50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Orinda

“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“

“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.“

“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“

“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!!!!“

“This is my first time to dine-in. Plenty of parking on weekdays. Waiting and checking in process is on a tablet, make everything easy.

Their lion king is still the same tasty as some years ago. The only thing not getting 5 stars is the A5 Wagu special dish. The wagu is too thin like ham.... it is not worth to try.“

“Kuidaore is a wonderful restaurant! I highly recommend including it in your visit to Jack London Square.
Food: The fish is fresh, delicious and high quality. The small plates are creative and have all been really flavorful and well-balanced (I have just 1 more on the list to try). My only criticism is that some of the fish is so tender it can be difficult to get the whole bite from the plate to my mouth. The handrolls are really good, each one is packed with fish and the seaweed is super crispy - exactly what you'd want. They'll let you split them between 2 people if you want to be sure to have room to try a lot of them. There are a few expensive, very fancy ones - think edible gold, wagyu, caviar...incredible to taste and beautiful presentation. Their miso soup is delicious and an inexpensive extra that you should definitely try.
People: The staff are amazing! So welcoming and accommodating. After a few visits, our favorite waitress recognized us and had our drinks started before we even sat down! The chef/owner is friendly and checks in on customers when she can.
Atmosphere: The chairs are awkwardly tall but it gives you a great view of the handroll station. It's an intimate setting that's very comfortable. The only negative is that when it's busy it gets pretty noisy.
To reiterate, I definitely recommend going here if you're in the area!“

“Enjoyed clean and fresh tasting sashimi with delicious sides. Had to try the vegetarian okonomiyaki with bonito flakes mayo and unagi sauce. Salmon and avocado sushi roll was yummy. Definitely would come back to visit this quaint and tasty Japanese restaurant in my neighborhood!“

“I have been coming to this restaurant since they opened 16+ years ago. The food is always fresh and delicious. My whole family loves it! Abi and Andy are great hosts and the whole crew of peole working there are friendly. I wish they were open for lunch time during the week as it used to be. Still my favorite sushi place!“

“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!“

“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 🌯“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“LOVE this place—we’ll be back again for sure!

Top notch food, and
Service was super-fast & polite.

Really outstanding sushi rolls.
Beautiful presentation, fresh popping flavor,
High quality tender fish.

Miso soup was simple but tasty, not too salty.

The *cloudy sake* was nice, a more earthy version of the typical sake flavor i’m used to.“

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

“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.“

“Amazing as always! This place delivers consistently excellent sushi—super fresh, and just look at the picture to see how thick their sashimi cuts are. It’s not only fresh, it’s truly a great value.

I ordered four pieces of sashimi, the katsu curry with an add-on of California roll for an additional of $5, and it all even came with a salad. The pork in the katsu curry was juicy with two thick, satisfying slices.

Not to mention they gave me free tea. So generous.

Service was outstanding—the true definition of great customer care. The ambiance is cozy, welcoming, and very clean. Highly recommend!

I love this place and the owners!!!“

“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“

“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.“

“Wow, such an unexpected gem of a sushi place!! The staff were very friendly and attentive, and everything we ordered was delicious.
We ordered:
- garlic edamame
- chicken karage
- salmon carpaccio
- hamachi carpaccio
- spicy tuna hand roll
- super (ebi, crab, eel) hand roll

Absolutely delicious, fresh ingredients, and everything was brought out staggered and timely.“

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

“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.“

“Had the sashimi bento and a little bottle of sake (nihonshu), perfect amount of everything. The bento usually comes with chicken teriyaki, which was delicious, making the whole meal sizeable. Having just returned from Japan, I was pleased and the compact, quiet atmosphere was exactly what I needed! Friendly staff :) Tucked away in the little food court off Hearst, this is a gem.“

“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.“

“The 10 piece nigiri set is an amazing deal. I added an uni nigiri and was happy I did. Itani was recommended to me by a friend and I had it bookmarked - so glad I did! I was in the area and this was the perfect quick and delicious meal I needed. If I lived closer, I’d be here all the time. I highly recommend giving it a try!“

“thank you katsu sora Trinoma. maraming salamat din sa nag assist samin na si Claire. sobrang attentive and friendly.“

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

“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!“

“Good authentic Japanese cuisine! Had the tempura udon, beef teriyaki set and double salmon roll. Salmon tasted especially delicious.

Service was great, they accommodated for a party of 8 without reservation with about a 15 minute wait (friday dinner, 6pm). There is a physical waiting list upon arrival, staff was efficient and kind despite the large group inconvenience.

Would 10/10 go again, great value and great service.“

“service and quality are top notch“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“I've been a regular customer for 20 years. I've been going to Katana-ya with my parents since I was little, and even now, after getting married, I bring my wife back. Tokyo Feng is still as delicious as ever. Their sushi has been infused with innovative elements, and the flavor and texture have improved. The portions are generous, and the prices are affordable! Tokyo Feng, we hope you continue to do better and continue to do well for another 20 years!“

“Lovely little sushi place with very friendly staff, delicious sushi with generous portions and reasonable prices. Everything we ordered was fresh and really hit the spot. Lots of standard options plus some interesting, innovative rolls as well. Kid-friendly place, which is helpful for families. The only tricky part is parking but that’s a Montclair issue, not the restaurants fault.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Great izakaya experience for skewers that mainly highlight chicken! Don’t recommend walking in without a reservation—we waited an hour on a Sunday night & although you can get lucky with the bar seating, the booths are part of the ambiance! Everything is charcoal grilled so it will be smokey in there.

Great experience for date nights except skewers are on the pricey side (about $12 for a lacarte). The omakase set is usually pretty solid but if you want the more specialty like chicken skin, it’s better to order separately. I liked the chicken neck skewer best for the flavor and the fattiness! Didn’t like the shizo breast. The squidink fried rice is a great side as well as the agedashi tofu. Really solid place for the level of specialty and ambiance they’ve maintained throughout the years!“

“We had a great dinner here! Everything felt very authentic, and you can tell they put a lot of care into preparing their seafood. The proportions were spot on.
A huge surprise was the miso soup—it was so good that even my kids, who usually don't touch it, finished the whole bowl. The salad was simple and refreshing, and the fried chicken (karaage) was perfectly crispy and tender. The beef was a little on the salty side for my taste, but overall, it didn't take away from a really enjoyable meal.
We liked it so much that we even grabbed some nigiri to go, and the kids absolutely loved it. Definitely a spot we’ll be coming back to.“

“I was so happy to find this place! It’s a casual Japanese restaurant. This place seems to specialize in takeout, but there’s tables and seating if you want to dine in.

I tried their chicken katsu bento and I was blown away with the quality and portion size. A bento can easily feed 2 if you don’t eat large amounts. Food is definitely on the heavier side.

They also serve sushi. Would definitely come back to try them.“

“The place offers a pleasant and easy ordering experience with a standard, simple design that keeps the focus on the food.
The dishes are fresh and flavorful, especially the large poke bowl made to order with the option to add plenty of extras, which makes it both satisfying and customizable.
Everything tastes clean and well-prepped. One thing to note: they don’t serve alcohol, so plan accordingly.
Overall, a solid spot for a fresh sushi or poke fix.“

“great food & great service!“

“Excellent sushi. Very fresh and flavorful. The salmon had a delicious buttery texture, as it should. Hard to find high quality these days and it is authentic. It is pricey, so depending on your budget it might be a once every so often place. As someone who only eats raw fish, it was perfect. Will be going back.“

“Hakashi is truly one of the best sushi restaurants in the East Bay. The sushi is always fresh and delicious, and they add their own creative twist with unique flavors and presentation. Their drinks also have a personalized touch, definitely try the tamarind and hibiscus mocktail. For sushi rolls, the 49er and the Hakashi roll are must-tries, with the Hakashi roll being my personal favorite.“

“Our favorite neighborhood sushi spot! We’ve been here numerous times and it never disappoints. Atmosphere, freshness of fish, flavor, quality of food all very solid and consistent. One note is that it is pretty cozy in there so on a busy night expect to be in close proximity to other diners :)“

“I wish I could give this place 10 stars, genuinely had the best night with my besties. All credit goes to the owner Z!!! This man is such a gem— he’s so kind, funny, humble, and made us feel so welcomed into the space. The food was 19/10, we will definitely be returning and bringing all our friends/family here! Thank you Z for such an unexpectedly special night <3“

“Quick and affordable made to order onigiri with vegan/plant based options. I like the spicy tofu triangle, the teriyaki tofu and the kimchi tofu triangles are good as well. They usually throw in complimentary edamame if you get a few, and they have other options as well. More of a grab and go atmosphere but they are fast and friendly to me, and the condiment section is loaded with good stuff like free sesame seeds, teriyaki sauce, Japanese spice, Sriracha, shoyu etc. I like this for a nice light meal for some protein and energy after a work out or so.“

“If you come here for your birthday, you can get a free dessert (1 ice cream mochi with whipped cream). I love salmon and I think all the salmon dishes were good! The salmon sashimi was thick and excellent. The rolls we tried were both good. My brother said he enjoyed the teriyaki chicken plate. I only wouldn’t recommend the tempura udon- too sweet on the sauce and broth, too heavily coated & oily on the tempura. The wasabi was not the quality pure wasabi, likely made mostly of radish, but it won’t bother you unless you love wasabi.
The service was great and came to refill our glasses and check in with us several times.“