Ever since we left the city, we've been craving a good omakase. There are only a few here in the east bay and Utzutzu is one of them. It's in a nice little spot in downtown Alameda. Only 6 seats at the sushi bar served by the sushi chef. My first thought was that's it's pretty good value for the price. Obviously $150pp isn't cheat but for 20 dishes, it's damn good. You start off with some cold veggie dishes. The picked burdock was a little dry but I still love the texture of burdock. The sesame asparagus was good. Crisp, with some snap, just how I like it. The next dish was a cold, fish which was just ok. Then came the first 7-8 pieces of nigiri. The rice was good. Fluffy yet vinegary. The first round included two of my favorite types of fish. Horse mackerel and akami. I prefer the akami to toro because of its depth of flavor. To me, it has far more complex flavors than the toro which is mostly flat. Don't get me wrong, toro is always great but it's a bit of a one trick pony. After that came the octopus fish which was decent followed by my favorite dish of the night, uni chawanmushi. The chawanmushi was hot, silky smooth, and well cooked. I'd never had it with uni and that combo of the egg soup with the briny goodness of the uni was amazing. The second round of nigiri came after that and it was even better than the first. Toro, seared scallop, trout, eggplant, and a couple I haven't had at this level of omakase. The sweet spot prawn was to die for. Raw shrimp is a little gooeyer, little mushier than fish. Still had some chew but the flavor was insane. The baby squid was also amazing. Not even sure if it was raw but it was softer than most calamari and went perfectly with that nori and sushi rice. We also ordered uni nigiri a la carte. Like toro, aji, akami, no sushi meal is truly complete without uni. Wish he put a little more on it but it was still so tasty. The meal ended with seared eel nirigi, tamago (egg) which was really good, and a mushroom miso soup which was so good. It was brimming eight umami flavor. Perfect way to finish off a solid omakase meal. Overall, I'd say it was an average high-end omakase meal which means it was good. But I think the value was the best part along with that uni chawanmushi. I recommend anyone in the area should give it a try Taste: **** Service: **** Ambiance: **** ------------------------------ Utzutzu 1428 Park St, Alameda, CA 94501 ------------------------------ read more

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Chef Joji was amazing. The thought care and attention put into the food here is incredible and not to be missed. You'll go up a small set of stairs and be met with an experience you wouldn't find anywhere unless you flew back to japan. I added on the extra sushi otoro, and I did not regret it one bit, it was soo good. He will ask you if you are okay or can eat more at the end and that's how you decide. Two extra pieces was $12 each, they do not tell you the price lol. We also loved the beer. It paired incredibly well with the dishes, I was so surprised. The only thing that ruined anything was the super loud couple clearly on their 4th date. Also, who the heck takes their date here? This feels like a special occasion place? Idk yo. This place is better suited to those who are looking for an experience and less chatter. You know when you can just tell two people are afraid to sit in silence and the relationship is very new? Yeah. Now turn the volume up to 100. The entire 8 person seating can hear you. It's an intimate experience so I would advise anyone coming to be more respectful and maybe read the room. read more

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Utzutzu had a wonderful ambiance. I was very impressed with the service and the course itself. We were coming from San Francisco and arrived later than our original reservation, but they were still able to service us accordingly. For Bay Area omakase, this was very much an amazing deal. I will be back, and I would recommend this to anyone interested in trying. read more

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Chef Hiroto made us all feel welcome. He was quick to serve the nigiri, and was delicate in his slicing of fish. I loved the balance between soy sauce and garnishes applied on top of each piece of nigiri. None of the garnish was over-imposing, and the fish was still the star of the show. My favorite was the sweet ebi, it was so creamy, rich, slightly sweet, kind of like the ocean's butter. The chutoro had a beautiful gradient and was also awesome. Wonderful place. read more

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This place is amazing! The only have 8 bar seats and you get to see the entire process of the Chef preparing the awesome food! My friend and I got the omakase ($105) and deluxe sake pairing ($65). The sake selections were great and we especially loved the second one, "Suirakuten" Daiginjo. The whole omakase course was so good! I got to try some new types of fish, such as Ayu, Kisu and Japanese Bluefish. They were all flavorful and were seasoned. The uni, toro and tiger shrimp were of great quality too! They also have interesting nigiris such as okra and eggplant. You wouldn't expect to see them in sushi but they were both so good! The texture and flavor just went so well with the sushi rice! A little fun side note. This place used to be another omakase place called Yume, meaning dream in Japanese. Our chef told us the current name Utzutzu means reality in Japanese lol. I never got to go to Yume so I don't know what the dream tasted like but I can tell you the reality is pretty awesome! Definitely recommend this place if you want some high quality and creative omakase experience! read more

Utzutzu - Omakase Part 1 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Alameda, California

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The dream is better than reality. Overall, 3.5 stars. Based on the price, decor, and clientele that this type of place aims to attract, don't think I'll be coy in holding back, especially if it is replacing Yume which garners quite a high reputation and esteem (for which I'm a huge fan of). The positives: - Fantastic idea to have veggie nigiri - Excellent break in the meal with salad and soup. I appreciate the pacing and order in which the items arrived as it made for great digestifs. The omakase selection starts off light, with more delicate tasting fish at the start to the more heavier tasting items at the end. This is important to me, and I liken this to wine + cheese vs something like wine and ice cream? (or better yet -- milk and cookies as opposed to water and cookies, eh you get the idea). - Creative flair in every item. There's a great level of attention to the food. - Wonderful and friendly staff and chef. Great attention to guests...although it does feel like you gotta be on your best behavior given how small and quiet the restaurant was (although the latter is through no fault of the owner/staff and depends mostly in part to me and how loquacious my neighboring diners feel at the time). What would have made this better: - More diversity in options. I would have preferred more fish varieties than creative things you can do with vegetables. This didn't get me as satisfied as I'd like. Apart from the variety, I did ended up ordering a few more items after the omakase selection (ayu, aji, anago, otoro, tamago). - Limit the use of nikiri (custom sweet soy sauce), such that it's not in every nigiri. If you look at my photos, you'll see every rice has globular amounts of this. If this is intentional, perhaps it needs to be better applied so that its balanced. In it's current form, it overwhelmed my palate such that the sauce became the focus instead of highlighting the fish. - Rice. Something about that rice tastes a bit off. It could be the nikiri. It could be the grain size. It tastes a bit hard and akin to brown rice than your standard, run of the mill sushi grade short-grain rice. It's not bad, but not quite what I prefer. I can't help but noticing it more than I should. read more

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It's always our date night choice. Food is great and service is warm and welcoming. Omakase, お任せ, Chef's selection. They have a seasonal Menu per month. Making reservation is tricky, and it's almost always on email notification. Prepare to be on a sushi date simultaneously. Or call them around 4:30pm before they open and make the reservation by phone. Good luck and have fun! read more

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My husband and I eat raw fish often and love it, so we were looking forward to trying this place. Everything seemed good during a meal, but we both suffered from diarrhea for 3 days afterward, we highly suspect it was from eating at Utzutzu (contamination from something unclean?). We are well traveled and can tolerate almost all food. read more

I'm not even going to go into detail about my experience here because, I'm at a loss for words. THATS how incredible this place is. You need to experience it yourself. Execution Service Experience Quality of fish E V E R Y T H I N G. I posted a couple photos but I was too busy enjoying myself to take all of them Our overall experience was beyond what we expected. Chef Joji is a boss and your sushi standards will be held much higher than before. Thank you and we will be back. Cheers! read more

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I'm so thrilled to have an upscale omakase spot here in Alameda! The space is small, but intimate and beautiful. The lounge area is dark, with a vintage touch and the bar is sleek and modern. The chef is highly talented, soft spoken, and extremely focused on his task. He's also polite and personable, making brief, but meaningful conversation with guests. Nothing that I can say about the food and drink that others haven't said before: simply excellent. I feel so lucky to be a 5 minute drive from Utzutzu. Things to note: I noticed that chef favors shiso leaf to enhance many of his creations and if you choose the 2nd seating, you can take your time to enjoy additional bites after the menu has been completed. read more

The food was ok, definitely not worth the enormous price. The restaurant and bathrooms are quite shabby as well. That wouldn't have bothered me if the food was spectacular, but it wasn't anywhere near spectacular. It was just ok. The dessert - a mango shiso sorbet - was pretty bad, just kind of chunky and mushy and not a pleasing flavor. read more

This was our first 5 star Omakase experience and it didn't disappoint. We had a wonderful time. The variety of nigiri, the salads, soup, uni & savory custard were all excellent! We would definitely come back! read more

WOW! WOW! Reservations were a month out but well worth it. Awesome omakase in Alameda. Utzutzu opened up where the renowned Yume used to be. Utzutzu is revamped, low key, simplistic, detailed, intricate and flat out amazing. Fresh fish and delicious rice with vinegar making it a bit darker in color. My favorites were the okra, eggplant and tuna hand roll but everything was absolutely delicious. Sake and beverage list were great as well. Stellar addition to the East Bay! I'm already looking forward to the next visit :D read more

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Chef Joji is amazing! I enjoyed the whole dinner. Everyone should try this!!! I highly suggest checking Resy one month ahead cuz it gets booked easily. Service, ambiance, food - perfect 5 read more

Utzutzu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Alameda, California

Seven. Seven seats, everyone, at this new omakase sushi venture by beloved Chikara Ono of the B-Dama and Delage fame. Alameda folks will recognize this location as the former location of similarly-beloved Yume Sushi. Omakase, or Okimari (set course) as they like to call it, at $100/person. Reservations via Resy app (http://resy.com/link?venue_id=2436) (An aside: More precisely, Omakase is when the chef "takes care" of you, varying the experience and pricing based on your hunger level and other preferences. Okimari is a set course, everyone gets the same food at same prices.) I've no idea how he makes any money doing this, which probably goes to the core tenet of this and similar places around: Money goes mostly to rent and wages and ingredients, and the owner has decided that's how he/she's going to express their affection for the craft and the diners. Treat them well. Return the love. The delicious food is very similar in content and presentation to Delage, but in a much more convivial and cozy environment. Upon seating, Chef Joji's guidance was "please don't get all quiet," so be sure to say hi to your fellow diners and staff, enjoy the conversation. Recommended. read more

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Wow! Chef Joji is absolutely phenomenal. Reservations are hard to get here so get ready at 12am to make something a month in advance. I was finally able to come on a Sunday at 5:30pm. This is the preferred time because dinner will easily run about two hours. Utzutzu is a true gem. You just have to come an and experience it! read more

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This is an amazing restaurant set in an improbable location. Who knew you can find an amazing omakase meal in a nondescript second floor room in the middle of Alameda. The first sign to me that this was a legit restaurant was when I saw the chef turn the sushi in the right direction for a left handed customer. Each coarse was well prepared. And I left there feeling the 100 dollar price tag was well deserved. There was also a small but good selection of sakes and beers. Just know that when you come here it's an intimate space so you'll be in it with the other 6 people around the small counter. read more

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One of a kind experience. Surprise by our friend for my birthday. Came highly recommended and definitely did not disappoint. The Chef was wonderful and food delicious. First time coming but won't be the last, that's for sure. read more

This is our second Omakase experience in the Bay Area. It's been years since we have wanted to try Utzutzu. It went from being Yume to then Utzutzu. Getting a reservation with either was incredibly hard. Finally, I was able to secure spots for us. I was really excited because I've heard really good reviews about Utzutzu and Chef Joji. When we got there, I found out that Chef Joji is no longer the Chef. It was replaced by another Chef. He was incredibly nice and fun to chat with. Onto the food, I, along with my husband was very disappointed. Maybe because I had such high expectations coming into Utzutzu it was disappointing that it was nothing I had heard or even seen pictures of on Yelp. The fish selection was disappointing, it was just typical fish that I could have had at other Sushi Restaurant. I was looking for top-notch fish and sushi, detailed oriented, at least close to what we would consider good Omakase. For the price, we paid for I was hoping that we will get something unique, beautiful presentation, elegant, melt in your mouth fish, or a Japanese imported selection of fish. The food did not meet our expectations, and I don't think we will return. It will be nice if they can let people know that Chef Joji is no longer there, and is replaced by another Chef. Although, it was a disappointing night we did had fun with the other parties that shared the same RSVP time. Thank you to the group that shared their bottles of sakes with us, and made it more fun, since I was so disappointed with my second Omakase experience. read more

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Their Omakase ( set menu) was wonderful. One of the best in California! It was worth every bite!! They have only 6 chairs. Small at home atmosphere was great. read more

Chef Joji is a master and a wonderful host. He joked that he put Cheetos on top of the bay sea bream (its actually egg yolk with vinegar and sugar) and didn't flinch when the unspeakable Sushirrito was mentioned as he was making my husband's negi toro hand roll. It took him just 57 seconds to make his version, which was a unique cylindrical shape with a strip of nori on the bottom to hold everything in. I thoroughly enjoyed my glass of Daiginjo sake and the waitress immediately said, "That's a really good one," when my husband ordered his junmai sake. The intimate setting was perfect and we were even a little sad to part ways with our fellow diners - one couple drove from Sacramento! We'll definitely be back. read more

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I'll preface this review with this: I unfortunately never had the chance to try Yume. With that being said, my experience at Utzutzu was incredible. I never actually had a true omakase experience until I came here. It's not very often that I think to myself mid-meal "when's the next time I'm coming back here?" Chef Joji (hope I spelled that right) was very entertaining. Watching him prepare everything was like an art show and dinner combined. He gladly answered any questions we had to the best of his ability. The menu rotates so I'm not going to get into what was and what wasn't since there's a chance you might not even have the same food. Just go with an open mind and prepare to try everything he hands you. I'm already looking forward to my next experience there! I didn't want to use my phone during the dinner because I watched Joji carefully craft everything. My fiancée did manage to snap a picture of the dessert we had at the end with the menu though. read more

Utzutzu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Alameda, California

Went here to celebrate a birthday (party of 4). Very awesome for a small group since it only seats 8 people. Chef Joji was funny and we had a good time chatting with him. Sushi was amazing, and would definitely recommend! Otoro and Uni hand-roll are a must! read more

Utzutzu - Chef Joji preparing the fish. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Alameda, California

Personalized service for only seven people with a menu that changes monthly makes each dining experience so intimate and unique. George, the sushi chef, is the ultimate professional and his 18+ years of training is obvious as he executes each dish with precision, warmth and even a little humor. The fish we ate and sake we tasted are not varieties we often get here. Many of the fish live only in Japan and are flown in fresh, but we took notes about their names since this dinner really made us consider visiting Japan as soon as possible to have more access to it, if only for a brief time. We can't wait to go back to Utzutzu for a taste of Japan closer to home. read more

I would like to share my unique experience with this restaurant: I was thrilled to see this restaurant suddenly having availability 2 weeks ago for Feb 5th at 8pm so I quickly took it since it's my husband's bday weekend. It was only on the day of that I realized that I had actually only got one seat (yeah I know, it was my fault that I didn't recheck my reservation again for details). Since the restaurant had 48 hour cancellation policy, we knew it was too late to cancel/alter my reservation. We decided to call them to see if they could accommodate 2 people instead of 1. Unfortunately, no one answered the call for the entire day. We ended up deciding to drive up to the restaurant from south bay a little before 7pm, hoping there's bit chance that the chef could still accomdenate us. We got to the restaurant promptly at 8pm. I told the waiter about the situation and below is whole conversation: Waiter: "let me check with chef to see if there's anything we can do. Normally we wouldn't be able to accommodate you if you have reservation for one." Me: " thank you!" 2 min later: Waiter: "sorry we might have enough fish, but not enough appetizers" Me: "thats completely fine! I can just skip appetizer" Another 2 min later Waiter: "sorry we still can't do that." Me: "i understand. Can I then pack my food to go?" Waiter: "sorry we don't have to go containers" Me: "oh I can go get some containers" Waiter: "sorry we just can't pack your food to go" Me: "i will be just having it downstairs in the car" Waiter: "No." Me: "Alright. Then can I have my food at the table and share it with my husband?" (pointing to their cozy little dining table by the window) Waiter: "no you can't" At this point, I am clueless. It started pouring outside but we seemed to have ruled out all the options. The nice waiter finally said: " I am really sorry this happened. What I can do for you is to cancel your entire reservation tonight and NOT charge you for the penalty (aka the entire meal's $$$$)." He paused for a moment and continued: "but you are BANNED from our restaurant for the rest of your life. You will not be able to make any reservation with us." I was so humbled and grateful by the generous offer. How dare I, someone so careless in making reservations in the first place, dine at such prestigious Japanese restaurant! We left. In the rain. My husband got me some pickled fish for dinner. It was not raw fish, but I think it was a good bday dinner anywayz. read more

Only for sushi lovers and fish nerds. The chef is fantastic and all the dishes are ridiculously amazing. Simple things as a Miso soup os incredible good and seaweed wraps (extra crunchy) is out of this world. Go with confidence that you are going to love this cozy and welcoming place read more

Utzutzu - My dear friend Vivian, who recommended me this place - Sushi Bars Near Me - Alameda, California

Great vibe In a small setting and really good quality sushi. Staff super friendly and I can't wait to visit again

Had a amazing night here! Utzutzu offers an omakase with great variety (to rebut one of the previous reviewer who said that the fish lacked variety) at a very affordable price range. Service was great too over the 2 hours that we spent here read more

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Pro: 1 Star for sushi freshness. 1 Star for the chef and service. 1 Star for prefect for dates. Con: - 1 Star for basic assortment of sushi palate. - 1 Star for charging extras when they asked if you want to try another sashimi and no offering of tea or water until you asked. read more

The place is so cozy and it's always amazing to watch a chef doing his magic in front of you. Every sushi has a balance taste between the fish and the selected sauce or ingredients the chef added. Love every appetiser too. Price of sake is also friendly! The one we ordered went very well with the meal. Will definitely recommend friends to come. read more

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The most amazing Sushi Omakase I have ever experienced! Joji is a phenomenal chef and from the food he prepared for us, you can tell that he takes great pride in what he serves! read more

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Disappointed, wasn't like it used to be when I had Yume almost a decade ago?? Now the pieces are thinner and smaller, my sons thought we were only snacking on appetizers by the time dinner was concluded. When my son asked for one more piece at the end it was even thinner. I need to find another omakase that's worth my time. Sorry chef you failed me and it's a one and done experience. The staff was great just not the food. I hope the staff get to keep all the tips and didn't have to share with the chef?? read more

It's a small little place, kinda hidden away, but I decided screw it, why not give it a try. It was some of the most delicious sushi and Japanese Cuisine I've ever had. I would come here all the time if I could. read more

I'll start with the bad news. This is not Yume. You don't have the same local crowd, the warm and homey feel, and the ability to walk in on any Thursday night and have a seat. In the mixed category, we have a much more refined sake list. Quality is much higher, but so is the price. Pricing is done very fairly though, and a carafe is half of a 720ml bottle if you find yourself there alone. If you get more than you can drink, do offer a glass to the chef! The good news is that the food is excellent. It's different: bites are smaller, some modern techniques are thrown in here and there, more exotic ingredients, more variety. Menu does partial rotations monthly to match seasonal changes. read more

Happy Friday! If you follow my reviews you will know that I rarely give 5's. Utzutzu or "Reality" is a tribute to our beloved Yume or "Dream". Love the name. Chef owner Ono did it again. One of my favorite casual dining experience is Bdama in Swan Market was Ono's first restaurant in Oaklamd. Delage, the 2nd Restaurant is run by Chef Ono himself. Utzutzu is prix fix menu or Okimari, a set price of $100 and chef's choice, a slight difference from Omakase which is not a set price with chefs choice. Most of the other reviews for this awesome new addition are great. The food simply beautiful edible art by Chef Joji. Joji has an extensive background in Japan, LA, New York and San Francisco. He is the creator of the menu and picks his own fish mostly from Japan. Occasionally he will have selections from other countries like Greece. Let's hope he stays at our little Gem town Alameda. Chef Joji was very accommodating in substituting the octopus to for a sea bream for my partner. My love for Hideki's Yume had a long history. A little nostalgic memory for all who remembers Yume and Hideki. I have fond memories of Mrs Sushi Nazi from holding your sushi properly to never over soy-saucing the nigiri to never asking for hot tea instead of "green tea". The best one was not taking groups of more than 3! Believe it or not, she kicked me out one time for arranging my friends to meet me making our party 4...and I was a regular! But my love for Hideki's art brought me back again and again. With that said, I was able to arrange with Chef Joji and his wonderful server Anna parties of 8 for 3 different nights! I love it! Another great tip is they do not serve wine for those who prefer a nice crisp white with your sushi. The corkage for a normal 750ml is $30 and magnums are $50. We brought our own bottle of white still ended up with a bottle of sake from them. The sake menu was not extensive but good sake for what they have. What I love also is the 20's decor with jazz music in background and addition of the lounge waiting area. It is very calming before a great culinary experience. The lounge is envisioned to be a sake tasting area in the future. I can not wait till Ono decides to start that. Over all food 4.5. Service 5. Thank you Chef Joji for your art and thank you Chef Ono for choosing Alameda! I'll be back:). Until next time bon appetit and ciao. read more

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So amazing! You really feel like you are in a chic city at a secret, fancy restaurant and not in Alameda. Absolutely one of my top 5 dining experiences. read more

Don't go here. It's horrible. Leave the tables open for me. I'll take the bite for everyone But really though, intimate dining area with less seats than you have fingers. Would come back, the food is good and it's a fun experience. Chef is very interactive and is happy to teach you how to eat omakase if you haven't before. read more

i went here for my birthday. no soy sauce in sight. every piece prepared individually for the 8 diners. polite service that never bugs you, but if you want something, the hostess is there in one second. it's neat to buy sake for the entire restaurant of 8. the food was perfect, and this place is one of the priciest places, if not the priciest, i've been to my entire life. it's not stuffy, it's fun, and i can't tell to what i ate last week, but i will be thinking and talking about this place for the rest of my life. go for the food, stay for the experience. it's phenomenal. your paying for an education. as to what a dining experience can be. read more

Utzutzu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Alameda, California

The sushi and service were amazing! Lovely local restaurant that is in Alameda and makes you feel as if you're in Japan. Highly recommend! read more

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Our dinner experience at Utzutzu was amazing. The presentation, atmosphere, and taste were top-notch. Wish we could go here all the time! We are lucky to have a place like this in Alameda. Chef Joji is a master craftsman. Slowly, deliberately paced meals are awesome. The whole thing was about 1 hour and 50 minutes and we enjoyed every second. Personal favorites were the sea bream (lightly torched) nigiri, toro hand roll, and uni and roe over rice (love the taste of the sea in every bite), as well as the various mackerel nigiri. read more