33 Best Japanese Restaurants in Oakland

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

“-The quality of the fish is very good and tasty. They know how to combine and play with the ingredients
- the price is too expensive for what you get
- the service is average. Our server is very friendly. However, we arrived a bit early for our appointment, the server told us to wait for 10-15 min for them to get a table ready since the customers at that table about to pay.We waited for more than 30 min outside, watching new customers came in and out. The server knew we were waiting outside at the door. Then we went inside just to see why they took new customers and saw there were multiple empty tables. It's quite weird when they have available tables and still let us wait outside. It took us a while to get the server attention at the door and also at dining.“

“An astonishing 18-course omakase, expertly prepared, sourced in the finest sushi chef tradition of impeccable quality.
Warm and comfortable welcome with a happy-to-share chef who told us stories about his choices in making what has to be one of the finest Japanese experiences stateside.
Tiny space, superbly arranged.

I cannot recommend it enough. Not cheap but value for money if you struggle to “have something you’ve never had anywhere else” (and don’t want the 9+ hour Tokyo flight).“

“Love the convenience and quality of their sushi. The setup of this place is odd; people don’t know where to stand and there’s a past of the shop that is totally unused. It would be nice if they redesigned the space and could have more things or allow people to not block others trying to look at and grab food.“

“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.“

“This might be one of our new spots in Montclair Village!

To preface, when we first moved to the east bay we ordered delivery from this restaurant our first night in our new house and were a bit disappointed, so we effectively left it off our list of places to go… this was our mistake!

The restaurant is no frills, but there’s seating for bigger parties and partitions between tables so it feels roomy. There’s a huge TV broadcasting sports events too.

We happened to go on “customer appreciation night” and were thoroughly surprised by the amount of complimentary dishes they brought to our table. I was already close to full with all this free dishes! I ordered the cold soba dish and that was really good. It even comes with a full order of tempura… we ordered some other small dishes for the kids as well. Overall, we were really impressed by the food and the service; our waitress was so friendly.

We’ll definitely be coming back here for meals!“

“I have experienced many different types of sushi hand roll bars and this is one of my new favorites. The location is perfect , right in the heart of Jack London Square and the food was amazing. They have some really cool drinks if you’re into content creation and overall it’s just a cool place to catch up or go for date night !!!“

“Quaint, small business. Nice and reliable service. Big portions, fresh fish, great flavor. My only caution would be trying too many of the special rolls in the same visit. The special rolls are great, exciting, tasty, offering new combinations that you do not see on other sushi menus. However, they are complex and have multiple flavor layers which can cause the pallet to lose the essence of the simplicity of enjoying sushi for the flavor of simply raw fish.“

“Pardon my ignorance but I didn’t know shrimp tails had edible meat until we visited Yoshi’s for dinner. The shrimp here has changed my standards for a good quality shrimp. Oh and before I forget to mention, I really liked the shrimp here and would go again for…you get the idea. Give the s****p a try :). Guess what I forgot to take a photo of?“

“Great fried chicken, and my friends food truck is there!“

“I walked in with low expectations only because not that many people were in the restaurant. I was proven wrong quickly. The food was amazing and the service was great. I can't stand it when you get giant sushi rolls. These were small and very fresh. The dudes rolling the sushi were bout the business. Tashiko was a great waitress and she made our 10 year old picky eater feel special and went out of her way to make sure she had a good experience. The salad dressing is amazing , the nigiri and rolls were awesome as was everything else. Great little date spot. Highly recommend.“

“I went to shimizu for dinner and the line is ok for a Sunday night, almost right away.
I tried teriyaki chicken, chicken Karaage, tempura, and flaking sushi roll. Everything is so good!
The restaurant also offers stamp collection.“

“I have been here twice, first time dining in and the last time I was there picking up a to-go order. Both times have been a pretty good experience. All food was prepared with care and nothing was missing in my to-go pickup order. Cozy and intimate dining space, friendly staff, and clean open kitchen layout. A nice evening casual date experience. Very happy with the price for what you get.

Parking: It can be a hit or miss for parking in that area.“

“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“

“Visited Oakland for work purposes and met a friend for lunch. I ordered two different sushi rolls, both very fresh. The food was great. It was my friends favorite sushi spot and of course her food was good as well. I'll most certainly be back on my next visit.“

“In all my travels, I look for what I call "happy food." Happy food for me is healthy, nutritious, tasty, nicely prepared, and served by smiling people in a clean environment. Oori exceeded all my happy food requirements and then took me for a ride through food blissfulness worth each bite. I had chicken teriyaki, grilled salmon, and spicy tuna triangles. On the side, I complimented it with miso soup and ginger. Each flavor was distinct and made my taste buds ooh, ahh, and wow for more. I'll be back here for more without question. I felt like I was dining at a 5-star restaurant and found the food reasonably priced.“

“I have have been getting the wonderful chicken Teriyaki with rice from Genji for years and it is the best I have every tasted. Grilled to perfection. The 'Sushi is also very fresh and very good. Easy to go or eat in. Clean and located in Downtown Oakland. You can also buy their great Salad dressing in bottle form. I bring the dressing to friends as gifts.“

“Good spot on Grand. Mijori has been putting out solid bentos and sushi/maki rolls for years. The beef teriyaki and gyoza lunch set has been a lunch staple in this family as well as the karai tuna roll. Lunch can get extremely busy at peak times but you can get in and out quickly. The staff works hard and has been together for awhile now. Parking around Grand/Lakeshore can be tight but eventually something pops.“

“Great sushi and sashimi in a loveky setting! the Lion King is the best! Fast and efficient service!“

“Really nice place! Came to the neighborhood to get my watch repaired today and saw this place on the walk back to our car. Me and my girlfriend both had lunch specials and were very satisfied. I had the curry and rice + tonkatsu and my girlfriend had the Squid Tempura + tonkatsu. All of our food was tasty and the staff were friendly. I especially enjoyed the curry which had a great flavor and didn't taste like it was cooked from the golden curry blocks you can buy from the store (which are delicious, just not exactly what I expect when I order Japanese curry at a restaurant). I will definitely check this place out again next time I am in the neighborhood.“

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

“I really love this little place. The waitress (I believe also the owner and chef) is super kind and friendly. The food is really tasty and the portions are quite substantial. Now.. is this the BEST bento in the Bay Area? No. It’s not. But it’s not trying to be. It’s tasty and quick and a great option for midday meals.I love the beef and chicken bulgogi equally and I always order with a beer. Not sure how but she’s got the coldest ever in Old Oakland.Also, beautiful orchids!!“

“New to the area but I feel like this is one of those local gems. Small establishment but big servings. Highly recommend their fried oysters (really fresh) and deluxe nigiri sampler. We're definitely coming back for their omakase option.“

“I was out walking my dog, and I got this craving for sushi. I had picked up delivery from here before doing Doordash, but never tried it myself. They were sort staffed so I did have to wait a bit. But it was 1000% worth the wait. I got the Lion Princess and the White Dragon. Both delicious. And the sauces on the side took it to another level.“

“food is hot good and served with a smile... always“

“Love this spot! The woman who runs the place is very friendly and accommodating. If you order a drink, a robot will bring it to you. Otherwise, just watch the sushi float by and turn a feast for your eyes into one for your mouth and belly! Very tasty and fun experience all around.“

“I came here with my friends while we were on a field trip and the atmosphere was super cozy, they had good R&B playing and it was lowkey aesthetic. I had the dragon roll, my friend had the sushi bae roll and we both shared the philly roll. We really liked the sushi and we finished it super fast. The staff was super sweet and super awesome, then when they told us about the pictures that they took for their poloroid wall, my friends and I were super excited. We had a really nice experience here and it was very hospitable. I will definitely be back when I have my next field trip in Oakland. Loved it!“

“I have come to this amazing establishment for over 15 years. Delicious. Efficient and amazing staff. Fresh and tummy always pleased. Yes!“

“We have found a new sushi restaurant in Kakui. The Warriors and Rainbow rolls are fresh and delicious. Check it out.“

“The oakland hill roll was surprisingly good. We mostly ordered bento. One was shrimp tempura and katsu bento. We came here to celebrate a birthday for a party of 8 and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. They even let us bring cakes and they also helped us light the candle on it. It was a sunny and hot day and we were surprised that they didn't have an AC but the customer service is very good. Will definitely come back.

Parking: Parking space is just behind & beside the store.

Wheelchair accessibility: It's wheelchair accessible. Store is on a single level building.“

“This restaurant has an amazing ambiance, delicious food and friendly and professional staff. I definitely would recommend!“