The best Japanese restaurants in Miami – and the list keeps growing

Ogawa isn’t so much a Japanese restaurant and more like Japanese soil transplanted to Little River. From the shinto-like shrine in the front entrance to the zen garden in the back, Ogawa is meant to recreate the experience of being in Japan. For dinner, that means a chef’s choice menu tailored a bit to your preferences, with nothing but a price range ($175 to $300) to help you prepare for 18-ish courses of sushi and hot dishes. At times you may be unsure about etiquette at the 11-seat counter, and the vibe can vary depending on the noise level of your dining companions for the night. But Japanophiles will adore the attention to detail taken here to feel very Japanese.

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 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.

Michelin-starred Azabu offers a three-page menu that 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 chicken ramen and high-quality cuts of toro.

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 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 pork belly with Japanese squash and sweet pepper gastrique.

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.

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 $175 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.

One of the first hidden omakase restaurants on the scene, Hiden is tucked behind Wynwood’s Taco Stand, past an unmarked door that guests need a passcode to enter. Punch in the numbers sent with your reservation confirmation and you’ll find an eight-seat counter, where you’ll be greeted by two chefs ready to make your sushi dreams come true. Expect lots of whispering in the quiet space but also engaging conversations as you’re guided through hot and cold dishes, featuring ingredients flown in from Japan. Dinner runs $300 per person before drinks (which are pricey) and must be paid at the time of booking.

While other omakase experiences these days bring in fusion flavors and thumping music, Shingo is a serious affair that feels like an 18-course visit to the church of sushi. Formerly the head chef of Hiden when it won a Michelin star, Chef Shingo Akikuni is behind the counter here, deftly slicing fish sourced from every corner of the globe. Also imported? The entire 850-square-foot place was built in Kyoto, Japan, before being disassembled and shipped to Coral Gables, including a handsome 30-foot piece of Japanese cedar that serves as the omakase counter. The crowd the night you go dictates the vibe: end up with a shy group and you could spend the night at whisper level, while a raucous crowd can make this baptism by sushi feel like a communal party.

Hidden below Lincoln Road's ultra-trendy MILA rooftop lounge, MILA Omakase delivers everything you'd expect from a high-end chef's counter experience—and a few extras you'll hate to live without going forward (if only every omakase came with your own personal cherry blossom tree). The second-floor room curtained off from the dimly lit, members-only MM Lounge is highly exclusive, with just 10 seats. At times it feels like there are more people behind the counter, bent over intricate dishes with tweezers in hand or deftly molding rectangles of sticky rice for your next amazing course. Whether you opt to pair your meal with sake, wine, cocktails or tea, rest assured your glass will never go empty here.

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 designed by Philippe Starck in 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.

New York expat Sushi by Bou operates its speakeasy-style omakase theme from a semi-hidden side door 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 or a 17-course affair—both of which will end promptly at a one-hour cutoff, making this a breezy, sometimes-rushed and also much-loved omakase experience.

Hachidori began with a honeymoon. After their wedding, Jessica Daez and Guillermo Paniza headed to Japan, where they became obsessed with a Tokyo ramen shop, so much so they came back to Miami and opened a place inspired by it. The result is a ramen shop that shows both a deep obsession to recreate traditional ramen and also to add their own twist, like broth that includes sichuan pepper, ichimi and sansho spices. And yeah, the tonkotsu here is a gem, but the shrooms dish features a deeply flavored miso broth that just might become your new favorite ramen. 

A welcomed alternative to the stuffier omakase spots in Miami, Mr. Omakase is a laid-back counter-style restaurant in the heart of downtown. Here, sushi chefs roll maki to an old-school hip-hop soundtrack while folks look on from the eight-seat bar. Dinner is available in three price tiers: 10 courses for $89; 14 courses for $109 or 18 courses for $149. It all depends on how hungry you are and your penchant for fancy proteins, but we found the middle option to be perfectly satisfying. Drinks are available á la carte and you get to pick your own ochoko from a selection of adorable glassware when you order sake.

The ramen stand inside Wynwood's 1-800-LUCKY food hall serves up everything from the traditional to the entirely new creations. There's a spicy tantan with minced pork and a rich sesame paste, an umami-packed roast pork shoyu ramen and a vegetable number flavored with a rich sesame paste and boasting more color than your average double rainbow. The fried chicken sando here sure looks great, but who could make it there after one of these bowls? 

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 is that?

Shimuja began as a Miami Beach pop-up before finding a permanent home in Broward County. Luckily for us here in Miami, it found a second home at the Julia & Henry’s food hall, where chef Keiichi Maemura serves the ramen he ate in his hometown of Kagoshima. The ramen here starts with one of four broths -- pork, fish, chicken or veggie -- and then includes a laundry list of ingredients that make these some of the most topping-packed ramen bowls in town. 

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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.

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).

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.