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    AKEMI Japanese Restaurant

    3.8 (425 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM

    Order AKEMI Japanese Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    AKEMI Japanese Restaurant Photos

    AKEMI JAPANESE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - AKEMI Japanese Restaurant

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    kim d.

    One of my favorite places in Berkeley--been going here for the last 4 years, and the quality of fish has never let me down! My go-to roll is the truffle toro (although I'm not too sure of the official name) and the negihama (yellowtail roll)! The rice is always perfectly cooked, and the fish is top tier! The ambiance is very moody, so it's perfect for a date night, although I love stopping by casually for a quick bite. Service is always welcoming and I've been a regular for the longest time! Beautiful decor and amazing bites!

    Okonomiyaki
    Chris N.

    Upscale Japanese restaurant in North Berkeley. They have Okonomiyaki here but not quite what I used to get at this restaurant in Japantown that closed a few years ago. It would also be nice to expand on the protein offerings as well. I ordered beef teriyaki plate which I asked staff to make sure it was medium well but what I got was a pretty bloody medium. Although we got seated pretty quickly, the staff never really checked up on us much. Not really worth the price for an upscale restaurant they serves mediocre Japanese cuisine. 2.5 stars for me.

    Sushi Menu 7/25
    Abby C.

    I really enjoyed the atmosphere this restaurant provided. I was quite impressed with the sleek interior, the wood tables, and the lighting. The restaurant felt very ambient, even at noon. While there were only two tables at lunch, the service was quite slow. My friend and I waited quite a while for the Bento box and a couple rolls. The red dragon roll was fantastic, I enjoyed the quality of the tuna and the spice. I also ordered the 49er roll and I was very pleased to find the crab was not imitation crab. I tasted some of the wagyu beef my friend got in her bento and it was so tender and flavorful. I'm quite surprised at the generous portions of tempura, beef, and salad the bento had. I think it was well worth.

    Kathy V.

    Anyone say sushi? I can tell you I've had Akemi on my list for years! Located off Solano Ave in Albany/Berkeley. Sometimes it's hard to find good quality sushi and Akemi filled my needs. Agadashi Roasted squid Spicy edamame Chirashi bowl Ebi Toro roll Full and satisfied They also have Omakase for 100.00 Winning

    Giant's Roll
    Ronna I.

    This was a good choice for lunch. We shared a few sushi rolls in a nice and relaxing atmosphere with friendly service. We had the Crunchy Tuna Roll, Rainbow Roll, and the Giant's Roll. We appreciated that not a lot of sauce was used. Sometimes, the sauce can be too much and no other flavors come through. The fish was tender and its flavor subtle.

    Chicken Karaage
    Naima C.

    Went here to celebrate a friends birthday, I had never been in this area of Berkeley but it is located in a very cute spot. The restaurant is very lowkey and the restaurant provides a good atmosphere that welcome people. The food was delicious and everything tasted fresh and had good portions! I recommend adding the strawberry yuzu spritzer! Really good! My friends tried the lobster ramen and it was a really good size of lobster that came with the food and the broth had a lot of great flavors. Overall nice spot and I am happy to have discovered this new area.

    Service is great quick and the food quality is amazing, clean and organized. The place is well kept and aesthetically pleasing. Staff was very friendly!

    Menu (2/2) as of 1/19/25
    Winston L.

    3.5 Stars. Nothing really stood out for us. Sushi flavor and ingredient quality was there, albeit at the expense of sushi size. Ramen was good. Overall decor was quite nice

    Long sushi bar
    Patricia W.

    I booked the reservation on the past Sunday at 6 pm, via Open Table. When I called to make the appointment last Saturday, the receptionist was unable to take my reservation because it was very busy at the restaurant, she told me to make the appointment online or call an hour later. I had to read through the website to find it on the "About" section mentioned about make the reservartion via Open Table. I wish the OpenTable link could add to the front page of the website to make it easier for booking. Nice ambiance, like the salvaged wood for the tables and seats at the reception and bar are. We sat near the kitchen and facing the long sushi bar. There were a fruit fly over our table before our dinner, glad it was gone when the food served. The sake samplers were best for those who like to try different sake but don't have to order the whole bottle. My husband and I shared the Akemi sampler, it was only $18 for three kinds of sake. We shared the following food from the menu: Chicken Karaage, California rolls with real crab meat, sushi nigiri of Uni ($23), Hamachi yellow tail, Blue Fin Toro fatty tuna, Tai red snapper. Tonkotsu combo with mixed Tempura, Ikayaki grilled whole squid. I would stick to the sushi, good quality fish was fresh and delicious, good thickness of the fish slices, the sushi rice could be better because it was a bit mushy. The combo was a good value. The grilled whole squid was a disappointment, it was skinny and did not look and tasted like grilled (please refer to the grilled Hokkaido squid at Ippuku, I could encore on it). No complaint on the service, it was decent overall.

    Just opened for this cold eve.

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Great sushi spot! Wonderful service, delicious food, gorgeous and chic ambience. So coming back for more!

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Had a great meal very good services within my time was the first customer and first time there very good spot and low key!

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    9 years ago

    Great food, great service, great selection of sakes and nice decor. What more do you need?

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    Page 8 of 11

    AKEMI Japanese Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - AKEMI Japanese Restaurant

    Is this AYCE?

    We do not offer AYCE - All You Can Eat. Akemi Japanese Restaurant offers A La Carte dishes from the kitchen, as well as combination plates, and ramen options. We also offer A La Carte items from our sushi bar (Sashimi, Nigiri, Maki rolls, and full… Read more

    View All 3 Questions

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    Flavors, textures and character…read more Thank you for a great lunch experience. The owner's service was wonderful and made it all that more welcoming. Tip: get the Tamarind seasoned fries. Fun added twist to the seasoning.

    We decided to give this place another try after having a bad experience with their takeout 5 years…read moreago - it was during the pandemic so we figured maybe by now they'd found their footing. Unfortunately the food was just as bad and overpriced as the first time, I really don't understand how this place is so well reviewed. We both ordered 310 Burgers, one on the regular brioche bun and one on a lettuce wrap. The lettuce wrap came in two steamed, wilted pieces of iceberg, while the brioche bun was untoasted, foamy-textured and soggy. Both medium burgers had the consistency of boiled meatballs. The bacon jam was decent, but the overall experience was wildly unappetizing. We also both got plain fries, which were somehow greasy and dry at the same time, and instantly turned stale as they cooled down. We really hoped for this place because it's conveniently located, and all the other decent burger spots nearby have closed, but sadly we won't be giving 310 Eatery a third try.

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    310 Eatery - Larger groups find The 310's space highly amenable at Brunch time or any time-One of Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat, in America - call to RSVP

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    Bua Luang - Feel walm and cozy while dining.

    Bua Luang

    3.8(357 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Healthy dining

    Lunch Special $22 Chicken Satay appetizer and Cashew Nut with Tofu. $6 Thai iced tea with coconut…read more Tofu was well seasoned and surprisingly more delicious than the chicken satay which was already pretty decent. Really nice flavor profile with plenty of umami, spices, and oil to provide fullness. Thai Iced Tea tastes like the premade stuff I'm familiar with at many restaurants. Good food but not necessarily worth going out of your way to try.

    Normally we really love this place but last night we were planning to eat there and arrived at…read more8:35. Their hours say that they close at 9 pm. In the past, while there, we've known them to stop taking orders at 8:45. We were ready looking forward to eating there and really disappointed that they didn't seat us. For people looking to eat here, make sure you arrive at least 35 minutes before closing and for the restaurant, you might want to be more clear on your listings what time you actually stop serving. We did however find a really good Thai restaurant alternative that we wouldn't have tried otherwise and they are open until 10 which is nice., We don't normally eat so late but last night we had some unavoidable delays. We wish they had been more flexible and clear on the hours of operation.

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    Bua Luang - Patio area seating in the sunny day. Perfect for dining and drinking.

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    Bua Luang - Kao Mun Kai. One of the most popular Thai street food dish. Now available for everyone to enjoy.

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    Kitchen Story - Chicken and waffles, very good.  Waffles so sweet, syrup was unnecessary.

    Kitchen Story

    4.0(1.4k reviews)
    3.9 miNorth Oakland
    $$

    Living down the block for years this is the first time I've been to kitchen story. The weekends…read morewhen I would drive by seems like there's always a lot of people here so I made a reservation reservations online and you have the option to choose if you want to sit outside inside or upstairs. I reserved for three to sit in the main dining room. The next day we arrived right on time for our reservation and still had to wait about 10-15 minutes and was asked if we could sit outside and then we were seated upstairs. I was a little bummed we didn't get to sit in the lower dining room like I booked on our reservations. It was still cute upstairs and good company always makes brunch even better. The servers were quick and helpful. I wanted something light so I just ordered the chicken and waffle bites. My husband got French toast and a side of chicken and my friend got a main entrée of a sandwich with some fries and a little soup. All of the food that came out looked amazing even at other people's tables. For brunch, the price is a little pricey, but I would like to come back to try other entrées when I'm more hungry. We asked one of our servers if he had a light as I brought a little candle to celebrate my friend's birthday, and as he lit it, he also decided to join in with us as we sang happy birthday, which I thought was really sweet. He did not have to do. He even got other tables around us to sing happy birthday as well. It felt like a special moment for my friend, which was a nice surprise. I did really appreciate this part and look forward to coming back.

    We visited Kitchen Story for a spontaneous Mother's Day brunch. I will say this is a popular brunch…read morespot, so be prepared for a bit of a wait. We arrived shortly after 10am and our wait was just under 30 minutes. The restaurant is cozy (on the smaller side) but has an interesting layout. There's seating both indoors, outside, and upstairs. You may have to squeeze by a few tables to make your way to the restroom. Customer service was friendly and attentive. Pricing for food & drinks was a bit high. Our total for 2 entrees and 2 drinks was $60 before tip. We ordered two drinks (orange juice and an iced mocha) which were provided promptly. The orange juice was a little too sour and my mom had to add some sugar to improve the taste. The iced mocha was good, not too sweet. One thing to note the wait for our food took much longer than expected, and it may have been due to how busy it was. My mom opted to order the salmon yuzu benedict and I got an egg plate (scrambled eggs) with a side green salad. My mom mentioned the potatoes lacking salt but she enjoyed the salmon benedict. I thought the scrambled eggs were good, but slightly bland & needed salt and pepper. The side green salad was alright, but the vinaigrette had a bitter aftertaste. Overall, the meal was pretty good and timing wasn't the best. I'd likely return for brunch on a non-peak day. Definitely recommend joining the yelp waitlist prior to arriving if you can!

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    Kitchen Story
    Kitchen Story - Mascarpone Stuffed Deep Fried French Toast the outside was more crunchy than expected. Was a bit tough to chew.

    Mascarpone Stuffed Deep Fried French Toast the outside was more crunchy than expected. Was a bit tough to chew.

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    Korean FC & Waffles Breakfast

    Vanessa's Bistro - Chicken lettuce wraps, so good!

    Vanessa's Bistro

    4.1(550 reviews)
    0.0 miBerkeley Hills
    $$

    Update: I tried two more items last night: Duck confit bao and Clay pot. Both were very good. The…read morebao were soft, flavorful and had a nice combination of duck and (enoki?) mushrooms among other things. The clay pot rice was great! The delicious crispy bottom of the pot rice, delectable chicken and shrimp in a delicious sauce. My only complaint would be that there wasn't enough bok choy, I love bok choy! I can't believe Vanessa's has been around for 20 years, and I just tried it for the first time. I recently moved back to Albany, right off Solano, from North Berkeley, and decided to try all the restaurants I haven't yet tried. In a word, fabulous. The food, vibe, and staff are all amazing. I was there on a Wednesday night (Wine Wednesday, 1/2 off bottles of wine), by myself, about 45 minutes before closing. It was a slow night, with about 6 people at the bar and maybe 2 or 3 other active tables in the dining area. They have a wonderful vibe in there; every member of the staff was über-friendly, accommodating, and patient. I ordered a house-made lemonade, which the bartender brought to me himself with a big smile as I perused the menu. I purposely ordered extra food since my entire kitchen was still in boxes, and I only had access to my new microwave. I had mentioned to my server that I had just moved, and during my meal, Vi (co-owner and daughter of THE Vanessa) came to introduce herself and welcome me to the neighborhood, a very nice gesture, and one that brought me back with friends two nights later, with Vi remembering my name. Anyway, on to the food. French onion soup; nice, was it the best FOS I've had? No, but still solid. The crouton was more like a slice of baguette. Salt & Pepper Calamari; really good! An amazingly light and crispy batter encased calamari strips, loaded with flavor, super tender, delicious dipping sauce, and a very large portion for a "small plate". Vanessa's Spicy Sautéed Lemongrass with garlic, onions & green beans topped with roasted peanuts: I chose chicken for my protein. Again, the meat was extremely tender, the dish very flavorful, much more lemongrass-forward than at other restaurants, which I loved. The staff and Vi kept insisting I take my time and not to worry about the 8:30 closing time. People were still lingering in the bar area, and I did as I was told, relaxed, and enjoyed my meal (thoroughly). Bottom line, I loved it and plan on being a regular fixture :)

    I read the good reviews of this place so I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. I was…read moredisappointed by the whole experience. 1. The service was poor and the food was "meh." This was 6 pm on a Tuesday, so not that busy. 2. My friend ordered a filet mignon- medium well - it came back rare. We even had a discussion about it with the waiter. The waiter forgot about us after dropping off the food, so it took a very long time to get his attention and get the order corrected. 3. I ordered a lychee cocktail and it tasted like dirty water! It was terrible so I returned in and got a margarita instead. That too, was very sub par and made me immediately sleepy. This usually means they use really low-quality alcohol and ingredients. 4. I ordered Pad Thai- how can that go wrong? Well it did. It just had no flavor and was rather bland. I've never had bland Pad Thai, but now I can cross that off my bucket list. I actually had to ask for soy sauce to give it some kind of flavor, and still it was meh. In conclusion: Vanessa's Bistro and I will never cross paths again. I prefer to spend my hard-earned money elsewhere.

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    Vanessa's Bistro
    Vanessa's Bistro - Chartreuse!!! Green label

    Chartreuse!!! Green label

    Vanessa's Bistro - Chicken lettuce wraps!!!

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    Chicken lettuce wraps!!!

    AKEMI Japanese Restaurant - japanese - Updated May 2026

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