This moody diner flanked by an open kitchen and bar to one side and timber booth seating to the other, evokes a Japanese izakaya with food that steps things up a notch. Chef Adam Liston’s menu is as refined as it is playful – his version of “KFC”, with pear and tobiko an example of the latter. Raw snacks are a good place to start, from crowd-pleasing tuna tataki to wagyu tartare, bound with a katsuobushi (smoked, fermented tuna) mayo and seasoned with anchovy, atop a crisp bugak cracker. Snake beans are an unlikely highlight, tossed in fermented chilli and a generous scattering of scorched nuts that’ll keep you coming back for more. A deep bowl of lobster udon is among the richest of meals, dressed with katsuobushi dashi butter and a heavy hand of shredded nori. To the other end, wood-fired baby barramundi, with a “skin” of nori that’s melted into the fish upon cooking, and rice that sits in a puddle of wonderfully aromatic, gingery sukiyaki sauce, is a refined dish that feels good for the soul. 17 Leigh St, Adelaide; shobosho.com.au.

This Hyde Park corner diner offers brilliant Japanese-inspired food with a highly entertaining kitchen to boot. There’s a chef’s menu, priced slightly higher for the “primo” selection, both highly recommended. First drinks will be accompanied by a snack of wonton crisps layered with whipped edamame and flamed nori. Next, a single scallop each is an oh-my moment, with the plump, sweet morsel in the finest crumb laid on a dab of miso mayo and topped with more-ish curly wisps of crunchy potato. Don’t be deterred by the single scallop price tag if you’re going a-la carte. To follow will likely be crab noodles, excellent dumplings, tempura beans with a tasty smattering of salted egg yolk, wonderful wagyu-stuffed mushrooms, wagyu rump cap with wasabi butter, and more. Be sure to sample from the house-specialty tempura section, including the absolutely best onion rings with lashings of burnt French onion dip. 164 King William Rd, Hyde Park; shosho.com.au.

This North Adelaide gem is about much more than the food. The bubbly, convivial atmosphere is emphasised by the exceptional staff, who are only too happy to guide you through the menu, explaining the different grilled meats and veg (no sushi or sashimi to be found here), as well as the izakaya concept – essentially a place to gather with friends for drinks and tapas-style sharing plates. Start with a bowl of edamame as you peruse the menu. Skewers come in plates of three. Watch on as your selections are expertly cooked on the grill, from chicken mince and ginger meatballs, to the buta-bara (grilled pork belly, perfectly salted) or some vibrant just-seared broccolini, served with a house-made sweet soy reduction. Wagyu skewers come with just a sprinkling of salt – the beef so beautifully marbled and so tender it needs nothing else. Regulars suggest the kuro goma ice to finish – a black sesame ice cream that has a nutty sweetness reminiscent of hazelnuts. 60/55 Melbourne St, North Adelaide; yakitori-takumi.com.

This North Adelaide restaurant isn’t too fussed with tradition. For starters, take a look at how it presents its sushi. A square of lightly toasted nori seaweed is laid flat like a green handkerchief. The rice, loosely pressed into a rectangular brick, is in the middle, with the seafood or vegetable compositions placed on top. A blast of the blowtorch scorches the delicate edges of fan-cut scallops. Best of all, slices of freshly cut kingfish, blushing like a love-struck teenager, are finished with sake-marinated apple. Fold in the sides of the crisp, seaweed wafer to form a loose bundle, pick it up carefully and munch. Steamed prawn dumplings are plopped on to a dressing that takes a ponzu base (salty, tangy) and spikes it with chilli heat. The prawn tempura includes not only the peeled midriff in an excellent snap-and-crackle batter but also the fried head and undercarriage. 26 O’Connell St, North Adelaide; koshoexhibition.com.

The thought of eating eel tends to divide a crowd. The “eww, it’s like a snake” brigade won’t go near it. Others seek out this rich, oily meat, particularly if it’s in the hands of a skilled chef like the owner of Wasai. Eel in a rice bowl or sushi is one of many good reasons to visit. The mixed tempura is excellent – seafood and vegetables encased in the most delicate of batters; sweeter sukiyaki or spicy jigoku beef and noodle hotpots are full of nourishment. For those that can stretch the budget, the sushi and sashimi boats are amazing.1/9-15 Field St, Adelaide; facebook.com/wasaijapanese.

Whether you’re a lover of ramen or want an introduction to Japanese food, this is the place to go. No sushi here, but instead what owner/chef Jun Abe describes as “grandma food”. Items like yaki onigiri (rice balls) and tofu with spicy salad come in at under $10. Ramen is the star of the show, and a choice of soup bases and toppings make it a DIY adventure. The syo-yu, cooked for about nine hours, is a soothing medley of soy, sesame and pork – the spicy negi (like spring onion) and kimchi bring heat. Slurp up those noodles if you’ve acquired the skill. 4/455 Greenhill Rd, Tusmore;facebook.com/blackdoggallerycafe.

Though it’s best known for steaming bowls of ramen, this upscale spot run by Genki Sushi founder Shozo Ikeda also does a mean line in sushi. The menu makes it clear where all the fish is sourced from and highlights seasonality as well as location (Port Lincoln Bluefin is perfectly marbled with fat over the winter months, while Japanese blackfin provides a better flavour over summer). Options like swordfish, snapper or kingfish and jalapeno tataki go well beyond the classics, and the impeccably presented chirashi bowls are among Adelaide’s most attractive meals. 22 Grote St, Adelaide; ramenizakaya-himeji.com.

The delivery car with a giant prawn on top is eye-catching, but the menu featuring almost 100 sushi items is even more impressive. That variety means there’s something for everyone, including vegetarians who can enjoy a range of plant-based sushi, nigiri and tempura options. The rest of the menu includes a few unusual fusion dishes like scallops kataifi with flying fish roe and miso aioli alongside mainstays like soft-shell cab roll, seared tuna tataki in ponzu and slivers of kingfish carpaccio. 1/60 West Terrace; sushiplanet.com.au.

Ancient tradition and the finest seafood come together in a dazzling sequence of dishes at this suburban surprise. Star of the show is Yuki’s Platinum Omakase which takes shape like an exquisite piece of origami. Such precision, such beauty. Nowhere else in Adelaide is cooking Japanese like this. Owner/chef Mike Oh has spent 18 years learning the intricacies of this food and sources his seafood from wherever he thinks the quality is best. The omakase menu unfolds over eight stages, starting with the “Zensai”, a tasting plate of sorts, including an intriguing mix of fig, soft tofu, sesame and chrysanthemum, braised octopus tentacle and a single, perfect piece of unagi (eel) sushi. Next comes the sashimi, while the only red meat is elite Japanese wagyu, meaning the proportions of marbled fat and flesh are similar, and the few mouthfuls provided are more than sufficient. If forced to pick a favourite, however, it would be the savoury finale: a small atoll of rice draped with sheets of raw, sesame-cured snapper that is partially submerged in dashi stock. A mandarin and cream cheese souffle/pudding somehow baked in the hollowed-out fruit skin comes with sorbet, hazelnuts and a caramel sauce. And, finally, a toffee-coated strawberry that is filled with soy custard cream. 548 Portrush Rd, Glen Osmond;yukiburnside.com.