Japan · AFC
Japan Is in the World Cup. The 3 Best Japanese Restaurants in Montreal.
Three group games. Three Japanese rooms. From a Ste-Catherine pocket kitchen to a Drolet ramen counter, where Montreal eats when Samurai Blue play.
Published
Japan qualified for the 2026 World Cup with the same generation that beat Germany and Spain in 2022. Samurai Blue are no longer a surprise. They are a team that gets to the round of sixteen and means to push past it. The squad is built on European-club veterans and a coach who has stayed put long enough for the system to stick.
Montreal's Japanese community is small relative to the Italian or Portuguese diasporas, but the cooking has built a footprint that punches above its weight. Ramen counters in the Plateau. Izakaya and sushi rooms downtown. The sushi scene has matured to where omakase at the top tier rivals what you find in larger North American cities. Match days will run early thanks to time zones.
These three restaurants cover the spread. Kazu for the no-booking Thursday-through-Sunday dinner when you can spare an hour for a line. Yokato Yokabai for the bowl of ramen that ends a cold afternoon. Sushi Okeya Kyujiro for the night you want to spend properly. Order beer with the first. Sake with the third.
Three group games. Three Japanese rooms. Pick one per match.
The three picks
Kazu
Ville-Marie · 1844 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montréal, QC H3H 1M1, Canada
A tiny dining room on Sainte-Catherine where the line forms before the kitchen turns on. Housemade tofu, shrimp burgers, salmon bowls assembled with a precision that the room's chaos hides. The chef calls out orders. The cooking comes fast. Dinner-only now, Thursday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sit at the counter if you want to watch. Sit anywhere if you can get in. There is no booking.
Yokato Yokabai
Plateau · 4185 R. Drolet, Montréal, QC H2W 2L5, Canada
Tonkotsu ramen done with the discipline that the style demands. Broth runs for hours. Noodles arrive at the right firmness. Top your bowl with the chashu, the egg, the corn, the spice paste. The room is small and steaming. Lunch is the right move because the line is shorter. The garlic press at the table is not decoration.
Sushi Okeya Kyujiro
Ville-Marie · 1227 Rue de la Montagne, Montréal, QC H3G 1Z2, Canada
Omakase sushi done at the level that justifies the price. Around twenty-five courses at dinner, fifteen at brunch. Fish flown twice a week. The counter is the only seating you want. The chef explains each piece without lecturing. Save it for a real occasion. The sake list is short and considered. Michelin-listed.
Frequently asked questions
Where do Japanese Montrealers actually eat?
The Japanese community in Montreal is small but the cooking has spread across the city. The best concentration of izakaya and ramen sits in Ville-Marie and the Plateau. Concordia and McGill drive the casual lunch trade. The high-end sushi rooms cluster downtown.
What should I order on a first visit to a Japanese restaurant?
If it is a ramen shop, get the tonkotsu with all the toppings, plus a gyoza. If it is an izakaya, order three or four small plates and a beer. If it is omakase sushi, let the chef decide. Skip the spicy tuna roll.
Where to watch Japan play during the 2026 World Cup?
Japan plays in the morning Montreal time for most group games given the AFC time-zone scheduling. Ramen shops will do brunch screenings. Concordia-area izakaya will run early. The community is small but the matches draw.
Will Japan go far in 2026?
Japan beat Germany and Spain in the 2022 group stage and reached the round of sixteen. The squad has only grown stronger since. Captain Endo holds the midfield, Mitoma drives the wings, Kubo finds the spaces. A quarter-final run is plausible.