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Photo courtesy of Hayden Stinebaugh for Sakazuki
Across Metro Detroit, Japanese cuisine is offered in many forms: chef-guided tastings, street-style snacks, cocktails, and market-fresh sushi. What ties them together is a devotion to technique and seasonality, whether that’s freshly flown-in fish, bartending rooted in ceremony, or comfort dishes tuned for late-night cravings. If you’re looking, be sure to check out these spots…
HIROKI-SAN
1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit
HIROKI-SAN transforms its spot in the Book Tower downtown setting into an immersive experience, from sushi and robatayaki to a bar program that spotlights star ingredients in each drink. The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Hiroki Fujiyama, who blends traditional and contemporary methods with premium ingredients flown in weekly from Japan. The team shares, “HIROKI-SAN offers a 12-course tableside omakase dining experience. Omakase dining originated in Japan and translates to ‘I leave it up to you.’ Each dish and ingredient is carefully chosen for its seasonality and quality, and adds another level to the restaurant’s intimate, personalized touch.” With a focus on omotenashi, or anticipating guests’ needs, HIROKI-SAN offers a stellar time.
Noble Village
45 East 14 Mile Road, Clawson
Noble Village gathers favorites under one roof: the Noble Fish sushi bar, a Japanese market, and White Wolf Japanese Patisserie with a coffee counter. At the Noble Fish bar, you’ll find a classic lineup that ranges from nigiri options (salmon, tuna, yellowtail, uni, and scallops) to generous Special Rolls like the Michigan Roll (tuna, cucumber, avocado, and spicy mayo), plus Chirashi Bowls and a Dynamite baked fish appetizer. White Wolf adds modern café comfort with tea lattes to nitro cold brew and patisserie favorites such as crepe cakes, yuzu cheesecake, macarons, and flaky danishes. Shop the market for authentic Japanese ingredients, sip a latte, then settle in at the sushi counter.
Sakazuki
1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit
Also located within Book Tower, “Sakazuki is a modern Japanese sake and sando pub, modeled after the pubs that people attend on the way to the train station or to a baseball game in Tokyo,” as the Sakazuki team shares. The menu hops from wagyu hot dogs to an interactive sushi handroll station stocked with tuna, hamachi, and salmon. Bright drinks, like Sailor Moon or Hello, Kat, draw on anime and nightlife inspiration, which is taken a step further with karaoke held on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 11 p.m. This is the kind of spot where a quick ekiben-style bento can turn into an all-night signalong.
The Goblin
2547 Bagley Street, Detroit
35925 Gratiot Avenue, Clinton Township
21876 23 Mile Road, Macomb
The Goblin keeps things simple but delicious with its casual sushi bar-style spots. On the menu, you’ll find a blend of favorites, ranging from Bluefin Poke Bowls and Tuna Flights with akami, chutoro, and otoro, to crispy rice bites topped with crab, salmon, or shrimp. As for rolls, options include a baked and torched Alaska roll, barbecue eel, chicken teriyaki, and crab salad varieties, to name a few, found alongside plates like yellowtail carpaccio with jalapeño and citrus, baked mussels with kewpie, and seared salmon belly. Be sure to save room for a slice of green tea cheesecake to round it off.
The Aladdin Sane
1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit
The Aladdin Sane is an underground cocktail lounge with a menu full of favorite renditions and experimental creations, all in low lighting. The Aladdin Sane team shares, “The Aladdin Sane is an intimate venue for conversation, with the palate of a spinning globe. The bar boasts a remarkable collection of rare whiskies, including the extremely rare Yamazaki 18 100th Anniversary Edition and the only bottle of Glenfiddich 29 Year Grand Yozakura available in a Michigan bar, making it a true delight for connoisseurs.” A cocktail omakase is offered, with a curated flight beginning with an amuse bouche and moving through a few menu options. With eight seats at the bar and under 30 in the lounge, it’s a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
Japanese dining in Metro Detroit is a choose-your-own-adventure: karaoke for night owls, cocktails for connoisseurs, and market-fresh sushi for everyday cravings. However you like to eat (or sip), there’s a counter, lounge, or pub ready to welcome you.
