Tried this place on Saturday afternoon when I was at Jack London Square with my family. It was pretty good. Ordered the 3 roll lunch special along with 2 extra California rolls. The handrolls tasted fresh and delicious. The servers and the chef were both really polite and provided good service. I was satisfied with my lunch and I would be happy to come here again when I am in the neck of the woods. read more

We went to Kuidaore Hand Roll Bar for dinner and overall had a really nice experience. The staff was incredibly sweet, welcoming, and especially considerate about my allergies. I had a few dietary restrictions, and they were patient, accommodating, and made me feel comfortable ordering, which I really appreciated. The food was fresh and enjoyable, and the overall atmosphere felt relaxed and inviting. You can tell the team cares about creating a good experience for guests. The only challenge during our visit was the speed of service. It seemed like one person was handling both drink service and taking orders, even though there were additional staff members working besides the sushi chef. I think dividing responsibilities a bit differently could really help improve the flow of service and make the overall dining experience even better. That said, everyone was kind throughout the night, and we still enjoyed our dinner. With a few small adjustments, this place could really shine even more. read more

I pass by Kuidaore every day during my lunch break and walk around beautiful Jack London Square. Very unassuming restaurant that specializes in hand rolls, small plates, sashimi, and other sides. Their restaurant philosophy is to provide an optimal dining experience with fresh ingredients and a simple menu that spotlights their strength. Since they are only open for lunch on Thursdays and Fridays for weekdays, I made a plan to come here on one of those Thursdays. Having scouted through Yelp (like a true Elite does), I was all set to order my Bara Chirashi ($24) which is cubed slices of mixed sashimi and ikura over a bed of rice. It was beautifully made and took an appropriate amount of time since it was made to order. Very delightful and something that I would order again, but definitely eyeing the Best Catch Box ($29) next time for their beautiful presentation of negatory, uni, scallops, ikura (take a look at the Yelp photos if you haven't!). I originally wanted to get a hand roll or two but ended up impulse ordering the Matcha Affogato ($6). It was a surprising yet very well thought out combination of Strawberry Pop Tart Ice Cream (right???) with well prepared matcha poured over. Service was polite but not overbearing and there were a few other people also indulging in an elevated lunch experience. All in all, so thrilled to have tried it; will be back again, and think that it's a must-try place within the Oakland area! read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Placesetting - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Went to this place on Valentine's Day. Of cuz the restaurant was full and they didnt take walk in on the day. Making reservation is easy. This restaurant is located in jack London square and they have a parking structure there for your convenience. Overall, it is a great experience. We love their handroll freshly made in front of us. But the highlight of the night was the wagyu handroll! Love it so much! We will finitely go back when we are in town. read more

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Solid hand roll spot in Jack London. Tried the 4 handrolls set which included tuna & avocado, spicy scallop, California, and shitake/kanpyo/avocado. Service is friendly. They served us miso soup/edamame to start. The handrolls took a bit to come out/was quite paced as there is only one person making the handrolls for the entire restaurant. Quality and flavor of the fish was good. The roll had the right proportions with the rice and the seaweed was crispy. Note that these aren't too filling though but are good. There is bar seating around the counter which is comfortable and clean. read more

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Great handroll restaurant/bar located in the Jack London area! I got the 3 piece handroll set which came with a miso soup. They roll the handrolls and then put it in front of you on a tiny black plate one at a time which is cute! They don't necessarily come in the menu order (I believe....) The fish was really creamy and buttery with the sauce. I shared a sashimi salad and it was filling with the 3 hand rolls, but I imagine most people would still be hungry. You can also order individual hand rolls outside of the 3 or 4 piece set. I'd love to come back and try the drinks! PS The bathroom is located outside the building in a little bit of a creepy hallway but if you gotta go you gotta go read more

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Didn't know Jack London had a handroll bar! Behind Plank! Went here for restaurant week to try the set menu. Super filling and was pretty tasty! Service was a tiny bit slow- I think it didn't help it seemed like only one person was making hand rolls for the whole floor as well as to gos too. He was def hustling! Parking - street parking across the street along with surface lots but also there is parking under Plank as well as a block or so from the Waterfront Parking garage as well. Bathroom - you need a key from the staff and it's around the corner. My friend said it's clean! read more

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Oakland Restaurant week is afoot so we were excited to try Kuidaore. The special menu had nothing we wanted to try, so we ended up doing a la carte. The food was very underwhelming. Nori is crispy, but the rice to fish ratio was off for me. (Too little of both). The sushi rice has a good texture, but lacked the sweet vinegar flavor you'd expect. The spicy scallop was somehow bland. I liked the california handroll, but it used real red crab with cucumber (sadly instead of avocado). The truffle salmon was just all around bad. The salmon had a weird plasticky taste and didn't even have any truffle flavor. The caviar (tobiko) on top was fishy and the ponzu dressing was lackluster. The only bright side was the caviar is local from Tsar Nicoulai - very generous 0.5oz of caviar was buttery and perfectly saline. The uni (maybe from Japan) was also very sweet and fresh. The wagyu bits were cooked well. I don't think the sum of all these parts can justify the $25 price tag though. I'm glad we tried Kuidaore overall, but we will not be coming back any time soon when other handroll bars exist. read more

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Enjoyed my DD orders from here: - great presentation - fresh fish - loved the red crab roll - small bites but pack a punch - great ginger - seaweed salad generous and seasoned well - toro sashimi was a bit fibrous - excellent bara chirashi - best catch box - beautiful and includes Hokkaido uni AND negitoro, super fresh Improvement: rice tends to be on the mushier side read more

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First tried it out during Oakland's Restaurant Week and have been back multiple times since then! Very thankful to have a quality hand roll place in the east bay! Everything I've tried I've reallly enjoyed. From the different crudo, hand rolls, and surprisingly really enjoyed the pandan crème brûlée Friend staff, service, and experience. Restaurant is clean and a nice ambiance that can serve date night, quick lunch, or a casual catch up! Will continue to be back!! read more

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Food was good. Handrolls were amazing and the vibe was fun and casual. The Japanese Uni handroll melted in my mouth omg so yummy. Would 100% go back. Loved the service and the drinks. My college roommate from Africa had his first bite of sushi here, he loves fish now. @jason_alouda on instagram read more

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Outstanding. We were in Oakland furniture shopping and decided to walk through Jack London Square to find something to eat. The inside is like a sushi bar with no traditional tables. We were greeted and seated right away. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The hand rolls are fantastic. Super fresh with crispy wraps, they definitely add some extra flavor with mild spice and citrus in some of them. Really great food. My only complaint is the rolls are small, a little bigger than a standard egg roll, you need a few if you have a larger appetite like me. read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Great find in Jack London Square, I was very pleased with my experience at Kuidaore. I emailed them to make a reservation - even though it's a bit atypical with Resy / OpenTable nowadays, the process was super easy. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. The space was very inviting and cozy with around 20 seats where you can watch the chef prepare your dishes. We started off with the scallops and loved how fresh the seafood was as well as the flavor behind the sauce. I got the 4 hand roll set and thought that the rice to filling ratio was pretty solid. I would be back here, vibes were immaculate! read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Excellent service! I had been messaging their business Instagram and they remembered me and my birthday. Literally so sweet and thoughtful. Hand rolls are thoughtfully created with delicious fresh fish and each sauce was delicious. I also love the small plates. The restaurant is a small sushi bar style seating restaurant which makes for an intimate setting, ideal for a date night. Pro tip: don't skip dessert!! The desserts are so bomb! So are the drinks! I had a beautiful mocktail! read more

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This place is amazing! The workers are super friendly and the service is on point. They have a good menu full of tasty cocktails and beautiful hand rolls. We ordered the salmon and scallop apps and I would recommend the scallops. The salmon was nothing special but the fish was really fresh. The main wow factor are the hand rolls. We got the uni, toro and caviar roll and also the A5, uni, and caviar roll. Go big or go home! We also got their hand roll set. It definitely is a good price for what you get. Make sure to enjoy the hand rolls right when you get them so the seaweed stays crispy. Will definitely be back!! read more

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Kuidaore Handroll Bar is hands down one of our favorite spots in Oakland. We love coming here to eat! the food is always so yummy and feels special every single time. Everything is fresh, beautifully made, and consistently delicious. The vibes are always so fun too--perfect for a casual night out or celebrating with friends. On top of that, they're our go-to for catering all our parties! Kuidaore is truly the perfect addition to any event and always a crowd-pleaser. Can't recommend them enough! read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Best catering option for our party! - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Came here for a special girls night out; food and drinks were top notch along with the service! There's something really special about the way they make hand rolls at Kuidaore, and you know from first bite that they value quality and flavor above all. High top bar seating all around; definitely has a more upscale ambience and works much better for an adult crowd vs family friendly venue. So glad to have come by one of my new favorite sushi date spots! read more

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Wow I love the aesthetic and vibe of this place. I was here to celebrate a friend's belated birthday/engagement about two weeks ago. We had a group of 7. I loved the personalized menu for our little celebration event. Everything we ordered tasted amazing! It was so good! They even have fresh wasabi! The spicy tuna and spicy salmon hand-roll was whoa yummy! The miso soup was flavorful. Everything was perfect and well balanced. Presentation was beautiful. read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Tried this spot during Oakland Restaurant Week and was not disappointed. It's a small, unsuspecting spot in Jack London Square across from Plank and though aesthetics could use some work, the food really shined. We had: - A crudo trio (truffle salmon, toro crudo, hamachi crudo) - Spoon duo ("happy spoon" with uni + tuna, and a scallop ikura spoon) - Spicy tuna handroll - Choice of unagi or California handroll - Shitake Kanpyo, avocado handroll - Premium handroll (A5 wagyu, uni, and caviar) - Dessert: Yuzu cheesecake or Pandan creme brulee Everything was amazing! I'd say the truffle salmon is definitely worth trying. The wagyu was torched perfectly and the uni was to-die-for. I'm glad we caught this restaurant during a special week because otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to sample this much for only $65/person! I would return for a nice date night for sure. Note; there's only bar seating and it's very small. read more

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This restaurant is all bar seating, so best for smaller groups only. It can get pricy, but they have a great range of rolls from lower cost all the way up to uni / Wagyu / caviar. Chirashi bowl is also delicious. My favorite part compared to a "standard" sushi counter is how crispy and fresh the nori is when you eat the freshly prepared roll. It has an amazing crunch read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Chirashi - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

We just went to Mujiri in Hayward and... See other Yelp review. Quality/Quantity - We got the following orders today: 3 Handroll Set - Sake (Salmon), Hamachi, and Spicy Tuna. 4 Handroll Set - Sake, Spicy Scallop, California and Shitake, Kapyo, and Avocado. All of which were made to order (in front of us). Fresh, but of small sizes... And we are light eaters. Yuzu Cheesecake - Decent flavors; but again really, I mean really, small. Not enough to share. And we are light eaters. Sadly, we left hungry. Atmosphere - Very small location. Bar seating only. Open kitchen. Open 6 days a week, see my picture, Yelp, or their website (as they differ slightly). Paid parking garages nearby, or free limited street parking until 6pm. Do remember, this is Oakland, so be safe. No restrooms, you need to grab the key with the code and use the mall restroom. See pictures. Service - Good. Quick. But due to the very limited seating, they needed to be quick to turn the chairs. Price - $64 + tip. And this did not include any drinks, as we just left the winery. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since April of 2024. Nice to have you within walking distance from Rosenblum Winery, but we should not have left hungry after spending so much $$. read more

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My friend recommended this handroll bar with the highest quality ingredients that I can say I've had at a handroll bar. My friend got a set of handrolls and I got the treasure box with uni,scallop, ikura, and negitoro. The tuna tartare was spectacular. It was different since they used rice crackers which paired so well with the fish. The tartare was fresh with no fishy taste and seasoned beautifully with soy sauce. The treasure box was also filled with the freshest ingredient. The uni was sweet and creamy. The scallops were sweet and plump. The ikura added a nice saltiness and the negitoro was great with the fried garlic on top for some texture. However I did feel the rice was on the vinegary side which I'm not mad about. Overall everything was great and extremely high quality but the portions are small but I think it's because it's in London Jack Square. The tuna tartare was tiny and the treasure box was a small 2x2 inch The most surprising bite of the night and one I would 100% come back for is the Shitake, Kanpyo & Avocado. It was creamy, salty, and sweet. It wasn't something I've had before at the handroll bar that I really liked. read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Tuna Tartare - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Delicious handrolls! Seating was arranged around the bar throughout the restaurant. It felt clean and modern. What I ordered: 1) Spicy tuna handroll - 4/5 I wish it was more spicy! It did feel like the sauce was a little lacking, but otherwise clean and fresh! 2) Spicy scallop handroll - 4/5 same comments as above. Super fresh but a little bland. 3) Negitoro handroll - 5/5 the toro was delicious! Super fatty and melts in your mouth. 4) Strawberry yakult mocktail - 5/5 as you expected, it was delicious! Great presentation and nice bubbles. As for service, it was slightly slower than expected. I went with a group and I was hoping the rolls came out more evenly paced. There were moments when one of us had to wait a super long time to get the next roll. Also FYI, they don't have restrooms here. There is public restroom outside. Overall, solid spot! Would come again. read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Spicy tuna - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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I was driving home hungry after a class and I was craving sushi and drinks so here I am. I ordered the best catch box, A5 Uni caviar premium handroll, pandan crème brûlée and a few drink cocktails to unwind: (orange guava spritzer, strawberry yakult, mango dreamsickle). The A5 Uni Caviar handroll was pretty good. The best catch box tasted as good as it looked. The presentation was stunning. I felt kinda bad having to eat it haha. The crème brûlée was very creamy. All of their drinks were delicious, I couldn't really pick a favorite lol. Everything looked aesthetically pleasing. I came in at around 2pm and surprisingly it wasn't busy. The service here was pretty good. My server came back often to check and was prompt in taking away my plates/drinks. She also gave great recommendations. I really like the setup/layout of this place. It's mostly all bar seating when you come in. I also liked the 2000s RNB music they were playing, It gave off a chill relaxed vibe. Definitely recommend checking this spot out. Try it out if you like. :) read more

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i left this place feeling hungry, scammed, and angry. I looked at photos of the hand rolls at this place before coming, and what i got was no where close to all the ads online. The hand rolls i got were SO MUCH smaller and shorter (photos attached). You can't even call these hand rolls. They are honestly not even maki rolls. And they were $23 for 3 which is ridiculous. We tried a premium roll too and we got so little fish compared to the ads this place put out. The salmon truffle was the only thing that was the same as advertised. Server was extremely rude as well and kept trying to upsell us and get us to order more. read more

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This place is AWESOME. I came to Jack London Square on a popping Sunday and stopped here for a quick lunch since it's right in the center. I'm so glad I did! Recommendations: - SPICY SCALLOP - SHIITAKE (marinated and topped with eel sauce for the vegan friends) Honestly, everything will be good because the sushi is fresh. The STRAWBERRY YAKULT COCKTAIL is probably the best thing I've had, and bonus: they're dog friendly since so many locals in the area always have their dog babies with them. Thank you PLA for your hospitality and kindness. Everyone here is so nice and attentive. I highly recommend and will definitely be back! read more

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Reposting after Yelp took it down because of something potentially offensive. Putting on my woke censorship hat I removed a couple of sentences i thought could be construed as offensive. Hopefully it sticks this time. This our 2nd time here. So far we stop in here while trying to figure out where we want to go next. The hand rolls are good, nothing fantastic, it's a hand roll. Not going there!!!!! It's a family channel. We have had the salmon, Ikura, spicy salmon, and hamachi. All good. For sake we end up with Dassai 45 also an Asahi. Service is very fast and peeps are pleasant. Weird as a restaurant they do not have a restroom. The fish is very fresh. I know this should be a given but trust me, not so, hence pointing this out. Excelent sake selection and 5 or so beers along with sake cocktails. Don't get me started on this mocktail insanity but they have these also. Nothing really outstanding but totally adequate. read more

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I was incredibly happy with our spontaneous decision to dine in Thursday evening! The wait was around 30 minutes for 2 without a reservation. The restaurant is fairly small and intimate with a wrap around bar. It reminded me of Kazu nori in LA with a better menu. The service was great and the food was amazing! My boyfriend and I ended up getting the 4 hand roll set and both added on an hand roll from their premium section as our main and nothing disappointed us everything was so fresh. For apps all of the crudos were good, I can't choose between the hamachi crudo or the truffle salmon being my favorite. I especially liked the happy spoons with caviar, it quite literally had me doing a happy dance! It just melted in my mouth with so much flavor to offer! 4 Handroll set - 5/5 pretty good deal for a sake, spicy scallop, California with real crab, and a mixed veggie Hotate crudo 4/5 - this crudo was good but it needed something that I couldn't put my finger on. It had nice sweet and fresh scallops and the garlic chili crunch was a nice touch Hamachi crudo 5/5 - this was delicious I loved the flavors from the cilantro micro greens and the fried shallots Truffle salmon - 5/5 need I say more? Happy spoons 10/5 - so good, this is a must order in my opinion The dessert options sounded fantastic, I wish I had room for the pandan creme brûlée made in house!! I opted for the coconut ice cream and the calamansi sorbet both were so good Uhg I want more of the coconut!! You'll definitely find me here again for this gem! read more

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Loooove this Handroll bar. Dare I say it's comparable to our favorite kazu nori in la? We went on a Saturday night around 7pm and had no issues parking in the underground Jack London garage. We were pleasantly surprised that there was no wait. We ordered the 3 piece hand roll sets, hamachi crudo, maguro ponzu, and toro crudo. The hamachi handroll was good we had to order a second round. Everything was so fresh and so yummy. The only thing that wasn't super great was the miso soup- it wasn't very hot. Can't wait to go back. read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Hamachi crudo - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

This was a sweet little lunch find at Jack London Square. Everything tasted extremely fresh and I loved the "eat the hand-roll immediately" concept. Our waiter was attentive and lacked warmth. The music selection was giving club in Vegas vibes, which was almost a deterrent for me at lunch time, but I am glad I stayed (for the food). I could see how that vibe on a weekend evening would work for a certain type of crowd, though. I would recommend and I hope the owner rethinks the music. read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

A surprise fantastic find in Jack London square !!! Amazing fresh sushi / hand rolls / best deal in town , great creative drinks . Friendly service !!! Worth many visits !!!!!!! read more

Visited here at 8:30pm on a Saturday and luckily they were still taking customers. There was no wait and we sat down immediately. Service staff was very attentive and accommodating letting us know 15 mins into our meal it was last call for orders. Ambiance was very clean and I loved the walls art. It reminds me of KazuNori in SoCal but I liked that this place has options for the small plates. We ordered: Hot sake - small but pretty good for house sake Strawberry Yakult - too sweet for my liking Handrolls: Sake, hamachi, spice tuna - all very fresh and simple, which I loved Spicy scallop - perfect balance or seasoning and mayo Negitoro - easily my favorite one, melt in your mouth type! Yum Uni, toro, caviar - my friend annually got this one but she loved it! Small plates: Truffle salmon - wow! Seasoned perfectly and not overly rich Hotate crudo - delish! Perfect balance of sauce, chili, and tobiko Happy spoons - the perfect bite! I wish there was 4 instead of three per serving haha Overall I would 100% come back, had a great experience and the food was amazing! read more

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Came here for lunch today, party of 2, around 12noon and had one of the best meals I've had this year! Our whole order: 2 of the 3-handroll sets ($25 each), an ikura handroll ($8), negitoro handroll ($12), Japan hokkaido uni handroll ($18), the A5 wagyu uni and caviar handroll ($25 splurge), the happy spoons small plate ($25), hamachi crudo ($14) and the best catch box ($28). No wait today given it's a weekday lunch time. Total was about $200 after tax. So definitely a splurge meal for celebrations. Pros: - FANTASTIC, SUPER FRESH FISH. Even the simple spicy tuna or hamachi handrolls were really delicious. My favorite thing I ate here was the hokkaido uni handroll and the wagyu uni caviar handroll (of course the most expensive things lol - I'm not usually someone who splurges like this but after eating the first set of 3 basic handrolls, the fish tasted so fresh I ended up adding on the other rolls). In my opinion the handrolls are where the best bang for your buck is at in terms of taste quality and value. The happy spoons were delicious but expectedly small, so the experience is pretty quick. - Really beautiful presentation - the wagyu uni caviar handroll was aesthetically so pleasing, and the best catch box is very cute and intentionally presented. All the small plates were well presented too- it made the experience feel like appreciating visual art AND eating well. - Really kind service - the guys working behind the bar checked in on us at an appropriate frequency to keep waters filled and ask for additional orders, but not so often where we felt like we were being rushed - I think this is where I would recommend coming here for lunch because the atmosphere is more empty and slow. I'm sure it gets really busy at dinner time. - Big fan of the soy sauce dishes, simple but pretty. - Perfect rice to fish ratio in the handrolls Cons: - While the hamachi crudo was fresh, I thought in comparison to everything else it didn't shine. The small plates are indeed very small (with the exception of the best catch box) - so don't be surprised and gawk at the price, do your research. - Parking can be kind of tricky in this area and the roads can sometimes be confusing - some options are 1 block of 45 deg angle parking spaces a couple blocks away from the restaurant (for $2 an hour ish), or the public garage near Plank. Vibes: - Casual but upscale! Cute enough for a date. I wouldn't recommend coming here with parties of more than 2 to 3 though, because of the high bar seating it can be hard to chat if you come with a bigger party and are trying to talk to everyone. Recommendations to make this even better: - pipets for soy sauce so you don't have to dip handrolls and have the fish spill out LOL Overall, 10/10, 100% would come back and bring my friends, and force them to order the uni dishes!! read more

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Came here for dinner before going to a show down the street. Was craving something light and delicious and saw this place on Yelp. We got there around 530 and there were a few spots left. We got seated right away and was greeted by our server right away, his name was Vincent and he was great! We ordered a bunch of things: 5 hand rolls, 3 hand rolled, happy spoon, uni toro caviar premium hand roll, toro sashimi, miso, hostage crudo and toro crudo. Everything taste really good and the fish was super fresh! I would come back here and order the same thing again. The hand rolls were handed to you individually and the chefs timing was perfect. They were playing cool music too when we were there. Overall ambiance was cool. This restaurant is def a great addition to Jack London. Would visit again!! read more

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I LOVE a good handroll place. Impressed with their menu that not only includes great handroll options but also has a nice variety of appetizers. I ordered the 4 handroll option ($30) and it was delicious. Remember to eat your handroll as soon as it comes out for maximum freshness! I also enjoyed the hotate (scallop) crudo for appetizer and pandan creme brûlée for dessert. I recommend getting their truffle citrus soy ($1) to dip your handrolls in - the truffle just changes the game! The service was great - attentive and quick. Perfect for a date night even during the week if you don't want to spend more than an hour at a restaurant. I'll definitely be back to try other apps. Highly recommend checking this place out at Jack London Square! read more

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I was in Jack London area and stumbled upon this place. It opens at noon and I was thinking Japanese hand roll lunch would be nice. My group of three was sat down immediately as we were first in line at noon. The place is all bar seating and as you order, the hand rolls are made to order by the chef. I ordered the three hand roll set and all of the hand rolls were exquisite. I also tried a premium one, the uni toro and caviar one; It was good but not worth the price tag of the hand roll. We also ordered the hamachi crudo and the flavor on that was sublime. The fish tastes extremely fresh here, making it a must try if in the area. I would definitely come back. read more

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Good handroll spot! Fresh. Their wagyu uni piece was a little underwhelming though. Otherwise nice service.

TL;DR Make a reservation! The Yelp waitlist is completely WRONG! NO outdoor seating so NO dogs allowed. Fresh food, inventive flavors, attentive service, and clean environment. Oakland Restaurant Week is here! Of course I have to trek over the bridge to my old hood and try something new. After a quick search of participating Japanese restaurants, I narrow down to Kuidaore Handroll Bar because it has a prix fixe menu that looks well rounded and the reviews for the restaurant have been solid so far. We arrived a little before 6:30pm on a Saturday. The weather was super nice especially for outdoor dining. We had no reservations because Yelp Waitlist said it's wide open. We brought our very well behaved pooch because Yelp said dogs are allowed...WRONG & WRONG. They're fully booked with a long handwritten reservation list. All seatings are inside so NO dog is allowed. Since I was there, my friends said if the restaurant could squeeze me in somewhere, they would be more than happy to go next door where there is a large outdoor dining area. It turned out to be the BEST decision as they loved their food and our pooch got her own bacons! An absolute perfect night for everyone! Anyway here's my dining experience. I was seated at the end of the bar, an area it strike me as where they probably put takeout or catering orders normally. Unlike everyone else who's sitting behind a tall counter bar, I was at table height with no obstruction so I could see everything going on in the kitchen. It's like I'm dining at the chef's table next to the kitchen...I quite enjoyed it. After I made my selection for the prix fixe menu, the courses began to come out...they're all paced perfectly so I never felt rushed or had to wait too long. The prix fixe menu was thoughtfully designed with a taste of some of their best dishes: Crudo Trio: truffle salmon, toro, hamachi (Perfect little starter to get your appetite going) Spoon Duo: 1 Happy spoon, 1 scallop, ikura spoon (Oh the happy spoon makes me happy just thinking about it!) Spicy Tuna Handroll (A nice balance of spiciness and umami) Unagi or Spicy Scallop Handroll (I got the spicy scallop, which was very fresh but could use a bit more flavors) Chawanmushi w/ikuro and uni (Nothing more comforting than a bowl of silken steamed egg, but honestly I wasn't a big fan of uni and ikuro in this dish as the heat seemed to bring out their fishy taste. I think crab meat might be more appealing as the heat tends to bring out crab's sweetness) Shitake Kanpyo, Avocado Handroll (I can be a vegetarian if all vegetarian options taste this good) Premium Handroll (I chose A5 Wagyu, Uni & Caviar...seriously this item is going on my Last-meal list! I'll come back just for this item alone!) Yuzu Cheesecake or Pandan Creme Brûlée (I got pandan creme brûlée. The custard was silky smooth, but it has little bruleed sugar topping so I didn't get that crack I want before diving into the pandan-scented custard.) Now I understood why Oakland was again named the #1 Best Food City in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler readers. My whole experience at Kuidaore Handroll Bar exceeded all my expectations. The Jack London area was beautiful and lively. I can't wait to come back. read more

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Staff is friendly. Place is small- all seating is bar seating. Service is slow as they are super busy. Bathroom is very inconvenient = you need to walk outside and go a half block, use a key to get thru door #1, then a passcode for door #2; not sure how fun that will be in the winter... Food is small portions and decent quality, a bit the pricey side imo, however I've included the menu with prices so judge for yourself. read more

Kuidaore Handroll Bar - Menu - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Ambiance was clean but quaint - wait times vary, I would check in via Google Maps for faster seating. I got the 3 hand roll item and my friend got the 3 hand roll with hamachi crudo. The handroll consisted of Sake (salmon), Hamachi, and Spicy Tuna but I had opted out of that one and asked to switch to something else. Service was great and attentive. I appreciate them switching out the spicy tuna for me because I can't have spicy so they were able to make an exception with a tuna avocado - which was really fresh and delicious! The hand rolls were overall okay though, I think the fish was fine but didn't have much flavor. The seaweed also got a bit soggy and wasn't as crispy as I've had at other handroll places. Overall I'm glad I tried but I think there are others in the area that may score a bit higher in terms of quality and taste. read more

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