This place felt sort of like a hospital cafeteria, which makes the food prices incongruous. The printed out menu photos sheathed in hole-punched binder sleeves that were pasted to the insides of all the windows really drove the point home. That said, it is arguably the most delicious sushi I've ever had, and the fact that it was vegan is nothing short of miraculous. Unfortunately, amazing food alone cannot carry a restaurant. The customer service was remarkably ordinary. My water glass was always full, plates were always cleared, and the food was spectacular, but there weren't a whole lot of warm smiles and friendliness. More of a functional "please tell me what you want to eat so I can get back to standing around" feeling from the staff. I accidentally walked into the kitchen section of the restaurant rather than the main dining room (the new space has two entrances) when I arrived at the restaurant and dared to smile at the chef, who could not muster a smile back at me. That set the tone of the evening, sorry to say. The place was eerily quiet, and though it was only 5:30pm a restaurant's magic should exist as soon as the 'Open' sign is hung. It lacked atmosphere; definitely not a romantic date environment, though you'll pay as if it were. Despite the amazing food I would still choose a restaurant with cheerful, warm staff and an engineered mood--whether it be lively and boisterous or swanky and romantic--over this place, even if the food wasn't as good. I'm glad I got to try it, though. Vegan sushi is a great concept, and Cha-Ya does the food artfully. Just wish it carried over to the restaurant's personality. read more

Vegan / veg delight? Yes! Japanese food experience? Not so much. Calibrate accordingly *_* As a former vegan, I get the excitement for having food you can eat! Cha-ya does the best non-egg battered tempura I've seen. Dengaku - underwhelming. It's a huge slab of eggplant, a portobello sliced in half, and a block of fried tofu with a super sweet glaze. Salad - huge mountain of daikon and carrots sliced like angel hair pasta. Sprinkled with a few sunflower seeds and edamame soybeans. Dressing (the most important part!) is heavy on vinegar, not well balanced. Brown rice - overlooked and really watery. Seasoning was veggie stock. Staff - 5 stars! Super sweet, generous, kind. They let us stay after lunch hours when they were closed for an impromptu meeting. Am listing 3 vs 2 stars for heart! read more

This is one of the only places to get veggie sushi. And boy, does it deserve that title. The Cha-Ya roll is delicious. All of the food is so good, you can't pass it up. The service, on the other hand is slow. It's a hindrance, but once you get over the service, it's a wonderful place to go out to eat. read more

Amazing food!!!!!!!! Nice, friendly service and a great selection of food. Lot of options but they are all solid. I love this place and so does my family. read more

This place is absolute crap. Service was nice but that's about it (which means nothing if the food sucks). I ordered 6 different sushi plates, avocado sushi, cha ya roll, this other specialty roll and some other gross crap. The food tasted so old and disgusting, there is no flavor to it. I think this is my first review that I actually had to go here to warn people. Even the avocado roll sucked and that's one of the easiest ones to do. Not to mention they are cash only and the food is overpriced and sucks. Shizen in SF is 10x better but I came here because Im in Berkeley a lot and wanted to give it a shot. Never coming back to this place again. read more

It's Vegan sushi. Whatever THAT is. I went there with a somewhat open mind (not really, but I wanted to make my vegetarian boyfriend happy) and tried to like it. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing, but my food tasted really healthy. Like diet food mixed with random leaves. If you're used to vegan/vegetarian food, it's probably really good. If you usually get sushi with fish in it (aka sushi), get a roll that has avocado or a friend one. That's what I'll do if my boyfriend ever makes me go back. read more

In general, I didn't find the food spectacular. It was somewhat fresh, the setting was nice (but not exceptional), and the food was overall quite bland. My partner and I ordered a combination of three items, including the shitake roll, the Cha-Ya roll, and the #36 rice. I can't find anything remarkable to say about them. Maybe if you are a vegetarian this stuff will appeal to you more. I have to say that it was quite pricey. As a reviewer mentioned before me, miso soup was $3, and the simple shitake role was $5. For what you get, I don't think the prices are reasonable. Alas, the miso soup tasted more like chicken broth you'd find in chicken noodle soup. read more

This place is pretty good! There are so many different options to choose from, which is great because there usually are very few vegetarian/vegan options at normal Japanese restaurants. That's why it's so exciting to find an all vegetarian/vegan place to eat! The curry noodles I got were alright, but the cha-ya rolls were really good! I would recommend trying those, although there are many other things you can get, too. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back to this place to try more of the dishes! Only thing that is a bit annoying is that it's a cash-only location. Other than that, it's surely worth a try if you're looking for some vegetarian or vegan Japanese food! read more

Gorgeous. Had my first legally purchased sake here -- the warm, Berkeley-made one. The food is perrfect. No joke. I had a very comforting and large meal of avocado/cucumber rolls (6 for four dollars?) and a lovely brothy dish with tofu, napa cabbage, potstickers, glassy clear noodles, etc... The ingredients were very fresh, handmade dumpling dough, totally vegan but very filling and flavorful. It's small, but I'd totally go again -- alone, with a date, or a friend or two for a cozy and satisfying meal. read more

On my visit to Berkeley, I needed to exorcise all the Jack-in-the-Box tacos and chicken sandwiches that were my option for food on my six hour commute from Los Angeles and the three beers I had as my victory beverage upon my arrival. I mentioned to that sweet lady of money "Let's go get Japanese food" and for once she agreed. No screaming, no nails against my fact, no issues of Artforum thrown at me, no high heels jabbed into my throat. Just simple agreeance for this type of food. We even invite the friend we're staying with to eat with us! For the first time ever, I actually used Yelp t find a restaurant. I usually find all of my places by taking a risk or from friends, but my friend never goes out in Berkeley so this was a new experience with him. Unfortunately, everyone on this site is so extreme in their reviews. "Server didn't look me in the eyes! 1 star!". "Eww! MSG! 2 stars!". "Yuck! They have gluten!". So I actually used pictures to see what the food looked like and saw their delicious curry tofu udon. It must be mine to be digested! The place was surprisingly crowded. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving and all the students were out of town, but this little place was fairly busy. We are still promptly seated. I order the curry tofu udon dinner that comes with inari sushi and a salad. My salad was very delicious with the focus being on thin slices of cucumber with a light and sweet dressing. There were a few peanuts an carrots tossed in to hive in flavor and texture. Went excellently with the very simple inari sushi. But the main dish was very delicious. Maybe my body was grateful for eating something that wasn't processed meats and deep fried chicken patties or maybe it was just nice to eat something so hot after being in the cold Berkeley night. The udon noodles were cooked quite nicely, but the curry broth was very tasty with all the spice and taste of curry. The tofu slices were nice and think and the slices of small veggies inside were just right. I was stuffed! My only complaint about the place would be when it came time to pay. The waitress was a little unfriendly and uncommunicative. I paid for all the meals which came to about $40 and so I put a $50 bill on the tray to pay and get . She took the fifty and then never returned. I waited ten minutes but no change. I actually had to go up and ask what happened. My ten bucks was the given back to me and I left a five dollar tip. Done deal. Afterwards the night was mine to conquer and to paint the streets of Berkeley red! I never went to college so tonight was going to be my crazzzzzy college night! But I just had a relaxing walk with the missus around town, saw a show and called it a night. It's a mellow town. read more

This place makes veggies look pretty in the simplest ways possible! With the amount of effort they apply to delicately slice their veggies for the best presentation, I guess I can overlook the steeper pricing. But if it were cheaper, I'd just eat lots more and visit daily. The food tastes great. I have a strange suspicion that they use mushroom bouillon but who am I to care? I use that stuff too! They have a great variety of menu options and the vegetables taste of good quality. If you're in the mood for homestyle Japanese eats that genuinely caters to a vegan appetite, you don't need to look past this place. Vegan. Cash only. read more

This review is based on one dining and many many walk-by's. Cha Ya is a small eaterie, just like many along Shattuck, except that it looks more warm and inviting inside, with people happily tucked into tables and the counter, curved over their dishes of vegetarian sushi and tempura, udon and soba. There is a podium outside with a clipboard and waitlist for guests to sign and then just wait to be called. Singles, couples and small groups of people wait with each other, eyeing you as you walk by, wondering if you're planning on waiting like them, *after* them. Tonight I joined them. My fiance and I signed ourselves onto the waitlist, then walked down the street to Fertile Grounds for some hot cocoa. When we returned - happily - we were seated within 5 minutes. There is a huge variety of vegan and vegetarian Japanese delights on the menu. We kept eyeing the same items - Tempura Roll, Cha Ya Roll, Vegetable Tempura Udon, which we ordered, and others I will have to go back and try. Each was delicious, well-portioned, and nicely presented. My favorite was the vegetable tempura udon. We had soy bean sundae with green tea and red bean sauce for dessert. Yum. Surprisingly Yum! No, it's not Haagen Daaz. The staff all said good-bye as we left. I always love that. It makes me feel like coming back. Which I will. It's not just one of many small average eateries in Berkeley, it's one of the gems. That's my $.02. read more

The things Cha-Ya does with veggies is amazing. Everything from the homemade miso soup to the poached pear dessert is amazing. I left feeling happy, full and very healthy. **This is a tiny restaurant and the waits can be rather long in the evening. But, it's well worth the wait. read more

I've been once being part of group that had a vegan amongst us. I am really into meat, so I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty everything was. I quite enjoyed trying a number of things. We didn't have any of the wierd waiting problems as reported by other users, so I recommend going on a Wednesday as they were quite empty, the staff kind, and the atmosphere relaxed. read more

this was in response to bryan m's review: At first I was afraid, I was petrified.... that the bee was going to fucking kill me!! wtf is with a vegan sushi place not having any fake fish? thumbs down. delicious soup though. read more

So good, but so expensive but it's around the corner from me, so it can't be helped. They've got the best miso I think I've ever had..and it's vegan. read more

I was in Berkeley last night with my friend Jojo running some errands, basically returning a super cool bike blender back to its rightful owner who kindly let my friend use it as a "fun" raiser and a "fund"raiser at a capoeira showcase this past Sunday. Anyway, we were both starving! We drove around the city and found Cha-Ya -- like whoa, Vegan sushi! That's different. FYI -- i am a meat lover, so I wasn't super hyped or excited to get into the restaurant. But, FYI -- I am also pretty adventurous about trying out stuff I've never had before, hence vegan sushi night. Parking was easy! The place was packed!! I mean relatively packed considering the maximum occupancy was probably about 30 guests -- crowded on a Wednesday night. I was so ready to eat so I unintentionally ignored the sign in list at the front door, walked in, saw an empty table that was still being cleaned and sat myself down after the guy behind the sushi bar nodded at me. Cool, easy parking! Easy window table on a busy night. Sweet! I looked out the window and I finally noticed the girl outside the restaurant sitting down with her dining partner. Damn! I guess I took their table. So sure enough, not meaning to be so rude, Jojo and I got up, walked out and I put our name down on the wait list at the front door. My stomach sounded like it was digesting itself. We sat outside of the busy restaurant for about 30 minutes before we were seated. Except for our patience running thin, we made the most of our wait just enjoying the cool Berkeley night, people watching, shaking my legs to keep warm, and just chatting. So, we're finally inside and seated at the bar, it took forever to get a menu and my stomach was churning by this point. Jojo noticed the chick next to him with her menu under her seat on the floor! GROSS!! Imagine all the germs on that menu. (This is an aside from Cha-ya review, but in general people, if you're done with your menu don't put it on the floor, that's just nasty! What if I put my menu on the floor then pick it up and give it to you so you can page through it, swipe all the germs on your hands, and have you ingest all that crap with your food??) Moving on, although it took forever for the waitress to come over and take our order, we actually appreciated the extra time to read through the menu and decide what to order. We also appreciated her giving us first timers recommendations on what to order from their pretty large menu. Soup #1 on the menu, the name started with a D ;) was excellent. Tofu, mushrooms, carrots, and some type of bean. Wow the broth on that soup was excellent, especially for the semi-chilly night out. The veggie gyoza and the cha-ya roll was good especially with my Sapporo. =P The spinach roll -- beautifully rolled, and tasty too. The garden roll was fresh and not "riced out". I'd come back to try out other items on their menu. By the end of the dinner, and our dessert (ice cream!) my stomach was surprisingly satisfied. So the restaurant hasn't convinced me to become a vegan, lol. But, I appreciate the Cha-ya skill for preparing edible vegan cuisine. The price is inexpensive considering that the food is prepared for you and it's a casual little restaurant. But, if i focused on the price of vegetables from the farmer's market, the prices could be relatively expensive/overpriced. That said, Cha-ya was a nice experience. I'd go back again ... oh FYI -- if you go for lunch it's Cash Only ... if it's dinner they'll take your plastic. read more

Vegan Japanese food. Delicious. Tried the kinoki (mushroom) udon. Four varieties of very fresh mushrooms (best part of the dish). The broth was a bit too salty, but was very good for a veggie-based broth, and the noodles were of the thinner variety, but still decent. We shared the Moon Garden (a steamed tofu version of the classic chawanmushi egg custard dish), which was filled with lots of vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, and peas, along with firm fried tofu triangles. We also had a special roll, which was deep fried on the outside, with a soy sesame wrapper and seaweed wrapper. The filling was firm tofu and sweet corn. AMAZING. Came with a side of sweet almond sauce. We didn't have to wait, but that's because we went on a Monday at 6 pm. :) Normally whenever I pass by, there's a very long wait. Can't wait to go back! read more

Talk about amazing yummy Vegan sushi! Yes vegan =] This place is wonderful! Nothing on the menu disappoints. Be sure to bring cash though, as they are cash only! XOXO read more

I am a big bertha eater who always feels intimidated at vegetarian restaurants. I loved it! And my tummy is full and happy! I highly recommend the Kushi Bou (two massive skewers with an amazing almond sauce. I tried to get the recipe but they repulsed me. My friend and I shared a Kushi bou, a sansai udon (amazingly flavorful broth), and a sushi dinner. We are both pretty happy. If we were to remove anything, I would say that replacing the sushi dinner for a single roll should be sufficient. The Veggie roll is like a futomaki without egg. Amazing! read more

Ok this place already has too many amazing reviews. It deserves every single one. I'm not in any way vegan or vegetarian but the food here is so exquisite, I have to give respect. Try the gyoza, it's delicious. read more

my favorite restraunt. EVER!!!!!!!!! im vegan, and japanese food is my favorite. BUT, it doesn't automatically get my favoritism because of that. i've definitely had crappy vegan japanese food. this place is honestly amazing. read more

I feel as though I've made some mistake coming here. The title of the restaurant is written in English, not Lapine; and I don't believe Richard Adams ever attempted to open a chain of Japanese restaurants parading as places for humans to eat. Let me try and explain. You see, I am not a rabbit, and thus, I am inclined to feel disappointed when the things I eat taste as though they were dug out of someone's backyard, as though I am supposed to be excited and delighted by eating grass or leaves. Of course, I love to eat healthy, but is something that tastes like it was cut straight from the plant without any spices or cooking really healthy? At least for the mind? Do Rabbits have taste-buds? I, my friend, do have taste-buds. They were out of place here. Here is the source of my true discomfort, however: As you can see, I am clearly not a rabbit (though you cannot judge others truly by appearances, of course - and no, I am not one of those folk who dress in giant bunny suits on weekends, though, of course, to each his or her own). What bothers me here is the obvious Anti-Leporidism. Rabbits could not afford this sushi! A meal that leans towards $30 for one sitting...how could a rabbit afford that? If the economy is this bad for us humans lately how does a rabbit do it? Ah, perhaps sloths, or perhaps even more Zebras. But seeing how the space in this place was cramped enough, I don't think a Zebra, even a baby one, would be able to fit here. Perhaps I should donate my taste-buds, and call myself a Vegan. read more

Ultimately overpriced for what we got. My friend and I (we're both vegetarians) decided to give this place a try since we both enjoy Japanese food. The restaurant smelled great when we arrived which makes us wonder if we just ordered the wrong stuff (although $3 for miso soup makes me wonder if it's not just all overpriced). I had the inari (typical in comparison with other times I've had it) and the Cha-Ya roll. The roll was pretty bland and even with the salty sauce was not anything exciting for my taste buds. My friend had the full moon sushi plater and was worried it would be too much food fir her, until it arrived. The kappa maki (6) was larger than expected but there were only two pieces from a "full" vegan roll and one piece of inari. The sushi plates also had maybe 3 pieces of ginger each and the service was slow and impersonal. We might go back to try soup instead but won't be back for sushi, especially when we can go to a traditional Japanese restaurant and have a more flavorful experience. read more

Man I love Cha-Ya! The food is fantastic. The best vegan sushi...period. There is a diversity of options and you get plenty of food for a good price. My wife and I come here WAY too often for our budget, but we justify it with the fact that we leave with a good size doggy-bag for lunches the next day:). In fact, we've never had dessert here as we're too stuffed for it! The only down-side is the service and thats why I didn't give it 5 stars. It's so popular and packed and there just isn't a lot of room for the wait staff, which means you can go waiting for water or your check. That said, the food always comes out without too much of a wait. They usually only have 2 people on wait staff, a bus person and a hostess/waitress. They could use a another person I think. read more

So there I am, hanging out in Tilden Park with my friend, and we are talking about what to do next, of course there is the obligatory trip to the mecca of madness, Emeryville store-town USA, to find underbuilt and overpriced cellphones at Sprint, when all of the sudden, the old hunger monster begins his slow assault on my friends system. My friend, being a vegan, just did not seem up to my usual haunts of blood and guts beef and pork emporiums, hm, go figure. So she suggests one of her favorite locals in the Peoples Repubic of Berkeley, Cha-Ya. Having had a couple of very nice vegan dinners, one in which I cooked for her, I thought, why not. Well, this was without a doubt the best move I have made in many a years. Cha-Ya is amazing. Super duper crowded, but, well, well, well, worth the wait. The flavors, consistancies, and quality of food care and preparation were as good or better than some of the best "regular" Japanese restaurants that I have ever been to in the City. We both had the tofu soup w/ vegetables, she has the soba noodles, I had the udon, and we shared a plate of sushi. Everything was divine, and I will be going back often. Don't get me wrong, I am still a dedicated mega-vore on a strict "see food" diet (I see food, I eat it), but, vegan or not, this place is just plain GREAT! Joe Bob sez Check it Out! read more

Wonderful vegetarian restaurant. Clean fresh flavors in well conceived dishes. I'll go back. And back. And.... read more

I love love LOVE this restaurant. Its one of my favorite reasons for living in Berkeley - the Bean Soup- sounds boring, but is actually, one of the most well-balanced, soul-satisfying, heavenly experiences. ahhhhh.....cha ya...how I love you- and they have the most ADORABLE employees in the world! read more

This place doesn`t need any more reviews. People from all walks of life brave long-waits to dine here, but it`s sho`worth it! Fuckin`ell, I can`t believe how good this is. One of the best Japanese places, period. It`s authentic. But only in California, Berkeley, in the Northern Balkans. I`ve been going there since the OG location opened, and it`s been an ace in the hole for a LONG time. Insanely comforting, to even think about it. read more

For people who love vegetarian and japanese food, this is the place for you. All the food is top quality with interesting textures and great flavors. Ask for the popular menu (it's a list of their top 10). Off the list I got the cha-ya roll and stuffed eggplant. The eggplant was my favorite among the 2. It had japanese stuffing (beans and whatnot) stuffed into an eggplant shell and then deep fried on the outside. Crunchy outside, moist inside. The cha-ya roll was similar but to be honest, not as interesting (just a veggie roll that is also deep fried). Everything has a light taste. All in all, my girlfriend loved it and I was ehhhh... but that's because I like strong tastes (she says my taste buds are just shot and need either really sweet or really salty). Oh well. read more

Best vegan sushi in town, literally. I highly recommend you try this place. So many people told me about this place and finally got time to head out to try it. They did not fail me. We got 5 different items all of them were excellent. read more

Dengaku was great. Perfect light texture and flavors. I've never had an eggplant like that. It wasn't greasy or slimy, just good. This was my favorite dish. The sukiyaki we had also had a perfectly balanced broth. Not too salty and not bland. It was well stocked with many types of veggies. Garden roll was large and also stocked well. This one was good but not my favorite. Service was lacking. Our cups of water were never refilled and we had to wait some time for our check to come. Overall a great place for us to bring our vegetarian friend. Yes cash only. read more

I like this place... It's small and so there might be a wait, but it's worth it. My only complaint is the variety on the menu... it makes it difficult to decide unless you know what you want going in. Everything I've had here has been good though. I want to add that the special miso soup (with fresh corn) is amazing! read more

This place is tiny, so you need to plan well in order to not wait outside forever. Luckily when I went, we didn't need to wait long. Despite not being a vegetarian or vegan, I have seen this place consistently reviewed well, so I wanted to check it out. I got the mushroom medley tempura which was great. We shared the Cha-Ya roll, which I enjoyed, but the ginger flavor in the sauce was nearly overpowering. My friend got Japanese curry ramen, which was quite good; I really like Japanese curry. Service was good, and the price wasn't too bad. Definitely check it out if you're in the area! read more

MMMMMMMMMMMM!!! I spent six weeks in Tokyo once, and I lost about 10 pounds because, as a vegetarian, most of the cuisine was off-limits to me. Cha-Ya brings the California to Japan, with its full-on vegan menu. Everything I've ever tried here has been delicious. I especially like the Soba Salad and Cha-Ya Roll. Their miso soup is also excellent. I understand that for non-vegetarians, especially hard-core sushi fans, Cha-Ya might not be your go-to Japanese restaurant, but I'm a frequent customer for the long haul. read more

*3.5 stars* Mia, Nitya and I had dinner here a couple of nights ago. They placed us in a very tight corner, so much so that I was blocking another table and had to stand up and move every time that person wanted to get in/out (so annoying!). What was also annoying was the wait staff. Could they be more surly? Whatever. The food was good. We ordered 5 dishes. I loved the agedashi tofu and the fried banana ending. Mia says that service at the one in San Francisco is better. I'll have to check it out. read more

I just came here yesterday with some friends and must admit that I wasn't expecting much from a restaurant with the word "vegetarian" (and later found out, everything's VEGAN) in it's title. But I was pleasantly surprised...I forgot I wasn't even eating any meat and everything was actually pretty flavorful! I shared a bowl of Sansai soba noodles and a bowl of Taku-Sui. I think this is the healthiest dinner I've had in months. :P Edit: I forgot to mention that the tofu in the Taku-Sui was AMAZING. Some of the best tofu I've ever had!! And yes, I do eat a lot of tofu, haha. read more

When my dear friend DMS suggested we have lunch here, I nearly DIED! We're both total meat eaters and since she lived in Japan, I naturally assumed that she'd view vegetarian Japanese food as complete blasphemy. With apprehension, I agreed to have lunch here. As the Japanese food connoisseur, I figured DMS knew what she was doing. Thank heaven I kept an open mind. I was totally impressed by the flavors and the quality of food. Granted, I hoped that the portions were bigger, but the rich flavors made up for it:) I've had the agedashi tofu (my fave), the tempura, and the tofu and eggplant with miso (I forget the name of the dish), along with a few rolls. Again, everything was absolutely delicious. Yes, I'm coming back... with a meat-eating friend or two! read more

Visited Cha-Ya 8/27/06 at 9:45pm. It was a saturday. they are busy earlier in the night, but cleared up after 9:15 Food: 5 stars Decor: N/A basically a cafe sized space turned into a 22 seat restaurant. Service: 5 stars They were attentive and removed plates properly. Cost: 4 stars. a bit pricey, but i guess they can get away with it, eh? Ordered: Soba Salad- Very cute presentation, with flower shaped carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, and other veggies. And the soba noodles were terrific. this was very tasty but not my style as a salad. it was much better as a stir fry. Goma AE- this was a cold dish with very strong sesame sauce. it was way better in a stir fry the next day. House Miso- lacked that taste which i associate with miso soup, but i guess is in fact fish base. tasty othewise with a very light miso flavor. cha-ya roll- yumyum. ask for the sauce on the side, cause they pour it on. very heavy roll. ten bou- tasty tempura pieces, with incredible tofu. avocado and cucumber roll- dusted with sesame seeds and very good. yellow moon- tasty but we could only eat 1 piece each. very rich. Pros: soba noodles, ten bou. Cons: small space, there is a wait earlier at night. Overall: i loved it and cant wait to come back and try a warm soba noodle bowl! and eat some more of those tempura sticks. read more

Like many other reviewers, let me start out by acknowledging that I am not vegetarian in any sense. My meals usually do include some sort of meat, poultry or fish, but usually once a week or so I crave an all-veggie meal. My friend and I went here for dinner last night, and neither of us knew quite what to expect. Both of us have been to many sushi and Japanese places, and wanted to try this one. The prices I have listed are approximate, based on what I remember. I started with a House Miso Soup ($3.50), which was absolutely delicious. It seriously might have been my favorite thing all night, but that might just have been because I had a sore throat. Anyway, it was very flavorful and full of yummy tofu and wakame. We then shared a bunch of items, which I'll list below: -Goma Ae ($4.75) Cold spinach and broccolini with sesame miso sauce. Very refreshing, just the right amount of sauce. -Hana Gomoku ($8.50) Warm sushi rice with all kinds of cooked veggies on top. Yum! -Shattuck Roll ($6) Asparagus and yam tempura sushi roll. Tempura was perfectly done, not heavy or greasy at all. -Avocado/Shitake Uramaki Roll ($4.75) Wrapped a bit loosely, it fell apart in the soy sauce bowl if we weren't careful. Very tasty though! For dessert, we had the Oshiruko ($4.50), which was warm mochi rice cakes floating in a sauce made from sweetened azuki beans. A great end to the meal! We were pleasantly surprised when our bill came and totalled only about $35, as we were sure we'd spent way more. A great spot, but definitely be prepared to wait for a table! As some other reviewers have mentioned, the service is not all that great, but the food more than makes up for it. If you flag them down, they're more than happy to get you whatever it is you need (such as more water). We paid with a credit card at dinner and had no problem. Also, we parked on Shattuck, but I noticed a sign in their window that said there was free parking in the lot behind the restaurant after 6PM. I can't wait to get back here again! read more