“Came here for my 31st birthday dinner on Wednesday, January 17th! Ippuku is one of those places I always walked by when I was a student at Cal (c/o 2015, GO BEARS!), and have been meaning to try. It was super easy to make reservations ahead of time. I had booked the Treehouse seating, since it was just a party of 2 for me and my husband, which I'm glad I did because it made the experience more intimate, private, and reminded me of an izakaya in Japan. My husband and I went to Japan spring of 2023, and miss the food very much. Ippuku is probably as close as we can get to Japan, in the East Bay! Vibes: very mixed crowd. I saw many college students that were dressed super casually (think sweats, probably gonna go back to the library later to study), as well as well-dressed older couples. My husband and I definitely fit in with the latter since we wanted to dress up a little for my birthday. Ippuku has an expansive whiskey bar, so we had to snap a photo or two there.It took us awhile to get seated because the restaurant was packed, but once we were seated, our waiter was very attentive given how busy they were. I would rate service 4/5 because of the long wait time to get seated and because the waiter forgot to include one item of our order, and it was an item that takes longer than typical to come out (the grilled onigiri). When the onigiri finally came out, we had already finished eating everything else so it was a bit underwhelming. But overall, we enjoyed everything we ordered and would definitely want to visit Ippuku again in the future.Parking: You're in Downtown Berkeley and there's lot of foot traffic around here, so it was a bit difficult to find parking at first. We had to circle around a few times before we found street parking.“
“The definition of a hole in the wall. Or maybe hole in the ground is more apt. Half-embedded in concrete, flush with the sidewalk, Sushi Cal might be mistaken as an abandoned lot-- nope, this humble restaurant is fully open and has been for the past 30+ years!After visiting both pre- and post-pandemic, I still think this is the best spot for budget sushi. Prices have somehow stayed low without undermining quality. Their cooked dishes tend to run a little bland; the sushi is what you should be coming here for. I've had a variety of rolls and nigiri here with no complaints-- Fish is good quality, veg is fresh, portions are good. And the service is excellent, their staff are always welcoming and highly attentive. Every so often, they have live musicians playing to add to the cozy atmosphere. Very pleased that this local favorite is still going strong.“
“AMAZING vegetarian & vegan restaurant!!(⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎)❤️?I’ve been wanting to visit this place since my second year in Berkeley, and I’m glad I finally did!You can tell they made their food with great care and the ingredients are yummy and fresh!The staff are very nice; the vibe inside is clean and chill. This is a great place for you to hang out with a small group of friends or come alone to recharge your mental health (I mean seriously, their food is tasty, healthy, and pretty!)I’d definitely come back very often to try out all other creative cuisines! “
“The food was the best Japanese food I have had, including in Japan. DelIcious, unique and completely satisfying. A delightful find with excellent service. The only down side was the closeness of the tables and noise. It is now my favorite Japanese restaurant in Berkeley.“
“Asaka is a delightful addition to the North Berkeley restaurant scene! The food is delicious, the service impeccable, and the owner generously donated a few platters of sushi ? to the Japanese American Experience event we held last month at St. Mary Magdalen Church. Come check it out!Vegetarian options: Honestly, I don't know if there are main dishes for vegetarians, but their edamame was delicious!Kid-friendliness: I think children would enjoy the food here.“
“I wish I had taken a photo because it was prepared in an appealing way, seriously food porn. Now let me tell you... the poke I got with tuna and hamachi was off the charts. So fresh! I had chunky pieces of sushi till my last bite and I only got the small size, the portions were perfect. The sides were delicious, I got the Mac salad and edamame. The shoyu, ponzu and yuzu sauces were so tasty. I also got the spicy mayo and it was perfectly spiced. All of the toppings were fresh as well and they were not cheap on the avocado! The service was fantastic from the moment I walked in. They were busy getting orders ready but did not miss a beat when greeting me. Super helpful in checking in while I was reading the menu and deciding. They didn't forget to check in again and had perfect timing when realizing I was ready to order. Answered all of my questions, I didn't have too many questions but the responses were quick and descriptive. Everyone was attentive, polite and friendly. The ambiance was bright, energetic and perfect for lunch. I came in just before lunch started. Enjoyed my meal at the restaurant and had to give compliments because I was very impressed!!“
“Overall great sushi burrito with extremely fresh ingredients but what really differentiates this place from other US restaurants is the taste and quality of their sushi rice. It tastes exactly like much of the sushi rice I've had in Japan“
“I’ll give them four stars on the food because of the value proposition… The fish is always fresh, and the portions are more than reasonable for the price point. They have a ready to go refrigerated case that they stock for the lunch hour. You can get a sushi combo With tax and tip at the door for about $16. It will easily kill you up.Sometimes, in the evening, it can be a little backed up for to go orders. In the past sometimes they get the orders mixed up, so be sure to check your bag before you leave. They are fairly popular with locals and the college crowd.They tend to be my go to because they are close to my house, convenient, and prepare your order quickly .“
“OMG I'M STUFFED! All of these dishes were so yummy. My fav was the potato croquettes with the curry sauce. Prices were VERY REASONABLE for four pieces per dish; just right to share. DEFINITELY I will go back. They cook to order and give you a buzzer when your dish is ready to pick up and bring to your table. We sat outside in the covered patio which was clean and tables spaced nicely. There are tables outside with no cover as well as booths inside.“
“For convenient ready made sushi, this place blew my mind. Didn't know what to expect going in and was met with melt-in-your mouth soft af salmon in their salmon roll. The rolls are a good size too. Perfect spot for someone on the go but also craving sushi. They give you chopsticks, soy sauce, and a napkin too. Thank you for the meal!“
“A solid poke place that my friend fell in love with. I am not super crazy about this place but I have to admit that when I come to Berkeley and look for a healthy and delicious food, I check this place first. There is not a lot of options for poke but who wants many options when you know that the top two choices are the best. The mango in salmon poke is a clear fun twist and the squid in tuna is great too. The price is reasonable given the quality of the fish and other ingredients.“
“I ordered food from here on New Years and it was absolutely delicious. I came back tonight and was super satisfied with the service. The new owners are really nice and make great sushi. I definitely recommend coming here and trying the dragon role. It was amazing!“
“Food: Top notch sushi. If you want the luxury sushi experience, look no further. The chef himself studied and worked in Japan. Super intelligent man with a lot of knowledge about Japanese sushi. I highly recommend getting the fish of the day. It will blow your mind by how the fish melts in your mouth. If not, get any black cod dish. I get it every time I come here.Service: Awesome staff who hustles to please all customers. Cant thank them enough!“
“After many years, this sushi and Japanese restaurant is still quite good and popular. The fish in my sashimi was fresh, the clam miso was quite hot (hate it when miso is like warm which often is many sushi restaurants). The service was pretty fast though they were busy as always.“
“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.“
“Used to be a small mom and pop grocery and was so good they became a restaurant. The sushi is super fresh and made to order and they also have delicious Ramen, katsu, danburry (not sure how that's spelled lol). The tempura soft shell crab is amazing! Also had the steak, shitake and fresh tofu and wow! The tofu was like a cloud or a pillow. So good.Vegetarian options: Lots of clearly labeled vegetarian and vegan sushi. Tons of varieties. Lots of things like natto and pickled plum that you cannot find at other sushi places. This is an old Berkeley buisness and with vegetarian sushi they know what they're doing!Dietary restrictions: Gluten free soy sauce can be requested and then about 75% of the menu is gluten free. Sushi chef is in another section from where the hot food is cooked so no cross contamination.“
“Went to Kiraku for dinner with friends and had a great time! You can pick your own Sake glass and we had a carafe of a sake recommended by our server. Everything we ordered (including the special of the night, tuna collar) was amazing! Would recommend to “