Still our goto Japanese restaurant from when Toshi was owner and chef back in the day. Fish is always fresh and delicious and entrees never disappoint the kiddos. Good family and friendly ambiance seating and very welcoming service staff. read more

I tried the chicken udon with the signature broth, and it was a bit of a mixed experience. The noodles and chicken were solid, but the broth didn't quite deliver. It was thinner than expected and lacked the deep, layered flavor I was hoping for in a signature dish. That said, the service really stood out--incredibly attentive and friendly, which made the overall visit enjoyable. With a richer, more developed broth, this could easily be a much stronger dish. The environment was pleasant, clean and well lit. read more

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Pros: Pretty good sushi Great location Nice customer service Great variety on the menu Takes reservations Cons: Pretty price for the amount of food that you get read more

Lovely experience here. It was very busy for dinner on a Thursday evening. As a vegan with an allium allergy, I ordered the cucumber salad along with an avocado roll and a sweet potato roll. The rolls were generously stuffed with great portion sizes, and the sweet potato inside was lightly fried, which was delicious. We had a wonderful experience overall and would definitely come back. read more

Serika Restaurant - Vegan: Avocado roll & sweet potato roll - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

Good sushi for the Lamorinda area! They get packed on weekends but luckily you can call to reserve a table. Their selection of sashimi is fresh and I like that you get different kinds of fish other than the typical tuna and salmon like other places in the area. And they don't force California rolls on you either. During weekday lunch you can get $1 hot sake and it's pretty tasty. They also validate parking here which is nice. read more

Serika Restaurant - Sushi boat combo - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

Hubby and I came here for lunch after completing an errand. We have been through this area a million times but this is the first time that we have thought to stop here and try Serika! We are so glad we did because now we have another place to go to, to satisfy our cravings for healthy food as well as Japanese food cravings! Hubby loves sushi and he was pleasantly pleased with what he got. He is a connoisseur of sushi and knows good sushi. I got the tempura lunch which was delicious. The coating was nice and light and crispy, not greasy at all. We were both impressed and delighted with the beautiful presentation of the food. I'm surprised we haven't discovered this place before. We will certainly be back! read more

Serika Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

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Went back as the flavors stuck with us. This time for a take away. Ordered 4 rolls Abe, Crunchy Cali, Tiger and a fourth that i can't name however all very flavorsome and tasty. Ready exactly at the time I specified. Phone order and collection was efficient and courteous. I do love the calm ambiance inside due to its off street location for that reason I'll be back in a few days. read more

Serika Restaurant - Miso soup - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

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Since I moved to Contra Costa County in 2020, I've been to Sekira a few times. Usually I meet my mom there but today I came here with an awesome Yelp friend. The restaurant was empty so the sushi chef working in the front said we could sit wherever we'd like. We opted to sit outside given today was sunny. I had the rainbow and rock & roll rolls, both of which were tasty. Service was friendly and efficient. Their menu is a bit limited compared to some of the other sushi places I frequent but I definitely would come back when in Orinda! read more

Serika Restaurant - Rainbow Makimono & Rock and Roll - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

My father in-law (Dr. Kwong) has been a loyal customer for Serika for over 10 years. The owner usually gives us something for free every time because we order so much . They recently changed ownership and let me tell you the food is way better than before! Super high quality and fresh. I wish there will be more restaurants and businesses in Orinda bc right now there is only 4. ありがとうございます。 The indoor design was apparently designed by a Japanese person born and raised in Japan. Super high quality and haven't changed in 10 years. Love it. read more

I loved my experience here today. Really grateful to have them here in Orinda's theater square, a gem of a restaurant in a gem of a town in the east bay. A truly under-rated sushi option for the entire East bay. Great date location with a lot of discrete seating options. The staff is eager to invite you in, and the quality food is worth well beyond the midrange pricing. They had a roll on special today called the Mamenori, with Salmon and Mango inside, and Himachi and avacado on top, and I absolutely loved it. Amazing if you like mango try it. Then I asked the server to allow the chef to make a custom Handroll inspired by spicy tuna and seaweed salad and he added shrimp and collar, it was crazy good and I liked the crispy snap of the wrap. Great experience, local secret gem that I think deserves more support and recognition. read more

Serika Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

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We've been living in Orinda for a few years now and always feel guilty that we don't go out to the local restaurants as much as we would like to. Serika under its new ownership might be changing that! We saw the excellent reviews after the ownership changed and decided to have an early meal with our 1 year old on a Saturday evening. They were able to accommodate us and were extremely friendly and accommodating, despite being very busy! The chicken katsu was a treat (especially with the optional spicy mayonnaise) - and the spicy special roll (whose name I can't find) was excellent - with a small slice of chilli pepper on each roll. An excellent sushi experience, and our new favourite restaurant in Orinda! Besides this and the new tiki bar next door, we might have found a new local date night! read more

Serika Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

They grabbed a chef from SF and it's massively improved. Great food and service. Nice location in central Orinda. Highly recommend!!

Excellent food. Really good service. Lovely ambience on nights when there is live music in the plaza alley next door. An amazing evening for all, no matter what you order. Can't wait to come back again! read more

Went to come here for a quick bite and that's what we got! Very fast with sweet service. However a little on the pricey side $$. Overall very good food! read more

Serika Restaurant - Crispy Rice - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

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I highly recommend this restaurant. I go here often with my family, and we always enjoy their food. My family loves their sashimi and noodles--the fish is really fresh and delicious. The workers and owners are kind and friendly. We always enjoy our meals here. read more

Max, the owner and head sushi chef, used to the sushi chef at lauded Ozumo in San Francisco. Max takes pride in delighting his patrons with generous potions of fabulously fresh fish and inventive dishes. Delicious! Do not miss! read more

Serika is our "go to" for sushi in Orinda...Max always greets us by name...service is quick even when it's busy...the food is really good...we've taken our dog several times and sat outside...we happily recommend to our friends read more

The restaurant recently went under new ownership, with the sushi chef an alum from Ozumo in SF. Overall, this is a great sushi option in Lamorinda if you don't want to splurge at Hanazen. The restaurant can accommodate families and the staff are really kind and helpful, especially as we were eating with our toddler. We ordered mostly sushi, and udon for our son, and were happy with the quality of the fish. We went on a Friday night, which is a busy period, and they were doing everything they could to make sure that we could sit and have a meal before we needed to take our son home for bed. There aren't a lot of good food options in Orinda, and thankfully Serika is a place where we're happy to come back. read more

Took the whole family this time and everyone enjoyed there food. HALLELUJAH! Seriously you have no idea how happy I am that we have great sushi and Japanese food in Orinda. My son declared the Miso Soup to be the best he's ever had (said in front of his Okinawan mother, much to her chagrin). It was a Friday and crowded. It was a little loud but not too bad. The sushi chef was rocking it, putting out dishes quickly considering the crowd. Keep it up, Serika! read more

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Everything was AMAZING!!! Food is fresh! Service was very welcoming and very helpful with menu! It was a busy Friday night but they never forgot about us! read more

Serika Restaurant - Sushi boat for 2 - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

We love going here The fist is fresh, the service is great and they have a $1 sake glass during lunch which is nice too read more

Scary! My boyfriend and I came here the other day for lunch because there is outdoor seating and we were craving Japanese food. I saw that it didn't have the best health rating on Yelp but I didn't quite know what that meant at the time. Now I know. First we sat down at our table and our order was taken.  The tea came out in these giant ceramic coffee mugs that were decorated with tiny specks of old food.  I recognized a piece of carrot on my boyfriend's mug.  I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, so I touched my mug to check if I could feel anything.  And yep, hard little bumps of crusty food debris.  I pushed the mug to the side so I didn't have to look at it because I was starting to get grossed out. Then the miso soup came in what looked like a bowl washed in the same old dirty dishwater.  I don't know what came over me,  but I actually tried some of it.  That was when I noticed a film of oil on top which I did not think was common for miso soup so I stopped after one spoonful. My boyfriend must have been really hungry because he kept at his soup until he found the fly. At this point, we decided to leave.  My boyfriend went inside to let the restaurant know about the fly and that the dishes were so dirty that we did not feel safe eating there.  We offered to pay but the restaurant refused. I was very disappointed in this experience because I had been going to Theatre Square for years and always wanted to try this place.  I am surprised no one else has brought this up here. read more

Serika Restaurant - In the miso soup. - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

We came here after all the great reviews on FB. We came early and were seated right away by our friendly server. We ordered edamame and chicken karaage for starters. Dinner Menu choices seemed a little limited as compared to the lunch menu. We ordered tempura udon, chicken katsu, chicken teriyaki, and beef teriyaki entrees. We also ordered the Orinda roll and 49er roll. The miso soup hit the spot. Our sushi rolls came about a minute or two before two of our entrees, which wasn't good timing-wise. The tempura udon and katsu came out first; the tempura was fried nice and crispy. The chicken katsu was lightly breaded and crispy as well. The other entrees came out about 7-8 minutes later. The gap was a bit long since we try to wait to eat until everyone gets their meals. The beef and chicken teriyaki finally came out, however, the meat was barely lukewarm. The teriyaki sauce was good. My rating would have been four stars, if not for the cold entrees. We'll be back but we'd try lunch as that menu has more options. read more

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Fresh fresh fish! This was my first time here, we came right at 5pm when they opened up and it was empty. The waiter was very friendly and we ordered several rolls and appetizers including edamame and tempura. The service was speedy and all the dishes were very fresh. Only 4 stars because it was quite chilly in here and the rolls were all different sizes so when we ordered we didn't know how much food we would actually be getting so we ended up ordering more read more

Serika Restaurant - Momokawa Makimono - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

Went here with a family member who has lived in Japan and in Korea and knows good sushi. This was a major splurge sushi trip for us since we are used to Reno AYCE, but well worth it. We sat directly in front of the sushi chef and just said to bring your freshest sushi for the day. The sushi bar is limited seating which makes it more intimate. Let him know how adventurous your palate is and he will not disappoint! First time having nigiri with mint in it and also first time having the fermented fruit. He brought out palate cleansers between sushi that needed it which I would not have thought of. He has a high level of expertise. We also really enjoyed the udon. The noodles were soft and the broth was delicious. We also came during a very strange and unexpected chase bank blackout and the staff was very understanding with the situation being out of our control. Would happily return on another special occasion. Thank you! read more

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I've been coming here for years and I usually stick with their bento boxes (chicken teriyaki) Nice atmosphere in Orinda Theater Square, right next to the parking garage. Staffing is an issue as the gentleman there was the host, sushi creator, waiter and manager. Would definitely recommend if you happen to be in the area. Amazingly on my most recent visit I discovered my friend had never had a bento box till now.. read more

Serika Restaurant - a neon sign for the florida theater - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

NEW CHEF! Formerly sixteen years with Ozumo and it shows. A new husband and wife team took over bringing the standards and stories from one of the top places in the Bay Area to Orinda. The menu has been revamped, but what is remarkable, is, outside the fish quality he is accustomed to having, the stuff that is not on the menu but made to order on the Chef's recommendation. Hence, letting him choose will provide the best experience and will be yet one more level up. As they did not change the name, reviews from before July 2023 refer to the old team. The new team is operating by different standards, with very fresh, and very complex, intricate compositions. But again, the best suggestion is to go off the menu and let the Chef propose and cook for you - a totally different level. read more

Serika Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

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Under New Ownership! The food is amazing and FRESH! Service is friendly and quick. We're so happy to have GOOD sushi in the neighborhood. I usually get the lunch combination bento, and the chicken katsu is so tasty! The negiri trio is always fresh and tasty. The udon is good too if you're craving soup. The Agadashi Tofu appetizer is great starter. And the Lion King Roll has a yuzu flavored sauce that takes this to the next level! Highly recommend this place! read more

Our favorite spot for sushi in Orinda and all of the east bay. We are very picky about our sushi and this place is an absolute gem - it has become our weekly spot. The rolls are great, the sashimi and nigiri is where they really shine- always super fresh and high quality. Get the omakase. Great tempura and miso soup too. Super friendly and welcoming service. Highly recommend! read more

Serika Restaurant - Sushi and Sashimi Dinner - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

This is literally THE best sushi in the east bay after the newest owners took over. The last people kind of ran it in to the ground but it's back and stronger than ever now! The agedashi tofu is my favorite of anywhere that makes it! The owners are friendly and attentive, the rolls are inventive and the fish has been top tier EVERY time! The Orinda roll and Momokawa have been my favorites ( I also recommend the ume shiso roll but ume may be too sour for people who have never tried it before). The chef is both creative and authentic and clearly takes his craft seriously. This is our go to date place now read more

Serika Restaurant - Momokawa roll (black truffle!!!) and some cute carved radishes - Japanese Near Me - Orinda, California

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The service was good. The food was OK but when asked to have the typical Bento style box, it was very limited with no substitutions. The cost of $36 per Bento box, you should be able to choose what you want! It would similar to the lunch bento box menu (printed on same menu) Though, that was not an option, I would not recommend this restaurant. It seems all they really care about is Money. Not the customers paying high prices for mediocre Japanese food. read more

Man, I swear, people need to get back to work!! These poor old guys were doing the dinner rush by themselves because lack of staff. I hope this place doesn't go under or anything like that, because they were both super nice and polite. It was your typical Japanese restaurant, and they were following all the covid stuff to a tee. Nothing great about the food, but nothing bad either. I think they need more help. Hopefully they can find some more staff because the food is worth it. Big pieces of sushi! read more

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Used to be my favorite restaurant...for over a decade. The new ownership means that prices have been jacked up while quality has gone way down. Absolutely astounding prices for the amount and quality of fish. Sad to say I won't be returning. Would rather go to the other sushi place across the street, which is cheaper and better quality. read more

Forget what you think you know about Serika in particular or Orinda dining in general. This place is elite. Buy Max a beer and let him do his thing. You won't regret it. The fish is incredibly fresh and carefully prepared and we have yet to try any of their offerings that are less than stellar. Get thee hence. read more

Returned after two weeks of sushi craving. This time I wasn't on a limited diet so I had many more options available to me. But, why mess with perfection? So we ordered the same, Sue's Crunchy Roll, Salmon Sashimi, Gyoza, plus some Mixed Tempura. As always the service was exceptional and the food was stellar. I said in my last review that it was the best sushi and gyoza we've had, and now the tempura has joined the list. We can't wait to return and maybe, one day, sit down and eat inside. read more

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This place has really amazing sushi. I heard there was new ownership and have been meaning to stop by. So glad I did. There were plenty of delicious vegetarian rolls to choose from for my vegetarian daughter. read more

Some of the best sushi in the Bay. And the owner is so incredibly nice. The fish is fresh, I love all of the different toro options. Highly recommend read more

We're sheltering in place and wanted to support local restaurants. And we all needed a break from cooking at home. :) We ordered a whole bunch of rolls, deluxe sashimi platter and hamachi kama. We ordered these rolls: Too hot for Sheila (two rolls), Negi Hamachi, Sue's Crunchy (two rolls), Pablo's Roll, Jalapeno Lover and Rainbow Roll. We called in our order on the phone and also paid with a credit card on the phone. We picked up our order, which was very straight forward. When my husband brought everything home, it was clear that we ordered too much food. But have no fear, we have 2 teens and they can eat. Everything was delicious. I think our favorite was Jalapeno Lover and Sue's Crunchy rolls. Sashimi was delicious as was the Hamachi Kama. We had some food leftover and it was perfect for lunch the next day. Please support our locally owned businesses! They are hurting now with severely reduced sales. I'm hoping restaurants such as Serika will survive this Shelter in Place. read more

New management makes ALL the difference! The hamachi nigiri was so fresh, and I loved my chicken udon soup - especially the broth. My teens loved their teriyaki beef bento box, and unagi Don. The only "miss" was on the easiest thing: the California rolls (which came in the bento box mix) were awful! Like worse than Safeway. How you can mess that up, I don't know. But even so, we'll be back to the new Serika! read more

While this has been a sushi place for sometime, there are new owners! Max, who is the sushi chef and owner came from Ozumo in SF. He brought all of his fishmongers and recipes with him! The fish is absolutely the most superior in freshness and quality you can get in Orinda. The rolls are super inventive and not just your run of the mill. And they also have a full menu of other things like teriyaki and udon soup. Plus, Max is just a heck of a nice guy. After we were completely done and paid for, Max found out it was my husband's birthday and came rushing out with a special dessert just for him it was a frozen ice cream sandwich in the shape of a fish! read more