Dallas–Fort Worth, TXJapanese

Chef Teiichi Sakurai opened this soba noodle house in 2008 inside One Arts Plaza, one of only a handful of restaurants nationwide making its soba onsite. Eater named it to its list of essential American restaurants, and it is widely regarded as the standout of Japanese dining in Dallas.

Chef Jimmy Park opened this twelve-seat omakase counter on Greenville Avenue, running two seatings a night of a seventeen-course tasting menu at 175 dollars a seat. It is credited with driving serious omakase into the mainstream in Dallas, in a room small enough that every plate is handed across the counter.

Open since 1984, this unassuming far north Dallas sushi bar has stayed a favorite among serious sushi eaters for decades despite little flash. It does not advertise a formal omakase menu, but regulars know to ask, and the kitchen will put one together on request.

Teiichi Sakurai opened this grilled seafood and robata spot on Henderson Avenue in 1998, a decade before Tei-An. Katsutoshi Sakamoto took over as executive chef when Sakurai moved on, and the restaurant has held its ground on Henderson for more than 25 years, credited with bringing Washu beef on the rock from Japan to Dallas.

Open since 1975, this is one of Fort Worth's oldest Japanese restaurants, pairing teppanyaki tables with a sushi bar in back. Sashimi is the draw, cut from fish that turns over fast enough to stay reliably fresh, and sushi-only diners can skip the weekend hibachi wait by heading straight to the bar.