Top-tier Western Australian produce and expertly prepared Japanese cuisine is truly a match made in heaven, and there’s plenty of places in Perth cranking out top-tier meals that will make your jaw drop. We haven’t even touched on ramen – that deserves its own list (which we’ve done for you HERE).
This low-key South Freo eatery has flown a little too under the radar for our liking – especially with how darn good it is. Sanco’s set menus are quickly becoming a thing of legend, finding the satisfying balance between meticulous and unpretentious. If you’re ordering à la carte, make sure you don’t miss the sashimi selection of the day.
2/19 Douro Road, South Fremantle
Tucked away down an East Perth side street, this Japanese eatery was one of 2021’s surprise hits, earning legions of fans with their traditional edomae-style sushi and 16-course omakase. As well as premium A5 wagyu and bluefin tuna, Egawa An is the only place in Perth where you can test your bravery and eat fugu.
1B/197 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth
For one of the finest Japanese dining experiences in Perth, it’s hard to go past Tsukaya. While purists may balk at menu inclusions like tacos and umami fries, we could not be more on board – it really, beautifully, deliciously works. Plus it’s BYO! Outside of the tacos and fresh-as-heck sashimi, their fried chicken is…*chef’s kiss*.
167 Scarborough Beach Road, Mount Hawthorn
Haku‘s inclusion on just about any list must also include the caveat: we’re sorry that you probably won’t be able to get a booking! This six-seater omakase joint is as secretive as they come. Consider Haku’s motto “IYKYK” – whether it’s managing to get a reservation (basically impossible at this point!), or their incredibly restrained approach to high quality ingredients.
Location is top secret!
Furaibo’s first Australian location in Raine Square is already a CBD Japanese dining hit with Izayaka-style share dishes alongside a bar stacked with local and Japanese beers, along with plenty of tasty cocktails to mix up your weekends. Their specialty skewers are must-tries, as are the chicken wings, but with over 100 dishes to try we recommend experimenting as much as possible.
Raine Square, 300 Murray Street, Perth
Even though Sado Island has downsized in recent times from their old Stirling Highway corner location, the intimate new surrounds almost make it feel more authentic. It’s been operating for decades, and their bento box options are some of the best you’ll find around Perth.
Shop 1 Timesquare Shopping Centre, Claremont
We’re sure we’re not alone when we feel a degree of skepticism every time we see the words “tapas- style” thrown around willy-nilly. But Ha-Lu can cover even the most cynical skeptic to the merits of sharing. The menu spans from moreish zensai and otsumami starters through to more substantial mains – think slow cooked soy pork belly or grilled beef and miso plum sauce – all elegantly presented and designed for sharing. And I mean, that okonomiyaki… big oof.
Shop 4, 401 Oxford Street, Mount Hawthorn
If you’ve had a special occasion in the last ten years – anniversary, birthday, folks are paying… chances are, you’ve hit up Nobu. This global, Robert De Niro-owned brand has made a name for itself in excellence, and its Perth outpost is no different. The opulent dining room and its Crown setting naturally lends itself to celebrations, while complementing its modern Japanese-South American fare. The omakase menus are always a safe bet if you want to sit back and enjoy their signature dishes, but as any seafood-lovers will know, it’s well worth scoping out any local and seasonal highlights.
Crown Perth, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood
This teeny-tiny Shenton Park spot works extra hard doing double duty, with one half of the restaurant a cheerful, neighbourhood BYO and takeaway, and the other half a slightly more sophisticated, intimate, licensed dining room. Whichever half you end up in, you’re in for a treat. You can expect many of the classics, with sashimi and sushi, as well as dishes like katsu, karaage, teriyaki and tempura on offer. For those wanting to explore their seaonal, Kyoto-inspired specialties a little more in-depth, their kaiseki degustation can be booked in advance.
142 Onslow Road, Shenton Park
If you’d stumbled upon Leeming’s family-run Ichirin for a quick lunch on the go, it would be easy to file it away as a particularly good, neighbourhood shopping strip takeaway joint. And while the casual lunch fare is, to give credit where credit’s due, extremely well executed – you’d be doing both Ichirin, and yourself, a disservice: the omakase is where it’s at. When it comes to seafood, chef Shiro Okuchi knows his stuff, and the chef’s choice omakase menu is the perfect way to showcase the union of Japanese culinary excellence and West Australian produce.
Shop 2, Cnr Beasley Road and Dundee Street, Leeming
This cosy, unpretentious restaurant has been hidden away in Subiaco for yonks, and it’s difficult to understand why there isn’t a line out the door. Traditional food that ranges from sushi and sashimi, all the way to homestyle donburi and udon, with service so warm you’ll want to curl up on the tatami and stay there forever.
12/375 Hay Street, Subiaco
It may have only recently opened where Sado Island used to be in Claremont, but Izakaya Sumi is already gaining plenty of fans with their expansive take on Japanese. Serving up tasty plates like Aburi Salmon Nigiri, Chicken Karaage, Popcorn Prawns, Spicy Beef Sukiyaki, Scallop Fried Rice and much more (make sure you get the beef wagyu skewers), all ordered conveniently from an iPad on each table.
53 Bay View Terrace, Claremont
Marumo’s seven course omakase menu has become the stuff of legends. A three-hour experience in the itty-bitty, minimalist dining room, which itself is tucked away in an otherwise unremarkable Nedlands shopping village. At $75 per head, Marumo is one of the best value fine dining experiences in Perth – its extreme mystique comes in part from the scarcity of its highly sought after reservations. Released only a few times a year and snapped up eagerly, this is an evening to plan well in advance for.
22/145 Stirling Highway, Nedlands
A Highgate fine-dining staple for years, Nine Fine Food still manages to keep the vibe inside very relaxed while serving up some incredible set menus filled with Modern Japanese cuisine. The set menus range from $55 (3 courses) up to $100 (6 courses) and haven’t changed much over the years – a testament to just how delicious they are. Added bonus – the restaurant is also BYO (wine only).
227 Bulwer Street, Highgate
You might want your sushi fresh and bright, but your setting a little more dark and moody… enter, James Parker. Entering through the dramatic archway, you know you’re going to be in for a treat. Also purveyors of aburi sushi, you can expect to find plenty of grilled or seared rolls, as well as a robust selection of nigiri and sashimi. If you’re feeling brave, you can even try the natto (fermented soybean) roll – all with a glass of sake, of course.
Shop 2, 182 James Street, Northbridge
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Header Image: Furaibo