50 Best Japanese Restaurants near El Cerrito

“I got the chicken katsu curry and it was phenomenal, best I’ve ever had. Chill atmosphere, friendly staff, it felt like I was sitting down for a home cooked meal. Any time I’m in the area for work I’m coming here to explore more of the menu items. The chicken katsu curry came with a salad, miso soup, rice, and curry separate from the chicken. The hot tea was good too“

“Excellent take-out. Love their unagi, spicy crab salad, every roll that I’ve tried. And they are so nice!!“

“This place is so worth it. My family has been going for 10+ years, almost since the beginning of the restaurant when it was in a different location. Aki-San will tell you when you’re eating something wrong, but it’s not mean-spirited. You should definitely ask him about his life and his journey to becoming a sushi chef. The sushi is the best you will ever have, even better than sushi I had when I visited Japan. It may be very expensive, but if you have the means it is extremely worth the price. Don’t ask for specific things, get what he recommends (but don’t be scared if you have diet restrictions to ask for something that works). Is is an amazing experience so if you go really enjoy it.“

“This was our first time here and I placed an to go order. Walked right in and was quickly greeted and placed my order with the friendly worker. I ordered a caterpillar roll, Fortune roll, Giants roll and a Sake avocado making roll. Everything was delicious and I want to return and try so other items. Beware parking is extremely difficult to find when I arrived around six pm.“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“Every item we ordered was magical. Absolutely loved all their small tapas style dishes, scallops, yam, pork belly, chicken, beef. Scallop and sweet shrimp (ebi) handrolls were great. Fine dessert choice as well. Get there early as there was quickly a line out the door with 20-30 minute waits throughout the night after we arrived.“

“Best authentic Japanese restaurant in town.“

“awesome a must try, this is a hidden gem“

“If you want the freshest fish downtown has to offer.... go to Sanraku“

“I got the romano beans and the fried chicken. I didn't know the fried chicken was chicken wings--- which it doesn't say and I don't like, but I ate it anyway. Wanted to try the chocolate cake (which is on the online menu) but it wasn't on the menu anymore. Will come back to try other things another time. Good service and nice ambience.“

“Quality is key with any meal. Roger-San is all about quality. Sit at the bar if you can!“

“Eating is a kind of happiness, taste is a kind of interest“

“Excellent Japanese cuisine, service and staff are wonderful and helpful“

“Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! Perfection. The attention to detail and the warm service was great from the jump. The entire 17 course meal and sake pairing was one of the best meals that we've ever had. I don't say this lightly, it was flawless.“

“Fresh ingredients, friendly staff, and delicious food and veggie options!“

“I don’t mean to exaggerate, but when it comes to both the food and the service, exaggeration almost feels necessary. Chris was phenomenal, and the food exceeded anything I could have imagined. This place is truly unexpected in the best way—just trust the experience. There really aren’t enough words to describe how amazing it is.“

“I have dined at a fair number of sushi restaurants in America as well as some of the finest in Tokyo. Kuma distinguishes itself by having served me the best Chirashi Bowl (I had the Chirashi Deluxe), that I have had in my life. What made the bowl better than some good ones I’ve had was not only the excellent fish on top… but the thoughtfully composed bottom of purple rice with tasty nuggets of egg, soybeans, pickled cucumber, braised tofu, sliced lemon, and tobiko. It was SO GOOD. So if you love Chirashi, or just love thoughtfully prepared sushi, this is THE PLACE!“

“Went for our wedding anniversary. The service was great. They took the time to introduce the menu items and explain the chef’s special for today. We got to try fish or parts of fish that we have never heard of before. Overall very good experience.“

“Probably the best meal I’ve ever had, super fun, exciting, every bite was perfect. Intimate and fast process“

“awesome service and amazingly fresh sushi! open from 4:30 to 9:30. on Geary near masonic“

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

“We celebrated the Mother's Day here. Limited seating and only seating per night. I and my husband were so surprised by the very tasteful decoration of the restaurant, fantastic service and out of the world food. It is even better than the one in Toyko which we made reservation months ahead. The portion is just perfect for us. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. You have to try it to know what I meant.“

“friendly service and tasty food“

“I have been meaning to write this review for years. Apologies for Jimmy and Ron for not writing it sooner.

First, I have to write about the people because they are the reason I love and will always love Kibatsu. Then, I'll write about my favorite dishes and the food.

The People:
I have been going to Kibatsu since 2014 so 12 years now. Before Kibastu, they were Sugoi Sushi in the Mission. I discovered them because they did catering for University of San Francisco. My college roommate and I befriended the young sushi chefs that came to the university, hung out with them once the sushi bar had officially closed and they encouraged us to come visit their Sugoi Sushi location.

Eventually we did and it became our Friday or Saturday night routine. Sometimes, we would splurge and go during the week (which for us as college students was a lot). But we loved them. Calvin, Ronald, (so sorry, I am totally blanking on the third guy's name but I see his face in my mind!) and Jimmy. The first three were the sushi chefs and Jimmy was the waiter - he always made room for us and always saved us our favorite booth in the front of the restaurant, closest to the windows. He remembered our classes and asked us how school was going. He always treated us to on the house mochi ice cream after each dinner. We would spend hours and hours there, camping out and chatting or doing our homework in the mood-lit, rustic, tastefully interior-decorated intimate setting, amid the hubbub of conversations and people enjoying the sushi. I remember Sugoi and those times really fondly - it was our safe space, our home away from home (dorm). Other times, we'd bring our friends. I can't even count how many people I and my roommate recommended this place to or brought there.

Then after we graduated, in 2018, they moved to the Haight and invited me to their opening night omakase which was a gift to everyone they invited. How sweet, thoughtful and amazing is that? Between Sugoi and Kibatsu, my partner and I met and Jimmy always remembers my partner and his two boys and asks about them when they're not with me. The boys love it here because of the large portions and how nice everyone is.

On my birthday this year, I decided I wanted to spend it at Kibatsu and Jimmy (who is now a sushi chef!!) and company went out and got me a birthday cake and brought it out before the rest of the dessert as a surprise. I almost cried. This is why I love Kibatsu and those who work there.

The Food:
The starter we always go for is the tataki dish which is albacore with delicious fried onion. The gyoza is always also a great way to go. We always get the omakase which is a true omakase with the different small plates, sashimi and nigiri. I love the salmon and umimasu nigiri as well as the negi salmon. Something special that Kibatsu does is they always surprise you with little gifts from the sushi chefs. For this past new year's they surprised us with a whole tray of steak and jumbo shrimp - a gift on the house. Their kindness never ceases to surprise us!

So there are some of our top favorites food wise and why Kibatsu has a special place in my heart. I hope you go and I hope you love it as much as I do. They work really hard, are so extremely kind and deserve the best.“

“I’ve been coming here for years now and just now decided to write a review. The sushi is amazing, I’ve made my way down the list and tried all the rolls but my favorite ones are the Shiki, Samurai and the Double Sake. They are super fresh and so delicious. They’re always as delicious as the last time. Also, service is super nice, they recognize me at this point and are always happy to see me come in again. My favorite sushi spot in Oakland hands down. Also for a great price!! Don’t sleep on Sushi Park!!“

“Really delicious and fresh fish here. Staff is attentive and helpful. We went relatively early and there was no wait. The timing of the food worked well too. If there is any hesitancy it's just that the cost adds up quickly (about $50- per person) with two cocktails and two sparkling waters and no dessert.“

“Came here for a dinner and tuna cutting and it was amazing. I didn't expect the tuna to be so large!

Good:
- Super cool explanation of how everything works and the chef adds some fun humor into it which makes it even more entertaining than the cutting already is.
- The buffet we had was so good, I loved the crepe cake dessert and grapes too, and there was shrimp, tuna, chicken, everything you could imagine
- The tuna was soooo fresh
- The staff were so kind and helpful!
- There was also a sake pairing and wine pairing which elevated the experience

Bad:
- Can be pricey!

Overall this was such a premium experience and so glad we got to experience it!“

“one of my favorite places in the country to eat. whenever I'm in the Bay area, in here“

“Nigiri combo is excellent! I can’t wait to try the sashimi combo next. I came just before they were closing for lunch and people were steadily coming either to pick up or eat-in up until their closing time. It seemed they were regular customers who are keeping this place a secret and happy to say, I am on it already. Can’t wait to go back.“

“Really interesting take on Ramen broth. The beef broth is rich yet not too thick. I prefer a richer Paitan but this is also good. Black garlic oil also adds more depth to the soup.

The noodle is bouncy and chewy with a strong smell of egg noodle.

Crispy mushroom is good but can be a little too salty to finish by a single person. A touch of something citrusy would help cut through the greasiness after half a dish.“

“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 🌯“

“We had a wonderful meal at Cafe Okawari before the Giants game. It’s a great location that’s 1.5 blocks from the ballpark, and very close to the Caltrain station. The restaurant was full when we got there, but the food still came out soon after we ordered.

We had chicken katsu curry, korokke curry, and a menchi (fried ground chicken) sando. The chicken katsu was among the best I’ve ever had, super juicy inside and crunchy outside. One of the greatest quick bites I’ve had in recent memory.“

“This is me and my husbands absolute favorite sushi spot in all of the bay! The fish is so fresh and the rolls are so creative and delicious! I only have a picture of empty plates because we are too excited whrn it comes. The people there are also so friendly and welcoming. We love it here!! I would give them 10 stars if i could“

“Excellent food, excellent service. We loved it. We had Shrimp Tempura Roll, Sexy Roll, Edamame, Miso Soup, Kirin Beer. Can’t wait to go back again.“

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

“Jo's awesome. We had a great experience. Highly recommended for birthdays or just being together 👯‍♀️💯👍“

“The atmosphere and presentation of the food was extremely chic! The meal was delicious!!“

“Holy crap, I don't have to go to Berkeley for a good Izakaya anymore? Ok good is an understatement this place is stellar.

Super friendly fast service. Absolutely delicious food.

None of the skewers were over cooked. They all had a nice charred taste without being overwhelming. Even their rolls had super unique flavors.

Solid cocktail selection with a broad sake selection.

Would definitely recommend this spot. They've only been open a month and a half but operations are humming smoothly.

Not too crowded, super laid back vibe.“

“Delicious food and friendly staff“

“It is located on the second floor inside a Japanese-style building filled with many small shops. The whole place gives you the feeling of being in Japan.

They offer many small dishes, offering different parts of chicken, which pair well with Japanese beer. The server was friendly.

Would I go back there again? Hummm…. Maybe not. But I don’t regret the experience.“

“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.“

“I had a really cool time here !!! The chefs are amazing so kind and understanding. I was losing my voice and he was very patient and the second
Chef was really fast . I think this isn’t favorite sushi place now ! The staff really looked out for me and I don’t think they k pa
How much it meant to me . Sometimes I show up places and people treat me negatively for no particular reason but I felt the love in there food“

“I went alone here and my experience was really really good. The ambience is not the Greatest here but oh boy I loved the food and the service. First to start off they gave complimentary miso soup and salad. Miso soup was just so good and it was a cold windy day. I needed a hot soup.

I was craving katsu curry and rice and they had that. And it was really good. I really wanted a little bit more curry 🍛 but it's fine I enjoyed it. I also had hot sake and it was piping hot.

Highly recommend this place for taste. It was a peaceful dining experience out here.“

“Ordered delivery on DoorDash and I don’t know if this is the regular serving size or it’s because I placed my order just 10 minutes before they closed but wow generous serving size and delicious fish - great high quality ahhh!!

Fish in the box (lite) for $38. Great value imo“

“The service was great, but the food runner repeatedly brought dishes (3) to our table that were meant for other guests. It created some confusion throughout the meal. Yoshi may want to consider improving the system for delivering dishes to the correct tables.“

“Nara offers one of the best sushi experience I had in San Francisco. The sashimi bites were fresh and tasty. The staff were so friendly. They made great suggestions tailored to our needs. I highly recommend the Hamachi Truffle (on the spoons), I could have 100 of those!“

“The ramen tastes very good, the soup base is rich and the noodles taste great“

“This place is amazing!!! What a gem! I have never been to a bath house before and after this I’m addicted. The food was incredible and I loved the cocktails. Service was wonderful as well! Definitely going back a bunch.“

“Great food, service was great. Would recommend to anyone“