Most of the time with restaurants, you either get value or taste. But every now and then you find the diamond in the rough that offers both. The bento boxes are absurd. Lord no, they are not bento boxes. They are bento PLATTERS. We got a couple bento platters, and between them we selected chicken teriyaki, california rolls, gyoza, and shrimp tempura. The chicken teriyaki have that crispy, caramelized goodness on the edge with visible grill marks. The california rolls are girthy, the shrimp tempura is large and crunchy, and the gyoza have perfectly fried. My father-in-law ordered the poke bowl. My eyebrow raised when I saw he did, but when the food came my mouth dropped. Guys, this is THE largest poke bowl you've seen in your life, and it comes with all the toppings you'd want. I didn't try it myself, because I have a thing about only ordering poke from sushi or poke-specific restaurants, but he was very happy with his choice. If you don't see an update, you can assume it sat well. Pa's Papa is firmly on our go-to spots for Japanese food in the neighborhood. read more

Went in for lunch with my wife and both got the bento boxes to eat there. The front of house guy was very friendly and ready to go. The salad and miso soup hit the spot from the jump and the beats playing in the dining area were great. The bento had so much food that my wife and I had to take it home. I will come back to try the rolls so I can give that 5th star read more

I really love this place. Very clean inside and very tasty food. Lots of options but the PA Papa box is a good deal in my opinion and gives you a taste of everything. Pro tip: parking can be hard to find so either order delivery or pick up and go or try and find parking because I did enjoy eating there. read more

Order doordash, & literally LOVE. Definitely will order here again. Portions are huge, sushi was good and everything was just schmack. Everything tasted really fresh. My boyfriend and i literally shared everything and still had left overs for the next day. The baked mussels are a must have here! I really liked the teriyaki sauce. Everything was fresh upon delivery, and it maybe took over an hour but the food was still fresh and crunchy. I really need to try this place in person to try other menu items. I definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

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The Pa's Papa box is huge and a great deal! 3 items plus salad and miso soup - definitely worth paying $3 more over the cost of just the katsu plate. Service was fast, friendly, amd helpful. There were a few table options to choose from - most people seemed to just come in for pickup orders so this worked out well for my coworker and I to have a meeting over dinner there. Restroom was clean too, with street parking easy enough to find. Worked well for us and will keep it in mind when I am in the area again in the future. read more

Pa’s Papa - White Rice Chicken Katsu Vegetable Tempura California Rolls - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Food is good. Service is friendly.Ambience could b improved with different furniture, less metallic. I believe they are focused on takeout n that's what we use them for. They are fast, but good. read more

Came here for takeout dinner. The service was friendly and prompt wait time. This is a return visit and will return for more. The ambiance is casual. The food is a good size and tasty. read more

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Came to try their seared salmon and it was perfectly torched and good amount of sauce! Gandhi was decent nice citrus flavor. Bento salmon teriyaki was good great portion but not enough rice.. gyoza crispy! other than that great! read more

Pa’s Papa - Seared salmon nigiri cilantro hamachi gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Tried more rolls this time, crunchy tempura and spicy hamachi, both good! Also got the salad. Ordered delivery and everything was fresh. read more

Pa’s Papa - Crunch Tempura Roll and Spicy Hamachi Roll - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Not only is the food here amazing and affordable, the service is amazing! I sometimes get free items on the house and the owner is awesome to talk too. Amazing spot to come to if you want a weeknight meal and also with parties! read more

Pa’s Papa - Seared Albacore - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

I was so happy to find this place! This place seems to specialize in takeout, but there's tables and seating if you want to dine in. I tried their chicken katsu bento and I was blown away with the quality and portion size. A bento can easily feed 2 if you don't eat large amounts. Food is definitely on the heavier side. They also serve sushi. Would definitely come back to try them. read more

Pa’s Papa - Chicken Katsu bento - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

We will never order from this location again. I'm more than one occasion. The sushi was old. Not prepared within 20 to 30 minutes but more like a half a day or more. read more

Pa’s Papa - You shouldn't have to use a spoon to eat sushi. All the rice is hard and falling apart. This isn't fresh. - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

This order was both intense, and inspiring. A HUGE fun lil BIG bowl of delicious fresh things. Quality is outstanding. It's not to hole in the wall ish. Pretty clean and sterile inside. Even the $2.50 side salad was fun to eat. read more

Pa’s Papa - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm a happy camper, because there is finally a Japanese spot in the Laurel. Not that I don't enjoy the occasional nail salon... ;-) We came soon after they first opened and were not expecting much. But I must say the sushi was quite tasty. It didn't say on the menu that there was sauce on it, but since I always order any kind of sushi with sauce on the side, I automatically told them that. It was a good decision - the sauce they gave me in a separate little container was super sweet and not to my taste at all. The hubby wasn't too happy with his bento box unfortunately :-/ He thought the tempura was too greasy and the meat had a strange texture. So, let's say I will definitely be back for the sushi. And hope they will be able to get the service under control (there was one young girl at the front of the house, taking orders and packing up to go orders. She was quite overwhelmed and everything took so much longer than it would have needed to) read more

This place was clean and had lots of menus up. A lot looked good but I went with the Pa's Papa Box to get a nice sampler. I ordered the teriyaki salmon (per recommendation) with the vegetable gyoza and spicy tuna roll. My brother got the Pa's Papa Box with beef, combo tempura and spicy tuna roll. We decided to share the teriyaki beef and fish. The soup was ok. The salad was beautifully crunchy. I was a bit worried getting salmon since I really don't like overcooked salmon, but the salmon was perfectly cooked and delicious. The beef was so tender. The gyoza weren't too heavy or oily. The spicy tuna roll was pleasantly spicy, tasty and sizeable. Overall I'm so happy to have a good place in the area with great service and tasty food for a cost that doesn't break the bank. The fact that it's open late is icing on the cake. read more

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Exactly what the Laurel needs!!! Such a great "go to" to have in the neighborhood. Everyone at Pa's Papa is so friendly and welcoming. I was surprised to see how BIG the portions were!!! We got rolls, udon, and bento boxes. We loved everything. What more can we ask for in a neighborhood spot?!?! read more

Big big portions, lion king was actually pretty good I would definitely come back again read more

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Good standard Japanese American food. Front is painted dark grey and their sign is behind a tree, just by the fish and chips place. The bentos are huge - A got chicken katsu (he loved that there were two layers of fried goodness) mixed tempura (nice assortment tho prolly better if eaten at the restaurant because tempura) and california rolls (huge, lots of krab, a bit of avocado), and of course iceberg lettuce salad with mayo based dressing. vegetarians may be able cobble together something but this place is not for vegans. they have takoyaki with katsu and spicy mayo sauces (no aonori nor red ginger). They're open til 9:30 weekdays and 10:30 weekends. Hope they get love from the community. read more

Pa’s Papa - papa's bento - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is such a great place to have in the neighborhood. The prices are good and the portions are sizable. I often order the poke bowl.

Got food to go. The best miso soup. I had oral surgery and needed soup. Got extra tofu. Great ambience and music. read more

Pa’s Papa - Udon - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Ordered a salmon teriyaki plate $16.95 and a bento (chicken katsu, combo tempura and tuna roll) $18.95. Pretty affordable especially for the huge portions! Service was good. Food was above average. Combo tempura was really good. It's a must try. I didn't even get to eat it hot. I drove my plate home to enjoy. Chicken katsu was crispy, but chicken was a bit thin. Still good though. The spicy tuna was made well - sushi rice good and tuna was decent. The salmon teriyaki was cooked perfectly - wasn't overly cooked like most places and was extra moist. Now cooked well, but not salted enough. All it needed was just a little more salt or seasoning. Also, they gave two huge pieces of salmon. When portions are large, it always makes me question whether they are trying to make up for some shortfall. And that brings me to the smell of cleaner fluid. I don't know if they are just constantly cleaning in the kitchen or it's the aerosol in the air at the restaurant, but the entire time I ate at home, I could smell cleaner fluid. This smell is very similar to the smell of bleach when you go to a Mexican restaurant like Casa Revolucion. It's the same cleaner smell that I experienced dining in at Casa. That was the off putting part. Anyway, between the two of us, we both couldn't finish the plates. In fact, we didn't even touch the salad. I did sip the miso soup and that was so salty, that my blood pressure must have spiked. I threw away the miso soups and salads. Put the leftover chicken katsu and salmon in the fridge. Baked it the next day and wow, chicken katsu was crispy and still yummy. The salmon was still moist too! Lastly, it was my first time in that neighborhood and let's just say, I was high on alert the whole time because it felt slightly sketchy. read more

Pa’s Papa - Salmon teriyaki plate! Two big pieces of salmon! Deal! - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Amazing and delightful and delicious! Pa's Papa Box was fabulous!! Tempura was light and perfectly crispy. Lovely California rolls Beef teriyaki was especially good. Service friendly and fast! We loved it so much! Oishii! read more

Pa’s Papa - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Street parking is pretty available. I appreciate that they are open on a Monday for lunch. Make sure you look at all the menus surrounding the counter because the apps section is on it's own board. They appear to do a robust take out business. The ambiance is not much but it is clean and bright. The menu is a variety of rolls and bowls and udon mostly. The orders are prepared as you order so there is about an 8 minute wait but the food comes out hot. My bowl was lovely and I wish my picture would have saved, it had unexpected items like pickles, whole edamame, hot gyoza (which I loved) and beautiful avocado. The chicken udon was flavorful as well, make sure to stir up the nori because it adds a lot to the udon. read more

I've ordered takeout here a few times. First time, I ordered chicken udon. As noted on the menu, it came with a salad. The second and third times, I ordered vegetable udon which includes tofu. When I got home, I found no salad. The fourth time, I ordered vegetable udon and when I got home I discovered they'd given me beef udon -- again with no salad. My receipt showed I ordered vegetable udon, so the order taker got it right. The kitchen got it wrong. The beef was tough and a little gristly. It seems like this place is a bit disorganized. I'm not likely to return. read more

Love having this place in the Laurel! I stopped by the first time today and ordered a bento box and two sushi rolls. They made them quickly and the food was great. The sushi tasted fresh and the portions were generous. read more

Pa’s Papa - Pork katsu, shrimp tempura, california roll bento box Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

We love this place. Everyone is super friendly and always accommodating. Everything is always fresh and delicious. I initially found this restaurant on Door Dash and it was so great that I had to go in person. The restaurant is modern and clean. Great for dine in. Accessibility for entry and the rest room. Parking easy to find within walking distance in the Laurel District of Oakland. read more

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I had heard we now had a Japanese restaurant in the Laural District, so I certainly looked forward to trying it, as I really like Bento boxes and whenever I yearned for a good teriyaki Bento, I'd have to drive over to Alameda to get a decent one. We'll. I'm happy to say, I now have to just drive up the street to get one. I got mine to go, and as it was ready for me to pick up, I mentioned to the hostess, this was my first time trying them and she said earnestly, " I hope you enjoy it" I then said " me too". It was already packed up, so I wasn't able to see the presentation of it, so I'm posting it for the benefit of all. Now mind you, I had already dived in to it before I thought "I need to take a picture for anyone interested benefit". I truly enjoyed mine and it was well worth it. I will be sharing this "diamond in the rough" ( mesning, it's a very modest restaurant) with anyone interested. The bento came with miso soup, salad, a California roll, shrimp tempura or veggie tempura or both, rice and my beef was nicely cooked and tasty. I'm so glad I remembered, after already paying, to include a tip! Especially, since they are now in my "stomping grounds." I hope they meet with much success and I will do my part by promoting them. read more

Pa’s Papa - Beef teriyaki and rice, miso soup, salad, shrimp tempura and a complete California roll - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Yay! Sushi in the Laurel! Are you tired of prices going up and portion sizes going down? Run, don't walk to Pa's Papa for large, filling bento boxes and poke bowls! Delicious fresh fish and lots of tasty extras (including a free taste of spam musubi!) check this place out and support local business. Open everyday. Friendly owner & good service. Mostly takeout but also a few tables for dine-in. read more

Pa’s Papa - Poke bowl - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

If you grew up in the 90s, you remember the classic Japanese bento combos, California roll next to teriyaki chicken, spicy tuna hanging out with miso soup and that sesame-dressed salad. Pa's Papa in the Laurel District brings it all back. With 1990's portions! I went with the salmon combo: fresh, and the taste hits all the nostalgic notes. Three item combo w the veggie tempura a California roll, soup, salad, neatly packed to-go for $18.95--a straight-up deal in today's market. Bussin' as the yoots say. Service is warm (Pa himself runs the spot? Not sure but had that owner energy with the sweetest cashier up front). This place is an Oakland gem--old-school Japanese comfort at neighborhood prices. Highly recommend. read more

This place is great if you're looking for a quick, casual lunch or dinner. The place is clean and no frills. Serving portions are large and amazing for the price. This is my local go to spot for bento boxes and I'm so glad they set up shop in the Laurel. read more

HUGE PORTIONS AND GOOD PRICES I thought it was 2005 when I walked in here. Wonderful tastes and guy working register had a smile on his face. Bento box and the poke bowl were massive neither of us finished it. Plenty of leftovers. Tempura was so good! 40bux for all this is insane these days!!!! Glad to have you in the NEIGHBHOOD. read more

Pa’s Papa - Salmon Poke - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Lionkingroll best I have tasdd in years price nit bad at least 8per order perfect and not enough has big as they are PERFECT

Great service and portion size. Gave us free rice and salads while dining in. Would highly recommend! Kind owner and nice ambiance

was looking for some comfort food and found this place a couple blocks from my house. Got the Kansai roll and Chicken katsu. Food was really good and affordable too. Definitely coming back in the future. read more

This one makes me sad as we were so excited to try a new & highly rated place nearby. We tried a bit of everything- tuna bowl, 3-item plate, 49er roll & miso soup. The good: the tuna bowl had lots of good, fresh & tasty bits. Also, the 49'er roll was pretty good (but way too big to eat neatly). The bad: the 3-item plate was just not good. The teriyaki chicken was mushy/gummy, the tempura was rubbery (partially due to steamy delivery, I know) and the CA roll lacked any real flavor. And the miso was overly salty. Servings are LARGE so you won't go hungry if you find something you like. I'm just bummed it wasn't overall a better experience but ya gotta try! read more

It was great to see a new place open in the Laurel district. I knew it was coming, but I didn't realize that it had already opened until a couple of days ago. So, we checked it out the night before, and I will say, based on the price and the huge portions, it was totally worth it. My husband ordered the bento with Chicken and Salmon Teriyaki. It came with a California Roll, Salad, and soup. The fact that he was happy with the quality and portion spoke volumes because lately he had been complaining about the prices and quality of food and portions every time we at e out. LOL My daughter ordered the Lion King Roll, and her boyfriend also ordered the three-item bento with chicken katsu and beef teriyaki. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, so I went back today and grabbed a pork katsu. It was good with the sauce, but with the large portion, I needed a little more sauce, so I will just know to extra for an extra sauce next time. No complaints thus far, so I definitely recommend checking them out and supporting this business. read more

Unfortunately did not like anything I got there. 4 types of sushi roles and beef teriyaki. The food ingredients felt low quality, and meat was rubbery. read more

Tried this place for the first time since they opened and we had nothing but good things to say about it! We walked there since we live down the block so we decided to eat in. Everything was clean, the inside is very spacious with plenty of seating. We ordered 2 bento boxes (Pa's Papa box) with katsu chicken, california rolls and mix veg tempura and one lion king roll. Service was great. Once we sat down they brought over our miso soup and salads that came with the bento box. They were so kind as to give our 2 kids miso soup with rice inside. My kids loved it! Then our bento boxes arrived and everything was fresh! Katsu chicken was crispy and seasoned well! Tempura was soo light and flaky! We loved it all. And it was a pretty good amount of food we didn't finish it all! And everything was also reasonably priced! Overall a great experince and will be going back soon! read more

Pa’s Papa - Bento box and Lion King roll. Took the picture after my kids took the whole california roll - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Just what this neighborhood needed. Affordable Japanese food. Feels good to support small businesses in Oakland. Love eating here. read more

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A true hidden gem! This small, hole-in-the-wall Japanese spot blew me away. The food is incredibly fresh and flavorful, and the service is warm and attentive. Don't let the modest exterior fool you, this place delivers big on taste and hospitality. I highly recommend the Hamachi Kama (yellowtail collar), sushi, cut rolls, and lunch boxes. On a personal note: I'm not a fan of imitation crab, and that's what they use in their crab dishes; something to keep in mind if you feel the same. read more