I would recommend against ordering pickup through Urban Ka-Re House's website (powered by DoorDash). I placed a pickup order at a time their website and yelp said they were open, and when I arrived at the restaurant there were people inside who told me the restaurant was closed and they could not help me. My credit card was charged and I had to call DoorDash customer service to resolve.
Chrenzoe Christian B.
Food = Hot F******G Garbage!Service = THE WORSTAmbiance = 0Altogether, the total was $30. It consisted of Chicken Karaage and Tonkotsu Curry Rice Bowl. We ordered this to go which took 25 minutes (we were the only ones there on a Saturday afternoon. Just me and my gf) The Karaage: It was soggy, batter was so wet, CHICKEN was BLAND. It was a very unsatisfying fried chicken dish.The Tonkotsu Curry Plate: I don't know where to begin. The PORK inside the non-crispy outer layer was SOUR. For a $12 Tonkotsu, portion was small(5 slices of pork). The breading was soggy. The "Japanese" curry sauce didn't taste like curry at all. It tasted more of tumeric, chili powder, slurry(cornstarch and water mixture), LOTS OF either Vinegar or Ponzu(only because the sauce tasted and smelled super sour).On top of all that mess, the guy up on the cashier booth doesn't like listening to his customer. He had me repeat my order 3 times. 2 simple orders, but couldn't get it the 3rd time. Mind you, I'm a very patient person. Anything these service people do, I don't take it seriously and shoot it right back at them. He was f*****g rude! As you see in the picture, we couldn't finish the food. We had to take it home. Everything felt mush and sour. Ambiance? We were the only ones there. I didn't wanna doubt it but I was already nervous about the food before we even got them. On a Saturday afternoon, nobody's there? This is Alameda, best believe it should be busy. There was no music, until we sat down, and the cashier guy played a very loud based music for the entirety that we were there eating. And these 4 stars rating this establishment got, I believe its been bought, or worse...they got people they know to give them fake ratings. I don't believe this establishment at all. I've eaten at other Urban Kare Houses in the Bay Area. They weren't bad at all. In fact, they were actually pretty good. Everything else was authentically made. Specially the Japanese Curry base. This place doesn't know Japanese Curry at all. THIS PLACE IS FILTHY. They don't do their due diligence to clean atleast the benches/chairs and tables.
Joyful
I’ve been here a few times, but my last experience a few minutes ago was extremely terrible. The fried pork cutlet was soggy and my order was incorrect. The older lady behind the counter wouldn’t refund me and argued with me even though i was really understanding. I was extremely saddened she wouldn’t help me in the way i needed her to. I left whatever wrong order they gave me on the counter and will have to cancel the order through my bank.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Rob T.
Ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry Plate for lunch - mild sauce was a little soupy but overall it was pretty good. Small little place great for a quick meal.
Courtney M.
This place was delicious! I came here with family and we all got something different. My favorite was the unagi danbori which also came with a side of miso soup. There is seating inside and outside which was nice. All the food was good and fresh but I never had udon with curry broth and I didn't love it. It was thick and I thought I was ordering udon soup. Other than the broth everything was amazing!The tempura shrimp was crispy and hot and the chicken was super crunch and moist on the inside. There is plenty of parking as it is in the outdoor mall and right outside the restaurant is the cutest playground for kids. I will definitely come back when I come to visit again.
Stacy C.
Visited this place yesterday, and it was the second time my boyfriend and I tried their pork tonkatsu curry plate. I highly recommend it, and I'd give the plate a solid 9/10 rating. The pork tonkatsu is crispy and perfectly cooked. The curry sauce is truly delicious, and you have the option to request it with various spice levels. Unfortunately, they didn't have water available yesterday (the same as last time we dined in), which was a bit disappointing, but they do offer a selection of sodas and Asian drinks. Parking is convenient, but it tends to fill up quickly, especially on weekends. The indoor seating area has limited tables and chairs, so it can also get crowded, particularly during weekend rushes.
Vivian N.
The food is solid. Katsu is cooked well, crispy, and decent portion. Curry is seasoned well. Omelet was cooked well and paired well with the rest of the dish. I overall really enjoyed my food and would definitely come back. The store is small and quaint, but still clean. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The staff is nice and it feels family owned. This is a place that if I'm in the area would definitely stop by but maybe not somewhere I would go out of my way for.
Lawrence Su
The sando/sandwich is pretty decent here!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Katsu Sando
Mary L.
This place opened a month or two before the pandemic hit. I remember waiting for yelp reviews to flow in before considering it. Somehow, I deemed it as the restaurant I wouldn't even want to try, but my work ordered from here and I can't say no to free food. I ordered a unagi don and a beef gyudon. They were both pretty darn good at affordable prices. Sure, the beef was a bit dried, but they had the right flavor - sweet and salty just as it should be. The unagi was really tender and plump, definitely cheap unagi because I buy the expensive one and it's not thick and plump. Regardless, the unagi is real good. The sauce is a bit too salty, but the piping hot rice makes up for it. I don't know what kind of rice cooker they use, but it's a really good rice cooker that cooks the perfect sushi rice. I'm going to frequent this place more because they definitely have a good chef there.
Amy H.
We were in the area and decided to try this place out! When we walked in, I noticed the place looks average/normal, nothing really stood out, except they do have a cute grass wallpaper!When we ordered food, the staff were quick on getting our order in and we waited about 15-20 minutes for the food to be brought out. I didn't have much interaction with them, but they seem nice. The food we ordered were:Karaage Chicken Curry: 8/10! It was good. The chicken was fried nicely, and it was juicy. It was a typical average karaage chicken. The curry was super good!Yaki Beef Curry: 9/10! The beef was perfectly seasoned and cooked! It tasted good, just like the karaage, it was a typical average beef. But it gets a higher point because it tasted better than the karaage. But that's my opinion lol. Vegetable tempura: 5/10. It was not horrible, but not good. It tasted very stale. The batter was hard, and it didn't give the satisfying crunch. It didn't taste like it was fresh. Overall I love the curry, and the texture of it is good! I'd come back here again for the curry as I think the prices are fair and the curry tastes good!
Both are very flavorful and delicious...took me back when I was stationed in Japan . Daniel had Great service and friendly atmosphere. Great job guys
Antoine Grondin
The fried food is covered in typical Hong-King spice, which makes the karaage or tonkatsu taste wrong. It's not a Japanese flavor. Unfortunately we can't stand the flavor of that spice as it tastes like stale food to us. In addition the curry is kind of bland and watery. Not particularly impressed with the final result and given the unpleasant spice added to the mix, I can't do more than 2 stars.
liyah
This place is so good i'm so glad there's a Japanese curry place in the east bay :)
Hiro C.
I think the woman at the counter single handedly runs that place! I have been there several times and the food is consistently good! my mother was Japanese and I was brought up on Japanese curry and most things on their menu. its all been tasty! im compelled to want to help vitalize business so she could hire help!
Joseph Messana-Croly
The food was delicious! Ordered 2 Sandwiches for takeout and ate it right by the beach. Within an hour both of us felt an upset stomach and had to run home though so i suspect something wasn’t exactly right.
I would recommend against ordering pickup through Urban Ka-Re House's website (powered by DoorDash). I placed a pickup order at a time their website and yelp said they were open, and when I arrived at the restaurant there were people inside who told me the restaurant was closed and they could not help me. My credit card was charged and I had to call DoorDash customer service to resolve.
Food = Hot F******G Garbage!Service = THE WORSTAmbiance = 0Altogether, the total was $30. It consisted of Chicken Karaage and Tonkotsu Curry Rice Bowl. We ordered this to go which took 25 minutes (we were the only ones there on a Saturday afternoon. Just me and my gf) The Karaage: It was soggy, batter was so wet, CHICKEN was BLAND. It was a very unsatisfying fried chicken dish.The Tonkotsu Curry Plate: I don't know where to begin. The PORK inside the non-crispy outer layer was SOUR. For a $12 Tonkotsu, portion was small(5 slices of pork). The breading was soggy. The "Japanese" curry sauce didn't taste like curry at all. It tasted more of tumeric, chili powder, slurry(cornstarch and water mixture), LOTS OF either Vinegar or Ponzu(only because the sauce tasted and smelled super sour).On top of all that mess, the guy up on the cashier booth doesn't like listening to his customer. He had me repeat my order 3 times. 2 simple orders, but couldn't get it the 3rd time. Mind you, I'm a very patient person. Anything these service people do, I don't take it seriously and shoot it right back at them. He was f*****g rude! As you see in the picture, we couldn't finish the food. We had to take it home. Everything felt mush and sour. Ambiance? We were the only ones there. I didn't wanna doubt it but I was already nervous about the food before we even got them. On a Saturday afternoon, nobody's there? This is Alameda, best believe it should be busy. There was no music, until we sat down, and the cashier guy played a very loud based music for the entirety that we were there eating. And these 4 stars rating this establishment got, I believe its been bought, or worse...they got people they know to give them fake ratings. I don't believe this establishment at all. I've eaten at other Urban Kare Houses in the Bay Area. They weren't bad at all. In fact, they were actually pretty good. Everything else was authentically made. Specially the Japanese Curry base. This place doesn't know Japanese Curry at all. THIS PLACE IS FILTHY. They don't do their due diligence to clean atleast the benches/chairs and tables.
I’ve been here a few times, but my last experience a few minutes ago was extremely terrible. The fried pork cutlet was soggy and my order was incorrect. The older lady behind the counter wouldn’t refund me and argued with me even though i was really understanding. I was extremely saddened she wouldn’t help me in the way i needed her to. I left whatever wrong order they gave me on the counter and will have to cancel the order through my bank.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry Plate for lunch - mild sauce was a little soupy but overall it was pretty good. Small little place great for a quick meal.
This place was delicious! I came here with family and we all got something different. My favorite was the unagi danbori which also came with a side of miso soup. There is seating inside and outside which was nice. All the food was good and fresh but I never had udon with curry broth and I didn't love it. It was thick and I thought I was ordering udon soup. Other than the broth everything was amazing!The tempura shrimp was crispy and hot and the chicken was super crunch and moist on the inside. There is plenty of parking as it is in the outdoor mall and right outside the restaurant is the cutest playground for kids. I will definitely come back when I come to visit again.
Visited this place yesterday, and it was the second time my boyfriend and I tried their pork tonkatsu curry plate. I highly recommend it, and I'd give the plate a solid 9/10 rating. The pork tonkatsu is crispy and perfectly cooked. The curry sauce is truly delicious, and you have the option to request it with various spice levels. Unfortunately, they didn't have water available yesterday (the same as last time we dined in), which was a bit disappointing, but they do offer a selection of sodas and Asian drinks. Parking is convenient, but it tends to fill up quickly, especially on weekends. The indoor seating area has limited tables and chairs, so it can also get crowded, particularly during weekend rushes.
The food is solid. Katsu is cooked well, crispy, and decent portion. Curry is seasoned well. Omelet was cooked well and paired well with the rest of the dish. I overall really enjoyed my food and would definitely come back. The store is small and quaint, but still clean. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The staff is nice and it feels family owned. This is a place that if I'm in the area would definitely stop by but maybe not somewhere I would go out of my way for.
The sando/sandwich is pretty decent here!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Katsu Sando
This place opened a month or two before the pandemic hit. I remember waiting for yelp reviews to flow in before considering it. Somehow, I deemed it as the restaurant I wouldn't even want to try, but my work ordered from here and I can't say no to free food. I ordered a unagi don and a beef gyudon. They were both pretty darn good at affordable prices. Sure, the beef was a bit dried, but they had the right flavor - sweet and salty just as it should be. The unagi was really tender and plump, definitely cheap unagi because I buy the expensive one and it's not thick and plump. Regardless, the unagi is real good. The sauce is a bit too salty, but the piping hot rice makes up for it. I don't know what kind of rice cooker they use, but it's a really good rice cooker that cooks the perfect sushi rice. I'm going to frequent this place more because they definitely have a good chef there.
We were in the area and decided to try this place out! When we walked in, I noticed the place looks average/normal, nothing really stood out, except they do have a cute grass wallpaper!When we ordered food, the staff were quick on getting our order in and we waited about 15-20 minutes for the food to be brought out. I didn't have much interaction with them, but they seem nice. The food we ordered were:Karaage Chicken Curry: 8/10! It was good. The chicken was fried nicely, and it was juicy. It was a typical average karaage chicken. The curry was super good!Yaki Beef Curry: 9/10! The beef was perfectly seasoned and cooked! It tasted good, just like the karaage, it was a typical average beef. But it gets a higher point because it tasted better than the karaage. But that's my opinion lol. Vegetable tempura: 5/10. It was not horrible, but not good. It tasted very stale. The batter was hard, and it didn't give the satisfying crunch. It didn't taste like it was fresh. Overall I love the curry, and the texture of it is good! I'd come back here again for the curry as I think the prices are fair and the curry tastes good!
Restaurantji Recommends
Both are very flavorful and delicious...took me back when I was stationed in Japan . Daniel had Great service and friendly atmosphere. Great job guys
The fried food is covered in typical Hong-King spice, which makes the karaage or tonkatsu taste wrong. It's not a Japanese flavor. Unfortunately we can't stand the flavor of that spice as it tastes like stale food to us. In addition the curry is kind of bland and watery. Not particularly impressed with the final result and given the unpleasant spice added to the mix, I can't do more than 2 stars.
This place is so good i'm so glad there's a Japanese curry place in the east bay :)
I think the woman at the counter single handedly runs that place! I have been there several times and the food is consistently good! my mother was Japanese and I was brought up on Japanese curry and most things on their menu. its all been tasty! im compelled to want to help vitalize business so she could hire help!
The food was delicious! Ordered 2 Sandwiches for takeout and ate it right by the beach. Within an hour both of us felt an upset stomach and had to run home though so i suspect something wasn’t exactly right.