Japino

I finally got around to trying out this Japanese and Filipino place to satisfy my Japanese curry craving. Small menus are always a good sign. To me, it usually means they prioritize quality over an expansive mediocre set of dishes.

Kim welcomed us from the moment we stepped in the door on a quiet Sunday night. The restaurant is nestled on a strip of commercial store fronts, so it's quite easy to miss but is well worth visiting.

We started with pork lumpia and takoyaki, both piping hot and fresh from the fryer/pan. The chicken katsu curry was crispy and juicy, with the right level of earth sweetness you'd expect from Japanese curry. The star was definitely the yuzu cheesecake, pair with some hot green tea. The perfect balance of citrus and light, creamy cake. It was a perfect portion, but I could have eaten a whole cheesecake myself. I'll definitely be back again!

Have you ever wanted food that takes you back ‘home’? That brings back wonderful memories and tastes that only mom could make? Well, that’s what you will experience at Japino. The best of both worlds - Filipino and Japanese cuisine. You see, the owner, Kim, brings both worlds together in her cooking because of her background.

My daughter ordered Udon, my wife, Yakisoba, and I ordered Pork Adobo over rice. Wow!!! And although her Pinakbet had run out by the time we arrived, Kim brought out what she had reserved for herself for me to have some! From the very first bite, we were all speechless. We just had to relish in the delicious flavors that we were tasting! We were each so impressed that we had to share with each other our dishes.

And Kim makes you feel at home, treating you like she was mom for our time there. No precooked meals. She cooks it right then and there. Wow, just thinking about our whole experience makes me want to go back for more. Unfortunately, we came from PA 2 hours away, but if we happen to be in the Fair Lawn, NJ area, you can be sure we will be swinging by for Kim’s home cooked food again! We even ordered some more food to bring it back with us to PA. 😊

If you live nearby, be sure to try Kim’s awesome dishes and wonderful hospitality. You will not regret it. Why such a long review? Because I was so amazed by our complete experience, I wanted to hug Kim for a wonderful time. She said instead of a hug, she asked for a wonderful review. I hope this review makes her feel like she got an appreciative hug. And I hope this makes you want to try Japino. Please tell Kim we sent you😁

It's nice and sweet, It has quite a homely atmosphere and the sweet old lady is quite kind and the Katsu, takoyaki and dessert where wonderful

We almost left, As we did not see the notice for the door bell. I'm glad we didn't leave, the food was good. It's a clean plate club.

Now this is a novel idea-- create a restaurant that serves gourmet quality home style cooking by a masterful chef who has perfected the right balance of Japanese and Filipino cuisine into a variety of deliciously distinct signature dishes. And, that is what you'll experience at Japino. This is not a pot luck restaurant like so many of those disgruntled slop houses in Bergenfield or Jersey City. Nor is it one of those tasteless ramen joints that no matter how much you eat you'll never be satisfied. So you might have to wait a few minutes for the madam to cook your order, it's well worth it. Order anything, you'd pay twice the amount in New York and get half as much. A real gem. Parking in back.

I was looking up Japanese curry places nearby and this came up as one of the best rated on Yelp- finally got a chance to visit today and it was well worth the trip! The place gets really busy as its a one person operation but Kim is absolutely great. I got the chicken katsu curry and it was excellent! Great portions, nice crispy exterior and juicy interior. Definitely will come back soon to try the ramen.

Went here for an amazing lunch experience with my husband on Friday afternoon and I really can't recommend eating here more. Small space ran by chef extraordinaire, Kim. It's just her in the kitchen, whipping up Japanese and a few Filipino dishes made to order. We got some gyoza to start and I got the chicken yakisoba and husband got the shoyu ramen. All dishes, felt like I was at this lady's home eating her home cooked meals. She cooks with love and it's all in the flavors and presentation of her dishes. What an awesome experience and such a pleasure to meet Kim. She's so delightful and an amazing chef. So glad we found this spot! Highly recommended!

This was surprisingly a pleasant experience, compared to my first impression. The wonderful lady chef is the same person who serves the table as well. Luckily we were the only party dining in.

Foodwise this place is impeccable. Excellent soft Takoyaki. Chicken Karaage is juicy and delicious. I had the Fried Chicken Katsu Curry. Another tasty dish, the curry had good taste. Fried Chicken wasn't over cooked, it was crunchy. Then ramen is also very good.

Overall a really good place for the neighborhood to do take outs.

The miso ramen was sooooo good! Not too spicy at level 3!! We will definitely be back soon ❤

Incredible food across the board, but the service was beyond words. The lovely woman (whose name I completely forgot to ask for) that ran the restaurant was extremely chatty and friendly to all of us. She even gave us a slice of cheesecake on the house afterwards. Next time I’m in the area we are absolutely returning here (I made her a promise). Genuinely can’t recommend this place enough.

Also, we noticed a lot of people were saying all the good reviews are fake, so I’m just adding this here to confirm that this is a real review and the food/experience genuinely is that good lmao

My kids told me to come here from Monroe NY. So we took a ride and it was worth it 👌 Amazing food friendly atmosphere. It's not huge but absolutely authentic, best cook ever! Try everything you will love it!

I had the Gyu-Don and it was great! I'll definitely come back to try some of the Filipino food. There's actually more different foods on the menu than listed on the website so you just have to come in and see what's on the daily menu! The owner is amazing and one the sweetest restaurant owners I've met in a long time. Can't wait for my next visit

Awesome little restaurant! Ran by one woman (who is also ridiculously friendly and interesting as a person), so expect a wait if she has a lot of orders. It's completely worth it though, as she puts her heart and soul into the dishes prepared. One of the most fresh and delicious takeout experience someone can ever have

A very pleasant atmosphere, phenomenal service, and stellar food made for a great overall experience. If I could give a higher rating than 5 stars, I would. Would and will definitely return in the future!

My wife found this place, she doesn't remember how, but thank goodness she did.

We stopped by tonight for dinner, we were greeted by Mrs. Kim, she's the hostess, chef, waitress and the cashier all rolled into one. A lady of many talents. She's friendly and an excellent cook too.

My wife ordered a Filipino dish called Chicken Arroz Caldo which is a soupy Chicken and rice dish. Her meal was bursting with flavor, Mrs. Kim even gave her Chicharrón (Pork cracklings) to add to her soup.

I opted for the Curry Katsu-don (Fried Pork Curry) it comes with rice and pickled vegetable. The Curry was very creamy and delicious, the pork was golden crispy outside and tender inside.

My wife got a Pork Yakisoba to go for her lunch tomorrow.

We most definitely return to try other dishes.

Food so good it'll bring you to tears!

It's a one-woman operation, but the service is excellent and the food is absolutely worth the wait. If you're short on time or have a large party you can phone your order in ahead of time.

There are some COVID-related restrictions right now (see photo for posted sign) but they don't affect the quality of the food or the dining experience. We ordered the fried chicken and Japanese sausage appetizers, both highly recommended. Everything is cooked fresh and comes out piping hot and delicious.

For entrées we had the cod roe spaghetti and the chicken katsu curry. The spaghetti was savory and creamy with just a hint of heat. The chicken katsu curry came in very generous portions, the chicken was falling-apart tender and juicy. We finished every bite because everything was just too good.

For dessert, the restaurant sells an assortment of snacks and candy (see photo for shelves of snacks), and mochi on the menu. We chose the whole box option for the mochi so we could take the extras home, and we didn't regret it.

We'll definitely be back, this would be a great place to get a take-out order from.

We took a day trip to Paramus and decided to stop by Japino for lunch based on excellent reviews. The reviews were completely justified. The owner and chef Kim was an absolute delight and served up food that was just as delightful as her personality. My wife and I lived in Japan for a bit and ever since we returned we’ve been chasing down Japanese food that makes us feel like we’re back there (not so easy where we currently live). The food and experience deserve 6 stars out of 5. Trying to find out how I can move closer just to eat here all the time! Thank you for the great food and conversation, Kimさん.

Glad I finally made it to Japino! The food was good and it was like enjoying a comforting home-cooked meal. Ordered the Pork Katsu with Miso Soup, Chicken Karaage, Japanese Sausage, Tendon, Baby Mackerel, and Humba Pata to-go. Japanese and Filipino dishes in one restaurant? Love it! Definitely going back to try other dishes.

Best Ramen I've ever had!
Highly recommend authentic Japanise Ramen and food.
The owner is fantastic. She makes authentic Japanese food; I was also surprised by the filtered tap water, which hadn't any weird taste; even the ice was filtered- that is what I call paying attention to details!
Will visit again for another great Ramen.

Incredible, homemade Japanese and Filipino food! All done by just one woman, so call ahead to put your order in! I love the takoyaki - you can tell it’s made from scratch and not from those frozen bags. The tonkatsu curry and spicy cod rod spaghetti are also perfectly made every time!!!