The portions are significantly smaller, and the prices notably higher, than other options. The food itself is fine, nothing special. If it wasn't open late I would not recommend coming here. The servers did their best.
Michelle F.
Food and service is amazing. Restaurant is family friendly and very accommodating. I would come back.
Jenny M.
The ambience is quiet. Service is friendly and quick. Great for a work lunch. Extensive menu but has a smaller menu on a pinch. The specialty rolls are done well.
Preston S.
Wonderful staff and authentic Japanese food! The aesthetic of the place is well put together. Great for friends and families to eat together!
Amy L.
Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Price: 3.5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 TL;DR: This place has such a cute, traditional Japanese aesthetic -- most of the seating are regular tables but they have a tatami styled seating that fits larger groups. It does get a little chilly in there are lots of fans that are running throughout the restaurant. The service is great, everyone was really nice and patient. The quality of the fish is really good -- comparable to some of my favorite sushi spots in SF but does fall on the more expensive side. But for a restaurant in San Leandro, it's such a hidden gem. (also their wasabi is so good and strong, big fan lol) Nankotsu: *5/5*: Fried chicken knee cartilage. This was so so so good. If you like cartilage, you must try it. The batter & seasoning were delicious. It's pretty much like standard chicken karaage with pieces of chewy, crunchy cartilage pieces. Wish it came with some sort of sauce or aioli (but sauce isn't needed) Tuna Carpaccio: *4/5*: The tuna is delicious -- really fresh and soft, melt in your mouth. Pairs really well with the fresh greens and citrus-y sesame garlic dressing. The tuna was really thin and for the price, would've been nice if it was thicker. Salmon Sashimi: 4*/5*: 3 pieces of fresh soft, tender and melt in your mouth salmon. Can't go wrong with this (kind of expensive though) O Toro Nigiri: *5/5*: Such thick buttery soft pieces of tuna. The sushi rice was pretty good as well but not the best ever. Throw some wasabi on this and it's the perfect bite. Sunset Roll: *3/5*: the spicy crab and pieces of sashimi on top of the roll was good; however there was barely any tempura shrimp inside the roll. Some pieces either had just tempura batter (no shrimp) or such tiny pieces of shrimp so it feels like you're eating veggies, rice, and the fish on top. Also wished there was a sauce drizzles on top. Chicken Skin Skewer: *4/5*: pretty good, crunchy yet chewy. But for the price, probably won't order it again unless I'm really craving it. Pork Belly Nigiri: *2/5*: the pieces we got were way too overcooked so it was super dry and tough to eat -- disappointing that it was that bad, especially given the price too Tempura Udon: *5/5/*: this is SOOO good. we loved how the udon noodles were actually thinner than typical, and it was super soft yet chewy. The broth was perfectly savory and so addicting. Tempura is fried really well and it came with a "sauce" which was essentially the broth with grated radish in it. Would definitely order this again, we were so impressed.
Rachel E.
Kaisen Don is in an unassuming spot in San Leandro. The interior is clean and decorated beautifully. Service is courteous and on point. We had a party of 9 and made a reservation for Saturday night a week in advance. We were seated immediately and we ordered an assortment of items to try. I had sticker shock. The prices are extreme but they didn't dissuade me from ordering what I wanted. I ordered the Kaisen Don and it was fantastic. I would order it again. Other items we had: spicy edamame - buttery and flavorful tuna sashimi - fresh and delicious Fried calamari legs - to me, a boring standard menu item but this was exceptional. So tasty!!! toro carpaccio - it was fine, idk if I'd order it again tempura udon - my daughter enjoyed it chicken karaage - standard If we lived closer, it's a place we'd go to for special occasions.
Dani M.
I came here for lunch with a friend after seeing many foodie TikToks and reels about this place. We made a reservation for lunch, but didn't end up needing it because there was only 1 other party seated when we arrived. For appetizer we tried the Takoyaki which was crunchy and chewy, perfectly cooked. I ordered the Salmon Ikura Don ($29.99) and it came with 7 pieces of salmon on top of rice with shredded daikon, tomago and topped with "salmon caviar." My friend ordered the Sushi Combo A ($27.9with 8pc cali roll and 7pc nigiri. Both our items came with miso soup which was beyond amazing and house made with radish and carrots (the best miso soup I've ever had at a sushi restaurant). The one waitress was really attentive and never failed to ask us if everything was ok.
Royce R.
Look no further East Bay - Kaisen don is your best and only superior sushi house - even on a Tuesday - excellent homemade soup 5-hour slow simmer delicious miso vegetable tofu flavors. Excellent homemade pickled vegetable appetizer, crunchy, slightly sweet/salty, packed with delicate flavors. Try the Broadmoor and Sunset rools, the Jalapeño Salmon roll, too! Fantastic service, super authentic ambience but with cool blues/jazz crooner music. I'm not going anywhere else for Japanese EVER again. 5 Famous Kaisen don!
Christopher D.
Overpriced!!! Four people dined there on a regular Friday night. We ordered 2 sushi rolls, 3 tuna hand rolls, 2 skewers, 1 small sushi combo, one salad and 4 cups of hot tea. The entire meal costed $254 with tax and service charges. Based on my experience, other Japanese restaurants in the San Leandro/ Hayward area for same amount of foods with similar quality would cost a lot less than $254. This is just my opinion, I hope others would have better experience if they decide to try this place.
Brooke B.
Great spot! I've been four times now (mostly sit down, once for pickup) and each time I've enjoyed it. The fish is really fresh and the skewers have great flavor. Highly recommend!
Went here for my birthday recently. Couldn't get over how good that food was. I think i might've had a dream about it after. This could be one of the best sushi restaurants in the east bay, especially after so many places closed since covid or went under new management. The service was excellent, i loved the traditional decor, but the food. THE FOOD! So fresh and beautiful, perfect smell and color. I'll definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Monika T.
The food was good, service was quick, ambiance is cute, there is an area where you can sit Japanese style- shoes off, criss cross apple sauce. It's a big space- it looked busy. Got there late, no wait. Service was on point, so slow in figuring out what to eat- and the waiter checked on us 3x! Ordered some hand rolls, and 3 sushi rolls. Each had their specialty, but overall it was good. I would return to try other items
Anja Gullerfelt
Good quality fish, but very small portions for the price
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
ailynne pebenito
I used to go here often when it used to be Sushi Avenue. It has changed hands since then. The place has not changed much other than them updating one of the corner booth that used to be tiled back rest. The food selection has changed a lot. It seems a little bland. Service was a bit slow too. Food is photogenic ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Kaylee W.
very small portions, too pricey for the portions given, ambience nice, service was ok, smelled a little off to me, food tasted normal nothing special
The portions are significantly smaller, and the prices notably higher, than other options. The food itself is fine, nothing special. If it wasn't open late I would not recommend coming here. The servers did their best.
Food and service is amazing. Restaurant is family friendly and very accommodating. I would come back.
The ambience is quiet. Service is friendly and quick. Great for a work lunch. Extensive menu but has a smaller menu on a pinch. The specialty rolls are done well.
Wonderful staff and authentic Japanese food! The aesthetic of the place is well put together. Great for friends and families to eat together!
Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Price: 3.5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 TL;DR: This place has such a cute, traditional Japanese aesthetic -- most of the seating are regular tables but they have a tatami styled seating that fits larger groups. It does get a little chilly in there are lots of fans that are running throughout the restaurant. The service is great, everyone was really nice and patient. The quality of the fish is really good -- comparable to some of my favorite sushi spots in SF but does fall on the more expensive side. But for a restaurant in San Leandro, it's such a hidden gem. (also their wasabi is so good and strong, big fan lol) Nankotsu: *5/5*: Fried chicken knee cartilage. This was so so so good. If you like cartilage, you must try it. The batter & seasoning were delicious. It's pretty much like standard chicken karaage with pieces of chewy, crunchy cartilage pieces. Wish it came with some sort of sauce or aioli (but sauce isn't needed) Tuna Carpaccio: *4/5*: The tuna is delicious -- really fresh and soft, melt in your mouth. Pairs really well with the fresh greens and citrus-y sesame garlic dressing. The tuna was really thin and for the price, would've been nice if it was thicker. Salmon Sashimi: 4*/5*: 3 pieces of fresh soft, tender and melt in your mouth salmon. Can't go wrong with this (kind of expensive though) O Toro Nigiri: *5/5*: Such thick buttery soft pieces of tuna. The sushi rice was pretty good as well but not the best ever. Throw some wasabi on this and it's the perfect bite. Sunset Roll: *3/5*: the spicy crab and pieces of sashimi on top of the roll was good; however there was barely any tempura shrimp inside the roll. Some pieces either had just tempura batter (no shrimp) or such tiny pieces of shrimp so it feels like you're eating veggies, rice, and the fish on top. Also wished there was a sauce drizzles on top. Chicken Skin Skewer: *4/5*: pretty good, crunchy yet chewy. But for the price, probably won't order it again unless I'm really craving it. Pork Belly Nigiri: *2/5*: the pieces we got were way too overcooked so it was super dry and tough to eat -- disappointing that it was that bad, especially given the price too Tempura Udon: *5/5/*: this is SOOO good. we loved how the udon noodles were actually thinner than typical, and it was super soft yet chewy. The broth was perfectly savory and so addicting. Tempura is fried really well and it came with a "sauce" which was essentially the broth with grated radish in it. Would definitely order this again, we were so impressed.
Kaisen Don is in an unassuming spot in San Leandro. The interior is clean and decorated beautifully. Service is courteous and on point. We had a party of 9 and made a reservation for Saturday night a week in advance. We were seated immediately and we ordered an assortment of items to try. I had sticker shock. The prices are extreme but they didn't dissuade me from ordering what I wanted. I ordered the Kaisen Don and it was fantastic. I would order it again. Other items we had: spicy edamame - buttery and flavorful tuna sashimi - fresh and delicious Fried calamari legs - to me, a boring standard menu item but this was exceptional. So tasty!!! toro carpaccio - it was fine, idk if I'd order it again tempura udon - my daughter enjoyed it chicken karaage - standard If we lived closer, it's a place we'd go to for special occasions.
I came here for lunch with a friend after seeing many foodie TikToks and reels about this place. We made a reservation for lunch, but didn't end up needing it because there was only 1 other party seated when we arrived. For appetizer we tried the Takoyaki which was crunchy and chewy, perfectly cooked. I ordered the Salmon Ikura Don ($29.99) and it came with 7 pieces of salmon on top of rice with shredded daikon, tomago and topped with "salmon caviar." My friend ordered the Sushi Combo A ($27.9with 8pc cali roll and 7pc nigiri. Both our items came with miso soup which was beyond amazing and house made with radish and carrots (the best miso soup I've ever had at a sushi restaurant). The one waitress was really attentive and never failed to ask us if everything was ok.
Look no further East Bay - Kaisen don is your best and only superior sushi house - even on a Tuesday - excellent homemade soup 5-hour slow simmer delicious miso vegetable tofu flavors. Excellent homemade pickled vegetable appetizer, crunchy, slightly sweet/salty, packed with delicate flavors. Try the Broadmoor and Sunset rools, the Jalapeño Salmon roll, too! Fantastic service, super authentic ambience but with cool blues/jazz crooner music. I'm not going anywhere else for Japanese EVER again. 5 Famous Kaisen don!
Overpriced!!! Four people dined there on a regular Friday night. We ordered 2 sushi rolls, 3 tuna hand rolls, 2 skewers, 1 small sushi combo, one salad and 4 cups of hot tea. The entire meal costed $254 with tax and service charges. Based on my experience, other Japanese restaurants in the San Leandro/ Hayward area for same amount of foods with similar quality would cost a lot less than $254. This is just my opinion, I hope others would have better experience if they decide to try this place.
Great spot! I've been four times now (mostly sit down, once for pickup) and each time I've enjoyed it. The fish is really fresh and the skewers have great flavor. Highly recommend!
Restaurantji Recommends
Went here for my birthday recently. Couldn't get over how good that food was. I think i might've had a dream about it after. This could be one of the best sushi restaurants in the east bay, especially after so many places closed since covid or went under new management. The service was excellent, i loved the traditional decor, but the food. THE FOOD! So fresh and beautiful, perfect smell and color. I'll definitely come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was good, service was quick, ambiance is cute, there is an area where you can sit Japanese style- shoes off, criss cross apple sauce. It's a big space- it looked busy. Got there late, no wait. Service was on point, so slow in figuring out what to eat- and the waiter checked on us 3x! Ordered some hand rolls, and 3 sushi rolls. Each had their specialty, but overall it was good. I would return to try other items
Good quality fish, but very small portions for the price
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
I used to go here often when it used to be Sushi Avenue. It has changed hands since then. The place has not changed much other than them updating one of the corner booth that used to be tiled back rest. The food selection has changed a lot. It seems a little bland. Service was a bit slow too. Food is photogenic ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
very small portions, too pricey for the portions given, ambience nice, service was ok, smelled a little off to me, food tasted normal nothing special