Charlotte, NCJapanese

Restaurateur Ted Nakato's noodle counter at 1941 E. 7th St. makes its ramen and soba by hand, and the open kitchen is part of the room. A 10 seat omakase counter called Kappo En runs a separate service inside the same walls. Axios Charlotte places it in its rundown of the restaurants defining the city right now.

Japanese American comfort cooking from the Katsu Kart team, built on crab fried rice, okonomiyaki, and hot honey chicken karaage. It outgrew its counter inside City Kitch and reopened as a full service restaurant at 1419 East Blvd. in Dilworth in early 2026. Axios Charlotte covered the reopening and had already put the original on its list of the restaurants defining Charlotte.

Chef Michael Chanthavong works a Robata grill at 3100 Apex Drive, atop the Hyatt Centric, sending out lobster, duck breast, and charred vegetables from the coals. The room reads more like a bar than a hotel restaurant, and the grill is where the attention belongs. Charlotte Magazine includes it in its survey of East and Southeast Asian restaurants.

Hibachi bowls, ramen, and bento at 1315 East Blvd., plus a roster of Charlotte themed rolls that the neighborhood has adopted as its own. It is a straightforward Dilworth room that does several things at once and does them consistently. Charlotte Magazine carries it in its survey of East and Southeast Asian restaurants in the city.

Open since 1998 at 10110 Johnston Road, where the sushi bar, the ramen, and the bento boxes all pull their weight, and the miso soup is worth ordering every visit. Nearly three decades in Ballantyne West counts for something. Charlotte Magazine includes it in its guide to sushi in Charlotte.