50 Best Japanese Restaurants near Richmond

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

“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.“

“Was planning going out to there sister store for dinner tonight but they where closed and after doing more research I found there sister store and had to try it out.Was pleasantly surprised by my deluxe nigiri it had many different kinds of fish choices on it. As well as the meals my group had and the lady that served us was very nice. Definitely will come back again.“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

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

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

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

“Great food and great service“

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

“Every single dish at Oken is incredible and I rarely say this about any restaurant. I'm afraid to post this review to alert others of the awesomeness of Oken but the chef and the Oken team deserve the praise and awareness of the phenomenal restaurant experience which they have created.“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“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 🌯“

“Delicious food and friendly staff“

“Intimate sushi and Japanese restaurant. The handrolls are delicious, crispy and subtle flavor. The fish is fresh (key to good sushi and sashimi). It's definitely higher level Japanese restaurant. And the servers are attentive and very friendly. They gave my toddler special attention and kept him happy ( no small feat). Definitely a premium sushi and sashimi restaurant at a reasonable price.“

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

“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.“

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

“9 items 🍱 bento & udon are awesome 👏“

“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!“

“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 :)“

“We booked an early 5:15 pm reservation and arrived 10 minutes before but had to stand in line along with all those that had show tickets before being seated almost 15 inutes later. Maybe Yoshi's will consider a separate line for dinner only guests? Our 2 year old guest wolfed down the kobe beef kabobs! So tender and flavorful. Then he grazed on his very generous kid's meal of soba noodles, tempura, chicken teriyaki and rice! So happy! Adults enjoyed tempura calamari, the Japonese, Jack London and Warrior rolls along with hamachi nigiri. Fish was fresh. Sadly we had to ask for soy sauce 4 times before a staff member brought to our table. Then we were served an order of what the staff member called hamachi nigiri but it was ikura so we had to call attention to getting the incorrect item. The tatami room was a nice experience, especially for our 2 year old guest. Seemingly private.“

“I grew up eating raw fishes that got fished out in the morning so my standards are maybe high here.

I took the Sashimi Chef's choice and a green tea. The decoration of the room and the plate were very beautiful and peaceful, the sashimi were ok+.

The slices were not perfectly cut so I had to manually separate them, and I got mostly fatty parts, I really prefer lean parts.
Overall, not very amazed by the taste but it wasn't bad.

Paid 55,6 dollar after tax.“

“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.“

“During the week I spent visiting my daughter, a student at Berkeley, we went there twice: delicious, everything fresh, huge portions. After Europe, this is unreal quality for reasonable money. Thank you so much! I hope to visit you again, and more than once!“

“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!“

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“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 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“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“I heard about this restaurant through Forum on KQED this morning. I promptly took my family there for lunch and it did not disappoint!
The ordering process was self service which was not very clear. We ordered two chicken breast katsu and one curry rice plate with katsu. We were served with water first and the curry rice plate came out soon after. The delicious pork katsu was declared excellent. Our chicken katsu came afterwards and it was SO good. The katsu were served with the best cabbage salad I’ve ever tasted, just right dipping sauce, crispy marinated daikon and sushi rice. And then, there’s the katsu- lightly battered, flakey with juicy insides- the best I’ve tasted outside of Japan. The $24 price is a lot for lunch but it is a copious amount of food and well worth it.“

“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.“

“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.“

“The food was absolutely delicious — the ingredients were perfectly balanced in both texture and flavor. The atmosphere was great, and I really appreciated the thoughtful touch in the restroom: providing personal hygiene items for women and even toothpaste. It’s nice to see such genuine care for guests!“

“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!“

“I have been wanting to try their bento and macha for a long time. they always have a line outside. this time i made it. the macha is thick. next time i will order without the strawberry paste. I ordered duck bento for food and it looks so cute. it is slightly spicy. next time i will come bk and try their bento salmon one - it is sold out already :(“

“great food & great service!“

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

“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)“

“Update:

Came back again and the udon tasted even better than the first time! Got to try the wings this time which were superb, they also changed their potato salad to a perfectly breaded potato croquette. Uni was on the menu, so we got some nigiri’s as well as topped it on our udon! Their clam risotto was also super unique and had a ton of texture. Another big surprise was the crab cake sushi roll which was a deep fried sushi roll stuffed with real crab meat, and they do not skimp on the crab! Overall another amazing experience again and I cannot wait for the full menu.
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They say good things are worth waiting for and I waited all year for izakaya shodai to open, and it did not disappoint!

Gorgeous modern interior inside with plentiful seating. Soft opening so menu is more condensed but gives a good idea of what to expect from this establishment.

I tried the mentaiko udon, beef tongue skewer, tuna tataki, and was also given the curry fries on the house. Fav was the beef tongue, proper cut with a perfect smokiness to it since it was grilled over charcoal, just salt and pepper is the way to go! Mentaiko udon did not skimp on the mentaiko, most places just add a creamy sauce to cover up the fact that they don’t have enough mentaiko, whereas shodai is generous with it. Noodles had a perfect bounciness to it, only slight miss is it was a tad oily, but otherwise delicious and came with a side of potato salad. Tataki was seared to perfection with great sauce and flavoring. The curry fries were also good, I think it might be better if the curry was on the side for dipping so the fries can retain its crispiness; but it was refreshing to see a dark curry dish whereas most places usually serve light curry.

Cannot wait to come back and see what else is to come. Had a chance to speak with the managing partner Andy, and there are definitely some additions to the menu that I will for sure want to be the first to try (hello uni dishes!)“

“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.“

“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.“

“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 😘😘😘“

“We have had a few amazing dining experiences here! The sushi is so fresh, the sake sommelier Stewart is really knowledgeable and has some great recommendations!!“