Finding great Japanese food in Singapore is easy, but finding the absolute best? That takes some effort. The city is packed with sushi bars, omakase spots, and izakayas, all claiming to be the real deal.
Some are amazing, others… not so much. Just like the Korean or Chinese restaurants, there are also plenty of spots offering traditional Japanese food, or at least they claim to.
That’s why we decided to make this article, to find those that really do make food in a “real” Japanese way.
If you’re tired of overhyped places and just want incredible sushi, Wagyu, ramen, or tempura, this list is for you.
1. Waku Ghin (Marina Bay Sands)
| Location | Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Omakase, Fine Dining |
| Michelin Stars | ⭐⭐ Two Michelin Stars |
| Signature Dishes | Botan Ebi with Uni & Caviar, A5 Wagyu, Truffle-infused dishes |
If you’re looking for a cheap sushi fix, turn around and walk away. Waku Ghin isn’t here to play. This is where you go when you want the absolute best and don’t care what it costs. The omakase is a two-hour parade of ridiculous luxury, with dishes so perfect they almost feel illegal.
The botan ebi (sweet shrimp) with sea urchin and caviar is straight-up insane.
The shrimp is ridiculously fresh, the uni is buttery as hell, and the caviar brings in this briny punch that just works.
Then there’s the A5 Wagyu, which melts in your mouth like actual butter 🥩🔥.
They sear it just enough to get that smoky crust, and when you take a bite, it’s over. You’re done. Life will never be the same again.
The service? Flawless 💯.
The chefs? They know they’re at the top of the game 👑.
The vibe? Sophisticated, but not pretentious.
You’re paying for an experience, and they deliver. If you want to flex on your taste buds, this is the place.
2. Shinji by Kanesaka (City Hall)
| Location | Carlton Hotel, 76 Bras Basah Rd, Singapore 189558 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Sushi, Omakase |
| Michelin Stars | ⭐ One Michelin Star |
| Signature Dishes | Edomae-style sushi, Uni Rice Bowl, Aged Otoro |
Sushi at Shinji by Kanesaka is not just food—it’s a spiritual experience. If you think you’ve had good sushi before, you probably haven’t. The fish here is flown in fresh from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market and aged just long enough to hit that perfect sweet spot.
The otoro (fatty tuna belly) is so soft and rich that it practically dissolves on your tongue. The uni rice bowl is the kind of dish that should be illegal—a ridiculous scoop of sweet, creamy sea urchin on warm vinegared rice, topped with ikura (salmon roe) that bursts like little flavor bombs in your mouth.
You’re here to worship sushi, not Instagram it 📵.
The sushi chefs work in total silence, carefully crafting each piece with surgical precision.
If you want the purest, cleanest, most authentic sushi experience in Singapore, this is it.
3. Esora (River Valley)
| Location | 15 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 238964 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Modern Kappo, Seasonal Japanese |
| Michelin Stars | ⭐ One Michelin Star |
| Signature Dishes | Binchotan-grilled Wagyu, Seasonal Omakase, Autumn Harvest Platter |
Esora is not your average sushi joint—it’s art on a plate. Every dish is so insanely beautiful, you almost don’t want to eat it (but you will, and it’ll be glorious).
The menu changes with the seasons, which means you never eat the same meal twice.
One week you might get grilled A5 Wagyu with miso sauce, and the next, a delicate tempura of wild Japanese mushrooms. The dishes are thoughtful, balanced, and packed with layers of flavor—it’s like eating a poem.
The restaurant itself feels warm, cozy, and peaceful.
There’s a skylight that floods the room with natural light, and everything is made of smooth cedar wood, giving it that Zen temple energy ☯️.
If you’re into Michelin-starred food that actually lives up to the hype, Esora is a must-visit.
4. Hashida Singapore (Raffles Place)
| Location | 77 Amoy St, Singapore 069896 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Omakase, Traditional & Modern Japanese |
| Michelin Stars | No Michelin Star, but deserves one |
| Signature Dishes | Otoro Sushi, Seasonal Omakase, Surprise Temperature Shifts |
Hashida is where sushi meets theater. You don’t just sit and eat—you go on a ride. Unlike other stuffy omakase spots, Chef Kenjiro “Hatch” Hashida makes sure you’re having fun. Expect jokes, unexpected flavor twists, and dishes that play with temperature like a mad scientist experiment.
The otoro sushi? Absurd. It’s so fatty and rich, it feels like it’s melting away before you even chew. The meal constantly switches between hot and cold dishes, keeping your palate on its toes.
One second, you’re eating a warm, smoky dashi broth, and the next, a chilled slice of Hokkaido scallop so sweet it could be dessert.
The vibe? Warm, welcoming, and interactive. The sushi chefs actually talk to you, making the meal feel personal rather than robotic. If you want top-tier sushi without the stiff, serious atmosphere, Hashida is the move.
5. Wakuda (Marina Bay Sands)
| Location | Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018972 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Modern Japanese, Fusion |
| Michelin Stars | No Michelin Star (but let’s be real, it’s better than some one-star spots) |
| Signature Dishes | Truffle-infused Cold Soba, Wagyu Gyoza, Hokkaido Scallop Carpaccio |
Wakuda is straight-up sexy. You walk in, and it feels like you just stepped into a high-end Tokyo nightclub—moody lighting, sleek furniture, and artwork that looks like it belongs in a museum.
The cold soba with truffle is so addictive it should come with a warning label. It’s tossed with buttery botan ebi (shrimp), creamy uni, and caviar, giving it an insane amount of umami.
The wagyu gyoza? Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and dripping with black garlic ponzu that slaps you with flavor.
If you’re looking for an ultra-modern, high-energy take on Japanese cuisine, Wakuda is a must-visit.
It’s flashy, expensive, but 100% worth it for a night out that feels more like a VIP experience.
6. Ki-sho (Newton)
| Location | 29 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228224 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Omakase, Traditional Japanese |
| Michelin Stars | None (but it should have one) |
| Signature Dishes | Ankimo (Monkfish Liver), Seasonal Sushi, Premium Wagyu |
Walking into Ki-sho feels like stumbling upon a secret sushi temple ⛩️.
The place is hidden inside a colonial-style house, giving it that old-school, exclusive vibe. The sushi bar seats just 10 people, which means the experience is intimate, private, and completely focused on YOU.
The star of the show? Ankimo (monkfish liver), which is like the foie gras of the sea. It’s buttery, rich, and silky, paired with a sauce that balances out its intensity perfectly. The wagyu? Ridiculously tender, seared lightly to let the beef’s natural flavors shine.
Every single piece of sushi is crafted with monk-like precision—this is traditional Edomae-style sushi at its best.
If you want a quiet, refined, VIP sushi experience, Ki-sho is the move. No distractions, no gimmicks—just pure skill on a plate.
7. Sushi Kawasemi (Tanjong Pagar)
| Location | 120 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068589 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Edomae Sushi, Traditional Omakase |
| Michelin Stars | None, but who cares? The sushi is elite. |
| Signature Dishes | Aged Otoro, Jukusei (Wet-aged) Sushi, Seasonal Nigiri |
This is sushi nerdery at its peak. If you’re the kind of person who cares about fish aging techniques and rice-to-fish ratios, Sushi Kawasemi is your temple.
The itamae (sushi chefs) use jukusei (wet-aging) and ichiyaboshi (dry-aging) to bring out insane depth in every bite.
The aged otoro is so ridiculously buttery and rich, it makes other sushi joints look like amateurs. The fish is aged just enough to bring out deep umami, but still firm enough to have that perfect bite.
Each nigiri is so delicate and precise, it’s like watching an artist paint a masterpiece, except the masterpiece is edible.
If you’re looking for flashy, Instagrammable sushi, go somewhere else. But if you want to sit at a quiet counter and eat some of the most carefully crafted nigiri in Singapore, this is your spot.
8. Takahashi Singapore (River Valley)
| Location | 22 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 238966 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Traditional Omakase |
| Michelin Stars | None (but the quality is Michelin-level) |
| Signature Dishes | Croquette, Uni Rice Bowl, Seasonal Sushi |
Takahashi is low-key, no-gimmicks, just pure omakase excellence. It’s run by Chef Rinto Sasagawa, who trained under Jun Takahashi (yes, the same Takahashi from Ginza with a year-long waitlist).
The uni rice bowl is pure decadence. Thick, creamy, naturally sweet sea urchin on warm vinegared rice, topped with ikura (salmon roe). If you want a dish that’ll haunt your food dreams forever, this is it.
The croquette is also a sleeper hit—crispy, golden outside, insanely creamy inside, packed with buttery mashed potatoes and premium seafood.
The setting? Super intimate. Just 12 seats, no distractions, just you and the sushi chef. If you want serious, no-BS omakase that focuses on high-quality ingredients without the Michelin-star markup, this is where you go.
9. Tentsuru (Orchard)
| Location | 29 Tanglin Rd, Floor 2, Singapore 247911 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Tempura Omakase |
| Michelin Stars | None |
| Signature Dishes | Seasonal Tempura, Sakura Shrimp, Whitling Fish |
Tempura lovers, this is your holy ground. Forget the soggy, greasy nonsense you’ve had at random places—Tentsuru serves perfectly light, crispy, golden tempura that shatters in your mouth like delicate glass.
Every tempura course comes with a sauce pairing, so you don’t just dunk everything in the same generic soy dip. The sakura shrimp tempura is next-level—tiny pink shrimps fried so lightly they taste like they’re floating in your mouth. The whitling fish tempura is the definition of crispy outside, flaky inside perfection.
This place is all about purity and precision, and if you’ve never had an actual tempura omakase experience, prepare to have your mind blown.
10. Wagyu X (Club Street)
| Location | 82 Club St, Singapore 069450 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Wagyu Steakhouse |
| Michelin Stars | None |
| Signature Dishes | Wagyu X Platter, Tuna Steak, Wagyu Sukiyaki |
Meat lovers, this is your paradise. Wagyu X serves a rare Hokkaido wagyu crossbreed that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s a mix between Kuroge Black Wagyu and Angus beef, meaning it has insane marbling but still packs a deep, beefy flavor.
The Wagyu X Platter is a meat lover’s dream—you get multiple different cuts of Wagyu from Japan, Australia, and the US, but the Hokkaido Wagyu X always wins. It’s juicy, insanely tender, and has that perfect balance between buttery and beefy flavors.
For something different, the tuna steak is a wild card—it’s coated in sesame seeds, lightly seared, and served with red wine apple sauce. If you love steak but want to try something new, this is it.
Wagyu X is the best place in Singapore for serious beef addicts. If you think you know good Wagyu, eat here and get humbled.
11. Yakiniquest (Orchard)
| Location | 333A Orchard Rd Mandarin Gallery, #04-08/09/10, Singapore 238897 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) |
| Michelin Stars | None |
| Signature Dishes | Premium Wagyu, Yakiniku Omakase |
Yakiniquest is not your average DIY barbecue joint—this is serious yakiniku done by experts. Instead of grilling everything yourself and ruining a $50 piece of Wagyu, the chefs here grill it for you, ensuring each cut is perfectly cooked.
The wagyu omakase menu is a meat lover’s dream. You get different premium cuts, grilled at the perfect temperature, and seasoned just enough to let the beef shine. The brisket melts like butter, the ribeye cap has insane marbling, and the A5 striploin has that smoky crust that makes you weak.
Yakiniquest is the best yakiniku in Singapore, no question. If you love beef, don’t even think—just go.
12. GOHO (Tanjong Pagar)
| Location | 53A Duxton Rd, Singapore 089517 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Omakase, Experimental Japanese |
| Michelin Stars | None |
| Signature Dishes | Mt. Goho, High-Roller Handroll, Seasonal Omakase |
GOHO is where omakase goes wild. Forget quiet sushi bars—this place is loud, dramatic, and full of surprises.
The vibe is dark, moody, and futuristic, with booming beats in the background and dishes arriving in ways that make you think you’re in some kind of secret underground dining club.
The Mt. Goho is pure excess in the best way possible—a mountain of uni, Wagyu, ikura, caviar, toro, and snow crab, all served under a glass dome filled with bonito smoke.
It’s so over-the-top, but also somehow not just for show—every layer works perfectly together.
If you want traditional sushi, go somewhere else. If you want a full-on sensory experience where food feels like performance art, GOHO will blow your mind.
13. Hanare (Orchard)
| Location | Takashimaya, 391 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238872 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Kamameshi (Japanese Claypot Rice) |
| Michelin Stars | None |
| Signature Dishes | Wagyu Kamameshi, Unagi Kamameshi, Abalone Kamameshi |
Most Japanese restaurants in Singapore focus on sushi or ramen, but Hanare does something completely different—kamameshi. If you don’t know what that is, imagine Japanese claypot rice, slow-cooked over fire with premium ingredients.
The Wagyu Kamameshi is ridiculously good. A4 Wagyu from Miyazaki, sliced and sautéed in premium soy-based sauce, then cooked into perfectly fluffy rice.
The Unagi Kamameshi is also insane—grilled eel glazed with a sweet, smoky sauce, soaking into the rice underneath. Every bite is deep, rich, and completely satisfying.
The best part? Once you’re done, they scrape up the crispy rice at the bottom—it’s crunchy, golden, and packed with flavor. If you love Japanese rice dishes, Hanare is a must-visit.
14. Hazuki (Orchard)
| Location | Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 391 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238872 |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Kyoto-style Omakase |
| Michelin Stars | None |
| Signature Dishes | Shabu-shabu A5 Wagyu, Kyoto-style Sushi, Seasonal Omakase |
Hazuki is pure Kyoto-style elegance—a quiet, refined space where every dish feels like it was designed for a Japanese tea ceremony 🍵🎎. The dining room is small and intimate, with just 12 seats facing an open kitchen where chef Kenta Yamauchi carefully prepares each course like a work of art.
The shabu-shabu A5 Wagyu is next-level rich and indulgent. Thin slices of premium Wagyu, cooked tableside in a delicate white miso broth that’s so umami-packed it could be a meal by itself. Every dish is carefully plated, subtly flavored, and designed to highlight the quality of the ingredients.
If you want big, bold flavors and heavy seasoning, this isn’t the place for you. But if you appreciate delicate, refined Japanese cuisine where simplicity is the star, Hazuki is perfection.
Final Thoughts
Singapore is packed with Japanese restaurants, but not all of them are worth your time (or money). This list is the real deal—no overhyped tourist traps, no Instagram bait, just the absolute best spots for sushi, Wagyu, tempura, and everything in between.