Smaller mom & pop style shop with the sweetest staff. Everything was delicious and incredibly fresh. We got the chicken, tempura, fish cake and egg udon, the basked Alaskan roll and the happy spoons (I think that was the name?). It all was incredible and the presentation was stunning! We didn't feel rushed out the door at all while catching up over our meal and felt like regulars even though it was our first time there. 100% recommend. read more

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service was fine. cute space. probably best just for sushi. way too much rice and not enough of everything else for the rice bowl, lacking depth of flavor in curry udon. takoyaki and negihama was yummy though! read more

Okay, I have been pretty tough - legitimately - on take-out places lately. Here's one that shines, repeatedly, and most recently last night. Bright. Now, I know some of you are going to say, "That ain't real sushi." "That place in Montclair? It's the third best Japanese restaurant on that block." To you, I say, get lost. A few prefatory observations; As you may recall, I don't like mayonnaise - especially in sushi rolls. Every time I request no mayonnaise, Kotobuki honors that request. Every time. In 18 years, never a roll with mayonnaise. We request extra wasabi and ginger. Guess what? We get extra wasabi and ginger (at no extra cost). I don't have to call the restaurant upon arriving home and either drive back down the hill or argue with someone over the phone. All this is a long say of saying that we get what we ask for, and what we expect. No sloppy, mayonnaise soupy messes. No shortage of ginger and wasabi. No mystery substitutions. A few of the better rolls: The zig zag is wrapped in soy paper (not sea weed) and is loaded with soft shell crab. The Oakland roll, also in soy paper, is one of our favorites with the avocado and hamachi. The Las Vegas is always good, with garlic and albacore. The rolls are not skimpy. The fish is always fresh. When we eat there, the service rocks and the staff will play the Giants game if live. Kotobuki gets take-out right. While I don't wanna eat sushi every night, I may have to do so as this is the only place that seems to give us what we order. - Workingman's gourmand. read more

Been to this location twice now and very impressed by the quality of service for the price. They offer complimentary miso soups and a bite of a spicy tuna appetizer on a spoon. Sure, the decor was not the most fancy, but as with most asian restaurants, the better the taste of the food, the less they have to compensate with decor. Remember that! read more

Excellent food, incredible service, reasonable prices! The BEST. Only suggestion; missing those amazing Japanese toilets. Then, in addition to their well earned reputation for food and service, they would be the talk of the town for their 'state of the art' TOTO, an experience most will never have outside of Japan. read more

Live a close by this restaurant is what of the best sushi places Idaho Living in Bob Claire. It is wonderful to have this restaurant this sushi restaurant available. Living in botcher Living close to bot Claire village. It is nice to have is Living clothes to botcher village it is nice two av this excellent sushi restaurant there. The staff is always very friendly and knowledgeable. And willing to share that knowledge with you. read more

My roommate invited me to his favorite sushi spot. And we eagerly sat at the counter - I didn't realize that its customary for the Itamae to offer some sushi as well. While we waited for our respective rolls we were served yellow tail in a simple glaze with green onions - it melted in my mouth. The rainbow roll i ordered had a lovely variety and was fresh - we were in and out in under 30 mins. I would come here again with a larger group and do family style. read more

Delicious fish! I love the quality of food, always fresh and yummy. Amazing service, there is no wait time and it is the best place for a date night or dinner with friends. read more

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This place is amazing! Lots of selection of sushi and combination rolls. The staff there is very friendly and helpful, they recommended me very good choices. The atmosphere there is very soothing, the music isn't too loud so it's very relaxing. Will come back, hungry for more! read more

Kotobuki - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Great traditional Japanese dishes! The sushi are very fresh. Staff is warm, friendly and accommodating! Domo arigato

We had a very nice dinner here last night. There was enough street parking, service was quick and friendly, and the food we had was very plentiful and scrumptious. They served a nice miso soup, small salad, fine for starters. We shared a salmon maki, which was fine. My partner had the chicken sukiyaki, which was bubbly hot, with lots of thigh meat, yam noodles, tofu, the works. I had the saba shioyaki, which had a nice broiled flavor, just a touch overcooked, but still very good. The helpings were generous, and we both took a whole lunch home. The room is spacious, clean, I actually enjoy having basketball on the screen, without the sound! Great neighborhood spot. Will try sushi and sashimi next time. read more

I've lived in Montclair for a while and tonight was the first night I decided to try Kotobuki. Everything was great and the service was amazing. I will be back! read more

It's our go-to, long-time favorite place for sushi -- either dining in or picking up for home. We love so many items. Everything is fresh and tasty. So love Kotobuki! read more

We have eaten in the restaurant and taken food to go...so many times I can't even guess. There has never been a meal that disappointed us. Super fresh fish. Very consistent. And the staff is so incredibly nice. This is our favorite sushi restaurant! read more

I knew it was trouble when miso came with a spoon. Then the salad was drowning with store-bought sauce. All the sushi were rolled so loosely that just falls apart: Are they trying to save cost on rice? The nigiri is supposed to be brushed with sauce to finish & they weren't. Not authentic & not quality fish. read more

Kotobuki - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Excellent customer service and the most generous portions in bento boxes i have ever seen. Only $5.00 more for the 3rd item. $30.00 for 2 item dinner bento box meal read more

We love this place so much. They are the nicest, service is incredible, they always give you free things and the food is solidly delicious every time. It's super kid friendly too. There are nice partitions in between tables that give you some privacy and separation. Really this place is so wonderful! read more

Delicious food and great service. Everything was above and beyond our expectations. Good job Kotobuki read more

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Since they reopened a couple of month's ago, we have been taking out dinner here about once a week. They were closed for about a year due to the pandemic. Three items combination dinner is one of my favorites. read more

Kotobuki - Three items combination dinner - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Prices at restaurants have gone up dramatically over the last few years as everyone knows. This is one of the few where I still feel like I'm getting my money's worth. The service is very good, the food is better, and even the ambience, specifically the music, is excellent. Yes, they have recently raised prices, but even then, I know I'd pay the same amount for a lot less in most other restaurants, whether we're trying new ones or our old favorites. I don't feel like just a mark when I go in to Kotobuki. We will be coming back again and again and bringing friends whenever possible. read more

Always excellent food and prompt service. Nice atmosphere, simple but elegant. Parking usually works well after 5 or 6 PM. Take out is also well prepared, hot and nicely packed. TV's for the sports fans but they are muted and I think on just one wall. My favorite restaurant for family dinners. Hope they reopen for lunches. Usually nice and quiet at lunch. read more

As at least one other review has mentioned this place's name is actually Kotobuki Jr. It's run by the kids of the Piedmont Ave location's owner so thus the "Jr." part. Most of the cooks and sushi chef's are from the Piedmont Ave spot. I learned this from my friendly server. Too bad the food wasn't as good as my server was friendly! :( Got an order of Gyoza ($5.50), Chirashi ($16.95), and 0.3L of chilled Hakutsuru draft sake ($11.95). First out was some complimentary miso soup and salad. Pretty standard fare with some small tofu cubes in the miso and chopped iceberg for the salad. The gyoza were pan-fried (see dimly lit pic http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/CcoYB3ruJc6dMANiqDKCcw?select=USbB-wdMHxGd_Er8TwCFNw#SmTpFJpeP2zp9voAllBlcA), but were really soggy and mushy. Not very appetizing or flavorful. They came with a lime wedge on top. That was a first for me and I wasn't sure what they wanted me to do with it. The chirashi looked promising with 10 pieces of sashimi (see slightly better lit pic http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/CcoYB3ruJc6dMANiqDKCcw?select=Pj7yXhSE0lFe1-bxHW85Yg#Pj7yXhSE0lFe1-bxHW85Yg). 2 each of sake (salmon), hamachi (yellow tail), shiro maguro (albacore), maguro (tuna), and saba (mackerel) along with some seaweed salad, radish "noodles", shiso / perilla leaf, and 4 1/4" slices of lemon. I've had paper thin slices of lemon on sushi, but these were suitable for the lip of my water glass. The shiro maguro and sake were 'OK'. The other fish had this weird rubbery / plasticy consistency. These were tough, chewy pieces of fish and an altogether unappealing experience for me. I didn't enjoy it and that was more than half of the fish! This is my first Montclair sushi. Now I'm a little afraid to try the other two! read more

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The best Japanese restaurant in Oakland. Been in business 35+ years. Authentic and large portions read more

Kotobuki - Zig zag roll and salmon - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

The food was delicious! Didn't disappoint. They serve an appetizer in a soup spoon... a little ahi with a nice sauce. A bowl of Miso as well. The fish was fresh and the service attentive. Will go back! read more

Love this place! So close to home. Came here on a Sunday night and there was a line! Every table was taken. Nice place for family dinners, we came here with our two toddlers and all had a great time. Oh, they also have utensils and plates for the little ones! miso soup is loaded w tofu! tuna sashimi FRESH lobster salad nigiri bento dinner 3 items- salmon teriyaki, ca rolls, tempura BIG portion! chicken curry rice, my husband likes it! We will be back soon ! read more

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Great service. Excellent food! We come here with our 1 year old every week. The fish is always fresh and they're very attentive. We love it!

Love this place and the staff!!! The owner is very personable. We have been going here over 20 years!!!!! Please do your part to support them during the shelter in place. We committed to order pick up for two families twice a week and our orders have been perfect and on point!!!! read more

we really enjoyed our takeout of salmon teriyaki, beef udon and california rolls. the real crab rolls tasted fresh and the scallop handroll did as well. the beef in the udon was tough and overcooked, but we really enjoyed the inari tofu squares and abundant veggies in the broth and the broth itself was quite tasty as well so we would order here again! read more

Excellent service, and good food. Standouts include Age Dashi tofu and udon soup. Complementary appetizers, soup and salad for everyone was a nice touch. Will be back again. read more

PRIMO. They have all the rare fish, attentive service, and I highly recommend ordering from the specials menu on the wall. We tried Sea urchin (I think lol). I had a wonderful experience, sat at the bar, and I was especially happy to see the rare fish other places don't carry regularly. That's how you know you are in a legit spot. Ordered the ají special and the chef made some extra treats. I recommend this place for more than the great selection of nigiri, because if you are into exploring fish you've never heard of or ready to eat something other than shrimp tempura rolls and edamame this is a place you need to dine in. read more

Kotobuki - Ají special treats from the chef - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Ate at Kotobuki for the first time, on a record hot day in Oakland. We just wanted an air-conditioned Japanese restaurant & got a whole lot more! After looking at the extensive menu, my sister & I both suggested the "Boat B" - a generous platter of chicken & salmon teriyaki; California rolls; shrimp, zucchini, sweet potato & potato tempura; ahi & hamachi sashimi; rice; miso soup & salad. We also ordered a Rainbow Roll - a California roll with assorted fish. Everything was delicious and our bill for 4 people came to $58 - kinda ridiculously inexpensive for a good Japanese restaurant! We'll be back! ;) read more

Kotobuki - Salmon & chicken teriyaki with veggies - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Family joint, good food, big portions. They recognize us there and gave us free beer.

Meh.. it's okay. I ordered rolls, my wife had a Gyu Don, and my friends ordered bento boxes. The seaweed wrapping the rolls weren't crunchy, felt like they were probably been out in a while and got soggy. The soft shell crab in the spider roll was over fried and dry. Their wasabi didn't have much kick to it either. My friends said the bento combos were decent tho, but I prefer sushi and sashimi for dinner. No need to go back for me. read more

This place is AWESOME! Amazing pricing, super friendly, to go food is always ready quickly and is always very food. 10/10 for Kotobuki. We have eaten here 20+ times and never had a bad experience. read more

Good food and good service. We have eaten both take out and in person. Always fresh- I like the larger beer sizes- like Tokyo. Prices are consistent with the quality. If you can't afford it, cook at home. Great people and a great restaurant. read more

NOTE: The name of this restaurant is "Kotobuki Jr." It is not the same as the "Kotobuki" at Piedmont. Someone should fix this Yelp listing. Came here tonight and will definitely come again! Busy restaurant, but the combination of fabulous service and delicious food is the best I ever had at any Japanese restaurant! The decor was interesting and our server was super attentive! Despite sitting at the side of the bar closer to the kitchen, we were rarely disrupted by the servers coming in and out. In fact, I say it's actually better to sit at the bar so you can see every single creation that the sushi chef is making! Half way through dinner, we saw him make the Fire Roll and omg! WE HAVE TO GET THAT NEXT TIME! We ordered the combination bentos and two rolls. The two item bento is $14.95. They also had a three item bento, which was about $1-2 more (I forget the exact amount). Bentos come with salad, rice, and miso soup. I believe there were 10 different items to choose for the combination bentos. Sushi rolls range from $9-$12. The Salmon Teriyaki and Spicy Tuna Roll Bento was delish! The pickled vegetables and the dressing in the salad was super yummy! The spicy tuna rolls were huge and packed with fish. My salmon teriyaki was not overdone at all. The Beef Teriyaki and California Roll Bento was also very good. I have to admit, I never did like teriyaki sauce very much, but their sauce was DELECTABLE! They also give a heaping amount of beef too! And did I mention that they were also cooked just right?! SUPER JUICY AND TENDER! Not tough, dry or charred at all! The Godzilla Roll was definitely a good call because it was crazy spicy! I felt like spitting out some flames myself, but omg they were so good! I did not try the Spider Roll (I'm allergic to crab), but it looked fresh to me! Who likes soggy crab tempura? Nobody! For dessert, they have green tea ice cream or your choice of mochi: chocolate, coffee, strawberry, vanilla, or peach flavored! You definitely get what you pay for here :D :D :D Everything was fresh and flavorful. Nothing was too salty or bland for our tastes. I hate it when I go to sushi places and everything tastes the same even though they are different types of sushi rolls. I can't wait to come back and try the specialty rolls, especially the Fire Roll! It's literally hot like fire! read more

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Came here for my fiance's grandma's birthday. We started off with the chicken karage and edamame. The karage to me was just fried chicken with katsu sauce. The chicken didn't tast marinated at all. Very so/so. We all ordered bentos and the portions were huge! They served us salad before hand, and on the plate was more cabbage salad. The dressing was really good! I got the California roll and chicken katsu dinner. The roll was good, but it's pretty hard to mess up California rolls, haha. My fiance got the saba and tempura roll and his portions were also huge. The saba was pretty good, but I thought he tempura had too much rice and the lettuce in it was kind of weird. All is all, it was a-ok. read more

Kotobuki - Yummmmm! Got to love that dressing! - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Sushi from the Japanese sushi chef is good and fresh. Rolls are not made by him. Ambience is casual but sushi is quality! We usually spend about $50-$60/per person and leave quite full. read more

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Someone I know told me this was a good place. After eating here, I'm guessing he meant good, not great. Although I only ordered two rolls, I was still given miso soup and salad. Hot tea was brought very shortly after we sat down. The soup was hot (I hate it when it's served luke warm) but lacked any flavor. The tidbits of tofu were a nice though. The condition of the lettuce in the salad was just at the point where it shouldn't have been served. The edges were starting to brown. While this is something I would be OK with if eating it from my own fridge, in a restaurant this just doesn't cut it. The dressing was watery and had no flavor. The salad was very disappointing. My first roll was a 49er roll. I love fresh, raw salmon. It's buttery, silky and flavorful. While the salmon at Kotobuki appeared fresh enough, it didn't have that wonderful flavor or the buttery, silky texture. The color was a little off and the edges were silver (this wasn't skin, it the the salmon flesh). Maybe it was a different type of salmon than what I'm used to eating raw? I found the quality to be questionalbe. The veggie tempura roll was good and I would order it again. In fact, I wasn't able to eat all of it, brought the leftovers home, and when I went back to dig into it, I discovered the bottomless pit (aka my teenage son) had eaten every single speck. Darn! The service was good.. nothing special but attentive enough and the hot tea was topped off regularly. I appreciate that. During our meal, I kept hearing a strange sound that I thought was a unique ring tone on someone's phone. It sounded like a Japanese cartoon. I finally realized it's a sensor and whenever someone walks in or out of the front door, this Japanese cartoon sounding thing goes off. By the time we finished lunch, the sound was on my nerves and annoying. I'd go back to Kotobuki if I were in the neighbor hood again, but wouldn't make a special trip. The flavor of the food needs to be turned up and the freshness stepped up as well. Food gets 2 stars (3 1/2 for the veggie tempura roll). Service gets 4 stars. read more

Kotobuki - 49er roll and veggie tempura roll - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Nicest staff and super delicious - we have been dining here for years, and even better now. Lots of special small touches make this a great place when craving Japanese food! read more