The best Japanese restaurants in Miami, from omakase to ramen

Sushi by Scratch exists as an antidote to the stuffy sushi bars where you’re not sure if talking is allowed and sushi chefs hand over slices of unknown origin. Here, the team of sushi chefs, many who trained at the acclaimed sister restaurant in Austin, hand over single pieces of sushi to a counter of 10 people in what’s downright dinner theater, torching bone marrow fat and brushing complicated sauces on top of difficult-to-source slices of fish and wagyu steak. Even after 17 courses, accept their offer of add-on extras, because this is an omakase you won’t want to end.

The original Azabu earned itself one of those fancy Michelin stars for its stunning service and delicious food. The Miami location, tucked away on Ocean Drive, inherited many of its sister restaurant’s best qualities. The three-page menu guides you from starters on through cold seafood dishes, robata protein, sushi and more. It is a fine dining experience insanely rare on Ocean Drive. For one of the most authentic omakase experiences around, pass through the dining room to find a back door to the Den, where a u-shaped sushi counter offers a virtual trip to Tokyo.

Stephen Starr’s crown jewel inside Bal Harbour Shops draws a spectrum of diners, from lunching ladies and celebrities to local folk with a taste—and budget—for upscale Japanese fare. We’ll gladly shell out a stack of cash for Makoto’s famous, and now much-imitated, crispy rice (spicy tuna neatly assembled over flash-fried rice). Besides the delectable starter, Makoto is known for its unctuous ramen and high-quality cuts of toro.

Some of Itamae’s culinary experiments will knock you for a serious loop. There's a mountain of shaved parmesan on top of a fresh catch that pairs, somehow, with Peruvian Leche de Tigre sauce. A condiment of shrimp head and uni bottarga arrives on the prawn. And the collar is essentially a decapitated fish head, well roasted on a sea of savory liquid—those brave enough to fork meat from the bony face will be rewarded. Hopefully, you’ll love it, but at the very least, you’ll try something you never have before.

Perhaps the world’s best-looking restaurant ceiling exists inside Wynwood’s Hiyakawa, where wooden whale ribs arch over the dining room to form a voguish cove. The look sets the tone for a meal that's beautiful at every course, which you should definitely order omakase-style from the sushi chefs. It's a serious affair here, the kind of place where talking at the sushi bar is kept to a minimum to recognize the artistry going on behind the bar. Maybe a bit sedate for some, but Hiyakawa is certainly an antidote to the wildness of Wynwood right outside the windows.

Before you hate on all the Austin spots on this list, or all the it-opened-elsewhere-first places, go to James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole's Uchi Miami. The multi-course tasting menus will undoubtedly impress, but you have to experience the generous happy hour, with deals on drinks, pieces of excellent nigiri and tastings of everything from kumquat-topped oysters to roasted chicken thighs with tomatillo.

If it were only about sushi, this spot would top our list of Miami’s best Japanese restaurants. It is, after all, just an order-at-the-counter spot inside the MIA Market in Design District—not exactly the frilly experience you’ll get from some other omakase restaurants in town. But this is a sushi counter overseen by a real master, Yasu Tanaka, the former head chef at The Den at Azabu, who worries over every single ingredient. That’s perhaps most evident with the rice, imported from Japan and labored over for hours, paired with fish so endlessly scrutinized over.

A near clone of Sushi by Scratch, Sushi | Bar Miami arrived from Austin to set up a counter in the Esmé Hotel on Española Way. This is an omakase experience that bucks the traditional in favor of the flavorful, with strawberry gochujang on the aji, a caramelized pineapple hat on the hiramasa and a bruleéd skin above the cold-smoked sawara. The prawn comes with the best bit of theatrics of the night: spiced with dehydrated Frank’s RedHot powder and oozing with butter melted from a stick with a blowtorch. At $222 and up per person, is it worth it to brave this so-touristy section of South Beach? Oh yeah.

Sushi bowls are too often associated with supermarket takeout served in throwaway containers. At this Upper Eastside restaurant, they get the care they deserve from a place that pays serious attention to the details. Often, these are simple affairs meant to showcase the quality of the crab, rice, salmon, seaweed, tuna—everything in that bowl in front of you is as delicate and refined as the space itself. There’s more on the menu here than just bowls: The $50 chirashi-style omakase is a downright steal. But peek at what’s at the neighboring tables and you’ll see why all the kids in the know come here: those bowls that’ll soon end up on all their Insta pages.

Luckily, your money (quite a bit of it) will be well-spent at Zuma. Dinner here is nothing short of luxurious. In town since 2010—a lifetime in the Miami dining scene—Zuma remains a hip place that puts as much emphasis on the kitchen as it does on its chic appearance. Pick from modern Japanese bites such as sea bass sashimi with yuzu, or the black cod marinated in miso. The humongous Japanese brunch here on the weekend is a baikingu (buffet) setup that can run into the hundreds (yes, plural) with fancy add-ons and bottomless options.

Master chef Katsuya Uechi may have closed his Brickell restaurant, but luckily this sophisticated spot design by Philippe Starckin the SLS hotel remains. The menu is full of things you’ll recognize and things that’ll sound entirely new, but be sure to hit the classics section, including toro with truffle ponzu and cripsy nori, the baked crab hand roll and salmon sashimi with caviar and onion chutney.

For a time, Sushi by Bou operated in a memorable spot: from a six-seat counter set up in Gianni Versace’s former bedroom in his infamous Miami Beach mansion. With that temporary setup in the rearview mirror, New York’s Sushi by Bou opened the 13th location of its speakeasy-style omakase theme in the SLS Brickell. Sushi by Bou’s chefs hit all the notes that have made omakase popular, blowtorching their wagyu nigiri and handing guests single-servings of well-sourced sushi from an intimate, 650-square-foot space with just 12 seats. Choose between a 12-course $60 experience or a 17-course affair for $100—both of which will end promptly at a one-hour cutoff, making this a breezy, sometimes-rushed and also much-loved omakase experience.

Jessica Daez and her husband Guillermo Paniza dreamed up their sleek Little River restaurant while on their Honeymoon in Japan. They brought on MyCeviche’s Sam Gorenstein to make the idea a reality, and the result is a Japanese menu that nails bao buns, gyozas and ramen that benefits from broths simmered for days.

Japanese native Masatomo Hamaya opened Dragonfly first in Gainesville, then Orlando and finally arrived in Doral, and we’re glad he did. The menu includes sushi, sashimi, robata and hot dishes including a Japanese blue crab fried rice.

When two beloved Japanese concepts closed down in 2017, Miami cried. When the owner’s daughter opened up her own place in the summer of 2018, Miami cheered. Now the charming Sushi Erika is packing those smiling faces into a simple sushi counter in a strip mall. Reservations aren’t accepted so be prepared to wait. And the official rule of Sushi Erika? No cell phones at the sushi bar! How refreshing it that?

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Locations in Wynwood and Hollywood peddle steamed buns, various delightful ramen and other classic Japanese eats from morning to very late at night. GoBistro scores in the gluttonous department with crave-worthy drunk food you’ll want to eat 24/7—think a gooey doughnut tour dripping with glaze, matcha French toast, spam rolls at brunch and crispy avocado fries.

Reliable bowls of ramen have made this a solid pick for ramen in three neighborhoods around town—Midtown, Coral Gables and Homestead. You can’t go wrong with the traditional tonkatsu with a rich porky broth and slices of belly, but the nontraditional choices here are worth exploring, including a dry ramen that’s like a kicked-up version of the nuked noodles made by college kids everywhere.

This casual izakaya spot in Coral Gables is perfect for a quick lunch during the week. Dinner service ain’t bad here either. Order sushi by the piece or bring a friend to help you eat your way through the steamy hot pot. The $10.50 lunch special will leave you nice and full with a selection of protein that comes with shrimp and vegetable tempura, a California roll, salad and miso soup.

Shibui’s menu that will take days to read in its entirety. What do you want? Sushi? Stir fry? Katsu? Tempura? Teriyaki? You’ll find it all in the cozy, dim dining room—and you will not leave hungry. It’s worth going if only for the ridiculously named only-in-Miami rolls like the salmon-filled Sex on a Beach roll (which thankfully tastes good).

Knives will whirl! Onions will fly! Fried rice will be arranged adorably in a little heart shape! At Samurai, it’s good ol’ fashion tableside showmanship like you remember from the Benihana birthday parties of your youth. Samurai is a local concept, though, and has earned plenty of happy fans.

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Find the best omakase deal, and some of the most solid sushi around, at this lowkey Wynwood spot with just the right amount of style for a casual date night or happy hour with friends. Various omakase offerings (including a vegan option) start at $26 and go up to $84 for the OMAKAI Experience, though you can also order a la carte. And speaking of happy hour, score $3 Kirin, $5 wine and $7 sake plus lots of great affordable bites Monday through Saturday from 3 to 6:30pm.