foreign japanese food02

Last month, the outspoken Japanese blogger Madame Riri gave us all a lesson in how to tell whether or not a restaurant abroad serves authentic Japanese food. But let’s be honest, it takes more than tradition to make a dish delicious, and there’s something to be said for adjusting the menu to match local preferences. We’ve certainly experienced this phenomenon in the wide world of sushi!

And so, to celebrate the creation of successful Japanese eateries across the globe, here are the top 10 restaurants that serve Japanese food in foreign countries!

This list of exceptional Japanese restaurants was compiled based on restaurant reviews on the community-driven website, Trip Advisor. Rankings are based on both the number of comments that a restaurant received between the months of July 2012 and June 2013, as well as the restaurant’s average rating out of five stars. The complete list is 30 items long, though it does not include any of the restaurants within Japan itself. Today, we’d like to introduce the cream of the crop. Here are the top 10 Japanese restaurants outside of Japan, as decided by their patrons and critics.

1. Jorudan Sushi Naples, Italy

foreign japanese food02

This sophisticated sushi bar is not only the highest-ranked Japanese restaurant outside of Japan, it’s also the 3rd greatest restraint in all of Naples, a city with approximately 1,250 eateries registered on Trip Advisor.

2. Sushic Fusao Almada, Portugal

foreign japanese food03

The number one restaurant in all of Almada, a town just outside of Lisbon, this restaurant receives high praise for its great taste and friendly staff, even for those who don’t speak Portuguese.

3. Sake2Me Sushi Hays, USA

foreign japanese food04

Again, another restaurant that tops its city’s charts! In spite of being a small town in the landlocked state of Kansas, the fish they serve has a truly fresh taste and is absolutely top-notch.

4. Sushi Rock Hawi, Hawaii

foreign japanese food05

Located on the island of Hawaii, where many Japanese people like to travel, it makes sense for a sushi restaurant to exhibit some exceptional flavors. The array of flavors and the Hawaiian atmosphere make a perfect match.

5. Uchi Austin, USA

foreign japanese food06

Ranked number two out of the 3,000-plus restaurants in Austin, Texas and fifth in the world for Japanese cuisine, this place is definitely worth a visit. Their daily “sake social hour” is another big plus!

Further down the list we have:

6. Kinji Japanese Restaurant in Christchurch, New Zealand

7. Koi Sushi in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

8. Kanpai Sushi in Edinburgh, Scotland

9. Wazaaabi in Cancun, Mexico

10. Kotaro in Hanga Roa, Chile

At this point you might be noticing a trend in the number of sushi restaurants that have topped the list of Japanese eateries across the globe. It just goes to show how adaptable and popular sushi is as a cultural dish. We’d be willing to wager that many of these places have loosened their ties to traditional forms of Japanese cuisine, but they sure know what it takes to put together a delicious dish and appeal to the people they’re meant to serve.

If you happen to come close to any of these highly recommended restaurants, don’t miss the chance to give it a try! We’d love to hear your own personal reviews.

Source: My Navi Woman (Japanese)
Images: Trip Advisor