Tatler Dining Guide 2023: The best Japanese restaurants in Malaysia

Binchotan JB provides diners with a marvellously delightful omakase experience. Fresh ingredients are coupled with an exquisite combination of flavours, served in a relaxing ambiance with impeccable service from the team.

The clever blend of textures and fresh flavours stand out in every dish, most notably the alluring foie gras mousse swathed with goma chips and fresh sashimi, which is nothing less than a party in the mouth. However, the charmingly humble unagi don steals the show. Perfectly charred unagi sits above a warm bed of shiny rice, guaranteed to leave you wanting more.

Tucked in the suburbs of Sea Park, Chipta 11a is a definite must-go for those looking for a more contemporary take on sushi and Japanese cuisine. The use of tamarind to flavour the rice instead of the more traditional rice vinegar is refreshing and a commendable nod to its deft ability to ingrain local produce and palate into their creations.

While known for its ever-evolving menu, some stellar dishes worthy of mention are the scallops with green bean paste served with clam broth foam, and the grilled red prawn with belacan vinaigrette and ulam raja.

Just like ageing a great piece of beef, ageing fish helps intensify the flavour and improve the texture of the meat. Very few have perfected this technique, and Ed.Ju is one of them. The different types of aged fish are firmer than the typical fresh fish but still buttery soft with more intense flavours, rendering the soy sauce almost unnecessary.

Non-sushi highlights include the smooth and delicate chawanmushi made from Japanese white corn puree with soy bean, and warabi mochi, a chewy treat made from bracken starch covered in kinako (sweet toasted soybean flour) that is popular in summertime in Kansai and Okinawa. The Ed.Ju experience is certainly one of a kind.

With clubby music, a sleek sushi bar and a cool mural, Hoshi would not look out of place in London or Tokyo. This omakase-only restaurant serves up a fusion menu which feels modern, served with One&Only’s signature hospitality.

The quality of the produce is unimpeachable which the chefs are not shy to contrast against the sparkling flavours of yuzu, ponzu and togarashi. The akami tuna nigiri topped with apple miso and the hotate foie gras nigiri with vanilla miso are particularly delightful.

Japas by Jeff Ramsey combines fresh Japanese ingredients with punchy Spanish flavours resulting in an impressive dining experience. Overlooking the KL skyline from the 11th floor of Work@Clearwater, diners can expect to sip sake and feast on playful dishes while enjoying the view.

Highlights from the menu include the delicate Smoked Ikura Tartelette and the flavoursome Truffle Tatsuta Chicken, all presented exquisitely. Diners are sure to have a memorable experience at the restaurant.

One of Kuala Lumpur’s favourite sushi masters, Norikazu Shibata, is at the helm here. The no-frills Kazu KL (formerly Sushi Kazu) offers one of the most affordable omakase dining without compromising on plating, pacing and taste. Omakase is all about seasonal ingredients and Sushi Kazu presents them in the most elegant fashion. The sushi is fresh and made with incredible finesse. Be sure to reserve a seat at the sushi counter, touted as the longest in the city.

There is something comforting in knowing that the new Nobu has kept its tradition of executing its signature dishes such as the black cod miso and yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, with precision and consistency. These dishes are perfectly balanced and seasoned; for instance, the jalapeños give a much-needed zing and complexity to the mild-tasting yellowtail.

Chef Philip Leong’s new additions to the menu such as the pan-seared scallops with yuzu-truffle sauce, which is a refreshing and excellent starter, are a testament to his deftness in handling Japanese-Peruvian cuisine.

Service is warm and precise. We order two different sets (spring menu and omakase) and the pacing of the courses is so expertly executed that no one is made to feel left out. There is more than enough food on offer, as the chef is generous with portioning and ingredients.

Some dishes have unexpected but welcomed elements. For instance, the caviar with onion and clams that bring out the unique taste of blue fin toro and the creamy and flavourful tofu cheesecake gelato.

Step into Shin’Labo and you’ll be greeted with a lavish and luxurious atmosphere, a tantalising tease for the meal ahead. The ingredients are undoubtedly premium. Think Japanese melons, truffle, uni, and binchotan-grilled A5 Wagyu. But most attempts at inventiveness—like the hefty oshizushi, braised shiitake mushrooms reminiscent of Chinese banquet meals, and mignardise— are not exactly up to expectations. The beverage menu is extensive and includes a tantalising range of sake.

Visit Sushi Azabu for a fairly priced omakase experience in the heart of town. With a wonderful array of seasonal ingredients, dishes are prepared meticulously and tastefully presented. Sushi Azabu is also one of the few omakase restaurants that provides a sake pairing course with knowledgeable and attentive servers. 

On the second floor of The Linc KL’s multi-concept mall awaits an omakase experience that embraces traditional as well as adventurous flavours. The Hara Dinner Omakase treats you to a parade of dishes, each exquisitely presented and features uniquely curated textures, flavours and temperatures.

Out of the whole meal, there are two favourites: the aburi eel, which is flamed to absolute perfection and melts in your mouth, and the foie gras chawanmushi which is deliciously rich in taste. The staff is also well-informed about the different courses.

Having just moved to a new location in the basement of Four Seasons Place, it can be a little tricky to find Sushi Hibiki. Nevertheless, the staff at the entrance is welcoming and gracious upon arrival. All the dishes served are enjoyable and have an appealing presentation.

Highlights include the monkfish liver, the maguro, the negitoro maki, and the cherry tomatoes. Our sushi chef is also friendly and hospitable, taking time to provide some history behind the ingredients of some of the dishes. Worth noting are the desserts in the form of Japanese peaches, melons, pudding and matcha ice cream, all of which are beautifully presented on stacked plates. 

An omakase meal at Sushi Ryu is pure indulgence. As you leave your meal up to the chef, you can sit back and enjoy the theatrics of the team behind the sushi counter slicing and shaping perfect little pieces of sushi.

A meal here sees pieces of fresh nigiri embellished with truffle and caviar. The Wagyu don is topped with succulent marbled beef and a luscious onsen egg. Standards like cold capellini and warm chawanmushi are appropriately comforting. The attention to detail is remarkable, which is also reflected in the attentive service.

Sushi Shin’s unwavering high standards have secured this serene restaurant’s status as Johor’s finest luxury sushi-ya. The seasonally-led and fusion-infused omakase menu is curated with imagination, serving up dishes like lobster risotto and oyster with raspberry reduction with panache.

Whether in produce, technique or service, its routinely packed-out sushi counter is a testament to the team’s hard work. Expect to be royally spoilt with an unapologetically decadent meal.

From its discreet entrance to its intimate dining space for 12, everything about TenRyu is sophisticated and elegant. The omakase experience will take at least two hours, but with the attentive service and the passion with which chef Shinsuke Otomo explains his creations, time will breeze by. Each course is delicately balanced and presented artfully.