Here is The Ordinary Patrons’ (TOP) list of the best Japanese restaurants in Singapore that we have tried. With the wide range of Japanese restaurants available in Singapore, it is not easy to shortlist those that we think deserve special mention. In the end, we settled on a list which is as diverse as possible, that represents various styles of Japanese cuisine and for different budgets.

Shinji By Kanesaka

We start our list of our best Japanese restaurants in Singapore with a pair of sushi restaurants which we believe are top notch.

Two-starred Michelin Chef Kanesaka set up Sushi Kanesaka in Tokyo’s prime Ginza district in 2000 and has enjoyed great success ever since. His first overseas foray was to Singapore in the form of the Raffles Hotel outlet. Shinji By Kanesaka, St Regis is currently their second Singapore presence. Helmed by head chef Shunsuke Kikuchi, the restaurant is as small as the first. Just a sushi counter for about sixteen people and a small private room.  Read Shinji By Kanesaka @ St Regis Hotel Singapore.

Shinji by Kanesaka
The St. Regis Singapore
Lobby Floor
29 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247911

Tel (St. Regis): +65 6884 8239

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12pm to 3pm
Dinner: 6pm to 10.30pm
Closed on Sundays

Shiraishi

Shiraishi is a small Japanese restaurant located in the Singapore Ritz Carlton Hotel. It only has about 15 sushi-counter seats, a tatami room and another private room with regular dining furniture. It serves top flight sushi and as you would expect, the ala carte menu is rather pricey. Fortunately for ordinary patrons without expense accounts, Shiraishi’s lunch options are very reasonably priced. Read Lunch at Shiraishi Japanese Restaurant, Ritz Carlton.

Shiraishi Japanese Restaurant
Ritz Carlton Hotel
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799

Tel : +65 6337-8888

Opening Hours：
Lunch 12:00pm-2:30pm
Dinner 6:00pm-10:30pm

Nearby Stations : Esplanade, Promenade

Magosaburo Wagyu Dining

Magosaburou 燒肉孫三郎 (シンガポール) is a beautifully decorated modern Japanese restaurant hidden away in Ion Orchard. Magosaburou is a yakiniku restaurant and its specialty is quality grilled Wagyu beef served with special dipping sauce. Read Magosaburo Wagyu Dining at Ion Orchard – Good Value Set Lunch

Magosaburou 燒肉孫三郎 (シンガポール)
2 Orchard Turn
#04-11A & 05-01 ION Orchard,
Singapore 238801

Tel : +65 6634 1411

Opening Hours :
Monday-Friday : 11:30AM-03:00PM | 15:30PM-11:00PM
Weekend & Public : 11:30AM-11:00PM

Nearby Stations: Orchard

Tenshin

The Tenshin restaurant 天信 is located at the Regent Hotel along Cuscaden Road and is a specialist tempura restaurant. We head for Tenshin whenever we think of tempura in Singapore.  Read Tenshin 天信 Tempura restaurant at Regent Hotel.

Tenshin 天信
#03-01 The Regent Singapore
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249 715

Tel: +65 6735 4588

Tomi Sushi

Tomi Sushi originates from the Niigata Prefecture of Japan and is part of a cluster of Japanese restaurants that form the Millenia Walk Nihon Food Street (opened in 2015), which more or less replaced the old food court that existed there some time ago. Good sushi at more down to earth prices.  Read Tomi Sushi @ Millenia Walk, almost like being in Japan.

Tomi Sushi
#02-12/13 Millenia Walk
9 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore 039596

Tel: +65 6238-1123

Opening Hours:
11:30 am-3:00 pm; 5:30 pm 10:00 pm

Nearby Stations: Promenade, Esplanade

Ginza Kuroson

Ginza Kuroson (銀座黒尊), is a relatively new (opened in 2015) Japanese restaurant in Orchard Road. This izakaya style restaurant is located in Ngee Ann City, the building that houses the Takashimaya department store. We like the grilled fish selections that go well with the sake.  Read Ginza Kuroson 銀座黒尊, a new Japanese restaurant in Ngee Ann City.

Ginza Kuroson
Ngee Ann City, #03-10, 391 Orchard Road

Tel: +65 6235-3785

Opening Hours: 11.30am to 2pm, 6 to 10pm daily

Ippin Cafe Bar

極品 Ippin Cafe Bar at Mohamed Sultan Road is a Japanese cafe and store which serves good Japanese comfort food, tea, beer and more; and they sell the ingredients used for the preparation of their food. Going to this quaint little store may be the next best thing to being in Japan yourself.  Read Ippin Cafe Bar – Sake, Sencha, Simple Good Food & more.

極品 Ippin Cafe Bar
18 #01-01 Mohamed Sultan Road
Singapore 238967

Tel : +65 6733 4794

Opening Hours : 11am to 11pm
Closed on Sundays

Sumiya Suntec City

Sumiya Suntec City is the second outlet of this izakaya styled Japanese restaurant. Their first one is at Orchard Central. The highlight of Sumiya Suntec City is the Irori Genshiyaki, an old style of grilling over charcoal flame. Fish on skewers are vertically grilled over an irori (charcoal bed) so that the surface of the fish stays crisp while retaining the succulence of the meat inside. Read Sumiya Suntec City – Japanese restaurant for Seafood, Sake & Grill.

Sumiya Suntec City
#03-332 / 333, 3 Temasek Boulevard
North Wing
Singapore 038983

Tel: +65 6235-1816
Opening Hours
Lunch 11:30am to 3:00pm
Dinner: 5:30pm to 10:00pm

Nearby Stations: Esplanade, City Hall, Promenade

Sanpoutei Ramen

Japanese ramen restaurants have sprouted all over Singapore. Many of them are very good. Our favourite one is Sanpoutei Ramen in Shaw House, next to the Isetan Scotts Road store. This restaurant hails  from Niigata, Japan where they have apparently been in business since 1967. This is their second branch in Singapore. The first branch opened in Holland Village.  Read Sanpoutei Ramen at Shaw House.

Sanpoutei Ramen
#B1-04 Shaw House
350 Orchard Road
Singapore 238868

Tel: +65 6836 4644

Opening Hours: 11.30am – 11.00 om

Nearby Stations : Orchard

Hashida Garo

Hashida Garo, a new Japanese restaurant in Mandarin Gallery along Orchard Road, is quite unlike any other Japanese eatery in Singapore. The description of the new restaurant on its website, “a place where desserts meet art” was intriguing.  Read Hashida Garo – a refreshing new Japanese dining concept in Singapore.

Hashida Garo
#04-16 Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Road
Singapore 238897

Tel: +65 6235 2283

Opening Hours: 10.00am – 10.00pm

Hanamidori

Hanamidori Singapore is a beautifully decorated Japanese restaurant in Plaza Singapura specialising in serving “Mizutaki” – a type of chicken hot-pot that originated from Kyushu. Read Hanamidori Singapore – chicken hotpot Japanese Restaurant.

Hanamidori Singapore
#04-01 Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
Singapore 238839

Tel : +65 6333 9287

Nearby Stations : Dhoby Ghaut, Bras Basah

Asanoya Bakery

Japanese Bakery and Cafe, Asanoya took over the former showroom for Nissan cars at Queen Street.  It has converted the automotive premises into a modern and spacious bakery cafe. Apart from their lovely breads and cakes, we discovered that they serve some interesting set lunches as well. Read Asanoya – Japanese bakery and cafe at Queen Street.

Asanoya
15 Queen Street, #01-03
Singapore 188537

Tel: (65) 6703 8703

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 10am – 8pm
Fri: 10am – 10pm
Sat: 8am – 10pm
Sun: 8am – 8pm

Yonehachi

Yonehachi is one of our favourite places in the Orchard Road area where we can grab a simple meal. Located in the basement food hall of Takashimaya, Ngee Ann City, it specializes in Okowa（おこわ), a Japanese glutinous rice dish. Read Yonehachi – healthy delicious food at reasonable price in Orchard Road.

Yonehachi おこわ米八
Takashimaya, Ngee Ann City
391 Orchard Road, #B204-1/2
Singapore 238873

Tel: +65 6333 8227

Opening Hours: 10 am – 9 pm

Nearby Stations : Somerset, Orchard

Rollie Ollie

Rollie Olie is a bright modern restaurant in Star Vista (Buona Vista) that specialises in sushi rolls. They only sell sushi rolls and some complementary side dishes, but their creativity with this simple dish is impressive. Read Rollie Olie – a refreshingly new restaurant at Star Vista, Singapore.

Rollie Olie

#02-05 The Star Vista

1 Vista Exchange Green

Singapore 138617

Tel:+65  66943111

Beni (Honourable mention)

Our last restaurant on this list is Beni, a small but exquisite restaurant in Mandarin Gallery. We hesitated about including it in this list because it is, strictly speaking, not a Japanese restaurant. Beni’s Japanese chefs serve French cuisine, using Japanese produce. But most importantly, the service standard was tiptop Japanese style.  Read Beni Singapore – a 15 seat restaurant that serves French cuisine, Japanese style.

Beni Singapore
333A Orchard Road
#04-16 Mandarin Gallery
Singapore 238897

Tel : +65 6235 2285

Opening Hours
Mondays – Saturdays
Lunch 12:00 – 15:00 (Last seating: Lunch 14:00)
Dinner 19:00 -23:00 (Last seating: Dinner 21:00)
Closed on every Sunday.

This brings us to the end of our 2016 list of Best Japanese Restaurants in Singapore that we have tried. Cheers!

The Ordinary Patrons
Singapore Food Blog by Ordinary People looking for Places to Eat

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