Delicious food and truly creative and well-mixed cocktails. The saffron really comes through in the martini! Would like to see that sort of creativity in serving vegetarian mains. Nice ambiance and decor, clean bathrooms. Service was good overall, but my vegetarian appetizers only showed up after my friend's meat main courses! read more

They use the name Afghan but their food is not Halal. Bunch of Muslim co- workers were excited to visit then we found it that it's not halal restaurant read more

Came to Jaji with some friends after work and everything was 10/10 - food, drinks, and interior were all fabulous. The entire restaurant was so cute and the food was delicious and plated so beautifully. Street parking is tough but there are parking garages a few blocks away. Would absolutely come back!! read more

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"WOW" A Hot and New trendy place in Oakland. I think it's the sister restaurant of Parche. First of all the ambience and atmosphere when you first walk into Jaji gives that see and be seen feeling. Modern yet with character all its own. The food is tasty and is sort of served like tapas style. The staff from the general manager Ben and Liz our server to everyone else were awesome. Check out my pics read more

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Your Outside Lands food was absolutely superb, bonus was the great and friendly staff.

Note: this review is based on an Oakland Restaurant Week experience only. Wow, what a beautiful, grand space! It can get a little loud in the main room, but if you want a more intimate vibe I recommend asking for a seat toward the back of the restaurant. The servers seem to work well together as a team to bring things out, though our main server was quite busy and hard to get attention to put in another order of drinks or ask for new utensils or napkins as needed. I did appreciate the touch of changing plates between courses - a small, but valuable thing I don't think enough restaurants do to ensure you're tasting each dish without it mixing with the prior. I'm glad their restaurant week menu had dishes from their regular menu. Other ORW restuarants seemed to want to offer something new, but I want to be impressed and inclined to return to eat your actual menu. We started with a variety of dips and breads that were a hit across the board with the whole table. Servings were generous enough that we had some leftover - and of course we saved to continue using them with subsequent dishes. The bolani triangles were a little greasy for me and could have been more toasted. But the proteins were outstanding, and in fact the chicken tikka kabob is one of the juiciest, perfectly cooked pieces of chicken I've ever eaten in a restaurant. The beef kofta was fragrant, and I honestly wish the sauce it came in wasn't so oily because it weighed the dish down. Also, it would have helped if any of the servers told us that rice was coming to accompany the beef before we all tucked in and ate half by the time the rice was out. I didn't get to try the dessert there because we had to box it up and head home early, but the rice pudding was lovely and not too perfumey. Cocktails were on the pricy end, but my fiance and friends who partook said they were worth it. It was especially great that they were able to modify the one with coffee in it to be decaf. Some of the flavor profiles sounded so unusual, but they pulled it off. All in all, I'm looking forward to coming back for a treat-yo-self (it is not inexpensive haha) dinner. read more

We just stumbled on this place while in Oakland for the evening and how lucky are we. Colombian husband and Afghan wife team apparently. Delicious food, adorable decor, wonderful vibes, and the sweetest server in Camilla! Our favorites were the bonbon borani (eggplant dish) and the mantu (beef dumplings.). Both unique and great layered flavor! Thank you for a perfect date night. (And if you want to start Sri Lankan and Ukrainian sister restaurants next please let us know. :) read more

Jaji - Small bites menu - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

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This husband and wife duo also own Parche! Both Parche and Jaji are contemporary takes on their cuisine so expect some familiar flavors slightly reimagined. Jaji is beautifully decorated and relatively large. Great place of a date night or birthday celebration. The service was friendly, attentive, and helpful. We even got a visit from Executive Chef Paul Iglesias (the husband of the duo). The food was all thoughtfully and modernly plated, I see some similarities in style from Parche. Everything we had was good, but few things were spectacular (also similar to Parche). The tikka wagyu was the star and the branzino and cheese were also very good. I had high hopes for the ducktu because I like duck but was just ok. I heard the lamb shank is delicious so maybe I'll try that if I come back. read more

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We came here for Valentine's Day dinner. They were only open for two weeks at this point, so I'm sure they're still refining service. We ordered the chapli wagyu, mushroom pekora, ducktu, and lamb. The chapli wagyu felt so overcooked, it felt like it could have been any piece of meat. It felt super tough and difficult to eat. Pekora, I don't think we'd order again. The flavor of the mushroom didn't come through, but also because it's deep fried. This was the only dish we ordered that actually had greens / citrus notes in the dip. We used the dip for other parts of our meal to beak it up a bit. The ducktu dumplings were good, but as a whole -the dish wasn't very hot? This dish felt very delicate, I enjoyed how the leeks were used and that it wasn't too salty. Finally the lamb- great presentation and it was delicious! The meat fell off the bone so easily. Our favorite on the menu. We were on the fence about dessert, but I was please surprised about the green cardamom basque cheesecake. Every bite was delicious, and not too sweet. The drinks ordered were ok, mine felt super strong on first few sips. It didn't feel like it was mixed well, and I let it sit for a while for it to taste better. Overall, I think this place has a lot of potential to do well. read more

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Birthday dinner at Jaji did not disappoint! The ambiance is beautiful and the vibe is equally matching. The Staff is super friendly and I love how they describe every dish to you. They also don't hesitate to answer any questions you might have. We had a variety of dishes. All were super good and flavorful, my only critic is that some dishes were cold. My favorites were definitely the steak kabobs and lamb lollipops!! Steak is cooked perfectly and the flavor was amazing. Service did slow down a bit but I can only assume it was because it got pretty busy. I did have a hair in one of my cocktails, BUT, the server was super apologetic about replacing it. Of course I appreciated it because I didn't want to make a fuss but I also didn't want to drink something with hair in it. Overall, the cocktails and presentation were amazing! You can tell that the staff at Jaji put a lot of effort in their food, the experience, and overall atmosphere. Would definitely recommend, and will be back! read more

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We were so happy to try out this new restaurant on Valentine's Day and it met every one of our expectations. I still haven't been to Parche, but I knew this restaurant came from that team. Now I'm even more excited to go check it out! The interior or beautiful and the staff were on top of things. Our waiter explained the family-style menu and suggested since we were a party of two that we order 4-6 items to share. He was right on the money with the portions because we almost didn't make it to dessert. We tried the My Jigar which was our favorite and had a fluffy brioche and had a great mix of flavors and textures, the Sabzi Galet, Shalo-Qorooti Croquettes which were crunchy and flavorful and so so good, and the Tikka Wagyu Steak Kabob. We topped it off with the Basque Cheesecake which had a fantastic complex flavor with green cardomom. There were definitely other things on the menu we were eyeing and we had a great time so we'll definitely be back! read more

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This is an easy 5-star review. I loved everything about my dinner at Jaji from beginning to end. The restaurant is beautifully decorated. The staff was engaging, attentive, kind and funny. The food was fantastic. Standout dinner dishes for me were the bolani triangles, shola- qorooti croquettes and lamb tenderloin kebabs. I'm not one to ordinarily order dessert but we decided to indulge and I'm so happy that we did. The saffron ice cream was SO GOOD. I will probably dream of it tonight. The cheesecake was also fantastic. To round things out, the cocktails were creative and delightful. I can't wait to head back for another lovely evening! read more

Jaji was a wonderful meal before our show at fox theater late Saturday night. We were able to try a good portion of the menu, and everything we had was simply delicious, I am still thinking about this meal days later. read more

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Nice place for dinner. Nice aesthetic. Kind of expensive for how much you get, but everything tasted good and the service was good. read more

Jaji - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

Wasn't able to get a table but sat and ate in their lounge seating area. I wish we had a table but we made do and the food was worth it. Cocktails were equally delightful. read more

Rare does a restaurant live up to the hype so completely. What an amazing culinary experience from beginning to end. Not to be missed.

I was very surprised to see *any* negative reviews for this place, only to realize that they were from right when this restaurant was opening and getting its footing. I'm hoping those folks give it another try, because last night, my wife and I and another couple came in for the first time and, long story short, we had an INCREDIBLE evening. We didn't have a reservation, so took our chances and just showed up. Since it was on the earlier side (6:30) they had room for us at the bar and then we later transferred to the lounge area. While we sat at the bar, we had a great chat with the bartender who walked us through various drinks and ingredients we weren't familiar with. We all tried sips of each other's drink and each one was more interesting than the next. Once we ordered food, each dish knocked our socks off. We sort of ordered in rounds and had a slow evening, so by the time we finished our last round, we ended up not eating as much as had we ordered everything all up front... plus we had just enough room for a couple of desserts, which were also fantastic. In fact, the pistachio chocolate cake was a group favorite, not to mention beautifully served. It's definitely on the pricier end but well worth the treat and just a beautiful space in general (plus every person who worked there was incredibly friendly and dialed in). We started wondering how a restaurant gets considered for a Michelin star but regardless, we're hoping this place continues to get the recognition they deserve. read more

Jaji - Pistachio chocolate cake....SOOOO good!!! - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

Food is good, service and ambiance are great. It's just real pricey. If you have money to ball out and like to try new things, you'll probably enjoy it. With drinks and a shared dessert, spent over $200 for 2 people. Highlight of the meal was the the sparks like stars cocktail - very unique and tasty. read more

Jaji - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

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We just had dinner at Jaji. It's been on my must try list for some time. Let me tell you! It did not disappoint! Everything that came was perfection I tell ya! Service was great. Place is huge and they had a booth for my little family. My kids be going crazy so I wanted to be out of the way. The lamb was to die for. Everyone's favorite read more

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We sat at the bar in order to enjoy happy hour cocktails, bites, as well as some small plates from the regular menu. And our greatest fortune was to be served by Camilla behind the bar. She mixed us excellent cocktails, as well as described some of the items on the menu, leading us to some real winners that we enjoyed immensely. Honestly it was her focused attention on our experience, and her genuine charm that elevated our experience to the next level. Making our visit unforgettable. read more

Delicious and authentic Afghani cuisine. Beef and chicken skewers were great! Lamb chops were delicious and cooked to perfection. Many different vegetarian options as well. The cocktails also were a big hit with us. The ambiance was great, and had awesome vibes! Staff was very helpful in explaining the menu. read more

Jaji is amazing! The service from the front door was professional. The colors and table setup were cute and open with customers sitting and chatting together. Once we were seating, they brought cold water right away and our server made sure to go over the menu. The bolani triangles with the green chutney was delicious. We asked our server to bottle up that chutney because it is THAT GOOD! We were then offered mama's daal as they had an extra and of course we said yes. If you are ordering the big bites, make sure you try the lamb shank as it's a huge portion that is perfect to share with folks. Lastly, if you have enough space left, order from the tea menu if you're a real tea drinker (so good). read more

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Food is more like top of style at this restaurant. great ambience and even great or drinks. I ended up coming here a few times already in the last six months. Their menu is set the same the ambience I feel like it's a great date night or gno. The servers were very kind. They did an excellent job letting us know what each item was and how much food was good enough for our party. My personal opinion, I did not actually like the lamb kebab. I actually really enjoyed the steak kebab and I'm not really a steak person. Please be aware there is a hard time finding parking so allow at least 10 to 15 minutes before he reservations just find parking the areas are very busy downtown Oakland area. read more

Jaji - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

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Excellent dinner with some co-workers. The food was delicious with many taste combinations that I hadn't had before. The saffron ice-cream dessert was a combination I wasn't sure would work, but was amazing. The service was excellent, the decor was well done. read more

Great addition to Oakland. The food was great, but the staff were the real stars. They were very personable and gave great recommendations. The chicken liver mousse toast was to die for and the turmeric martini was a perfect pairing. I can't wait to stop back in for my next show at the Fox. read more

Jaji - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

i have nothing but great things to say about this place. food - 10/10 ambiance - 10/10 staff - 10/10 drinks - 10/10 as a brown woman i am so happy this place feels authentic and actually tastes good. it's refreshing to see a fine dining experience with our food and culture that has an elevated twist. the food has so much flavor and each dish has unique flavor patterns. drinks are great and are inspired by the region. this is great for a birthday, date, or GNO. AMAZING read more

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This was my first time having Afghan food and I have to say, I left very satisfied. I started off with the Saffron Martini, a tequila base cocktail. It was so interesting and delicate at the same time. Our bartender/server, Devon, definitely knew his stuff. We had the triangles, pekora, and the croquettes. All were so delicious! The only thing was that they were all fried. I do wish the menu had maybe a couple of vegetable options besides a lentil salad, which we ended up ordering. We ended the evening with the lamb kabobs, which were OUTSTANDING! read more

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Great place, maybe more 4.5, but it's a very difficult time to be running a restaurant, so I'm going to go with a 5 here. service is really good- they even packed our food in the middle of the meal to make room on the table, a rare luxury these days. Server was not pushy and knew the menu really well. The restaurant is also beautiful on the inside and quite large. We didn't get a drink, but the mocktail my wife had was pretty good. The menu is elevated Afghani food. Interestingly, I noticed that some of the food tasted similar to the "regular" Afghani food I would get in Fremont or the like. Maybe the cuisine itself is so good it's hard to make it higher end? Or it doesn't lend itself to higher end technique? In any case, everything was delicious- if you go on certain nights they have Fried Chicken specials- these are a MUST- tons of spice, both whole and ground, on the outside, plus a very crispy crust make for a flavor bomb. It tasted even better the next day! Great place to go! read more

Jaji is outstanding! Besides the breathtaking interior, the staff is friendly and efficient. I sat at the bar with some of my girlfriends and we were able to try a decent amount drinks and food. Although I only got a picture of dessert which was a decadent dark chocolate and pistachio cake. It was incredible but I recommend sharing because it's so rich! The kebabs were a crowd pleaser and easy to share. The croquettes were perfectly crispy. Definitely want to come back to try more! read more

Jaji - Chocolate pistachio cake - Afghan Near Me - Oakland, California

Really great service and delicious food! The croquettes are a must get (two orders). The duck dumplings and the eggplant starters were delicious. Ordered a sampler of their skewers, beef patties, etc--all of it was excellent. They provide a complimentary dessert for my sister's bday. Really nice interior decoration and the hand soap they had smelled amazing. Would definitely go back. read more

Mixed impressions. The service, decor, and look are all amazing. But the food? Eh.... Let me preface that I haven't had afghan before. This was my first time trying all these dishes We ordered 4 dishes: the grilled octopus, chicken liver pate, bonjon boran (eggplant), and lamb lollipops. The dishes were all beautiful, but the taste was too strong except for the egg plant . The octopus had too much citrus, the flavor profile of the pate was overpowering (spicy, salty, sweet, and again citrus), and the lamb was too salty. Especially disappointed in the lamb because the asides from the saltiness, chili marinade was otherwise was delicious. It pains me to write this because the service was impeccable (Bij was great and knowledgeable), and the decor is so colorful and beautiful. Maybe it tastes better with alcohol read more

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One of the best Oakland restaurants we've been to. The food was delicious, unique but authentic and so flavorful. Beautiful space, top notch cocktails. Perfect spot for a night out. read more

My husband and I came here for a late Valentine's Day dinner. Made reservations for 5pm on a Saturday which they were able to seat us right away. A plus. The menu contains contemporary Afghan food. Ambiance is really nice. We ordered: Squash Bolani 5/10 squash was mushy like baby food with not really any flavor, dough was good Sabzi pastry type of dish 8/10 was good, but couldn't taste the Sabzi, the cheese and pastry over powered it. Something I would have for breakfast or brunch not for dinner, it didn't mash well with the other food. Lamb with mastawa ( sticky rice) - 6/10 mastawa was good just like any other traditional Afghan mastawa, the lamb was cooked very nice but it was lacking spices and garlic. If they can add more spices and garlic to it this dish will easily be atleast a 9/10. Wagyu Chapli kabob 4/10 - I honestly couldn't taste the wagyu and the chapli spices needed to be crushed I could literally taste chunks of spices in my mouth and it was hard chewing it. Non alcoholic white wine - 1/10 just no Mocktail that had pomegranate - 3/10 flavor was nice but they served in such a small cup for $15 dollars not worth it in my opinion. Overall this place is ok...it's not something the blew me away. It's just Lacking flavor. But if you don't mind that, you might like it. Idk, I really wanted to like it due to it being the bay's first modern Afghan restaurant and the ambiance was very nice. But for them to get return customers they need to improve the taste, because in the bay we are blessed with such great food. read more

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The ambiance and space is airy and stylish. We sat at the bar and liked the bartender / waiter's friendliness and suggestions. For small bites we got the liver toast which wasn't too liver-y and had a nice combination of flavors. We also got the croquettes and they were nice and soft on the inside and crunchy outside. We got the tikka kebab and that was cooked just right and meat was juicy. We got two desserts - basque cheesecake and flourless chocolate. Both were delicious, and both had dense parts paired with other textured components making great bites. The plating for desserts was pretty. read more

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This is one is the most difficult reviews I had to write about. The restaurant is tastefully decorated . The service was good but not great. Our server who took our took our order was visibly unhappy that we weren't going to order alcoholic beverages. They didn't offer Diet Coke either. I ended up ordering a sparkling water and my wife stuck with regular water. The other server that was bringing the food was friendly and responsive while the first guy would simply disappear. I get that this is a fusion and it takes some of the Afghan dishes with a new twist to make it an elevated dish, but the twist are not adding to the dish instead taking something away. The Bolani triangles was tasty but give that you can can 10x the portion in any afghan restaurant, that was over priced. The kebab is best described as yakitori, it definitely lacked the spices that make Afghan food unique. I also questioned It if it's truly Wagu. The Ducktu is a variation of Mantu. What makes Mantu uniquely Afghan is the yogurt and meat sauce otherwise it's a wonton, and the miso ginger definitely took away from the dish. The Chapli Kabob was very dry. The kabuli with the Cornish game hen was the most authentic and best dish of the menu. The trout looked great but at $70 we skipped it. I like that they are trying something new but it must add to the dish. Like the Chutney which with a hint of sugar had been elevated to a new height. read more

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Jaji might just be one of the top 5 spots in Oakland right now. The vibe hits you the moment you walk in--visually stunning, with music that sets the tone for a perfect night out. It's stylish, energetic, and welcoming. The drinks were a highlight. I ordered the *Blue Tulip*, and it was incredibly refreshing and delicious. I ended up having two, and let's just say I was very thankful we were walking home--those cocktails are no joke! The starters menu is full of tempting options. We chose the *Pekora* and the *Ducktu*. The Pekora was easily one of the best fried mushroom dishes I've ever had--it seriously tasted like chicken. I kept checking the inside to make sure I wasn't being tricked. Easily a favorite of the night. The Ducktu was solid; my partner enjoyed it more than I did. We also tried the *Wagyu Skewers*, which were cooked to perfection. The steak was so tender it melted in our mouths. Finally, the *Lamb Lollipops* were absolutely incredible. Perfectly grilled with a flavorful char, and the juicy, tender lamb was next-level. The entire experience was exceptional--we left so happy we gave Jaji a try. Can't wait to come back. Top 5, no doubt. read more

Came here for dinner with a friend who was vegetarian and had a fabulous time! Everything from the service, to food and ambiance were top notch and smooth. We were welcomed upon arrival, taken to our table, and were ogling at the beautiful decor- the stunning drapery, tablas, and pottery behind the bar. Our server was informative and reminded us that, while only the shared plates were vegetarian, they are all unique and filling. We ended up order a glass of wine, the zira gold (phenomenal cocktail!!) , bolani triangles, mushroom pekora, mama's dal, and the mung bean croquettes. The mama's dal, chutney served with the bolani triangles, and croquettes were a highlight and reminded me of home cooking in my Indian household. Additionally, each dish was as aesthetically pleasing as it was tasty. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish and wish we had space for dessert. We walked by the open kitchen and the desserts looked like works of art! We wrapped up our night and knew this would become a new favorite. I didn't get our waiter's name, but he was extremely attentive. The rest of the staff that came by with dishes each provided a description of each dish, which we appreciated. I cant wait to stop by again and try desserts and the kabob! read more

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Fun for drinks. Good bartenders. Decent selection. I would work on their spacing. though. There are some tight spaces here that should be redesigned. read more

We had an outstanding meal at Jaji tonight. We had 4 of the 5 appetizers and both lamb dishes and everything was absolutely wonderful. The restaurant is also gorgeous, really gorgeous. A fantastic nice night out! read more

The ambiance is warm, lively and classy! I started off with a saffron martini. It was not sweet at all btw! Loved it. The bolani and kabobs I tried were very well seasoned and flavorful. read more

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