Japanese in South Florida

3558 N. Ocean Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Beaches

954-561-6411

Asian, Asian Fusion, Japanese, Kosher, Seafood, Sushi, Vegetarian, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

If you can get past the overwrought, New Agey pseudomysticism that infects Emunah (which means "faith"), you'll find a top-quality neighborhood café serving seafood and sushi. Everything on the menu is kosher, and most of that is organic. Enjoy an excellent array of Mediterranean and Caribbean-influenced sushi rolls. These contain ingredients like orange, mint, taramasalata, eggplant spread, cilantro, and pineapple along with sweet and melting yellow tail, white tuna, and salmon. The herbs in the garden salads are locally sourced; entrées are occasionally stunning - like Mystical Sea Bass served with creamy hummus, heirloom tomato and cured olive salad. Soups, made fresh daily, are equally inventive.

4 articles

Cafe Sharaku

2736 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale Wilton Manors

954-563-2888

Asian, French, Fusion, Japanese, Recommended

This boutique, six-table restaurant located off of Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale takes French technique and merges it with the ingredients of Japanese chef/owner Iwoa Kaita's homeland. The result is as enticing as a well-written line of poetry. A specials board denotes what's fresh daily and includes offerings like vibrant Florida stone crab baked with wasabi/garlic aioli and slender enoki mushrooms and New England clams sautéed gently with spinach, butter, and yuzu, a tart variety of Japanese lemon. Not everything works perfectly, as with the cold dishes like chilled deep-fried salmon with sour lemon sauce. But thanks to a competent, friendly staff and a broad menu, Café Sharaku is a charming and pleasant experience.

4 articles

Eddie Hills and Sushi Thai

134 N. Federal Highway Hallandale Beach

954-454-0023

Sushi, Thai, Japanese, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

Putting the "dine" in diner, the Thai and Japanese dishes at this roadside joint are superb. Mee krob isn't too sweet; pad Thai isn't too fishy; curries are beautifully balanced. For Japanese fare, order any one of the numerous fresh-fish rolls or the katsu - pounded chicken or pork that's deep-fried and served with plum sauce. Wash it all down with endless mugs of freshly brewed green tea.

2 articles

Gaysha New World Sushi Bar

2223 Wilton Dr. Wilton Manors

954-530-0153

Japanese, Sushi, Readers' Choice

Takeshi Kamioka has a solid pedigree in Japanese cooking. His father was a sushi chef brought over from Japan to work at Benihana in the ’70s who eventually opened his own shops, Japanese Steakhouse Village and Tokyo Sushi. So Kamioka grew up in the restaurant biz, then also worked a stint at Nobu in Miami and another on the line at Wolfgang Puck, as well at his own place on Las Olas, Shizen, which closed due to skyrocketing rents in 2009. Kamioka returned to the restaurant world by opening Gaysha New World Sushi in 2011. Late-nighters were especially thrilled; the place serves until midnight five days a week. The one-page menu has standards such as tuna tataki, dragon rolls, and salads as well as nightly sushi and sashimi specials. Adventurous eaters are advised to go with the omakase, or chef’s choice. You just might have some of the most beautiful eel you’ve ever had in your life.

7 articles

Heart Rock Sushi

1970 E. Sunrise Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-779-2735

Sushi, Japanese, Recommended, Menu

There's something surreally Depression Era about finding anything on a menu that costs one buck, or even two bucks seventy-five. At Heart Rock, rock-bottom prices are the norm, not the exception. Skewers of zucchini, chicken, chicken liver, shrimp, or scallops cost less than $5 each; soups like crab-spinach, mussel-miso, or mixed vegetable come in under $3. The super-spicy yukhe, minced raw beef in kimchee sauce served with a raw quail egg on top, is the Japanese version of steak tartar at about one-third the price. For a splurge, try the grilled yellowtail jaw, at just over $10: the meat inside that massive collar is exceedingly buttery and moist, flavored with smoke and dark lashings of sesame oil.

2 articles

Hiro Japanese Restaurant and Sushi & Yakitori Bar

3007 NE 163rd St., North Miami Beach North Dade

305-948-3687

Sushi, Japanese, Recommended, Menu

Soothing jazz soundtracks and late-night hours (till 3:30 a.m.) make Hiro appealing for cocktail-hour snacks and after-movie munchies, but grilled yakitori and fresh sushi rolls are appropriate for mealtimes too. Don't pass up the spider roll (made with soft-shell crab) or the salmon, scallion, and cream cheese roll, a creamy delicacy designed to make you crave more.

Hiro Maru Sushi

3327 Sheridan St. Hollywood

954-987-1388

Sushi, Japanese, Recommended

Steamed pork or shrimp shumai (dumplings) and spicy harusame (noodle) salad. Thick-cut sushi and sashimi, interesting rolls including shrimp tempura and eel and salmon skin, and the usual suspects of teriyaki, katsu, and udon. Bento boxes for lunch.

Izziban Sushi & BBQ

7225 W. Oakland Park Blvd. Lauderhill

954-368-6767

Sushi, Japanese, Korean, Menu, Slideshow

3 articles

Japan Hill/Da Mee Rak

7225 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise Plantation

954-572-9197

Japanese, Korean, Sushi, Recommended

This Korean-owned Japanese restaurant is an elegant surprise on the inside, and not just because the décor is attractive. Soups can be so-so and appetizers iffy. But sushi, especially white tuna, is reliably good. And the Korean barbecue, grilled right at the table, is tantalizing. Be sure to request the Korean menu and a grill table when you walk in, though, or all you're bound to see is some raw fish.

2 articles

Japanese Village Steak House

350 E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-525-8386

Japanese, Sushi, Recommended, Menu

An agreeable if not exemplary example of teppanyaki, or artful and entertaining Japanese tableside cooking. Tables surrounding traditional grills and menus offering complete prix-fixe dinners make this a good place for a group to dine on fried rice, grilled vegetables, grilled seafood, seared steak, and the like. Chefs will automatically provide a little wrist music with salt and pepper shakers, toss a few shrimp tails into their toques, and do some dazzling knife work dissembling lobster tails and chicken breasts, but just so you know, the onion "volcano" is by special request only.

2 articles

Japango

7367 N. State Road 7 Coconut Creek

954-345-4268

Asian Fusion, Japanese, Sushi, Best Of, Menu

Japango owner Kevin Lee makes it look so easy - but here, any bite is a revelation of flavors you've probably never tasted all in one place before. You'll never again eat plain old tataki without yearning for Lee's version; it's like discovering a higher calling. Shallot-crusted tuna scatters crunchy bits of fried shallot over thin rectangles of bright-pink tuna with green and red tobiko and paddlefish caviar. Fancy mango seafood salad tosses chunks of shrimp, crab, octopus, and lightly cooked white fish in spicy chili cream with sweet shocks of tart mango. And "duck two ways" pairs grilled breasts with a crisp fried egg roll stuffed with shredded duck. Service is charming and exacting despite the crowds.

2 articles

Kaiyo

81701 Old Highway, Islamorada Florida Keys

305-664-5556

Contemporary, Japanese, Sushi, Recommended, Menu

Sophisticated big-city food, a gorgeous dining room, and the Keys' laid-back ambiance combine to make this chic Islamorada restaurant one of the best and most appealing places to eat in the islands. Duck confit wrapped in green tea crêpes, tempura-fried baby abalone (don't panic, they're farm-raised) with wasabi sauce, and slippery udon noodles with shellfish and kim chee butter are just some of the highlights. And if you need a sushi fix, the stylish sushi bar at Kaiyo dispenses all the usual raw fish suspects (of impeccable freshness), as well as inventive maki such as the "Key lime roll," which comprises citrus essence, hearts of palm, and local lobster in a tart, luscious, elegant package.

1 article

Kevin's Sushi & Thai

706 S. Federal Highway Deerfield Beach

954-418-6218

Sushi, Japanese, Thai, Best Of

4 articles

Kiko

801 S. University Dr. #C-112 Plantation

954-473-0077

Japanese, Thai, Best Of

Although the raw and cooked fish here is stellar, Kiko is best-known for country-style Japanese fare. This clean, bright space in the Fountains Center offers food you'd discover a farmer serving to guests in the old country. Ramen and other noodle dishes are outstanding, as is the deep-fried pork cutlet with panko breading, a true comfort food. Try nabemono, with vegetables cooked together in a clay pot, or yakimono, with various samplings of meats or seafood in different sauces, or the Japamerican hybrid omerice. The provincial fare is heartier and less delicate usual -- a departure form our usual strip-mall sushi spots. But it's authentic and served with artistic flair.

2 articles

Kiko Japanese Restaurant

6177 Jog Rd., Suite D1-D4 Lake Worth

561-355-5688

Japanese, Best Of

1 article

Kuro

1 Seminole Way Hollywood

954-327-7625

Japanese, Sushi, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu, Slideshow

Sure, sushi and sashimi are in no short supply in Broward County, but that's not all you'll find at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's newest restaurant, Kuro. Named simply "Black" in Japanese, Kuro is the resort's 9,500-square-foot showpiece, a custom-designed theater-style dining room set with booths and circular tables each presenting a clear view of the restaurant's impressive open kitchen. Here, the entire operation approaches each meal with so much intensity, you can't help but be swept up in the enthusiasm. The goal: to create an upmarket establishment unlike any other in Broward County — or South Florida, for that matter. Don't expect to find boats of sashimi or sushi rolls with catchy names. Rather, Kuro offers the traditional, multicourse Japanese style of dining known as kaiseki, a series of minimeals that progresses from light, simple fare to heavier, more complex dishes. Start with the salmon karé, seared salmon in a Japanese curry with cauliflower furikake and spuma. Continue with king crab tempura – Alaskan king crab legs with roasted garlic butter powder and crispy Okinawan potatoes.For lunch, try one of three ramen dishes, including the Hiyashi Ramen – chilled ramen noodles seasoned in an exotic goma-dare sauce with king crab, seasoned egg, and summer vegetables. Or end it all with a grouper cartoccio, a Florida-caught fish steamed in a light soy broth with peppery radishes and kimizu sauce.

28 articles

Kyojin Buffet

3485 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale Wilton Manors

954-568-2208

Asian, Japanese, Best Of, Menu

2 articles

Lemon Grass Asian Bistro

3811 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale Beaches

954-564-4422

Asian, Japanese, Thai, Best Of, Menu

Lemon Grass is swank, but the price is right. The menu at this Fort Lauderdale spot verges on gigantic, but it?s easy to navigate, and your bill will be just as easy on your wallet. And unlike other multipage menus, this one hangs together beautifully and never loses focus, effortlessly drawing out Vietnamese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Thai, and Japanese threads. From the sushi bar, a gorgeously designed plate of tuna tataki is arranged like a Chinese fan; a plate of tiny whole baby octopuses slathered with a sweet and rich deep-red marinade pop when you chew them -- a visceral effect that takes some getting used to, but they?re wonderful. Vietnamese-style summer rolls are a perfectly balanced ode to the season; won-ton soup with asparagus floats puck-sized homemade chicken dumplings in a clear broth festooned with napa cabbage. The chefs? lightness of touch extends from the homiest of soups to the fanciest entrée, and it?s hard to imagine anything more pleasant than sitting at a sidewalk table over a plate of ?Mama?s lobster.?

4 articles

Makino Japanese Seafood Buffet

5200 N. University Dr., Sunrise Plantation

954-748-3788

Chinese, Japanese, Seafood, Sushi, Recommended, Menu

Makino has long been a favorite of buffet crowds in West Broward, but a fire in 2008 left the building gutted. It came back soon after, stronger than ever. Big eaters pack in during dinnertime and devour whole seabeds for less than $20 per person. There are always several dozen types of maki rolls along with tuna, salmon, and whitefish sashimi -- even something called "sushi pizza." Another buffet area features solid Chinese dishes like garlic string beans and braised eggplant, and a hibachi station lets you choose from made-to-order portions of steak, chicken, shrimp, and calamari. Everything is fresh, and the place is kept clean by an attentive staff.

Mama Asian Noodle Bar

4437 Lyons Rd., Ste. E-108 Coconut Creek

954-973-1670

Asian, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Best Of, Menu

The menu at Mama Asian Noodle Bar in the Coconut Creek Promenade doesn't stop at noodles. In fact, its list of Thai-, Chinese-, Japanese-, and Vietnamese-inspired dishes is more extensive than restaurants that focus on just one country. It's the third restaurant from Mike and Lisa Ponluang, who previously ran Coral Springs favorite Thai Pepper and now entertain nightly at Coco Asian Bistro in Fort Lauderdale. Try Ponluang's famous spring rolls, fried-chicken-and-shiitake-mushroom bites he's been making since 1991. Or Chilean sea bass, moist and supple atop a pool of spicy red curry lined with fresh asparagus and kafir lime leaf. The modern digs are comfortable and attractive, and the reasonable prices make Mama a great everyday destination.

5 articles

Marumi Sushi

8271 W. Sunrise Blvd. Plantation

954-318-4455

Japanese, Sushi, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu

Marumi, hidden in a sleepy strip mall in Plantation, defies the typical definition of a Japanese restaurant. The emphasis is on freshness and authenticity: a derivation of the Japanese practice of washoku, which favors of broad range of small bites over one main course. Take a glance at the specials board at Marumi -- placed a few feet in front of your table by the doting staff - and you'll find deep-fried glass minnows, sushi rolls made with fresh Florida lobster, and beef tongue braised in a sweet sauce; plus a plethora of locally and internationally sourced fish like yellow jack, skipjack, black grouper, and snapper rendered into sashimi or seared and sliced thick. That's on top of a menu that throws down on dishes like grilled black pork belly with ponzu sauce, fermented natto beans, sliced duck breast, fresh seafood ceviche, and boiling hot pots with udon and tofu. Couple the authenticity with the late hours and Marumi makes good on its promise to be "your Japanese kitchen."

14 articles

Masamune Japanese Restaurant

310 S. Federal Highway Deerfield Beach

954-427-9491

Japanese, Sushi, Recommended, Menu

This beautiful little room, with its waterfall and warm colors, has long been a favorite with locals. Young people crowd in on weekends for the specialty rolls, the stir fries, noodle dishes, and tempura vegetables, which you can order by the piece to mix and match. The sushi and sashimi here is about average - you probably aren't going to find much in the way of exotic fish or freshly caught Florida seafood. But friendly service and special deals, like prepaid cards with big discounts and all-you-can-eat sushi on Monday, add to its popular appeal.

2 articles

Moon Thai & Japanese Restaurant

9637 Westview Dr. Coral Springs

954-752-4899

Thai, Japanese, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

You wouldn't know it by the name, but this place has a sushi bar and a really long list of Japanese specialties. Still, it's impossible to get past the Thai-ness of the place, from servers in traditional dress to giant prawns in wonderfully rich peanut sauce. Everything from the bright-yellow walls to the tangy tom yum goong soup screams vibrancy and restraint. Curries are exceptionally well-balanced, and even more-mundane dishes such as mee krob are excellently rendered. Cloud-soft Thai doughnuts make a delicious dessert.

4 articles

Moon Thai & Japanese Restaurant

2818 Weston Rd. Weston

954-384-7275

Asian, Japanese, Thai, Best Of, Menu, Slideshow

4 articles

Moonchine Asian Bistro

7100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami North Dade

305-759-3999

Japanese, Sushi, Thai, Pan-Asian, Recommended

At Moonchine, kitsch is an understatement. Basking in this eatery's red, Amsterdam-esque glow are purple walls, hanging lanterns, sterile silver counters, and bamboo embellishments galore. Waitresses wear harajuku-inspired Japanese schoolgirl uniforms, and if you're lucky, you can catch a random movie, such as St. Elmo's Fire, playing muted on a large projection screen. The pan-Asian and sushi menu is an array of crowd-pleasing (if not always overly generous) dishes at affordable prices. Stalwarts such as tuna and salmon tataki, pad thai, and authentic Thai-style curries are competently prepared and flavorful. Traditional (American) sushi rolls such as the California ($5.95) and the JB ($8.95) are available, but try some of the original creations, including the glutton-friendly deep-fried rainbow roll, the tres amigos ($10.95), and the light and fresh mango roll ($9.95), stuffed with spicy tuna and cilantro. If you have a difficult time deciding what to order, hit up the all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch, which boasts all of the most popular items from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $15.95. And for dessert, skip all the generic tempura offerings and opt for the sticky rice mango ($6); it's sweet, light, and simply perfect. At night, their charming garden area located in the outside rear of the restaurant turns into Lounge 71 -- a funky bar with hanging lights, white linen drapes, thatch walls and yes, more harajuku-inspired Japanese schoolgirl waitresses except instead of serving sushi, they're pushing shots.

Nu Sushi

1312 N. University Dr. Coral Springs

954-755-5211

Asian, Japanese, Sushi, Thai, Recommended, Menu

Nu-Sushi has been operating silently in the same dim spot on University Drive for going on 20 years now. In that tiny space that seats about 30, chef-owner Yuji Azuma turns out fresh sushi culled from local and international waters, as well as an extensive array of authentic Japanese dishes that you won't find in many other restaurants. Saying Nu-Sushi's menu is extensive is sort of like saying Tolstoy was a bit long-winded. There are a good four dozen items in Azuma's appetizer section alone - dishes such as thin-sliced octopus salad, deep-fried pork skewers with caramelized onion, and yamakake, tuna sashimi served with slivers of raw potato. Add to that a long list of bento boxes, donburi rice bowls, soba and udon soups, tempura, and katsu (Japan's answer to KFC), plus a whole other mini-menu of about, oh, 40 more authentic Japanese small plates, and you start to get a glimpse of just how varied a meal there can be.

1 article

Oceans 234 Beach, Bar, and Bistro

234 N. Ocean Dr. Deerfield Beach

954-428-2539

American, Japanese, Seafood, Sushi, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Menu, Slideshow

With a view like this, it's no wonder this oceanfront bistro is packed during season with snowbirds snapping phone photos of the pier to taunt snow-shoveling friends back home. A wide selection of seafood anchors the menu at this casual-chic spot, but it's the creative extras like seafood hummus or beef picadillo empanada that shake up the mix. A full sushi menu, including taiyo tastings selections, is available. Both the bar and lunch menus offer small plates and good deals - see the big panini list and yummy salads. Don't miss the grilled chicken paillard with arugula salad and the lobster club with avocado salad and bacon. Pulled pork and crab-cake sliders could be shared; the convivial atmosphere begs you to come with friends. At dinner, look for sun-dried tomato-crusted wahoo, pistachio mahi-mahi, lobster mac 'n' cheese, or huge fruitti de mare platters. For landlubbers, there are steaks, ribs, and chicken. You'll have to wait on weekends, especially for the Sunday brunch, to get those coveted deck tables, but that Chamber of Commerce picture-perfect view is so worth it.

20 articles

Phat Boy Sushi

4100 N Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale

954-533-4218

Sushi, Japanese, Menu

This laidback Japanese restaurant's Oakland Park location serves classic sushi rolls, ramen & more.

Phat Boy Sushi

701 S Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale

954-990-8669

Sushi, Japanese, Menu

This laidback Japanese restaurant's downtown Fort Lauderdale serves classic sushi rolls, ramen & more.

RA Sushi Bar Restaurant

201 SW 145 Terrace Pembroke Pines

954-342-5454

Sushi, Asian Fusion, Contemporary, Japanese, Recommended

This spot is supposed to be known for its sushi, but food seems to take a backseat once the cocktails are served. What? You've never tried a lemony-raspberry Blushing Geisha ($20)? Before you get schnockered tasting all the inventive spirits, start out with the lobster spring rolls (yeah, that orange stuff inside is mango, mixed with cream cheese and peppers, wrapped in wonton paper) and "RA"ckin' crispy shrimp, served with a creamy ginger teriyaki dipping sauce. Then you can move on to some of the more popular rolls, including the Viva Las Vegas (a tempura-battered crab-and-cream-cheese combo with spicy tuna, crab, lotus root, and a drizzle of eel sauce) and "RA"llipop with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and veggies, skewered and served with garlic ponzu. Or you can always go a little more vanilla with teriyaki, katsu, or noodle dishes.

15 articles

Red Door Asian Bistro & Hibachi

625 E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-870-7090

Sushi, Japanese, Menu

This Asian bistro in downtown Fort Lauderdale has hibachi, sushi, sashimi and a full bar.

Red Ginger Asian Bistro

9710 W. Sample Rd. Coral Springs

954-752-1850

Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Sushi, Thai, Best Of, Menu

Red Ginger covers all bases with a pan-Asian menu that stretches from China to Thailand. The spacious restaurant is draped in steely grays with lipstick-red accents. The food showcases similar contrast. Chinese classics like kung pao chicken and Szechuan beef share space with wok-fried Thai soft-shell crab and spicy beef and lime salad. Sushi from the bar is fresh, and an assortment of specialty rolls showcases a creative touch. Some of the options are pricier than you'll find in similar restaurants, but the overall quality is higher as well.

1 article

Saito's Japanese Steakhouse

4443 Lyons Rd., Suite 102 Coconut Creek

954-582-9888

Japanese, Best Of, Menu

1 article

Japanese in South Florida

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