Excellent selections and tastes. Not too expensive and high quality dishes. We tried a number of dishes and surprisingly everything was wonderful. Really! Atmosphere is jovial and a bit noisy, but in a good way. Definitely worth a visit, even if you are not a Japanese food fan.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Peter Shipley
good food in a good spaceKid-friendliness: my 9y old grandson loved the food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gyoza
Ilya Ganelin
Food is fire and drinks are on point. Outstanding
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ca S.
I often come here alone. This bar table is my favorite spot, good vibe for drinking alone! Salmon sashimi and chicken heart make my week days happier. Not many places I can eat comfortably alone but here they have more than 10 single seats. It really reminds me of real Japanese culture, If you ever been to Japan. They are all about friendly single seats to single person walk in!
Yunhe R.
So happy to have this fun addition to Berkeley's food scene. Feels like you are in a dive in Tokyo.
Robert P.
Really great place! Food is great, staff is great, ambiance fun. Highly recommenced. Folks who complain about the serive should just relax and enjoy things.
Jason F.
Kinda Izakaya is kinda on fiya! Located on University Avenue in the heart of downtown Berkeley, Kinda Izakaya opened last summer replacing the previous home of The Butcher's Son, which moved across the street. Going to Kinda Izakaya is like entering a portal and finding yourself transported to a casual street market restaurant in the heart of Tokyo, as you must enter their front door through curtains at their entryway, and then their walls are covered in ads for various Japanese products and modern art posters representing Japanese culture, with banners and Japanese flags hanging throughout. Although their name is a play on the traditional Japanese Izakaya, they actually serve every type of traditional Japanese cuisine possible here at Kinda Izakaya, with ramen, udon, tempura being served alongside grilled Japanese fish and grilled chicken hearts and gizzards on skewers. What brought me here on a warm weekend evening was the fact that a friend asked to go out for dinner that night and asked if they had any preferences. Then I instantly thought about Kinda Izakaya and how it was brought up in a number of articles and blogs online about their opening last year, and after suggesting we go here, we were both game. Finding parking on a weekend evening in Berkeley is a major challenge but on this evening I managed to get lucky with a space on nearby MLK Way. They take reservations at Kinda Izakaya via a tablet near their entranceway, and it is through Yelp as you request if you want to share a table or not, and they text you when your table is ready. It took about ten minutes for us to be seated and not unlike many restaurants throughout Asia, they have wooden tables with backless wooden stools as chairs here at Kinda Izakaya, which can be a bit uncomfortable if you plan on staying awhile. Although they have a QR code at each table to access their menu, they also have a paper menu that has multiple pages and would be to look at in depth as they have a lot of options to choose from. In addition to their beverage menu, they have sections including Salad, Fried, Grilled, Chaco Bar, Cold Kitchen, Nigiri, Chirachi, From the Kitchen, Side and Dessert. So many options to choose from but we ordered their Kinoko Butter, which was assorted mushrooms with butter garlic on a sizzling hot plate; their Sukiyaki, which is sliced angus beef alongside vegetables, tofu, potatoes, and noodles simmered in a sweet soy sauce broth served in a hot shallow iron pot; and their Hamachi Carpaccio which was yellowtail sashimi dressed with citrusy yuzu wasabi sauce and topped with freshly sliced jalapeño and garlic. All three dishes were brought to our table in succession, and the highlight had to have been their Sukiyaki, which was rich in flavor and warmth thanks to the abundance of fresh ingredients in a large enough bowl for four people to enjoy. I liked both the Carpaccio and the Kinoko Butter entrées, as they were both fresh and hearty and really gave the feel and flavor of authentic Japanese cuisine. We still weren't completely full from our meal yet, so we also ordered their Kara Age, which is their Japanese style fried crispy chicken. Served on a bed of cabbage and with spicy aioli dipping sauce, this final dish was the perfect way to end our meal. Our total bill was a little under eight dollars before gratuity was added in, and we found that quite reasonable considering the amount of dishes and the overall quality of food and service we enjoyed this evening. Open late every night, even midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, I can't imagine a better place to go for that late night bite after a movie or concert when you have a craving for something deeper and more nuanced. Perfect for the college crowd and locals alike, Kinda Izakaya is kinda perfect for downtown Berkeley, and I for one am so grateful that they have brought a little bit of Tokyo to Berkeley!
Tawwaba B.
Pro: Really delicious small plates. Has a feeling of this kind of place in Japan. A notable feeling that people are really enjoying themselves. Cons: Crowded and loud Difficult to find parking. Get there early, it fills up fast. Bottom line: The pros outweigh the cons but the cons limit the frequency of my visits.
Liberty L.
Have been here a couple times and it's such a cool vibe inside. Food is fantastic too. It's definitely a place to go with friends so you can get a big bottle of sake and try lots of different dishes. I especially like the fried rice ball as a side. And the sake steamed clam dish. Yum
James B.
I appreciate their late hours; this is usually why I stop in. Their sake pork belly is wonderful, hands down. Try it. Ramen is solid and ambience is nice, staff are helpful. Tables are a little close, so if the people next to you decide to talk loudly, you have to hear it all. Haven't tried the cotton candy yet.
mediocre place, over priced, the inside of a yakitori i ordered is cold. told us to wait for 20 minutes but actually waited for 40 minutes in line. not worth the price.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Honghe XU
non-authentic and overpriced
Victor Zheng
Slurp slurp noodle good good yum yum ????
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
William W.
Absolutely loved this place. Their house sake from Takara was good and cheap. The vibe is fun. Service is good. They will let you make your own cotton candy for free for dessert in a machine they have out front. I especially like the roasted pork belly, takoyaki, tempura, sukiyaki, and chicken karage. One of few really good options open Tuesday night
Excellent selections and tastes. Not too expensive and high quality dishes. We tried a number of dishes and surprisingly everything was wonderful. Really! Atmosphere is jovial and a bit noisy, but in a good way. Definitely worth a visit, even if you are not a Japanese food fan.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
good food in a good spaceKid-friendliness: my 9y old grandson loved the food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gyoza
Food is fire and drinks are on point. Outstanding
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I often come here alone. This bar table is my favorite spot, good vibe for drinking alone! Salmon sashimi and chicken heart make my week days happier. Not many places I can eat comfortably alone but here they have more than 10 single seats. It really reminds me of real Japanese culture, If you ever been to Japan. They are all about friendly single seats to single person walk in!
So happy to have this fun addition to Berkeley's food scene. Feels like you are in a dive in Tokyo.
Really great place! Food is great, staff is great, ambiance fun. Highly recommenced. Folks who complain about the serive should just relax and enjoy things.
Kinda Izakaya is kinda on fiya! Located on University Avenue in the heart of downtown Berkeley, Kinda Izakaya opened last summer replacing the previous home of The Butcher's Son, which moved across the street. Going to Kinda Izakaya is like entering a portal and finding yourself transported to a casual street market restaurant in the heart of Tokyo, as you must enter their front door through curtains at their entryway, and then their walls are covered in ads for various Japanese products and modern art posters representing Japanese culture, with banners and Japanese flags hanging throughout. Although their name is a play on the traditional Japanese Izakaya, they actually serve every type of traditional Japanese cuisine possible here at Kinda Izakaya, with ramen, udon, tempura being served alongside grilled Japanese fish and grilled chicken hearts and gizzards on skewers. What brought me here on a warm weekend evening was the fact that a friend asked to go out for dinner that night and asked if they had any preferences. Then I instantly thought about Kinda Izakaya and how it was brought up in a number of articles and blogs online about their opening last year, and after suggesting we go here, we were both game. Finding parking on a weekend evening in Berkeley is a major challenge but on this evening I managed to get lucky with a space on nearby MLK Way. They take reservations at Kinda Izakaya via a tablet near their entranceway, and it is through Yelp as you request if you want to share a table or not, and they text you when your table is ready. It took about ten minutes for us to be seated and not unlike many restaurants throughout Asia, they have wooden tables with backless wooden stools as chairs here at Kinda Izakaya, which can be a bit uncomfortable if you plan on staying awhile. Although they have a QR code at each table to access their menu, they also have a paper menu that has multiple pages and would be to look at in depth as they have a lot of options to choose from. In addition to their beverage menu, they have sections including Salad, Fried, Grilled, Chaco Bar, Cold Kitchen, Nigiri, Chirachi, From the Kitchen, Side and Dessert. So many options to choose from but we ordered their Kinoko Butter, which was assorted mushrooms with butter garlic on a sizzling hot plate; their Sukiyaki, which is sliced angus beef alongside vegetables, tofu, potatoes, and noodles simmered in a sweet soy sauce broth served in a hot shallow iron pot; and their Hamachi Carpaccio which was yellowtail sashimi dressed with citrusy yuzu wasabi sauce and topped with freshly sliced jalapeño and garlic. All three dishes were brought to our table in succession, and the highlight had to have been their Sukiyaki, which was rich in flavor and warmth thanks to the abundance of fresh ingredients in a large enough bowl for four people to enjoy. I liked both the Carpaccio and the Kinoko Butter entrées, as they were both fresh and hearty and really gave the feel and flavor of authentic Japanese cuisine. We still weren't completely full from our meal yet, so we also ordered their Kara Age, which is their Japanese style fried crispy chicken. Served on a bed of cabbage and with spicy aioli dipping sauce, this final dish was the perfect way to end our meal. Our total bill was a little under eight dollars before gratuity was added in, and we found that quite reasonable considering the amount of dishes and the overall quality of food and service we enjoyed this evening. Open late every night, even midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, I can't imagine a better place to go for that late night bite after a movie or concert when you have a craving for something deeper and more nuanced. Perfect for the college crowd and locals alike, Kinda Izakaya is kinda perfect for downtown Berkeley, and I for one am so grateful that they have brought a little bit of Tokyo to Berkeley!
Pro: Really delicious small plates. Has a feeling of this kind of place in Japan. A notable feeling that people are really enjoying themselves. Cons: Crowded and loud Difficult to find parking. Get there early, it fills up fast. Bottom line: The pros outweigh the cons but the cons limit the frequency of my visits.
Have been here a couple times and it's such a cool vibe inside. Food is fantastic too. It's definitely a place to go with friends so you can get a big bottle of sake and try lots of different dishes. I especially like the fried rice ball as a side. And the sake steamed clam dish. Yum
I appreciate their late hours; this is usually why I stop in. Their sake pork belly is wonderful, hands down. Try it. Ramen is solid and ambience is nice, staff are helpful. Tables are a little close, so if the people next to you decide to talk loudly, you have to hear it all. Haven't tried the cotton candy yet.
Restaurantji Recommends
This is my new favorite neighborhood
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
mediocre place, over priced, the inside of a yakitori i ordered is cold. told us to wait for 20 minutes but actually waited for 40 minutes in line. not worth the price.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
non-authentic and overpriced
Slurp slurp noodle good good yum yum ????
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely loved this place. Their house sake from Takara was good and cheap. The vibe is fun. Service is good. They will let you make your own cotton candy for free for dessert in a machine they have out front. I especially like the roasted pork belly, takoyaki, tempura, sukiyaki, and chicken karage. One of few really good options open Tuesday night