The 15 best Japanese restaurants in Brisbane

Six years in the making, +81 Sushi Kappo is a next-level sushi experience that, until recently, would have required a flight to Tokyo. Behind a curtain inside West End’s Aizome Bar, the 12-seat counter puts Tokyo-trained chef Ikuo Kobayashi front and centre, whose CV includes two-Michelin-starred Sushi Kanesaka. There’s just one menu and it'll cost you $450: a seafood-focused omakase that rolls out course by course, moving between nigiri and kappo-style dishes prepared directly in front of you. The room is dark and hushed, which means there’s little to do but watch Kobayashi's insane knife skills at work. 

Address: 259 Montague Rd, West End

Price: Blowout

Fans are fiercely loyal to the umami-rich pork broth and silky housemade noodles on offer in owner-chef Taro Akimoto’s ever-expanding ramen empire, which he’s perfected over the past decade. And whether you reside to the north or south of the Brisbane River, there’s a Taro’s Ramen awaiting your rumbling stomach. Taro's mainstay is its creamy tonkatsu, or the ochre-hued fire tonkatsu if spice (no, really) is your thing. The busy, no-nonsense outlets are all for customising your bowl too, so add on those bamboo shoots and stock up on kimchi. 

Address: Brisbane CBD, South Brisbane, Ascot & Stones Corner

Price: Affordable

Look for the cherry blossom branches and noren curtains and nab a table overlooking the river. Order yourself a Nashi Gimlet and some seafood from the raw bar and settle in for an izakaya experience like no other in Brisbane. Within the beautiful bones of a historic Howard Smith Wharves warehouse, both the fit-out and the menus strike the perfect blend of fun and finesse. For maximum fun, finish with the miso caramel soft serve. 

Address: 5 Boundary St, Brisbane City

Price: High-end

You want chicken gizzards? Cartilage? Chicken tail? You want it on a stick? Grilled over charcoal and served with a frosty Asahi? This cosy little yakitori bar is the place to go, with outlets in West End, Fortitude Valley, Portside Wharf and Everton Park. It’s also the place for all the usual skewer suspects. Favourites include the Wagyu with tare and the garlic prawns with wasabi mayo, but if you haven’t yet tried crispy golden chicken skin, perfectly charred over the coals, then you really haven’t lived. 

Address: West End, Fortitude Valley, Portside Wharf & Everton Park

Price: Affordable

True to its name – which translates to gem in Japanese – Ippin invites guests on a culinary journey inspired by the vibrant beauty of flowers. Each dish on the extensive menu is a feast for the senses, adorned with delicate herbs and blooms. Highlights include a refreshing plate of kingfish ceviche seasoned with yuzu koshu, a deluxe platter of the day’s freshest sashimi, and caviar-kissed nigiri. Don’t skip the house-made hojicha warabi mochi for dessert, or the showstopping ‘zen bonsai’ – a masterpiece of soft soy cremeux, yuzu curd, black sesame sponge and streusel.

Address: The Garden Pavilion, West Village, Level 2/111 Boundary St, West End

Price: High-end

Albion has scored a proper neighbourhood izakaya with Kizuna, a relaxed sake bar and kitchen on Sandgate Road. Opened by four hospitality-veteran friends who’d spent years talking about starting a place together and nudging Brisbane's sake scene along. The name roughly translates to the bonds formed between people, which tracks with a menu made for ordering too much and passing it around. Delicately sliced kingfish, Wagyu tataki and skewers straight from the grill are all designed to pair nicely with the real reason you’re here: sake. The team has pulled together one of the city’s more extensive selections, sourced from breweries across Japan.

Address: 281 Sandgate Rd, Albion

Price: High-end

It’s not in one of the hip dining precincts, and the décor is nothing to write home about. This cheap-and-cheerful laneway sushi joint on Lytton Road is the best-kept secret when it comes to the freshest sushi around. Pop in for made-to-order rolls that include all the favourites, along with some house specialties like the salmon lion king and the double shrimp roll. If there aren’t any tables free, order takeaway and head over the road to Mowbray Park.

Address: 3/53 Lytton Rd, East Brisbane

Price: Affordable 

Named after the Japanese words for rice (kome) and knot (yui), Komeyui sees itself more as an art gallery than a restaurant. Your dining experience at this upscale Japanese restaurant is a journey of choices: you can savour the chef’s table omakase at the sushi counter, or relax in the dining room with a bento box lunch special, the signature five-course tasting menu, or an à la carte selection. This is as premium as Japanese food gets. 

Address: Ground floor/191/203 Wharf St, Spring Hill

Price: High-end 

This low-key pub-izakaya in Teneriffe puts a spin on traditional Japanese eats, serving up tuna tacos, salmon sashimi and beef rib bao, along with larger mains like chashu pork ramen and chicken katsu curry. Keep the bevs flowing with Japanese sake, umeshu (plum wine), whisky and Aussie wines. 

Address: 55a Florence St, Teneriffe

Price: Affordable

If you have attachment issues, ten courses might seem like a serious commitment, but Shunsai is keeping traditional Japanese cuisine – known as washoku – alive and well in the Gabba. The emphasis is on seasonal produce and balanced, harmonious flavours and presentation, with menus changing frequently, meaning the relationship will never get stale. With only a handful of tables, you’ll need to book in advance.

Address: 5/45 Wellington Rd, East Brisbane

Price: Mid-range to high-end

It's difficult to find, loud as hell and so dark you won’t be able to Instagram your meal. Why is it so popular? It’s the wow-factor of the chandelier-lit dining room and the audacious menu twists. This includes a Wagyu tartare with shoyu-cured yolk; spicy pork katsu sando with tonkatsu and slaw; a whole baby snapper, coal-roasted; and hiyashi (cold) ramen with XO eggplant. And like a Japanese himitsu-bako puzzle box, inside this hidden Valley restaurant is a secret bar. Gotta love Hôntô.

Address: Alden St, Fortitude Valley

Price: Mid-range to high-end

This is the bustling little South Brisbane izakaya everyone wants in their hood. You’ll always be greeted by the kimono-clad staff with a smile and an enthusiastic “irasshaimase” (welcome). There’s just a handful of tables inside and outside, but the draught beer is cold and the service is spot on. Their bento boxes are the best bang for buck in the area, and karaage lovers swear by their all-you-can-eat karaage nights. 

Address: 6/220 Melbourne St, South Brisbane

Price: Mid-range

Dining at Sono is akin to a cultural experience. Sitting cross-legged on the floor in one of their private tatami rooms overlooking the river is a very zen scenario. For a livelier atmosphere, sit at the teppanyaki bar and enjoy the spectacle. Tasting menus stick closely to tradition, like the 48-hour saikyo miso-marinated black cod and table-grilled Wagyu, because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Address: 39 Hercules St, Hamilton

Price: High-end 

It’s the only sushi place in town that has a dress code, and you’ll want to have deep pockets in your ‘smart-casual attire’. But you’re in for a theatrical experience in this sleek, moodily-lit dining room in the foyer of Brisbane's Calile Hotel. Sit at the bar and watch the chefs work their magic, painstakingly preparing delicate sashimi and nigiri, and plating up their pieces of art. Make your own nigiri selection from caviar to Wagyu sirloin or foie gras, or go all out with the 21-course omakase. 

Address: 48 James St, Fortitude Valley

Price: High-end

Family-run and family-friendly is the vibe at this Spring Hill stalwart. For nearly 20 years, they’ve been keeping things simple with hearty cook-at-the-table Wagyu sukiyaki and shabu-shabu (hot pot) set menus, alongside satisfying staples like nasu dengaku, katsu, karaage, tempura and sashimi. 

Address: 1/500 Boundary St, Spring Hill 

Price: Affordable