Japanese Restaurants near Richmond

“So glad to find out they reopened after being closed a while during the pandemic. Currently you have to pre-order a day in advance for pickup so it takes a little planning but so worth it.Their fried chicken is so crispy. I ordered it with waffle fries and they say they only fire up the fries just before your pickup time so that they're fresh. When I went to pick up my order, they let me know it would just be a few minutes because the fries were finishing and when he came out with my order, he said he accidentally made the salad but included both the fries and salad and threw in a vanilla pudding. Everything was so delicious. Even the bonus pudding had flecks of vanilla bean and tasted so much better than the instant stuff. The chicken and fries were enough for 2 meals.“

“Food is always fresh and is Always made to order. Never disappointed me.“

“⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kauro Sushi is an absolute gem! The moment you walk in, you’re greeted with a warm atmosphere that instantly makes you feel at home. The sushi is top-notch—each piece is fresh and bursting with flavor. I especially loved the salmon nigiri; it practically melted in my mouth! The staff is friendly and attentive, making the dining experience even better. If you're looking for a place that serves amazing sushi with a soulful vibe, Kauro Sushi is a must-visit!“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

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

“lovely place to sushi. The food is very delicious. The fish is very fresh and they have a great variety. Have many species sushi rolls, nigiri and appetizers you must to try. We sat at the bar. Chef Jackie made all our food and explained each fish to us. The potato toro tartar special recommended by the waiter, very delicious. The service and atmosphere were amazing. serves were fast and waiter was nice too.I had a wonderful experience and will definitely coming back. I recommend this place to everyone!“

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

“Delicious food and friendly staff“

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

“Great food and great service“

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

“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!“

“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.“

“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 !!!“

“Wanted to grab some grub after work and this bento spot has been on my bucket list for a minute. It was also on the way home and I was hungry so here I am.

I ordered the chicken katsu bento and the salmon in truffle soy bento. I also ordered an iced matcha latte. The bentos were soo good! I also really liked how well they were plated. I took my bentos and ate it at home. There is very little seating inside however there is a park nearby where you can sit and enjoy your bentos. As for the matcha drink, it was solid

The service here was good too. The staff is really nice and very open to answering any questions about the menu. You can call in and order or you can order inside on their iPad.

This is definitely a spot I recommend checking out if you're looking for high quality bentos. Try it out if you like. :)“

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

“Nice little spot! Emphasis on little. Went in, was the only diner for a while until a few other folks came in. Sat at the counter that had a convenient foot bar. Staff was attentive. The music was really calming too.
Ordered the duck breast ramen for 1$18 and it was so good! Great flavors! Was so excited to eat, I burned my tongue a little🥲 Didn’t try any sushi, but if you’re looking for a ramen fix, you won’t be disappointed!“

“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“

“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.“

“9 items 🍱 bento & udon are awesome 👏“

“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.“

“-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.“

“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 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.“

“Had a great lunch. Bento 🍱 boxes and sushi 🍣“

“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.“

“very good salmon and gyoza. the sashimi were very fresh“

“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.“

“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 :)“

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

“service and quality are top notch“

“Absolutely fantastic dining experience!

Everything was delicious—especially the tempura, which was perfectly crispy and full of flavor 🍤. The seaweed wrapping the rice and handrolls was unbelievably fresh and crunchy—I’ve never had anything like it! The staff were incredibly friendly and professional, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. The sake and wine selection is excellent, too.

It’s a great spot for a date, but also perfect if you’re dining solo. I can’t wait to go back!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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“

“Tachikawa has a warm and friendly atmosphere. The service was prompt and cordial. The food is very good and served more in a "Home-Style" vs a more extravagant style you will find a some sushi/Japanese restaurants. The fish was fresh and we enjoyed the sushi presentation very much! The Tonkatsu was crispy and plentiful. These are my two gauges for any Japanese restaurant. If the fish is fresh and the Tonkatsu is not tough and the breading stays on the meat, I will come back!“

“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.“

“We had the most wonderful dinner tonight at Noren Izakaya! Everything was fantastic from start to finish! From the service to the cocktails to the variety of food, to the dessert! Japanese yakitori and grilled street food and even sashimi! My new favorite! A must if you live or are visiting San Francisco! Oh! And tonight is not the night to skip dessert! 😘“

“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.“

“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)“

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

“Dinner started off strong with flavorful chicken and beef skewers, and the salmon kama was a highlight—perfectly cooked and delicious.

The rolls were less impressive. The Rock & Roll and Spider rolls were drenched in eel sauce, which overpowered everything. I’m always a bit cautious when sushi comes heavily sauced—it feels like something’s being covered up. The sushi rice was also a bit soggy.

The uni, saba, and hamachi sushi were all fresh and enjoyable, though the uni portions were smaller than expected.

Bill came out to over $150. A little pricey for what we got, but with smarter ordering, I’d give it another try.

4 stars“

“Tokyo Express, back in the early 2010's, used to be really popular with a line during lunchtime. Some of my old co-workers used to enjoy coming here. Business has sure when downhill since the pandemic. There was only one other table occupied at lunch time on a Wednesday. The staff was really busy however packing up to-go orders. I had their Wednesday special, the tonkatsu $13. The pork fillet was a bit dry and not juicy, tender and properly cooked. The panko had a nice crunch. It did come with an alright tonkatsu sauce. With this dish, it should come with shredded cabbage served with a miso-ginger dressing or Japanese sesame dressing, but it didn't come with it. Since this is not an authentic Japanese restaurant, I didn't knock off stars for that. Service was non-existent as this is an order at the counter style restaurant and no tea or water was served. There was a free cup of miso soup and my food came out in a reasonable amount of time.“

“Nice and accommodating 😘😘😘“

“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.“