The 13 best Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong: Sushi Wadatsumi, Shikigiku Japanese Restaurant, Sushi Saito at Four Seasons Hong Kong, Ryota Kappou Modern and Zuicho are all leading the wave

Jun 6 , 2022

Sushi Yonjugo is an intimate omasake space in Hong Kong. Photo: Sushi Yonjugo

Nadaman perfects the 190-year tradition of kaiseki cuisine, while Michelin-starred Ryota Kappou Modern keeps guests surprised with frequent changes to its menu

Masa Hong Kong focuses on fine dining with beautiful interiors, Sushi Yonjugo offers guests an intimate omakase experience, and Ippoh specialises in tempura

If you’re looking for the best places to chow down on some authentic and fine dining Japanese cuisine in Hong Kong, read on.

Led by masters in their fields with decades of experience and innovators looking to challenge convention, these are Hong Kong’s best Japanese restaurants.

1. Ippoh Tempura Restaurant

Ten-cha (bowl of rice with tempura fritter and fried seaweed) with pickles from Ippoh Tempura Restaurant on Aberdeen Street in Central. Photo: Jonathan Wong

For those not already convinced that tempura demands the same fastidious care as sushi making, one trip to Ippoh should make you a firm believer. As with sushi, good tempura masters train for decades, and one need look no further than Ippoh to experience the exacting methods and artistry of the craft.

A family-run restaurant from Osaka, the Hong Kong outpost opened in 2014 as an intimate eight-seat counter. Prepare for a succession of delicate fried morsels, as vegetables and seafood are swished around in batter and dunked in a pan of shimmering safflower oil to attain a delicate crunch, making for an exhilarating ensemble of seasonal produce at its peak.

G/F, 39 Aberdeen Street, Central

2. Kushiro

Grilled tilefish with herbs and green pepper sauce. Photo: Kushiro

Newly minted late last year inside The Peninsula Hong Kong, Kushiro joins the upper echelon of Japanese fine dining establishments. Heading the all-star team are culinary director Yukihito Tomiyama, previously at Shinji by Kanesaka Macau; 25-year industry veteran Ricky Chung; and Jason Au, a graduate of Nobu and Haku.

Lunch starts at HK$880 (US$115) while dinner will set you back HK$1,980 to HK$2,780 for a multi-course omakase of appetisers, sashimi, hot dishes, sushi, soup and dessert. Expect a table laden with luxury ingredients – Hokkaido sea urchin, A4 Wagyu beef, sturgeon gold caviar and more, while stylish interiors easily outshine the city’s spartan sushi counters.

Shop BW1, BW3 & BW5, B1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui