Singapore is famous for its many cuisines, but Japanese eateries are particularly popular among both locals and tourists. For the year 2024, we have assembled a list of the best Japanese restaurants in Singapore. These restaurants guarantee that their mouth-watering ramen and smoky teppanyaki dishes will leave you craving more. With chopsticks in hand, be ready to experience the amazing gastronomic adventure of Japanese cuisine.
Table of Contents
Must-try 10 Best Japanese Restaurants In Singapore
- Kagayaki
- Wakuda
- Hamamoto
- Hashida Singapore
- Esora
- Ichigo Ichie
- Ki-Sho
- Sushi Masaaki
- Shoukouwa Restaurant
- Takayama
1. Kagayaki
I suggest the 8-course Kagayaki Menu (S$380) by chef Kamiko for first-timers, or the Omakase Menu (S$480) by chef Yoshida, which contains more specialized dishes. Masuda Beef Curry with Rice (S$48) and Chateaubriand Sando (S$60) are two examples of the inventive extras to choose from.
The Hassun, or Chef’s Daily Appetisers, were the first dish of my eight-part Kagayaki feast. Here, the hassun is a trifecta of soba, sushi, and croquette. First thing in the morning, enjoy a refreshing bowl of chilled, homemade soba prepared with 100% buckwheat flour.
| Address | 27 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089134 |
| Contact Number | +65 9017 7631 |
| Operating Hours | Monday to Saturday: 5.30 pm to 8pm ,8.15 pm to 10.30pm
Closed on Sunday |
| Price Range | From $380++ per pax |
| Google review | We had a lovely dining experience at Kagayaki, wonderful atmosphere, attentive service staff, friendly chef and above all, absolutely delicious Masuda beef. We were blown away by the delicate tasting, melt-in-your-mouth beef, every course was a pleasant surprise. I’ll be delighted for a return trip to Kagayaki soon. (Jamie Ong) |
2. Wakuda
I began with a series of Appetizers, such as the Big Eye Tuna (S$32), which is a Marinated Loin of Tuna served on Toasted Bread with Wasabi. A nice way to start the dinner, with the fresh wasabi being rather muted.
My favourite dish here is the Yuba (S$38). Consider Kyoto Fresh Bean Curd Skin combined with Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Mountain Caviar. It is served in a cocktail glass with brilliant colours that make it visually appealing. The Kyoto yuba is wonderful, with fresh flavours of bean curd skin and a divine mix with the Uni and Caviar.
| Address | Lobby, Hotel, Bayfront Ave, Tower 2, Singapore 018972 |
| Contact Number | +65 6688 8885 |
| Operating Hours | Monday to Sunday: 5pm to 12am |
| Price Range | S$100-S$200 per person |
| Google review | Beautiful interior, great service and good food. We managed to walk in on a Monday without reservation but the place looked relatively full. Everyone of the staff were friendly, polite and were familiar with the menu! The atmosphere is charming, with a touch of elegance and nostalgia. We felt the food was good but not spectacular, but the service and vibes make up for it. The fishes were fresh and we had a blue cheese ice cream dessert on the chef’s special menu which we liked a lot. (Abraham Lee) |
3. Hamamoto
It brings back memories of fall, and I love the presentation. It was my first time eating anything like the ikigai, and it was really amazing. Delectable fresh ikura. Indulge in the irresistible combination of texture and taste that is ikura. In contrast, the tai failed to impress. I felt the tomatoes were more impressive than the fish because of their explosion of sweetness.
It’s highly recommended that you give it a shot. The texture, harmony, and sugar were out of this world, thanks to the bafun and murasaki uni that went into it. The show-stoppers were the ebi prawns’ natural sweetness and the dish’s mouth-watering caviar.
| Address | 58 Tras St, Singapore 078997 |
| Contact Number | +65 9672 7110 |
| Operating Hours | Tue to Sat: 12pm – 3pm & 6.30pm – 11pm
Closed on Sun & Mon |
| Price Range | Hamamoto Lunch (S$280) for lunch, and Hamamoto Classic (S$425) and Hamamoto Experience (S$550) for dinner. |
| Google review | One of the best – if not the best – omakase experience in Singapore. Every dish is very well thought through, showcasing the best and freshest of ingredients each season. And the presentation is just immaculate. We always have an amazing time at the restaurant when we’re here! 10/10 would recommend! (Josephine Wong) |
4. Hashida Singapore
As I recall, Chef Hatch is friendlier and more laid-back than before, sharing sake with regulars while cracking jokes and laughing. His latest “global-influenced” dishes showcase his carefree attitude by using techniques for sheer enjoyment. Commencing our three-hour, seventeen-course omakase feast is an octagonal bowl with five hors d’oeuvres. Sushi of charcoal-scorched mackerel, abalone with uni and caviar in a shell, roasted sweet potato purée, marinated in soy sauce, cucumbers and sweet snow, and chilled turnip soup. After that, yam, roasted apple, radish, and a mochi rice cake were served in a white miso broth.
The sashimi plate consists of cooked seaweed, scallops, needlefish, peeled and cleaned horseradish skin, pulverized wasabi combined with soy sauce, and perforated, crispy yam stem. Dumplings made from lily bulbs and served in a transparent dashi sauce finish off the first course. All of them are new and devilishly detailed.
| Address | 77 Amoy St, Singapore 069896 |
| Contact Number | +65 8129 5336 |
| Operating Hours | Tuesday 7pm-10.30pm, Wednesday-Sunday 12pm-3pm, 7pm-10.30pm.
Closed Monday |
| Price Range | $80 – $500 |
| Google review | This was one of the best food experiences in my life. The chefs here are extremely talented, transporting me back to Japan. They fly in fresh fish from Japan & you can really taste the difference. They have a great selection of sake too. Very intimate dining experience with only room for 8 guests, where you get front row to watching the chefs create each dish. The staff are very attentive too. Thank you for taking me on an incredible food journey. (Ada K) |
5. Esora
My Esora lunch began with the soothing Bonito Dashi with green yuzu zest.
The iconic Esora amuse bouche of Foie Gras Monaka is next. A large portion of thick, creamy biwa (loquat) slices and a tantalizing compote of tart Japanese apricots were added to this season’s monaka.
These decadent accompaniments enhanced Maison Mitteault’s foie gras torchon base. Crisp myoga gave freshness to the monaka.
| Address | 15 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 238964 |
| Contact Number | +65 8533 7528 |
| Operating Hours | Wedesday & Friday: 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm
Thursday: 12 pm to 3.30 pm; 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm Sat & Sun: 5.30 pm to 10.30 pm (2seatings) Closed on Monday & Tuesday |
| Price Range | $185 – $300 |
| Google review | We were delighted by the autumn menu as it served up a good selection of dishes with surprising ingredients reflecting the season. My favourites were the wagyu and stuffed chicken wings… perfection. I had tea pairing, too, and they were on point for every dish. (Christopher Lim) |
6. Ichigo Ichie
The pièce de résistance of the evening, the Grilled Wagyu Beef, consists of slices of buttery Iga sirloin on an umami-rich sauce made with miso mixed mushrooms, foie gras, and a pan-seared fig. Iga beef, which is produced from only virgin female cows, is known as ninja meat in Mie Prefecture, where ninjas were born.
After the mouth-watering wagyu came the concluding course, which was Donabe rice with a Hokkaido twist. The water from Hokkaido is used to boil rice from Nagano, abalone, maize, and two types of seaweed. Accompanying it is a delicious abalone liver sauce and a refreshing Shijimi clam miso soup.
| Address | 1 Nanson Rd, #02-07A located within Intercontinental, Robertson Quay, Singapore 238909 |
| Contact Number | +65 9018 2897 |
| Operating Hours | Monday – Saturday | Lunch: 12.30pm – 3pm | Dinner: 7pm – 10.30pm | Closed every Sunday and first Monday of the month |
| Price Range | $188++ per person – 7 course menu lunch
$350++ per person – 9 course menu dinner |
| Google review | Chef Akane is very passionate about food and it shows in her many amazing creations. We really enjoyed the dining experience in her restaurant. It’s fine dining and yet feels intimate and homey at the same time. We especially love the special, 1-night only menus that chef Akane puts together every season to showcase the special ingredients of that season. Those are really unique dining experiences that are very hard to find anywhere else. (Oanh Nguyen) |
7. Ki-Sho
Our first dish was elegant. Pour the water shield onto the abalone underneath and savour it. I enjoy the broth’s gentle sweetness and soft abalone. Your course begins with a spring-like, light dish.
Kisho’s signature uni dish is widely photographed. Everything is pricey in one shell, but the taste matches the appearance. Kisho supposedly boasts the best university. I think they do. I loved the surprise sweet corn crisp.
| Address | 29 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228224 |
| Contact Number | +65 9061 6109 |
| Operating Hours | Monday to Saturday: 12:00 pm -14:00 pm, 18:30pm to 22:30 pm
Closed on Sunday |
| Price Range | S$150 – S$320 |
| Google review | One of the best Omakase that I have tasted in Singapore, and I opted for the lunch menu. Do not underestimate the portion of this omakase. I am quite an eater, and I am quite full when I reach the unagi set. The flavours of each dishes are amazing, the ottoro sashimi is really good. For A5 wagyu, you will need to top up an additional SGD50, which I did, and it is so worth it. (Alex Tiong) |
8. Sushi Masaaki
The first course of the evening was Hokkaido Hairy Crab, Yuba, and Dashi Jelly.
The Yuba was delicious. The texture, combined with the sweet, hairy crab and finished with some roe, was a good start to the meal. Then we abruptly plunged into a flower arrangement. I’m joking, though I must admit my companion and I were amused. They went to great lengths to dress up for their sashimi course, even placing a pot in front of us.
This chawanmushi was fantastic. The sweet corn layer on top blended with the delicate and light texture of the egg custard and the creaminess of the uni.
| Address | 26 Beach Road, Beach Avenue, B1-17 South, Singapore 189768 |
| Contact Number | +65 6388 1555 |
| Operating Hours | Tuesday-Sunday: 12:00pm to 15:00pm (Lunch)
Tuesday-Sunday: 18:00pm to 23:00 pm (Dinner) Closed on Monday |
| Price Range | S$180 – S$280 |
| Google review | Superb experience with their dinner omakase. The ingredients were so fresh and so nice. Every sushi tasted a tad unique on its own, and the uni was simply heavenly. The plating and counters were clean, neat and really enhanced the whole omakase experience. Money well spent. (Jan) |
9. Shoukouwa Restaurant
To start, there’s the kegani, a dish that combines slivers of steamed Hokkaido hairy crab with a rich and flavorful sauce made from Shanghainese hairy crab roe. It’s topped with a garnish of shiso blossoms and a mound of saline caviar.
Every component had its own unique job, yet the tastes harmonized like a beautiful symphony. A strong floral cadence was also given by shiso blossoms, which are as pink as a ballerina’s outfit.
When it comes to fighting, Chef Nishida is not shy. Remarkable abalone is prepared by simmering the shellfish in sake and water for at least eight hours, followed by two hours of kelp.
| Address | 1 Fullerton Rd, #02-02A One Fullerton, Singapore 049213 |
| Contact Number | +65 6423 9939 |
| Operating Hours | Tuesday-Sunday: 12:00pm to 15:00pm (Lunch)
Tuesday-Sunday: 18:00pm to 23:00 pm (Dinner) Closed on Monday |
| Price Range | $264 – $514 |
| Google review | If budget is no objection , then this Michelin ⭐️⭐️ Japanese restaurant is the one to go to . The skill level of the head chef and the best ingredients that he uses and at the same time very generous make this Japanese restaurant to be one of my favorite . There are many Japanese that charges a lot but under delivered . However , Shoukouwa is different although I still prefer the liver sauce in the Awabi from Sushi Sakuta as well as the Nodoguro . Definitely will be back again 👍 (The Caviar King) |
10. Takayama
Seasonal produce is the star of the show. Therefore, the menus change every month. Lunch is roughly S$150 for a nine-course omakase; our hazuki, or August, Omakase Dinner menu is S$250 for ten dishes ranging from sashimi to grilled meats.
The cold starter is full of surprises immediately, with a chawanmushi dish topped with corn ice cream. As you delve further, umami aromas emerge: hairy crab and creamy uni, the richness of which is complemented by sweet micro-tomatoes. With the spicy appetizer, you’ll have to dig for treasure as well, sazae. Grilled sea snail served in its shell, with soy milk gratin and zucchini providing earthy sweetness to the chew.
| Address | 6A Shenton Wy, #01-09/10 OUE Downtown Gallery, Singapore 068815 |
| Contact Number | +65 9168 2639 |
| Operating Hours | Monday 6.30pm–10pm, Tuesday-Saturday 12pm–2.30pm and 6.30pm–10pm.
Closed Monday and Sunday |
| Price Range | S$68 – S$300 |
| Google review | Food is presented in a very artistic way.
I enjoy the small room and the lightning here. Sashimi was grilled right on spot. The only thing is that the biscuit tasted a bit weird. It was creamy though. I would recommend this place for meeting or business gathering because of its location and services. It is easy to find as well. (H H) |
Conclusion
Having just 10 options to fulfill your Japanese food cravings is ample, but as Singaporeans, we’re accustomed to the constant influx of new dining establishments, ensuring our culinary desires are always met. This list serves as an introduction rather than an exhaustive compilation.
Personally, if I were to highlight two favorites from the selection, Sushi Masaaki would be my go-to for a lavish experience when I’m in the mood to indulge. On the other hand, when cost-effectiveness is the priority, Takayama is the choice. While it may not be the most economical option, the appeal lies in enjoying Michelin-rated Japanese cuisine at an affordable price.
Regardless of the choices presented, it’s crucial to prioritize personal preferences. This guide aims to offer valuable insights into the diverse Japanese culinary scene in Singapore.
After exploring Japan’s flavors, why not dive into Italy’s best with our ‘10 Best Pizzas in Singapore‘—it’s a cheesy journey you won’t want to miss!
