Searching for the best Japanese restaurants in Toronto to dine at?
Japan is the number one country on my bucket list to visit, and while we won’t be visiting anytime soon, we’ll be getting our fill of Japanese cuisine here in Toronto.
Japanese cuisine is much more than just sushi, and there are plenty of incredible restaurants in Toronto for authentic Japanese eats.
Whether you’re in the mood for sushi, ramen, or izakaya eats, here are some of the best Japanese restaurants to visit in Toronto!
Be sure to also follow me on Instagram and TikTok – I share a lot more content on those platforms that don’t make it to the blog!
More Toronto restaurants
Looking for more of the best Toronto restaurants to visit? You might enjoy these posts:
- Craving more Japanese eats? Visit Toronto’s best spots for ramen, sushi, AYCE sushi, or poke bowls.
- Searching for more great Asian restaurants? Visit Toronto’s best Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian, or Afghan restaurants.
Best Japanese restaurants in Toronto
Katsuya
Katsuya is a restaurant chain from Japan, and their food is amaze.
If you haven’t heard of tonkatsu, it’s breaded and deep fried pork cutlet, and it is absolutely delish.
Katsuya has all the katsu you could ever dream of, and you can choose from their different signature sauces to top it off.
My fave is the Curry Katsu, and I’d highly recommend getting a katsu stuffed with cheese (you can thank me later).
They have a bunch of locations across the GTA, including downtown (near Yonge & Gerrard), North York, and Scarborough!
LOCATION: Various locations
Okonomi House Restaurant
Stop into this charming restaurant dishing up savoury Japanese pancakes.
If you haven’t heard of okonomiyaki before, it’s a shredded cabbage pancake topped with meat and sauce, and it’s amaze.
It sounds like a simple dish, but it’s so comforting and delicious!
From beef, to bacon, to shrimp, they’ve got a variety of protein options to choose from for your okonomiyaki.
For my fellow seafood lovers, you can enjoy the Seafood Delux Okonomi-yaki, which features tiger shrimp, scallop, squid, and imitation crab.
You can also enjoy their teriyaki and yakisoba dishes!
LOCATION: 23 Charles St W, Toronto, ON
Gyubee Japanese Grill
You’ve probably had Korean BBQ, but have you had Japanese BBQ?
Gyubee is an all-you-can-eat Japanese barbecue spot with several locations across the GTA.
From Miso Pork Belly to Sake Steamed Clam, they’ve got all kinds of delicious dishes you can grill up!
You can find them on Bloor or on Dundas, and they’ve also got locations in Markham, Scarborough, and Mississauga.
LOCATION: Various locations
Holy Cow Japanese Steakhouse
This casual and modern Japanese-inspired steakhouse on Queen Street is heaven on earth for beef lovers.
Indulge in juicy and flavourful steaks sourced from Prince Edward Island, or wagyu imported from Australia.
They’ve also got a variety of Japanese comfort foods including Karaage Don, Niku Jyaga, and Omurice.
It’s the perfect spot if you’re in the mood for steak, but don’t feel like going somewhere super fancy!
LOCATION: 254 Queen St W, Toronto, ON
Ramen Isshin
Ramen Isshin serves up some of the best authentic Japanese ramen in Toronto, and their location on College is their OG spot.
They’ve got all the classic Japanese comfort food apps like Chicken Karaage and Deep Fried Pork Gyoza, alongside an extensive list of different ramen options (including vegetarian options).
Choose between red miso, shio, or shoyu ramen!
They’ve even got a few vegetarian ramen bowls with egg-free noodle options.
You can find them in Little Italy or on Queen West, and they’ve also got a location in Vaughan by Vaughan Mills!
LOCATION: Various locations
TORA
If you’re looking for a fun and unique dining experience in Toronto, check out this conveyer belt sushi restaurant inside Yorkdale Mall.
TORA is a sister restaurant to the wildly popular sushi restaurants Miku and Minami, which are both originally based out of Vancouver.
They’re all about their aburi oshi sushi (AKA torched and pressed sushi), and they have a huge selection to choose from.
I absolutely love their Aburi Ebi Oshi (shrimp) and Aburi Saba Oshi (mackerel), and Adam especially loves the Aburi Crab Sushi.
Honestly, you can’t really go wrong with any of their sushi options – they’re all incredible!
They’ve got several different aburi oshi trios, which are perfect for if you’re looking to try a variety of different torch pressed sushi.
You place your order on an iPad, then it comes straight to you on a conveyer belt!
You also have to take an elevator up to the restaurant, so it feels super ~fancy~.
If you’re interested in seeing more, you can peep out my TikTok video to get an inside look at TORA!
LOCATION: 3401 Dufferin St #612B, North York, ON
Kinka Izakaya
If you’ve never been to a Japanese izakaya before, prepare to be amazed.
They basically serve up tapas-style bar eats alongside cocktails and drinks, and Kinka Izakaya does not disappoint.
Literally everything I’ve ever had at Kinka has been amazing, and I’ve been coming here since they opened in Toronto almost a decade ago.
You absolutely need to try their Salmon Natto Tartare, Oyster Kakimayo, Karaage, and Kinoko Cheese Bibimbap.
The menu does change up every so often, and they do offer daily specials, so they might not have some of the dishes I’ve mentioned!
If you’re interested in seeing more of Kinka’s menu, I’ve got a blog post all about my Kinka Izakaya review.
My fave Kinka locations are definitely the original spot on Church and their giant resto in the Annex!
LOCATION: Various locations
Imanishi Japanese Kitchen
Contemporary, home-style Japanese dishes are served in this cozy and intimate restaurant in Little Portugal.
Indulge in dishes like Beef Tataki, Corn Kakiage, and Tebasaki (chicken wings).
Each dish is designed to pair with beer, sake, and wine, and they’ve got an incredible selection of drinks.
You absolutely need to save room to enjoy the Tokyo Toast for dessert – it features deep-fried Japanese milk bread topped with taro ice cream and toasted soba.
LOCATION: 1330 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON
Zakkushi
Zakkushi’s specialty is their charcoal grill skewers, which they grill over Japanese charcoal.
Try their assorted Premium Set or Zakkushi Set, which each come with 5 different skewers you can try!
Otherwise, you can order from a wide selection of seasoned skewers including US Wagyu Beef, Chicken Liver, and Cheese Mochi Maki.
Aside from skewers, they also serve up other delicious izakaya tapas including Beef Tataki, Ebimayo, and Karaage.
They have two locations in Toronto on Carlton and Queen West, as well as two locations in Vancouver!
LOCATION: Various locations
Minami
Minami is actually a sister restaurant to the popular sushi restaurant Miku, a Vancouver-based restaurant brand with locations in Toronto.
They’ve got everything from aburi oshi sushi to their own signature sushi rolls, and it’s all amaze.
Oshi sushi is pressed sushi in the shape of a rectangle, and it is oh so dang good.
“Aburi” means torched, and it adds a whole depth of flavour to the fish!
They also have entree options, including their Charred Octopus Wasabi Niçoise and Charcoal Aburi Chicken and Foie Gras.
If you’re in the mood for a prix fixe menu, they offer a 3-course chef’s tasting menu for $110, which can be paired with wine and sake for $40.
They’ve also got an extensive sake list, as well as their own craft cocktails!
LOCATION: 225 King St W, Toronto, ON
Miku Toronto
Miku is one of the most popular sushi restaurants in Toronto, and they’re actually originally from Vancouver.
They’re most well-known for their fresh sashimi and decadent aburi oshi sushi rolls, and they offer up some of the best sushi in Toronto.
Aside from sushi, they’ve also got French and Italian-inspired cooked dishes like Kaisen Soba Peperoncino.
You also need to try some of their special menu items created in collaboration with Chef Ryusuke Nakagawa, the Michelin Chef behind Aburi Hana.
The Japanese Crispy Chicken, Salmon Shinjo Salad, Hotate Crudo, and Wagyu Carpaccio are all so decadent.
Each dish is so unique, and you’ll be thinking about them for days.
If you’re up for a splurge, try their Kaiseki (a traditional Japanese-style prix-fixe menu with small dishes) for $175 per person, which features 5 courses on handcrafted Japanese plateware.
You can also add wine and sake pairings for $60 per person!
If you’ve still got room for dessert, the Green Tea Opera is sort of like a matcha Ferreror Rocher, and the Ichigo Mochi Dome is a must for strawberry lovers.
They also make their own black sesame paste for their Black Sesame Latte, which is definitely one of the best we’ve had in the city.
The story behind the company is pretty cool: the owner, Seigo Nakamura, took after his father’s sushi restaurant in the 90’s, and he’s since opened up several restaurants in Vancouver and Toronto.
You can visit Miku’s Toronto location along the Toronto waterfront!
LOCATION: 10 Bay St #105, Toronto, ON
MSSM Yorkville
Edomae-style omakase is served at this casual Yorkville restaurant for $98 per person.
If you haven’t heard of omakase before, it’s when the chef selects all the dishes for the meal, and it’s usually made up of seasonal specialties.
The omakase menu includes 14 courses, and $98 is a very fair price for this!
The menu changes often based on the seasonality of ingredients, but you can expect dishes like hotate (scallop), madai (sea bream), and toro (fatty bluefin tuna).
Chef Masaki Saito of two-Michelin Star restaurant Sushi Masaki Saito is behind MSSM, and the menu is executed by chef’s students.
Chef was also behind Tachi, a stand-up omakase bar that used to be at Chef’s Hall (an amazing food hall in Toronto)!
LOCATION: 154 Cumberland St 2nd floor, Toronto, ON
Jumi Gozen Bar
If you’re craving a unique dinner experience, you’ve definitely got to visit Jumi – it’s Toronto’s very first gozen bar!
Gozen is a traditional Japanese meal set featuring a main dish, rice, soup, tsukudani (pickles), and multiple side dishes, all served together beautifully on a tray.
It’s also known as the “Emperor’s Meal”, because it was historically served to high class emperors and nobles of the Japanese empire!
Every single detail of every dish is artfully crafted by the chefs right in front of you, so it’s a very cool and intimate experience.
The menu also changes up seasonally, and even the plating is on-theme – I loved that there were winter elements like ice and snowflakes when I visited!
The first course I tried featured a whole variety of unique dishes, including lobster broth miso soup, king crab marinated with hokkaido uni and crab miso, and monkfish liver with roasted almonds.
The next courses were hot pot, a sushi boat, and dessert – definitely arrive hungry, because it’s a very filling meal!
You have to book a reservation in advance with a limited number of counter seats available.
They also offer a lunch menu during the week (with plenty of sushi options) and a late night bar menu on weekends!
You can find Jumi Gozen Bar in North York, located near Fairview Mall.
If you want to see more of all the delicious offerings at Jumi, you can watch my TikTok video!
LOCATION: 56 Forest Manor Rd Unit 3, North York, ON
Aburi Hana
If you’re in the mood for something a lil’ extra fancy, try the Kyō-Kaiseki Tasting Menu at this Michelin Star spot in Yorkville.
Kyō-Kaiseki cuisine focuses on fresh and seasonal ingredients from both the land and the sea, and Aburi Hana uses both local and Japanese ingredients.
The tasting menu is $430 per person, and wine and spirits pairings are available.
Because it is a nicer spot, they also have a dress code of business casual attire!
If you’re lookin’ for something a bit more casual, they also own the popular Toronto sushi restaurants Miku and Minami.
LOCATION: 102 Yorkville Ave, Unit 4 Lower Level, Toronto, ON
Sushi Masaki Saito
Sushi Masaki Saito is the first and only restaurant in Canada with a two Michelin-starred chef, and they were also the first and only restaurant to be awarded two Michelin Stars in Toronto’s Michelin Guide.
The specialty and only offering is here is the $680 omakase menu, which changes up seasonally and features fish flown in exclusively from Japan.
They literally get booked up months in advance, so you’ll definitely have to plan ahead for this one.
Their restaurant is housed in a historic Victorian building on Avenue Road, with an Old Edo-style interior.
They even imported a 200-year old Hinoki dining counter from Nara, Japan!
You can find Sushi Masaki Saito in Yorkville.
LOCATION: 88 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON
Best Japanese restaurants in Toronto:
- Katsuya
- Okonomi House Restaurant
- Gyubee Japanese Grill
- Holy Cow Japanese Steakhouse
- Ramen Isshin
- TORA
- Kinka Izakaya
- Imanishi Japanese Kitchen
- Zakkushi
- Minami
- Miku
- MSSM Yorkville
- Jumi Gozen Bar
- Aburi Hana
- Sushi Masaki Saito
These were some of the best Japanese restaurants to eat at in Toronto, whether you’re looking for something more casual or a more upscale restaurant!
Have you visited any of these Japanese restaurants in Toronto? What are some of your favourite Japanese spots in the city? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram!
More Toronto restaurants
Looking for more of the best Toronto restaurants to visit? You might enjoy these posts:
- Craving more Japanese eats? Visit Toronto’s best spots for ramen, sushi, AYCE sushi, or poke bowls.
- Searching for more great Asian restaurants? Visit Toronto’s best Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian, or Afghan restaurants.
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Have you been to Hashimoto or Kaji? Both amazing. Chef Hashimoto finished 3rd in a Japanese Iron Chef competition and Kaji has some of the best sushi and sashimi.