22 Best Japanese Restaurants in Oakland

“Some really good Sushi here. I enjoyed the presentation and flavor on pretty much all of our rolls. There were a few I wasn't a fan of, but that's a preference thing, I could still appreciate them and they were fresh and flavorful. We did end up ordering pretty much 1 of every roll, so it wasn't cheap, but it was a great night out. Standout for us was the Black Cod and the Snow Crab. Drink menu was decent, my wife liked both her cocktails and I was happy with the Fieldwork IPA on draft.“

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

“Best hidden secret. I have a hard time not visiting this place daily. There are so many options of rolls, rice bowls, and side dishes to-go. I believe most items are raw. Small amount of bon fish options rolls. Kids favorites are the avocado roll and California rolls There are a ton of Japanese snacks like pocky, shrimp chips, chocolate covered almonds, hi chews, wasabi peas a number of drinks. The staff are great, always friendly and have good recommendations . I've been visiting this place since they opened and every time I go they've got something new. Prices are right.“

“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 absolutely love this place! I have celiac and am very appreciative that I can eat here because they have a gluten free menu and tamari.Their sushi is delicious and their service is great! Special shoutout to Linda for amazing customer service each time. I'll continue to recommend this restaurant to my friends!Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options!“

“We have been going to Kotobuki for the last eight years. This place is not only delicious, but all staff goes above and beyond to take care of everyone. Outstanding service! Delicious food! We are always looking forward to going. Recommending it to all our friends! Please stop by and support this wonderful business!“

“My friend and I wanted ramen and this place has excellent vegetarian ramen. It's as good as Marufuku, without the lines and the noise. One portion is big enough to share, but since a serving has one egg, it's easier to get two portions and take home what you can't eat.“

“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.“

“Very authentic flavor and cooking techniques. Excellent service. If you are going to a show, reserve a table for dinner. You can get really great reserved seats for the show. We like to dine at 6 and the doors open at 7:30. Prices - a tad high but boy do you get your money's worth! Also it is a great date night spot. Elegantly designed interior, very nice restrooms, And they validate parking!!!! I have been stopping in at Yoshi's since it was in Claremont Ave at College. Always a great place to dress up and go out to. If you are a music aficionado and pay attention to acoustics and the quality of the piano and sound / lights - you will love Yoshi's. Finally, you can order food, drinks, and desserts - at the show. We usually don't order alcohol with dinner. Since there is a 1 item minimum at the show, we order a cocktail for after dinner! Perfect night!“

“Ordered the sashimi appetizer over the phone for takeout on a late Saturday afternoon.Very efficient and friendly service.Given the location in a upscale area, I was surprised at the reasonableness of the price and the quality. Also, even though I didn't eat at site, it is a very pleasant intimate environment. If I'm ever in the area I would definitely come here again.“

“Since my first visit in 2019, RnR Sushi & Bowls has become my go-to spot for all occasions, from family dinners to friends' birthdays and casual meetups. The special rolls are a must-try — always fresh, flavorful, and wonderfully prepared. The service is just as impressive, consistently friendly and attentive. The location tops it all off, making it easily accessible and a pleasure to dine at. If you’re looking for top-notch sushi and a delightful dining experience, look no further than RnR Sushi & Bowls. They’ve never let me down.“

“Incredible ramen! I have had many ramen parlors. The pork broth is rich and not salty. The vegetarian ramen is equally rush and tasty. 5 star ramen. Highly recommend it. Bon appetit!“

“The folks who run the place are absolute gems, and the food is bomb! The auntie is so kind and often gives food to houseless people. The boats are fun of course! Best time to go for boats is 5-630. There are vegan options too. It is my go-to sushi spot in oakland.“

“It's a tad pricey, but alas, fresh, healthy food is hard to come by these days. In an effort to make 2024 the year my health takes priority, I need to do a little less eating out, and the struggle is real. However, with Genji, lunch takeout isn't a detriment to that goal. While you may not be wowed by immense flavor, I chalk that up to hopefully lack of salt and high caloric sauces. This spot is known for its fresh, made to grill, teriyaki plates - pick your protein, it comes with rice, edamame and a little salad. It's all freshly grilled to order and you can see that it seemingly is a Japanese couple that runs and owns the place. I went with the salmon and prawn combo plate which was about $23. A small, but completely adequate amount of salmon with a handful of prawns on a bed of white rice (brown rice is additional). It was crowded on a Tuesday at lunch time and the wait was about 15ish minutes, so if you're in a rush, this may not be the spot, although it looks like you can call ahead to put your order in. Overall, healthy, fresh and delicious. In a world that is seemingly being catered to fried and saucy dishes, this is the opposite.“

“Stopped by on a Friday evening around 7:00 p.m. and the place was pretty empty. My party of five ordered three specialty rolls, two California rolls, some nigiri, along with a few appetizers to share, including mixed tempura, karaage, and hamachi kama. The food came out quickly. I enjoyed the freshness of the rolls and this ended up being the perfect amount of food. The karaage was a bit dry and the hamachi kama was slightly overcooked but otherwise, everything else was not bad. My friends and I noticed our waiter did a bit too much upselling for our liking, but I can't fault him to much for his hussle. If you're looking for a casual sushi spot, Tomsa delivers. Last things to note: there's plenty of off street parking in the shopping center and 20% auto gratuity was applied to our party of five.“

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

“Great location and good quality of food with affordable price! TBH the flavor is a little bland, but all the hand rolls match well with the soy sauce provided. They have REAL WASABI and this is definitely a plus for this restaurant. Uni, toro & caviar hand roll I tried today is 100% amazing. Looking forward to its grand opening!“

“Wow! I've been coming to Coach once in a while for many years now. On this recent visit, the sushi was the best I've had not just at Coach, but anywhere, in a long time! Excellent fresh fish expertly prepared. Garlic edamame were delicious, and the rolls were creative and well balanced.“

“I usually don't leave a review unless I truly believe there was something exceptional (good or bad) about the place. This little, unassuming, sushiya is simply amazing. The service was so attentive and went above and beyond what you'd usually expect (thank you for the plum wine for us and ice cream for the kids!) and the sushi itself was really good and very well prepared. I honestly didn't expect much when we walked in (I was hungry, that I can readily admit) but the place was such a gem and I'm so happy we stopped by. Looking forward to doing it again soon!“

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

“This place was very different and tasty. The rice triangles are wrapped in seaweed with your filling of choice, like a little sandwich. I got the 2 triangle order and it came with edamame. I got chicken teriyaki, which was tasty and fresh, although a bit sweet for my taste. It was my son’s favorite. I also got the spicy Ahi Tuna. Tuna was delicious. I would return.“

“very healthy rolls but tasty as well. deadly duo ✌️“