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Brisbane's Best Japanese Restaurants

Japan has had a long and fascinating history and, as with the development of most aspects of Japanese culture, today their cuisine is sophisticated and refined, with its own unique cooking styles and eating habits.

In around 300BC rice, along with chopsticks and soy sauce, was introduced from China and a Japanese dietary staple was born. For over 2,000 years rice, particularly the short grain, sticky variety, has been intrinsic to nihon ryōri or washoku, traditional Japanese food.

Noodles are also an important staple, often replacing rice in a meal. Soba, udon and ramen noodles are some of the most popular.

Of course you can’t think of Japanese food without thinking of sushi, delicately shaped, handy sized portions of raw fish and rice. The rise of Buddhism in the 700s led to a 1,000-year ban on meat, propelling the importance of sushi and vegetarianism to the Japanese diet.

With an emphasis on seasonal, quality ingredients and beautifully balanced presentation, dishes are typically flavoured with dashi (fish stock), miso and soy sauce and are usually low in fat and high in salt. A variety of cooking techniques are used, including raw (sashimi), grilled, steamed, simmered, deep-fried and pickled.

Along with a bowl of plain cooked rice, popular meals include sashimi, raw seafood eaten with soy sauce or wasabi, and yakizakana, grilled fish. In addition, soy bean dishes such as tofu, nattō and miso figure prominently as do tempura, battered and deep fried seafood or vegetables, and fried dumplings known as gyoza.

Today, Japanese food is not only loved world wide for its deliciousness, it really does look as good as it tastes.

Sarah Murray, Citysearch

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Brisbanes Best Japanese Restaurants

Edamame

2/224 Hawken Drive, St Lucia

-27.5021001935967 153.005725443363

Edamame, located near the University of Queensland, is packed to the brim most days.

Category: Restaurants // Mains from: $8.00 // Cuisine: Japanese

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Oyama Japanese Restaurant

115 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley

-27.4597 153.031793

This is the Valley’s best Japanese food. Throw in a lively teppanyaki table and a singing sushi chef … what more could you ask for

Category: Restaurants // Mains from: $16.00 // Cuisine: Japanese

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Benihana The Japanese Steakhouse, Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa

158 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise

-27.99116365 153.4282059

Benihana Japanese Steakhouse at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort is a star in the Gold Coast dining galaxy and Australia’s largest teppanyaki specialist.

Category: Restaurants // Mains from: $30.00 // Cuisine: Japanese

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Donto Sapporo Japanese Restaurant

2763 Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach

-28.02408858 153.4289299

Those who are yet to experience the unadulterated cuisine at Donto Sapporo Japanese Restaurant are in for a cultural experience and a culinary treat.

Category: Restaurants // Mains from: $7.50 // Cuisine: Japanese

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Sono Japanese Restaurant

Level 1 Tattersalls Building Place, Level 1 Tattersalls Building Place, Brisbane

-27.4683331623529 153.026945938794

A calm oasis of Japanese culture above the fray of Queen Street Mall.

Category: Restaurants // Mains from: $21.00 // Cuisine: Japanese

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Kadoya Sushi Bar

30/99 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane

-27.4704202583791 153.02552819252

Kadoya Sushi Bar is one of the better cheaper options and is pumping most days and nights of the week.

Category: Restaurants // Mains from: $8.00 // Cuisine: Japanese

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Little Tokyo

85 Bowen Street, Spring Hill

-27.4622782 153.0281071

Little Tokyo is the only restaurant in Queensland to offer Ishiyaki (burning stone cooking). A river stone is heated for several hours and used to cook thin slices of Beef and Seafood. This gives a highly individual and mouth-watering flavour, quite different to a barbeque or charcoal taste.

Category: Restaurants // Mains from: $27.50 // Cuisine: Japanese

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Kabuki

Stamford Plaza Hotel, Edward St, Brisbane

-27.46682 153.025433

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Nagomi Restaurant

Shop 7, Eagle Street Pier, 45 Eagle Street, Brisbane

-27.4691720527499 153.030514419079

Delectable takeaway sushi by day, affordable riverside events venue by night! Nagomi's two faces have one thing in common — top-quality products at entry-level prices.

Category: Restaurants // Mains from: $3.00 // Cuisine: Japanese

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