Incredibly disappointed. The chirashi-don was watery and limp. It tasted like it wasn't thawed properly. For $35, I would rather go to Safeway.
Every bite of the takowasa was inconsistent: some tasted like straight wasabi, while others didn't taste like anything. The octopus itself did not have a fresh texture; it was not thawed properly either.
The mentaiko udon was ok. When I added the bacon, I thought the fattiness would complement the creaminess. It was the equivalent of low-fat bacon. Dry and paper-like.
As a Japanese person, I could not recommend this place. As a matter of fact, it’s offensive. The only redeeming quality was the kind waitress.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Phuc Tran Vinh
Very good food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Blyatman D
Always my go-to.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
JJR JUNE
My fav place in Berkeley I love their food and service super nice The vibe and music so good yummy!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tiffany J
Best fried rice I’ve had in my life. Reallly up to the hype. The chicken knuckles was something I’ve never had before. What a great experience !!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Songyu Ye
very tasty but small portion
Zoe F
The grilled fish, rolls and deep fried food were great but the yakitori was very disappointing. Undercooked shishito peppers and eggplant. Also overcooked/blend pork belly. The bar seating felt really cramped and uncomfortable - not enough space for the dishes we ordered and for the wait staff to stand in a reasonable distance to take the order.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Salvatore Mauricio
We didnt make it past the reservation list, two fridays ago I came in with a party of 5 and the servers said to put our names down and walked away which we did and didnt mind considering all the tables were filled up and for context we were also the first name on the waitlist. We waited 10-15 minutes before we walked back in to ask for a wait time since we didnt get one after putting our name on the paper just to see our name crossed out on the waitlist. We asked the server why our name was crossed out to get a reply of “we know you’re here” we again asked why with no clear answer then we asked how long would the wait time be and the server said “I dont know” and walked away. That was our entire experience. We understand if the servers felt overwhelmed full tables 2 chefs 2 servers for all the tables and in that izakaya setting where orders would fly out fast and stacked up can be overwhelming. But getting blown off like that is just crazy.
jim hite
Need to let go? Relax? Animate? Subjugate those anxious waves of uncertainty? Kinda Izakaya is more, it's the kind. Just don't get too loud, it's most impolite in this kinda place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Simon Kao
This is one of our favorite places, though the quality/taste of the food is variable. In other words, you need to know what to order because they do some things better than others, which isn't too surprising given the many choices in their menu. My recommendation is to get the mentaiko carbonara, IMHO the best thing they serve.
Great place, good price, everyone seems working hard for a good experience for as many people as they can handle.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nutchapol Nick Phaungjit
I’ve popped into this izakaya a few times, and they never miss! Finally sitting down to write a review because the food here hits all the right notes. Every dish is so well thought out and bursting with flavor.
The mentaiko? Hands down my favorite and absolute perfection. And the yakitori? Perfectly grilled with that irresistible smoky char. They’ve nailed the flavor game, and I can’t wait to come back for more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Juan Pablo Bedoya
Amazing hidden gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
kristen anderson
Such a cute place - and the food was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Coa Less
Everything was delicious. Had the Berkeley roll, takoyaki, and chicken thigh. Wouldn’t mind trying everything on the menu.
Incredibly disappointed. The chirashi-don was watery and limp. It tasted like it wasn't thawed properly. For $35, I would rather go to Safeway.
Every bite of the takowasa was inconsistent: some tasted like straight wasabi, while others didn't taste like anything. The octopus itself did not have a fresh texture; it was not thawed properly either.
The mentaiko udon was ok. When I added the bacon, I thought the fattiness would complement the creaminess. It was the equivalent of low-fat bacon. Dry and paper-like.
As a Japanese person, I could not recommend this place. As a matter of fact, it’s offensive. The only redeeming quality was the kind waitress.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Very good food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always my go-to.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
My fav place in Berkeley
I love their food and service super nice
The vibe and music so good yummy!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best fried rice I’ve had in my life. Reallly up to the hype. The chicken knuckles was something I’ve never had before. What a great experience !!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
very tasty but small portion
The grilled fish, rolls and deep fried food were great but the yakitori was very disappointing. Undercooked shishito peppers and eggplant. Also overcooked/blend pork belly. The bar seating felt really cramped and uncomfortable - not enough space for the dishes we ordered and for the wait staff to stand in a reasonable distance to take the order.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
We didnt make it past the reservation list, two fridays ago I came in with a party of 5 and the servers said to put our names down and walked away which we did and didnt mind considering all the tables were filled up and for context we were also the first name on the waitlist. We waited 10-15 minutes before we walked back in to ask for a wait time since we didnt get one after putting our name on the paper just to see our name crossed out on the waitlist. We asked the server why our name was crossed out to get a reply of “we know you’re here” we again asked why with no clear answer then we asked how long would the wait time be and the server said “I dont know” and walked away. That was our entire experience. We understand if the servers felt overwhelmed full tables 2 chefs 2 servers for all the tables and in that izakaya setting where orders would fly out fast and stacked up can be overwhelming. But getting blown off like that is just crazy.
Need to let go? Relax? Animate? Subjugate those anxious waves of uncertainty?
Kinda Izakaya is more, it's the kind.
Just don't get too loud, it's most impolite in this kinda place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is one of our favorite places, though the quality/taste of the food is variable. In other words, you need to know what to order because they do some things better than others, which isn't too surprising given the many choices in their menu. My recommendation is to get the mentaiko carbonara, IMHO the best thing they serve.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Great place, good price, everyone seems working hard for a good experience for as many people as they can handle.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve popped into this izakaya a few times, and they never miss! Finally sitting down to write a review because the food here hits all the right notes. Every dish is so well thought out and bursting with flavor.
The mentaiko? Hands down my favorite and absolute perfection. And the yakitori? Perfectly grilled with that irresistible smoky char. They’ve nailed the flavor game, and I can’t wait to come back for more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing hidden gem.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a cute place - and the food was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything was delicious. Had the Berkeley roll, takoyaki, and chicken thigh. Wouldn’t mind trying everything on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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