50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Orinda

“Good food, great, friendly service. Going to a new restaurant with young kids can be a bit harrowing, you never k ow how kid friendly the atmosphere will be. The server could not have been nicer. Chicken Katsu was some of the crispiest I’ve had!“

“The best omakase around!!“

“Very beautiful!!!! Vale a pena conhecer“

“Island Special Rolls are amazing!!! Phoenix, Pearl, Orinda and Super Star are a few of our favorites!!! #sushigood“

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

“Sushi bar runs by Chinese? Why not?
The origin of sushi has to trace the sushi’s roots back to China—and even further, to Southeast Asia. The earliest form of sushi, called narezushi, was a method of preserving fish by fermenting it with rice. This technique likely developed in the Mekong and Irrawaddy River basins and was adopted by the Baiyue people of southern China. The Han Chinese documented it as early as the 4th century BCE.
So yes, Chi ese gave sushi the practice beginning.

Twice we dined here, savoring sushi not from a Japanese bar, but from a Chinese family’s hands—gentle, precise, and quietly proud. The flavors whispered of history: from riverbanks in southern China to the bustling streets of Edo. Sushi, reborn and reimagined.“

“Great food and great service“

“I lost count of how many times I’ve come here - they never miss. The menu is familiar but enough unique items to stand out amongst all of the other AYCE sushi OR hotpot restaurants around.. oh and did I mention they offer both.. get this - for the same price ? come visit, you won’t regret it!“

“Excellent sushi place. Restaurant is very well decorated inside. Staff was very friendly and attentive. They brought us miso soup as soon as we sat down. Tons of options included veggie rolls and non sushi options. Food came quickly and was fresh and very tasty. The prices were reasonable as well. Can't wait to return and try some other items.“

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

“Hands down the best restaurant in Martinez. I travel from Vallejo to enjoy the Salmon and steak hibachi. The staff are so kind and friendly. The dining area is always spotless. I highly recommend you come here if you’re looking for a good quality meal!!!!“

“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 is a great spot! The service was great and very fast. The person serving us was very nice and attentive. We had the karage and sushi combo which came with more fish than we were expecting! Everything was very fresh and nicely presented. They had a lot of different seating areas -- it was two of us this time but would be suitable for bigger groups too. I always love getting an Andes mint after dinner too:) Definitely recommend and will be coming back!“

“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 !!!“

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

“Tempura, so crispy. Miso cod, sake toro. I also would like to to recommend the different tastings like the nigiri tasting, the sashimi tasting and also the salmon tasting. They also have raw oysters presented in Japanese style, so good.“

“Very good meal, service was great, I'll definitely be back.“

“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!“

“Love this place, I feel safe and the food is incredible“

“As soon as you walk in you notice the cute interior. I love the aesthetic of the tables and vibe feels similar to mom and pop places I've been to in Japan except the lighting is nicer here.

Pretty orderly service, s/o to the one person waitress running the counter and tables and one person in the kitchen.

Foodwise, place smacks. Been here 2 times in the last 2 years. The quality of dishes I got are on par with overseas both times. Got the kaarage uson set and tofu soba. Mild flavors, but I love that nothing is over-seasoned it's just right imo.“

“The freshest sushi I’ve ever had in this area. Hands down. Will definitely be back!“

“The chirashi don comes with a generous portion of sashimi, and the bento box is also quite substantial. Though the flavors are definitely mediocre. It's great value for the price, with attentive service. Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.“

“First time here and probably last time too. I hella liked how the inside was decorated reminded me of a restaurant in Japan. Kinda disappointed though. I hella love sushi. But the sushi selection was small. Nothing caught my eye. The only thing I did enjoy with my meal was the ikura. The waitress’s don’t even check up on you to see how your doing. We we’re seated all the way in the back. I asked for more water and it never came. And for those 2 reasons I won’t come back.“

“Food was good. Service was so so...waiter didn't place part of our dessert order. It was confusing to coordinate with the live performance....get the tickets first, then eat, then you get your table assignment inside. Performance was short. Parking was easy and validated but still cost $10. Restaurant felt crowded and was noisy.“

“EDIT: I felt its necessary to make the amendment that, although walking in without a reservation was a thing previously, we've now had multiple visits where we've stood at the counter for 2 hours never to be seated.

You can still eat the whole menu there, but its generally very crowded.

Getting reservations seems to be catered towards friends, or some type of mysterious system, as we no longer have been able to get a reservation even weeks in advance. The food is still the same.

Original Review: I can’t believe that I haven’t left a review for Ippuku; this is as close as you can get to a Tokyo alley izakaya, from the sasami raw chicken special menu (to do for), to the epic yakitori, to the massive shochu selection.

By far one of my top 5 favorite restaurants in the Bay Area, we’ve been here a good 30 times over the years and it has never once changed at all, thankfully!!! Never want it to change, it does everything so well.

Hokkaido squid, chicken oyster, chicken tartare, agadashi tofu, crab croquettes, these are some favorites.

Make a reservation if you can, but otherwise we often walk in and are seated within an hour. Fun to hang out at the bar and wait.“

“I think this could make a fun date spot.

I thought the sets were reasonably priced, but maybe it’s because I’m comparing it to SF pricing.

Every bite was great, but I think next time I’ll ask for less rice or maybe even none.“

“Very good first experience! Sashimi set for two was of excellent quality and variety, add-ons like amaebi took the dinner to another level. Rice accompanying the sashimi was regular medium grain rather than seasoned sushi rice, but a relatively small miss when the seafood is the star!“

“I recently visited this sushi restaurant and unfortunately, my experience was far from pleasant. I ordered a chicken teriyaki roll, but I got a chicken teriyaki plate. And despite clearly saying 'roll,' the worker rudely insisted that I needed to specify 'roll' next time. This made me feel unnecessarily pressured.

When I kindly asked for the roll to be remade, another worker quickly mentioned that the kitchen was closing soon. Shortly after, she returned with a plate trying to take the teriyaki off my plate saying the kitchen would make it for me, but at that point, the restaurant was about to close and I didn’t want to feel rushed.

Overall, I truly love this place I hope next time they don’t make me feel bad for not saying things “right”.“

“service and quality are top notch“

“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 really like the food at this place. The sushi is yummy (if you like lots of sauce and Americanized sushi, which I do.) However, the rolls can be pretty expensive, and sometimes too large/ full of rice for my liking. Also the restaurants interior is a little out dated and uninviting. Street parking on Piedmont can be a challenge, but there’s a paid lot nearby.“

“I’ve been eyeing this place for months and finally was in the mood for sushi. The bento box was very fresh and delicious. I got the salmon teriyaki and spicy tuna. I also got the uji time ice cream. They offer a variety hand make ice cream that changes every week. This week I got the purple potato one. It was a perfect meal for an early dinner and the staff was very nice.“

“Ok, this is a neighborhood strip mall teriyaki joint, and its not much to look at. But I've been coming here for years, and it never changes: really good food for a reasonable price. I usually either get the teriyaki beef plate, or a chicken katsu...highly recommended!“

“I was looking for sushi, I decided to go here and I was fascinated, excellent service and they have a variety and very fresh. I recommend that you make a reservation. The tables are tight, I think it would not be comfortable for large groups. Obviously I will return ??

* I'm putting up photos of the dishes I tried.
** I forgot to take a photo of the grilled octopus but it is delicious.“

“We are regulars here - absolutely delicious, always fresh, and decently priced to-go sushi options! Not to mention super friendly and kind service. Recently they threw in an extra toro nigiri (for free) with the cutest note written!! Can’t recommend Itani Sushi enough :)“

“This is a quick serve onigiri restaurant in downtown Berkeley. It's awesome to be able to get fresh onigiri in the East Bay and they include edamame as well. We split a plate of 3 and got the short rib(x2) and the unagi. Very small inside the restaurant, very much a get your food and go type place, but there is some room to eat standing up. They were quick, well priced and delicious. The perfect quick bite.“

“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.“

“Excellent sushi again and again. Highly recommend this restaurant. Great service and fresh fish every time.“

“When I'm craving sashimi or sushi that's fresh and reasonably priced, I always head to Ebiko.

Ebiko is a quick stop-and-shop in Piedmont, wish fresh sushi, nigiri, sashimi and more! It's mainly for takeout. The service is good and friendly! Mainly just the chefs in the back and hostess/cashier. Since it's a shop without seating, the vibe feels like a convenient store with snacks and drinks as well.

Parking can be a pain, but if you emergency park, I'm sure you'll be in and out under 5minutes.

Overall, great store for sushi and I would always recommend friends to stop by here when visiting!“

“This place is amazing! I love fish, and my wife is vegetarian, and this place managed to have plenty of options that tasted great for both of us, which is an extremely rare occurrence! Usually if a restaurant has a bunch of vegetarian options, their meat options are not great, but this place is an exception. Every piece of fish I had here was fantastic!“

“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“

“This is a very innovative sushi takeout place with a self-service ordering system, which is super convenient. The sushi is fresh and tastes great. The interior has a modern, minimalist design that really appeals to young people. Since it’s a self-service takeout restaurant, you shouldn’t expect traditional table service, but that’s part of its unique concept. Considering the area, the prices are already very affordable and offer great value.“

“Love the buffet around the sushi bar! Best place to sit!“

“Been ordering from Jungdon for a while now and figured it's time for a review. I always order one of their Deluxe sets - Anshim is my go to and Deungshim is 2nd fav since I like my katsu a bit chewy. Tried the chicken and cheese katsu too but they're just ok imo.
~$30 a set sounds high at first but I can easily have it over 2-3 meals, which is awesome.

Flavor is also consistent - Always love how the potato salad, cabbage slaw, sauces and katsu come together! Miso soup is a great addition too given East Bay is quite often a bit cold.“

“Amazing food and service. Ambiance on point as well“

“Nice and accommodating 😘😘😘“

“Came in this small but cozy restaurant for a quick lunch bite and was surprised by the ambiance. I got the pork chop over rice and was surprised on how authentic it tasted. Crispy and homey - good blend of veggies and meat. Definitely a spot for casual get-togethers or a quick lunch. I would come back to try the food they didn’t have in stock (certain foods weren’t available depending on the days of the week or month)“

“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.“

“I had a blast chatting with the workers here everyone was super friendly and had great vibes, which made the whole experience even better. The food was really good. Turns out they use a special marinated rice for their sushi, and wow, it makes a big difference. The flavors were spot on, and the fish was incredibly fresh like, melt-in-your-mouth fresh. You can tell they care about quality. 10/10 would absolutely come back again.“

“Really nice place with good-quality Japanese cuisine. The rolls are really tasty and really big, you can get enough with just one set! The Seafood Udon that’s in broth is brought in a pot in which it was cooked, very authentic. The bento box is delicious! We tried sushi in so many places this place is the best of the best. We always come back only here when we really want a good and quality sushi. I recommend 100% Lion king is our fav. Greatly recommend as a lunch or dinner place, the service is really good and the meals were brought pretty quickly.“