Switch things up by having a meal at a Japanese restaurant in Ipoh. Ipoh may not have as many options as in KL, but you can still find decent eateries here.
Whether you are going out for a nice date or a family dinner, there’s something for everyone considering how varied and diverse Japanese dishes can be. Just check out this list for our personal favorites!
1. Jun Japanese Cuisine
Jun Japanese Cuisine comes highly recommended for their reasonable prices and big portions of food.
We’ve been here a few times with family and friends are always happy with the food and our experience here. Grilled squid is one of our favorite dishes here! For those keen on sashimi, you will not be disappointed here as their sashimi uses fresh thick cuts. Total value for money!
The dining environment is spacious and clean too. And because they have good customer service, reservations are necessary for weekends.
They also have private rooms with a minimum spending of RM300 for hosting family dinners and the like.
2. Akamomiji Japanese Restaurant
This is an established restaurant well-known among locals.
Prices might be slightly on the higher end, but you can expect fresh and high-quality ingredients in their dishes.
We like their Japanese chicken curry (katsu). And their rolls are decent – we tried the avocado soft-shell crab maki and unagi maki too.
They have a wide range of food in the menu – from set meals, bentos, grilled food, noodles, and sushi. Their sashimi slices are decent cuts, and they have an enjoyable selection of sushi and sushi rolls.
3. Umami Sushi (previously Menya Umami)
Head over to the Greentown Business Centre if you are craving a hot bowl of flavorful and slurp-worthy ramen. Umami Sushi are known for their tonkotsu ramen which features a thick, creamy, and delicious broth.
It’s a cosy environment for a casual lunch with friends or colleagues, and the central location makes it a convenient place to meet up with people. If not for the scarcity of parking spots!
Other than ramen, they have the usual Japanese fare such as sushi, rice bowls and grilled food.
We liked the maki that we ordered here (the ramen was great too). We enjoyed their in-house ice cream (both matcha and black sesame) as well. For the price point, and what you can get here, we think Umami Sushi is great value for money.
4. Genki Japanese Food
This restaurant faces Ipoh Padang. It has beautiful Japanese décor on the outside and inside. Seating is suitable for families.
There are private rooms you can book too. They are well-staffed, and the staff is polite. There is one senior staff who enthusiastically checks in on customers. And explains more about the origin of the food.
Service is quick – we got our food within 15 minutes of ordering. Portions are unexpectedly generous – the maki had a lot of avocado slices, and the garlic rice portion could feed 3 or 4 small eaters.
We like that there 3 different types of wasabi served with our sushi. The waiters will let you know which one is the grated wasabi – compared to the commercial wasabi, it is very fragrant and potent in spiciness.
For RM100+, we got a maki roll, smoked salmon maki, garlic fried rice and fried chicken balls. This was a very filling meal for 2 pax.
We find the taste of the food more bland than flavorful. But this is not really a problem since there is wasabi, soy sauce and ginger slices on the side.
5. Dozo De Garden, Ipoh
Headed by Hon San, the ex-sous chef of Nobu Beijing and the brain behind Dozo, Alex Chan – you can expect exceptional quality and effort in their ingredients and dishes.
It is advisable to make a reservation especially on the weekends or for dinner.
But although the prices might be slightly higher, the quality and freshness of the ingredients more than make up for it. Personally though, it is out of our budget and we usually go with the other options mentioned in this list instead.
It is advisable to make a reservation especially on the weekends or for dinner as they are always packed.
PS: The portion for fried rice is only enough for 1 person
6. Ten-Good Japanese Restaurant
Also at Greentown Business Centre area, Ten-Good Japanese restaurant is a great option for large gatherings. They have a private room (minimum spend of RM300) suitable for big groups of people. But reservationsare recommended since they have limited seats.
Their dishes come with huge portions – Take a look at their sushi platters that comes in various sizes, and you can choose one depending on your group’s appetite and enthusiasm for raw fish.
Prices are affordable as well, and set meals are available for those looking for a more fulfilling meal.
Note: We think some of the ingredients they use are simple. And because of this, the meals don’t feel authentic to Japanese cuisine.
There is a mini mart upstairs where they sell imported food and ingredients from Japan – and this happens to be a great place to get imported ice cream for dessert.
7. Sushi Zento Festival Walk
With several branches in Penang, Selangor and Johor, Sushi Zento is another realiable go-to. Ipoh’s branch of Sushi Zento is in a corner lot at Festival Walk. But while you will need decent parking skills, parking is usually available at Festival Walk.
Staff is friendly and polite too. We’ve been here many times with family because prices and portions are reasonable. The fact that they’ve had a recent stylish facelift is a bonus!
We generally go for their ala carte menu as there’s not much that interests us on the sushi belt. The pricier items on the belt are nice so we typically get a few of those.
Go-to mains for us would be their fried rice or their tempura don. The bento sets are a hit and miss. Katsu don was not noteworthy.
8. Ramen Hitoyoshi Ipoh
This is a franchise known for their ramen. We like the interior of this restaurant very much as it resembles an authentic Japanese eatery.
Staff is friendly but most of all, their ramen (especially the broth) is very delicious! We ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen with all of the available toppings. We did try the gyoza dumplings too but found them to be underwhelming.
On the other hand, the Tori Karaage was worth ordering!
Prices are steep here but they have some great weekday deals. We went on a Thursday so we could add on one bowl of extra noodles if we ordered one bowl of ramen. By sharing the food between us, we didn’t have to order two bowls of ramen because of this deal.
Conclusion
Finding Japanese food in Ipoh is easy enough. If you have a big group of people, consider heading to Jun Japanese Cuisine. Just be sure to make reservations first!
And while pricey, Dozo De Garden has good food with generous portions. If it’s a hot bowl of ramen you’re after, try Menya Umami instead.
Korean Food In Ipoh
Instead of Japanese food, you can also check out these Korean restaurants if you want something different from local fare.
Chinese Restaurants In Ipoh
Or maybe your group would prefer traditional Chinese dishes. There are many good Chinese restaurants in Ipoh and we have suggestions for you!
