The best Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles

Best for: Once-in-a-lifetime kaiseki
This two-Michelin-star dinner at ROW DTLA might require an alarm to get a table, but the chance to experience the transportive power of a meal at Brandon Go's seven-seat counter is more than worth the hassle. Beautiful presentation and world-class level of precision and technique are applied throughout the meal. Since preparation by Go and his small team occurs just mere feet away, this intimate chef's table experience invokes all the senses for a traditional, ever-changing seafood-centric kaiseki meal that varies with the weather, seasons and whatever’s freshest at market.

Best for: Once-in-a-lifetime California kaiseki 
Niki Nakayama's modern kaiseki restaurant of Michelin star and Chef's Table fame on Netflix is an indispensable part of the Japanese fine dining scene (as well as one of the city's most expensive restaurants). While the bloodsport-level effort to snag reservations might turn off many potential diners, a meal at n/naka is a multi-sensory experience that, for better or for worse, lives up to the hype. The 13-course seasonal seafood meal (with an additional option for vegetarians) delights and even soothes across every aspect, for a kaiseki experience that blends traditional Japanese coursing with a distinctly contemporary and feminine sensibility.

Best for: Special-occasion omakase (if you can get in)
For all the warm sushi rice and dragon rolls, L.A. boasts plenty of excellent Edomae-style sushi bars, with no better example than this relatively new omakase ($300) hidden away in the basement of a Little Tokyo office building. Run by veteran sushi chef Yoshiyuki Inoue, Sushi Kaneyoshi tops out in luxury, refinement and overall wow factor. The exact seafood used in Kaneyoshi’s approximately 20 courses changes seasonally, but diners are likely to dig into a delicate Hokkaido crab chawanmushi, along with one of the city’s best preparations of ankimo (monkfish liver) and nodoguro (blackthroat sea perch). A word of warning: Tock reservations here are tough to snag, but the eventual outcome is well worth the time and effort.

Best for: Korean-inspired omakase

For those who can regularly afford it, there’s an L.A. omakase for every whim, reason or predilection—making it all the more remarkable that this newer Gardena sushi counter manages to stand out among its older peers. Run by Katsu Sando’s Daniel Son, the omakase ($230) at Sushi Sonagi dazzles with Korean influences, California seasonality and thoughtful, warm service that justifies setting a reminder for the sought-after Tock reservation and paying the steep cost of entry. Bites like rainbow trout garnished with delicate, nutty-tasting sesame seeds and miso butter-topped tamago will leave you on cloud nine. The Korean American chef sources most of his fish from the same supplier used by the veterans at Morihiro and Shunji, yet Son fuses traditional technique with hints of bold Korean flavors and farmers’ market produce in a way that feels fresh and memorable. Despite its greenhorn status, I would already rank Son’s menu among my top five omakases in L.A. If that’s the case, just imagine the heights Sushi Sonagi could reach in a year or two.

Best for: Traditional sushi
If you’re looking for a slightly more budget-friendly sushi meal, this Little Tokyo classic is beloved among L.A.’s diehard raw fish aficionados for its reasonably priced, high-quality à la carte nigiri selection. The main draw, however, is the $23 weekday lunch special, complete with a rainbow of sashimi, soup, salad and rice. For a quicker table, head here during the evening, when you’ll be rewarded for waiting with fresh halibut, fatty tuna, sea urchin, monkfish liver, scallops and oysters, all in a wonderfully serene, wood paneled sushi bar setting. Just mind the rules: no personal device usage while dining, and make sure your whole party is present outside the restaurant to get seated—and no, you can’t put your number down and wander elsewhere.

Best for: Once-in-a-lifetime omakase
If money is truly no object, the legendary craftwork at Morihiro Onodera’s eponymous Atwater restaurant is a gourmand’s delight. Book the bar-only omakase ($350 to $400), and you’ll enjoy a mix of kaiseki-style appetizers presented on ceramics made by the veteran chef himself and a diverse array of dry-aged and fresh fish (including a few I’ve had nowhere else). Best of all is the option, once Onodera finishes making the last nigiri, to repeat as many sushi courses as you like—but personally, we left here full enough after the twenty-odd courses. If we had to visit just one place to spend $300 or more on sushi, though, we'd pick Kaneyoshi, though Morihiro does offer a less expensive table omakase ($250) prepared by assistant chefs. Still, Onodera’s 40 years of experience and detail-oriented approach translate to one of the city’s finest omakase experiences, albeit not our absolute all-time favorite.

Best for: Tonkotsu ramen, appetizers, desserts

This famous tonkotsu chain from Tokyo has landed in a sleek ground-floor space of a Larchmont apartment building. Here, the ramen noodles are made fresh in-house everyday. First-timers should order the signature Tokyo tonkotsu, where the long-simmered, velvety pork broth offers a surprisingly complex flavor profile, as well at least a couple of the appetizers: Of the many we've tried, none seem like afterthoughts, from the crab-rich potato salad to the build-your-own spicy maguro wraps. An excellent, well-balanced tsukemen uses springy, alkaline thick-cut noodles courtesy of Keizo Shimamoto (inventor of the ramen burger). Variations in smoked dashi, mazemen, and spicy tan tan offer just as much flavor as the original, though they can't upstage the tonkotsu—Tonchin's very-much-worthy claim to fame. And save room for dessert: There's kakigori and a delightful Tokyo banana-inspired sundae on the menu.

Best for: Udon
This Little Tokyo noodle shop offers the city's best bowls of the thick, chewy wheat-based noodles, plus mesmerizing sights of noodle-pulling action through the kitchen's picture window. Behind a large glass, the udon master will roll out the dough and cut strands and strands of the thick, chewy noodles for each order. The traditional bowls are great here; try the hot kitsune udon topped with fried tofu, or the cold plum shiso bukkake udon. For a fun mash-up of Japanese and Italian cuisines, go for the popular miso carbonara udon. Just be prepared to wait: As the hands-down best udon shop in Los Angeles, peak dinner time can cause gaggles of groups to queue all the way down the block.

Best for: Tsukemen and tonkotsu
Much ink has been spilled over Tsujita's tsukemen, whose dipping broth arrives separately from the noodles. Stans wax poetic about how kurobuta pork bones are simmered for no less than 60 hours to create the dipping broth, how the noodles are thick, chewy and dense, and how the wait for a seat can fluctuate widely (unless you're dining solo, in which case you'll usually be seated in under 15 minutes). Suffice to say, in a rare instance of hype living up to reality, all that ink bleeds true: This is the best tsukemen in the city, whether you're dining at its original location, the Annex across the street—which offers a slightly different broth—or its newer locations in Fairfax and Glendale. Tsujita is the ramenya which you'll forever compare all others, much to your chagrin. Put your name down and wait. It’ll be worth it.

Best for: Izakaya fare
Named the "most elegant izakaya in Little Tokyo" by the late Jonathan Gold, this upscale reservation-only dinner spot in Honda Plaza offers a small but impeccably made menu of unique dishes that go beyond the usual sushi, udon and ramen. Though they’re known for their seared uni, decadent bone marrow dengaku and thick cut beef tongue, each dish receives deeply thought-out gourmet treatment, from simple items like ochazuke made with housemade dashi broth to richer entrées like curry rice, which Kinjiro upgrades with a pillow-soft beef tongue. A large sake selection, as well as a few wines, ensures diners receive a full izakaya experience.

Best for: Japanese breakfast, homey cuisine

Although this tiny family-run restaurant on First Street first opened in late 2019, Azay can trace its roots back to 1946, when co-owner Jo Ann Hirose’s father opened Anzen Hardware (which has since relocated nearby) in the same storefront. Offering a moderately priced, compact menu of French and Japanese dishes made by Jo Ann’s husband Akira, Azay is best known for offering the elusive Japanese breakfast: a traditional meal consisting of broiled fish, miso soup and choice sides of seasonal vegetables, pickles and tofu, as well as slices of tamago omelette and a bowl of rice. While the breakfast set is always worth an order, don’t skip out on sampling a few French dishes and desserts, including the deftly prepared duck confit and a complex, bittersweet matcha crème brûlée.

Best for: A not-too-rich tonkotsu
One of Tokyo's best ramenyas now has two Westfield-anchored locations in Century City and Arcadia. Day and night, crowds line up for bowls of chef Satoshi Ikuta’s flavorful, dense tonkotsu broth—also available with spice, black garlic and basil. Unlike Tsujita, the soup here manages to feel lightweight despite the richness, and Nagi's vegetarian broth means that those who don't eat can get in on the fun as well. No matter what, be sure to save room for at least one of Nagi's appetizers, particularly the unlisted pan-fried snack gyoza; when available, the latter arrives in an irresistible crispy dumpling skirt.

Best for: Soba

Best for: Soba and tempura
If ramen is the attention hog in the family of noodles, then soba is the wheat-based variety's more refined cousin. The delicate, slightly nutty flavor of the buckwheat-based strands, plus the skill the staff puts into the making of each thread, makes this South Bay shop a destination Japanese noodle spot across all of L.A. Though purists will tell you that the best way to enjoy these noodles is plain or zaru—served cold alongside an umami-rich dipping sauce—we actually prefer the ten zaru: an upgrade with the addition of light, crispy tempura on the side. For best sampling, order their combination lunch or tempura omakase set dinner: the seasonal omakase typically includes sashimi, chawanmushi (savory egg custard), that ethereal tempura and a small bowl of soba or udon. But if you're just here for that tempura—well, they even have a tempura kaiseki.

Best for: no-sushi sushi
Three decades in, Tetsuya Nakao's strip mall sushi bar in the Valley—and its wonderfully nontraditional omakase—has stood the test of time and become veritable L.A. sushi royalty. In a similar style as Nobu (and the upscale chain's original restaurant, Matsuhisa), Asanebo offers a selection of fusion-style seafood dishes, as well as traditional nigiri—but the right order here always leans towards the former. Where else can you find a deep-fried tempura "seafood stick" served in a martini glass, a flaming conch filled with bubbling hot broth and pieces of tender A5 Wagyu and juicy red onion in sweet soy? Plenty of other cheaper places around town might riff on the legacy of Matsuhisa’s signature yellowtail jalapeño sashimi, but none of them execute new-school sushi as well as this gloriously no-frills L.A. classic.

Best for: Izakaya fare

This Tokyo-based restaurant chain quietly serves seasonally inflected Japanese drinking fare from the former Musha space in Santa Monica. The Westside location is the family-run company’s first location outside Japan, and the well-priced array of sashimi, fried and grilled dishes and more unconventional pairings (think negitoro over garlic bread) put Shirubē’s on the shortlist of L.A.’s best izakayas. Highlights include the signature flame-seared mackerel, shoyu butter corn ribs and the dan dan udon, all of which make the long trek to the ultra-touristy Third Street Promenade area feel very much worth it. Best of all, the kitchen stays open until 10pm—so you count on a later evening meal here.

Best for: Special-occasion omakase

This Santa MOnica sushi bar run by the eponymous chef and his wife Yuko Sakurai offers a streamlined, exclusive approach to top-notch sushi in the form of a $280 omakase—one of the best in the city's upper sushi echelons. Every night of service, after a brief selection of kaiseki-style appetizers, Shunji Nakao breaks out a wood block of sliced fish, each brilliant, shining row ready to be prepared for each guest. The luxurious selection always satisfies, as does Sakurai's ultra-refined sake selection. For something different, Shunji-san has begun offering a $190 oryori pop-up dinner at 6:30pm on select evenings—albeit with no sushi.

Best for: Everyday yakiniku

Best for: New-school sushi (and ambience)
While Nobu Matsuhisa's eponymous chain restaurant is nothing new—his new-school Japanese food is now a global phenomenon—the Malibu outpost is a sight to behold, with a minimalist, zen-meets-the-Pacific space, plenty of opportunities for celebrity-spotting and an oceanside setting that leaves diners speechless, especially after dark. Though purists might roll their eyes, the eye-poppingly expensive fare still delivers on flavor and delight, from the mini tacos filled with creamy uni to the signature yellowtail jalapeño sashimi. Time Out tip: Though the perpetually fully booked restaurant offers reservations through OpenTable, the best move is to call 30 days in advance—Nobu Malibu still holds the majority of tables for phone calls.