Beyond Sushi: Japanese Dishes Explained

Sushi is only one corner of Japanese cooking, and in Hong Kong it is often not the best corner to start in. The city has serious kappo counters, tempura specialists, yakitori grills, teppanyaki rooms, izakayas that stay open past midnight and ramen shops that never close. Many of them are easier to book, easier on the budget and far better for anyone who does not eat raw fish.

This guide explains the main Japanese dining formats, what each is for, what to order, and where to try it in Hong Kong.

Choosing a format in one line each. Kaiseki for a formal seasonal occasion. Kappo for chef-led cooking at a counter. Izakaya for drinks and small plates. Yakitori and robata for grilled food. Tempura for frying as craft. Teppanyaki for theatre on a hotplate. Ramen, udon and soba for a fast, cheap bowl. Donburi for everything over rice.

Kaiseki: the formal meal

Kaiseki is Japan's formal multi-course cuisine, with roots in the tea ceremony. Season governs everything, and the courses follow recognised categories rather than the chef's free choice: a light opener, a clear soup, sashimi, a grilled dish, a simmered dish, a fried dish, rice with pickles and a restrained dessert. Vessels, plating and timing are part of the discipline, and a full kaiseki dinner comfortably runs beyond two hours.

It is the right booking for a milestone when not everyone at the table eats raw fish, because only one course is sashimi. How it differs from a sushi omakase, and when to choose each, is in kaiseki versus omakase: what is the difference.

Kappo: chef-led cooking at a counter

Kappo sits between kaiseki and sushi omakase: counter-based and chef-led, looser than kaiseki, but spanning raw, simmered, grilled and fried courses. You watch the cooking and often talk to the chef. In Hong Kong, Zuicho at The Mercer in Sheung Wan has held one MICHELIN star since 2021 for its kappo omakase, and Mu at H Zentre in Tsim Sha Tsui is another kappo-style room rated 4.9 from more than 330 reviews, with vegetarian and vegan options listed.

Kappo is often the smartest booking for a mixed table, since the kitchen can adapt cooked courses far more easily than a nigiri counter can. See can you request substitutions at omakase and the best sushi in Sheung Wan, where Zuicho sits.

Izakaya: drinks and small plates

An izakaya is a Japanese bar that serves food. You order in rounds, drink through the meal and stay as long as you like, with sashimi, skewers, fried chicken, grilled fish and simmered dishes all on the same menu. It is the most forgiving Japanese format there is, and the best choice for a first date, an after-work group or anyone who dislikes fixed sittings.

Wan Chai leans heavily this way, with OZAKAYA in The Johnston serving seasonal produce alongside raw and grilled plates and Sugidama known for soba and a strong drinks list. Causeway Bay's Izakaya & Sake Bar CHU CHU runs until midnight, and to 1am at weekends. The counters are compared in Wan Chai omakase and izakaya sushi counters and the best sushi in Wan Chai, and the drinking side in Sheung Wan sushi bars for after-work drinks.

Yakitori and robata: grilled over charcoal

Yakitori is chicken grilled on skewers over charcoal, served part by part — thigh, skin, heart, meatballs — seasoned either with salt or with a sweet soy tare. Robata is the broader grill tradition, covering fish, vegetables, beef and shellfish cooked slowly over coals in front of you.

In Hong Kong, Shiawase on Level 4 of Ocean Terminal at Harbour City is a yakitori room with a harbour backdrop, and ENSO on New Praya in Kennedy Town is a waterfront yakitori restaurant. Robata features at Zoku in Wan Chai, Aqua in Tsim Sha Tsui and Gonpachi on Peking Road, which pairs its sushi counter with charcoal-grilled skewers and handmade soba. See Harbour City and K11 MUSEA and Kennedy Town.

Tempura: frying as a craft

Good tempura is nothing like the heavy batter of a takeaway roll. A specialist fries each piece to order in a feather-light coating and serves it straight from the oil, so the texture is crisp, dry and almost weightless. Prawns, white fish, seasonal vegetables and sometimes uni appear in sequence, much like a sushi omakase.

Shikigiku at ifc mall in Central is known for tempura alongside sushi, teppanyaki and seasonal kaiseki, with harbour views. It is a strong choice for anyone who wants counter theatre without raw fish; the view-led rooms in the same building are covered in sushi restaurants with harbour views.

Teppanyaki: the hotplate

Teppanyaki is cooking on a flat iron griddle in front of the guests — wagyu, lobster, scallops, garlic rice and vegetables, with plenty of performance. It suits celebrations and groups, and it is almost entirely cooked, which makes it a safe choice for children and pregnant guests.

Hana Sakazuki, a Causeway Bay fixture since 2004, serves teppanyaki alongside sashimi and sushi, and Sakurada at Royal Park Hotel in Sha Tin offers live teppanyaki with Miyazaki A5 wagyu, private rooms and business lunch sets from about HKD 158. For occasion planning, see sushi restaurants for birthdays and sushi restaurants for large groups.

Wagyu, yakiniku, shabu-shabu and sukiyaki

Yakiniku is Japanese barbecue, where you grill thin slices of beef at the table. Shabu-shabu is thinly sliced meat swished through simmering broth, and sukiyaki is beef and vegetables cooked in a sweet soy broth, traditionally dipped in raw egg. All three are built around quality beef, and Hong Kong has everything from buffets to intimate rooms — Yakiniku Yama Oku in Cubus, Causeway Bay, is a twelve-seat yakiniku kappo counter.

These are social, cooked meals that work well for groups. Note that sukiyaki's traditional raw-egg dip is not suitable for everyone; ask for it cooked or omitted if needed.

Ramen, udon and soba

Noodles are Japan's everyday fast food. Ramen is wheat noodles in rich broth — pork-bone tonkotsu, soy, miso or salt. Udon is thick, chewy wheat noodles, hot or cold. Soba is thinner buckwheat noodles, often served cold with a dipping sauce, and sometimes made in-house, as at Gonpachi.

They are cheap, fast and nearly always open. Ramen chains such as Ichiran keep late hours, and ramen is the main Japanese option inside Hong Kong International Airport, with Nippon Ramen and Ajisen Ramen on Level 6 of Terminal 1. If you are flying, a hot bowl usually travels better than airport raw fish; see the best sushi near Hong Kong International Airport. Coeliac diners should note that udon, ramen and most soba contain wheat.

Donburi: everything over rice

Donburi means a bowl of rice with something on top, and it is the most practical Japanese meal there is. Unadon is grilled eel; katsudon is breaded pork cutlet with egg; oyakodon is chicken and egg; gyudon is simmered beef; and kaisendon is raw seafood over plain rice. Beef-bowl chains such as Sukiya trade late and, at some branches, around the clock.

Freshwater eel has its own specialist in Unagi Yondaime Kikukawa at K11 MUSEA, and the eel itself is explained in unagi versus anago. Seafood bowls are covered in the best chirashi don in Hong Kong, including the difference between chirashi and kaisendon.

Oden, chawanmushi and the small dishes

Several smaller dishes turn up across every format. Oden is a winter hotpot of fish cakes, daikon, egg and tofu simmered in dashi; Nagomiya in Causeway Bay offers it in an intimate izakaya setting. Chawanmushi is a savoury steamed egg custard, about HKD 18 at Genki Sushi. Miso soup, edamame, agedashi tofu, karaage fried chicken and gyoza round out most menus.

Two cautions for dietary needs. Dashi, the stock base, usually contains bonito, so "vegetarian" miso and oden often are not; see vegetarian and vegan sushi. And mirin and cooking sake appear in glazes, simmering liquids and broths across this whole cuisine; see halal Japanese and sushi and gluten free sushi, since soy sauce is brewed with wheat.

Why these formats suit many diners better than sushi

Cooked Japanese food removes the main concerns around raw fish. Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety classifies sushi and sashimi as high-risk foods and advises pregnant women, young children, older adults and people who are immunocompromised to avoid raw and undercooked seafood. Kaiseki, kappo, tempura, teppanyaki, yakitori, noodles and most donburi are overwhelmingly cooked.

They are also easier logistically. Izakayas and noodle shops take walk-ins, stay open late and seat groups, while eight-seat sushi counters do none of those things. For cooked options at sushi restaurants themselves, see kid friendly sushi without raw fish and sushi for pregnant women; for what is still serving after 11pm, see late night sushi in Hong Kong.

Searing and grilling the surface is not the same as cooking through. Aburi sushi, rare beef and lightly seared scallop remain raw inside, and the same precautions apply to them as to sashimi. If you need food that is fully cooked, say so when ordering. See what is aburi sushi.

Drinks across the formats

Each format has a natural drink. Izakayas and yakitori grills are built around beer, highballs and sake by the glass; kaiseki and kappo suit sake pairings that change with the courses; teppanyaki and yakiniku handle red wine better than sushi does; and hot green tea suits everything. The styles, grades and serving temperatures are in sake, tea and drinks for sushi, and pairings in sushi and sake pairing in Hong Kong.

Planning a Japanese meal in Hong Kong

Match the format to the occasion. For a milestone, book kaiseki or kappo well ahead. For a relaxed evening, an izakaya needs little planning. For a family, teppanyaki or a noodle shop is easier than a counter. For a group, yakiniku or shabu-shabu handles numbers that sushi rooms cannot. The occasion-by-occasion guide is in sushi restaurants by occasion, and booking mechanics in sushi reservations and dining rules.

When you do want sushi, start with the best sushi restaurants in Hong Kong and our omakase guide, and for the vocabulary that runs across all these menus, Japanese menu words and how to pronounce them.

Common questions

What is the difference between kaiseki and kappo?

Kaiseki is formal and follows set seasonal course categories; kappo is a looser, chef-led counter format spanning raw and cooked dishes.

Which Japanese food is best for people who do not eat raw fish?

Tempura, teppanyaki, yakitori, noodles and most donburi, all of which are cooked.

What is an izakaya?

A Japanese bar that serves food, where you order small plates in rounds alongside drinks.

Is ramen gluten-free?

No. Ramen and udon are wheat noodles, and most soba contains wheat too.

Where can I eat Japanese food late at night?

Izakayas and sake bars, late-opening ramen shops and beef-bowl chains, some of which trade around the clock.

Compiled by our editorial team from Japanese culinary references, the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau, Hong Kong Tourism Board listings, hotel and restaurant information, current venue listings with ratings and hours, airport dining information, and Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety guidance. Last reviewed September 2026. Menus, hours and prices vary by venue and change without notice. No restaurant paid for inclusion. General information only, not medical or dietary advice.