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Lovely find in a small town along the coast for Japanese food. The ambiance is casual, the staff is friendly, and the food is solid. The menu rotates frequently and is fairly small but the items are all well made. My friend and I shared a salmon sashimi, chawanmushi, mushroom tempura, black cod (gindara), and a few skewers. My favorite was the Chawanmushi as it was silky smooth and the sauce on top full of flavor. The rest of the food was solid but not to my personal tastes. The mushroom tempura batter was a little denser and softer than I'd like. The cod was fresh but not as melt in your mouth as I'd expect. The skewers were juicy and tasty but I personally prefer the places with a little smokier flavor. That being said, those are just my preferences and the food was still quite tasty. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.
Stellar meal from Gama. Friends from out of town raved about the fresh selections and of course cheers for the excellent Sake'. Thank you for another excellent meal.
Every sip and bite of this meal was fantastic and the service matched the same quality. The place was lively on a Wednesday, full of happy people enjoying themselves. The ambiance is cozy yet modern and you can tell every detail has been thought out even down to their cutlery and dish ware. We had the chicken karaage, tempura maitake mushrooms, an incredibly fresh ikura bowl, fantastic steamed eggs and the miso black cod. I honestly can't pick a favorite although I'm very picky on ikura and theirs was incredible. The final touch was the black sesame pana cotta, the only thing I photographed, everything else was gone too soon. If you're passing through, this is a wonderful stop and the town is so lovely as well. Can't wait to come back!
Solid Japanese style restaurant serving beautifully curated and thoughtfully prepared small dishes in a seemingly unexpected location on the Mendocino / Sonoma coast ! We recently relocated to Sonoma county (The Sea Ranch) from Silicon Valley (Menlo Park) and have had some nice meals along the coast since we moved here FT (Harbor House, Ledford House etc) but this little spot is a real gem. Friends recommended it so we had a double date night and filled the table with all sorts of goodies. Great evening and food. Highly recommended. Small, simply situated on a very quiet street in Point Arena. A few doors down from a decent locally sourced weed shop (also worth a visit BTW), and a local fish monger (Point Arena is a commercial fishing port) and solid local bakery (Pelican), this excellent restaurant serves up a variety of rotating locally sourced small plates and yakatori style grilled meats and veggies as well as some raw fish and stews as well. Highlights were the sashimi, the fish roe on rice, the grilled pork belly, the grilled cabbage salad, the tempura shrooms and the fried chicken oysters as well as the grilled chicken thighs. All excellent. They have a nice selection of saki's as well (we had 2 small bottles to share $20/each) and to close the meal we had the Matcha ice cream with passion fruit ! All in for 4 people including tax and tip $250...which in today's world seemed very fair to me. Great meal and great vibe overall. Chef/owners apparently have strong training and work experience in Japanese settings and fine dining restaurants- which may explain why this place does very simple things so well... Make a reservation on the weekends otherwise you'll miss out or end up eating at the bar. There are certainly worse things to do than that...however, trust me. Visit here and thank me later. Well done Izakaya Gama ! We will be back. This will undoubtedly be on our regular "locals dining out rotation" now. Bravo Izakaya Gama !
This is a small town that highway 1 runs through and this Japanese restaurant is worth a stop when you drive through. It is fantastic. They have a very large selection of sake, and the servers know and talk with the locals which is so nice to see in our modern society. The sashimi was absolutely stunningly good. Every dish was fantastic (we did the chef tasting menu - 5 course meal) and at the end we both looked at the Michelin guide because "this place has to be rated!) Take a drive or reroute yourself through Point Arena. You won't be sorry.
This restaurant is a gem of a place located out of no where in Point Arena. My husband and I were visiting Bryan Preserve and were looking for a place to have dinner. We were glad to have stopped here! They were completely booked for the weekend. So we got seated at the bar seats. We ordered a couple of skewers - pork belly, shisito peppers, shiitake mushrooms, Tsukune. All of them tasted so good. My favs were tsukune and pork belly. We also ordered a lamb stew and ended the day with black sesame ice cream for dessert. The ice cream was amazing with nice taste of sesame along with sourness from raspberry puree. I really liked the ice cream.
Architectural Ambiance Walk into a hush as you step into this perfectly designed and architecturally Complete picture. Tables cut to fit this unique whole. All nicely thought-out details. Flowers and framed forms are focal points for each view. From the Genmaimatcha clear tea pot to the masterfully arranged flowers Artistic simplicity of wood beams and themed ceramic plates and food so eye pleasing. Sunomono nicely garnished with white and dark goma, and a perfectly cooked egg beautifully arranged atop of the "poteto sarada" Maitake tempura new to me, love the flavor, the Karaage a nice surprise with a mild garlic flavor (I love garlic) was very tasty. I wish it had more crunch! Flavors & textures very different when comparing it to my "bachan's" (grandma's) food, it may be regional recipes, either way a tough comparison. I would say 5 stars for design and plating. 3 flavor & texture
This is a hidden gem in plain sight. One lovely experience after another! Starting with the warn eucalyptus scented towel then deciding in the menu. I started with the Poteto Sarada - potato salad. Omg. So very tasty - best potato salad ever! And I have had many potato salads! Then came the Maitake Tempura. Mushroom lovers enjoy! Yum. Last was the Butabara - Grilled pork belly, also delicious but my favorites were the first two. The service was epic. A must visit in Point Arena, you wont be disappointed
What an incredible restaurant--amazing service, super friendly staff, and food that tastes like pure heaven. Every dish is a festival of flavors; we loved every bite! We followed Nathan's recommendations, and he nailed it with every single one. And the ice cream... unreal. We ended up ordering a second round because it was that good--the flavor and texture were out of this world. If you're anywhere near here, you need to get to Gama ASAP!
Get the tempura mushroom! The plates are small, so you can absolutely order everything on the menu for 2 people
If you are looking for Japanese food and sake this is a great place to go, the dishes were all great and very artistically presented. Loved all the items-- the Chawan Mushi, salad, local uni, the mushroom tempura, maguro tuna, and more ! My mom liked her miso soup but it didn't have any tofu. The only thing I noted is that the sales tax is so high in point arena that it's over 11 percent of the bill and you are charged 20 percent service , so combined it is hefty. It shouldn't stop you from going but it's good to be aware.
After driving in the dark (darn daylight savings) to our stay at the Point Arena Lighthouse lodging, I was so happy to see Gama was the only restaurant open in the area at 8PM on a Thursday night. My partner and I were the only people in the entire restaurant and felt incredibly welcomed and cared for by the waitress in a traditional Japanese dress. The warm wooden interior with soft lighting and traditional fish print decor felt very romantic at night. There was bar seating but we chose to sit at a table in the corner. We ordered à la carte and were recommended the salad and karaage since they were larger plates. Their housemade soysauce was incredibly yummy and great with the sweet fresh amberjack sashimi. Karaage and miso black cod were very juicy and tender but not anything amazing. We didn't feel like skewers but still got the Chicken Oyster skewers to try and the skewer was larger & juicier than expected and had a great smoky flavor. I was especially glad we didn't skip dessert as it was my FAVORITE item. The green tea ice cream was thick but not in a gelato way. The brown sugar sauce and toasted rice were the perfect flavor & texture to put on top. We didn't feel like drinking but the sake & wine selection looked very tempting. Overall, everything from the dishes, to the soy sauce, to even the clay soy sauce container felt very intentional and refined. Would definitely come again if I'm passing by or staying around the area!
Lovely food experience at Gama. I see why this place was so busy and hyped up. We split several options, and all of them were great. My favorites were the miso soup and the chicken. But nothing missed, truly. Huge fan! Definitely recommended! read more
2 months ago
Went to Gama for my bday dinner. Had a reservation and it was pretty quiet inside so we were able to sit at a table instead of the bar. Usually we like sitting at the bar to see the chefs do their thing, but this place is not like that at least the night we went to which was surprising cause Japanese establishments typically are cooking out in the open. They had a lot of different sakes which was really nice to see but no draft beer unless I missed it. They let you pick a cup for your sake which is so cute, I loved that. All their table wear was so beautiful. We got a fruity sake first and loved that one. The second one was the "goku" it was giving straight sake. I'd prolly stick to fruitier ones. The server was very kind and she was easy to talk to and provided great service. As for the food, I thought it was pretty okay! We ordered the omakase which was $75 per person and it was very filling. We had trout sashimi which had some bite texturally not my fave fish tbh. Potato Salad which a jammy egg omg I loved it but wondered how it'd taste if the egg was marinated. The mushroom soup was lemony and oniony it was pretty good. The karage could've been crispier imo and I wish the wasabi aoli was a lil different but it was still good. The robata was hella good my fave was the meatball one, I'm not a big fan of cartilage but that it very well cooked, and I appreciated the pile seasoning provided as well. The strawberry topped panna cotta was so good no notes. Overall, pretty good and I'd go again if I was in this area and order individual dishes especially the potato salad and panna cotta. Not really the vibe of an izakaya imo they also don't have ginger but def a nice Japanese restaurant with some twists. read more
Lovely find in a small town along the coast for Japanese food. The ambiance is casual, the staff is friendly, and the food is solid. The menu rotates frequently and is fairly small but the items are all well made. My friend and I shared a salmon sashimi, chawanmushi, mushroom tempura, black cod (gindara), and a few skewers. My favorite was the Chawanmushi as it was silky smooth and the sauce on top full of flavor. The rest of the food was solid but not to my personal tastes. The mushroom tempura batter was a little denser and softer than I'd like. The cod was fresh but not as melt in your mouth as I'd expect. The skewers were juicy and tasty but I personally prefer the places with a little smokier flavor. That being said, those are just my preferences and the food was still quite tasty. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. read more
3 months ago
Stellar meal from Gama. Friends from out of town raved about the fresh selections and of course cheers for the excellent Sake'. Thank you for another excellent meal. read more
28 days ago
Every sip and bite of this meal was fantastic and the service matched the same quality. The place was lively on a Wednesday, full of happy people enjoying themselves. The ambiance is cozy yet modern and you can tell every detail has been thought out even down to their cutlery and dish ware. We had the chicken karaage, tempura maitake mushrooms, an incredibly fresh ikura bowl, fantastic steamed eggs and the miso black cod. I honestly can't pick a favorite although I'm very picky on ikura and theirs was incredible. The final touch was the black sesame pana cotta, the only thing I photographed, everything else was gone too soon. If you're passing through, this is a wonderful stop and the town is so lovely as well. Can't wait to come back! read more
Solid Japanese style restaurant serving beautifully curated and thoughtfully prepared small dishes in a seemingly unexpected location on the Mendocino / Sonoma coast ! We recently relocated to Sonoma county (The Sea Ranch) from Silicon Valley (Menlo Park) and have had some nice meals along the coast since we moved here FT (Harbor House, Ledford House etc) but this little spot is a real gem. Friends recommended it so we had a double date night and filled the table with all sorts of goodies. Great evening and food. Highly recommended. Small, simply situated on a very quiet street in Point Arena. A few doors down from a decent locally sourced weed shop (also worth a visit BTW), and a local fish monger (Point Arena is a commercial fishing port) and solid local bakery (Pelican), this excellent restaurant serves up a variety of rotating locally sourced small plates and yakatori style grilled meats and veggies as well as some raw fish and stews as well. Highlights were the sashimi, the fish roe on rice, the grilled pork belly, the grilled cabbage salad, the tempura shrooms and the fried chicken oysters as well as the grilled chicken thighs. All excellent. They have a nice selection of saki's as well (we had 2 small bottles to share $20/each) and to close the meal we had the Matcha ice cream with passion fruit ! All in for 4 people including tax and tip $250...which in today's world seemed very fair to me. Great meal and great vibe overall. Chef/owners apparently have strong training and work experience in Japanese settings and fine dining restaurants- which may explain why this place does very simple things so well... Make a reservation on the weekends otherwise you'll miss out or end up eating at the bar. There are certainly worse things to do than that...however, trust me. Visit here and thank me later. Well done Izakaya Gama ! We will be back. This will undoubtedly be on our regular "locals dining out rotation" now. Bravo Izakaya Gama ! read more
1 month ago
5 months ago
This is a small town that highway 1 runs through and this Japanese restaurant is worth a stop when you drive through. It is fantastic. They have a very large selection of sake, and the servers know and talk with the locals which is so nice to see in our modern society. The sashimi was absolutely stunningly good. Every dish was fantastic (we did the chef tasting menu - 5 course meal) and at the end we both looked at the Michelin guide because "this place has to be rated!) Take a drive or reroute yourself through Point Arena. You won't be sorry. read more
This restaurant is a gem of a place located out of no where in Point Arena. My husband and I were visiting Bryan Preserve and were looking for a place to have dinner. We were glad to have stopped here! They were completely booked for the weekend. So we got seated at the bar seats. We ordered a couple of skewers - pork belly, shisito peppers, shiitake mushrooms, Tsukune. All of them tasted so good. My favs were tsukune and pork belly. We also ordered a lamb stew and ended the day with black sesame ice cream for dessert. The ice cream was amazing with nice taste of sesame along with sourness from raspberry puree. I really liked the ice cream. read more
Architectural Ambiance Walk into a hush as you step into this perfectly designed and architecturally Complete picture. Tables cut to fit this unique whole. All nicely thought-out details. Flowers and framed forms are focal points for each view. From the Genmaimatcha clear tea pot to the masterfully arranged flowers Artistic simplicity of wood beams and themed ceramic plates and food so eye pleasing. Sunomono nicely garnished with white and dark goma, and a perfectly cooked egg beautifully arranged atop of the "poteto sarada" Maitake tempura new to me, love the flavor, the Karaage a nice surprise with a mild garlic flavor (I love garlic) was very tasty. I wish it had more crunch! Flavors & textures very different when comparing it to my "bachan's" (grandma's) food, it may be regional recipes, either way a tough comparison. I would say 5 stars for design and plating. 3 flavor & texture read more
5 months ago
This is a hidden gem in plain sight. One lovely experience after another! Starting with the warn eucalyptus scented towel then deciding in the menu. I started with the Poteto Sarada - potato salad. Omg. So very tasty - best potato salad ever! And I have had many potato salads! Then came the Maitake Tempura. Mushroom lovers enjoy! Yum. Last was the Butabara - Grilled pork belly, also delicious but my favorites were the first two. The service was epic. A must visit in Point Arena, you wont be disappointed read more
2 months ago
Food was just amazing. Simple made exceptionally delish! Limited seating though, reservation is a must. read more
What an incredible restaurant--amazing service, super friendly staff, and food that tastes like pure heaven. Every dish is a festival of flavors; we loved every bite! We followed Nathan's recommendations, and he nailed it with every single one. And the ice cream... unreal. We ended up ordering a second round because it was that good--the flavor and texture were out of this world. If you're anywhere near here, you need to get to Gama ASAP! read more
2 months ago
7 months ago
Get the tempura mushroom! The plates are small, so you can absolutely order everything on the menu for 2 people read more
1 year ago
If you are looking for Japanese food and sake this is a great place to go, the dishes were all great and very artistically presented. Loved all the items-- the Chawan Mushi, salad, local uni, the mushroom tempura, maguro tuna, and more ! My mom liked her miso soup but it didn't have any tofu. The only thing I noted is that the sales tax is so high in point arena that it's over 11 percent of the bill and you are charged 20 percent service , so combined it is hefty. It shouldn't stop you from going but it's good to be aware. read more
9 months ago
1 month ago
After driving in the dark (darn daylight savings) to our stay at the Point Arena Lighthouse lodging, I was so happy to see Gama was the only restaurant open in the area at 8PM on a Thursday night. My partner and I were the only people in the entire restaurant and felt incredibly welcomed and cared for by the waitress in a traditional Japanese dress. The warm wooden interior with soft lighting and traditional fish print decor felt very romantic at night. There was bar seating but we chose to sit at a table in the corner. We ordered à la carte and were recommended the salad and karaage since they were larger plates. Their housemade soysauce was incredibly yummy and great with the sweet fresh amberjack sashimi. Karaage and miso black cod were very juicy and tender but not anything amazing. We didn't feel like skewers but still got the Chicken Oyster skewers to try and the skewer was larger & juicier than expected and had a great smoky flavor. I was especially glad we didn't skip dessert as it was my FAVORITE item. The green tea ice cream was thick but not in a gelato way. The brown sugar sauce and toasted rice were the perfect flavor & texture to put on top. We didn't feel like drinking but the sake & wine selection looked very tempting. Overall, everything from the dishes, to the soy sauce, to even the clay soy sauce container felt very intentional and refined. Would definitely come again if I'm passing by or staying around the area! read more
10 months ago
This is our third time dining at Izakaya Gama and we love it! Fantastic fresh food, great service and an overall amazing dining experience. We have another reservation on Sunday. Do yourself a favor and enjoy a delicious meal on the coast in Point Arena. read more
1 year ago
On a road trip through Point Arena, we kept hearing about Gama and I'm so glad we went. We grabbed a seat early before the Friday dinner rush (go early if you don't have a reservation). The cabbage salad was light, crunchy, and perfectly dressed! I want that recipe! The skewers were also incredible, full of flavor and cooked just right. It's a cozy, stylish date spot with perfect service. If you're in Point Arena, Gama is absolutely worth the stop. read more
2 months ago
Wow! Gama achieves everything they've set out to be. It's a causal easy going izakaya with uber high quality ingredients and a very intentional experience throughout. All in a beautiful setting in a small town nestled on the coast. Japan would be proud. The sake and beer selection is exciting. The food pacing was appropriate. The cost is reasonable. And you leave feeling great! Well worth the trip out of the way if you're not from the costal areas. The tebasaki were a revelation. read more
1 year ago
What a delightful find! We visited Gama last week based on a rec from a local in Gualala and were honestly blown away. This meal was one of the best we've had this year! Service was great at this low-key, small space and everything was delicious. The menu changes frequently, but we tried their chicken karage, fresh corn kariage, Japanese beef curry, black cod collar, potato salad, shishito pepper and pork belly skewers. We would easily order any of these again! read more
3 months ago
4 months ago
I didn't see the name of the restaurant in front of the restaurant, but I saw the logo and recognized it. It's a cute restaurant with limited table seating so make sure to get a reservation. Otherwise you might have to wait an hour or two. I got lucky and someone cancelled so I was able to get a bar seating in 10 minutes through a walk in. Once you come in, you'll probably be greeted by the owner. You can tell she's the owner just based on her confident answers and the amount of detail she describes the food with. She knows the sources of the items. I chose to get seated down at the bar area since that had a shorter wait time. The kaarage came with a yuzu aoli sauce and it was fried perfectly. Crispy but still soft and juicy in the middle. The black cod was my least favorite but I still enjoyed the freshness of the fish. I think it was a little too salty for my liking. The sukiyaki had soft wagyu beef with mushrooms and schezwan peppers marinated in yuzu. The peppers gave it a little kick with a burst of yuzu and followed by the numbing oil from the schezwan. The black sesame cheesecake was deliciously creamy and had a citrusy creamy yuzu dipping sauce on the side. Overall I enjoyed my meal, the well-knowledged service, and visiting such a cute restaurant :) read more
3 years ago
Really this place is named Gama and is an Izakaya style Japanese emporium featuring a lot of sake and Japanese beer. During our extended stay in the Northern California coastal town of Point Arena we were intrigued by it as a nice place for my wife's next dah birthday. Gama features a Japanese inspired menu featuring an extensive list of sake and culinary treats served in a Japanese style. The menu is based on several hot and cold plate dishes with a couple of basic side dishes. Since it was a special night we decided to get several choices. We were first served the cold dishes of which we ordered several. We tried the delicious eggplant, a decent potato salad and a nice Half Moon Bay amberjack sashimi. The eggplant and sashimi were particularly tasty especially paired with their sake special... waterfall something which was served in a carafe, but, usually by the bottle. For the main course, we ordered a couple of specials, a grilled amber jack collar, Waygu beef heart in a skewer and a lovely local black cod steak. All really wonderful. We ended our dinner with a black sesame cheese cake which took me back, flavor wise, to the market in Tokyo where sesame dishes are plentiful. As one of the top restaurants in Point Aren't, Gama really hit the spot for our special occasion dinner and Northern California Coast travel experience. Definitely on my list if we return. read more
A beautiful quaint Japanese restaurant in Point Arena. I highly recommend making reservations as they're a pretty small restaurant. They also have open bar seating, but it's limited. We came for their final Ramen Night for the year. They host them on Sunday's during the winter months. They have a smaller menu then usual on these nights. I had the server recommend a sake and got a small bottle. It was super smooth and paired nicely with the meal. We started with Sashimi which was very fresh and good quality. We then had the Karaage friend chicken with yuzu aioli which was incredible. I could have eaten the whole portion myself! For our main course we had the Ramen that had super flavorful broth and big chunks of pork belly. We both said it's some of the best Ramen we've ever had. We can't wait to come back and try their full regular menu! read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Outstanding restaurant on the Mendocino Coast! Service, room, food are all perfection. California Farm to Table with Japanese preparation. Prices are reasonable for the quality of the experience. Tables require a reservation. You can also eat at the bar. I go to Gama for special occasions and it has always delivered with quality dining. Highly recommended! read more
1 year ago
Best food on the Mendocino Coast, hands down! Has the feel of a small Berkeley eatery. Farm to table with Japanese technique. Beautiful room. I've gone twice in the past month and both food and service were consistent for both visits. The Chawanmushi is a standout! read more
Great food! Have been wanting to try this on recommendations from many at the Harbor House Inn in Elk for the last couple years. The food did not disappoint! Ate way too much! Servers were nice. Very casual experience. All dishes were very high quality, lots of attention to detail and flavor. Overall this was a great experience and would highly recommend if you're in the Mendocino area, worth the drive! We made the trek down from Elk on a Sunday to enjoy their Ramen. Docking one star for the fact that they ran low or out of multiple items before we got there. I recommend booking an earlier reservation (we booked a later reservation (8pm) on a Sunday. We will be back! read more
1 year ago
Amazing. They deserve a Michelin Star. Best dining experience we've had this year. We are planning to go back & spend the weekend in Point Arena just to experience it again. read more
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More info about Izakaya Gama
150 Main St
Point Arena, CA 95468
Directions
(707) 485-9232
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http://izakaya-gama.com
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Ask the Community - Izakaya Gama
Hello! Do you offer to-go's or is this dine in only?
Hi! Because our food is best right out of the kitchen, we do not offer takeout.
Hello. Will the restaurant be opened on Sunday 5/25/2025, or is it closed every Sunday? I hope to have my birthday dinner there that day. Thanks in advance!
Hi there! We reopen Sundays starting March 16th. Thank you for celebrating with us!
Do you serve ramen? Which ones?
We have a Ramen Night on the last Sunday of every month. The style of ramen changes according to what we can get seasonally.
