I love this place--great, fresh, healthy food, kind and thoughtful service, calm atmosphere that's perfect for catching up with a friend. It's a sort of perfect neighborhood spot. read more

cute interior, quite cozy and intimate and friendly service. food however i was not blown away by, pretty OK japanese food, sashimi decently fresh, but other items like udon were just OK, considering price as well read more

Mitama Restaurant - Sashimi appetizer - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I had $30 of DoorDash credit to spent and ended up getting a chicken teriyaki and California roll bento from Mitama. For $32.58 with fees (excluding tip), this was honestly terrible value. At this price point, one would expect every item in the bento to be exceptional, but the chicken terriyaki was overcooked and ended up being really dry. Most Japanese restaurants offer a tiny container of miso soup with their bentos, but that was not the case here. If you're looking for a tasty, quality bento, I would highly recommend looking elsewhere. Specifically, my favorite Japanese bento spot is Yojimbo's down in Alameda. If that's available to you on DoorDash -- or you're able to do pick-up, the food there is not only much higher quality, but the value is far more worth it than anything at Mitama. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Chicken Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came back to Mitama after a couple of years. Quality is still great and staff are very attentive. This is one of the places where you go for the nigiri or sashimi and not the rolls. Our nigiri was fresh and there was the perfect amount of rice. I enjoyed Ala carte so I could pick and choose what I wanted, but the nigiri seat is also a pretty good option if you're not that picky. It's on the more expensive side, but not too surprising given the location & quality. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Nigiri set + Ala carte nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Delicious and a perfect bento lunch meal! Would recommend as it's well presented and just the right amount of food.

Delicious and quality sushi! And always welcoming staff. When I recently went for dinner with a friend, we ordered very little, just three rolls. No sake or additional items. We ate slowly and were in our own world in conversation. When we left we saw that people were waiting for our table. I felt sorry to have slowed the customer flow down and also appreciated the hospitality which meant we'd never felt rushed! read more

Solid spot in our neighborhood - we got a sushi set, chirashi, and two rolls. Everything tasted good and the food came out very quickly! read more

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Mitama is the best sushi in Oakland area. Super fresh and lots of fish from Japan. High quality and does not disappoint. My only gripe is it can be slow at times, but it is worth it. read more

If you're in the Elmwood and you have a choice between Mitama on College and Manpuku on College. Go to Mitama. Mitama is located in the spot of the old Buttercup Bakery at College and Alcatraz. Their tempura shrimp and veggies are far better than Manpuku's. Always hot and crisp and never lukewarm and soggy like Manupuku's. The decor is still the same as Buttercup's and could use a refresh decor-wise, but the food is far better than Manpuku and that's what counts. read more

4/5 is slightly on the generous side, but overall I had a good experience here! We came with a party of 6 that later grew to 9 on a Sunday around 1:30pm and there was no wait. I ordered the nigiri combination and they let me replace the tuna maki with salmon instead! The fish quality was not *the best* that I've ever had, but fresh enough for the price that I would order it again. I had some friends order the beef teriyaki & fried oyster bento and that was pretty good too (I tried a piece of each). The food might come out a little slow for large parties but I needed to leave earlier and they were able to give me my food first. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I know people get nervous around sushi/Japanese restaurants with less than 4 average but I'm glad we came here! Very solid, fresh sushi. And I love that natto (fermented soy beans) are generally included on the side. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Awesome service and incredibly fresh sushi! My go to order is usually the chirashi bowl, if you're having trouble deciding what to get I highly recommend this bowl. Robert, the owner is always so personable and always provides great service. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Mitama Restaurant - Chirashi Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love Japanese food and the food here is quite good. I've ordered in real life and off of DoorDash. The restaurant is conveniently placed. It's a lovely restaurant and the service was good. Would recommend. read more

Another great meal at Mitama. I've been coming here for years with my family. Consistently tasty and delicious. read more

Mitama Restaurant - They do this every meal for our 5 year old. - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

My friend took me out to Mitama for lunch because she's friends with the owners and we love getting Japanese food together. For lunch I ordered two rolls. I had the Negi Hama Roll and Tekka Maki Roll. Both rolls were good. It was my first time trying a Negi Hama Roll. I enjoyed it because it came with decent sized pieces of Yellowtail. The roll was relatively big compared to the Tekka Maki Roll. My friend ordered the Chirashi Sushi and enjoyed it. They provide hot tea to drink but you can request water. Service was amazing, the owners are an extremely sweet couple and so fun to talk to! She gave great recommendations in regards to Japan and constantly checked in on us. With COVID-19, the restaurant is short staffed so it's just her working the front as a waitress, server, and taking phone call orders. I also believe there's only one sushi chef. Although a little pricey, the food and service are good. I'm glad I had the chance to try and check out Mitama. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Chirashi Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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There are SO many reasons to eat here, for one: the service is top notch. When you walk in each staff person greets you in a friendly and direct manner. So much so that is in fact impossible to determine their 'roles' and whois the 'bus-person' and who is the server, or host. With my two decades of customer service experience- I found this charming and decided to give some items on the menu a try- promising myself I would be good and only try an item or two and be back later to try it more thoroughly with my partner- who happens to have a more particular and discriminating yet limited palette. However- once trying my top 2 favorite sushi items for judging all restaurants by: Sake Nigiri (2 pc. Raw Salmon Slices banded w seaweed over rice) - It was off the charts buttery and amazing cut, served and the rice was not too sweet or tightly pressed, and of the right temperature. The second roll I started my assessment by was the Negihama Maki- the Yellowtail with Seaweed wrapped around the outside. It was out of this world. At that point I was hooked for life- I was so impressed at the dexterity of rolling and the flavor and freshness of the fish! They even write on the board where they purchase it from (who else does that??) And so from there I just had to try the Hirame Nigiri (halibut), which was cut glass-thin so as to remain delicate in flavor and not too chewy, amd underlaid with Shiso, one of the most under-used and delicate and delicious green herbs I have ever tasted. Then we went back to a maki roll, choosing another long time favorite-Spicy Tuna!! This is one that is often easily done wrong in SO many different ways. Sushi Chef (Max) not only prepared mine with the Sisho herb in it on my request, but he also knowingly only added a smidge of it as a true pro would (highly recommend this!). And the level of hotness was not too hot or too bland- just Goldilocks perfect!! They also have a 'fresh from Japan Menu' which I honestly have never seen in any sushi restaurant around here. My Highest most flavorful review for people who DON'T like raw fishy tastes but want to explore sushi, try the Rock n' Roll Maki - a delicate combo of California avocado, with grilled eel, and chopstick slices of cucumber, wrapped together with seaweed. Enjoyment for the whole family, and easy to chew as well! All in all the other food looked amazing on the plates when I looked around to the nearly full restaurant- when I arrived around 4:30 on a sleepy Friday afternoon, it was empty, and now making myself leave around 7:00 pm- it is hopping and has been for hours! There are wait times of up to an hour for sit in or pick-up orders, around the dinner time hours for this spot so please- plan ahead and don't - pretty please - DON'T take it out on the waitstaff! Manage your own time well if you have the money to eat out don't blame others for the privilege of it. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Menu page 1 - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This neighborhood restaurant is a great fresh all the time sushi.. you have to come try if you haven't yet been here. Small family owned foodery!!! read more

Quality of fish was excellent. We got all the specials on the board behind the chefs and I highly recommend the toro if they have it. Plenty of seating and a very kind and attentive staff--they sat us right before the kitchen closed and we're gracious with several corrections to our original order. The Uni was delicious as well! Definitely hope to come back again soon! read more

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The buttercup sushi was good. I came in a group of 5 and the place is set up for max 4 but they were able to accommodate. I definitely wouldn't come with a large group. The portion size was small for sushi but ok for the bento box which some of my friends got. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food was much better than the service. I get that sometimes wait staff are tired or their feet hurt or they're having a bad day, but we got a shit ton of attitude here. But the sushi was good. My partner ordered the teriyaki beef which was excellent. read more

I'm surprised this place only has 3.5 stars...I actually enjoyed the food here! We ordered: 1. Maguro sashimi appetizer ($17.50) 2. Shrimp tempura appetizer ($14) 3. Spicy tuna tempura roll ($11) 4. Mitama roll ($19) 5. Rockridge roll ($11.50) 6. Genmai tea ($2) yes, they charge for tea!! 7. Organic miso soup ($4) I'm really picky with my rolls since I don't eat too much sashimi (I'm just starting to), so the rolls we ordered were great. It had a mix of raw sushi, tempura, crab meat, and a California roll. I wouldn't mind coming back to try other rolls. The customer service was also great. Although they charge for tea, the server constantly refilled our cups so it was worth it. read more

I was looking for a good spot to eat dinner by myself and I came across this place. For dinner, I ordered 1 sake (salmon belly) nigiri, 1 toro nigiri, 1 Honor roll, and 1 Dragon roll. Although this place is on the pricier side, the service was great, the ambiance of this place was cozy, and fish was fresh, tender and great quality. read more

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The dashi in the ramen is way too salty. My previous visit I mentioned the broth had too much shio. Kindly noted. My friend also stopped in and said the same thing. Today it's still overly salted. I didn't say anything. I just won't go back. So disappointing. read more

Mitama Restaurant - No frills Miso Ramen. Looks perfect? No it's not. Waaay tooo salty! - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Doordashed the Mitama roll, dragon roll, and college roll, with a side of gyoza and really loved the experience! i'm a bit biased toward eel, so my favorite was the dragon roll, but i also really liked the other two rolls. I'm relatively sensitive to the kind of fishy smell/aftertaste that sushi sometimes comes with, but there was barely any of that here which i really appreciated. also really liked the gyoza and the golden brown, crispy bottom!! read more

Mitama Restaurant - Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I decided to try this little sushi place near a dance studio I come to practice often. Unfortunately I'm a bit disappointed, almost everything was subpar. TL:DR: would I eat here again, probably not. Things that make me say that: * considering how few tables they have, and that there were like there servers, they never came to check in, I had to try get their attention to ask them to fix the pet her the chefs got wrong (I know it was the chefs because I saw the server write down my order as I asked for it) * the food was average, so quite expensive for the quality of the fish served * also the quality of the cuts wasn't great, some fish pieces were falling apart, or some likely not cut in the right direction which made it extra chewy (the bream), and these were supposedly the premium nigiri, $12, and was quite worse than the regular nigiri in the menu * as for stuff that usually should be the better picks from the chef, I really felt I paid for regular or less that best quality stuff. For a chirashi I was given mostly rice and Tamago, so, not sure where my $35 order really paid for? 1 piece of average sake which didn't look very fresh And regular tuna (which I would expect perhaps more of a bluefin tuna) * then funny, again, waiting and looking to find them to ask for the check, and when they bring it, no pen, so I can't sign * definitely I don't feel like my small and below average meal was worth $72, maybe $40ish, but not 72. Hope they can improve because it has a potential but needs work. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I'm seriously charmed by Mitama! I'll admit that their prices are quite steep for sushi in this area. However, the high quality of their product warrants the high price tag in my honest opinion. I first tried Mitama a couple of years ago, and I'm not sure why I wasn't hooked on them back then. Fast forward to now, and I'm ashamed to admit that this place is even better than my to-go spot located just a few blocks away. Tried them again recently after not having stepped foot inside for over 2 years. The verdict: I'm in love. I've been back 3 times since then and I can pretty much say that this is some of the freshest fish and sushi that I've had in the area. First of all, the bento boxes are so amazing! Yes, very pricey... like $5 more than the average sushi spot. BUT... the mixed tempura is perfect! The tempura to vegetable ratio is spot on, and they actually give you more than just one measly piece of shrimp (hallelujah!). The salad isn't overly doused in dressing, and the amount of protein that they give you is immense. These are the kinds of things that I look for in a perfect bento box. Let's revisit the protein for a minute: I've had their salmon, chicken teriyaki, and beef teriyaki so far. All have been exceptionally tasty. What I love is that they actually pre-season the meat before they even add the sauce. The allows for much more of a distinct flavor. Their salmon is some of the BEST that I've had in any sushi restaurant hands down! The size and quality of their fish filets is simply ridiculous. You would think that they had just caught their salmon that morning and cooked it for you. Just FRESH!!! Their sushi rolls are incredibly fresh as well! I've loved every roll that I've tried thus far; dragon roll, spicy crunchy shrimp roll, & their Cali roll. Just incredible and insanely filling. Nice thick rolls that will keep you full for hours on end. Oh yeah, and those beans are friggin' addicting! I've never ever had "beans" at a Japanese restaurant before, but damnit... they're addicting and also challenging to eat with chopsticks (you would be entertained). The service is fast, friendly, and efficient. From the hostess to the sushi chefs; everyone is so welcoming here. The interior is airy and bright with a great street view. They have happy hour during the week which I have yet to partake in, but oooohhh it's a'comin'! All in all, I'm just so charmed by this place. If you're looking for high quality sushi and fish and don't mind spending a little bit more for excellent quality, Mitama is the place to be. read more

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We've been going here for years and love how consistently fresh the fish is. We especially love the Hokkaido scallops, fatty tuna and the shrimp tempura. The portions are generous, too. Highly recommend Mitama. read more

It's good. Sushi, sashimi, bento combination plates, great sake choices. Nice pleasant service.

If you go anywhere else in Berkeley for sushi you're foolish. I found this place on accident and have stopped going anywhere else. There's something to be said about a sushi place that keeps it humble and serves incredible food; this place embodies that phenomenally. I'm at 25 year Bay Area resident and I can whole heartedly; and with complete confidence say this is my favorite sushi in the bay. To keep this simple: Mitama pulls off excellence every time you sit down. Kindness, culinary greatness, and wonderful pricing. You won't catching me eating sushi anywhere else if I have a say in the matter. 7 out of 5 stars. read more

IGNORED FOR 1 HOUR. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE! Where do I begin. We made reservations for 7:30pm. Sat down, ordered within minutes. Got our beer, hot sake, and soda. Then the silence. 1 hour passes by. Then I noticed a single patron sits at the sushi bar, orders and 5 minutes later he gets his dinner. Where is our order? It's been an hour! I noticed to-go orders being made while we sit starving. They seem to be prioritizing 'to-go' orders instead of making sure the customers that actually drove to their restaurant get served in a timely fashion. We were ignored for 1hr until we decided no more. We left. Pay attention to your customers. We even supported you during the pandemic when no one was eating out. read more

Whenever I have eaten at Mitama, the food has been excellent, the staff has been attentive, and overall the experience was great. Most important, I walked out after lunch several weeks ago and left my leather jacket (a gift from my late wife) hanging on the chair. It took me weeks to go back to all the places I might have left it in my spare time. When I walked into Mitama I was greeted by "we have your leather jacket." Great memory by owner/operator, and I am forever grateful for the extra kindness. read more

Decided to try out their ramen on a whim, and was surely surprised with the deliciousness of the Pork Ramen. The broth tastes rich and flavorful and I was lucky enough to get a generous amount of chashu with my order. Their marinated boiled egg was also cooked to perfection. They do go a bit heavy on the mung bean sprouts so I would recommend to ask for it to be light if you prefer a smaller amount. I wish they offered an option to make the ramen spicy or offer a spicy condiment to put to the side because that would be the cherry on top. Overall a good experience and will definitely come back again to get my quick ramen fix. read more

Delicious lunch bento box of high quality fish for $20. Amazing deal, cute place, good service. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Bento box with teriyaki salmon and tempura shrimp and veggies - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I guess I expected more from a sushi restaurant that gets their fish from Tsujiki Fish Market. My husband was craving ramen, and as usual, I wanted sushi. So, we Yelped a place we haven't tried, and ended up here. I should've known service would've been slow the moment we walked in and had to wait to be even be greeted. What we ordered: Tonkotsu ramen, Rolls Royce, Alcatraz, and spicy scallop. The ramen was pretty good, and my husband enjoyed the rich flavors of the broth. Sadly, the rolls we ordered were disappointing, Paper thin cuts of fish, bland, just overall uninspiring. For me, I usually judge whether I like a sushi restaurant based on their spicy scallop roll. Reason being, it's my favorite roll, and also the simplicity of the roll itself (how could you mess up something so basic). The spicy scallop roll here is the lazy man's version, with just a squeeze of sriracha on top. They couldn't even mix it together inside the roll? Utterly disappointed. The deal breaker was the service, or lack of. It was impossible to find anyone to give you plates, refill your water, or get the bill. Many attempts to make eye contact with the servers were dodged or ignored. To the point where I was tired of turning my head for some sort attention =/ Our first time here, and surely last. Keep looking, there are better options up and down College Ave! read more

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I'm a regular over all these years. Mitama, a modest small restaurant, uses only the best quality of food. They have amazing omakase with fresh seafood regularly flown from Japan. Couple with a flight of sake. That will be perfect for a special occasion. 10 rounds of sushi plus sake ~$50 pax. Otherwise, if you just crave for Japanese food on a normal day, I highly recommend the bento box (Combination Lunch/Dinner) mix and matching the following: Shrimp Tempura, Katsu Pork, Kaki Fry (fried oysters) or Teriyaki Salmon/Beef. Do share these delicious appetizers like Agedashi Tofu, Nori Chips and Spinach Salad. $20+ Portion is huge! When the weather is bit chill/rainy I must have a bowl of rich flavorful Ramen with (milky) Pork soup base, but never order Soy Sauce broth which some find salty. $17 Why I knock off one star? Understaffing happens quite a lot during weekend dinner time. Much ashamed indeed. I witness some really upset clients. I can tell Mitama profit margin can be slim for their business and I hope they hang on so that our family can keep our favorite foodie place! Not many Japanese Restaurants are genuinely run by Japanese offering authentic Japanese food without breaking your bank! read more

Mitama Restaurant - Absolutely the best Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet) in Bay Area - gd cut big fat tender juicy w crispy breading - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I was in the search of a good sushi place around Berkeley and so far I hadn't been impressed. I picked up the buttercup and dynamite roll - the fish was so tasty it melted in my mouth I will definitely be coming back read more

Excellent fresh fish with a consistent variety, excellent and attentive wait staff, rich ramen broth, and a relaxed atmosphere. A very solid neighborhood sushi spot. read more

Mitama offers shoyu, tonkotsu, and miso ramens (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mitama-restaurant-berkeley?select=jjgPP_TC5owgsepwSRXAWA) which all come with the same toppings of pork belly chashu, marinated egg, corn, sprouts, two seaweeds (wakame & nori), scallions & naruto (fish cake, not mentioned in menu). I went with the Shoyu Ramen which was solid, but could be improved. The ramen description says they boil pork and chicken for 20 hours and mentions the collagen in it which is good for the skin so I was expecting a Shoyu-Tonkotsu blend, but this was a basic Shoyu broth with no milkiness of the collagen from the tonkotsu style (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mitama-restaurant-berkeley?select=xeXAbq2ujTsddn87lI8-KA). That said, I liked the broth which was savory and not very oily. The wavy medium thickness noodles (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mitama-restaurant-berkeley?select=ICPYpXC9wMb5LwLSXXtp6Q) were cooked to al dente, but they didn't have a great chew to them. Toppings (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mitama-restaurant-berkeley?select=tieqW5v7ZlSHbvb7ACSD1A) were good, but also an area for improvement. Egg was nicely seasoned, but yolk had set. Pork was tender, but needed stronger marinade. 3.5 stars for the ramen, bumping overall rating to 3 stars. Will have to return to try the Tonkotsu. read more

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Went there for a birthday party and everyone was happy with their meals. I had sashimi over sushi rice and the fish was all very fresh and tasty. It filled me up. My mom had fried oysters and they were delicious! Very kind people work there. read more

Love their spicy tuna rolls and nigiri combo. The restaurant is conveniently located and and ambience is pleasant.