Jo An Japanese Restaurant

Erlanger, United States

4.1

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 859-746-2634
Address:
3940 Olympic Blvd, Erlanger, KY, 41018
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
1.4 miMain Terminal
1.4 miTerminal 3
1.6 miRiver Rd & Cathcart St
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Classy
Noise Level
Quiet
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
No
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
Yes

Today

Today 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Closed now
Local time (Erlanger) 16:39 Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Saturday 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Sunday –

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20 reviews of Jo An Japanese Restaurant

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Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
Best sushi in the area, better than many of the places I ate when I lived in LA and the Bay Area.
Place rating: 5
7ème, Paris, France
This is my go to Japanese restaurant in Erlanger. I have a bowl of Shoyu Ramen to start. Then Chirashi Nami (bowl of raw fish on rice). The location is in a corner of an office building, do not let that fool you. The food is authentic Japanese!
The ramen reminds me of a quality bowl in Japan. The noodles are firm and the broth is perfect.
The Chirashi Nami has a great variety of seafood; tuna, salmon, mackerel, yellow tail, octopus, squid, shrimp, fish eggs, sweet scrambled egg, and a few others on a bowl of white rice. The portions are thick and fresh. Been here for dinner three times and always have this.
Place rating: 2
Cincinnati, OH
Eek, there was a terrible odor when we walked in, for a split second I wanted to run but we were already being seated. Unfortunately our meal was distracted while I perpetually pondered if one of our clammy servers was suffering from Norovirus. Fortunately, those fears were unfounded.
Food wise, the sushi was decent but pricey, service was sluggish and awkward (only a handful of tables seated). My teriyaki was good, but my dining partner’s fish entrée was severely overcooked.
Place rating: 5
Lexington, KY
This is a solid find. I actually had been driving up to Indiana when I managed to take a detour for this place: I opted to leave without any plans for lunch and then pull off when I got hungry and search for something nearby. This hidden gem was one of the most highly rated restaurants within half a mile of where I had just pulled onto I-​275.
If it weren’t for the fact that it had it’s named painted on the corner of the business building it’s in, I might have assumed it was closed. I walked into the building, found the small indicator that the restaurant was down the left hallway, and went through the glass door to find the hostess waiting at the entrance. The place is nice: great vibe and clean, elegant decorations. There are a mix of people in the clientele, which I think is always a good sign. The waitress brings you a cup of green tea when you sit down. I ordered a sashimi bento box and I will hands-​down say it is the absolute freshest fish I’ve tasted between the coasts. It’s just like heaven. The tempura was great, the shumai was well-​made, but did I mention that salmon was to die for? I don’t know where they get their fish from or how often they get it, but it’s just good fish.
I’m leaving Indiana at like 8AM so I can have another sashimi lunch here on my way back. It’s like that. Plain and simple.
Place rating: 1
Los Angeles, CA
Jo An used to have great sushi chefs. However, it is just getting worse in the past couple of years. While the prices go up, the food is just not reasonable. I used to see Japanese people eating in. Now you hardly see them eating here. It is so unfortunate to see this Japanese restaurant going down the toilet. Worse than other Japanese restaurants in the Cincinnati area serving ‘pretend’ Japanese meals and claiming to be ‘gourmet’.
Place rating: 4
Westminster, CA
As a southern California native, I was pretty skeptical about finding fresh sushi out in the Midwest this far out from Cincinnati, especially having had some top-​notch rolls in LA, Orange County, and Torrance. If it hadn’t been for other Unilocaled mentioning its connection to Toyota, I probably would have passed it up. Good thing I didn’t because this place didn’t disappoint!
The entrance was a little difficult to find because it’s in a business building (walked into the kitchen entrance the first time). I came around 6pm on a Wednesday night and there was no wait. The hostesses sat me quickly at the bar and took my order.
My tuna roll, salmon skin roll, white miso soup, and hot tea came out within 15 minutes and it all tasted really good. Salmon skin was crispy and the roll had a satisfying crunch, tuna roll had great texture and wasn’t too big, and the miso soup was flavorful. Wished the tea was hotter and served in a pot.
Not the best sushi I’ve had, but it is definitely on part with what California has to offer. For under $ 16, it’s definitely worth coming in for!
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
Best sushi I’ve had in Cincy. Four of us had dinner on weekend and it was 50% filled; however, I believe it took 40 minutes to be seated. There was one server and she was also acting as hostess. Once seated, everything was amazing. The Kimchi Miso Soup was delicious and every roll, cut, etc. was exquisite.
We heard Jo An might be closing because there was too few demand after Toyota moved; however, the servers said that was not true.
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
So the rumor is that this restaurant that is in an office tower was started by execs at Toyota. When they would visit from Japan, they couldn’t find good sushi, so they started their own place!
It is some darn good sushi.
I usually visit for lunch and the lunch specials are to die for (and super affordable). I promise to post a photo of the lunch menu the next time I stop in.
It is usually around $ 6-​$ 8, they also have bento boxes that are $ 10.
You can also order other food from the menu (duh).
The fish is always super fresh and I love how they make their rice, not too sticky.
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
This place rocks! From the awesome and diverse menu, to the amazing sushi chefs, and the great waitress. If you go on a weekend just know that it might be slow because there is one waitress who is also the hostess but she is super nice and helpful so be patient. Also ask for suggestions. We had a huge selection of items. Standouts were the Beef Tataki. Yum! Lightly seared and in a citrus Ponzu sauce. The Tuna tartar was amazing! The mango brought out the flavors. The veggie tempura was was perfection. There were 3 kinds of Miso. All were great but the spicy was awesome! The sushi was fresh and delish! We had an off menu roll that was awesome. My favorite was the Ahi Roll. It was fresh with a hint of wasabi flavor. We ended with a Japanese ice treat covered in Mochi. It was a perfect end to a phenomenal meal!
Place rating: 2
Boston, MA
I didn’t find a hidden gem here but more of a tarnished penny. The service is very poor. You barely get a look and the waiter couldn’t tell me if the tempora with the chicken would be vegetable tempura as I suggested. He didn’t follow up as I asked. I took over 20 minutes to get my first app and u waited for a beer for longer. He forgot to order my tuna abaca do roll but thanks to the very nice sushi chef (I sat at the bar) he made it for me lickety split. The sushi chef saved the day and turns out the waiter was on his first week. The food was good but they also charged me for a salad which was part of the tempura/​chicken order. Oh well, it’s Cinci in an office park.
Place rating: 4
GA, GA
This is a review based on 5 years of sporadic dining at Jo-​An. The food is always consistently good. Sushi is simple, well done and without a bunch of extraneous sauces to hide the flavors of the fish. This is a more traditional Japanese restaurant catering to the nearby Toyota workers. So ambience is what it is. Lunch service can be slow since there is only one sushi chef but I plan on it so it doesn’t bother me. I’m just happy to have a honest sushi joint to enjoy in Kentucky of all places!
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
This is the best sushi period. I was happy to hear that when Toyota closes, Jo An will remain to service my gourmet sushi needs. They have limited hours which I kind of like. It makes going there feel even more special because I have to plan it. I have taken many work meetings there and impressed everyone who went. Knowing about this place definitely gives you some foodie cred. Please go here and spend tons of money. They deserve every penny.
Place rating: 1
North Attleborough, MA
I’m sorry. I hate giving bad reviews. But I tried calling the number to order one sushi roll. No answer. So I waked across the street to order in person. The place was empty except for one large party of 20. She said because of the large group, no to go orders could be placed. Horrible. This might be the lowest review I will ever post
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
Talk about a hidden gem. Tucked away in a business park by CVG — it’s easy to miss this place. I walked in with zero expectations and walked out a satisfied customer. The food was so authentic and the menu was also in Japanese. Lots of choices and many things still left to try. My favorite was the salmon rice bowl which is brothy and so fulfilling. Can’t wait to go there again!
The only complaint is the heavy odor of used cooking oil. Perhaps the ventilation system isn’t the best, but at least it didn’t leave a stench on my clothes or hair.
Place rating: 5
Atlanta, GA
Jo An Japanese restaurant is about as authentic as it gets in the Midwest. Originally designed to be a place the Japanese executives from nearby Toyota could eat, it has a true feel to it.
It can be difficult to find, because who expects a restaurant inside an office building?! Come in the entrance to the lobby and then down the hall. You will NOT be disappointed.
I am in the Florence area for work a couple of times a year, and this is always a «must stop» if I have an evening free.
Perfect rice. Gorgeous seaweed salad. Fresh fish and generous portions. Truly great sushi and sashimi.
Place rating: 5
Fremont, CA
The grilled squid was so good. Everything was great. The hostess was very nice also. Will be back when in town for sure.
Place rating: 5
Cleveland, OH
This place makes me feel like I could live in Japan. I love it that much.
Green tea. I don’t like tea. Any of it. I love their green tea. I’ve had their sushi and their bento boxes and both were high quality, fresh, and tasty.
The lunch crowd is good, but not overwhelming. There’s a high number of Japanese companies in the area, and apparently this is the place of choice for those employees. You’ll have to enter an office building lobby to get in the restaurant, but it’s a place worth finding!
Place rating: 5
Olde West Chester, OH
Apparently, Jo An is a legit place frequently visited by Japanese travelers who come to CVG on business. Its location is weird enough, which is inside an office building off the beaten path close to highway I-​275. Be careful when you try to enter, because it’s easier to find the entrance to its kitchen than the front door!
Once inside, however, authenticity exudes from everything such as the tasteful decoration, hot towels to clean hands, right down to the Japanese sushi chef working behind the counter.
On my visit, we had some delightful sashimi platter and yakitori skewers. In addition, the fresh uni (sea urchin) tasted creamy, briney, and salty just like the ocean. The hot sake warmed us from the inside due to the snow outside.
It was the perfect birthday dinner I could’ve asked for after hours of delays in IAH and dashing through ORD before boarding my flight en route back to CVG.
Place rating: 4
Fairfield, OH
I hadn’t been to Jo-​An in years. A decade maybe. I was happy they were still in business.
I attended a function I organized with a group of others. Man oh man did we go all out. I ordered the Shio Ramen, some sushi, a seaweed salad, an octopus donburi (rice bowl) and some red bean and green tea ice creams (I’m a sharer, of course!)
I think Jo-​An is the only place in the greater Cincinnati area which offers a Shio (salt) Ramen. A truly pleasant surprise. The broth was thinner than expected, but the pork meat was some of the best prepared for a ramen I’ve ever had.
The sushi was very well made. Not the best I’ve had, but pretty sterling for an inland joint. The seaweed salad was delicious, hard to screw that one up. The octopus donburi was equally delicious.
Both the green tea and the sweet red bean ice creams were wonderful.
The group had a wonderful time, egging each other on to try new things and passing items around family style.
I’ll definitely be back to Jo-​An. I might get sushi… but it’s more likely I’ll get a double helping of that Shio Ramen.
Place rating: 4
Saint Louis, MO
Very good lunch deals. I’ll eventually have to get back for a dinner. It is an unusual location on the ground floor of an office building. Almost all of the customers are Japanese, so you know it’s pretty good. In the lunch rush, service can suffer a bit with only two servers covering the whole place.
Green tea is complimentary and most items come with miso soup and/​or salad (with ginger dressing). They have a very small lunch menu. Two deals of the day, a make your own bento, signature bento, two sushi rolls, and nigiri with a roll. Lunch options A and B are rotated and the menu shows their offerings for the rest of the week. Their oyako-​don (chicken and egg with onion over rice) was a great value but I’ve had better. The sushi lunch was fantastic. Great cuts of tuna, squid, mackerel, salmon, and even a good spicy tuna roll. Theirs is different but i liked it better than most. There is a fantastic drink menu with sake, beer, wine, and bourbon.
If you’re near the airport and like Japanese food, be sure to give it a try. Look at the pictures of lunch A and B as you walk in if you don’t know Japanese dishes by name.