Tasty food, good portions, and great ambiance - what more can you ask for? I would definitely dine here again!!

I took a friend here for her birthday lunch. We were both given a complementary glass of champagne to celebrate. That was very nice and the wine was good too. We shared the sashimi salad, California roll, pyramid roll, and the poppo yaki (grilled squid). The sauce on the squid tasted burned which made the squid inedible. We both tried a couple of pieces and couldn't eat it. This is not a destination restaurant. If you're shopping on Fourth St. it's a good place to get a bite to eat. read more

This place is awesome. The food and service are top notch, and the outdoor patio is cozy and quiet, even though it faces the street. They also have a parklet, which is unheated, but is still a good option if you dress warmly. The shrimp tempura is about the most amazing dish I've had anywhere, and the sushi and other traditional Japanese dishes are a step above other place read more

This place is serious. I dropped by a year ago and obviously only ordered enough for one person, but I was seriously impressed. I live in NY but I'm from Berkeley and I keep coming back to this spot and make sure to order different dishes every time out of curiosity... and they've ALL been exceptional. This makes me want to get off my ass and write a review. I've been blown away at how many things this place has in common with low-key 1-star Michelins including service, PERFECTLY balanced cocktails and REASONABLY PRICED Donburi bowls that you'd pay twice anywhere else for the same quantity & quality of dish. I'd say for any of the former Césarians (read: those gourmet ghetto'ians sent scurrying by the unreasonable closure of César due to Alice Waters' kibosh as lease-owner) you've at least found a home for exceptional Japanese food and vibe.. and shockingly great cocktails here at Iyasare. P.S. I sit outside most of the time and have had Jackie as my server for all these years and I can't help but give her a shout-out as part of my positive impression of this place ;- ) read more

This place is a gem. The staff is lovely and the food is even lovelier! They serve unusual combinations but they work well. Ask the server for suggestions but the mochi with bacon is great as well as the shrimp tempura. 4th street in Berkeley tends to be pretty upscale and the prices reflect that, it is a great splurge. read more

Ate here for the first time last night. Must recommend against sitting in the parklet, as there's no barrier from harassment by local vagrants. Difficult to relax into a meal when one is adrenalized & on guard. Wait staff did a great job of intervening, but that's a structurally inadequate solution. In my opinion, food was a B+. In particular, the entrée with Alaskan black cod, roe, and mushrooms had all the ingredients of a mind-blowing dish, but I found it bland. read more

If you are looking for an amazing Japanese meal that's great In quality and quantity, you've come to the right spot. It's pricey but so worth it. Literally all the dishes my family and I ordered were tasty and wasn't the typical small plate dish like some fancy restaurants serve. You'll see in the pictures that they don't lack in quantity. This is a great spot for celebrations forsure or a nice date night. Fourth street in general is super cute and this restaurant is perfectly located within the area! read more

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Food was average, we tried the ramen, karaage appetizer, mochi bacon, their nigiri sampler and everything was pretty average. Nothing to write home about and nothing really stood out to me or made me feel like I needed to come back, certainly not for the price point. I would probably come back for the cocktails, though! read more

What a wonderful surprise! Came here actually because I accumulated cash from OpenTable and this restaurant accepted their credit. This restaurant is located in a prime location of other nice restaurants, Peet's coffee and the Apple Store. It's really mainly street parking but there is a parking lot a few yards away. Make sure you come early to look for parking. It was a nice classy modern small restaurant but they can accommodate small groups. They also have outdoor seating with heated posts for cool days. Salvador our server was a perfect host. I couldn't have asked for less. We ordered several items on the short menu. The drinks menu was even bigger selection! Lol I can't remember the name of my drink but it was a bartenders choice. Very good, good portion and very strong...how I like it! We also had Sapporo beer. We ordered Hamachi shashimi, Wagyu Tataki (wagyu beef), Gyu-Nikomin (miso short ribs), Ocean Umami, Kakiage Tempura with Black Tiger shrimp and everything was excellent! Made just right and beef was tender. You would think just because the items on the plate were small, you wouldn't get full? You're wrong! The only thing big out of what we got was the Kakiage Tempura. That was filling! The food was fresh and well seasoned and sauces. Everything blended well and presented so pretty. It also seems the menu changes up because some of the food images at this place from Yelp, they didn't have and was looking forward to it. The place also was not full full but enough and seemed like for the rich? I just didn't see people in t-shirts and shorts coming in here. It's a classy joint. It was pretty pricey like SF restaurants but I thought it was worth it for the food and service! I will definitely come back when I save more cash...haha. [138/100] read more

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Never disappoint. Wonderful food in a beautiful setting outdoors. One of our favorite restaurants.

It. Is. So. Good. I could stop there but Yelp wants more words. Get the tempura triangles!!! read more

Iyasare - Tempura triangles!! Yum!! - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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It was disappointing. I had the okonomiyaki and ramen. I've had better at nearby Japanese restaurants. The okonomiyaki was served on an iron plate, which is an interesting presentation but it was charred on the bottom, which detracted. The best in the area can be found at Akemi on Solano. It's a little untraditional but delicious. The tonkatsu ramen was woefully underseasoned. There wasn't even any soy sauce available to help it. read more

Stumbled upon this restaurant on a day trip to Berkeley! It was just what we were looking for! Loved the atmosphere! The food was incredible! We ordered agedashi tofu, sake/ikura donburi, and the kakiage tempura. Wait staff was kind, attentive, and courteous. The bus boy (man?) even came over to fix our wobbly table before we could ask for help! read more

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I had lunch there today everything was so organized. Everyone friendly and polite. Our waiter Chayenne was fantastic, energized and super attentive. The food was good. I will definitely go back and recommend. read more

Iyasare - Spicy Sashimi Salad! - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Love the quality, freshness, and plating of the food here! If you're looking for a place to celebrate an occasion, Iyasare is the right place for its ambience, price, and food (yes this place is slightly expensive) Came here with a party of friends to celebrate some birthdays, so our server recommended family style instead of individual dishes. What we ate: - Maguro oroshi sashimi - Bacon-wrapped mochi (one of my favorites here) - Hamachi sashimi - Grilled squid - Kakiage tempura (another one of my faves) - Okonomi pancake - Buta asari - Spicy mentaiko spaghetti (third favorite!) Would love to try their desserts next time I'm back. read more

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I hadn't eaten at Iyasare in years and had a great experience the last time I was there for takeout. Food is on the pricey side, but it's high quality and tasty. I ordered online and, unfortunately, they lost my order. When I showed up, they couldn't find my order but they were gracious when they discovered that my order had been lost. They compensated me for my lost order which I appreciated. read more

We made a reservation 4 weeks prior for 6 people. We then called 2 days before to increase it to 8 people. The woman who answered the phone agreed but was rude. She asked if we knew the cancellation policy and reiterated that if we canceled 24 hours before, we will get charged 30 dollars per person. We agreed for that contract. The morning of the reservation, I received an automated text from the restaurant to confirm our reservation to which I responded confirm. We then showed up with our party of 8 people for brunch on Sunday and we found the sign saying they are closed for renovations. How rude and inconsiderate?! We were visiting from out of town and had planned to see our friends who live all over the Bay Area for a meal at this place. The past reviews might be great but you should know you can't rely on the people who work at this restaurant. read more

Iyasare - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is definitely one of my new favorite spots. The tempura alone is worth the 20 min drive. However, there's more! Ambiance - inside or outdoors, you can't go wrong here. Both options are comfortable and beautiful. Service - bar none. If you needed to, you could be in and out of here in an hour with a great experience and food timed well (babysitter problems) Food - amazing. The rolls, the fish is fresh as ever, the tempura haha. Will def be coming here again soon read more

Ambiance: 5/5 Food: 5/5 Service: 4.5/5 Ambiance: A nice dimly lit place with contemporary decor. Not exactly as much of a date spot but better as an intimate gathering with a few friends. It has a slightly upscale feel to it but casual enough to come out and have a nice evening out with friends for some good food and drinks. Food (Favorite to least favorite): Iyasare Kakiage Tempura: 5/5, a nice crispy veggie pancake paired with a bonito soy broth. Must get this! It came with what tasted like a matcha salt and shichimi to dip but it was fantastic on its own without it. Suzuki Yaki: 5/5, miso marinated seabass that comes with arugula and on top of sauteed bok choy. The fish was utterly soft and moist and packed with flavor. Geisha Roll: 5/5 delicious all around, the fish tasted fresh, their sauce complimented it well and the tempura still had a little crunch to it. Would definitely get this again Tekka Maguro Donburi: 5/5, the sushi rice was perfect with the maguro, and they weren't kidding when they said the fish was fresh. I normally get fish from Tokyo Fish Market down the street but this was even better. Would just wish the portion size was a bit bigger Chashu Miso Ramen: 4.5/5 Surprisingly good ramen for the bay area and not being a dedicated ramen spot. The miso was light yet flavorful though the chashu wasn't a melt-in-your-mouth feel, and the egg was nicely marinated and soft-boiled. Bacon Mochi 3.5/5 I had high expectations for this after having it at Ippuku, the nori wrapped around the mochi threw me off a bit and doesn't really pair too well, the mochi was skimpy compared the amount of mochi there Service: Nice and friendly staff and was very helpful in recommending us what dishes to get, ensuring our water was always full, and being seated quickly. I did feel a little judged when I wanted to split a beer with a friend just to try, and she insisted it was for one person only. If I'm feeling like eating somewhere a little nice in Berkeley I'd likely come back here (and get my own beer this time) read more

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One of my favorite Berkeley spots. I've always had a great time here. My friend invited me here, and now I'm telling everyone about it. My girlfriend and I returned here last night for the grilled squid (which we always order from here and HIGHLY RECOMMEND), tuna roll, sushi, and nigiri. I ordered the Charshu miso ramen, while my girlfriend had the Duck ramen, which is her absolute favorite. We don't always come here, but we make the most of it whenever we do. So we always had a lot of food and were always pleased with the high quality. Overall, this location was excellent. They have their own bar where you may purchase drinks. The service was excellent. Strongly suggested! read more

Placed a to go order and I was charged 15% auto gratuity!!! $7.80 I'm basically paying them for taking my order + 2 orders of Ramen $26 each $52 . + taxes $5.32 TOTAL = $65.12 for 2 orders of Ramen to go!!!! I will never come back here again!!!! They charge less at Marufuku! read more

Iyasare - Receipt for over priced Ramen to go - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Wowwweeee So freaking delicious Small menu which is perfect With dog friendly patio I'm Bezerkeley ;) Family style eating as We started with: ORGANIC LITTLE GEM MISO CAESAR SALAD mizuna / miso caesar dressing 10 (Next time we'll add Dungeness!) Great miso dressing and easy to split! Lobster tempura $25 Special while lasts They open at 11:30 and we had a noon reservation;) Great presentation, however only 4 somewhat smallish pieces ;( CHARSHU MISO RAMEN tamari-braised pork belly / bean sprouts / mizuna / bamboo shoot / chicken & dashi sendai miso broth 21 add ajitama seasoned soft-boiled jidori egg 2.5 (egg was very salty so we were glad we ordered only 1) Super delicious layered broth Perfectly al dente noodles Tender slices of pork belly Dessert was strawberry and green matcha mochi ice cream drizzled with delicious dark Japanese honey Not bad for a $70 lunch In the safest place in the east bay So many cops patrolling It was nice afternoon in Bezerkeley ;) read more

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Iyasare is our favorite Japanese spot in Berkeley, and the number one reason is that we can have a nice bowl of ramen for lunch when we bring our dog with us. The outdoor seating area is great for a sunny day lunch or brunch with your fido. The service is excellent and spot on. The food is high quality with great presentation and different take than traditional japanese fare. I wouldn't call it fusion since the food is authentic Japanese, just prettier! The ramen is good but the highlight is the veg tempura for me. I love the way they chop up the veggie and mix it into a hash brown style cake. read more

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everything was excellent!!!!!! yum yummy yum goodness!!!!!!! service, food and ambiance was 5 star highly recommend. read more

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Thank you so much to the host, Sevrin, and to the manager, Sergio. You really made our day with how accommodating you were to us. A beautiful service to pair with a beautiful menu. It was a lovely lunch experience and the food was perfect, especially the sea bass or suzuki yaki, which melts like butter in the mouth. Also their ramen has the perfect proportions, not too much noodle and more veggies to give you a perfect amount of greens in each bite. Also for drinks I recommend the Bees Knees, aptly named! read more

Iyasare - Rainbow roll, miso chicken ramen, suzuki yaki sea bass - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Definitely awesome Japanese food! I loved the Okonomiyaki. Sushi is always fresh. They have an amazing array of sake. Service was attentive and prompt. read more

We always stop by Iyasare when there are openings and no wait (weekdays). The sushi is good, but there is a lot of good sushi in the Bay Area, so we mostly come here for ramen, tempura, chicken, etc (and sometimes a roll). All of the non-sushi foods are incredible. Kara age and tempura are crispy and comes with different toppings. The noodles in their ramen are thick, chewy, and perfectly cooked. I also appreciate that the spicy stuff is actually really spicy. read more

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Iyasare is one of those rare places that seems outstanding at everything they do. After two happy lunches spent on the patio here, next to happy people with gorgeous- looking dishes arriving to the right and left of me, I can confirm that the food here tastes every bit as good as it looks. This Japanese bistro on 4th Street in Berkeley takes itself seriously, from their sophisticated food to their polished service, but somehow still manages to feel fun and relaxed. Their green tea service that comes in pint sized diffusers is worth an order, as are many of their lunch offerings: recommended unagi don donburri, any of the Ramen orders, and their delcious sashimi salad. Iyasare is also know for their fried dishes: tempura and fried chicken (karaage) which are typically a share order and are on my list for next visit . read more

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Got the hamachi don and okonomiyaki. Quality of don was good. Okonomiyaki's cabbage was cut a little thick. Prices not great considering the competition. Friendly staff. read more

Came here today to have a date with my better half. We came in when they opened. We were greeted and served right away. Our server was very patient with us and answered all our questions. We got the spicy edamame and the mixed vegetable tempura (we added shrimp) and they were cut in triangles for sharing. I got the teppan yaki which was 10 oz Nima ranch grass fed dry aged New York strip cooked medium. She got the suzuki yaki which was saikyo miso marinated sea bass in a bento box with seaweed salad and vegetables. The experience was great. I noticed they seated everyone on every other table until the crowd came in and they filled it in. We are definitely coming back. The servers and the cooks show how much they care about their cooking and food and they show it. They have adequate outside seating so next time I can bring my dog. read more

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Came here to celebrate an event! The tempura was phenomenal, lived up to the hype. I'd come back just to get it again. The sake don was decent, fish was fresh and I appreciated the vegetables and extras decorating the plate, but would try something else if I came back again. read more

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Came here on a Sunday night and had a feast! It's pricey. Service was ok. Bathroom was clean. And food were mostly good with a few misses The eel with the cucumber salad was one of the best thing I had here. The eel pairs great with the cucumber salad. A must get! Hamachi crudo was very fresh and presentation was on point! Every bite has a layer of flavors. Ocean Unami salad was a must after I read the reviews. And it did not disappoint. You get all the fishness but it blends so well that you don't hate it. Will recommend. The bacon Mochi are too hard to chew. Very filling. Flavors were good but after it cools down the Mochi became very hard, it's not a leftover friendly dish. Kakiage tempura was good probably one of the best on the menu. Crunchy yet not overly oily. Light and flavorful. The squid was hella good! I love charred squid, almost burned but not really. Grilled perfectly, has a little chew but manageable. Great flavor! Salmon was over cooked, flavors are good but hard to chew for kids. Okonomi pancake was heavy, after all the dishes it doesn't stand out to me anymore. The uni pasta are flavorless. It's very creamy, presentation is A+ but the flavor is a C+, also not good as leftover. Noodles were falling apart the night of, after a night in the fridge it just look like a big dough ball. Presentations were definitely great here! Food needs improvement. Some dishes end up tasting alike which is not appetizing. read more

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We had a bad experience here. It started out ok -- we arrived 6:15 and had a few minutes to review the drinks, food, and sushi menus. We ordered sake and rolls to start, both quite delicious. Next to us was a Black couple who were really enjoying their conversation, their entrees and desserts. Oddly, they were approached 3 times about another couple who was waiting to be seated at their table (the first time before their desserts even arrived). We waited about an hour for the first entree to arrive. The new White couple who was now seated next to us received their same entree before we did. A second White couple who was also seated after us also received their entrees before we did. Around 7:45 the wait staff asked how our second entree was. This second entree had been MIA. It's now 8:00 and the second entree arrives. The food was quite good but the experience as a whole was awful. Is this just how it goes in Berkeley now? read more

We did not have reservations however thought we would see if we could get in. The hostess added us to her "no reservation" list and said it would be 20-30 minutes. We waited 30 minutes and she came out and said they were fully booked and "it's not happening tonight." I have never had this happen, she could have told us no 30 minutes before. Just plain rude and snobby we won't be back. read more

$20 for a glass of white wine! Are you kidding me? No wonder you do not advertise the price on the drink menu. Service was not great either. We could only spend an hour at our reserved table, bc they had another reservation. Not a great feeling either. Food was ok. read more

i really wanted to love my ramen- i went for the soft shelll crab/seafood. The soft shell crab basically got soggy in the ramen broth which i think was the ultimate downfall. would prob try a classic ramen or their raw fish if i was to revisit. service was lovely and the ambiance was really cute on a weekday afternoon! read more

It was getting late and I was really hungry. We decided on Japanese since the selections on 4th Street in restaurants are limited. This is more of a higher end Japanese food. It's very creative and the taste was good. I liked everything we ordered. Even the drinks we had were good. read more

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The tempura appetizer is to die for! The food in general is really good!! Even if they continue to take off really good items off the menu, we've come back time and time again simply because of that tempura appetizer. But.. We've noticed the last several times here that the manager, Dan, is just rude AF. It hadn't been directed at us in the past but we'd notice his abruptness & snotty behavior toward other customers. Last time we dined here (about 5 weeks ago) we got seated at the only table on the patio with no heater. Although we made our reservation about 1.5 months in advanced we were told that they are given in priority to who makes their reservation first and to indicate in the reservation next time that we request a heater. The server was apologetic & said he'd comp us some nice warm miso soup. He ended up forgetting to comp it and charged us anyway. We didn't say anything and figured it was an innocent mistake. I then made another reservation for a month and a half later (tonight) and indicated in the reservation that we would like a heat lamp and that if it wasn't available to let us know ahead of time. I had hopes they'd read this but apparently that's too much to ask for. We drove the 30 min there and were again given the table with no heat lamp. Although it was in the note on my reservation, Dan simply said "oh well we just didn't see it so you can eat inside near the kitchen." I wasn't about to spend our evening freezing in the cold, paying for a good meal just because they didn't bother reading my request. Or, breathing Covid air inside their restaurant either. Just like with other customers in the past, he completely was rude, dismissive and didn't give AF. And ... while that damn tempura appetizer is so good, I just didn't feel like giving $ I work hard for to a restaurant that employees someone like him when I'm sure there are many others who would do a much better job. Instead, we found another nearby Japanese restaurant (Akemi) that we dined at and it was AMAZING. Oh, and they brought out a heat lamp for us and all the other tables that were dining outside. The 2 stars is for the tempura appetizer. read more

Iyasare has consistently delicious twists on traditional Japanese food and fantastic service! I've had dinner here two times, one time with a friend and my boyfriend, and another time with my boyfriend and his family. Everything always tastes awesome and portions are always reasonable for the price and quality. We've had the Agedashi Tofu, Kakiage Tempura, Ocean Umami, Hon Maguro, as well as a couple of other dishes I might have missed taking photos of (because the food was so good!) as well as several other dishes. Service is always pleasant and each dish is prepared beautifully. I'd highly recommend the Kakiage Tempura and Ocean Umami! Although the pricing here is not very affordable for the average college student, it's a great place to dine either casually (to reward yourself!) or formally for a special occasion. After dining here, there are also a lot of cute shops and other restaurants outside to browse and walk off the calories. Really great restaurant! read more

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So worth the high price tag. High quality Japanese food encompassed by top notch service and pleasant atmosphere. An old co-worker and I met over lunch on a Monday and split a few items: - Sashimi salad: the fish was so fresh and delicious. It's like a colorful work of art - Unagi donburi: this was the highlight for me. I dare say this might be the best unagi I've ever had! It's served with seaweed seasoned rice and 2 pieces of tamago. - Their hamachi Kama fish on special: really tasty! Perfectly cooked. The 3 items were perfect for 2 people. Our server was really friendly and our food came out promptly. It was really busy the Monday we went, but luckily it was sunny so their outdoor seating was open. I would come back for sure. read more

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