Asaka is THE BEST sushi in Berkeley. It's basically our family's home away from home. The soft…read moreshell crab is a must. Our other favorites include the raw oysters, house salad, edamame, miso soup, spider roll, hamachi nigiri, salmon avocado roll... everything is amazing! Oh, and it's family owned and they are soooo caring and quick and accommodating and... basically family to us! They remember details about our lives and prep the food in advance.

I stopped by here for a quick bite as I'm heading to the city. The parking was a little bit of a…read morehassle, but that was to be expected. The restaurant itself was very cute & cozy. Our waitress was quick & greeted us with a smile & brought waters. The menu had a lot of options to choose from, so it wasn't hard for us to find something we wanted to try. We decided on the tempura mix, Mango Crunchy Roll, & the Hopkins roll. The tempura was good, just wish we ordered it a little bit more crispy. When it came to the rolls, both were amazing! They were huge & definitely got us full pretty quick. Our waitress made sure to check in on us during our visit & kept our waters filled. For dessert, we got the mochi ice cream. You can never go wrong with mochi ice cream as dessert(; overall, we had a great meal! The service was nice, restaurant was clean, & food was great. I'll definitely stop by if I'm ever in the area again.

Visited last night. Enjoyed dinner bento with Bbq short…read moreribs and salmon sashimi, and rainbow roll. The fish was soo good and fresh, that it would just melt in my mouth! Food was delicious as before, even the tempura is crisp yet non greasy. Hot miso soup and tea presented as soon as we sat down, so that was nice during rainy night. All in all, delicious food and great service, will return!

I have walked by this place many times. So decided to try it out the service was good. The food was…read moregood. I give it a four because the windows and the entrance of the door desperately needs a window cleaner! Inside the tables were clean.

Love love love this place! This is my go-to whenever I have family in the area. The fish is fresh,…read moredelicious, and well-presented. I would definitely recommend making a reservation as the space is quite small, but it's never overly crowded or loud. The drinks are good and the food is good. The service is a bit slow but it's very understandable as everything is plated fresh. I can't wait to come back here again! A staple option I would recommend to anyone looking for an East Bay sushi spot.

Enjoying the smoked hamachi roll (5/5) and our Arctic roll (5/5) and it hit me that maybe this is…read morethe best sushi I've ever had. Pacific and Atlantic rolls are 4.5/5, as are the oysters, adjusting for price. Every plate is a work of art, and art is expensive. Seating is limited so if you have a party of 2, you have options, but there's only inside table for four. Service is attentive but if you're starving and they're packed, expect to wait a while for your order. Enjoy watching the other orders coming out and make notes for next time. Can't rush art!

I loved sushi made using purple rice. It adds a beautiful and tasty punch to pristine delicious…read morefish. The server was very happy to explain to me how the shop came to use the purple rice, which is a combination of White and black rices. It is more influenced by Korean cuisine than Japanese, but you just gotta love the inventiveness and style. This place adds to the wonderful sushi options in this neck of the woods worth the drive, worth everything.

I love sushi and rolls, and this place has such wonderfully creative both. Unfortunately it's not…read morealways consistent in terms of presentation.. But when it's on, it's so on it's worth the gamble. There are options for people who don't like raw fish. I just wish I could convince my companion who doesn't like uncooked seafood that the lion roll is cooked. I had some it was delicious.

I've been a regular here for almost 10 years, and Jin-san has never disappointed. The quality of…read morethe fish he selects is consistently exceptional, and his omakase is one of the best values you'll find. I've brought many friends here over the years, and every single one has been just as impressed as I was on my first visit. This is the only place I go for omakase in the entire Bay Area. If you're looking for authentic, high-quality sushi and a true omakase experience, this is the place to go. Highly recommended.

Updating my review--I left a message with my name & number Friday night. They never called me…read moreyesterday (Saturday), and I wasn't going to make a special trip to the restaurant with my uneaten food to argue about it. I think I deserve the courtesy of a return phone call. Their seafood is usually high-quality, and the preparation has been excellent whenever I have eaten there. However, I just cannot patronize a restaurant or any business that does not respect their customers enough to make things right. P.S. - I realize I need to do a better job leaving positive reviews. I'm not all sour grapes, so I plan to start leaving more reviews about my positive experiences. Lately those include Lanzhou Handpulled Noodles at the corner of Hearst & Euclid in Berkeley and U: Dessert Story at the corner of Hearst & Shattuck in Berkeley. Both are FANTASTIC! Reviews forthcoming.

Actually made it to the berekley location for lunch and it was great! They only have counter seats…read moreand was surprised most of the people take it to go. They didnt rush us and allowed us to take our time so I was happy about that. It seems like most of the people are buying take out and I can see why. Service was pretty good and the sushi was really tasty. I wish they were more of a set down resturant with more tables but I can see why the setup is like this. There are just too many restaurants with too many competitions.

Brought my friend from Australia here yesterday and we both gave it a solid 10/10…read more Fresh sushi, beautiful presentation, and such a welcoming vibe. The chef was super kind and even gave us some complimentary sushi on the house, which honestly made our night.

Food was delicious…read more Service was great Would recommend this Japanese restaurant to anyone who wants authentic Japanese cuisine

Really Good Japanese ramen. A must try. Great service…read more Relaxing ambiance. Great for any size party and occasion.

Still all these decades later, Kirala meets the mark. We sat at the sake bar in the back with two…read morekids and it worked well. Service by Taka was great - attentive and quick. Only lag was when we ordered 2 nigiri at the end and it took a really long time but I think the sushi chefs lost the order or something. Delicious sukiyaki, chicken skewers, cold tofu, salmon rolls, hamachi sashimi, Ikura and uni, tuna and Ikura nigiri, and hamachi Kama (not sure why they charge $21 and then $7 for a large when it is two small dollars that came out though). Decent wine selection - Chardonnay was good. Restaurant itself is fairly loud, especially with a baby that kept crying. But it might have been crying because it was loud. Owners should consider the Constellation System by Meyer Sound to make the dining experience more enjoyable for patrons. As this is a longtime bastion of Japanese food in the Bay, they should really invest in the sound portion of their restaurant. Prices have gone up since the last time I was here but it's not totally unreasonable. Good quality food and service. Love this place.

Kirala isn't just another Japanese spot for us--it's a reminder of how far we've come. My wife used…read moreto only treat herself to Kirala when she was younger--on special occasions when a bonus check came in. Now, we get to dine here as a family, and that nostalgic treat feels all the more satisfying. Food (4 stars) + Ribeye teriyaki was a hit--tender, cooked to perfection, and the kids loved it! + Lamb chop was a standout--one piece, but perfectly grilled, juicy, and tender. I could eat 2 of these with a bowl of rice and it would be a hearty meal! + Chicken karaage was solid--crispy, good portion, and a nice appetizer. It's basically a Japanese version of chicken strips that is way better than nuggets. + Salmon sashimi for the kids never disappoints. ~ Chirashi bowl was fresh and filling, though standard compared to other spots. There was a lot of rice which if we knew that we probably would've skipped the extra bowl I ordered to eat with my lamb chops. For the somewhat premium pricing, I wish they provided fresh chopped wasabi. ~ Stuffed mushroom skewer was just okay--tasty but nothing special. I guess for mushrooms it does taste kinda like a chicken meatball which could be a good thing. Service/Ambiance (4 stars) + Attentive and thoughtful service, especially accommodating a broken foot. They let my family wait at the bar instead of standing. + Ambiance is that classic Japanese vibe, busy but comfortable. Maybe not high-end, but definitely a place that feels special--especially now that we can afford it!