Craving some fresh sushi or a warm bowl of ramen? Then you need to check out Cleveland's best Japanese restaurants. Hoodline used Yelp data and our own secret sauce to find the top spots around town that can satisfy your appetite for all things Japanese.
1. Ginko
Topping the list is Ginko. Located at 2247 Professor Ave. in Tremont, the sushi bar is the highest rated Japanese restaurant in Cleveland, boasting 4.5 stars out of 241 reviews on Yelp. The Dante Boccuzzi-owned sushi joint is located downstairs from the well-known area chef's eponymous Dante restaurant.
Ginko has a number of sushi rolls on the menu, including the Ginko Roll with tuna, salmon, hamachi, avocado, cucumber, kaiware, romaine lettuce, daikon and tobiko. Or let chef Noma-San craft your meal with the five-course omakase tasting, with fish flown in from Japan's Tsukiji Fish Market, per the sushi bar's website. (Find the full menu here.)
Yelper Kelly D. reviewed Ginko on April 21, saying, "It's truly the best sushi in town. There are only three tables, so if you want one, make reservations. The bar has lots of seating. The sushi is beautifully prepared and they make the sushi right in front of you at the bar. It's fun to watch the artistry."
2. Ushabu
Next up is another Tremont spot, Ushabu, which is situated at 2173 Professor Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 87 reviews on Yelp, the Japanese eatery, which specializes in nabemono hot pot, has proven to be a local favorite.
The restaurant is known for its shabu-shabu dishes, which are a type of Japanese hot pot dish of thinly sliced meats and vegetables boiled in water, then served with dipping sauces. You're allowed to build your own shabu-shabu starting with your broth (kombu dashi, ginger chicken or caramelized miso) and then a protein (including wagyu chuck, wagyu strip loin, pork belly or lamb leg). (See the full menu here before you go.)
Ushabu also offers a wide selection of saké to complement your meal.
3. Parallax Restaurant and Lounge
Also in Tremont is Parallax Restaurant and Lounge, located at 2179 W. 11th St. It's another local favorite with Yelpers giving the sushi bar and Asian fusion spot four stars out of 193 reviews.
From the sushi bar, you can score rolls like the Green Dragon (tempura shrimp, cucumber, avocado and crab salad), the Unavo (eel, cucumber and unagi sauce) and the Steak (rare steak, cream cheese and fried onion).
If you're not in the mood for sushi, it also has meals like Japanese udon noodles with shrimp, pork belly and vegetables in broth; grilled Thai sausage with tamari noodles, cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts and saké sauce; and Korean braised beef with Asian vegetables, jasmine rice, spicy udon broth, soft boiled egg and wakame. (Check out the menu here.)
4. Sushi 86
Sushi 86, a sushi bar in the Gateway District, is another go-to, with four stars out of 187 Yelp reviews. Head over to 509 Prospect Ave. to see for yourself.
Try some of its house specials, like the 3-Way Reverse Cowgirl roll (tempura shrimp, avocado, crab salad, spicy mayo, hot sauce and sweet soy), Danny's BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato, smoked salmon and spicy mayo) or the Jala-B-Thy roll (an inside-out California roll with cream cheese, tuna, jalapeño and spicy mayo). (See the full menu here.)
5. Otani Noodle
Last but not least, check out Otani Noodle, which has earned four stars out of 149 reviews on Yelp. You can find the colorful eatery, which specializes in ramen and other noodle dishes, at 11472 Euclid Ave.
Its ramen dishes include the pork belly served with tonkotsu broth, scallions, kikurage mushrooms, seaweed, corn and a boiled egg; shrimp tempura in a shoyu broth; and the torikatsu with a fried chicken cutlet in tonkotsu broth. Miso and vegetarian options are also available.
