We paid a visit to what used to be Miyuki on Solano last weekend. Turns out Akemi has been around for about a year now, and I'm sorry it took us so long to try it. The restaurant is sleek and elegant, more intimate, with romantic lighting, reclaimed wood, lovely, rustic stone tableware - overall, a badly needed remodel on the rundown, garishly lit Miyuki space. I'm still not sure who owns the place - Akemi's website calls it "the latest incarnation of Miyuki." A server told me they were the same owners, but a manager-looking-type on Saturday said no, they were new owners. Three of us ordered the hamachi "salad" - yellowtail, avocado, edamame jalapeño, and ponzu; miso-marinated black cod; okonomiyaki seafood pancake with cabbage, bonito, nori, aioli, tonkatsu sauce; a 49rs Roll; spicy scallop handroll; nigiri of toro, shiro maguro, and sake. Everything was wonderful. The hamachi was a bit hard to eat with chopsticks, as the other elements sat on top of the sashimi. But otherwise, a beautiful dish. The cod was perfectly cooked, nice and moist, with a little bit of charring and a bit of arugula salad on the side. The okonomiyaki was my favorite, and did its bonito-shavings-dance-thing as it was brought to the sushi bar, and was delicious - very fresh tasting, great texture. I'd be very hard-pressed not to order it again. All the fish was fresh though, and nicely cut. I'm dying to try their lobster ramen, tonkotsu ramen, the grilled kurabuta pork belly, and the momiji braised spare ribs. Their wine list is really interesting - all Italians! I can't remember the name of the producer, but it seems they're only using one, and they'll be switching up the wines intermittently. The manager-type said that they picked Italians as they go very well with Japanese food, and sushi in particular. I had a really lovely, extremely floral sauvignon blanc; wish I'd remembered to get the name of it as the wine list isn't on the website. Service was great - efficient, warm and friendly. We're really happy with this change. read more

Wow, this place far surpassed my expectations! We ordered: -Midori Salad: This was awesome! Little gem lettuce with carrots, radishes, cucumbers in a yuzu dressing. The dressing was super refreshing because of the yuzu yet still had a hint of creaminess. It was perfect! -Chicken Karaage: They totally kill the karaage. Not your typical chunks of chicken but they fry the chicken with the skin on! I personally love the crunch the skin gives so this was awesome. The plating was beautiful too! -Miso Cod: This was a hit as usual. Super fatty cod with a good miso marinade. Not sure if it's worth the $19 though...maybe if they gave another 1-2 more pieces of cod. It came with only two small pieces. -Evil roll: This blew my mind! First off it's SO cute, the plating is awesome! The roll was full of flavor, some spice from the jalapeno, creamy sweetness from the lobster sauce, soft fresh tuna overlaying the top, and a great crunch from the asparagus and again creaminess from the avocado. Totally melts in your mouth. I could eat two rolls myself, I swear! -Tonkatsu Ramen: Meh...I'd skip on this. First off, where's the typical tonkatsu? All we got were two thick pork bellies which no one can complain about since it's tasty too but just not the tonkatsu we were expecting. Ramen noodles were on point but the broth was a bit too salty. -Warm Sake: warm makes it easier to down but honestly not a fan. Would highly recommend the midori salad, chicken karaage and evil roll! The service was mediocre which is why -1/2 star: they had too few waiters running the place so the waitress seemed very rushed/busy and quite unattentive, but she was really nice when she was present helping us. Another -1/2 star because the food took quite a long time to come out. Other than that, I highly recommend and will def be coming back! read more

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My wife and I came here because of a Groupon deal (2 bowls of ramen + house hot sake). The modern, wooden decor was impressive. But unfortunately the food and service was not great. Despite there only being about a dozen patrons in the restaurant (including 3 at the sushi bar), service was really slow. I heard other diners nearby complaining having to wait a long time to get the servers' attention. We had to ask a second time for a couple glasses of water. We order a small roll, but it came after the ramen-we usually expect sushi rolls to come quickly before hot orders. The ramen we ordered were terrible. We ordered the tonkotsu and spicy miso ramen. They were sooo bland. The spicy miso broth tasted like hot water with a finish of spicy oil. The tonkotsu broth was only slightly better, but still tasted watered down. The spicy miso came with bland, boiled chicken. At least the tonkotsu came with decent and thick cuts of pork. I also overheard the guys next to us complaining about a cooked salmon dish that they asked to return. I think the quality of this restaurant suffers from offering too much on their menu coupled with poor execution. The wait staff can also do a better job of being more attentive, especially with a low number of patrons in the restaurant. read more

Have been here at least 6 times with my mom and every time the food is fresh and flavorful and the service is lovely. Their spicy garlic edamame are addictive, and their seaweed salad has so many varieties of seaweed making it a true standout from the usual homogenous seaweed salads. Also my mom is hard of hearing and this spot does not get too loud so it's is easy for her to hear, love that. read more

Looking for a Japanese restaurant 1 month ago and came across Akemi. I had been here before under a different name. I like the new ambiance. Very contemporary. Although it had a lot of children and families so it was confusing on what group they are after. The look is young hip the crowd was very family. The food was good once we got it. The service was alright. Took a while to get our order taken and to get our food. They seem more concerned with take out than the actual customer sitting in the restaurant. Also they need to work on the take out area very messy distracts from the over all feel. It's like they forgot to remodel an area for the ugly but necessary area for boxing and bagging take out. read more

Food is good although a little pricey for the portion size. Service is decent. Decor is nice and modern. What we had: -Hamachi Small Plate: Very good and refreshing. My favorite of the meal -Yyu Takaki: Very flavorful but I was expecting the kobe beef to be more tender -Miso Black cod: Very well prepared and flavorful -Okonomiyaki: Nice and crispy. The bonito flakes were "dancing" which is kinda cool -Spider Roll: Very good according to my kids -Evil Roll: Very nice, the jalapeno pepper added a nice kick -Double Hamachi Roll: Decent read more

Delicious food. Painfully bad service. I want to eat there because the sushi is soooo good but after giving it 4 chances I don't think I can return because the service is embarrassingly slow and inattentive. read more

Good fish, great roll - I got the golden gate. A few stars off due to service. I ordered in advance over the phone, was told order would take 30 minutes to be ready. OK, no problem I can find something else to occupy my time. But when I get there 40 minutes later it's still not ready. Finally, it comes out and its to go bag, but it feels kind a light... They forgot a few of my order items. Thankfully I checked! They were good about getting me my correct items, and I appreciate that. But the service is subpar. read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Goldengate roll - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

YUMMY YUMMY! Ate here twice and I would recommend trying different rolls and as you eat here and any specials they might have, because everything is so good. I recommend getting their hand rolls (Temaki) and they can also customize the basic rolls into hand rolls which is pretty cool! Will definitely go back again! Sorry I have no photos to show the food I got, but it was all pretty nice. read more

We just returned from a trip to Japan and wanted to find okonomiyaki. We were delighted with Akemi's version of this special savory pancake, along with the Crazy sushi roll, the agedashi tofu and a flight on very good sake. We highly recommend Akemi for a taste of Japan in the Bay Area. read more

Akemi is a great restaurant. We had amazing fast and friendly service. The hostess was very professional and seated us immediately. We were brought food and water promptly and had our order taken. The remodel looks amazing and made the place very upscale. The place can be pretty loud or maybe it was just the live entertainment that night. The food was presented perfectly as you would expect with sushi and it tasted better then we remember. We also had their sake sampler and they all tasted amazing. I recommend this place for a great date night or a fancy dinner with friends. read more

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I haven't eaten in a restaurant during the pandemic, so I've tried all of the Japanese restaurants that deliver. Some are okay, some are pretty good. But I ordered from Akemi a few days ago when they showed up on Doordash. I just have to say that Akemi is a league above - I guess most restaurants of this quality aren't on Doordash. I had forgotten what outstanding japanese food is like. During a trip to Japan a while back, my mom took me to every tonkatsu resturant we could find (my favorite dish), and I haven't had tonkatsu that good until I had Akemi's a few days ago. The sush, the tempura, the kara-age, the gyoza were all outstanding. I hadn't realized how sub-par the japanese cuisine that I had been eating the past few years was, until I experienced Akemi. read more

Waited over an hour before the food came out. It was a Monday night, it was not packed, and the place was fully staffed. The wait time was unreasonably ridiculous. Food was great. Service was shitty. Price was moderate. Atmosphere was fancy. Cleanliness was great. Overall C- Also, the ramen I ordered was delicious but I felt completely deceived to receive such a small piece of pork belly. Definitely wasn't worth the price. Don't think I'm coming back. read more

Poor customer service. Not to sounds like sour grapes, but we typically like the food at Akemi and decided to try take-out. It was a busy night, and thus they told us 40 minutes. That seemed long, but I guess that can happen. Once we got there it was another 10 minutes before the food was ready. When we got home, we realized they had not included 2 orders of California Rolls in the order. Mistakes happen. Upon calling back they said "Oh, sorry, that will be 15-20 mins." Upon voicing my disappointment in that amount of time given the rest of my food would get cold, the woman said "Sorry, they won't take to-go orders faster then that." She then HUNG UP ON ME. OK, I am a forgiving person, but this is unacceptable and thus I will never return and I will be sure no one I know does either. read more

Shout out to the Chef Dennis! He makes a genius menu that you can taste absolutely every flavor involved. The ramen is made to perfection and so is the slow-cooked beef. STUNNING. It is a little bit expensive, but for a good meal like that - you won't regret it. read more

I had the octopus, scallop, red snapper and halibut nigiri- great quality. No need to fear off-tasting sushi here. Everything was delicious and fresh. The yuzu panna cotta was the perfect ending to the meal. It was the perfect amount of tart citrus and sweetness, and was a great way to cleanse the palate. My server was Shirley and she was fantastic. Not only was she super knowledgeable and helpful, but very sweet! The space here is on the smaller side, but still very roomy; there is even a private dining space for parties. Love the stylish interior design with the uni-inspired light fixtures that added to the overall dining experience. Can't wait to come back and try the Evil Roll, which I absolutely drooled over when I saw it going out to another table, and the lobster ramen! read more

Beautiful place. Super friendly staff. Great food. What more can you ask for??? That we've heard about this place sooner! read more

What an improvement over Miyuki! Same owners decided to upgrade their restaurant and closed it for renovation last year. When they rebranded and re-opened it's not just a face lift. Outstanding sashimi quality - all types of fish we tried were highest grade. Amazing tuna, salmon, hamachi etc. We've been told that they changed their supplier and went with a more expensive type of fish. Some unexpected and sophisticated menu items like house ramen miso soups. Nice presentation. Not over the board like at Sushi 29, without flowers but very classy and clean. Very friendly and attentive staff. Higher end interior and decorations for Solano restaurants. Very reasonable prices for this level of experience. It's becoming a Friday tradition for my family. Great job! read more

We went here for the first time with our group of 7. I Loved the sushi rolls & the great service! I'll be back soon!

Favorite sushi place to go to if you aren't in a rush!! The fish is always so fresh and the rolls are delicious. This makes the sometimes slow service 100% worth it. Absolutely love the Lion King roll and the garlic edamame. read more

It was my first time at Akemi and it was delicious I'm very happy I gave it a try.. I highly recommend it and our server was really nice and we got great service! read more

Food was yummy. The presentation was excellent and shout out to Ayah for the great service. Will be back in the future to try more things.

More like a 3.5. Been meaning to try out this place since it re-opened as Akemi. Nice sleek decor and ambiance inside. Feel fairly Japanese and clean. We ordered the okonomiyaki to share which was good. Was more fluffy and didn't have much of a crunch, but was still good. I ordered the Akemi roll which was refreshing- cucumber wrapped with salmon, tuna, and hamachi. It was good but so hard to eat! The cucumber falls right off and it is not very filling. Should order another plate to go with it. Service was good. Overall I had an alright time and would like to come back to try their ramen. read more

AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - Akemi roll and lion king - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I came here for lunch with a large party. The restaurant has nice decor and looks classy and clean. The food was also great. We ordered several appetizers to share: -edamame: pretty standard, nothing special -brussel sprouts: really yummy. They were sliced into smaller chunks and tossed in a tangy, sweet sauce so they packed a bunch of flavor. For my entree, I ordered the tonkotsu ramen. This place's main focus isn't really ramen so I wasn't expecting much, but it was really good! The broth was rich and the noodles (they're the normal wiggly kind) were good quality. The ramen comes with half a soft boiled egg, bamboo, and a generous amount of pork. The pork slices were super tender, the only thing was they had huge blobs of fat in them. Overall the food was great. The reason I give only 3 stars is that the service definitely needs improvement. Not once during our two-hour lunch here did we get our water refilled, and it was very difficult to get a waiter because we were in a side room and no one came in to check on us. Our entrees also took almost an hour to come out, even though half of us just ordered ramen. When we asked when the food would be here, the waitress kept saying they have too many customers so it'll take a while. However, I've been to busier restaurants with much faster/better service. read more

WOW, I may have just had the best meal of my life! First off, the ambiance and decor of Akemi is stunning. Chic and cozy at the same time. I visited for lunch with a group of 6 and we were all completely blown away. Each bite was better than the last and we all couldn't decide which dish was our favorite, or what to bite into next. I highly recommend the sashimi, the lion kind roll, and the salads! I know who wants salad at sushi, but this isn't your ordinary salads. The lettuce is cut straight from the roots at the restaurant. I'm not a wasabi fan but their wasabi, again, one-of-a-kind fresh and delicious. If you're having trouble deciding what to order, ask for the owner Carol. She is lovely and very passionate about ensuring a high quality and exciting experience. I will be a regular here! read more

Gorgeous remodel & name change, why couldn't they upgrade the menu and food and hospitality. This is fast food done slowly. Relatively high price for poorly prepared (but large) items. We had 5 items (none sushi - as that is just an expensive mask for poor sashimi). None were even kind of good. A disappointment. Plenty of Japanese restaurants in the neighborhood (even same block) all ranges, all pretty good. read more

Such a beautiful presentation of very high quality ingredients. I met a colleague here for lunch and they were completely accommodating of my many food allergies and made me a lunch that I could enjoy safely. I started with the spicy garlic edamame which were amazing. The chef then specially brought out a seaweed salad that alone is worth going back for. Last, he brought out the MOST STUNNING sashimi plate I have ever seen. The quality matched the presentation and I will definitely be back! read more

The ingredients are very fresh and taste delicious. Atmosphere is great. We were here on a crowded Friday night, the food had been sat on the counter for quite some time before delivering to us. The hostess was not very friendly who cancelled our reservation after we were late for 13 mins, although bar seats wasn't so bad, she could really be more welcoming as a hostess. read more

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Typically the food is solid to amazing depending on the day. I really enjoyed it last night with my family though. And the house hot sake was really good. I love the chic decor, it's one of the fanciest places on Solano. Service is alright, but no complaints; I think I just prefer the sushi bar. read more

Since COVID, the quality of my favorite restaurant has gone down significantly -- from the time an order is placed over the phone to picking up the food. Just recently we called in for two orders of the dragon roll, crazy roll, and California roll with a side of miso soup. The waitress was rude answering the phone, taking the order, and even handing off the food. We came home only to be greatly disappointed the waitress put an order in for red dragon. I will not return here until indoor dining is allowed again. What a waste of so much money. read more

Great sushi. Original recipes. Very reasonably priced. Great staff. Great ambiance. Live guitar jazz and pop music on Fridays or Saturdays. Highly recommend. read more

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Really enjoyed the evil roll! Good service and frequent water refills (I was thirsty!) I'll definitely be back for the Evil Roll! read more

The sushi was fantastic, probably some of the best I've had in the east bay, and I'm quite picky. I enjoyed the hamachi with jalapeno, yuzu, and avocado though they put so much mushed up avocado on it that it was sloppy to eat. It still tasted amazing though. Minus one star for the very sweet but inexperienced waitstaff. They are kind of a trainwreck in there - both times I went there I received dishes that weren't for my table and they weren't crowded nights. The last time it was taking so long that I almost ate the wrong order anyway, but I was glad I didn't because it belonged to the table next to me and I would feel pretty guilty. Also when ordering sake and asking which was the driest, our waitperson admitted to not being of drinking age, so couldn't give a recommendation. LOL. So the service has much to improve on, but it certainly won't stop me from going back for more delicious sushi. read more

Believe the negative reviews. They gave our order to the next table over, ignored us for 20 minutes after we complained. Only apologized when we confronted them. Food is great, but absolutely incompetent service. read more

Always great food and service. We always enjoy the specials of live scallops and aji.

Delicious food!! Great atmosphere. After the first time I went here I was there again a few nights later because it is that good. The sushi specialty rolls are very creative and they also have your traditional rolls. Everything was fresh and extremely flavorful. Highly recommend. read more

the ambiance and atmosphere was very nice. the sushi was excellent and fresh. parking outside is metered. try coming here in the early afternoon, wasn't so busy. read more

Amazing food would highly recommended when I was sick the soup made me feel better and service is great and kid friendly but still fancy

I celebrated my 40th bday party here and I was soo happy about how everything turned out! We reserved the whole restaurant and they closed it for my private event for a reasonable price and the amount of mouth watering food that we had was soo worth it.. the place itself was fancy enough and it even became fancier with the matching decor I had and the food really is worth losing your figure for . Carol and Jenni were really nice and accommodated every request I had and went far and beyond in taking care of me and my party! my guests all complemented the food and how gorgeous the place was..REALLY GREAT PLACE AND BEST JAPANESE FOOD!! read more

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First time eating food from here and I will be back. We got food to take away, as I've been sick all week and didn't really want to be out, but I had a hankering for sushi. We ordered rolls: California, spider, rainbow, ToroToro, and dragon. We also got a serving of gyoza. I can't wait to eat in. The food was very tasty. I hear the interior is beautiful, but that was from my adult son, who picked up our order. read more