Resy brought us here. This is an interesting unique restaurant. We really enjoyed it. It's got unique, modern Japanese flavors, modern techniques, with American California hospitality and service. It's perfectly situated in a multicultural city - Berkeley in the posh part. The dishes are innovative, creative, bold, and the service is excellent. Reminds me of Japan but yet uniquely Californian. We tried the follow (menu seems seasonal): Beautiful dark wooden tone interior with modern, abstract painting and decors of similar tones. The service is amazing. Everything was arranged beautifully, thoughtfully. The table is set well. The service and staff feel Michelin level. Friendly, attentive and asks about allergens and preferences. One can tell the kitchen and staff communicate well. There are a lot of thoughts went in the restaurant. I wouldn't say it is 100% Japanese at all. In fact, it merely embodies the spirit and styles/ inspiration of its cuisine. There are similar names and resemblance, it is its own school of cuisine. The Maguro - delicious, excellent, sashimi quality. High quality. Ordered 2nds, the second was bit less sashimi like, different fish/ different cut perhaps but overall, one of the best Maguro cuts I had outside Japan. A great selection of house cocktails with delicious Unagi donburi. Soft centered marinated eggs. Slow cooked berkshire baby back pork ribs. Nice potato salad. Slightly dry, beautifully arranged. Grilled bacon mochi. The veggie okonomiyaki like tempura is a highlight and comes highly recommended. It's unique, and we love it. Hotate tostada : nice uni, scallops were a bit briny, beautiful concept. Love to see a new rendition of this. Special dessert matcha cheese.delicious rich and lush. French press coffee, delicious high quality (On the menu, I saw hiyashi chuka, great memories from Japan. We didn't get to try it. But it's rare to see that on the menu here. Mentaiko pasta also sounds amazing.) RSVP is strongly recommended. The outdoor seatings are great but can get cold in the bay area. We sat indoors and loved it. $$$$ pricey but worth a try! read more

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The atmosphere is absolutely gorgeous! The dim lighting, the beautiful bar with the mirror, and the outdoor seating and lighting, everything about this place is so beautiful. The service was amazing from the moment we walked in. From the hostess who seated us to our waiter, everyone was so welcoming. Our waiter Vicente, was very attentive, polite and professional. And the food... so fresh, so tasty, and full of flavor! Everything we tried, from the ramen to the bento box and sushi, was delicious. We also ordered a fish dish that was absolutely amazing. I could go on and on! This was my first time eating here, and I will definitely be back! Yummy!!!! read more

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This place was hella expensive. Miso soup wasn't free either - it's like $9 wth! The saikoro bites was not what I expected either. I was hoping there'd more of a crunch to the sticky rice. It was just okay for me; I wouldn't order it again. The ramen was pretty stacked, which should be the case cuz it was $28. The gindara was definitely the best item for the night. I highly recommend getting that one if you come here. Overall impression for me is this place fits the neighborhood but it's not it for me. read more

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What an incredible dining experience we had from delightful food to great service from Jackie. It was a very professional and enthusiastic attendant. The restaurant is nice. It's in a great neighborhood plenty of parking in the rear try to make reservations. We sat inside in a booth and the food was remarkable. From the bacon wrapped mochi to the perfectly made noodles with so much flavoring. I loved the kakiage tempura with black prawns (wow) The unagi donburi. Wow!! Everything was incredible and the Pink smoke mezcal drink was. A winner They also have an incredible sake selection. read more

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It has been a few years since I last ate at Iyasare. I made reservations for a Sunday afternoon and was warmly greeted. We sat inside in a booth and the restaurant was busy. Our service overall was very good. There was a nice selection of dishes which were delicious and presented beautifully. We ate the eggplant dish which was prepared well, the kakiage tempura, the mentaiko pasta, the karaage, a hamachi maki sushi, and the okonomiyaki. They were all delicious and plated beautifully. They have cocktails too. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and will return to explore some of the other menu items. read more

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Date of Visit: 7/9/2026 Visited the Japanese restaurant Iyasare located in Berkeley with my friend in early July. We sat outside in the patio, and it was warm enough with no fireplace next to our table around noon time. Iyasare was awarded with Michelin recommendation and has various Japanese foods including appetizer, tempura, rolls, etc. Iyasare Bees Knees $18 I got the cocktail made with Barr hill gin, elderflower liqueur, honey ginger syrup, and a piece of dried lemon on top for decoration. Lavender Mint $10 My friend got the lavender mint tea in a pot. Dragon Roll $23 We ordered a roll with shrimp tempura, cucumber inside and on the outside, there were unagi, avocado, tobiko, unagi sauce, and kaiware. The mixture of the fish and the sauce were amazing. Iyasare Mentaiko Pasta with Uni $44 And definitely must try is the mentaiko pasta with fresh Hokkaido uni. The spaghetti was mixed with spicy cod roe, ikura, shiso, and kaiware. On top we added the Hokkaido uni which was fresh and creamy. Iyasare Shrimp Kakiage Tempura $34 We also got the kakiage tempura with burdock root, onion, sweet potato, shiitake, enoki, carrot, shungiku, and black tiger shrimps. There was a bowl of bonito soy dipping broth on the side. Sendai Miso Soup $8 The warm miso soup has tofu, wakame, negi, and mushroom. read more

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This place has been on my list for a while, and it totally lived up to the hype. Just make sure to make a reservation ahead as they are filled up quickly especially during peak dinner hours. Everything we ordered was delicious. My favorite dish was the kakiage tempura with tiger prawns - crispy, light, and packed with flavor without feeling heavy. The sashimi was fresh and the ramen was also surprisingly good with a rich broth. The food is definitely on the pricier side, but the quality and execution made it feel worthwhile. There's easy parking in the lot behind the restaurant, which made the whole experience much more convenient. Can't wait for my next visit. read more

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Came here for dinner, loved the kakiage - it's a must to add shrimp imo, the thick juicy bites of shrimp are great and make the dish stand out. We ordered the mentaiko pasta, miso black cod and a paper crane to drink. The pasta was great, and had a little spicy kick to it, and the miso black cod was so good!! Very umami flavor with the mushrooms. Delicious cocktail as well. Overall really impressed with the meal- and we had a really attentive waiter- he made sure we were taken care of and refilled our waters pretty often. Will definitely be back to try rolls and the ramen! read more

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This was a 3.5, and I've been here twice with my little one. They've been very accommodating with a child. Food was decent, and service was also. I really liked the tostadas. My waitress forgot to bring me the dessert menu which is why I knocked point 5 point off. read more

Iyasare - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Started with a drink and the iyasare kakiage tempura which has burdock root, onion, sweet potato, shiitake, enoki, carrot, shungiku, and bonito soy dipping sauce. Highly recommend the iyasare kakiage tempura, wish it had some less sweet potatoes and more of the other ingredients, but overall it was savory and very sweet from the sweet potatoes. I enjoyed the kara-age curry rice which is a japanese style fried chicken thighs in a tokyo style curry sauce, a small salad, and koshihikari rice. They gave sooooo much kara-age chicken and it was quite filling. Good dish to share with others. Lastly, we had to try the iyasare mentaiko pasta which is a spicy cod ros, spaghetti, ikura, shiso, and kaiware. It's quite heavy and creamy, but definitely worth trying if you like the ingredients! read more

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Excellent Japanese food on Fourth street. This feels like an iykyk restaurant mostly visited by locals. The tempura is not the typical style but was DELICIOUS. Mentaiko pasta was on point. Sushi was fresh and service was great. Ambiance is chic. Prices were slightly high even when factoring being in Berkeley. The $9 for Coke/sprite made me question how pricing was fixed for everything else on menu. read more

Iyasare - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I had a lovely dinner here! Bacon mochi - signature dish, worth a try. It's pretty salty, but the texture of the mochi is so good Sake ikura don - loved this. Came with plenty of rice and the fish had really good texture. Nice portion of seaweed salads too Branzino - a special when I went. A classic grilled branzino, nice smoky flavor but quite small and probably wouldn't order again. read more

Iyasare - Sake & Ikura Don - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great food, nice place, service is polite and professional. Ambiance is average leaning towards upscale.

Saw this on the Michelin Guide so wanted to give it a try. On the edge of Berkeley, the location and ambience makes it a nice spot for a date. The food itself was solid, with the best dishes being the Chef's Recommended tuna tartare and branzino. The rolls were fine, nothing out of the ordinary. While the dishes were enjoyable, the price was on the more expensive side. For the quality of the food ultimately it's difficult to say that it's entirely worth it. For a dinner for two, you're looking northward of $150 and while that's fairly common in the Bay, you can find better restaurants at that price point. read more

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Misu nasu was DELECTABLE wow the flavor and texture was insane! Salmon & yellowtail were also good quality!! Such a cute spot with patio seating with heating lamps. read more

A hidden gem. Excellent Japanese fusion food with a good sushi selection. Service is top notch with very attentive and friendly waiters and bartenders. Ambiance is cozy but quiet for good conversations. Highly recommended for after school follow ups. read more

Iyasare is a perfect dinner spot that truly doesn't disappoint. The interior and outdoor seating are beautiful, and the staff is incredibly helpful. Our server, Andy, was super attentive and gave some excellent recommendations that we all loved. Some of the highlights were the Kakiage tempura with shrimp, agedashi tofu, mentaiko pasta, and karubi. The kakiage tempura was incredibly creative: the mix of vegetables and shrimp was crispy, complemented by the broth and a variety of powders, making every bite different and enjoyable. The broth of the agedashi tofu was so savory and delicious that I could drink it on its own. The flavor perfectly complements the silkiness of the tofu. The mentaiko pasta was creamy with a nice spiciness, and the roe provided great pops of umami. The karubi had a great charred smokiness and was extremely tender, easily the most tender short rib I've ever eaten. While not mentioned individually, everything else we had was also excellent. They also serve one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had. Iyasare is a place I would recommend to many. Its beautiful ambiance, great location, and thoughtfully prepared food make it a spot I would gladly come back to again and again. read more

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My family and I were walking on Fourth St. looking for somewhere to go for lunch when we stumbled upon Iyasare. The first thing we noticed was the lovely decor. The next thing we noticed was the excellent service. We never wanted for anything for very long. We were a bit surprised that a bento box "special" was $48. Actually, everything was very expensive. But when I must admit they everything tasted really good. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. On a side note, I also really enjoyed the exfoliating hand soap in the bathroom. I will likely only visit this restaurant for special occasions or when we feel like splurging on really good Japanese food. read more

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More of a 3.5 but food was great and service was good issue is with the price while the pressure of 1.5 hours for our table. Background So our appt was 12pm but parking was hard for half our party who didnt make it til 12:15-20. The waitress was initially attentive and got our drinks , but didnt get our order til about 12:35-40. Mind you the management came (repeatedly) to tell us our table was only til 1:30pm . Which is fine although would be nice if they said so in the rsvp. One of our food didnt not come til 1:15pm. Which btw was the okonomiyaki and unfortunately the bacon/pork was burnt I think they forgot or left it too long. Drinks were great. 9/10 The shiso smash and Collins were great not too sweet and very refreshing. Food was great. Highly recommend the iyaser kakiage tempura - 10/10 we added shrimp +$9. Chirashi Don was great too 10/10 - sashimi was very melt in your mouth fresh. My friends enjoyed the yaki soba and duck ramen both very rich and lots of umami. 8.5/10 Vegetable curry rice was good. 8/10 Okonomiyaki 7/10- good flavor but was burnt Nice elegant furnishings with a tranquil outdoor area. Pretty pricy considering they push yout out the door after 1.5 hours ~$470 (2 appetizers, 5 drinks, 5 entree, 3 miso soup). read more

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The tempura with the black shrimp was so delish! My son took me here for dinner and Maddie waited on us. We had a lovely conversation with her as I shared we were dining there before my son left for college. Fast foward a few weeks later, I ordered take out (the tempura, of course) and the spicy dragon roll (since we didn't try the sushi the first time), so my husband could try the food. Lo and behold, Maddie took my to go order and asked about my son! It's one thing to have a delicious meal, it's entirely a whole other level when your wait person actually remembers you when you come back! I'd certainly come back again and will ask to sit in Maddie's section! You definitely want to get the tempura with black shrimp!! read more

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Yes! Beautiful, fresh, thoughtful Japanese food! Highly recommend the tempura which was different than any tempura I've had before and want to have again soon! Sushi rolls were classic done with flair and care. Nigiri melts in your mouth. Great date night or with friends! They allow dogs on their patio!! read more

Iyasare - Lovely drinks that were sparkling - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I live in the neighborhood and have enjoyed their Ramen soup on occasion. It is some of the best I've had in the Bay. I don't go here much, though, cause it's expensive and other things I've had on the menu, like a sushi roll I had, wasn't anything great. I went last night for the first time in around a year and....let me just say....wow! The prices are a joke: $10 for still water. $16 for a smallish Caesar Salad and almost $30 for their ramen soups. I opted for the veggie, but then they charged me almost $5 for adding eggs. lol. I just returned from Italy recently and let me just say, this place is extreme, but American restaurants are consciously ripping us off. Burn your money if you want though. read more

Hadn't been there since the menu expansion, which is awesome! Sashimi salad and karaage chicken were our favorites. Service is great, lunch is noisy! read more

This place is a joke!!!! Food was mediocre and the staff, including the owner was so obnoxious!!!! The only thing nice was the decor!!! Never will return to this establishment, ever!!! read more

A relatively pricey but excellent Japanese restaurant. The dishes look refined and taste like fine dining, and the fish is very fresh. This is easily one of the top three Japanese restaurants we've found in the Berkeley area. read more

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Had some great dishes with super fresh ingredients. They were a Michelin rated restaurant back in 2018. Cons: a miss on the grilled octopus as it had a really strong liquid smoke taste and the mango purer just didn't work well with the other flavors. Made a rsvp, however needed to wait at the check in stand for 15 min in the cold before anyone showed up. Then another 10 min before our table was ready. They sat us by the door -- so it was super freezing. Cramped seating. Would have expected a bit more attention to detail to match their pricing. read more

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Awesome meal on their patio on a Tuesday night. Great service, great food and drink, beautiful atmosphere! Will be back to order exactly the same meal again: Bacon Mochi, yaki soba, short ribs. read more

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I highly recommend you have a reservation. This place is extremely popular. We grabbed a reservation a few days in advance and even then it was for outside. Luckily it didn't rain, but it was cold. They did have outdoor heaters that did help a little bit. They offer a good variety of sushi, my sushi was fresh, especially the salmon. It was topped with lemon which added a nice flavor. You have to try the bacon mochi. This was my first time, it was mochi wrapped in bacon served in seaweed, YUM!!!! This place is on the pricer side, so it won't be an everyday place for me, but I will be back!!! Our wait staff was friendly and came by a few times to check up on us. We were able to find street parking, but it was mid-day on weekday, so might be harder during prime time, especially on the weekend. read more

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Artfully and minimalistic design, friendly staff, fresh and delicious food. Came for lunch on a Thursday and it was pretty busy, but it appeared they were still taking walk-ins. It wasn't very noisy even with the lunch rush. Everything we had was delicious. I highly recommend the kakaige tempura WITH the black tiger shrimp. The salad was also crisp and refreshing. The staff were also very friendly and gave good recommendations. We shared everything, even the ramen (not pictured) and they even brought little bowls for us to share it. Great way to try multiple dishes! read more

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Food: 4.5/5 everything was super delicious and fresh. Plus the portions were HUGE. Only downside was the rice in the Don was a little bit bland. Service: 5/5 all staff were very welcoming and attentive the entire time we dined Ambiance: 5/5 we are in the outdoor, hooded patio, and it was so nice! The trees above had nice lighting and the decor in the restaurant was very modern and chic. read more

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Sadly, the food is very mid. We ordered the nigiri selection excited to try some really delicious fish. The uni was definitely fresh and delicious, but the rest were just forgettable. We also got the duck ramen. It said it had matsutake mushroom in it and we're big mushroom people so we were excited, but it ended up being maitake mushroom and was very salty overall. The service was great though. The staff is awesome and they were able to seat us quickly/were very attentive the whole time. The restaurant is also really beautiful and vibey. read more

staff are nice and the place is cute! but the food was honestly horrible.. i work in sushi as well and our $25 roll came out completely warm. warm fish (which is concerning), warm rice, warm crab salad with a cold sour lemon on top. it was so mushy and after two bites, the warmness made me feel like i was going to throw my breakfast. the yakisoba was hard and sticky yet dry so i couldn't even eat a singular noodle without having to shove the entire thing in my mouth. read more

Highly recommend this place if you're in the area or planning to travel to the area By far, one of the most yummiest food places in the Bay. The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable The place is beautifully decorated with a modern twist. The ambience is phenomenal. read more

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Food and service were both very good. The reason I rated it 4 of 5 was due to the cost - my wife and I both ate an entree with appetizer and 1 drink and ended up paying north of $150. Iyasare was busy so we all paid that but at the price point it's a special occasion place, rather than a regular visit read more

Iyasare - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I showed up with a very last-minute reservation on an extremely cold day last week and was lucky enough to be seated indoors. Even though it was a very busy New Year's Eve, the staff were incredibly helpful and prompt--from the host to our servers. Everyone was attentive and welcoming throughout the night. The food quality was excellent. We ordered the chirashi don, which came in a generously sized bowl, and added uni. I finished all the fish but couldn't quite get through all the rice. For small plates, we tried the mochi bacon, and for another main dish, we ordered the Wagyu steak with trumpet mushrooms and kimchi. Everything was very well prepared. While the space was a bit tight, the noise level was still manageable, even with how busy it was. read more

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Celebrating a special milestone, we went to Iyasare without a reservation ~ we arrived at 5:00p during a weeknight around opening and grabbed an outdoor seat on such a beautiful evening. The vibes were high ~ the exterior had a beautiful scent and loved how tranquil and serene I felt while ordering a spicy marg (delicious!) I noticed there's a beautiful sake menu, wine, Japanese craft beers (and local brews), and mocktails. After seeing an episode of Check, Please! Bay Area on this spot, we had to order the widely popular and signature starter dish, Iyasare kakiage tempura with the black tiger shrimp (lotsa yummy things in here including sweet potato, shiitake, onion, and more). See pics for visual! The texture, flavors, and the bonito soy broth for dipping is quite delicious..I could eat this and be good-to-go, but we wanted to try a few more things from the menu. The dishes are very shareable, so we tried the Chashu miso ramen and the Kara-age Curry Don. The ramen broth was so comforting, same with the curry. I enjoyed the chicken being more nugget-like than strips, made for a fun plate. Such great portion sizes ~ we were on a special outing so we were prepared to pay a bit more for the experience and value. Would love to come back for a date night and try a few sushi rolls, the Bacon Mochi, Little Gem Miso Caesar, and sip Japanese whiskey. Service was great and understanding to baby needs, and metered parking available/lots around 4th street available although usually have to do a few laps unless you get lucky! read more

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My first time at this delicious Japanese restaurant. The cocktails, rolls, nigiri, and tempura were incredible. The service was warm and polished. Prices were reasonable considering the quality of the food. read more

Iyasare - Salad - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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i ordered the chirashi don! the fish quality here is really good. -1 star though because the sushi rice seemed overcooked and was clumpy, so i did not finish the rice. we also had the cheesecake for dessert which was also good! read more

Iyasare - chirashi don - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Stopped by for lunch on a Sunday. We had made prior reservation, expect some wait if you come in during peak hours. Food was pretty good, the katsu curry was my favorite. The vegetable tempura was crispy and delicious. We sat outside and enjoyed the afternoon sun in the patio. The deluxe bento box came with california roll, three sashimi and salmon. Definitely generous portion size. The staff were friendly and service was great. Would come again to try something else. read more

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First time trying Iyasare and perhaps I picked the wrong thing from the menu. We sat at the counter, which was very nice. Very friendly and good service. Attractive place. And busy at lunch but the ramen I got was just not very good. I eat a lot of ramen and this was not up with the best. Very bland, lacking in flavor . I got the one with minced chicken and it seemed to have no seasoning. Broth was bland. Husband got the vegetarian ramen and he liked it ok . And for over $20 you have to pay extra for an egg. I wasn't impressed. read more

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