Kiraku is my favorite Japanese restaurant in the Bay Area, perhaps even on the whole North American continent. It's a Japanese izakaya/tapas that serves small, albeit high-quality, plates of food at a time. I've been here about four times since I first tried it in 2017, only coming with my girlfriend on special occasions like birthdays, V-day, or after finishing a grueling term paper. It's been consistently good over these past few years. Came back to Kiraku on Valentine's Day this year at around 10:00 p.m. after making a reservation on Yelp a week beforehand. A sign posted outside on the door said that it was not taking any walk-ins, only reservations. I found it a bit amusing when I stepped inside that nearly all the tables had been reconfigured to just seat two people. Though we had a reservation, my girlfriend and I were put on standby as the restaurant turned over. We waited about 10 to 15 minutes. We were seated promptly after that right by the entrance, but I asked if we could switch tables so we wouldn't be so close to the doorway as people exited the restaurant. The waitress obliged and we changed to the table on our left, by the wall and essentially in a small corner of the restaurant. We ordered the Mori Sashimi Platter, Anchovy Broccoli, Agedashi tofu, A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Beef Nigiri, Black Cod, Grilled Wrapped Salmon, Salmon Sashimi (I do love my salmon), and Maze Gohan. The sashimi is a must-have here. It is expensive, but the quality is out the roof and must be tried at least once. My girlfriend and I always pick one type of sashimi from the Sashimi Platter to try out and eat it at the same time so we can comment about the taste of it. For the platter, the sashimi come in pairs so that there's one piece of a type for each person in a party of two. The waitress warned me off when I tried ordering an additional, separate plate of the salmon sashimi, explaining that the sashimi platter I had in front of me already had two pieces of salmon. I responded that I just really love salmon, and she relented. The salmon sashimi plate I received later on in the meal was more of the same; which is to say that it was delicious and well worth the cost. The anchovy broccoli is generously seasoned with pine nuts which provide an additional crunch factor to the dish. It's another go-to here for me because I love these little trees. A fan of light food, my girlfriend got her classic Agedashi Tofu. It comes with green onion on the side for you to portion out yourself. Not heavy at all and tasty. The A5 Miyazaki Beef Nigiri was a novelty for me. I don't recall seeing it in the past, and I only ordered it because the bluefin tuna from the daily menu was out. I don't regret it though! It's a small piece for $10, even smaller when you halve it with your significant other. But boy does it pack a punch for being so small! It's got a powerful zany taste to it, and it is soft to chew on. It comes with a laminated Certificate of Authenticity so you can read about where, how old, and what kind of cattle the meat is derived from. Interesting and delicious. The black cod was recommended to us by the waitress after my girlfriend tried to order a grilled fish that was out-of-stock. It was good to eat. Soft and scrumptious. Just had to avoid the bones in the flesh. The grilled wrapped salmon I ordered was of OK quality. I unfortunately dropped the sliced lemon on the ground while trying to squeeze it, so it was a bit dry for me. Of all the items I ordered today, I would have them all again except for the grilled wrapped salmon. Finally, to top off the meal, we had the Maze Gohan. It was an order put in by my girlfriend, so she ate most of it. I had bits of the rice intermixed with ikura (salmon roe) and salmon chunks. It was good, but by that point I was already mostly content with my fill of food and didn't help her finish it besides a few quick bites. I didn't get it this time around because I was driving, but I also recommend the apple sake for those who are 21+ y/o! My girlfriend who isn't a fan of alcohol in general finds it good enough to have whenever we're at Kiraku. Service was good and prompt, even though we were far away in a corner of the restaurant. The interior of the restaurant is interesting with Japanese memorabilia covering many parts of the wall. Most intriguing for me is an array of wooden blocks on the walls that spills downwards and then rises upwards. Lighting is well distributed in the restaurant, but still retains some "moodiness" and ambiance. Noise is OK. It's not "library-quiet", but it's also not "school cafeteria loud". All in all, a terrific Japanese izakaya that is a must-try. Costly, but worth the cost of admission. I recommend it for fancy dates or whenever you want to treat yourself out. It's otherwise too expensive to come here super regularly, especially on a student budget. Definitely make Yelp reservations online as the lines can be incredibly lengthy. read more