – there’s everything from curry dons to soba, sukiyaki to tempura, and even chirashi (rice topped with sashimi and vegetables). The omakase and set meals are equally extensive: While a majority of them hover between the RM100 to RM300 mark, you can still opt for the affordable bento lunch boxes, which start from just RM55, complete with sushi or sashimi.

Pork free