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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“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 🌯“

“This is me and my husbands absolute favorite sushi spot in all of the bay! The fish is so fresh and the rolls are so creative and delicious! I only have a picture of empty plates because we are too excited whrn it comes. The people there are also so friendly and welcoming. We love it here!! I would give them 10 stars if i could“

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

“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.“

“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“

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

“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 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!“

“service and quality are top notch“

“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.“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“I got the chicken katsu curry and it was phenomenal, best I’ve ever had. Chill atmosphere, friendly staff, it felt like I was sitting down for a home cooked meal. Any time I’m in the area for work I’m coming here to explore more of the menu items. The chicken katsu curry came with a salad, miso soup, rice, and curry separate from the chicken. The hot tea was good too“

“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!“

“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.“

“Been hot so was craving soba. That and the tempura really hit the spot. But what I really want to highlight is the service. My daughter was craving tonkatsu ramen and she’s really shy when speaking to people. So she didn’t clarify that she wanted ramen and not the plate. She was a bit disappointed but she loves katsu everything so she was ok with it. Our waitress overheard and came by and gave us a bowl of ramen noodles and broth on the house. For something that we were at fault for.
Just can’t rave about it enough. We will be back for sure. Also for those amuse bouche of tuna and avocados too.“

“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.“

“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 :)“

“All the food looks amazing! Unfortunately, a most of the fishes on the nigiri was kind of tasteless so it's hard to distinguish between the pieces. I didn't like the fish eggs because it was slightly fishy - this might be my personal palette though. The eel with avocado and cucumbers was really tasty.
Note, I suggest looking at what you're purchasing because the fish pieces might slightly differ in size. And for the price your paying, you probably want the bigger pieces like how I would.“

“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.“

“Nice and accommodating 😘😘😘“

“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.“

“great food & great service!“

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

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

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

“The food is so good, the prices are affordable, and the owner is so kind. They deserve all of the business!

I got the 2-piece chicken combo with the garlic miso dry dust. It comes with two beautifully fried, good-sized pieces of juicy chicken thigh over rice, some chopped cabbage and a light salad. For the price, the portion was awesome! They also have many interesting side dishes I want to try!“

“My Husband and I have been looking for a solid sushi place for us and our two teenagers. As you can imagine finding a place to suit everyone can be a challenge. After 2 misfires we landed here and though the other two might be nice for an array of other reasons, this fits all expectations across the board.

The environment is very cute and like being immersed in a sushi place in Japan(Gorgeous woodwork). The staff was friendly and there was a lovely live musician that really said the environment to the next level for a Friday night out with the family.

The food was incredible and since we went for happy hour, everything was priced better than just about any Restaurant we’ve been to recently. The rations in the rolls were proper nice chunks of avocado!!! GET THE SPIDER TACO!!!

Kk byeeeeee“

“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.“

“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.“

“I’ve had the great joy and pleasure to eat omakase all over the world - including Japan, and this was the best meal of my life. The thoughtfulness, sustainability and conscious touch to every little thing made this Omakase experience above the rest. Additionally, our wonderful Chef sang accolades/praises about all of the sources he gets the pieces of the meal from, but did not once brag about himself. He needs to be bragged about! Chef Joji Nonaka is incredible. The art, precision, talent, and thoughtfulness he has is unmatched.
I’ll be chasing this meal for the rest of my life.“

“Very good quality of food 👍“

“My favorite sushi spot in the whole Bay Area. That's incredible how much food (really fresh and flavorful) you get for the prices they have. The service is always friendly and quick. We normally just walk in and get a table but on weekends dinner time there could be a wait(20-30 min). After discovering this spot a couple of years ago we always eager to cross the bridge to have the best sushi in a non pretentious atmosphere.“

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

“I love this sushi and ramen spot! I haven’t tried the ramen yet, but I keep coming back for the sushi. It’s officially become my new go-to spot. Their garlic edamame is amazing too. It’s absolutely smothered in garlic, which I personally love, so it’s always a must order for me. Their presentation is so cute, they really pay attention to the little details.“

“Everything. Best of everything.“

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

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

“Cha-Ya is very good traditional Japanese food that is all vegan. All of their food is excellent from the sushi to the udon to the various small plate offerings. The ingredients are so fresh and high quality and the food is so comforting and delicious. Prices are quite reasonable, but be aware that it is cash or venmo only. There is rarely a wait for a table, and the service is quick and friendly. It's got a homey/old school vibe and isn't a chic modern place, but that's a good match to the very homey traditional food. Highly recommend if you want a big meal that will leave you feeling great at the end.“

“The best sushi in the bay. The salmon nigiri is incredible. The rolls are also delicious. Fastest sushi in the world. Just walk in pick your roll, pay and depart. There is also a wonderful selection of candy, packaged snacks, and soy sauce etc… I always try and use cash to support small businesses.“

“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☺️…😜“

“Excellent foods, friendly staffs! We really love to have dinner here~ Absolutely, I will visit again when I come back to Berkeley!“

“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.“

“This was our first time here and I placed an to go order. Walked right in and was quickly greeted and placed my order with the friendly worker. I ordered a caterpillar roll, Fortune roll, Giants roll and a Sake avocado making roll. Everything was delicious and I want to return and try so other items. Beware parking is extremely difficult to find when I arrived around six pm.“