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Brisbane's Hidden Japanese Gems

Updated: Jun 07, 2025

The streets of Brisbane are home to a smattering of some top little Japanese eateries and bars that only the locals or those who stray from the beaten track know of.

From the basement restaurant hidden behind a speakeasy, Japanese tapas bar under a boutique hotel,a sushi drive-through, a restaurant dedicated to katsu and a late night Japanese restaurant and nightclub, plus Brisbane's oldest Japanese restaurant, here are 12 hidden gems from the city to the suburbs: 

A contemporary Japanese restaurant and tapas bar tucked away in a Kangaroo Point side street
Genkotsu Ramen is a hidden gem - an authentic little ramen house found tucked away at the end of a Toowong shopping arcade.
Taro's Ramen is a pocket-sized contemporary Japan eatery by Brisbane’s own ramen master, tucked away upstairs in Brisbane CBD’s
Minimalism and impeccable Japanese interior design intersect Brisbane's suburban coffee scene at Kimino
Shunsai is a real slice of Japan in Brisbane - a pocket-sized upmarket Japanese restaurant and bar found tucked away
Shabuhouse is a stunning Japanese Korean fusion restaurant that offers the best value refined dining to be had in the entire city.
This Japanese restaurant specialises in katsu - panko-crumbed, deep fried, premium cuts of meat and seafood
This hidden laneway market has a uniquely Asian flavour offering street food, handmade arts & craft, and
Mista Boo is Queensland's first drive-thru sushi restaurant, offering fresh sushi rolls, rice bowls, karaage chicken & more
A traditional Japanese BBQ restaurant tucked away down a lane in the Savoir Faire precinct of Park Road
You've probably driven past it many times and never noticed it; the unassuming Japanese restaurant on Logan Road surrounded by car yards
Oshin’s cosy traditional dining space has been bustling with Japanese diners since 1987

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