Food was simple just very expensive for portion sizes. We spent over $50 per person and my son was still hungry!!!Our waitress was awesome
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Justin Steele
This would be five stars across the board as the food is fantastic and the environment brings back great memories of my high school and college years in Japan. They seem to specialize in chicken and chicken related items (chicken broth, etc). But everything we had was outstanding including rafutei that was as good as what I ate in Okinawa over the summer. My big issue is no heat at all. The restaurant is open air in front and their windows overhead are wide open. It was a freezing cold night so all the customers were wearing their jackets and hoodies trying to stay warm. We had come from the freezing cold football game so had a hard time warming up. It is big enough of an issue that I wouldn’t eat here when the weather is cold. Other than that the food was excellent.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Mesut Çalışkan
Superb restaurant. The food is already excellent, but the service is truly exceptional, especially at this price point. They clearly know they are giving you an experience, not just a meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Y
Delicious skewers, seafood, rice dishes 🥰 I appreciated the friendly staff. It’s been over ten years since my last visit, I’m sure to be back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Max Stanton
EDIT: I felt its necessary to make the amendment that, although walking in without a reservation was a thing previously, we've now had multiple visits where we've stood at the counter for 2 hours never to be seated.
You can still eat the whole menu there, but its generally very crowded.
Getting reservations seems to be catered towards friends, or some type of mysterious system, as we no longer have been able to get a reservation even weeks in advance. The food is still the same.
Original Review: I can’t believe that I haven’t left a review for Ippuku; this is as close as you can get to a Tokyo alley izakaya, from the sasami raw chicken special menu (to do for), to the epic yakitori, to the massive shochu selection.
By far one of my top 5 favorite restaurants in the Bay Area, we’ve been here a good 30 times over the years and it has never once changed at all, thankfully!!! Never want it to change, it does everything so well.
Hokkaido squid, chicken oyster, chicken tartare, agadashi tofu, crab croquettes, these are some favorites.
Make a reservation if you can, but otherwise we often walk in and are seated within an hour. Fun to hang out at the bar and wait.
Jordan C
Like walking through a curtain and being magically transported to a back street of Tokyo. Really, there’s some serious illusion magic going on here. The ambiance and the food literally transport you. Be brave and let the chefs pick the chicken pieces for you (the neck is the best!) and throw in a side of savory squid ink fried rice. Incredible and welcoming staff makes this place so perfect.
Eli Kehler
closed early
Phuong Luong
This place has been in my to-go list forever but it fell short for me. I got to try a few things including the skewers, squid fried rice, wings, porridge, and only standout was the wings. Love the vibe tho!
Jay Corrales
Favorite restaurant experience in Berkeley, hands down.
Lovely Japanese style Izakaya spot! Vast and tasty selection of appetizers and skewers. The amount of sakes was heaven for me. They have more than just sake and skewers but I was sold there. I'll be sure to review more as I keep coming back. I recommend making a reservation as they're always popping. (For good reason). Give them a shot.
Olivia
This is truly my favorite Japanese restaurant in town! It’s a bit far from where I live, but every visit is worth it. There’s usually a wait, but the food is so good that I never mind.
They have a hidden raw chicken menu, and it’s one of my favorite things to order. Every dish is delicious. The staff are friendly, and the atmosphere is warm and perfect for a date night.
Five stars from me. Everything is just so good. Highly recommend.
Michelle Morrison
I love the fact that the women's restroom has the superior Japanese toilet while the uncivilized men's bathroom does not 😂
amuthant
Enjoyed the food. Getting reservations sometime difficult. Reached there early for a good parking
Wen Yu Li
Really the best teriyaki I’ve tried so far in the Bay Area, can’t go wrong with almost anything
Food was simple just very expensive for portion sizes. We spent over $50 per person and my son was still hungry!!!Our waitress was awesome
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
This would be five stars across the board as the food is fantastic and the environment brings back great memories of my high school and college years in Japan. They seem to specialize in chicken and chicken related items (chicken broth, etc). But everything we had was outstanding including rafutei that was as good as what I ate in Okinawa over the summer. My big issue is no heat at all. The restaurant is open air in front and their windows overhead are wide open. It was a freezing cold night so all the customers were wearing their jackets and hoodies trying to stay warm. We had come from the freezing cold football game so had a hard time warming up. It is big enough of an issue that I wouldn’t eat here when the weather is cold. Other than that the food was excellent.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Superb restaurant. The food is already excellent, but the service is truly exceptional, especially at this price point. They clearly know they are giving you an experience, not just a meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious skewers, seafood, rice dishes 🥰 I appreciated the friendly staff. It’s been over ten years since my last visit, I’m sure to be back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
EDIT: I felt its necessary to make the amendment that, although walking in without a reservation was a thing previously, we've now had multiple visits where we've stood at the counter for 2 hours never to be seated.
You can still eat the whole menu there, but its generally very crowded.
Getting reservations seems to be catered towards friends, or some type of mysterious system, as we no longer have been able to get a reservation even weeks in advance. The food is still the same.
Original Review: I can’t believe that I haven’t left a review for Ippuku; this is as close as you can get to a Tokyo alley izakaya, from the sasami raw chicken special menu (to do for), to the epic yakitori, to the massive shochu selection.
By far one of my top 5 favorite restaurants in the Bay Area, we’ve been here a good 30 times over the years and it has never once changed at all, thankfully!!! Never want it to change, it does everything so well.
Hokkaido squid, chicken oyster, chicken tartare, agadashi tofu, crab croquettes, these are some favorites.
Make a reservation if you can, but otherwise we often walk in and are seated within an hour. Fun to hang out at the bar and wait.
Like walking through a curtain and being magically transported to a back street of Tokyo. Really, there’s some serious illusion magic going on here. The ambiance and the food literally transport you. Be brave and let the chefs pick the chicken pieces for you (the neck is the best!) and throw in a side of savory squid ink fried rice. Incredible and welcoming staff makes this place so perfect.
closed early
This place has been in my to-go list forever but it fell short for me. I got to try a few things including the skewers, squid fried rice, wings, porridge, and only standout was the wings. Love the vibe tho!
Favorite restaurant experience in Berkeley, hands down.
Authentic, amazing quality
Restaurantji Recommends
Lovely Japanese style Izakaya spot! Vast and tasty selection of appetizers and skewers. The amount of sakes was heaven for me. They have more than just sake and skewers but I was sold there. I'll be sure to review more as I keep coming back. I recommend making a reservation as they're always popping. (For good reason). Give them a shot.
This is truly my favorite Japanese restaurant in town! It’s a bit far from where I live, but every visit is worth it. There’s usually a wait, but the food is so good that I never mind.
They have a hidden raw chicken menu, and it’s one of my favorite things to order. Every dish is delicious. The staff are friendly, and the atmosphere is warm and perfect for a date night.
Five stars from me. Everything is just so good. Highly recommend.
I love the fact that the women's restroom has the superior Japanese toilet while the uncivilized men's bathroom does not 😂
Enjoyed the food. Getting reservations sometime difficult. Reached there early for a good parking
Really the best teriyaki I’ve tried so far in the Bay Area, can’t go wrong with almost anything
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wagyu Kushi Yaki
Loading...