36 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.“

“I ordered a tuna poke bowl. It was tasty fish and tuna. Unfortunately it had no rice, not sure if they ran out or that’s standard for them but I’ve never heard of a sushi restaurant not putting any rice with a tuna poke bowl. I’ll come back but recommend that people mention rice if they want that in the dish.“

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

“Always great service and family has gone back here for years. High quality sushi, ramen, and other Japanese entrees. Chiraishi is great and they put great care into the quality of their menu. Highly recommend. Quaint quiet little spot and good for dates too.“

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

“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.“

“Outstanding personal service. Sushi Burrito (several to choose from) are my favorite, Miso Soup, and a Beer or Sake. I recommend that you come and get some 🌯“

“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.“

“Great Japanese & Taiwanese food ?
The portion is satisfying while the price is relatively affordable! They also have free hot green tea and would serve you a cup of miso soup along with your order! (⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎)

The waiting might take a little longer than fast food restaurants of course, but you’d know they make your order freshly, and it’s worth it! ?

The vibe in the restaurant is unique and antique. A nice place for people who love hanging out with friends in the special place, or just enjoy yourself ??

# Fried Pork Noodle Udon“

“service and quality are top notch“

“Nice and accommodating 😘😘😘“

“SO GOOD!!! Everything was of very high quality—I got the deluxe red tonkotsu ramen and every part of it was great. It was actually pretty spicy, good noodles and broth, and the toppings were delicious (especially the braised pork wow!!) I also really enjoyed the jasmine green milk tea I got. This place is a bit pricey, yes, but I promise you it’s worth it!“

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

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

“Very tasty, good quality sushi at great prices. Happy hour prices are even better. We came in to pick up an online order but they didn't receive it due to poor Internet, so they expedited the order and finished it quickly. I would recommend dining in or calling in to avoid this.“

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

“Very good quality of food 👍“

“The food is really good and tasty. The staff is very friendly and thoughtful. They provided kids cutlery and kids drinks and were so kind and accommodating to us. We had a great lunch time because of their service. Really appreciate them and highly recommend them!!“

“Very good Kale vegan ramen. Very good service. A bit pricey ($15 for a bowl of ramen). Seating in was at narrow counters but the staff's service was good enough to more than compensate for the limited space. All in all a very good experience. Recommended.“

“This place is in the heart of Berkeley. It has been around for years now and has a refined menu with lots of options. Simply prepared with wonderful flavors. My favorite was the sesame sauce in the broccolini and blanced spinach. As well, the sauce on the sea vegetables was smooth, creamy and delicious. I can't wait to go back. It was 25 dollars each person, and we were happy with that. No leftovers, but satisfied.“

“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.“

“经常更新季节性的鱼类…😋新鲜…主要的是老板很帅☺️…😜“

“Great food, great service, great atmosphere with reasonable prices. We had a couple of specialty rolls which were superb. Also the chirashi was not only delicious but artfully presented. The tempura was just right, not greasy at all and also delicious. Are you seeing a pattern here? The plain old salad had a wonderful take on the classic American Japanese restaurant salad dressing over crisp hand torn leaves and was accompanied by a perfectly prepared miso soup as starters. We will be back to this wonderful neighborhood restaurant!“

“This place takes the “& vegetarian” in their name seriously! So many sushi places have “vegetarian” options that turn out disappointing or limited, but not here. There were more vegetarian and vegan rolls than anywhere I’ve ever seen, and those options were just as interesting and delicious as any roll you could get at another sushi place. Plus, the nigiri was delicious - clearly high quality fish, and well made rice.

Vegetarian options: Most of the rolls were vegetarian or vegan, and they were great! Highly recommend the appetizers as well - the stuffed shiitake mushrooms were great.“

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

“Small shop, great food, prompt service. If you're lucky you can dine in. Don't let that turn you away it's a great restaurant. Their sushi is delicious, hand rolls hit the spot, and they're combos will satisfy any craving. My go-to's are the Chicken Katsu, Dragon Roll, and their California Handroll.

Wheelchair accessibility: If you're already on the sidewalk, you're good“

“I value consistency and get the same thing everytime: miso soup and double order of shrimp tempura rolls. Always freshly prepared and easily best of the bay worthy. Sometimes I forget to request chopsticks but the staff is always nice about it when I call. The amount of food for the price/quality is also great.“

“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.“

“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!“

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

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