Japanese foods are springing like mushrooms in Malaysia right now, especially when it’s about sushi and ramen. But Japanese cuisine has a lot more to offer than refreshing raw fish and noodle soup. Whether it’s quality wagyu beef, okonomiyaki, yakitori or traditional kaiseki, there’s a lot of adventure awaits! With an extensive variety of Japanese restaurants available in the market, which then is the best Japanese restaurant in Malaysia? In our Best of Food series, we have curated the latest 10 Best Japanese Restaurants in Malaysia, providing quality recommendations to suit your lifestyle and budget. For the ultimate guides, also check out our best Indian restaurant and Vegetarian restaurant recommendations!
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This article was last updated on 27 October 2022
10 Best Japanese Restaurants in Malaysia
1. Fukuya Authentic Japanese Restaurant
Immerse yourself in a Japanese Kaiseki experience while enjoying its sumptuous traditional Japanese dishes in the Fukuya Authentic Japanese Restaurant. Set in a tranquil, calming ambience in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, diners can choose to dine in their refreshing main room or book a private Japanese-style room for a more intimate moment with their loved ones. It’s a perfect place to be whether it’s a date, a business meeting or a family celebration.
Culinary-wise, Fukuya offers an extensive range of authentic Japanese dishes. From tempura to sashimi, grilled eel to beef teriyaki and chicken katsu, Fukuya allows you to enjoy any Japanese dishes in the most authentic form possible. Whatever the main dish is, our favourite is to start with steamed egg custard as an appetiser and end it with their sweet Japanese ice cream as a dessert.
2. Ozeki Tokyo Cuisine
At the helm is Chef Hitoshi Kimijama, who graduated from Hana Cooking School in Tokyo and spent years of his life working in French, Italian and Japanese restaurants before opening Ozeki Tokyo Cuisine Restaurant. Known for his flair and creativity in combining Japanese and contemporary cuisine, he was also often involved in interviews and cooking demonstrations with magazines and TV, and was even awarded at the KL International Gourmet Festival.
Aside from the unique Japanese contemporary dishes, what sets Ozeki Tokyo Cuisine apart is everything here is served fresh. The fish is even directly imported from Tsukiji to ensure the best quality of their ingredients. Here you’ll also find a range of fresh sashimi, sushi, and refreshing fusion dishes that will catch you by surprise, and of course, their Japanese wagyu beef is something not to miss.
3. Taka Ushi
Feeling fancy? Enjoy a luxurious fine dining experience at a Michelin-star Japanese restaurant, Taka Ushi. The restaurant is led by Chef Uehara, who’s known as a master of beef, and it’s the only restaurant in the country that serves Japan’s most exclusive beef, the Ozaki beef. Not only all of their ingredients are flown from Japan to ensure their freshness, but their sushi also only uses fresh, wild fish caught from Japanese waters.
While the Ozaki beef and sushi decorate their best-selling menus, Taka Ushi’s sake collections are not to be underestimated, too. Known as the most diverse sake collection in Malaysia, you’ll find every finest delicacy and the rarest Japanese fermented rice wine varieties. Just make sure to get in line to book your table in advance to ensure you get a seat!
4. Sushi Azabu
Finding a good sushi restaurant in Malaysia is easy, but Sushi Azabu is on a different level. Known for its precision and masterful finesse in the art of sushi, Sushi Azabu also invites diners to watch the marvel of their fine handiwork through an open kitchen setting. Just make sure you take a front-row seat!
Sushi Azabu’s seafood is flown directly from the coast of Japan twice a week to ensure its utmost quality. And their selection is impressive, too, offering common favourites like salmon and tuna to less common amberjack fish and big-eyed snapper. Whether it’s the artistic live cooking experience or true sushi quality is what you’re looking for, Sushi Azabu will always leave you satisfied.
5. Iketeru
Discover an exciting and modern hotel restaurant in Iketeru inside the 5-star Hilton Kuala Lumpur, serving authentic Japanese cuisine. Aside from their favourite menus such as fresh sashimi, sushi rolls and omakase, Iketeru also constantly offers something unique on their menu so customers will always experience something new on their every visit.
Located on the 8th floor of the world-class Hilton Hotel, Iketeru offers a breathtaking view accompanied by a classy ambience, warm lighting and a zen garden for a perfect intimate dinner with your loved ones.
6. Mitasu
A laid-back destination nestled amidst the busy city of Kuala Lumpur, Mitasu offers a Japanese buffet at an affordable price tag. Unlike other buffet restaurants, what separates it from the rest is you can get your dishes served to your table instead of taking each dish by yourself. Not only does it make the dining feel more exclusive, but it also ensures better hygiene. Almost every type of Japanese dish is available here, from fresh seafood, assorted sashimi, oyster, and tiger prawns to grilled octopus, as well as a plethora of sushi to choose from.
7. Koyaku Japanese Dining & Grill
It’s all about unwinding at the Koyaku Japanese Dining & Grill. Located in Taman Desa, Koyaku offers a short escape with its quaint and cosy space to let you feel right at home the moment you step in. But that aside, it’s their delectable Japanese cuisine that really indulges your senses from sight to taste to touch, or, mouthfeel.
Sure, their extensive ala carte menu is enough to satisfy your cravings. Trying their innovative dishes such as uni chawanmushi topped with salmon roe and wagyu beef topped with freshly-shaved winter black truffles and monkfish will be enough of a highlight. But it’s their special ‘Omakase’ (where you diners entrust the chef to tailor your meal based on your preferences) that ensures you’ll come back.
8. Nihon Kai Japanese Restaurant
Its somewhat concealed location might add to the air of mystery but its praiseworthy dishes are what will surprise you the most. Serving authentic Japanese cuisine at an affordable price, their extensive menus cover sake sashimi, beef sukiyaki, salmon shioyaki, juicy gyoza, fried tempura set, Japanese ice cream and many more. Not to mention you can also choose to dine in their private rooms with blinds, bamboo flooring and floor tables that will make you feel as if you’re in the middle of a Japanese village in the 1960s.
9. YAYOI Malaysia
The first contemporary Japanese cuisine started when Japan opened itself as a result of Meiji Restoration in 1886. This resulted in a blend between western and traditional Japanese cuisine, transforming the culinary culture as a result. And that’s what Yayoi Malaysia offers; the truest form of contemporary Japanese food.
Each guest here will be served Japanese Set Meals called ‘Teishoku’. It comprises freshly-cooked rice, accompanied by miso soup and other main and side dishes that you can choose from the menu. Some of the bestsellers are chicken teriyaki, chicken karaage and saba teriyaki. In addition, Yayoi is also a Muslim-friendly destination.
10. Nobu
Led by Japanese celebrity chef Nobuyuki Nobu Matsuhisa, Nobu is frequently named one of the capital’s best fine-dining restaurants. Its fusion of Japanese and Peruvian fusion is extravagant, offering you delicacies such as sushi, sashimi and tempura with a little bit of the Peruvian influence. Everything on their menu is excellent, but if there are dishes you can’t miss, they have to be the toro tartare with caviar and wagyu dumplings with a spicy ponzu sauce. Feeling flexible? Choose their omakase course and let their chef choose what’s the best dish of the day for you!
We hope that our guide on the 10 Best Japanese Restaurants in Malaysia will help you to find the best Japanese restaurant in Malaysia. Do also read our other buying guides too. Please do share this along with your friends if you have found this useful. Do look forward to more buying guides that we will be releasing soon!
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