Everybody knows that Sao Paulo is the best city to eat great Japanese food outside Japan. I always…read morehad great experiences eating at Izakaya Issa, one of the best Japanese food I have already had (different from te sushi-sashimi we are use to). I have never been in Japan, but I heard that Izakaya Issa is very authentic and traditional. The ladies working there are always very friendly, and Dona Margarida Haraguchi, the owner, is so sweet and conversationist! The star dishes from the place is the octopus balls (really creamy and well-flavored) and the ramen!

An Izakaya is first and foremost a neighborhood bar that serves drinks and bar food. This place did…read morea great job making me feel welcome, offering me a menu in English as we greeted. There were certainly plenty of Japanese speaking customers mixed in with Portuguese. And I, the odd tourist, felt right at home. The bamboo shoot and shitake mushroom appetizers were delectable. The chicken broth ramen was insipid. The Gyukatsu Kare (breaded fried beef with curry sauce over rice) was better, but not the ultra crispy panko planks I've had in some places. Maybe it was because I ordered it at the end of the night. The Brazilian brewed cold sake was really good. Could hardly tell the difference from Japanese sake. But, the highlight of the dinner of Sanma Shio--grilled pike mackerel with sea salt. Inexpensive for Sanma, uber fresh, grilled crispy so that you could crunch up the head and tail! The service was prompt, efficient and very warm. Even the owner came by to chat several times. Arigato gozaimasu! Obrigado! Thank you.

Normally I don't write reviews on Yelp. If you have an opportunity to be in São Paulo, and you…read morewant great Japanese dining, you want to come here. Saude and Kanpai

Was wondering what our last meal would be in São Paulo, and this one was a great choice. It's been…read morea while since I've had good grilled Japanese food (a few places in the Bay Area and of course in Japan). I recommend trying a variety of each, since the skewers are all reasonably priced and small portioned. The roasted garlic, chicken teriyaki, and okra were among my favorite. I also tried the quail eggs, shiitake mushroom, asparagus wrapped in bacon, and beef (which was like ground meat). I only wish the shiitake was a little more grilled, it was undercooked. If you are more adventurous, they have different cuts of chicken and beef, and chicken hearts and livers if you like. If you are in a small group or by yourself, I recommend sitting in front of the grills (glass separates you from the smoke and sizzle) because it's fascinating to the watch the cooks rotate the meat, dip in the marinade, clip off the burnt parts with scissors, and manage the grill with all the busy orders flying in. They also serve oden, which you can see stewing right next to the grills, overflowing with broth and variety of vegtables. Other typical dishes, like sushi, yakisoba, miso shiro are all available as well, but I recommend to at least try some of the grilled items, since that's it's specialty. Note that they serve edamame as an appetizer, even if you don't order it but it gets added to the bill. Of course it's obvious this place is good, when the locals who patronize it are of Japanese decent, and it retains authenticity. The head chef can be seen working the customers, socializing and even serving. I will definitely return to this place when I get a chance.

Great ramen worth coming back to. The broth is deeply savory and balanced, they cook the noodles to…read morehave the perfect chew, and the chashu and toppings are thoughtfully executed. Nothing on the menu has disappointed me; their gyoza and karaage are especially great for sharing. There can be a crowd at peak times which makes things a little warm, but service moves briskly, and the energy feels appropriate for the quality and turnover. Ótimo ramen. O caldo é bem saboroso, eles cozinham o macarrão perfeitamente. Todo do cardápio é bom, especialmente os gyoza e o karaage. As vezes, tem muita gente, mas o atendimento é rápido com energia boa.

Giving this place four stars because the food was delicious. The service could've been a little bit…read morebetter, but that could be because of a language barrier. Highly recommend this it tasted like legit Ramen and the food was salted. It wasn't bland. Server was amazing but the bartender seemed a little snarky.

Loved the ambiance and the service. The fish was very fresh!…read more I got a miso soup and noodle dish to start. The miso soup had tempura in it. Yum! I got a combination plate with various sashimi and a choice of a side. I got the gyōza. They were very generous with the portions. This was super fresh. Staff were very kind. I thought the fish and flavors were great!

As visitors, we rolled through Liberdade during the Sunday street fair and didn't have time to eat…read morein one of the restaurants. It was likely that we were only going to get to try one Japanese restaurant in Sao Paulo on our trip. Sushi or dinner plates? Luckily Yamaga has both. And both are delicious. They have an English menu! :) Although it was nice to see a Japanese menu in Portuguese. The salmon on salmon roll was fresh and so delicious. The beer hella (San Francisco Bay area slang for "very") cold, the sake delicious. The tempura generous and artistically plated. The OyakoDon comforting and delicately balanced. The okonomiyaki was crispy and the mushroom was good with beer. Everything was good. We ordered so much because we wanted to try it all, I wish I could eat here again.

Excellent sushi. I had the omakasi especial and everything was beautifully assembled, excellent…read moretexture, and delicious. We rounded it out edamame. The staff was friendly, service prompt. As I checked it the dry aging cabinet fill of tuna, a sushi chef came to explain the process and parts in detail. I'll be back.

One of the best sushi restaurants in São Paulo. My kind of simple, traditional atmosphere. The fish…read moreis awesome, fresh, and the price is fair too. But this address is not correct. They're at Av. Brg. Luís Antônio, 2367. Try the tirashi, the sardine sushi or the uni sushi, and you won't be disappointed.

Lamen to go. Really warms you up on a cold day. Really busy on this day as many had the idea to eat…read morewarm food. Becasue the storefront is always open to the elements, everyone wanted to be at the back of the dining space.

Service quick. Food good. Ambiance, it's fast food. They offer many different size dinners, small,…read moremed, large and ex-large!

Every single thing I tried here was amazing. Super low key house on a small street with the best…read moreJapanese food in the city and amazing service. Tasting menu is on point.

The food is delicious. The service is abysmal. I ordered from the English menu, and the waitress…read moreasked me, "where did you get that menu? That is not our menu." This is the same menu I scanned on their table. It went downhill from there. I told here that this was the menu I scanned on the table and she looked at me perturbed. I then ordered the Wagyu beef on rice, and she said there is no beef. I asked surprised, "no beef? No kidding?" So I turned back to the sushi. Then she said, "why don't you order the grilled beef." I said, "oh, you have beef. Okay, I will have that, then." And she walked off again. This place is *NOT* ready for international travelers. The food is great. The wait staff is a disaster. Lamentable.

The mini tekkadon was surprisingly good--I am not a fan of mayonnaise drizzled on raw fish, but the…read moreearthy toasted sesame seeds underneath the creamy sweet mayo balanced each other. The ramen... broth was too salty and the noodles too squishy and starchy. Very pretty set up, but this is not the ramen shop I am looking for.

Serviço rápido e eficiente, ambiente agradável e a comida excelente! Drinks incríveis também…read more Recomendo!

This is supposedly one of the best ramen houses in São Paulo, and because of that, this place gets…read morefilled up pretty quickly. Be prepared to wait or come early! Upon walking in, the establishment is bright and smartly decorated. Behind the bar, you can see the ramen chefs working their magic into each bowl. The ramen itself is decently priced (definitely cheaper than the US!), though I was a little disappointed that their tonkotsu ramen wasn't really made from tonkotsu broth, but rather, it was salt or soy based. That being said, it was more than enough to satisfy my ramen craving.

The best way to cure a São Paolo cachaça ressaca is to brave a ride on the metro to Liberdade. From…read morethe square, down the road with the oriental lights across the bridge, then a little further on the right side is Aska. Note the "oh, this is gonna be good" vibe when you enter for the first time. It's been a family-run Liberdade staple for many years and is usually packed with locals at most times of the day. At lunch there may be a wait, however the Maitre-D flips tables fast. Aska serves up big bowls of delicious Ramen and Beef/vegetarian gyozi. Food comes fast, and udon noodle refills are often necessary. Chimchi, cold pickled vegetable salad is also tasty. Goes along well with an agua com gas or Guarana Antarctica. Prices are reasonable for what you get. "Ressaca? Que ressaca??" - Brazilian you

The service was quick and attentive. Maybe too quick! Let me explain…read more I am used to waiting a moment between items being brought out as the chef hand crafts each platter of sushi. This meal came out rapid fire. Yes, it was a prix fixe. But it gave the impression that the items were already prepared and the servers were merely inundating our table with as many items as they could possible fit! The food was alright. But they incorporated cream cheese to much of it, which was a gross disappointment for me. Given that I can get similar items to order at a lower price elsewhere, I will pass on this place next time.

5 star for a great sushi experience at a reasonable price…read more A coworker recommended this restaurant while I was in São Paulo for work. Since it was walking distance from my hotel I gave it a try and now I am very glad I visited Mori Otha. I decided to do the "balcao" option which is an all you can eat option seating at the sushi bar with premium roll selections. I allowed the sushi chef to follow their sushi sequence. All sushi rolls, sashimis and nigiris were delicious and throughly explained and presented. My absolute favorite was the Gunkan Kudama, I asked them to make more of that one and they had no problem in making them again for me. Can't wait to go back and enjoy this place again.