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    Kotobuki

    3.9 (220 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Kotobuki Takeout or Delivery

    Kotobuki Photos

    Business Info

    KOTOBUKI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Kotobuki

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    Reviews With Photos

    Rainbow Roll
    Jennifer L.

    Great place for groups! There is something for everyone. Service is prompt. Staff are friendly. There are plenty of options other than sushi, including teriyaki salmon and chicken (our neighbor's favorite) and plenty of vegetarian options. Great service

    Swamp Roll
    Renee F.

    We stopped in on a friend's recommendation and were greeted with friendly service. Once we ordered we were treated to a complementary spoon size appetizer, of tangy tuna, which was delicious. I had the house hot sake and my daughter and boyfriend has Sapporo beers. Then came the best tasting miso soup and edamame before our main course. We ordered some Gyoza appetizers along with several rolls, including the Swamp roll and Spider roll, plus an order of Toro nigiri . Everything was delicious and fresh. The restaurant itself was clean and comfortable. The staff and servers were all polite and friendly. I look forward to going back and trying more items.

    Combo Tempura Dinner
    Anastasia K.

    This place is pretty good and has decent food. The restaurant is pretty quiet and very spacious. Customer service is good and the staff is friendly! Came here with some family for dinner and we definitely enjoyed ourselves. The tempura is nice and crunchy! Each dish was full of flavor and was pretty good. The tempura roll was good, but was lacking a bit of flavor. The bento combo box was a bit pricy for the flavor in my opinion. It definitely could have been a bit better. This place is a bit pricy, but still good. I'll definitely be back and try some other items.

    Joshua M.

    Phenomenal food and the service was absolutely incredible. I'd come back hear simply because the fatty tuna was incredible. I look forward to having more meals here. The ambiance is very melo and great place to relax. I

    Shane S.

    Kotobuki is humble and dishes up solid Japanese cuisine in the Montclair Village in Oakland. Staff is very friendly and accommodating. Two televisions show sports including college football and NBA basketball while we were there. Unfortunately the complimentary miso soup contains fish stock. A good way to order vegan if dining with someone is to do like we did share an order of edamame along with ordering a couple of veggie sushi rolls. We went with the avocado roll, cucumber roll, and marinated radish roll. Nice presentation. Enjoyed the ambiance here. Down to Earth. The vegan offerings here are extensive including a half dozen vegan sushi rolls on offer. Five specialty vegan rolls on offer. A whopping 10 vegan appetizers to choose from. We will return!

    Matsu Rollq
    Peter M.

    Came here on a warm Sunday and their HVAC was down- not ideal but they gave us a couple of free appetizers to make up for it. Good thinking too because it took a painfully long time for the food to come out. Matsu roll was pretty good- but didn't list on the menu that it had tempura which isn't my favorite. The escolar and ikura nigiri were just okay. Too much rice. The real dampener to the whole experience though is the amount of toddlers/children being loud in the place. My recommendation to the restaurant is perhaps play some music or something to drown it out. Anyways between the long wait and the annoying children I probably won't return even though the food was decent.

    Yasai soba
    Sydney J.

    I ordered takeout here and tried the following: Yasai soba: It was alright, but I found it somewhat plain (partly due to the amount of vegetables, and maybe just needed more flavors overall) yet also very dense and heavy. Veggie rolls: I thought these were pretty good, salty and savory, so glad to see they have this as a good vegetarian option since I've had mixed experience with vegetarian rolls at various sushi places. Tempura: Also pretty good, and I don't consider myself to be someone who really likes tempura.

    3 Items Combination Dinner
    Arron P.

    The food portion was great! The service is excellent and very friendly! The ambiance is casual. I'll be making a return. Very good experience for dinner.

    Tanzaru
    Scott H.

    This might be one of our new spots in Montclair Village! To preface, when we first moved to the east bay we ordered delivery from this restaurant our first night in our new house and were a bit disappointed, so we effectively left it off our list of places to go... this was our mistake! The restaurant is no frills, but there's seating for bigger parties and partitions between tables so it feels roomy. There's a huge TV broadcasting sports events too. We happened to go on "customer appreciation night" and were thoroughly surprised by the amount of complimentary dishes they brought to our table. I was already close to full with all this free dishes! I ordered the cold soba dish and that was really good. It even comes with a full order of tempura... we ordered some other small dishes for the kids as well. Overall, we were really impressed by the food and the service; our waitress was so friendly. We'll definitely be coming back here for meals!

    spicy tuna roll, piedmont roll and Negi Hama Maki

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    15 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Best sushi and sashimi in Montclair. Informal atmosphere, casual service, reasonable prices.

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    12 years ago

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    9 years ago

    ANGRY!!! They get my order wrong every time I order pickup!!! When you order by phone beware.

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    16 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Like they they are family friendly :)) Our kids love coming here, good sushi too!

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    14 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    15 years ago

    Good variety of lunch specials, many of them vegetarian, tasty and plenty to eat. Great service and friendly.. We hope to return!

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    11 years ago

    This place is great! Good service. Good for kids. Large portions. Nice folks.

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    Page 6 of 6

    Ask the Community - Kotobuki

    Have you gone out of business as your phone number is no longer working?

    They are remodeling and plan to be back, soon hopefully!

    Are you open? Phone rings and rings.

    Sorry! We are closed now due to the kitchen remodel. We will be open soon. Thank you.

    Is this related to the Kotobuki that was on Piedmont Ave but closed some years ago? (If it is, I will do my happy dance!)

    Yes, get ready to dance Lol! Even some of the same waitstaff are there! I have been there several times!

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    Kitchen Story

    Kitchen Story

    4.0
    (1.4k reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    Kitchen Story is my go-to for Korean-fusion brunch in Oakland (and it's on the way home from my…read morekids dentist so always a pit stop)! Kitchen Story nails the Korean-brunch mashup better than anywhere else I've found. The Kitchen Story benedict with millionaires bacon is a standout... crispy sweet and spicy bacon with poached eggs and hollandaise over asparagus and ciabatta toast, plus a side of crispy fried Yukon potatoes. The tornado eggs with galbi fried rice with that glossy brown gravy is another favorite, and the popcorn chicken (yes, served with actual popcorn mixed in) is a fun, addictive appetizer - or my 6yo favorite dish. Don't sleep on the stuffed French toast either, loaded with fresh fruit and a nice hit of powdered sugar. A few practical notes: this place is small and popular, so weekday visits or joining the virtual Yelp waitlist before you arrive is the move if you want to avoid a long wait. They also have a big TV that made watching World Cup games here a great bonus. My favorite detail, though: at the end of the meal they bring your receipt tucked inside a little book instead of just handing you a slip of paper. Such a charming, unexpected touch that makes the whole experience feel more special. Come hungry, come early (or waitlisted), and don't skip dessert-for-breakfast options. Highly recommend.

    I brought my mom here for a Mothers Day brunch and it was a really cute, cozy spot. I don't think,…read morehowever, it is worth the wait time nor prices. It has some fun fusion items on the menu and Millionaires bacon to turn heads, but that's probably the better dish on the menu. The Korean fried chicken and waffles were boneless, mostly breading, and the waffles were just OK. The espresso martini was pretty good and strong. I don't think I'd come back to make a reservation here. Perhaps if it was the only spot open to take my group in and we wanted a cute ish brunch.

    Photos
    Kitchen Story
    Mascarpone Stuffed Deep Fried French Toast
    Mascarpone Stuffed Deep Fried French Toast
    Mascarpone Stuffed Deep Fried French Toast the outside was more crunchy than expected. Was a bit tough to chew.

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    Mascarpone Stuffed Deep Fried French Toast the outside was more crunchy than expected. Was a bit tough to chew.
    INDO Restaurant & Lounge

    INDO Restaurant & Lounge

    4.2
    (1.3k reviews)
    28.3 mi
    $$$

    A bit of a late post, but we had our wedding dinner here in December. The event was last minute as…read morethe goal was to have my mom join before she couldn't anymore, so this was incredibly meaningful. We kept it small and intimate (12 people) and Michelle was absolutely fantastic with answering all my questions and making sure everything went smoothly. We reserved a portion of the outdoor area with a few dividers, and the staff were kind and accommodating. The family loved the food - in fact, it was the first time I had seen my mom eaten so much in a very long time. The noodles were my favorite :) We had come here a few times before and all were great times, but very special shout out to the staff here. Thanks for making that evening special for me, my husband, and our family.

    The women in engineering group at my workplace organized a lunch here and we had a really wonderful…read moretime! They sat us outside on their lovely patio at two long tables to accommodate our group of 24. The first thing we noticed when we sat down was the customized menus they had prepared, with the name of our organization printed at the top which was a nice touch. The organizers had opted for a family style meal, so they basically just brought out several dishes of everything on the menu spread out across our tables. The restaurant was great about crafting a menu around dietary restrictions- about 1/3 of the group was vegetarian and we also had one vegan (me), and there were plentiful options for everyone. While vegan options were not labeled on the menu, the servers are very knowledgeable and let me know that out of our menu, all the vegetarian options except the roti prata were vegan (the roti has butter). As a result I was able to try the poh pia, wok fried eggplant, sayur lodeh, and kueh nagasari. They started first by bringing out the appetizers, I personally was not a huge fan of the poh pia, I really enjoyed the sauces but I didn't love the roll itself. However chicken satay was a huge hit, I think for many it was their favorite dish of the whole meal. I enjoyed the entrees a lot more, especially the wok fried eggplant which was so wonderfully tender. The sayur lodeh was also very good, however the curry could have been more flavorful- I didn't even realize it was supposed to be spicy until I looked again at the menu after the meal. We ended with kueh nagasari which was a coconut pudding for dessert, I thought this was delicious, except I think the shredded coconut inside the pudding should have been left out since it disrupted the creamy texture. Since we had leftovers after the meal the staff brought out a ton of takeout containers and we all left happily with food to take home. Overall the service and ambiance definitely made this lunch an amazing experience. The food was pretty good but nothing really blew me away, although I'm not sure if having to serve such a large group affected the food quality. I would definitely be willing to come back again to try some more of the menu.

    Photos
    Mie Goreng
    Mie Goreng
    Balado Short Rib  prime beef, spicy sambal glaze, potato medallions
    Balado Short Rib prime beef, spicy sambal glaze, potato medallions
    Lamb Korma  braised australian lamb shank, carrots, potatoes, coriander cumin curry

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    Lamb Korma braised australian lamb shank, carrots, potatoes, coriander cumin curry
    Teni East Kitchen

    Teni East Kitchen

    4.3
    (535 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    We just missed Tru Burger by minutes, and since we had recently been to Brenda's, timing (and a…read morelittle luck) led us to TENI. The menu felt very similar to Burma Superstar--but without the long lines or the hype. We ended up enjoying a lighter, abbreviated meal in a really cool setting, paired with excellent service. In a way, Tru Burger closing early worked out in our favor--we were pleasantly steered toward a healthier alternative. Would happily repeat. BB

    This was my first time at a Bib gourmand and also trying Burmese food. I was very excited. The…read morerestaurant's atmosphere is so calming and welcoming and the waiters were so nice and attentive to us. My friend and I shared the Roti with Dip and the chicken wings as appetizers. The Roti Dip was OUT OF THIS WORLD (6/5). It exceeded my expectations. The Roti was very soft and crispy and the dip had an amazing coconut/herby taste. The waiter saw how much we loved the dip and brought us another one to use for our rice. Big shout out to her! The chicken wings were okay. Not that spicy for me (I have a high spice tolerance) but I expected them to be more savory. They were cooked very well though. I would give it a 3/5 Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with my main which was the crispy whole dried fish. I am a sucker for whole fish dishes so I was pretty excited and expectant for something spectacular. The fish itself was bland. It was very crispy and cooked well but not really seasoned. I had thought the sauce they serve with it was intended to impart flavor on the fish, but the sauce was just very tangy and not flavorful. I did finish the fish though but it's not something I would get again. Overall a 2.5/5. Their coconut rice was good though I was expecting more of a coconut flavor with it. I would rate that a 4/5. It was cooked very well. I think this is a really nice place though, perhaps I just did not order the right or more popular dishes. I'll be coming back for the ROTI WITH DIP (It was that good) and to try the other items in their menu.

    Photos
    Teni East Kitchen
    Setting
    Setting
    Pretty cool interior

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    Pretty cool interior
    Fusion Delight

    Fusion Delight

    2.9
    (1.1k reviews)
    10.4 mi
    $$

    I came here for a family birthday dinner. It's located in greenhouse so there's plenty of parking…read morearound, even if it means just a tiny bit further away. The restaurant is really big and we sat at a table for 14 pretty comfortably. We were also here on a Saturday night and the restaurant was full. The service is your typical Chinese restaurant vibe where you leave a little bit emotionally abused after paying for overly priced menu items. We did the à la cart and easily spent up to $1500. Better off with the family plan meal but nothing was of interest to us except one or two dishes. It took forever to come out and I mean FOREVER to a point where we almost cancelled a few dishes and called it a night, but they kept saying it's being made. With as many people and as massive as the restaurant was, and the price tags, I was expecting a more efficient service. A couple of times we saw our dish being brought to the wrong table and the people going "oh we didn't order this." With all of that out of the way, I am giving them an average score of 3 starts because the food did bring them back up. It was actually really good. My favorite of all things we ordered was their sea bass with string beans. The sea bass was fried crispy, garnished salty and still soft inside. It paired really well with the string beans. We ordered a bunch of other things that I couldn't tell you what the name was in English and they were above average taste wise. Their complimentary dessert however, was mass produced and tasted like they added too much water to it. This was the only one I was disappointed in. I still say this place is extremely overpriced but for a family meal experience and if you ever want to impress a date, why not.

    This is the restaurant of choice for my wife's family gatherings, and she has a pretty big family,…read moreso we're here quite a bit. To be honest, Fusion used to be terrible, and I used to absolutely hate coming here. Food was slow in coming, what came out was often cold, the dining room was loud, and service was impersonal, at best. On one visit, half the menu was unavailable, requested silverware was crooked, and numerous glasses, bowls, and plates were chipped or damaged. On another visit, I saw multiple families sneak out of the restaurant, walk to McDonald's across the plaza, and smuggle food back in to tide them over until their orders came. After a while, I wasn't alone in meeting the decree of, "come to Fusion on Saturday," with a groan. However, when HL Peninsula opened in Castro Valley and established itself as a threat to Fusion's business, it served as a wake-up call. Food immediately got better (from "below-average" to "know what to order and you'll be fine"), the speed of service improved, and food temperature became consistent and proper. It's not QUITE a "different restaurant" feel, and there are still some negatives. It's still loud and service could still be better (there have been times where chicken wings have taken over an hour to come out, which is a "should not occur"). However, at least I don't dread coming here anymore.

    Photos
    Lobby and entry way
    Lobby and entry way
    Beef rib
    Beef rib
    Geoduck tossed in truffle and fried taro

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    Geoduck tossed in truffle and fried taro
    Top Hatters Kitchen and Bar

    Top Hatters Kitchen and Bar

    4.2
    (810 reviews)
    7.2 mi
    $$$

    Came here for a lunch date with hubby. We dont come to San Leandro often so not sure how was the…read moreparking situation. We saw a street parking as soon as we turn, and just parked even though it was 1000 ft away. The drink/cocktail list is vast, but we are not much of a cocktail drinker and not usually drink during lunch, but I saw Matcha Sharka being ordered a lot and the other seemingly popular drink was this lavender drink. If you are a cocktail drinker during lunch, do check them out. We ordered 4 shareable items: * Savoy Donuts - 5 stars - fluffy and yummy, not greasy at all * Focaccia w/ Meyer Lemon and Garlic Confit - 4.5 stars - wonderful texture, did not taste the garlic much but the lemon was really good add. * Grilled Beef and Pork Chipolata - 4 stars - I think the star was the dressing. The meat itself was just okay. * Rice Vermicelli Bowl - 4.5 stars - not sure why it is called a bowl when it was served more in a plate. This is the fusion take on the Vietnamese dish with different dressing. We selected the Galangal Pork, which I did not like as much compared to the usual Vietnamese ones with Lemon Grass. There is a choice to select Lemongrass chicken instead, so you might want to try that. The pork tasted "porky" despite it was thinly cut. I was hoping to try dessert, but we were full so we did not do that. Next time. The restaurant is nicely set, and you can select indoor or outdoor seating. We did make a reservation, but when we arrived there were plenty of tables available. Service was fine, we did not get the "is this your first time" greeting as I heard other tables got. But it was our first time.

    This was a delightful meal. It had everything, the relaxing ambiance, the flavorful dishes, and…read moregreat drinks. Oh not to mention, our waitress was delightful! This spot is a little hidden, but once you go inside, it is its own little oasis. Small and intimate, you know the dishes are made fresh. We enjoyed the tissue bread (10/10), seared rice cake (8/10), oxtail (10/10), and more that isn't pictured. I think this is a great celebratory dinner spot. I'd love to come back to try more seasonal specials.

    Photos
    The bar area
    The bar area
    Pork belly
    Pork belly
    Grilled Oysters

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    Grilled Oysters

    Kotobuki - japanese - Updated July 2026

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