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

Brief summary: - Good portions - fills up more than its…read moreappearance - Liked the equal balance of the broth and noodles with protein - Close to Trader Joe's - Indoor seating Ramen is a dish that has started sprouting in Berkeley, and this is one of them .I decided to go there for dinner with the family before heading to the Trader Joe's across the street to stock up on groceries. We entered a few minutes before peak dinner times, so there were seats to choose and sit from. By the time we left, mostly all the seats were filled up, so I would suggest coming in early. I liked the naming for each of the ramen dishes, some I recognized the names from Hawai'i. For this round, we ordered 3 different types of ramen: the Kuni, Broke da Mouth, and the Miso Hungry. These orders also came around the same time. A notable elements I liked about the ramen was that the noodles were chewy and springy, and the broth was smooth and easy to drink. I also didn't have the urge to drink lots of water either, so the seasoning was perfect. The other element was that I got to enjoy the ramen's broth and noodles as the stars of the dish, and the proteins, like the pork were supporting roles. For me, what I enjoy ramen are the broth and noodles, so I'm happy that these are prominent in the dish, rather than me having other chow down a thick slab of pork. This restaurant hit the right marks for what a delicious ramen is for me, so I'll come back, and maybe try their other broths.

I thought I had reviewed this place already, but Yelp doesn't seem to think so?…read more I had ramen with a black garlic broth. It was perfectly cooked, service was great, would definitely go back. Ambiance was Christmas music (meh).

I'm always a little surprised that Ippudo doesn't have a clean sweep of five stars across the…read moreboard. I come here for one thing and one thing only: the vegan ramen. And to be clear, I do not order vegan ramen anywhere else. This is the exception. It's rich, deeply satisfying, and has that full-bodied, slurpable depth you usually associate with tonkotsu. No "this is good for vegan" qualifiers needed, it's just straight-up good ramen. If you've been sleeping on it because it's vegan, don't. This is the move.

What a disappointment. There were a ton of little flying bugs in the restaurant. When I pointed out…read morethat I and the couple sitting next to me had killed several of them, the waitress said "Oh yeah, we have a problem. Sorry about that." We moved to another table, but she said they were pretty much all going to be the same?! The food was decent, but the experience was not. They better figure it out.

We discovered this fun little Izakaya (Japanese social eatery) when coming into town for the…read moreLadytron show at the UC Theater on busy Saturday night on University Avenue and we are glad that we decided to give it a try. It was conveniently located across the street from the venue, and the unassuming outside of the restaurant did not hint at the amount of fun, ambiance, good food, and warm hospitality contained inside. First, there is the name. Not sure if it's some sort of play on words, secret joke, or if it's someone's actual name, but it works, kinda. It's kinda a restaurant, kinda a bar, kinda of a hangout, and kinda fun. The tiny entrance and plain facade reveals a bustling world of delicious food, tasty beverage, and lots of decorative eye candy to keep you looking around the space while you are hanging out with friends, on a date, or just relaxing after a long day. The decorations there are very upbeat, eclectic, fun, and distinctly Japanese pop culture. Posters, banners, flags, lanterns, toys, and trinkets can be found all over the restaurant, and made it fun to keep looking around and discover new novel things to look at. I did feel like I was in an authentic Izakaya somewhere in Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Ebisu in Tokyo. The place had a lot of personality & personal flair in an otherwise, tiny & industrial small warehouse type space. Service was excellent. The host was the cute & personable Mina, who couldn't have been more accommodating, patient, friendly, and engaging. It was very busy, and even though it was our first time there, Mina made us feel welcome into their home and was also very helpful to guide us around their experience. The other staff were less engaging, but still professional, efficient, and polite. Service was quick, attentive, and friendly on all accounts, and they as a team, managed to serve an entire full house of hungry & happy patrons during the entire Saturday night dinner rush. Fun place with a good staff. We opted for Izakaya-type, shared small plates to satisfy our hunger cravings without getting too full and weighed down on big portions of heavy, rich foods. Everything on the long & expansive menu looked great, but we mostly stuck with small appetizers to sample & savor. It was nice that there were plenty of lighter, fresh vegetarian options as neither of us were really in the mood for seafood, fried food, or big heavy entrees. We ordered the Kinda Tofu, Kyuri sliced fresh cucumber salad, and Kinoko butter-grilled mushroom hot platter and washed it down with some green grape Jinro soju. Everything was pretty good! Not overly fried, greasy, salty, or seasoned. Lightly cooked, delicately glazed, with just enough seasoning & oil/sauce to make it taste good, but not end up too complicated or messy. The taste really came through using these minimal cooking & seasoning techniques. The taste of the original vegetables & tofu came through perfectly, and were only complimented by their light hints of adding flavor. Portion sizes were ample for two people, and presentation was appetizing and organized. The bill for 3 apps + 1 bottle of Soju was less than $50, so it was a good value for the fun experience & good food. Wait times during the dinner rush are long, and there isn't really anywhere to sit or stand, so reservations are recommended. You can also enter and go straight to the 10-seat bar if there are openings, but we got a table for two after around a 20-30 minute wait. After that, everything moves pretty quickly, from ordering, getting food & drinks, to wrapping up and getting your check. Perfect system if you're trying to get to a concert, movie, or appointment with a specific start time. I really liked this place, not Kinda, not Sorta, but Definitely, or Absolutely! Kinda Izakaya will always be our destination to eat & hang out next time we come back to Berkeley, it is a true gem of a Japanese Izakaya/light meal fare right in the heart of downtown Berkeley. It's fun, tasty, busy, and friendly. Small & cozy, yet also airy & comfortable.

2nd Visit. I'm smitten with the menu and vibes. $6 Kyuri:…read morerefreshing vinegary counter to the fried and grilled items. $12 Crispy Chicken Knees: very karage like. Excellent. $6 Bacon+Oyster: Least surprising. Tasty at least. $4.50 Chkn Skin: kinda sweet! In a good way, charred, and fatty. Delicious. $31 Ika Yaki: delicious

Wow wow wow! I didn't think it could be done but this place has perfect vegan Japanese food! It's…read morehard to get in so make sure to make a reservation. Pacifica Roll (10/5 stars) - the best thing we ate, perfect creation of flavors that don't overwhelm each other, it's perfectly savory Poke Salad (5/5) - does it tastes like fish? No. But it's a great combination of textures, you have the chewy king oyster mushrooms and soft fried tofu, the crunch of the veggies and the cashew dressing is addicting Da Bao (5/5) - I didn't like the vegan spam alone (I personally like this other brand more) but here they paired it well with veggies and plum wine sauce that makes it work. The vegan spam here is too smokey for my tastes but together it's good. Roasted Garlic Miso Ramen (2/5) - Honestly, it was the only not good thing we had. The broth was neither garlicky or miso-y. It was very mushroomy. It was all one could taste. The spam did not fit with the ramen and was very jarring to taste in the ramen. Yuzu Matcha (5/5) - It's sour but not too sour. Like it wakes you up witout making your face pucker. Absolutely cannot wait to come back!

First of all, I eat meat. And I love sushi. So I was like..,uh vegan sushi? But tbh it was good…read moreasf! I ordered the Ewa roll and Point Reyes and they were both really Flavorful and filling! I was like..there's no fish in this?! Word?! Idk how they did it but it tasted like seafood. It's a quiet little place without a lot of seating, so consider making a reservation!

Went in for a late night dinner, had such a pleasant experience with Brittanny as our host/server…read more She needs to run the whole think honestly. The Ramen is bomb as always.

If you enjoy Ramen.... this is the place for you. It's a wait for seating, but worth every minute…read more Service was warm and attentive. Special shoutout... to the guy handling the wait list at the door. What an engaging sweetheart. He handled the list, waiting people well..a smiling personality and very helpful... thank you . Food was exceptional... I had pork belly ramen which had great flavor. They also had chicken and beef based ramens. Also noteworthy the meat was fresh (taste the difference). Appetizers had gyoza... (nothing special)...and octopus (Amazing delicacy... I'm talking exceptional food). Flashing lychee drink Very good food...a nice treat. Thank you everyone S

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!

Very friendly service, and *extremely* generous portion of pork in the "Bansho Ultimate Ramen"…read more I will definitely be back.

Aug 9 2025 3:30pm 3.4 stars…read more After a short struggle to find parking, we walked the half a block to find Bansho tucked away in a corner- almost hidden from the street. The front doors are littered with adds and dirt. It looked a bit sketchy on the outside but we went inside anyway. Inside, the restaurant looks very pleasant. It has a comfortable and cozy look for a small 49 seat place. Mood music plays at a quiet level. There are several conversation starters for sure inside the restaurant like.. "What is that shrine with the green bananas on it for?" "Can you decipher the price of beer written on that chalkboard?" My favorite was "What is that treadmill doing in this restaurant?" We were seated and given menus. The waitress left and then came back after four or five minutes. I felt a little rushed to order as if the order taker assumed we had pre-prepped ourselves on their menu. We had to ask for more of a chance to look at the options. The two of us shared a bowl of Ramen, an order of California Rolls, a coke and later on we ordered Takoyaki-deep fried dough with I believe a piece of squid inside. Before the waitress left to give our first order to the chef, she said "Anything else?" I inferred she was suggesting our order was to small. Later I understood she might be warning me that that might be our last chance to order anything. It was hard for us to place that second order of Takoyaki. Once we were given our food, the waitress disappeared and never checked on us. To place another order, I had to keep the kitchen under surveillance, watching for someone to exit so we could jump up, run to the frond desk area and order. The food we did have was tasteful enough and the $41 seems fare. Negatives for Bansho. 1) The phones used by the front desk and in the kitchen are too loud, they ring for too long and destroy the ambience. Someone will one day invent a device that buzzes in your pocket instead of ringing loudly throughout the entire restaurant. Name it something catchy like "Cell Phone". 2) The Men's restroom was too dusty and the toilet seat was "spotty"- if you know what I mean. 3) Having someone check on you while you are eating and saying "Welcome In" when you get there and "Thank You For Your Business" when you leave would go a long way. I did see a sign that they are hiring so they might have been short staffed.

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.

After I was introduced to this restaurant, there was no going back. This place has such amazing and…read moredelicious dishes. I was here all the time in college, and I try to go back whenever I can. I genuinely dream about this place. My go to meal is the hokkien noodles with the Thai flavor and chicken. It's also a very good bang for your buck. If I get this meal, I'm eating for the rest of the day. The service is always super quick! Sometimes, there might be a line, but they do a very good job at getting the food out quickly. It is a smaller restaurant ao seating can be limited ơn busier days, but that's bc it's so good, everyone's trying to go. I don't blame them.

Overdue review as I've been here several times now. Ambiance isn't much to write home about. It's…read morevery simple and casual with few tables and seating areas. Service here is overall friendly and welcoming. Although, I've mostly gotten take out and dining in means you clear your own table? Food*: - Tom Yum Soup 8/10, bold and tasty - Laksa Soup 7/10, tasty but oily - Clear Soup 10/10, clean and flavorful which is what keeps me coming back almost every time (especially good when feeling under the weather) * I've only had the soups and always with the big flat noodles Overall: - 8/10, great place for quick and casual dining or maybe best as take out order to enjoy at home