Japanese food in João Pessoa: from temaki to poke

Article 140 of 100 · October 07, 2026 · 1 min read · Destino João Pessoa

Japanese cuisine has become established in the capital in varied formats, from mall chains to neighborhood temaki shops.

Japanese food is no longer a novelty in João Pessoa. In a 2013 report, updated in 2023, Jornal da Paraíba said the owner of a restaurant of this kind in Manaíra did market research three years before opening and found strong interest from the local public. He also noted that cream cheese, in temaki and sushi, pleased the Paraíba palate, a detail he associated with local taste.

The most visible format today is the mall venue and the chain restaurant. On February 27, 2024, Portal IN reported the opening of Ryori in the gourmet area of Shopping Manaíra, the brand's fifth unit, the result of an investment of more than R$ 3 million by Grupo Social Clube. The team was trained with support from chef Thiago Maeda, an Oriental cuisine consultant from São Paulo, and the venue may share a menu with Santa Grelha, from the same group.

The Manaíra neighborhood concentrates much of the offering mentioned by the local press. A holiday dinner guide from Paraíba Business, published on September 7, 2026, lists Sushiloko, in the neighborhood, among the Japanese options. Mana Poke, a poke chain, is Hawaiian cuisine, not Japanese, and is covered in the article on other world cuisines.

The sources consulted provide no ranking or award placing one Japanese house in the city above the others. For visitors, it is worth confirming the menu and hours directly with each restaurant before going. What the reports show is a consolidated segment, with neighborhood venues, mall restaurants and chains from outside the state.