37 Best Japanese Restaurants near Castro Valley

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars – A Hidden Gem Worth Every Bite!

We had an incredible Omakase experience at this unassuming gem in Castro Valley, and it truly exceeded all expectations. The service was a perfect 10/10 — the host was extremely attentive, warm, and made us feel genuinely taken care of throughout the evening.

The food was exceptional — fresh, beautifully composed, and full of thoughtful flavors that worked harmoniously together. Each course felt intentional and elevated, showcasing top-notch quality without the pretentiousness.

And the dessert? Unforgettable. The Hojicha panna cotta was an absolute standout — silky, flavorful, and the perfect ending to a phenomenal meal.

Overall, this place easily gets 100 out of 100 from us. If you’re looking for amazing food, impeccable service, and a truly memorable dining experience, this is the spot. A must-visit in Castro Valley! 🍣✨“

“I couldn't find it inside marketplace, so I called them and got precise direction.
It is winter time, no tables outside, so I took a table between them and a butchery.
Chef's truffle tuna rolls are to die for.
They also have good selection of japanese sake in bottles.“

“One of our go-to places with super friendly staff which always goes the extra mile to make us feel welcomed, seen and appreciated.

The Food - especially their Dinner Special - is great, portion sizes just right, different options and still assembled and delivered to the table within minutes of ordering. And both Nigiri and Sashimi have sizable chunks of Fish and well prepared!

Kid-friendliness: Servers interact wonderfully with the kids, recommending suitable food and engaging with them in conversations. There are often families with Kids here, a testament to their appeal.“

“Great service. The Staff is always friendly and polite. Best sushi in Town.“

“Sushi is always fresh and tasty. I’ve had inari, spicy tuna roll, salmon and avocado roll, rainbow roll, all very good and fresh. The market is nice to pick up Japanese pantry staples. My only wish and that they would carry some dairy. Nothing like Hokkaido milk, I miss it!“

“The sushi portions are generous and satisfying, and the atmosphere is great—comfortable and inviting. However, the service is lacking and could be more attentive. Overall, good food and ambiance, but the service could be better. Only reason not giving a 5 ⭐“

“My friend and I came for lunch, and we had a lovely afternoon. I got a poke bowl that was fresh, filling, and flavorful. My friend had a gorgeous sushi roll and miso soup. I ordered the house sale hot, and she got hot tea. The service was prompt and friendly without being overbearing. The overall vibe was popping over to a friend’s house and they just happen to have banging Japanese food. It was also a great value. I plan to come here again for sure.“

“This sushi restaurant its so good! The deluxe uni handball is SUPER tasty. I could have eaten 50 of them.

We ordered soft shell crab, which was a smaller crab than I am typically used to at ither places, but it still tasted good and had a nice crunchy texture.

The mix tempura was probably the best tempura I've had ever. The texture was light and crispy and not soggy at all (which is very easy for it to get).

Then we ordered chicken udon for our 3 year old, who lodged the noodles and broth.

We ordered the Deluxe sashimi as our main dish and it was absolutely delicious! I loved the ice underneath the radish to keep the sashimi cold (my daughter loved it too and kept eating it).

They gave us edaname beans and green tea ice cream complementary which was nice before abd after the meal.

I highly recommend!“

“BEST TERIYAKI CHICKEN!! Great food! Great service!“

“Absolutely amazing nigiri! They share a space with Jungdon Katsu which means you get the best of both worlds.
The nigiri was amazingg!! We got some to try their nigiri, we were mainly there for the Katsu. But the portioning was so good with the Tuna that we ordered more (and we even got a bit of a bonus from the chef).
The fish ratio to rice was spectacular.
I've seen poor reviews about the service/speed, which I could see happening if things get busy. There was one server for all the tables, the food is made to order so it takes a bit to get your food. We went on a Thursday night and had one party ahead of us. The food took 20 mins to get to us. However the KATSU was PIPING HOT! The nigiri was also quick to arrive.
You order via QR code and the server was polite so I couldn't see anything to complain about the service besides the speed.

The place is a bit hard to find but I liked the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant.
Overall amazing experience. I'll be writing my review for Jungdon Katsu as well!“

“Truly excellent place that has been here in the neighborhood forever. We've been coming here or getting orders togo for a decade and it's been the same folks running it the whole time and they are superb.
2025 update - still going strong. great food and great service!“

“Excellent quality healthy and authentic Japanese food at affordable prices. Service is fast (usually 10-15 minutes wait, but sometimes only 5!) And the place is very clean.

Very good spot for a date, or lunch/dinner with your parents. Also a great everyday lunch spot. I try to eat here once a week at least - when I need a healthy meal Asian style.

My favorite is the miso soup and side salad, add a rice and it's under $10. There are many food options in the $10-15 range for a full meal. My favorite soup is the vegetable udon noodle soup. I also like that they have soda pop available with no artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup, so I can enjoy a soda sometimes without feeling too guilty about it.

The sushi is also great, and the teriyaki dishes yummy.

Best overall restaurant for healthy Asian food that isn't expensive and you can eat here any day, their open for business hours are consistent.“

“Okay, this is the fourth time we’ve been here this week so, I think we’ve crossed the official “rating your favorites” threshold. Pa’s Papa is ‘official’ in my heart for three reasons:
1. Every time I come in there’s a genially kind and friendly, LOCAL face to greet us! They hire folks from the neighborhood and I think that’s awesome and so “Official Oakland!”
2. Each visit our food has been so fresh, well seasoned, thoughtfully presented, packaged * and delicious The servings and pricing truly fair. *I teased the owner for teaching his young, new cashier how to properly bag hot soup like an official Oakland Chinese restaurant!
3. It’s a hella nice vibe. Every time. Music is upbeat, the restaurant is immaculately clean, and it’s a POSITIVE VIBE… that truly matters in this moment in time. I appreciate it.“

“One of the best sushi spot in the bay. The food just feels and tastes fresh. Portions are nice and flavors are there. The sashimi is amazing, the specialty rolls are all really well done. You can tell they care about their craft. Ive had delivery and the food is still amazing. You know delivery sometimes reduces the quality of the food.“

“We had a great experience the food is fresh and the steak is tender the salmon was just right. Your recommendation is forwarded to Facebook“

“This is a local authentic sushi place. Chef is friendly and good listener if you have special inquiries. Sushi are freshly made to order with generous portions.
Good varieties of sushi, nigiri and sashimi plus non-sushi items. Ask staff for veggie options but some are clear through menu.
Place is clean and organized with responsive waiter.
Atmosphere is good for groups, meetup, seniors (flat floor) and small parties. Will return for orange spicy salmon (Netscreen) roll.

Vegetarian options: Veggie options available. Check with staff.

Parking: Free and paid street parkings“

“Best and most underrated ramen in the Bay! The broth is so flavorful, the texture of the noodles is perfect, and the pork belly is so crispy. Good portions for the price and the owners/service are great. My personal fav is the TanTan! Can be a little salty so request less salt :)“

“It's small, so the wait for a dine in table can take a bit, but the food quality is worth the wait. Our family has loved everything we have tried. this is one of a handful of local restaurants my 10 year old some will never complain about!“

“I have been coming here for almost 14 years. And I would not change this japanese restaurant for another. Ambiance, food price, friendliness the taste of the food is wonderful. Like my mom always says : bueno, bonito y barata. Good, wonderful, comfortable prices. You won’t be disappointed!!“

“We had a Lion King Roll (this was baked so was a bit surprised but it was good), tonkatsu donburi, and a 2-item bento (beef teriyaki and tempura). Good value bento box…good sized portions and tasty (really enjoyed the salad which had a delicious creamy sesame dressing). My wife enjoyed the donburi which I had a bite of and thought it was delicious. We will be back to try other things on the menu.“

“Low key, family-run sushi spot out in the burbs. I usually get sashimi or one of the rolls. Now if you want to throw caution to the wind, get the roll called "I don't know". It's chef's choice, and it depends on the ingredients on hand that day. Sometimes it's great, sometimes less so. Regardless, the portion is always generous, and it's always a surprise.“

“Great atmosphere, great food, great service. Highly recommend Yokohama Sushi! 👍“

“I have been going here for years. They have some of the best rolls in town. I always get the dragon roll, E14th roll, and the crunchy roll. So very yummy 😋“

“Tried Matzip recently under the new management and wow — everything was amazing. We ordered the buldak fried chicken, soy-garlic fried chicken, and jajangmyun, and each dish was spot on.

The fried chicken was crispy to absolute perfection — the kind of crunch you normally only find at top spots in Korea. The jajangmyun noodles were perfectly chewy and flavorful, exactly what you’d expect from an authentic Korean Chinese restaurant in Seoul. Even the side dishes, especially the kimchi, were fresh and balanced just right.

Overall, the food exceeded expectations. Highly recommend giving it a try and experiencing it for yourself. Matzip under new management is definitely worth checking out!“

“I am tourist here and this was the nearest sushi place near my Airbnb.
Food as good, the girl who served me was not warm at all. The moment I walked in she looked confused if she should serve me or not maybe because I was alone.
I loved the food. Green tea ice cream not so much. I wanted a bottle of water to take back to my Airbnb but they didn’t have any which is fine. I asked the girl where can I find a bottle of water near by “she said I don’t know” I paid my tab and walked out and saw hundreds of stores who sell bottle of water . Being a tourist I would have appreciated a little courtesy of just saying “ hey you can get water down the street” I wasn’t asking for much. But anyways I am glad I tipped her only $3.“

“Price is good and food is good.“

“Definitely going to go back here again sushi’s are fresh and taste so good! My wife and my daughter enjoyed it the last time we went there for lunch. They have variety of sushi on their menu and the staff are really friendly. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ -donpinoytv“

“Simply the best in Fremont“

“Chose to come here on a spontaneous Wednesday night and ordered the nigiri and sashimi boat for our table of 3. We could see the chefs carefully crafting the boat while we enjoyed some of their appetizers. Food and service was amazing!! One of the servers saw us playing a game on our phones and striked up a conversation with us, he was so incredible friendly. Will definitely come back again!!“

“Randomly walked in while I was looking for food during a stay at the hotel next door, and was very happy I did. Place was only 20% occupied in a Friday night, so service was very personal and attentive. The food was among the best sushi I've ever had in the Bay Area. Also pretty unique and just a little different from other places. I will say they the price level is also just a tad higher (rolls around $20 and some significantly higher), but I totally see this justified by the quality of the food. Overall, very highly recommended. I would certainly go back if I was staying in the area again.“

“the.staff.is friendly. Food is fresh and tasty!!“

“Delicious food for a great price

Vegetarian options: Seaweed salad, rolls can be made as vegetarian, and soup is vegan

Parking: Lots of parking, always.

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes there are wheelchair ramps and parking for those with disability“

“It was the best sushi! We will be back!“

“This is a great Japanese restaurant. We had a great time. The food was excellent. The atmosphere is quaint and romantic. You can sit at wooden tables with chairs or sit on a mat at authentic Japanese style tables. I highly recommend this restaurant for fun casual dining or for a romantic date night.“

“The food, music, customer service, and ambiance is TOP TIER!! My go to is the sunshine and poki me roll! Tried the mystery box and it was a pleasant surprise! Whoever was on aux 9/20/25 plz send me your playlist lol. As always, Angryfish is *chef's kiss*“

“My favorite sushi restaurant! I used to drive out to Emeryville to get their sushi. It's delicious and you can taste the freshness. So glad they opened a place closer to home. I ordered the nigiri combo to go and they had it ready when I got there. Wait staff are always friendly and helpful. I highly recommend them!“

“It was our first time there. We wanted to go because we always saw a long line. It was the best!!! It will become our regular place. Very friendly staff.“