would like to commend on the high quality of the food and the cleanliness of the establishment…read more Furthermore, your staff members were exceptionally professional and welcoming. Based on this excellent experience, I will certainly recommend your restaurant to others. Thank you for providing such great service.

4 stars $16 Black…read morePepper Tofu with $3 brown rice was: pretty good. I got spicy which was in fact spicy. Oily though; this fell just shy of good enough to eat on repeat, so maybe just shy of 4 stars.

Amazing food. Called to reserve a table for 10 on a Saturday morning one week in advance. They were…read moreable to accommodate us. Please be aware that there may be people reserved after if you are also reserving a table. We had to leave 1.5 hrs after and they did rush us to get our orders. The food was amazing though. I didn't think any one of us had complaints. We all loved the mango margarita. I particularly enjoyed the tornado omurice, they were also able to sub tofu for beef for my friend with food restrictions.

We visited Kitchen Story for a spontaneous Mother's Day brunch. I will say this is a popular brunch…read morespot, so be prepared for a bit of a wait. We arrived shortly after 10am and our wait was just under 30 minutes. The restaurant is cozy (on the smaller side) but has an interesting layout. There's seating both indoors, outside, and upstairs. You may have to squeeze by a few tables to make your way to the restroom. Customer service was friendly and attentive. Pricing for food & drinks was a bit high. Our total for 2 entrees and 2 drinks was $60 before tip. We ordered two drinks (orange juice and an iced mocha) which were provided promptly. The orange juice was a little too sour and my mom had to add some sugar to improve the taste. The iced mocha was good, not too sweet. One thing to note the wait for our food took much longer than expected, and it may have been due to how busy it was. My mom opted to order the salmon yuzu benedict and I got an egg plate (scrambled eggs) with a side green salad. My mom mentioned the potatoes lacking salt but she enjoyed the salmon benedict. I thought the scrambled eggs were good, but slightly bland & needed salt and pepper. The side green salad was alright, but the vinaigrette had a bitter aftertaste. Overall, the meal was pretty good and timing wasn't the best. I'd likely return for brunch on a non-peak day. Definitely recommend joining the yelp waitlist prior to arriving if you can!

I had a reservation and was seated perfectly on time. I'd definitely make a reservation because it…read moreis a very busy spot. There's limited seats inside and has a very cozy vibe. They have delicious small bites and are very well priced. I specifically loved the sashimi, iberico pork jowl skewer, beef tataki and sweet potato crème brulee. The service was very kind and helpful. I can't wait to go back and try more.

Great experience overall. The food was flavorful and the atmosphere was cozy but still lively.read more

Came here on a Friday night and had to wait over an hour to get seated at a table. Highly recommend…read moremaking reservations ahead of time if you don't want to wait. We ended up seating at a shared communal table for dinner. We ordered maguro tuna carpaccio and hamachi hand roll set as appetizers to start. Carpaccio was very thinly sliced with interesting Asian fusion flavors. I loved the hamachi handroll set; well seasoned thick cuts of fish. We also shared the ocean trout and mentaiko pasta for entrees and both were good. Crispy skin on the fish was excellent. The pasta was buttery but felt like it was missing something. We got yogurt soju and Sauvignon blanc wine, both were really good. Small restaurant with small tapa style plates. Great vibes and suitable for date night. Prices were high for the amount of food but amazing service!

Planned a friend date and suddenly I knew what it felt like to be a guy…read more With no context of what the girl likes, and judging by her taste in make up, catalog of stamps from around the world, and a diverse palette Bob Ross could paint with, I provided two options. Oken was 1st choice while the 2nd choice was somewhat more casual. MAGURO CARPACCIO - FRESH MAITAKE TEMPURA - Great texture, not greasy BAECHU SALAD - lots of flavor and love a crispy topping WAGYU KALBI SHORT RIB SSAM - TENDER af, great flavor STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE - subtle, not too sweet Asian fusion can sometimes be a hit or miss but Oken executed every dish beautifully. Make reservations because this place fills up quick. Good date spot. Great service. Amazing food.

Belly has become one of my favorite spots in Oakland, and for some great reasons. The food is…read moreconsistently yummy. Their salads are a standout, especially with the ability to customize your protein. Their fusion twists on burritos, bowls, burgers, and spaghetti are right up my alley. Their drinks and mocktails are a nice touch too. But what really keeps me coming back every Tuesday is Mahjong Night. Alice and the staff have built something genuinely special here; a warm, welcoming community where regulars and newcomers mix easily over tiles and great food. The energy in the room is wonderful, and you can tell the whole team actually cares about the experience they're creating. If you're looking for a neighborhood restaurant with delicious food and real heart, Belly is it. Highly recommend coming for a meal, and even more so for Mahjong Night if that's your thing.

Went here with visiting family this evening. The menu was full of intriguing combinations, and I…read morehad a hard time choosing among them. We got an order of tater tots for the table, which were wonderful with Japanese flavors. I had the two taco plate with steak and eggs. My only problem with the dish was that the tortillas couldn't handle the weight and moisture of the filling and fell apart. The flavors were very nice and I enjoyed the dish very much. My family also enjoyed their meals, most notably my nephew's miso brown butter noodles. Service was very prompt and efficient. The vibe of the place was easygoing and colorful but not fussy or frilly. And the food is reasonably priced as well. There is a lot of wonderful food in this Oakland neighborhood, and I'm not here very often, so it may be a while before I get back to this spot. But I think anyone who enjoys innovative fusion combinations will enjoy this casual eatery. Give it a try!

Brunch done the right way in Berkeley! From hard to find parking to the loud environment to…read morebottomless mimosas to Korean fusion dishes. Everything meshes just right. We went with the bottomless mimosa option. They offer 4 different flavors: OJ, raspberry, peach, and Tiffany (for it's color). We enjoyed the peach one the most. Our server made sure we had refills on both water and mimosas at all times. We started off strong with the Pajun Pancake. A good ratio of shrimp, bacon, and veggies. The sauce it was paired with was the wow factor and we even asked for more. The bulgogi on both the bulgogi bowl and bulgogi scramble was tender and had a tasty marinade. I would had wished the bulgogi scramble didn't have as much red onion. I was surprised with the sweet potato tots option and that didn't disappoint. The spicy pork sandwich was elevated and balanced out with the kimchi slaw and cucumber combo. We finished with the Crunch French toast and it was perfection! Fluffy inside but a crunchy outside. I would come back to try their other options for brunch and dinner.

Visited on a Saturday between 1:00 and 2:00 PM…read more I've been to this restaurant before and decided to come back after a few years. The hostess was welcoming, and the staff who brought out our food were friendly. Unfortunately, our server provided a very different experience. When we asked for appetizer recommendations, he simply repeated the menu items without offering any suggestions. Throughout the meal, he never checked on our table, even though we noticed him checking on the surrounding tables several times. At one point, the patio umbrella unexpectedly fell near our table. Instead of first asking if everyone was okay, his only response was, "Do you mind if I close the umbrella?" That was disappointing and made us feel overlooked. The only time his attitude became noticeably friendlier was when he brought the check. We happened to be the only Asian table that afternoon. While I can't say for certain why our experience felt different, the contrast in service left us feeling unwelcome. I hope every customer receives the same level of care and attention.

Beautiful restaurant and amazing food. Each dish was very delicious…read more Our favorites were the beef salad and the pumpkin slices. Surprisingly the pumpkin was the star. Very crispy and the sauce that comes with it is a nice tough. Great appetizer you should get. Beef salad hits all the notes a Thai dish should hit. Would recommend this as well. Vibes were great here. Great music and they have a fully stacked bar. Perfect for a weekend night

I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while, and I finally got the chance to check it out!…read more I started with the Tom Yum cocktail, made with rum, apple juice, lime, chili, and lemongrass. It was refreshing, flavorful, and delicious. For the entrées, we ordered the Avocado Green Curry and the Pad Kee Mao. We asked for spicy, and they delivered! The Pad Kee Mao was packed with flavor, and the portion was decent. It was my first time having avocado in Thai curry, and it worked really well. The curry was rich and flavorful, and the chunks of avocado were tasty. Overall, a fantastic meal, and I will definitely be back!

I'm a gym guy who follows a pretty strict diet, so Koja Kitchen's chicken rice bowl is always one…read moreof my go-to orders when I eat out. It's packed with grilled chicken, rice, fresh vegetables, and you can even add an egg for some extra protein. It checks all the boxes for a meal that's filling, nutritious, and still full of flavor. The service has consistently been friendly and efficient, even during busier times. My food has always come out quickly, and the staff has been welcoming whenever I've stopped by. The restaurant itself has a clean, modern, and casual atmosphere that makes it a great spot whether you're grabbing a quick lunch or sitting down to enjoy your meal. Overall, it's one of my favorite places when I want something healthy without sacrificing taste. 10/10 as always.

I like the concept and vibes of this place. Service was a bit slow and we were the only customers…read morethere on a Saturday afternoon... The short rib was tender and had good flavor, and the rice bun was super crispy & yummy. I just wish the koja had more to it....it was just meat and lettuce, but it needed a cold, crunchy, and tart aspect like kimchi or something! The umami fries were not good unfortunately; they were soggy, too saucy, and I wish they layered things instead of dumping everything on top.