50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Albany

“This place is always so good, creative sushi options with high quality fish. While it has minimal atmosphere, everyone is super friendly visit after visit there is something yummy and unique to try. Like the deep fried shisho leaf with salmon and hamachi toro appetizer pictured.“

“Great food and quick service! A must try place if you’re in the area!“

“Great lady who gave me her charger since I was stuck there in Albany area with a dead phone and in need of getting an UBER. So I went in, asked for charger and ordered their chicken+Beef Teriyaki lunch box. And it was delicious. Got my phone charged too. Happy customer here. Will eat there again if in the area.“

“I went to KEN for my birthday and it was absolutely phenomenal. The fish was delicious; so many new flavors and combinations; the chef was superb - talented and entertaining, with great attention to detail. The service was impeccable. I cannot say enough good things!“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“So it was my birthday, and I really wanted sushi. There is no dearth of quality sushi restaurants in San Francisco, however almost all of them are omakase – and to be honest, I am not a huge omakase fan (and I speak Japanese, have lived in Japan, and have consumed sushi all over the world – omakase does not necessarily mean better). Kuma’s execution and fish quality is some of the best I have had in the US in a long time. I dined with my mother, who is a Hamachi kama fan, and she said it was one of the best she has ever had. The atmosphere is no frills, and there were only two staff working the floor, one was I believe the manager – but service was attentive. Overall, this is probably my favorite new place to have non-omakase sushi in the city. Definitely recommend, and you definitely need a reservation.“

“Best authentic Japanese restaurant in town.“

“Taniku Izakaya is a great spot for skewers and a solid casual night out. I really liked the spicy scallop hand rolls and the takoyaki, and the food overall was worth the wait. It does get busy, and there was a line since reservations are only for a couple tables, but we only waited about 20–30 minutes. The vibe was lively, and everything felt well worth it.“

“Fresh ingredients, friendly staff, and delicious food and veggie options!“

“awesome a must try, this is a hidden gem“

“If you want the freshest fish downtown has to offer.... go to Sanraku“

“Quality is key with any meal. Roger-San is all about quality. Sit at the bar if you can!“

“I have been meaning to write this review for years. Apologies for Jimmy and Ron for not writing it sooner.

First, I have to write about the people because they are the reason I love and will always love Kibatsu. Then, I'll write about my favorite dishes and the food.

The People:
I have been going to Kibatsu since 2014 so 12 years now. Before Kibastu, they were Sugoi Sushi in the Mission. I discovered them because they did catering for University of San Francisco. My college roommate and I befriended the young sushi chefs that came to the university, hung out with them once the sushi bar had officially closed and they encouraged us to come visit their Sugoi Sushi location.

Eventually we did and it became our Friday or Saturday night routine. Sometimes, we would splurge and go during the week (which for us as college students was a lot). But we loved them. Calvin, Ronald, (so sorry, I am totally blanking on the third guy's name but I see his face in my mind!) and Jimmy. The first three were the sushi chefs and Jimmy was the waiter - he always made room for us and always saved us our favorite booth in the front of the restaurant, closest to the windows. He remembered our classes and asked us how school was going. He always treated us to on the house mochi ice cream after each dinner. We would spend hours and hours there, camping out and chatting or doing our homework in the mood-lit, rustic, tastefully interior-decorated intimate setting, amid the hubbub of conversations and people enjoying the sushi. I remember Sugoi and those times really fondly - it was our safe space, our home away from home (dorm). Other times, we'd bring our friends. I can't even count how many people I and my roommate recommended this place to or brought there.

Then after we graduated, in 2018, they moved to the Haight and invited me to their opening night omakase which was a gift to everyone they invited. How sweet, thoughtful and amazing is that? Between Sugoi and Kibatsu, my partner and I met and Jimmy always remembers my partner and his two boys and asks about them when they're not with me. The boys love it here because of the large portions and how nice everyone is.

On my birthday this year, I decided I wanted to spend it at Kibatsu and Jimmy (who is now a sushi chef!!) and company went out and got me a birthday cake and brought it out before the rest of the dessert as a surprise. I almost cried. This is why I love Kibatsu and those who work there.

The Food:
The starter we always go for is the tataki dish which is albacore with delicious fried onion. The gyoza is always also a great way to go. We always get the omakase which is a true omakase with the different small plates, sashimi and nigiri. I love the salmon and umimasu nigiri as well as the negi salmon. Something special that Kibatsu does is they always surprise you with little gifts from the sushi chefs. For this past new year's they surprised us with a whole tray of steak and jumbo shrimp - a gift on the house. Their kindness never ceases to surprise us!

So there are some of our top favorites food wise and why Kibatsu has a special place in my heart. I hope you go and I hope you love it as much as I do. They work really hard, are so extremely kind and deserve the best.“

“Service feels a bit chaotic and the tables are a little too close together but the food is good! Prices are a bit higher than some menu photos here - $40 per nabe now. Good portion size though, would come back. Make a reservation if coming on a weekend night“

“Excellent Japanese cuisine, service and staff are wonderful and helpful“

“The best omakase and multi-course dinner I’ve ever had. We came to celebrate our anniversary here and a great time. The atmosphere was perfect and the food/fish were literally hands down the best I’ve ever had. If you want high quality omakase where every bite is the perfect blend and diversity of textures and flavors you must go here.“

“friendly service and tasty food“

“It’s easy to find sushi restaurants with high-quality fish these days, but good shari (the rice) is still hard to come by in San Francisco. The moment the chef told everyone to eat the sushi right away, I knew he really knew what he was doing. Sure enough, when he placed it on the plate, the shari gently sank - perfect texture. Saw someone complaining that the rice fell apart… you belong at a place that serves edamame and California rolls 👋 lol“

“A small, family-run spot tucked between Broadway and the Transamerica Pyramid delivers the kind of honest, soul-warming lunch that’s increasingly rare in the city. Run by a lovely older couple who treat every customer like a regular, this no-frills counter serves up comfort food at prices that feel like a time capsule.

Cash/venmo only so you know it's fire“

“Food was amazing and happy hour were very decent prices. I'm definitely coming back to try more, especially the beer! Service was super fast.
I had oysters and takoyaki both were so good, perfectly cooked takoyaki ❤“

“Watermelon 🍉 Roll; no rice, refreshingly good Fried seafood chips appetizer; I wanted it as a meal it’s a different yum 😋 Ice cream sandwich wow!“

“Probably the best meal I’ve ever had, super fun, exciting, every bite was perfect. Intimate and fast process“

“Eating is a kind of happiness, taste is a kind of interest“

“1000/10. This place is hard to get a table at because it only seats 20 people. They only do one serving, but this was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in all of San Francisco. The menu constantly changes so you get a new experience every time you would come. We’ll be going back.“

“one of my favorite places in the country to eat. whenever I'm in the Bay area, in here“

“Beautiful food and excellent service – went for my husband's birthday and it was a special meal. Servers were super attentive and explained the various cuts of meat and preparation, and everything is cooked right in front of you, which makes for a cool experience. Every bite was delicious!“

“The food smacks and the music they play always slaps.“

“The ingredients, the flavors, they're all top-notch.“

“Blown away! Sitting at the chef’s bar was an outstanding experience. The chef made recommendations; he is a true artist of his craft - what a delight to watch. The nigiri/sushi is classic with no frills, relying completely on the quality of the fish and the expertise of the chef. What a local gem!“

“Emma ,Julio and staff great!“

“Rico pero lo malo es que nunca tienen basil para la sopa pho“

“service and quality are top notch“

“We had a wonderful meal at Cafe Okawari before the Giants game. It’s a great location that’s 1.5 blocks from the ballpark, and very close to the Caltrain station. The restaurant was full when we got there, but the food still came out soon after we ordered.

We had chicken katsu curry, korokke curry, and a menchi (fried ground chicken) sando. The chicken katsu was among the best I’ve ever had, super juicy inside and crunchy outside. One of the greatest quick bites I’ve had in recent memory.“

“What we had:
3 hand rolls lunch (salmon, spicy tuna and unagi) with miso soup and edamame
4 premium handrolls options (A5 Miyazaki Wagyu, Japan Hokkaido Uni, A5 Wagyu Uni & Caviar, Uni Toro & Caviar)
Small plates: Maguro Ponzu and Tuna Tartare

This is an open kitchen setting, you can see the chef make every hand roll and serve the roll right to the dishes in front of you! The quality of the fish was excellent, everything tasted fresh, and you could really appreciate the simplicity of each hand roll. The rice was well-seasoned, and every bite highlighted the freshness of the ingredients. The premium hand rolls were definitely the stars, fatty, flavorful, if you’re a fan of uni and wagyu you have to try it.

The Maguro Ponzu and Tuna Tartare was refreshing and light, it's a great appetizer to share between hand rolls.

That said, I have to be honest, it is kinda pricey. The premium hand rolls add up quickly, so it’s definitely more of a treat-yourself kind of meal rather than an everyday sushi spot. Still, if you’re willing to spend on fresh hand rolls, it’s worth checking them out.“

“Good fresh comfort food, warm friendly family business“

“Fantastic atmosphere & fantastic food. We had the bento for dinner (not an option on the dinner menu, you have to ask for it). The sashimi is especially stellar and is honestly better than a number of omakase sushi I have had at much more expensive places. Portion was great - We came in very hungry and left very satisfied!“

“Abby was super kind and gave great service!! Unagi skewer was insanely good, but a lil on the sweet side but that’s just my prefance. The Yuzu lager was refreshing, could definitely taste the yuzu, its on the rotating draft menu though.“

“I cannot say I had a bad experience. Everything was my favorite“

“Another night, another sushi craving so we stopped by this place just down the road from our place. We each ordered the nigiri dish with 10 different pieces to sample , a hand roll(not pictured), and an extra order of the scallops because they were so tasty.
This place is a little pricey but well worth a visit for a date night special treat“

“ALWAYS a fantastic and tasty dinner. ☺️“

“Exceptional service. Delicious, artfully presented omakase at a reasonable price point.“

“We had a great experience here! The tuna was fresh and buttery and everything we ordered was delicious. Prices were very good for the quality.

We also tried the chef’s Japanese sushi set. Not every type of fish was our favorite but it was a great way to try a variety of unique fish we hadn’t had before!

The eel hand rolls were another highlight absolutely delicious!

We came during Happy Hour so it was an even better value. The food came out quickly!
We made a reservation in advance. When we arrived there was a tablet to check in but we were seated before we even had a chance to use it haha. Fantastic experience and we’d definitely come back!“

“Great place. Friendly staff. Beautiful fish selections and daily specials. Limited open time, but absolutely worth going to.

I had the chirashi, rice beer, and panacotta - good relaxing night.

Reccomended!“

“Nigiri combo is excellent! I can’t wait to try the sashimi combo next. I came just before they were closing for lunch and people were steadily coming either to pick up or eat-in up until their closing time. It seemed they were regular customers who are keeping this place a secret and happy to say, I am on it already. Can’t wait to go back.“

“The food here is awesome! The salmon bento got me hooked on this place. The salmon was so incredibly tender, nothing like I've ever tasted. You can taste the quality of the ingredients & the care that went into making the meal.

I also got the fantuan which normally don't order because most places tend to be dry but this one is exceptional. I love how there is a thin layer of rice and stuffed with ingredients. It really changes the experience. Highly recommended.“

“Upfront the only downside: This place is a store with premade sushi and has no real seatinh besides one small bench.
However, the sushi is always freshly prepared und since the place has high turnover, the sushi never gets old. The quality of the sushi is great and not overpriced.
The staff is friendly and helpful. The free chopsticks and napkins are of higher quality than in most places and the place itself is clean and tasteful designed.“

“This place should have a line out the door every day. Incredible value. Excellent service. Delicious food. Warm and friendly staff. They greeted all their regulars by name like old friends. I can't wait to become a regular myself. I can't recommend enough. Coming back as often as I can.“

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

“Five stars. My son and I had the Omakase experience at Akiko's in San Francisco, and it was hands down the best sushi we've ever had. Every course was beautifully presented, incredibly fresh, and packed with flavors that exceeded our expectations. The chefs' attention to detail and craftsmanship were evident in every bite. The service was equally outstanding, warm, attentive, and perfectly paced from start to finish. The entire evening felt like a true culinary experience rather than just dinner. If you're looking for an unforgettable Omakase in San Francisco, Akiko's is absolutely worth it. Five stars. We can't wait to come back.“