Poke Parlor

I had a reservation and was seated perfectly on time. I'd definitely make a reservation because it…read moreis a very busy spot. There's limited seats inside and has a very cozy vibe. They have delicious small bites and are very well priced. I specifically loved the sashimi, iberico pork jowl skewer, beef tataki and sweet potato crème brulee. The service was very kind and helpful. I can't wait to go back and try more.

Really great restaurant. Was able to easily make a reservation on Yelp for 5:30 on a Wednesday…read more They have an iPad in the front that you can waitlist on, but you can also check-in for your reservation on it. Inside is definitely cozy and you'll be sitting fairly close to the tables next to you. Service was really fast and easy - no complaints at all! The food was all great. Standouts were garlic edamame, 6pc omakase, beef tongue, pork belly, negitoro maki, corn tempura, & sweet potato creme brulee. Edamame was lightly charred and salted well, with generous amount of garlic flavor. Omakase was fresh and tasty, although a tiny bit small so definitely perhaps get your own instead of sharing one order between two. Beef tongue was hands down the best thing. I thought it was a boneless short rib with how tender it was (can break apart with chopsticks). The pork belly was also soft and went well with the spicy miso. Negitoro was fresh and the wasabi was grated very well. Corn tempura was perfectly fried and very crispy while still being soft inside. Lastly, the creme brulee was a great dessert. You do get a hint of the sweet potato. Would love to return to try other dishes!

Ankimo chips & dip

Nigiri sampler

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Butterfish Sushi

4.5(218 reviews)

2.1 mi•West Berkeley

Family-owned & operated

Locally owned & operated

Butterfish is the absolute best sushi around!!! I adore the recipes, combination of foods and…read moreflavors and the presentation is beautiful.

Cute but tiny interior with friendly staff. Accommodating of allergies too…read more Seated at the bar and the chef was very friendly and kind, even identified what fish we ordered when we asked. Food itself was very fresh and tasted clean. For the price, it was good quality and good food. Would recommend coming here to try sushi

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Ippuku

3.9(1.5k reviews)

0.6 mi•Downtown Berkeley

Came back here and it was just as amazing as the first time…read more This time we tried the : daily specials which was fried fish ( in place of their fried oysters), Neck, bacon wrapped asparagus And we got the Ippuku Salad and Squid Ink Rice again because they're so good! Amazing will be back Monique served us again and she is just wonderful and it's nice to see her again.

Walk-in at Ippuku in Berkeley came with a pretty long wait, and there is no online waitlist which…read moremakes planning difficult. We were seated around 7:30 (which is still prime dinner time imo) only to be told that many of the menu items had already sold out, which was disappointing. The items that were still available were good and we still had a nice time overall. FYI, the non-alcoholic beverage selection is quite limited. At this price point, the wait plus the number of sold out dishes makes us question whether we would come back.

2.3 mi•Fourth Street, West Berkeley

Cool shochu dispensers

Ippuku salad

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Beer and sake

Iyasare

4.0(988 reviews)

This place has been on my list for a while, and it totally lived up to the hype. Just make sure to…read moremake a reservation ahead as they are filled up quickly especially during peak dinner hours. Everything we ordered was delicious. My favorite dish was the kakiage tempura with tiger prawns - crispy, light, and packed with flavor without feeling heavy. The sashimi was fresh and the ramen was also surprisingly good with a rich broth. The food is definitely on the pricier side, but the quality and execution made it feel worthwhile. There's easy parking in the lot behind the restaurant, which made the whole experience much more convenient. Can't wait for my next visit.

Came here for dinner, loved the kakiage - it's a must to add shrimp imo, the thick juicy bites of…read moreshrimp are great and make the dish stand out. We ordered the mentaiko pasta, miso black cod and a paper crane to drink. The pasta was great, and had a little spicy kick to it, and the miso black cod was so good!! Very umami flavor with the mushrooms. Delicious cocktail as well. Overall really impressed with the meal- and we had a really attentive waiter- he made sure we were taken care of and refilled our waters pretty often. Will definitely be back to try rolls and the ramen!

Water being poured..

Kakiage Tempura

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Shisho smash - bourbon yuzu & shiso

Kirala

3.9(1.9k reviews)

0.6 mi•South Berkeley

Still all these decades later, Kirala meets the mark. We sat at the sake bar in the back with two…read morekids and it worked well. Service by Taka was great - attentive and quick. Only lag was when we ordered 2 nigiri at the end and it took a really long time but I think the sushi chefs lost the order or something. Delicious sukiyaki, chicken skewers, cold tofu, salmon rolls, hamachi sashimi, Ikura and uni, tuna and Ikura nigiri, and hamachi Kama (not sure why they charge $21 and then $7 for a large when it is two small dollars that came out though). Decent wine selection - Chardonnay was good. Restaurant itself is fairly loud, especially with a baby that kept crying. But it might have been crying because it was loud. Owners should consider the Constellation System by Meyer Sound to make the dining experience more enjoyable for patrons. As this is a longtime bastion of Japanese food in the Bay, they should really invest in the sound portion of their restaurant. Prices have gone up since the last time I was here but it's not totally unreasonable. Good quality food and service. Love this place.

Kirala isn't just another Japanese spot for us--it's a reminder of how far we've come. My wife used…read moreto only treat herself to Kirala when she was younger--on special occasions when a bonus check came in. Now, we get to dine here as a family, and that nostalgic treat feels all the more satisfying. Food (4 stars) + Ribeye teriyaki was a hit--tender, cooked to perfection, and the kids loved it! + Lamb chop was a standout--one piece, but perfectly grilled, juicy, and tender. I could eat 2 of these with a bowl of rice and it would be a hearty meal! + Chicken karaage was solid--crispy, good portion, and a nice appetizer. It's basically a Japanese version of chicken strips that is way better than nuggets. + Salmon sashimi for the kids never disappoints. ~ Chirashi bowl was fresh and filling, though standard compared to other spots. There was a lot of rice which if we knew that we probably would've skipped the extra bowl I ordered to eat with my lamb chops. For the somewhat premium pricing, I wish they provided fresh chopped wasabi. ~ Stuffed mushroom skewer was just okay--tasty but nothing special. I guess for mushrooms it does taste kinda like a chicken meatball which could be a good thing. Service/Ambiance (4 stars) + Attentive and thoughtful service, especially accommodating a broken foot. They let my family wait at the bar instead of standing. + Ambiance is that classic Japanese vibe, busy but comfortable. Maybe not high-end, but definitely a place that feels special--especially now that we can afford it!

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Kuriya Japanese Kitchen

4.6(178 reviews)

2.9 mi

Really Good Japanese ramen. A must try. Great service…read more Relaxing ambiance. Great for any size party and occasion.

What can I say, when my go to sushi restaurant of many years went down hill , i was forced to find…read moreanother restaurant. 5 stars later this was the best thing that could have happened! we always order delivery and everything was packaged beautifully and very well. they were very generous with the soy sauce and chopsticks. The sushi was sooo much better and fish was fresher and tastier and delicious. The rolls were well made absolutely the best I have had in east bay !!!! the Rainbow roll was outstanding. Salmon , escobar ( white tuna) and tuna were so creamy and made my mouth sing ! The gyoza was great! everything we ordered was superb!

0.8 mi•Gourmet Ghetto, Downtown Berkeley

Indoor seating

Tori Karaage

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Potato Special Tartare (4 pieces) ($15) - Deep fried potato with ground toro and tobiko. It's tasty though quite heavy.

Tsuruya

4.7(173 reviews)

When a ramen restaurant has only two main items (pork and chicken) on the menu you know they are…read moreserious. And I gotta say I am pretty impressed. U must go with the black garlic flavor tonkatsu. The charred pork chashu is really flavorful. The chicken is really tender, almost fully cooked but not quite (perfection). Full party need to be present to be seated, otherwise u need to wait outside.

Black garlic tonkas- order the chili paste on the side and adjust rhe spice to yiur liking…read more The calamari was fried in a very good batter it was light and flavorful the Inside is very cozy and gives a traditional Raman house vibe service was prompt No complaints

2.6 mi•Piedmont Ave, North Oakland

Interior

Matcha Panna Cotta

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A deliciously crunchy and savoy chashu pork croquettes! Warm and healing vibes on the first bites

Mensho

4.5(642 reviews)

Stumbled upon this ramen place that happened to have a michelin star/ guide for the last three…read moreyears! The wait was about 30-45 mins for a party of two at 7:30pm on a Saturday. Considering other reviews, I don't think we waited too long. We ordered two of their top ramens, although the matcha duck one was enticing, I did like the Garlic overload on my ramen. The fried enoki mushrooms were also good, I just wish the portions were a bit bigger for both dishes. Staff was also quick and helpful going through the menu with us first timers. We sat at a shared table but I like how they had a divider to separate the spaces. Pretty small restaurant and they only have street parking so if you want to try, I recommend going early! We were lucky to snag a spot right in the front!

Yummy ramen would recommend the chain…read more I've tried this ramen chain at their Houston location as well. This time I ordered the signature smoked & Black Vinegar Karaage. The noodles are the highlight for me. They're bouncy and have a nice texture. The bowl is packed with flavor. The Karaage was good, crispy, absorbed the sauce well, there were also pieces of soft eggplant as well. I would go lighter on the sauce or have the excess on the side. The sauce became overpowering the more chicken I ate. I think the Houston location had better service. This location felt cramped, loud and cold. There is only street parking at this location, there is Fentons a few doors down but there's more parking in the surrounding neighborhoods. The Chicken ramen at Mensho is the best I've tried in the U.S thus far

Waiting area

Spicy garlic karaage fried chicken

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Hokkaido Uni Mini Rice Bowl

Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya

3.9(442 reviews)

0.5 mi•Downtown Berkeley

Top contender for Japanese cuisine in Berkeley--equal parts sophisticated and scrumptious…read more Highlights include: - Sea Bean & Corn Tempura: a savory funnel cake worthy of a Michelin star thanks to its texture and the side of matcha salt - Salmon sashimi: succulent with fresh wasabi - Wagyu Shime Special: insane price for insane flavor--a generous portion of veggies and wagyu in a big ol' iron bowl of bubblin' broth

Ate Christmas dinner here with my mom as our celebration tradition is usually a Japanese…read morerestaurant. The ambience was intimate and cozy yet elegant, and the staff was very attentive and kind. I loved the decorations, the plates and silverware, and the food was just as intentional in flavor and selection. For appetizers we had: Anchovy Stuffed Olives Tempura - Tempura Spanish alives stuffed with anchovies $9 Kombu Tsukudani - Premium Hokkaldo kelp, say sauce, bonito, shiso, sesame seeds, enjoy with sake or rice $6 For our meal we had: Saba Bouzushi - House-cured saba mackerel bouzushi - stick-shaped sushi, also called battera, served with shiso, sesame, scallions, topped with Hokkaido shiraita kombu, ten pieces $29 Gindara Yuanyaki - Local black cod marinated in soy sauce and shikuwasa Okinawan citrus juice served grilled $34 Steelhead Trout Nabe - Norwegian ocean trout raised sustainably in the clear, cold ford where the seawater meets fresh meltwater from the glaciers in the mountains. Enjoy the rich flavored, melt-in-your-mouth fish, hotpot with dashi broth, mushrooms, napa cabbage, burdock, clear noodles, tofu, mizuna, scallions, yuzu kosho $39 We've been to many izakaya spots and this place had some of the most unique flavors I've tasted. The Saba Bouzushi stood out to me because it reminded of Filipino paksiw but as a roll! The Gindara was buttery and soft and had a yummy smoky flavor. The Nabe was perfect for a rainy evening - hearty, fresh, and so well balanced in flavor (I loved the yuzu kosho the had us add for a citrusy, peppery flavor)

Inside

Chicken Karaage

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Takeout Basque Cheesecake ($15) - good but the slice is very small. Doesn't have a strong cream cheese flavor.

Sakana Sushi and Roll

4.8(284 reviews)

2.8 mi

Overall 4.5/5 stars…read more Pros: The quality of the fish was very fresh. They have unique purple rice in their sushi rolls. The sakana roll was definitely unique in flavor and had chunks of mango in it. Portions are huge. (For 2 ppl I think 3 rolls shared would be enough) Amazing service from staff. Cozy small mom and pa spot. Cons: Parking is small and very limited. Space is small not too much seating. Some rolls were too saucy like the Bay Scallop (Baked) one

Cute little place hidden in Kensington. The place is small they are opening another one in Albany…read morethey do have outdoor seating as well. We really enjoyed the sushi all the sushi rice is made with blue. Rice service was good. We will definitely return again.