Japanese Restaurants in Saint Paul
Whether it is sushi, ramen or mochi; fall in love with Japanese cuisine in Minnesota's Capital City.
Delectable Japanese Fare
Japanese cuisine holds a longstanding foothold in Saint Paul with restaurant icons like Saji-Ya, who helped a generation fall in love with the distinctive salty and sweet wonders of teriyaki over 40 years ago.
In recent years a new generation of eateries have driven deeper into the cuisine. Now, we have rich bowls of ramen, eggy twirls of noodles swimming in long-simmered broth, trained chefs using precision to deliver exquisite sushi fresh from the ocean, or crispy fried nuggets of juicy chicken that pair perfectly with an ice-cold beer. There is all this and more to be found all around Saint Paul.
Saji-Ya
Serving Grand Avenue and Saint Paul for over 40 years, Saji-Ya is a restaurant icon serving a large selection of sushi and other traditional eats. Grab a seat on the e or put in an order for pick up with all the dishes that have evolved into classics like edamame, California rolls, bowls of miso soup, and more.
This casual, crowd-pleasing restaurant in Highland Park is an excellent stop for the trepidatious sushi eater, or a great entry point for kids. At Sakana (in addition to sushi, with classic American-style rolls like California and Philadelphia) there are cuisine-hopping menu items like tom yum, lo mein, and fried rice. Uncooked sushi roll fans will find plenty to chow down on with this extensive menu.
For more than 30 years Sakura has been serving authentic Japanese fare to locals and visitors. The restaurant, located in downtown, continues its revered tradition with dinners available for dine-in and take out including Bento box meals, sushi, teriyaki, crispy chicken katsu, sukiyaki, and mochi for dessert.
Some of the best ramen in the city can be found inside this converted train car on West 7th Street. Distinctive for its vegetable and poultry-only broths, Tori's selections cover a wide array of flavors including a vegan entry that will beguile even the most ardent carnivore. Inside these bowls are particularly chewy-tender tendrils of noodles that luxuriate in chef and owner Jason Dorweiler’s inventive broths. Try the umami-packed shoyu for a classic bowl.
Yumi is a burgeoning local chain of sushi restaurants, and its Cathedral Hill offers a high-end Japanese experience. The beautiful restaurant, with a sweet little patio, serves a wide range of sushi and other traditional dishes. Known for their giant sushi rolls, the whole selection is built from incredibly fresh fish and tender, seasoned rice. While the chefs build your sushi selection, order a snack of tempura fried rock shrimp tossed with a spicy, sweet chili sauce to stave off the hangries.
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