33 Best Japanese Restaurants in Berkeley

“Great food and great service“

“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.“

“Super delicious 👍 I never eat Japan food super good like this before.“

“This is a great spot! The service was great and very fast. The person serving us was very nice and attentive. We had the karage and sushi combo which came with more fish than we were expecting! Everything was very fresh and nicely presented. They had a lot of different seating areas -- it was two of us this time but would be suitable for bigger groups too. I always love getting an Andes mint after dinner too:) Definitely recommend and will be coming back!“

“The chirashi don comes with a generous portion of sashimi, and the bento box is also quite substantial. Though the flavors are definitely mediocre. It's great value for the price, with attentive service. Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.“

“Love this place, I feel safe and the food is incredible“

“very good salmon and gyoza. the sashimi were very fresh“

“service and quality are top notch“

“Incredibly delicious, affordable, and filling rice triangles. I love stopping by to order here whenever I’m in the area. The food is delicious and a perfect meal. Personally, 2 rice triangles fills me up just right, I get the teriyaki chicken ones personally.“

“Life without sushi is no fun. That's why Manpuku is so needed. Whether pieced or in bowls, Manpuku brings both traditional and fusion in a delightful and pleasant way.“

“Nice and accommodating 😘😘😘“

“Came in this small but cozy restaurant for a quick lunch bite and was surprised by the ambiance. I got the pork chop over rice and was surprised on how authentic it tasted. Crispy and homey - good blend of veggies and meat. Definitely a spot for casual get-togethers or a quick lunch. I would come back to try the food they didn’t have in stock (certain foods weren’t available depending on the days of the week or month)“

“Amazing food and service. Ambiance on point as well“

“It is at the same location as Alley’s. Order at kiosk, food come out from the bar counter, and send back bowl to bar counter afterwards.
The ramen was tasty and the soup base was rich. We had original, red, and black tonkatsu. The red tonkatsu was hot, but very flavorful .“

“Had the Japanese curry — quick service and solid flavor. The price was fair, though the protein portion was smaller than I expected. Still, it hit the spot and made for a satisfying meal. Great option if you’re looking for something tasty and fast. Hopefully that's a one off. I'll definitely come and try this place again.“

“This is a great neighborhood Japanese restaurant. The tables are small, probably best suited for no more than 4 or 5 people. They were very friendly and accommodating to our group on a Friday evening. We arrived a few minutes before happy hour ended and were still allowed to order from the happy hour menu (what a great value!) They have many delicious dishes other than sushi. Everything we ordered was tasty and the portions were generous.“

“Food was fresh! Service was great. The tables were clean!“

“Very good quality of food 👍“

“Excellent service, food was great and large portions,“

“Pretty solid. Only got the basic tonkatsu and jasmine drink. Thought it’d be expensive due to being so close to campus, but the portion was large enough to fill me up. Prices are slightly cheaper than if I got it in SF for the same food. Service was quick. Nice staff.“

“Stopped by before a visit to the nursery. Had heard of this place from Check Please Bay Area too. The CalBear roll was soooo good. Not your typical roll. Sweet and savory in one bite. We also had the poke roll which was really nice and not too spicy. Our server was really friendly. Great tea and the restrooms super clean.“

“This is our fourth time coming here and we're always so impressed with the delicious, fresh, creative,unique dishes that are beautifully presented. It's an unpretentious atmosphere and a great value as well. A true Berkeley institution!“

“Asaka is a friendly neighborhood sushi bar and Japanese restaurant and I enjoyed dinner very much. They were extremely polite and courteous, very good service and food is served quickly.

The restaurant is decorated nicely and has a charming feel to it. Not overly modernized yet a modern feel. Yet also a cozy sushi bar feel. Well done!

Three of us had a couple bento boxes and a nigiri and sashimi combo. Dinner requires three item bento, and the tempura was the star. Nicely battered and fried just right. Chicken teriyaki was chicken teriyaki, if you know what I mean. The California rolls were good… they go the extra mile and mince the imitation crab as opposed to some places that just slice a little chunk. And the spicy tuna roll was not really spicy but tasty enough.

The sashimi and nigiri were very fresh and decently portioned. I prefer smaller and higher quality, which is what they served. They could go a little hotter on the wasabi. Theirs was mild.

And of course miso soup and salad with that sesame dressing I love. Fun meal, great place.“

“Small shop with warm food and an open fridge section of sushi. There was also a wall of snacks. Prices are very reasonable. No verbal communication which I think is fine but the woman dropped my packed sushi upside down and then tossed it into a bag. Sushi rice was a bit too hard for my liking.“

“I've come here a couple times and I must say I really like this restaurant. It is a bit overpriced, but it is worth it! I got the dragon roll and bento box and it was really good. The gyoza in the bento box wasn't to my taste but I understand why other people might like it. I ordered online and waited twelve minutes, then picked up and ate at the patio tables outside. Definitely recommend this spot!“

“Very happy with a birthday dinner with family. EVERYTHING was fresh and delicious. Beef short ribs, Dynamite roll, Albacore sashimi, flaming roll (it arrived in flames as promised) miso. Prices reasonable. This made me glad to live in Berkeley and proud of our downtown - we will be back !“

“经常更新季节性的鱼类…😋新鲜…主要的是老板很帅☺️…😜“

“Their onigiri is really good! I’m not always in the mood for spam, but they have plenty of options without spam too, and I haven’t had anything I haven’t liked yet. They partner with several delivery services and their food always is packed well and is ready quickly for the drivers. Definitely recommend!“

“Excellent foods, friendly staffs! We really love to have dinner here~ Absolutely, I will visit again when I come back to Berkeley!“

“A sushirito -like place with cheaper prices. $8 instead of $13. Try the B8, which has both salmon and tuna sashimi inside. Added bonus points for carrying takoyaki.“

“A good place to taste Korean and Japanese cuisine with a twist.“

“Great people, fresh ingridients, authentic taste. Love it!!“