50 Best Japanese Restaurants near San Pablo

“Cool sushi spot, atmosphere was very chill. I was pretty much the only one eating at the time. Sashimi was good, the 49er roll wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be but this pace was still great. Staff was very courteous and the food came really fast. They also give you large portions. You'll get full fast at this spot.“

“Great food and great service“

“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.“

“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 🌯“

“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.“

“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 :)“

“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.“

“service and quality are top notch“

“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.“

“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.“

“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“

“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.“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“great food & great service!“

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

“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.“

“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!“

“This takeout only spot has the MOST affordable and FRESH sashimi and sushi in the entire Bay!! The omakase box features fresh pieces of salmon, tuna, fatty tuna, roe, and scallop for $16.99. Zero fishiness at all. But my favorite is actually the seared salmon—omg it literally melts in your mouth 👌🏻👌🏻 The California roll uses actual snow crab and all their other rolls are good too. Only thing is they don’t open on weekends but they have a location in SF now. Highly recommend!“

“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)“

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

“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.“

“Nice and accommodating 😘😘😘“

“The food is great!!! Crew is awesome!!! Dine by the sea!!! Highly recommended!!!“

“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.“

“It is at the same location as Alley’s. Order at kiosk, food come out from the bar counter, and send back bowl to bar counter afterwards.
The ramen was tasty and the soup base was rich. We had original, red, and black tonkatsu. The red tonkatsu was hot, but very flavorful .“

“Amazing food and service. Ambiance on point as well“

“We came here for lunch right when they opened at 11 AM. There were no guests yet, so we were seated and served right away. The place was cozy, comfortable, and clean — even the bathroom was well maintained. They served water first, which was a nice touch.

We ordered the sake nigiri and were surprised by how big the salmon pieces were — definitely worth trying! The tempura appetizer was also great — light, not just all breading — and came with their own special sauce.

The katsu curry came with a generous serving of rice. It was good, though I found the katsu sauce a little bland for my taste. Still, the portion size was satisfying. It also came with miso soup and a salad on the side — both were delicious, especially the salad dressing!

My husband ordered ramen, and the meat was so tender and flavorful that I might try it next time. :)“

“Small place, attentive staff, amazing sushi.
- Their rolls are stuffed to the brim with sushi.
- The salmon sashimi is a large portion, and super good.
- We also tried their Geta don. The tuna was amazing!! The onsen egg was really great!!!

I loved the spicy scallop roll. My friends really enjoyed the real cali roll. The hamachi roll was great too.

My only complaint is that the rice consistency wasn’t great and seemed basically unseasoned.“

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

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

“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.“

“Sushi is good! Got the snow crab roll, salmon skin hand roll, spicy tuna roll, Berkley roll and salmon roll and they were all good! No food poisoning either so major plus! We got there right at 11am, and it's a cute little place. Felt like we were in Japan based off the decor! The place is small, right when you walk in the main area where the sushi bar is at you may be able to have 18 people in this room at the most! There is another side that has some seating. So definitely not a place for large groups! The service was on point, gentlemen making the sushi was very kind but when we asked to split or check per item, he was confused. He replied if I wanted to split it evenly and I said no I'd like it to be split per item of what each person ordered and it was like I was speaking a different language to him. He was able to figure out what I meant but this is the only negative thing I would say, don't assume people are on the same check. Staff need to make sure they ask prior to combining checks to save the confusion for the future. Also another side note, it is Berkeley and this location is located and what looks to be the ghetto. I am not from that area at all but do not let the location deceive you. This is a very good place! Prices are reasonable for the size of the sushi rolls. Average price is roughly $16 per roll and you get eight pieces out of each roll. If back in the area we'll definitely go back.

Also a major plus, we were given complimentary edamame!“

“I gave this location a try on Friday. I was the first one. My takeout order came out pretty quickly. It took 10 minutes. I ordered a spicy one and it had some kick to it. I wish the portions were a little bigger. Fortunately, I ordered a side item to help fill me up. For the price, I would say, it is above average... but not as good a value as Curry House when it was still around.“

“Everything. Best of everything.“

“Very good quality of food 👍“

“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.“

“An astonishing 18-course omakase, expertly prepared, sourced in the finest sushi chef tradition of impeccable quality.
Warm and comfortable welcome with a happy-to-share chef who told us stories about his choices in making what has to be one of the finest Japanese experiences stateside.
Tiny space, superbly arranged.

I cannot recommend it enough. Not cheap but value for money if you struggle to “have something you’ve never had anywhere else” (and don’t want the 9+ hour Tokyo flight).“

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

“This is our fourth time coming here and we're always so impressed with the delicious, fresh, creative,unique dishes that are beautifully presented. It's an unpretentious atmosphere and a great value as well. A true Berkeley institution!“

“I have come to this amazing establishment for over 15 years. Delicious. Efficient and amazing staff. Fresh and tummy always pleased. Yes!“

“经常更新季节性的鱼类…😋新鲜…主要的是老板很帅☺️…😜“

“Loved the food, I got the prime rib steak teriyaki and the mango ice cream. Service was great and waitresses were very friendly. Atmosphere was great, I love the light fixtures. Music was a little loud, though. I’d prefer jazz or an instrumental track over lyrical music.“

“Small shop with warm food and an open fridge section of sushi. There was also a wall of snacks. Prices are very reasonable. No verbal communication which I think is fine but the woman dropped my packed sushi upside down and then tossed it into a bag. Sushi rice was a bit too hard for my liking.“