50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Orinda

“The best omakase around!!“

“Best sushi meal at this price point ive ever had. Got the Nigiri & roll combo, came with toro, salmon belly, amber jack, striper.. Premium Nigiri pieces in a combo at this price, as fresh and executed well as it was? Unreal.
Couple of the pieces had fresh Yuzu juice brushed on.

Incredible for 30$

Service was warm & friendly even when it got busy.“

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

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

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

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

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

“The small unassuming entry way will make you think you’re breaking into someone’s house but it’s perfect for that intimate feeling as well. Once you find the right door it’s a super chill vibe in a small space. The chef was preparing everything as we walked in and the server sat us down. The food was super fresh and the chef was very kind. There were 13 different sashimis served along with 6 additional courses of non sashimi items. Very nice service and amazing meal, left full and happy!“

“service and quality are top notch“

“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!!!!“

“Came here for drinks and some small plates after dinner and had a great time. They played good music and the bar sitting area is very nice. The drinks are also amazing as they have a very unique selection of Japanese cocktails and other stuff. Highly recommend!“

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

“Rico pero lo malo es que nunca tienen basil para la sopa pho“

“The imitation crab tastes incredible!!

The chicken katsu was sadly overcooked.

But the simplicity of the bento boxes is quite striking.

The atmosphere though, the music was a bit too loud and only coming from one corner rather than the whole place.“

“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.“

“What we had:
3 hand rolls lunch (salmon, spicy tuna and unagi) with miso soup and edamame
4 premium handrolls options (A5 Miyazaki Wagyu, Japan Hokkaido Uni, A5 Wagyu Uni & Caviar, Uni Toro & Caviar)
Small plates: Maguro Ponzu and Tuna Tartare

This is an open kitchen setting, you can see the chef make every hand roll and serve the roll right to the dishes in front of you! The quality of the fish was excellent, everything tasted fresh, and you could really appreciate the simplicity of each hand roll. The rice was well-seasoned, and every bite highlighted the freshness of the ingredients. The premium hand rolls were definitely the stars, fatty, flavorful, if you’re a fan of uni and wagyu you have to try it.

The Maguro Ponzu and Tuna Tartare was refreshing and light, it's a great appetizer to share between hand rolls.

That said, I have to be honest, it is kinda pricey. The premium hand rolls add up quickly, so it’s definitely more of a treat-yourself kind of meal rather than an everyday sushi spot. Still, if you’re willing to spend on fresh hand rolls, it’s worth checking them out.“

“I got the lunch nigri, salmon was buttery, tuna was fresh. Complementary miso soup. Definitely an amazing lunch. Even the katsu was delicious. A plentiful variety of authentic Japanese dishes. Would come here again and recommend to anyone in the area.“

“This place is very cute and casual, and the food is tasty and fresh. Excellent salmon nigiri today, very luscious. The freaky brussels (lol) were shockingly good, unusual on a sushi menu but so garlicky and good.

I’ve been here a few times over the years, but I’m leaving a review today because they go above and beyond in one particular way. They have an actual separate gluten-free menu and gluten-free soy sauce upon request. Note that we dined right when they opened so I didn’t ask about cross-contamination. However, the consideration made me feel really good about taking someone with celiac to dine here. So thoughtful. We will be back!“

“While pricese were a bit higher than I expected for the portion size, the quality was surprisingly good for take-out sushi. We spent over $60 on two omakase selections, 1 tiny uni don, 1 tiny toro don, and really small seaweed salad.

I wish they sold the scallop nigri a la carte because that was one of my favorite omakase items! Also liked one of the salmon in the omakase better than the other salmon (it looked like 2 different salmon were used). Husband raved about the toro pieces in the toro don and I enjoyed the uni don.“

“Consistently delicious! I’ve been here 4 times now and every visit has been amazing. We ordered the Chicken Kaarage, Honey Bunny roll, salmon carpaccio, and gyoza. All were phenomenal and the vibe of the space is very relaxing with nooks of privacy intentionally provided.
I am glad they put in such effort to provide quality meals, great customer service, and awesome atmosphere. Highly recommend!“

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

“This place is always so good, creative sushi options with high quality fish. While it has minimal atmosphere, everyone is super friendly visit after visit there is something yummy and unique to try. Like the deep fried shisho leaf with salmon and hamachi toro appetizer pictured.“

“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.“

“This was a surprise dinner my friend invited me on. The hand rolls are so fresh and delicious. I had 5 amazing rolls that come out one at a time for freshness m. The server was super sweat and helped me pick out what I wanted. The menu does also have set options, but I decided to do individual rolls. I definitely recommend stopping by if you’re in the Oakland area.“

“Every roll was fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. The staff were welcoming and attentive.
In the end they offered me plum wine but I asked for ice cream and they accommodated.
I’ll definitely be coming back!“

“I grabbed take out from Sushi time and was super impressed. The packaging was great, miso soup was scalding hot, wakame fresh and crisp and perfectly seasoned. We tried Spicy Rainbow Roll, Mega Roll, Salmon Paradise, Flying Shrimp, Red Dragon and Cherry Blossom rolls. They were all incredible! They even provide training chopsticks for the kids!“

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

“Great food. Service from our waiter was excellent but the delivery of food was not great. My entree came before the appetizer or my salad..... Then both our entrees,salad and appetizers were all on the table at once. Very small table....very crowded.“

“Food was fresh! Service was great. The tables were clean!“

“This is one of my favorite sushi place to go. I love how fresh and well balanced the nigiri and rolls are. Seasoned just right to bring out the fish's flavor. The wasabi is not overly strong and has a very nice kick to it, even with some texture too.“

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

“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 🌯“

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

“Authentic Japanese cuisine and warm environment near downtown Berkeley. Servers are always welcoming and friendly. I love how fast the food is well prepared and served at Musashi. My friends and I often come here during lunch hours, and although the restaurant is packed, we never felt less attention or being rushed. Also the noodles are very delicious!“

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

“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.“

“We had such a great meal here. Pa’ Papas serves some of the most authentic Japanese food we’ve had in a while. We ordered the tempura, miso soup, and a few rolls, and honestly everything was amazing. The tempura was light and crispy, the miso soup hit the spot, and the rolls were super fresh.

The portions are generous too, so you really get your money’s worth. If you want Japanese food that actually tastes authentic, this is the place. We’ll definitely be back“

“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.“

“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.“

“best sushi and cheap!!! will come again!!!“

“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“

“Absolutely loved this restaurant! The sushi was incredibly fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. Every dish we ordered exceeded our expectations. The staff were friendly, attentive, and made us feel very welcome. The restaurant was clean, comfortable, and had a great atmosphere. We will definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for quality Japanese food.“

“My first time here. Looked like such a hole-in-the-wall from outside, but fantastic food quality.

The paper menu has mostly sushi rolls, apps, and lunch specials. On the walls are the sashimi and nigiri menus, in individual cute stickers. The sampler plates seem to have a huge variety of different fishes, and generous portions, for a reasonable price. Highly recommend dropping by.“

“Great food and quick service! A must try place if you’re in the area!“

“Chef recommended Soft Shell Crab. Definitely will add to the roto. Perfectly light, crisp and oh so, tasty. Age Dashi Fried Tofu is perfect for first-timers. Paper thin dried fish is ambrosia. Perfect hide-away to enjoy food made from the soul. Encountered trainee. Your patience will bring happiness.“

“Genuinely can't express how grateful I am to the staff for such a great experience. Emily is a rockstar and everyone in my group left the restaurant a little bit in love with her. The salmon kama was absolutely scrumptious, and everyone was so grateful for the generous portions. Such a great place to discover after a lovely beach day.“

“One of my favorite lunch spots in downtown Lafayette! 🍣

I stopped by after a busy morning at work and it totally made my day. The sushi is always so fresh, the service is wonderful, and Sunny, the owner and her family, is the sweetest. You can really feel the love they put into the restaurant.

If you’re looking for a cozy neighborhood sushi place with consistently great food, definitely give Kiku a try. I’ll be back… probably very soon with more friends! ❤“

“Mijori – A Classic at Lake Merritt!

This little gem has been a mom-and-pop staple in Oakland for over 30 years, and they’re still going strong. The service is consistently friendly, and the food never misses. It’s a must-stop if you’re in the Lake Merritt area.

They offer a variety of weekly specials depending on the fresh fish they receive, so there’s always something new to try. Don’t skip the tuna salad—it’s topped with their house-made spicy Korean sauce, and it’s absolutely delicious.

The sushi we ordered tonight was fresh, sweet, well-seasoned, and simply satisfying. Pair it with a cold beer or a glass of sake, and you’re in for a great evening. Come check them out—you won’t be disappointed!

Don’t forget to follow for more Great foodie stops @Only1christinelu“

“Delicious, friendly, and peaceful since the first time we went here in the 90s, had 2 bday dinners, and had lunch with my childhood friend from Asia. But recently, the sushi, it's like I was playing Barbie meals with my date but at adult price. No other places I've been, served good sushi smaller than average.“

“Think of the part last time you ate teriyaki...dried chicken with a bunch of gross sauce. This place perplexed me... the chicken and shrimp are perfectly cooked, with just enough sauce. The care in the prep is beyond anything you'd expect for what you'd think is a simple dish. I honestly can't think of another place that makes food this juicy, and with care. It's been on my weekly lunch rotation for a reason. Shame it's in a dead city bc you can tell they care when restaurants around them only care to make a buck.“