The Best Japanese Food in Detroit
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The best Japanese food in Detroit, according to the experts: The Infatuation, Eater, and the James Beard Awards have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Ima Izakaya comes out on top.
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Rank 1. Ima Izakaya
Japanese
The robata grill runs hot at this casual Japanese izakaya in Midtown, turning out skewers and karaage alongside udon in deep, earthy broths. The cocktail list is robust enough to justify lingering, and the raw fish plates give the kitchen a chance to show some range. The chef was a James Beard semifinalist in 2023, which tracks with a menu that does comfort and precision in the same breath without making a fuss about it.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Detroit
- Eater Eater: The 38 Essential Restaurants in Detroit
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Great Lakes · Michael Ransom
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Detroit
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Detroit
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Great Lakes · Michael Ransom
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Rank 2. Noble Fish
Sushi
Half Japanese grocery, half sushi bar, Noble Fish has been a Detroit-area institution for long enough that regulars have probably watched the dining room expand around them. The sushi counter is the draw: chefs assembling nigiri and sashimi with the kind of focus that makes you stop talking mid-sentence. Rolls run large, prices run reasonable, and the shelves of Japanese snacks and bottled teas make it hard to leave empty-handed.
The awards
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Rank 3. Soraya
Modern Japanese
Soraya is a modern Japanese American restaurant on the ground floor of the Federal Reserve Building, which is a very Detroit place to eat a katsu. The menu runs from takoyaki and udon to sushi rolls, plus cocktails built on Japanese whisky for people who'd like their banana and brown sugar to feel like a decision. Come in somewhere between work-casual and date-night, and book on Resy.
The awards