It's always a pleasure dining here or even carrying out. I've been coming here for years and I love it and so does my daughter. The food is consistently amazing and always fresh. Even when they're seemingly short staff they're still attentive and deliver great service. This is a nice and family friendly place to dine when you want good sushi! read more

Got lunch for take out. I ordered the three item bento box with salmon teriyaki, ca roll and chicken katsu. It was very delicious and tasty

Food is almost always a hit and the staff are really friendly. I always call ahead and most of the time my food is ready when I arrive

The spicy chirashi is amazing! I can't wait to come back and have it again and again and again!

So delicious!! I really recommended , The only thing is that we have to waiting out side till a table gets ready.. no reservations just waiting list but other than that One of the best sushi tastes I've had before! read more

I have been searching for a good bento box! This will definitely be my new go to. There are lots of options, the food quality is high, and the portion sizes exceed expectations. The miso soup was good, and the sesame dressing did not disappoint either. I love katsu, and this was definitely super chill dark meat. It wasn't overly fried at all. The salmon teriyaki wasn't overwhelming either! Sometimes teriyaki sauce can be gelatinous and I am not into that. This was thin and flavorful, the way I would want my sauce. The salmon was cooked perfectly for me, but if you like it more rare, specify. The cali roll was SO yummy too. It was not overly wet or dry. It was perfect. I love sashimi, so I will definitely get that next time. I was just craving comfort food that night. I used doordash to order and it said it would take 45 minutes but arrived in 30. It was 30 with the $6 tip and delivery fees. Super easy, safe, delicious and affordable for all that you get. read more

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This sushi spot is great for dinner with friends if you're looking for a high energy location. A lot of the other diners are around college age and there to have a good time and have drinks and food with their peers. The meal can be a hit or a miss depending on how busy they are or who is in the kitchen I guess, but it's always a must!! read more

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I've been coming here since the week it opened. My friend and I had the day off for MLK day and decided to come in for Happy Hour. I haven't been here for a minute since covid, so I checked the menu and it said, Happy Hour Monday 3 - 6pm. It was 4pm. We sat down, asked for the happy hour menu, the server said no happy hour on holidays. We showed the menu and no where did it imply that rule. We then mentioned the paper take out menu, same HH info. The manager then came out in a huff with the paper happy hour menu, noting the "no holidays" on the slip. COME ON, please have correct advertising, at this point, we could really take you for false advertisement. The manager was rude and walked away. So, we got up and left. Please make sure the menus have the correct information. read more

I just started coming here for my late night sush. The food is delicious. Their service is reallyfast and the place is really nice and clean! read more

Ordered their fried chicken karage style and grilled barbeque short ribs. Karage chicken had a nice amount of flouring on the chicken, but the outside was not crunchy unfortunately. Very light seasoning thus causing the chicken to taste a bit on the bland side. BBQ short ribs had plenty of sauce on the beef causing it to stay wet. Meat was cooked between the area of well done and medium rare in a way where there is a little bit of red, but almost fully cooked resulting in the beef being a bit tough. Rice is just a mini scoop of sushi rice. read more

Kansai - Chicken - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Seriously this place is disgusting, I wanted to give it another chance. Ordered three baked rolls, lion king roll, a spicy tuna roll, and a shrimp tempura roll with bbq albacore. The rice was so hard, and tough. The rolls just tasted like gulps of spicy Mayo. Seriously very inedible. I would not recommend this place, fish doesn't taste fresh at all either. I don't think I would recommend although it seems pretty busy and packed read more

Came in 2 days after the Thanksgiving holiday. The place was almost empty. The server instructed me + my mom to sit at a table near the door. I said that I would choose where i would sit: 1) Away from the cold draft of the door and 2) In full view of college football. read more

Kansai - Parking lot that does attract car break-ins in spite of cameras and bright lights. - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Come here for the Happy Hour! Starts at 11PM I believe but it's all day Sundays. I've been coming here since my freshman year at Cal. During Happy Hour it does get packed so be sure to get there early. The parking lot is quite small and street parking can be scarce so be mindful of that. Kansai is no Joshuya but it does satisfy the late night or sushi cravings at half the price during happy hour. They do give you edamame and miso soup while you're waiting for your rolls. However, they have skimped on giving me the sides when I don't order that many rolls. Who knows, might just be a fluke. My go tos are definitely the lion king roll, spicy tuna roll, and wendy roll. All give me the mix of baked, fried, and fresh. It seems like the quality has been going down here as the hype keeps going up. On busier nights my lion king roll does not taste/look the same as when it's less crowded. All in all, it's decent for the price you pay, but if you're in the mood for higher quality sushi I would look elsewhere. read more

Kansai - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

SUPER affordable sushi for happy hour! :) Food: Kansai has always been one of my go-tos for cheap, yet satisfying sushi. You must come by for their happy hour (M-Thu at 10pm, Fri-Sat at 11pm, and Sunday at 11:30pm). Many of their rolls (not many speciality options) are served at an unbeatable price. Their California roll and spinach & mushroom roll are only around $3.45-$4.50! Each roll comes with EIGHT pieces and they're quite fresh! Some of the rolls weren't as tightly packed as others, but the texture made up for it. I especially enjoy the rice they use, very fluffy, light, and well-cooked. Just remember that you get what you pay for, and the quality isn't spectacular but it gets the job done when you're craving basic sushi! Size & portion: I personally believe the regular priced sushi here is on the more expensive side, but if you come here for the happy hour you won't leave hungry or disappointed. For ~$18, my friends and I happily enjoyed 4 different rolls. Everything comes laid out nicely on a huge plate and it's super shareable. Service & ambiance: A bit slow, but the waitress was very friendly and accommodating even during super busy hours. It was quite crowded when we got there around 11pm, and the line only gets longer. So I recommend arriving right when happy hour starts! Overall a really casual and upbeat atmosphere for late night cravings! read more

Kansai - California roll, spinach and mushroom roll - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Pretty disappointing and gross experience. We ordered two tuna rolls and noodles. The tuna rolls came out and immediately tasted really off. They tasted old, bad quality, and just not right. The noodle dish was fine, just really salty. What's worse is we told our server that the rolls were off and she said she would tell the manager. She then came back a few moments later and said there was nothing she could do. We said we wanted to take it back, get a veggie roll or just pay half...she said no and gave us an awkward shrug. Really disappointed and grossed out by the food and service, not worth it even for late night. My friend ended up having a bad tummy ache after. read more

Kansai - The tuna is old and really off - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Unfortunately money is more important than anything to this establishment. I ordered the BBQ short rib dinner and paid ALMOST $40 and took it home after a long day at work, every bite was caramelized FAT, I called and explained to the manager Jasmine who basically brushed me off with offering a minor discount on my next meal, after a couple more bites I realized I couldn't eat it and was out of $40. I called back and asked if I could return it that night for another order which I did, after driving all the way back, they had an attitude and if looks could kill I'd be dead. my meal should've come with rice and the one that I picked up didn't, they used the same container which is unsanitary and actually made me pay for an order of rice. when I did finally get it home I realized they only gave me a HALF of an order of ribs. UNBELIEVABLE!!!! I will never go to this establishment again I wish nothing but the worst for them. read more

I've been coming here for years but I came tonight to dine with my family and kept smelling a fowl smell. Went to the bathroom and it really reeked of sewer and mold . Saw evidence of sewer leakage in the bathroom. To top it off spent almost $100 for a party of 4 and when I ask for miso soup which has always come with the food in the past, the waitress said it was $2.50 . Wellp needless to say I took that out of her tip. Smooth move lady. NOT . Food was extremely greasy tonight. Need less to say I won't be returning anytime soon . Do better Kansai . If your having a sewer problem close down and fix it. You've just lost a longtime customer and I will be telling my friends to avoid this place as well . read more

I wish I would have took a picture before I threw it all away but I ordered the triple S, the Lion King, spicy tuna hand roll, tempura hand roll and tempura for my family to have sushi night. The tempura was soggy, the hand rolls weren't rolled and the spicy tuna was grey what a waste of 77$ I definitely won't be ordering from them again. I hope I don't get sick read more

Kansai - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

I appreciate the parking lot that's provided, especially on Telegraph where street parking can be shady and difficult to find. The servers were friendly and I was happy to learn that they offer happy hour on Sun, which was a steal for certain items. The menu offers an array of rolls, many of which were affordable. My date ordered a seaweed salad, gyoza roll (didn't even know such a thing existed), and a Philadelphia roll. I opted for the Lion King roll, spider roll, and a garlic albacore hand roll. The food came out in a timely manner and while everything taste relatively fresh, it didn't blow me away. I liked that complimentary miso soup and house salads were also provided. Overall, the service and food were good, but not enough to warrant a second visit unless I'm in the area and not unless it's during their happy hour. read more

Kansai - Top to bottom: gyoza roll, spider roll, garlic albacore handroll - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Kansai is an Oakland icon. Great place to hit up for happy hour and late night sushi/Japanese staples. Portions are generous, food quality is solid, service is fast and friendly, and prices are very affordable- especially during happy hour! There is sometimes a hefty wait (30+ minutes) during peak times like Friday and Saturday nights during happy hour or when there's a big sports game on. They have a parking lot but it's kind of small so on busier nights you'll have to fight for street parking. If you have time, come by Sunday for happy hour all day! Highlights here include the udon bowls, the baked rolls, and pretty much all the raw-fish dishes. Sashimi portions are huuuuuge generous slices of fish- easily twice the size of most Japanese places for around $1.50 a slice. My personal favorite is the tuna tataki (seared tuna slices with ponzu). If you're looking for a change of pace, the vegetarian Zebra roll is an interesting choice- spinach and marinated(?) mushrooms make for a fun sweet, savory roll that's different from all the other heavier rolls. read more

Kansai is my go-to sushi place for a weekend dinner, or a weekday late night. They have such a broad selection of sushi dishes as well as other yummy appetizers that I love! The prices are pretty standard for decent sushi, but if you're just looking for regular rolls, they have lots of options. Their baked rolls are also super popular. Pre-Covid, this place would be terrific for groups, and their service is usually pretty fast and efficient. They also used to have happy hour after 9pm, which I'm not sure if they're bringing back... but I hope they do! read more

Best service I have ever receive. Ben is the goat. He gave us exemplary service, and even remembered us from last time. He went far enough to remember last time was my friends birthday! Ben was an amazing server, and absolutely deserves a raise. read more

I've always been a huge fan of this place. I used to live in Temescal for 5 years, 11 years ago. So, I have been coming here since 2009 w/my kids. The menu is extensive & they even offer Korean food, too. We are huge foodies, but my son is a sushi connoisseur since he was 6. The portions are great at what you pay for, and you'll leave full/satisfied-- if you know how to order right. ;) The service has always been great, and I have never had a bad experience in all the years that I have dined onsite. Pre-COVID it was always busy, and if I'm correct-- they used to be open late; about 1:30 am or so. 11:30pm closing right now isn't bad especially during a pandemic. They're back to dine-in which is great! Highly recommended!! read more

Have been looking for a reasonable sushi spot and stopped by here. Place was amazing! Quality is always incredible, fish is super fresh, great music and amazing quick and attentive service. Super well staffed. Best items to date (haven't worked through the whole menu yet but getting there): Lion king roll, S.P cucumber, Dream Gina, Pink Lady, Sake nigiri, eel nigiri, nigiri platter 4 (sushi steaks), chicken donburri. There's also an insane fried chicken dish made from what I swear is a whole chicken. So so good, recommended to to many people and everyone has brought their friends back! read more

Kansai - Veggie Tempura Appetizer Miso soup Katsu Donburi Dinner S.P Cucumber Roll Nigiri Mix Dinner Wendy Roll Kansai Roll - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

I have to admit I have been so impressed with the Korean eateries on this block of Telegraph Avenue (Sahn Maru and Casserole House, in particular) that I was a bit bummed to find this neighboring Japanese restaurant so much on the meh side. Honestly, the most exciting aspect of this place is that they have a parking lot, which is like manna from heaven in this "transitional" neighborhood. I guess even a foodie haven like Temescal has to have a few marginal players to even things out. That's a shame since Oakland needs a better choice of Japanese restaurants than it has now. There's nothing particularly distinctive about the decor except that it was a bit on the dark side, and there's quite a large bar to accommodate the evening crowd, I'm assuming. I was there early on a Saturday afternoon, so they were just serving lunch to the half-dozen customers they had at the time. I decided to try one of their Special Combo Lunch Specials - the $10.95 Udon with Unagi Donburi because I was in a soup kind of mood versus sushi. The Udon they served was blander than bland with the too-hot thick noodles having barely any consistency and the broth quite watery. I just couldn't imagine making a satisfying meal out of that bowl, even though there were plenty of broccoli florets and bok choy to make it seem more substantial than it was (see photo). The Unagi Donburi, on the other hand, was a savory treat with the eel pieces quite hearty and covered with a thick teriyaki-like sauce that enhanced the flavor (see photo). I was just wondering why the serving was so small compared to the udon bowl. The imbalance just felt odd. Alas, I know better now since there are better options just steps away on Telegraph, although I'll miss that parking space when I come back to the 'hood. FOOD - 2.5 stars...bland udon offset by a good unagi donburi that felt like a child's portion AMBIANCE - 3 stars...dark and not terribly inviting SERVICE - 2 stars...rather hurried at first and then a disappearing act TOTAL - 2 stars...just not enough here to warrant a return visit read more

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Had a Midnight craving for Sushi so I rolled to trusty Kansai . I grabbed a spot at the Sushi Bar. I ordered the Churashi ,Rainbow Roll , Unagi Hand Roll , Toro and 2 orders of Uni . The Uni was ultra Fresh and so sweet tasting. The Other Sushi was good also . The Toro was Yummy . Ended the meal with a few slugs of Hot Sake !!! Paid by Discover Card and Rolled out. read more

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Got the 3 item bento for $9.95. Gyoza, shiro maguro sashimi, and tai sashimi. See my picture. The gyoza were deep fried (boo!) and had an odd combo of some meat & glass noodles inside. I could swear I got these same dumplings at a Korean restaurant in/by the Asian ghetto. The shiro maguro was a bit mushy and past it's prime. The tai was pretty good though. One out of three isn't bad . . . right? read more

Kansai - 3 item bento. Gyoza, Shiro maguro & Tai sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

We usually order delicious delivery from Kansai, but decided to eat lunch there in person. Very nice, clean restaurant with lovely tables and comfortable booths. The specialty rolls (dragon & Godzilla) were outstanding, as always and reasonably priced. The service was prompt and very nice! The overhead music was mostly awful and too loud, but the staff agreed to turn it down. This is our new favorite sushi restaurant. read more

Yes this is my first 5 star review!!! I love this place for many things! Fresh seafood. Great services. Cool ambience. And of course happy hour!! My absolute favorite sushi roll in the whole wide world has to be Kansai's Volcano roll! Why? It has scallop, which not too many people have seen on sushi rolls. It is baked to perfection with the sauce oozing on the plate when it comes out to you. Also it is spicy but not too spicy! What more can you ask for from this roll?! And best of all, during happy hours this plate offers four gigantic pieces for about $6! What a deal!! And trust me, four is all you need. Challenge alert! I challenge you to pick up one piece of the volcano roll intact and eat it all in one bite! Haha something that many naive chopsticks have failed and learned that it is not as easy as it sounds! Okay! Next off, each table has this button you can press for service! Trust me it the button works! My friend accidentally placed his elbow on the button without realizing it and the servers kept coming to our table! So because where you place your elbows! Being near UCB, it is populated by many college students. Try to come early for happy hour because that's where you're going to get the best deals on sushi! This place closes past 1 so it's great for late night grubbing! A must try when you're in town and is looking for some late night happy hour food! read more

Kansai - Volcano roll! - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Great for late night dinner or snack. I believe happy hour starts at 10 and they give you a piece of paper with limited choices and you can just mark what you want. Sushi is good and the portions are pretty big. Not bad to have a birthday celebration here and get them messed up with sake bombs. They also have a separate room if you come with a big party and since my group of friends is pretty big we're usually seated there. To our luck, Draymond Green, Jarrett Jack and Festus Ezeli of the Golden State Warriors once joined us in that room. Our appetite was ruined, but only because we were starstruck. I heard Kansai was one of the GSW spots as well so if you want to bump into them, you know where ;) read more

This is probably most Berkeley students' choice for late night sushi. Kansai has a pretty good happy hour (10 pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends) so it's always pretty crowded around that time. The food is pretty solid; good sushi and udon as well! It's not the best of course, but for the convenient location and good quality I'd say it's a pretty enjoyable place. I've been to Kansai many times and the quality of the food is consistently good each time. The only thing that I would complain about is the service. They're usually pretty slow, especially during happy hour but that's understandable, and they don't really ever check up on you. Sometimes the waitresses see you calling for their attention and intentionally ignore you? But other than that, I'd still frequent this place. It's pretty spacious and has a chill environment. Parking is a bit limited, but there's plenty of street parking! read more

Kansai - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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I recently visited Kansai Restaurant and had a disappointing experience. While the food was passable for a late-night spot, the poor quality was not worth the rude and unprofessional behavior of the staff. Our party of 4 sat after paying and enjoyed small conversation. After walking out, they chased me down and accused me of not paying. Despite paying, tipping, and signing my receipt. I provided proof of payment, but they continued to make baseless accusations and embarrassed me in front of other customers. The lack of accountability and customer service left a bad taste in my mouth. Andrew and Benjamin did not hold themselves accountable for their lack of customer service. I hate to say I was probably treated this way because of my ethnicity. DO NOT DINE HERE!! read more

I ordered sushi for someone and it got delivered on time. I ordered sushi and sashimi, lion king roll, 49 ers, and coke. I heard it was good and tasty like fresh rolls btwn they gave a bowl of salads as a complimentary which was a plus to my order. Delivery time was on fleek I scheduled one day early ETA 12:45-1:00 pm, but they did pretty faster than I expected and my sushi got delivered by 1:30pm. Fun facts, their rolls prices are expensive than other places but it's good tho so guess worth it. read more

Kansai - Sushi and sashimi, lion king, salads - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Came here for the all day happy hour on Sunday night with reservations. I ordered the chirashi ($15) which has been known to be a great deal with lots of fish. Maybe I came on a bad day because we all noticed that some of the fish tasted weird. The salmon was extra slimey and fishy. The fish with the chopped up garlic sauce/layer was mushy and tasted old. I personally didn't like how the fish slices were cut, in my bowl they were chunky and some of my fish were cut into small pyramids. My stomach was not feeling it that night. I woke up in the middle of the night running to the restroom. Again, I've heard great things about this place and a lot of my friends have never had any problems but I think I'll stay away. read more

Kansai - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

I've been here before a few times and know the sushi quality is decent at best. Knowing this, tonight I ordered the two item bento with chicken katsu and 5 pc tuna sashimi. Everything tasted decent in the bento from the salad to the sashimi. The salad dressing they use is very watery and lacks any taste. The tuna sashimi had veins which was better for making a spicy tuna roll than using for sashimi. The chicken katsu was just flat out bad. The breading fell off once I picked it up. Even the miso soup was salty. Service was spotty at best with one main server attending to all of the occupied tables. A lot of people come here for happy hour and that's the only reason to come here plus they open late. read more

Kansai - 2 item bento (chicken katsu & 5 pc tuna sashimi) - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

I ordered take out 12/18 for lunch and ordered deluxe sashimi and asked whether this was enough for 2 and she said yes. When I arrived at instructed time my order was not ready so I paid with visa and noticed sashimi charge was $130. When I asked about why so much she said deluxe sashimi in menu is $130 for 2-3 people. She said they already prepared so we had to take but we still waited outside for another 10mins. I just looked on their website and the menu says deluxe sashimi I was charged for today is 6-8 people, not 2-3. I paid total over $140 for lunch. I feel totally taken advantage of and they could have made it right when I was their and had to wait another 10mins so obviously my sashini order wasn't done. Here are pics of my monstrous sashimi order that we ended up throwing more than half away and pic of their online menu that clearly states 6-8 people. This experience makes me never want to go back and highly suggest everyone find another sushi place. read more

Kansai - Sashimi deluxe they said is for 2-3, huge platter and most went in trash. - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Outdoor covid friendly dining with heaters and decent amount of seating, 4 per table. Sushi was great quality with lots of different options to choose from. We got the spider roll, Philly roll, Kansai, S.I. Spider, Baked salmon and a couple others. Everything looked too delicious too eat and tasted wonderful! They have other items like bento box, soups and entrees but they have at least 4 pages of sushi with pictures of each roll. Great service and friendly atmosphere, overall great experience! I highly recommend never ever listening to negative reviews and forming your own no matter where you go. Give anything in life a shot and if it didn't work out the first time, try it again. This sushi place is a great restaurant, I will be back! 5 stars for sure!! Great sushi! read more

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I have spent my entire life, since I was but a wee lass, hating seafood. "Everything except crab, right?" (Or lobster, or shrimp, or fish, etc.) is the response I always get. But one day my friend brought me to Kansai to change my opinion of sea life and, by golly, it worked! I wasn't willing to try eating sea flesh yet but decided seaweed probably wasn't too bad. I got an avocado and cucumber roll with unagi sauce (the Rock & Roll with no crab) and fell in love. It tasted fresh, delicious and was relatively nutritious, too. Prices are reasonable but every time I show up here on a random Sunday for lunch, seeing that the "Happy Hour" on Sunday is a mere half an hour between 11:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. pisses me off. I have yet to experience the late night crowd, but will probably try that sometime soon. Also, had my first sake bomb ever here in the company of this young, gorgeous waitress who always has the best hair and makeup. Extra points for having cuties on staff! read more

The service was really good, as well as the spider roll. I thought the baked rolls like lion king and dynamite were a bit too strong, as they incorporated cream cheese (?) I believe in the sauce which I'm not a huge fan of. read more

This place was good, but over hyped by the number of reviews. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could, but 4 stars for the quality of service. Sashimi combo- good, great salmon, but the tuna cuts were just off. They had rather large tuna cuts and didn't cut alongside the grains or however it's supposed to be cut. It was just off and you could taste it. The sushi roll we ordered was good, but not the best I've ever had. Miso soup- how do you mess up miso soup?! They didn't! Miso soup was amazing and tasty. Drinks- strong enough and subtle alcohol taste. Would definitely order again since it was so refreshing! read more

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