1. Make a reservation ahead of time!!! 2. Best Handrolls ever!!!! 3. Plan ahead of time/accordingly-- DT OAK parking sucks!! Highly recommend getting the 5 set hand rolls and then adding on as you go! We also got a salmon toro appetizer with truffle salt to share and it was absolutely decadent. It melted in my mouth. Service was amazing, food was amazing, & I will definitely be back! read more

See all

Came here for dinner around 8:50 PM - it wasn't the easiest experience to make a reservation as things were booked but when I tried to book for 3-4 people more options showed up! My friends and I got the Yonsei set which looked like the perfect balance of what's good for newcomers. · Zuke maguro - soy cured ahi tuna · Seared Albacore, black garlic · Spicy Tuna, tempura crunch · ·Spicy scallop, yuzu, tobiko · Crab roll And for extra we tried the Kimchi fried rice, spam n egg. We also tried the Hiyashi Tofu and Yuzu Olive Olive Cake for dessert. I loved that the Handrolls were open faced which helped keep one side of the sushi roll still crispy. My favorite was the spicy scallop. Moreover the server Steven/Stephen was really nice and attentive. Amazing service as he helped us think through the menu. Overall this place is pretty dang delicious and I'd come back again. Although the menu is a little pricey and I still left a bit hungry. I'd recommend ordering a bit more food if your wallet can handle it or eat something before hand. read more

See all

I really enjoyed my meal here at Yonsei. Straightforward menu and rolls come out super fast. I will say that one of my handrolls had a fish scale in it- I told the waitress and they were apologetic but didn't really seem to care either. For the price point they need to pay more attention to that! I wasn't really full after - even with 6-8 handrolls. I would say to eat something before or after ( I want to Mama's Boy for pizza after lol). Definitely worth a try but it can add up if you are a big eater. read more

I ordered the og set that comes with zuke maguro (soy cured ahi tuna), negihama (yellowtail, green onions), salmon with sesame/lemon, spicy tuna with tempura crunch, and snow crab with garlic chives for $29. The spicy tuna and snow crab were my favorites. I love the presentation of the rolls and ambiance! Definitely recommend getting the sets, they're worth the price. read more

See all

This was the best sushi I have had in years! I am super picky with fish and all of the fish her exceeded my expectations! Plus the server was amazing and attentive. It was the best dining experience I've had in a while. read more

Yonsei Handrolls - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Trying out this Super cute and cozy neighborhood sushi spot with friends on a Thursday night and it turns out to be super delicious! We got the hamachi kama to share which is pretty nice for 4. We each got the OG set and the Luxe set which all turn out to be amazing! Also added a few extra pieces on the size. 6-7 pieces per person is a good portion. My favorite one was the salmon with lemon on top, king crab and toro with caviar. The uni with caviar was okay, a little bit small. Overall it's a great spot and I'll definitely come again! read more

See all

What an experience! I am so happy to have dined in at Yonsei for a dinner reservation for 2. The seating is pretty limited so definitely make a reservation or come early to grab a walk-in seat. The host and servers were very nice and had fast service. Our server gave great recommendations and explained the menu options to us since it was our first time. I was surprised to be so full just from hand rolls but everything was very filling. We ordered the Yonsei House Specialties Omaka-Sets: -Seared Albacore, black garlic -Black cod & truffle butter -Spicy Scallop, yuzu-tobiko -Crab Roll -Toro & Takuan (pickled daikon) FYI they ran out of salmon belly that night so our server recommended the black cod and truffle butter and it was the BEST bite I had that night. I recommend this place for a cute date night or special occasion since the menu is pricey but the quality of the ingredients is high. read more

See all

Overly salted and oily handrolls I made a reservation on a Friday night with my boyfriend and the place wasn't too busy. Our waiter explained the menu to us since it was our first time here. My boyfriend ordered the OG set + 2 rolls and I ordered 4 rolls. The portion was enough for us and we were very full afterwards. The handrolls came out one at a time per person soon after we ordered. Since I ordered separately and not a set, the handrolls came out in random orders but I wished they could've came out in an order from lighter, less fatty fish to the heavier, more full-flavored fish. These are the order that the handrolls came in from our individual handrolls order: Salmon Belly, truffle salt, yuzu kosho Overly salty and the truffle flavor completely overpowered the salmon. Salmon is one of my favorites but unfortunately this roll was the worst. The amount of salt in this handroll shouldn't even be serve at any restaurant. Toro & Takuan (pickled daikon) This was my second favorite. The toro tasted fresh and the pickled daikon was a good balance to the fatty fish. Unagi, cucumber, sansho With so many high quality ingredients on the menu, I am embarrassed to say that this was my favorite. The portion of the unagi is generous and the sauce to fish to rice ratio was perfect. Black Cod and truffle butter Very oily but the flavor was decent. The truffle flavor was not too overpowering and the fish was soft. Marin Dungeness Crab, shoyu butter, garlic chives The most oily handroll, with butter oozing out with each bite. There was a generous amount of crab meat but my boyfriend said he prefers the regular crab roll over this one. Negihama - yellowtail tuna, green onions My boyfriend's favorite from his OG set. This tasted very fresh with just the fish and green onions. It's simple but delicious. read more

See all

Handrolls?! Sign me up! Spike lemonade 10/10 - yuzu lemon flavor is SO BEAUTIFUL and the pulp makes it taste fresh - for the non alcohol lovers...this is the one!!! - sweet lemonade flavor Zuke maguro 10/10 - top 3 rolls for sure - fresh tuna is creamy and just melts in your mouth! - love the texture contract with the crunchy nori - the soy sauce flavor is really earthy and umami Negihama 7/10 - lots of yellow tail but I'm not sure if I liked yellow tail diced up (just a personal preference) - fish is fresh and scallions add a nice crisp and refreshing taste Salmon sesame lemon 6/10 - normally salmon is my favorite fish but this seemed lack luster compared to the other rolls on the menu - lemon is bright and colorful which really uplifts the buttery salmon flavor Spicy scallop, yuzu, tobiko 10/10 - my top roll!!! - creamy sweet delicate buttery scallops mixed with creamy mayo and a nice cut of citric yuzu is one of the most satisfying bites! The tobiko adds a nice pop and crunch texture along with the nori! - not for you if you don't like mayo or creamy flavors in sushi Seared albacore 8/10 - yummy smokey seared flavor that tastes like chicken - the garlic really hits the umami and compliments the seared albacore very well Crab roll 10/10 - top 2 rolls for sure!! - fluffy sweet vibrant crab was so smooth and melt in your mouth! - I love crab and this roll was so soft and delicate yet meaty and very memorable Kimchi fried rice, spam n egg 2/10 - by far the worst roll - I would not order the Yonsei set because of this roll :( - kimchi fried rice was not very flavorful and fell apart very easily - all the ingredients were lack luster and felt like it didn't fit in to the rest of the rolls There were rolls I'd definitely come back for and now that I've tasted a few rolls, I'll probably order the OG or just the rolls I like in the future! The service was amazing and the server often came back to check on us. We ordered items during the course of the meal and she never forgot anything or made it seem like it was an inconvenience. They even noted it was our anniversary and gave us a free shot! Our server was so attentive and the rolls came out in a nice progression. Definitely made our night memorable. The vibe when you first walk in waiting for someone to notice you is kinda awkward but it is a small restaurant with 12 tables and like 2 servers/host. Making a reservation was difficult but I'm glad something opened up last minute. We were seated right away which was amazing. I definitely want to come back so I hope reservations open up again! Overall, amazing handroll place! I still love kazunori in LA...but now that I live in the bay, it's nice to have something so delicious close by! read more

See all

I honestly think Yonsei blows kazunori out of the water. The variety and premium quality of ingredients they carry is truly exceptional. They have 3 designated sets you can select from for convenience but you can also easily sub out any handrolls you'd like to try instead (or just add on more)! It feels like a pretty quick meal because the service is so quick - the rolls come out one after the other as soon as you order; it's almost like they watch for you to finish the last bite of one before they immediately bring out the next one haha. Don't get me wrong though, you don't feel rushed at all, it just seems like they're very attentive. The couple times I've visited was with my parents but it's definitely a perfect spot for a date night or catch up with girlfriends over their yummy drinks. read more

See all

My new favorite sushi joint!! We booked a few weeks in advance. FYI no show reservations penalties are $15 pp. This place is located across the street from Fox Theatre. Parking was easy for us, we were able to find seats right in front of the restaurant ( I highly recommend looking at fox theatre events in advance prior to booking your reservations) since there was no event that night we were able to find parking easily. Onto the food and service: we ordered the salmon belly appetizer and then each got the Yonsei handroll set. Absolutely loved every handroll! However it does take around 10 minutes for you to get one roll at a time, similar to omakase style so it's not a quick place to get food. You do spent at least an hour there. Our waitress was super nice and we had a great night! Will be back soon! read more

See all

Before coming here, both my girlfriend and I had high expectations. The reservations were booked out early, and we were told on multiple occasions (text, email, etc) that our table would only be held for 15min. Therefore, it was a bit disappointing when we arrived on time (way before 5PM on Mar 30th), only to find out that the door wasn't even open. It was opened way after our reservation time. I believe being punctual is a mutual & reciprocal thing, not a one-way street. The environment was modern, with natural light passing through the window. It would be great if you could get those window seats. After being seated, we were only given the regular menu, and left unattended for about 10 minutes. It wasn't until the server came to us that we realized that there was a special menu for the week. We understood that there were plenty of folks who all rushed in at the same time when the door opened, but still would love to see a more speedy service. The food tastes pretty good overall, but after having a flight of handrolls on last Sunday noon, both my GF and I had very severe diarrhea that carried into the following week. It negatively impacted our lives. The meal at Yonsei was the only overlap of our food intake on that Sunday, so we were certain that this meal was the cause. With all things considered, we won't be back again. read more

See all

Our favorite hand roll restaurant in the Bay Area. The rolls are creative and served so fresh that the seaweed is still crisp! We like to order the sets but you can order al la carte and try all the rolls that peak your interest. Would recommend! read more

Hot new spot in Oakland! Getting a Resy last minute is not easy, but you might get lucky if you keep an eye out leading up to you desired date. The handrolls were all tasty and creative, and they were brought out at a good pace one by one so the seaweed doesn't get soggy. I enjoyed our meal but would consider them to be light bites (or you have to spend A LOT to be full). The handrolls are very small, so it's a very pricey place! read more

See all

Great sushi and cocktails. Service was a little rushed. Those rolls come out so fast! Same owner as Itani Ramen next door. read more

See all

I had very high expectations for this place since it has pretty limited reservations and there's a lot of hype around handrolls right now. After going, I think I would give it a 4.5 as I think there's just a couple of things I feel like could have been better. I ordered a la carte because I didn't like any of the combo packages they suggested (seems like a lot of people are just going the a la carte route? maybe they should have better combo suggestions?). My absolute two favs were Unagi & Avocado (I ordered it twice), and the Uni & Ikura. Besides those I also got wagyu, jellyfish, and the zuke maguro (that's the order I liked them most in). Pros: - Rolls were delicious - They came out super fast, which I was impressed by because there's only like 2 servers - Made a reservation for a Saturday night, had no wait, everything was seamless - I liked their homemade soy sauce, and also thought putting it in an eyedropper was very nice and convenient Cons: - The rolls just came out in the order you ordered them. I feel like with sushi, it should be a progression, so I would have liked them to come out in a certain way (like, lightest to heaviest). I just ordered them from the menu bottom to top and felt like I ended with the worst/lightest one? - I wish they had more cocktail selection! Or sake cocktails would be cool. Overall, I would definitely come back but I guess be more strategic about my ordering. read more

See all

Super delicious - great accommodating staff! I will definitely be returning with friends and family !

I finally had a chance to try Yonsei and I love the different take on one of my favorite things (sushi). I came with my friend Thursday night, because we were able to snag a 5:15pm reso, and we both opted to order a la carte. Things I tried: *salmon roll - this was simple, but really tasty and I loved it with the lemon! *crab roll - this was the only miss of the rolls and had no flavor and seemed dry. *spicy scallop roll - I really liked this roll and even got a second helping of it! I also loved that it actually had a kick! *black cod & truffle - this was so good! I'm not a truffle person because it always tends to overwhelm everything else, but this was done perfectly! The black cod is perfectly buttery and the truffle oil highlighted all the flavors rather than overpowering them. *american wagyu with quail egg - wow. This was delicious! I could have eaten five more of just this roll! We also got the chocolate mousse dessert and that was a lovely finish! I love sushi and absolutely love hand rolls, so this was the best of all worlds with really good quality sushi! I can't wait to come back! read more

See all

Everything we tried over here was amazing and very delicious. I loved their Sake flight, hamachi carpaccio, black cod and truffle butter read more

See all

Very cozy place with amazing service and delicious and unique Japanese handrolls. Zoe was super friendly and helpful with choosing the order. Absolutely loved the experience. Highly recommend and will come back for sure. read more

Yonsei Handrolls - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Ambiance: Looks like a minimalist and hip eatery you'd find in Japan. There's a few high tables and some regular tables. Reservations are highly suggested as they only have a 2-person table facing the window for walk-ins. My boyfriend stopped in a few hours before we planned to eat there, so when we walked in later that night, they were going to seat us as walk-ins. Luckily someone just canceled their reservation and we were seated at a regular table. Service: Our waitress was very nice. She answered questions we had with a friendly demeanor. She mentioned they serve one hand roll at a time to make sure they have enough holders for everyone's food. Food: We were debating ordering from the Omaka-sets but settled on Singles to pick exactly what we wanted to try. The prices pretty much add up the same either way. The sets seem more for beginners who aren't sure what to order. I ordered the: Salmon (4/5)- a lot of salmon but lemon still overpowered the taste, would have liked the fatty cut vs chopped up pieces Spicy Tuna (4/5)- good texture and flavor American Wagyu (6/5)- my favorite! texture from the egg and overall flavor was there, steak was tender Unagi x2 (3/5)- I normally love eel but my first roll had too much avocado which overpowered the flavor, the second had less but still couldn't taste the eel that much Spam (3/5)- I was surprised by how room temp/cool it was, I wish it was warmer; would've liked white rice because spam is already salty, cabbage was a nice refreshingly acidic touch My bf had the Zuke Maguro, Salmon, Crab roll, Seared Albacore, two Unagi, and Jellyfish. His favorite was the crab roll because of the good quality and portion! We will definitely be back to visit again! P.S. They have a house-made soy sauce and you can use the dropper bottles to drop it into your roll; love that I don't have to dip and spill all the insides. read more

See all

Came here tonight for the restaurant week menu (the set dinner with 5 rolls and chocolate mousse dessert for ~$35 pre tax and tip) for the first time with a party of 2, and boy was it tasty!!! It did not disappoint. I also got a Hana G+T cocktail. The set menu included the cucumber sunomono starter, and the following 5 omaka-set (the OG): zuke maguro (tuna), negihama, salmon, black cod, and snow crab. Our total cost after tax and tip was $60 ish (cocktails are ~$12-15 each) Pros: - SUPER fast service. They had reservations for ~1 hour after we arrived but said if we ate quick we could sit and eat at a window table. The girl who served us also had very corny jokes which we enjoyed haha. - YUMMY HANDROLLS which are very worth it, the pieces of fish are pretty big. My ultimate favorite was the black cod with truffle oil, it was so unique and delicious! Each one was perfect, no cons. - I LOVE the pipet-able soy sauce!! It makes it very easy to get some soy sauce in your hand roll without having the whole thing fall apart when you try to dip it in a soy sauce dish - The Hana Gin and tonic had the perfect amount of alcohol in it (where you can taste it but it's not too strong), and it was such a beautiful looking purple drink too. Definitely a pleasant surprise - Great for parties of 2 since there's multiple tables that can seat 2, but if you have a bigger party it could be a longer wait - I thought the price was very appropriate, and the menu wasn't too overwhelming, very straightforward. Good bang for your buck - they give you way more fish than Kazu Nori in SoCal. - Decent amount of food in the set menu - I didn't feel stuffed, but I wasn't hungry after either. Honestly, no cons other than the fact that it may be hard to find parking nearby and you might have to walk a bit (but also very walkable from 19th st. BART). 10/10 will be back, what a great restaurant week intro! Everything was so beautifully presented too. I can't wait to come back and try the other omaka-sets. read more

See all

I came here last minute for a birthday dinner and I really enjoyed the food! Parking can be a bit different since this is on telegraph but thankfully the staff was really accommodating since we didn't have a reservation. The wait was only about 20 minutes and we got the last table! The food was fast, I ordered a la carte while my date had the pre fix option. The food was super flavorful and the fish was fresh! The only downside is that you have to finish your roll before getting the next one, but I believe that's part of the experience. The staff also recommend sake and we got a flight and our check wasn't even that bad. 10/10 recommend. My only tip is get a reservation! The restaurant is small and can only accommodate so many parties. Thankfully it was just me and another person. read more

See all

I came here on a Saturday for dinner with a few of my girlfriends. We were lucky to get a reservation pretty last month especially considering that they are booked out for the next month! Something to note is that there is a penalty of $15 per person if you do not show up to the reservation. We ordered the salmon belly to share and each got around 3-4 handrolls. They serve one handroll at a time in order to prevent the seaweed from getting too soggy as you eat. We thought that the handrolls were yummy but nothing too notable, especially considering how hard it is to get a reservation here. The service was okay. The staff was nice but they kept getting our order confused, forgot who ordered what, and brought out handrolls that weren't even part of our order. read more

Yonsei Handrolls - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Super tasty, cozy, Japanese joint focusing on hand rolls. Solid variety of different types of fish in the hand rolls, as well as some other less traditional protein options. They bring out the hand rolls one at a time, to avoid making the crunchy seaweed a soggy mess. So, if you're ordering a variety, don't expect a quick meal. Also, definitely worth calling out their house made soy sauce that has a nice deep rich, almost nutty flavor. Not a cheap spot, but there's a definite attention to detail here, as well as a solid variety of fish that makes it worth it. read more

Yonsei Handrolls - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

Excellent service, vibey ambiance, and tasty hand rolls in Oakland! So happy to have reasonably price handroll offerings here now and happy to have made it to a reservation here. We got two set of 5 rolls and ordered some extras on top of the sets. They come out one at a time so the rolls stay fresh by the time we get to the rolls. I especially loved the uni, the albacore, and the tuna! I also loved the concept of having a dropper for their soy sauce dispenser because it gave more control for how much extra umami to throw on each bite! read more

See all

We were really excited to try this place since it's been popping up on our instagram feed! This place is definitely worth the experience if you haven't had Handrolls before. This was my first try and for the price point, it's pretty fairly priced. There's around 15 types of roll, with 3 recommended sets by the chef but you're free to build your own and/or even swap! I went for the baller set but decided to swap two rolls to bring down the price point as I'm not a very big fan of wagyu rolls. Out of the 5 rolls I ordered, they were all very tasty except the jellyfish, which was good but tasted like simple jellyfish dish. My favorite two were the toru + takuan and the king crab with shoyu butter. The atmosphere was also very pleasant, they had a mix of 2-4 people tables, perfect for more intimate groups like a date or double date. I believe they only take reservation so make sure to plan ahead! Atmosphere: 4.5/5 Friendly staff: 5/5 Taste: 4.5/5 Price: 4/5 Wait: 5/5 (reservation) Overall: 4.7/5 read more

See all

Came here for my birthday dinner with my wife and our toddler! The waitress really looked after our little one and he had a great time (although we discovered he apparently also has expensive taste in handrolls). I enjoyed a sake flight and we each tried a different "set" menu of handrolls, with the optional extra roll. This plus a salad starter was a surprisingly filling meal. The handrolls are impeccably presented and the restaurant it self has a neat industrual/modern aesthetic. The bar menu is from the ramen shop next door - so that's now on our list to check out at some point! read more

It's a small intimate place, make reservations if possible. We had a 30 min wait on a Sat while we were waiting for our concert to start. Not too bad of a wait time as we went to the bar next door. The price here is reasonable and the staff are down to earth and friendly. A good place for a light bite to eat. Highly recommend the black cod with truffle oil. Staff suggested this and definitely my favorite. I like their homemade soy sauce with the hand rolls. Their chocolate mousse is delicious! Their Yonsei-rita drink is good too, up my alley (tequila, passionfruit, lychee and li-hing rim). read more

Yonsei Handrolls had been on our list of restaurants to try for a while and we finally did! It lived up to the hype -- reservations recommended. The space / decor is cozy and trendy. The service was incredibly hospitable and friendly. Each hand roll we ordered was delicious with the perfect rice to fish ratio, temperature, and nori crunch with each bite. The cod was easily one of our favorites. Overall the food / drinks were top notch and I look forward to dining here again! read more

See all

Best post Paramount show dinner option. Saw Tina Fey and Amy Poehler perform at the Paramount and we walked over for these delicious sushi hand rolls. Bao-Quyen was great. Thank you!! They made all the tables lower since the last time I was here which is nice. read more

See all

The service was excellent. The restaurant itself is small, but there are a decent amount of tables. We started with the hamachi carpaccio, which was delicious. A slight citrus flavor and a slice of jalapeño to give it a kick. The fish melted in your mouth. I ordered the baller hand roll set. The presentation was nice and I enjoyed the fact that they offered soy sauce the traditional way, but also had some in a dropper bottle. This made it easy to put it where you want it on each part of the roll. I did not really enjoy the uni. The roll was fishy to me and I could not eat it. The toro and albacore were excellent and the ebi was nice, but was spicy. You must get the yuzu cake and chocolate mousse. The yuzu cake was delicious. There was a nice crunch with the sliced almonds on the top and there was a lemon curd under the cake that gave the cake a nice citrus balance. The chocolate mousse was not super chocolatey and the texture of mousse was not overly airy like some mousses can be. This place was pretty good. The neighborhood is a little sketchy if you go early before shows at the Fox and Paramount start. It was a good dinner to hit before a show though and maybe a 5 min walk from 19th Street BART. Give this place a try. read more

The restaurant is very vibey inside with a dark ambiance, and nice dinner for a date night. We were sitting by the windows with a nice outside view. The table space was spacious, but it was too dark in that section. The server mentioned it was their one year since opening and offered us a glass of complimentary champagne. We started with hamachi carpaccio that was quite refreshing, but not as great as I've had at other restaurants. For the Omaka sets, we ended up choosing the Yonsei & Baller set so we could try all the different hand rolls. A few rolls that stood out to me were the seared albacore black garlic, nehihama yellowtail green onions (ordered on the side), snow crab garlic chives, salmon belly truffle salt yuzu kosho, and toro & takuan. I love desserts, so we ended up ordering both. I enjoyed the yuzu olive oil cake. It was tangy, and crunchy, and all the components worked well together. My boyfriend liked the chocolate mousse, but it was slightly too dark for my taste buds. The mint was a necessary addition that helped balance out the richness of the mousse. read more

See all

I heard about this place from a popular tiktok foodie I follow and I was so excited to try.... but alas didn't really meet expectations :( I wanted to come here for an anniversary date to splurge a bit on food. We made reservations for 8pm here and were seated a few minutes after. Upon walking in it was a cute small spot, but were weren't greeted by anyone- fine it was packed but that was the first impression coming in. Once we got seated, we knew what we wanted so while we waited we just observed. While we were waiting we noticed the people who sat down after us got their order taken before us..... whilst we were sitting at our table... parched... because they didn't bring us water a while after we sat and I had to make eye contact with a server to get a pitcher.... I tried to overlook the first interactions because I wanted to enjoy this spot and give them the benefit of the doubt as it was later in the day and they told us they were busy. As a food service worker I 100% understand the exhaustion after a busy day so was not trying to let that ruin the experience. We got the "Baller" Omaka- set which was decent, honestly only 2 out of the 5 hand-rolls stood out; the Toro & Caviar and Black cod & Truffle butter. We also got 4 drinks; Hana G&T, Yonsei-rita, Dewazakura Oka Ginjo, and Sohomare Karakuchi. The cocktails were actually delicious... if they were just a bar I'd probably come just for those 2 drinks. Sake was good too but... those cocktails... I really wanted to like this spot and give it a 10/10 because the bill came out to ~$230 for 2 omakasets and the drinks. I get it's probably paying for presentation, but honestly if you were going to spend big bucks for dinner I'd go elsewhere. read more

I was really excited that all these handroll spots were popping up in the Bay Area. Yonsei is the latest one I've tried. The restaurant is all high tops, no bar seating so the experience is a little different. I had mixed feelings about this place. First off, I have to say, their fish is excellent quality and super fresh. Unfortunately, my issue was with the quality of the handrolls. I had about 7 pieces (The baller and 2 add ons) and 4 of the pieces came out with soggy nori =( The American wagyu one, you can skip - this one made the nori extremely soggy and the meat was very rubbery. The toro was my favorite, it was SO buttery and tasty. We ordered a few other appetizers and the yuzu lemonade (mezcal based). Our server was great though, she was very nice and checked on us often. read more

See all

Made reservations for 4 on a Thursday evening at 5:30pm. Arrived a few minutes before our reservation, and was able to check in with the host at the door to be seated. Food: I went with the Yonsei set ( 5 pieces) and added a roll. Zuke maguro - two slices of ahi marinade in soy topped with scallions, this was a nice light start to the meal, fish is fresh and tender, wish the fish was cut a bit smaller for easier eating Seared albacore - two slices of cooked albacore with a small squeeze of black garlic, this handroll was rather bland, was hoping for more garlic and more salt Spicy tuna - favorite roll of the night, good balance of heat, loved the fried crunchy topping, super flavorful and fun roll, don't skip this one of you like spicy tuna Spicy scallop - pretty good, creamy spicy mayo with fresh scallops, this roll was rich and decadent Crab roll - good, wish this came earlier in the set since the two spicy rolls came before it this one was a little bland in comparison but good amount of crab on the roll and a delicate flavor Unagi Avocado - okay, also felt a little under seasoned wish my piece had a little more sauce Salmon and lemon - very lemon zest forward, salmon has a nice creamy fattiness but couldn't taste the fish. Service: good, the light went out within our first 10 minutes of being seated and staff was able to pivot and bring out small tea candles to add a little light in the dining room. Since they bring out rolls one at a time staff doesn't linger much at the table but they were attentive, and the water bottle was consistently refilled. Overall more of a 3.5 but rounding up to 4. Highlights were definitely the spicy tuna and spicy scallop. Seasoning is a little hit or miss here definitely felt like some of the rolls could use more salty soy sauce ( the dropper bottle on the table was great but had more of a sweet soy flavor). Wish the rice was a bit warmer and the nori a little more crunchy but I think sogginess was mostly attributed to hold time from prep to deliver to the table. Worth trying if you are looking for an affordable handroll spot. read more

See all

Epic spot. I didn't know what to expect before I came in. Super happy I gave this place a chance. All of the seafood was really fresh. The flavors were on point. I think the two rolls pictured below were probably my favorite. Inside space is quite tight with tiny tables which is my only complaint but I will definitely be coming back. read more

Yonsei Handrolls - Japanese Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

literally insane. 10/10 super good quality fish and honestly i thought that the price was worth it! it is def on the pricier side but it is omakase and u can tell love and care is put into these rolls bc they melt in ur mouth. a must try is the carpaccio as well with micro cilantro - AMAZING! read more

See all

Hand rolls were super delicious, service was fantastic. We did the set and then ordered additional rolls. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. read more

I'll give it four stars because in the Bay Area, the hand roll trend is still pretty rare. The general vibe is disappointing compared to similar spots in NYC and LA, but it exists, and the handrolls taste pretty good. Sake flight was cool too, though the pours were a bit uneven. At the time that I went, it was pretty hard to get a reservation. Seemed like everyone was a yelper or big into food trends. Still a trend worth trying, though I predict that these will be commonplace in the bay in a few years. read more

See all