We spent $200 for a party of 4 for dinner last night. I'm not sure how they got the four stars review. All the rolls were overstuffed with gummy (too much water) rice, and all the rolls tasted the same. The main ingredient (fish and eel) made up 25% of the component. I cannot recommend this place. read more

This has been one of my most favorite restaurants on the Solano strip. Their ramen was amazing and their sushi was fresh and fulfilling. The ambiance is real relaxed playing contemporary electronic indie music. The lighting allows your you to really take in the experience which is Akemi. The friendly staff is quick to cater to customers and secure that you have a pleasant time and meal throughout your experience here. Personally I fell in love with their ramen and would return. read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - An image of the ambiance on a slow night - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Some of the best sushi I've had in the bay area! I really recommend the Chef's choice sashimi (10 pc). We also got the red dragon and crazy rolls which were a dream together. Finished with the yuzu panna cotta which was so light and creamy. I want to go back every week because that was the perfect meal. read more

Took my partner to this restaurant last week for her birthday. I was excited since we have not found a Japanese restaurant in this area just yet and we didnt have to drive out to San Francisco. We were greeted by the staff as we walked in and were seated quickly. We ordered some ramen, appetizers and sushi. The tonkatsu ramen was a little disappointing. I didnt too much care for the broth but my partner love the portion of the pork. I also didnt like the Okonomiyaki that alot of folks love. I really enjoyed the sushi, it was tasty and fresh. Overall if I come back it will be for the sushi only. read more

Went here during Berkeley restaurant week 2018. Ambience is nice and romantic. Sushi and sashimi were fantastic, but expensive. Good place for special occasions read more

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Some of the best sushi I've ever had! And they serve good wine at the correct temperature, which can be rare for Japanese restaurants. The ambiance is sophisticated, warm and modern. read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have tried many Japanese restaurants in both the East Bay and San Fran (as well as on the East Coast), and this one is at the very top. While I was under-impressed with the Jasmine Lemonade (not enough Jasmine) and the Unagi (not enough grilled taste), everything else I tried was truly stellar! The Brussels sprout appetizer was the best of its genre that I've had, perfectly caramelized (really, really perfectly) and complemented exquisitely with Bonita flakes. The cucumbers with sesame was both simple and perfect. The seaweed salad reached great heights due to its phenomenal dressing and impeccable balance of ingredients. The sake salmon dish had by far the best salmon skin I've ever eaten, and I'm a huge fan of salmon skin and was in complete ecstasy as I munched on it. Both its seasoning and texture were better than any other salmon skin I've ever had, by far. And finally, my dining partner tried the Futomaki, and we both were completely blown away by it. Until now, both of us had enjoyed Futomaki at many restaurants, but neither of us had ever had it made by a true sushi master. This Futomaki had the perfect balance of ingredients combined with a flavor that was incredible. One of the best dining experiences of my life! Bravo! read more

Been here twice and have tasted a good chunk of the menu. Everything is wonderful -- some items are especially wonderful. The pork ribs on my first visit were so good I literally had dreams about them days later. (Not as good the second time but pretty close). Same goes for the yuzu panna cotta. Highly recommend this place! read more

Went on Valentine's Day with my boo and the food and service were AMAZING!! I highly recommend the roasted garlic soup with kale. Everything is fresh and delicious. read more

Amazing "Special" Unagi, & Ikura Nigiri wrapped in Salmon Belly. Really loved the hamachi yellowtail,avocado,jalapeño, ponzu small plate. Amaebi was great! The seafood was really fresh and delicious. I am really full....in a good way.. read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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3 stars is A-OK. I walked past this place twice while looking for it. How does anyone know this is a restaurant? There is nothing to invite you in or give you a clue what business this is. Other restaurants on the block have signs, pictures, menu's etc. outside to let you know what they offer inside and they make you curious which makes you want to come in. Not so at Akemi. There is nothing but a tiny open sign in the front window which is heavily tinted. No other sign of life. My friend arrived and we opened the door. I was not sure what to expect on the other side, but yes, it is a restaurant serving Japanese food. Being on the KETO diet it is always risky going to a restaurant, and Japanese food has a reputation for being heavy on sugar. But I looked at the menu online and decided that I could order some sashimi and not get kicked out of KETO. I ordered a Chef's sashimi combo plate, a side of octopus and some miso soup. Fish is always very expensive. My friend ordered a Tempura bento box and gave me the cabbage salad and took the rice and brussels sprouts home for his wife. The food and service were all A-OK, nothing to write home about. We both enjoyed our meal and we both agreed that we could return. But first we want to explore other restaurants in the area. Neither of us would drive across town to dine here again because we can get the same thing just about anywhere. But if we were in the area and really wanted some Japanese food, sure, we'd eat here again. read more

Best Japanese food in Berkeley and the vicinity. We've been patrons of Akemi for many years, and the food here is always fresh, with unique flavors and a great menu. We have mostly done takeout since the start of the pandemic, but Akemi never disappoints. Some of my favorites are the Hamachi salad, lobster or vegetable ramen, temaki toro, and any rolls, but anything I try here is outstanding. read more

Very average to below average Japanese food. I had the chicken Kara. It was bland. The spider roll was okay, but much smaller than average with only 5 pieces. The service was fair. The hostess pretended we weren't there. I would not eat there again. Too many good Japanese places to waste your time with this restaurant. read more

We had a tremendous experience this evening at AKEMI! First time trying this gem, and we were absolutely delighted. Fresh and delicious food, artfully displayed. The Vegetable Gyoza was delicate and flavorful. We sampled a variety of seafood sushi rolls and they were perfection. The combo grilled sirloin plate was absolutely delicious. This will become a fave go-to!! read more

Last night we visited Akemi, a local favorite, where we were asked to show our vaccination record. I have been carrying this record around since early this year, but my friend from Colorado was not prepared. While she researched her phone for a pic of the record, we were consistently berated in a rude and condescending manner by the front staff, "explaining" the policy, to such an extend that I felt it necessary to gently suggest that one can choose to use kindness in enforcing a policy. This now prompted the staff to raise their monologue to obnoxious levels. Mind you, we NEVER contested the policy, we were merely trying to retrieve a record. We were not the only regular patrons at that time to be treated with disdain. At a certain point the retrieval of the record became unimportant. We lost our appetite. Who wants to patron a rude establishment? The staff's behavior was disrespectful and shockingly out of line. If I were the owner of this restaurant, I would be horrified. Akemi just lost a handful of regular patrons last night. And they clearly couldn't care less. By the way, what happened to their outdoor tables? read more

Food: 5/5 Price: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Ambience: 5/5 AKEMI is such a hidden gem!!! It's a beautiful upscale Japanese restaurant with modern decor. The restaurant is fairly dimmed, giving it a beautiful ambiance. Lunch menu is extensive and has a great value compared to their dinner items. Grilled Chicken Combo Plate - served with miso soup, rice, salad, and mixed tempura. WOWWWW!!! Huge portions of chicken and tempura, almost like 2 bentos! I loved the chicken and the slight char on the edges. Tempura had around 8 pieces, including 2 shrimp! They were freshly fried and very crispy. Salad was more like coleslaw, quite good. This plate was $12 for lunch, and $22 for dinner! Evil Roll - tempura asparagus, avocado topped with spicy tuna, jalapeño, kewpie, tobiko. Highly raved about on Yelp, I decided to give it a try and man it was GOOD!! Different from your normal sushi roll, this one is not drenched in mayo and had the boring CA base. The middle was a huge chuck of avocado and a piece of tempura asparagus - interesting combo. The top was the best part - spicy tuna with jalapeno and sauce, seared! The tuna was so flavorful and literally melts in your mouth...couldn't get enough of it! Tea - didn't know they charge for this ($3) but it was good! I was so impressed by this meal. Everything screams quality! Favorites: * Grilled Chicken Combo Plate ($12) * Evil Roll ($14) read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Evil Roll ($14) - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Nigiri Sushi is the best I've had in the East Bay. Appetizers are very tasty too. Excellent service. We'll be back.

Ate a late dinner here while in the Bay Area. Dimly lit, contemporary setting with Asian influences was my first impression. I had the Sushi Combo which is a great deal for under 20 dollars. The fish was very fresh and the special roll by the chef was excellent- spicy tuna roll , fried and seasoned with eel sauce. Husband had Tonkatsu Udon which also was very good. We shared the Brussel sprout salad which was a great small dish to share. Roasted sprouts in a balsamic dressing sprinkled with dried fish flakes. A must try if you go. read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Sushi bar - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Delicious Japanese food and good lunch specials as well as Bento box . Fresh and tasty food, nice service I will definitely recommend to family and friends . Salmon lunch special is favorite along with the mixed tempura and gyoza. read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Salmon and Tempura Lunch Special - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is a hidden gem! As many times as I've been on Solano Ave to eat at restaurants this place is definitely hidden especially since there is really no sign on top of the building but more like on the side entrance. The restaurant is really beautiful inside with the décor and how they have the tables set up so it makes it seem like the restaurant is more open. My fiancé and I almost felt underdressed because it seemed like the décor made it really fancy but that wasn't the case at all. The server was really nice and gave us plenty time for us to go over the menu. We ordered a couple of rolls of sushi and also a ramen bowl and both were delicious!!! The 2 sushi chefs are very talented and you can tell they take pride on how they cut their fish and display their rolls on the plates. Overall this place is a must go to if you're in the area. Great service and delicious food. read more

I came here for lunch during Berkeley Restaurant Week. We came right at opening time, and they didn't seem to be ready for customers. We waited a while to get seated, despite the restaurant being empty, and it also took forever to even get tea. + Miso Soup: Decent flavor, but too salty. + Pork Gyoza & Veggie Gyoza: Okay, but definitely not freshly made. It's got some crispy, and the chili oil is nice. + Mekabetsu: I've never had brussels sprouts with this kind of seasoning before, but it works quite nicely. The sprouts were nicely caramelized, and the sauce and bonito added an extra punch. + Hawaii Beach Roll: I found felt the mango was a bit overwhelming, making it hard to enjoy the flavors of the other ingredients. + Emerald Roll: The seaweed salad and dollop of sriracha really confused the flavor profile of this roll. The combination of ingredients didn't work for me at all. + Rainbow Roll: This was the only roll where I could actually taste the fish, which is okay but not particularly fresh. The ambiance is nice and a few things were good, but I probably wouldn't come back. read more

Main message: not worth the money. I lists in detail what I ordered and my thoughts on them below. I am a sashimi - loving girl who appreciates fresh and good quality fish. The sashimi combo here was nowhere near $$. The tuna tasted better than it looked (color faded due to poorly thawing) and the other fish were good. I just don't like seeing a faded piece of tuna on my $20+ plate of sashimi. Unagi was unagi. can't really get unagi wrong. The red dragon roll wqs also part of our dinner montage today. Pros: perfectly fried tempura and good quality ingredients Con: bad sauce and too much of it on top (tip: scrape some off!) read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Dewazakura Sake Sampler - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Average position of a japanese food... As all of the small business (asian , wether jap chinese .....) their noodles are not home made----you cannot expect this in america. But anyway the ramon is better than many chinese soup noodle ---there is an added score for the soup , pure white looks yammy. But for the mixed tampura i orderd, it was terrible. Some deep fried vegetables is actually very fatty, i though some other tampura is made lighter. It's kind of wired that they cook plenty kind of vegetables to make this combo: fried broccoli fried scallion fried potatoes fried green..... i appreciate this idea, but alone with tempura shrimp itself they were terribly oily. By the way, the source is without flavor. And the making of this is nonsense too long. read more

Aside from the speedy service and friendly staff, Akemi has really good ramen. I got the usual tonkotsu with egg. The broth was a little on the creamier side, but I don't mind that at all. We also for a plate of gyoza, the sesame garlic edamame (delicious!), and another order of regular edamame that came free with a Yelp checkin. Great place for dinner. It's fairly quiet early in the evening when they open, but gets very crowded and loud as the night goes on. read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

All I can say is the best sushi I have ever tried is here. just awesome and the lion king if I'm not mistaken is the king of sushies read more

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Best sushi hands down. Amazing rolls, great everything. Fish is so fresh. Very creative. Atmosphere is awesome! The decor and woodwork is totally cool! Service is great. The sushi bar is a fun place to hang out. Good selection of saki. read more

Love it! Akemi is our go-to place for celebrations, splurges, and special events. When we got engaged, we brought both families here to meet over dinner. Akemi's staff did a great job helping us plan and put on our engagement dinner in their semi-private room. Everyone loved it, and the pricing was very reasonable. read more

We came here a looong time ago and forgot how much we liked this place.. but we decided to come back for dinner tonight since I've been craving sushi and i remember this place being super cute and delicious (also is super close to our house so that's a plus!! Lol) my boyfriend and I order the lion king roll, evil roll, and spider roll(not our favorite but still good) food was pretty feeling and the service was great! It was also pretty busy for a late Sunday! Overall great sushi! Oh and the hot sake was good also! read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Akemi was delicious, we came for restaurant week and had the Prix Fixe menu as well as Tonkatsu ramen. The Akemi roll was on point and the ramen was super tasty with delicious pork belly. Will definitely be back read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Tonkatsu ramen! - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This place is a sushi lover's dream. Back in my undergrad days, I thought $20 AYCE sushi places were the best thing ever but now that I'm a working woman, I can afford to treat myself to good sushi. I've been to Akemi multiple times but my favorite times are when the live jazz guitarist is there. Nothing beats good food and good music. Nothing. The sushi itself is kind or pricey for someone on a budget but worth every penny. I usually sit at the bar and gaze at the sushi orders while I wait for my order. The sushi chefs are wonderful. I came here every weekend when I first discovered the place. It is on the smaller side so it does fill up fast on Friday/Saturday nights. They do take reservations. read more

Found this place on yelp and open table. It was our first time here and we were not disappointed. We were a party of 5. We were seated promptly. The food was great and tasted fresh. We tried appetizers, sashimi, rolls and the yuzu dessert. The food was really good as well as the service. We will definitely come back. read more

Menu is misleading. The Okanomiyaki is deep fried, not a griddle cake as served in Osaka. The shrimp and other alleged ingredients are invisible: couldn't see or taste any, not even egg in the batter. Just fancy fried flour. The Lobster Ramen, which seemed the perfect New Year's treat, was not a fish broth but cream sauce or, more generously, a heavy bisque. Not rehydrating like a steamy bowl of noodle soup, and not piping hot. I know ramen literally refers to noodles, but the word's come to mean the dish we all crave on a cold night. This wasn't it. Even the roll served with the sushi assortment was deep fried. So, for diners like us who head to Japanese restaurants for a light fish meal, or who can't eat fatty foods, we ended up with orders we couldn't consume. I understand that menu prices reflect the rent, and I don't blame the restaurant for that, but for us this was a pricey mistake. Nor do I take issue with creative interpretations of old standards. All I ask is that the menu give us some warning. read more

My friend visited from out of town. Craving ramen, and vegetarian options, we came here. The interior is uniquely captivating! Then the service was really great. The food was delicious as well. My friend ordered an assortment of veg options while I ordered a ramen bowl. We also shared edamame and a sake flight. I recall there being too much ramen in the bowl to finish but I would have given it an 8/10. Not the BEST I have ever tasted but it was good. Given the distance and availability of ramen in the Bay Area I don't foresee returning any time son but I certainly wouldn't forget about it! read more

We had a great date night here! The ambiance is intimate and upscale however, the service was pretty poor. No one came to our table to give us drinks for a good 15 minutes and when the server did come they were cold and unfriendly. I was really disappointed because with the right service this place has great potential! The food was amazing! We had the garlic Wagyu beef, salmon and chefs choice sushi. The fish was very fresh and deilicious! The Yuzu pana Cotta was to die for. read more

Found this lovely Japanese restaurant while hanging around the famous Solano Ave in Albany, next to El Cerrito. There's a lot of excellent places to eat down Solano, and Akemi is no exception. It's one of the best Japanese places I have ever been in the Bay Area. Not only the modern Japanese aesthetics are nice, but the service and the quality is outstanding. Pros: -Great food quality and presentation -Nice looking and casual environment -Excellent sake -Perfect service and recommendations -Very clean restrooms and quilted toilet paper ^_^ Cons: -Price (location and quality are the variables) -Hours of operation It's really hard to find any bad things to say about this place. I had the Tonkotsu Ramen (pork belly, shoyu egg, bamboo shoots, kikurage, green onions in pork broth) and it was the best ramen I ever had. Mainly because the pork broth was delicious and the pork belly was so perfectly cooked.. the fat just melted in your mouth and the flavors are on point. The sushi was great too and the Maki was rolled tight and even. My tab was around 30 so it's not really cheap, but I rarely have this kind of quality. I would definitely recommend this place to friends and family. read more

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I went in a group of three for a weeknight dinner. The place was not very crowded. We got a variety of sushi and tempura dishes. None of the food really stood out, but it was all tasty, and the portions were of good size. The restaurant was not crowded, so the service was attentive, especially at the beginning. read more

I had been walking past this place for a week or so and had no clue what it was finally looked it up and decided that I had to try it...it was my birthday my boyfriend and I went for dinner we were very impressed the sushi was so fresh and tasty! Definitely worth a try! The lion king roll was amazing and the titanic was great! read more

I meant to post this review a while ago. We first got food from them in March during the first month of the pandemic. We called in and they said it would be ready in 20-25 minutes. We got to the restaurant in about 15 minutes and waited outside until our food was ready. It took a total time of 30 minutes for take-out which was fine. The second time was for Mother's Day. I don't know if they were too busy but they told my husband 30 - 40 minutes for take-out. My husband drove there and waited, and waited and waited. They kept saying the food would be ready in 15 minutes. There was a long line of people outside also waiting for their food. After over an hour, my husband gave up and left without any food. The restaurant didn't seem to be making the food ordered over the phone until you showed up and paid for it. Never ever coming back to this restaurant! read more

-- Great o-toro sashimi, amazing rolls at reasonable price -- We've been to this place a few times. The place is authentic yet innovative. The o-toro (fatty tuna) is rich, fatty and fresh, with exquisite marble and seductive pink color -- well worth the price. The rolls are innovative as they are delicious. I highly recommend the evil roll, where the grilled pepper elevate the baked fish roll to a whole new level, adding freshness and spiciness to the otherwise oily dish. The eel roll (forgot the actually name) is also worth trying -- after all, grilled eel is one of the basic dishes that reflects a Japanese chef's training. The place has a pretty long menu so I can't vouch for all the dishes. But for the dishes we've tried, it's at least decent (Karage, for example, is good but I'd safely say Ippuku is better). In addition, the place is well priced with easy parking. The place is a bit understaffed so service is slow. But I won't say it shadows the overall great experience. Food is a 4, but I'd give it a 5 for the fact that it's differentiated from other sushi roll places. From the quality and the presentation of the food you can tell that the chef really cares, and I respect that a lot. I visit here almost every time I come back to the Bay Area and very much looking forward to visiting again and explore more from the menu. Attaching my standard of 1-5: 5 - so good that you should fly there just to try it. Innovative and delicious. Strong menu overall. 4 - outstanding in its category locally. Would worth up to 1h drive. Strong dishes here and there. 3.5 - great food here and there but unstable quality. Would be a good choice for take-out but definitely not constitute a good date night dinner. 3 - if you come with expectation of 3-star food you won't feel disappointed. Mediocre at best. 2 - subpar food / service. Something might come out to ruin your experience. 1 - no, just no. read more

I regularly get a bento box from here. The staff is awesome, and the food solid. Good for a relaxed evening dinner. I love their sashimi. I like their gyoza as well. read more