Brief summary: - Good portions - fills up more than its…read moreappearance - Liked the equal balance of the broth and noodles with protein - Close to Trader Joe's - Indoor seating Ramen is a dish that has started sprouting in Berkeley, and this is one of them .I decided to go there for dinner with the family before heading to the Trader Joe's across the street to stock up on groceries. We entered a few minutes before peak dinner times, so there were seats to choose and sit from. By the time we left, mostly all the seats were filled up, so I would suggest coming in early. I liked the naming for each of the ramen dishes, some I recognized the names from Hawai'i. For this round, we ordered 3 different types of ramen: the Kuni, Broke da Mouth, and the Miso Hungry. These orders also came around the same time. A notable elements I liked about the ramen was that the noodles were chewy and springy, and the broth was smooth and easy to drink. I also didn't have the urge to drink lots of water either, so the seasoning was perfect. The other element was that I got to enjoy the ramen's broth and noodles as the stars of the dish, and the proteins, like the pork were supporting roles. For me, what I enjoy ramen are the broth and noodles, so I'm happy that these are prominent in the dish, rather than me having other chow down a thick slab of pork. This restaurant hit the right marks for what a delicious ramen is for me, so I'll come back, and maybe try their other broths.

Berkeley is a great city to try new food and we found another ramen spot! This restaurant is…read morelocated near the campus and parking was fairly easy to find after hours. When walking in, the dinner crowd was slowly trickling in. I found a spot closer to the entrance. They have the place a bit divided by two sides for more intimacy. The food is a mix of Hawaiian and Japanese. We both wanted to try the broke da mouth ramen as it was a customer favorite! I enjoyed my ramen and it was good to catch up and talk. The atmosphere was chill and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We ended up talking for hours about everything until I realized how late it was and the bowls were cleared. They were patient and didn't kick us out right away. Lol Ty Ty Very good ramen, good place to catch up and friendly staff. I'm still biased and have a few favorite ramen spots though

Delicious ramen, but takes time for the food to come out…read more We came for lunch on a Sunday, a big group of about 10 people. The interior is spacious so they seated us with no issue. The menu is extensive and has a lot of great options. However, our food took over 30 minutes to come out, with the ramen coming out first, then buns, then sushi rolls. Since we were on a time crunch, a few of us either had to rush eat our dish or take it to-go. This was a bummer, but I would definitely come again to enjoy the food at a more preferable pace. The prices were also reasonable. Parking is as expected around campus - street metered parking. There is a restroom inside for customers.

I'm always a little surprised that Ippudo doesn't have a clean sweep of five stars across the…read moreboard. I come here for one thing and one thing only: the vegan ramen. And to be clear, I do not order vegan ramen anywhere else. This is the exception. It's rich, deeply satisfying, and has that full-bodied, slurpable depth you usually associate with tonkotsu. No "this is good for vegan" qualifiers needed, it's just straight-up good ramen. If you've been sleeping on it because it's vegan, don't. This is the move.

We discovered this fun little Izakaya (Japanese social eatery) when coming into town for the…read moreLadytron show at the UC Theater on busy Saturday night on University Avenue and we are glad that we decided to give it a try. It was conveniently located across the street from the venue, and the unassuming outside of the restaurant did not hint at the amount of fun, ambiance, good food, and warm hospitality contained inside. First, there is the name. Not sure if it's some sort of play on words, secret joke, or if it's someone's actual name, but it works, kinda. It's kinda a restaurant, kinda a bar, kinda of a hangout, and kinda fun. The tiny entrance and plain facade reveals a bustling world of delicious food, tasty beverage, and lots of decorative eye candy to keep you looking around the space while you are hanging out with friends, on a date, or just relaxing after a long day. The decorations there are very upbeat, eclectic, fun, and distinctly Japanese pop culture. Posters, banners, flags, lanterns, toys, and trinkets can be found all over the restaurant, and made it fun to keep looking around and discover new novel things to look at. I did feel like I was in an authentic Izakaya somewhere in Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Ebisu in Tokyo. The place had a lot of personality & personal flair in an otherwise, tiny & industrial small warehouse type space. Service was excellent. The host was the cute & personable Mina, who couldn't have been more accommodating, patient, friendly, and engaging. It was very busy, and even though it was our first time there, Mina made us feel welcome into their home and was also very helpful to guide us around their experience. The other staff were less engaging, but still professional, efficient, and polite. Service was quick, attentive, and friendly on all accounts, and they as a team, managed to serve an entire full house of hungry & happy patrons during the entire Saturday night dinner rush. Fun place with a good staff. We opted for Izakaya-type, shared small plates to satisfy our hunger cravings without getting too full and weighed down on big portions of heavy, rich foods. Everything on the long & expansive menu looked great, but we mostly stuck with small appetizers to sample & savor. It was nice that there were plenty of lighter, fresh vegetarian options as neither of us were really in the mood for seafood, fried food, or big heavy entrees. We ordered the Kinda Tofu, Kyuri sliced fresh cucumber salad, and Kinoko butter-grilled mushroom hot platter and washed it down with some green grape Jinro soju. Everything was pretty good! Not overly fried, greasy, salty, or seasoned. Lightly cooked, delicately glazed, with just enough seasoning & oil/sauce to make it taste good, but not end up too complicated or messy. The taste really came through using these minimal cooking & seasoning techniques. The taste of the original vegetables & tofu came through perfectly, and were only complimented by their light hints of adding flavor. Portion sizes were ample for two people, and presentation was appetizing and organized. The bill for 3 apps + 1 bottle of Soju was less than $50, so it was a good value for the fun experience & good food. Wait times during the dinner rush are long, and there isn't really anywhere to sit or stand, so reservations are recommended. You can also enter and go straight to the 10-seat bar if there are openings, but we got a table for two after around a 20-30 minute wait. After that, everything moves pretty quickly, from ordering, getting food & drinks, to wrapping up and getting your check. Perfect system if you're trying to get to a concert, movie, or appointment with a specific start time. I really liked this place, not Kinda, not Sorta, but Definitely, or Absolutely! Kinda Izakaya will always be our destination to eat & hang out next time we come back to Berkeley, it is a true gem of a Japanese Izakaya/light meal fare right in the heart of downtown Berkeley. It's fun, tasty, busy, and friendly. Small & cozy, yet also airy & comfortable.

2nd Visit. I'm smitten with the menu and vibes. $6 Kyuri:…read morerefreshing vinegary counter to the fried and grilled items. $12 Crispy Chicken Knees: very karage like. Excellent. $6 Bacon+Oyster: Least surprising. Tasty at least. $4.50 Chkn Skin: kinda sweet! In a good way, charred, and fatty. Delicious. $31 Ika Yaki: delicious

The food was amazing, the presentation was beautiful, the service was excellent! They took vegan…read moredining to a new level. Highly recommend for vegans and non-vegans.

Wow wow wow! I didn't think it could be done but this place has perfect vegan Japanese food! It's…read morehard to get in so make sure to make a reservation. Pacifica Roll (10/5 stars) - the best thing we ate, perfect creation of flavors that don't overwhelm each other, it's perfectly savory Poke Salad (5/5) - does it tastes like fish? No. But it's a great combination of textures, you have the chewy king oyster mushrooms and soft fried tofu, the crunch of the veggies and the cashew dressing is addicting Da Bao (5/5) - I didn't like the vegan spam alone (I personally like this other brand more) but here they paired it well with veggies and plum wine sauce that makes it work. The vegan spam here is too smokey for my tastes but together it's good. Roasted Garlic Miso Ramen (2/5) - Honestly, it was the only not good thing we had. The broth was neither garlicky or miso-y. It was very mushroomy. It was all one could taste. The spam did not fit with the ramen and was very jarring to taste in the ramen. Yuzu Matcha (5/5) - It's sour but not too sour. Like it wakes you up witout making your face pucker. Absolutely cannot wait to come back!

Service was great and food was great too! Shout out to Amanda, she is sweet!…read more The place was great overall

Absolutely LOVE marafuku!!! Top 2 restaurants in the bay for me and I loved my server Amanda! She…read morewas so sweet!

Food was delicious…read more Service was great Would recommend this Japanese restaurant to anyone who wants authentic Japanese cuisine

Really Good Japanese ramen. A must try. Great service…read more Relaxing ambiance. Great for any size party and occasion.

Very friendly service, and *extremely* generous portion of pork in the "Bansho Ultimate Ramen"…read more I will definitely be back.

Aug 9 2025 3:30pm 3.4 stars…read more After a short struggle to find parking, we walked the half a block to find Bansho tucked away in a corner- almost hidden from the street. The front doors are littered with adds and dirt. It looked a bit sketchy on the outside but we went inside anyway. Inside, the restaurant looks very pleasant. It has a comfortable and cozy look for a small 49 seat place. Mood music plays at a quiet level. There are several conversation starters for sure inside the restaurant like.. "What is that shrine with the green bananas on it for?" "Can you decipher the price of beer written on that chalkboard?" My favorite was "What is that treadmill doing in this restaurant?" We were seated and given menus. The waitress left and then came back after four or five minutes. I felt a little rushed to order as if the order taker assumed we had pre-prepped ourselves on their menu. We had to ask for more of a chance to look at the options. The two of us shared a bowl of Ramen, an order of California Rolls, a coke and later on we ordered Takoyaki-deep fried dough with I believe a piece of squid inside. Before the waitress left to give our first order to the chef, she said "Anything else?" I inferred she was suggesting our order was to small. Later I understood she might be warning me that that might be our last chance to order anything. It was hard for us to place that second order of Takoyaki. Once we were given our food, the waitress disappeared and never checked on us. To place another order, I had to keep the kitchen under surveillance, watching for someone to exit so we could jump up, run to the frond desk area and order. The food we did have was tasteful enough and the $41 seems fare. Negatives for Bansho. 1) The phones used by the front desk and in the kitchen are too loud, they ring for too long and destroy the ambience. Someone will one day invent a device that buzzes in your pocket instead of ringing loudly throughout the entire restaurant. Name it something catchy like "Cell Phone". 2) The Men's restroom was too dusty and the toilet seat was "spotty"- if you know what I mean. 3) Having someone check on you while you are eating and saying "Welcome In" when you get there and "Thank You For Your Business" when you leave would go a long way. I did see a sign that they are hiring so they might have been short staffed.

One of my favorite izakayas in the U.S./Canada, especially if you love chicken skewers. Ippuku…read morefeatures LaBelle Rouge heritage breed chickens, which originate from France and are known for their rich flavor, firmer texture, and slower growth compared to conventional broiler chickens. Naturally, we ordered as many chicken skewers as possible, and every single one was fantastic. The hearts were especially impressive--soft and tender, which is rare since most places tend to overcook them. The karaage was also top notch. The biggest surprise was the bonjiri. I had to look it up, and once I realized it was basically the chicken equivalent of rich, fatty oxtail-style meat, I knew I had to try it. Holy hell, it was easily the best chicken skewer I've ever had. I would honestly come back just to order multiple of these. The squid ink rice was incredibly savory and filling, and paired with a few beers, this made for such a great evening out. All in all, Ippuku is a must-visit in Berkeley if you're into izakayas.

Yesterday was my first time at Ippuku. My friends and I were a group of 8 and they were able to…read moreaccommodate us but in 2 separate tables - I believe their large table was already reserved. This worked out fine for our group. The menu had various options and eye-catching beverages! My table ordered 3 versions of the Chu-Hi's. Quite pleasant. I liked my Meyer Lemon Hi, it came with half of a lemon which I freshly squeezed and poured into my drink. I thought that was very fun! The quality of each dish was cooked well. My favorites were the crab croquettes, chicken heart, one of the marinated skewers (I can't recall the name of it), gizzards, and the squid ink fried rice. I'm definitely curious to try the bacon-wrapped mochi at a future visit. The only downfall was that the kitchen was extremely backed up during our visit. It took well over what felt like 20-30 minutes from our 1st order to our 2nd Chef's Choice dish. That negatively impacted our experience, but it happens. I'd like to try Ippuku again and hope there will be less of a delay. Our server was nice & attentive, came around a few times to refill our water.