Japanese Restaurant Review in Charlotte, NC

🙊🙊I’ve been staying in Charlotte, NC for a month and got to try three Japanese restaurants at different price points.🕊️ 🌻O-Ku Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nestled near South End, this spot offers free parking at a nearby mall where you can also pop into Lululemon and Patagonia for a browse. 🍀 It’s easily one of the more upscale Japanese restaurants I visited this time.🌹🌹 🍃it shows the drinks, plus a complimentary plate of tempura shrimp that was sweet and tangy, hitting just the right spot. it features two sushi rolls—generous in portion and bursting with flavor. 🍚🍚 🍎it is their signature lobster temaki, stuffed with a heaping amount of tender lobster meat. the is shishito peppers, and highlights the crowd-favorite Salmon Usuzukuri sashimi, served with freshly grated wasabi. 🍓🍦 The delicate sweetness of the salmon paired perfectly with the wasabi’s zesty kick.🍳 👀The restaurant has a cozy, dimly lit ambiance and top-notch service. The average cost per person is $70–80 (including gratuity).🍱 Note that a 15% gratuity is automatically added to the bill. We left an extra $20 because the service was exceptional, and they even threw in that free tempura shrimp.💕💕 💓 All in all, it’s a fantastic dining experience. Yamazuru Sushi & Sake Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ Located just a stone’s throw from O-Ku, this is a mid-range Japanese eatery.💗💗 it shows the appetizers: takoyaki (octopus balls) and seaweed salad. features sashimi and maki rolls—the absolute highlight of the meal. 💘 ✨✨These sushi rolls are highly recommended, with a delightful sweet and savory taste from the caviar topping. 🎈🎈 there are the main courses: ramen and chicken rice. The ramen was as good as expected, but the chicken rice was just so-so. 🌈🌈 🌟We ordered way too much, so we ended up packing the untouched chicken rice and had it for lunch the next day.🏝️ Overall, it’s a solid but unremarkable spot. The average cost per person is $40–50 including gratuity, making it a bit of a middle-of-the-road option. ✨✨ My advice? Stick to their sushi rolls.💕💕 Sake Express 💞 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a Japanese fast-food chain, and the location I went to is in Belmont, near Charlotte Douglas International Airport.✈️✈️ It’s all about big portions and great value for money.🏡 the has shrimp chow mein and hibachi chicken rice—both were delicious.🌟 🏙️The chicken rice in the picture is actually the kids’ meal, and it’s still super filling. features yakiniku beef rice and teriyaki salmon rice; we couldn’t even finish it all. The average cost per person is just $15 including gratuity. 🎆🎆 The food comes out quickly, and the service is attentive. It’s definitely my go-to spot when I don’t feel like cooking at home.🏝️ 🌟All three Japanese restaurants were pretty great. ✨✨While Charlotte doesn’t have the abundance of East Asian food and entertainment options that cities like New York or California do, it offers an unbeatable cost of living—with a great balance between income, rent, and daily expenses.🏠 #JapaneseFood #Sushi #InternationalStudentFoodDiaries #Foodie #NorthCarolina #NCFood #CharlotteLife #Cuisine #USA