Trying this spot out after looking for a decent Sushi/Japanese restaurant in Berkeley. Ordered a whole bunch of things to try and plus we were hungry. I was super excited that they had real shrimp in the sushi instead of imitation crab, because I hate imitation. Though I was sad only like 2 rolls had crab in them. The food was ok, just wasn't hitting the mark on flavor. 2 dishes were dry and a little bit to much char from the grill. Service was excellent, so nothing wrong with thar. Just missed the mark on the food being good with that price. Was giving it a 3, but the real crab and the service bumped it to a 4. read more

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Best sushi in California, hand down!!! Have not been able to come here since Covid19 but luckily nothing has changed (see my previous post)! I would drive 100+ miles out of my way every time to eat here. DO NOT MISS! We love Jin! read more

Kamado Sushi - Jin at work! - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Valentines Day Splurge with Gio! practically flawless.... hamachi kama great and an assortment of classic sushi with the "Tears" sake was perfect...The scallop so good & sweet we ordered one for desert! my only minor quibble is the fried shrimp heads served with amaebi raw shrimp sushi..I like them tempura style better... we have become Jin's fans & regulars! read more

Kamado Sushi - THE SHIRT - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

The sashimi is on point. They get really busy so get a reservation if possible. Be prepared to order a few different dishes to get full. read more

My boyfriend and I had a great omakase experience here! We came on a Thursday night around 7:45 and sat at the bar. We started off by ordering the rotating Gilman brewing ipa (yay to supporting local breweries!). The food started flowing soon after. Everything we ate was so yummy, especially some of the seared sushi and of course, the fatty tuna! I can't remember how many pieces we had but it was definitely more than 12. It's not an omakase with a set price--the chef serves you whatever is fresh that day, and in the end, you're charged the cumulative market price of all the items. Sitting at the bar was great because we got to chat with chef Jin about his favorites, where he's from, and how long he's been a sushi chef. Super nice guy! The waiter was also very nice and attentive! Street parking was easy. Definitely coming back! read more

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Had two rolls as well as a few of the special fish. They were all really delicious, albeit pricey. Service was great; water kept pouring and we were looked after. We sat in the "back;" it was quiet and there was plenty of conversation to be had. And I really loved the kimono that was hanging on the wall. read more

Indoor dining available within covid-safety protocols. Great quality fish, attentive service, and an extensive list of sakes to choose from. I love their authentic rice to fish ratio in the sushi rolls. The Toro nigiri is a delight, and Hokkaido scallops are delicious as well. Would highly recommend, thanks :) read more

I work right above this restaurant, and they are absolutely amazing. I generally get the chicken katsu which comes with rice, salad, soup, and the chicken of course. It is always fresh and flavorful. I do wish they'd give you more sauce. I generally ask for more but its a fifty fifty if I actually get it. They open around 4 PM for pickup, so after a long workday I can skip downstairs and get my beloved chicken. There is a lot of parking around the restaurant, most you have to pay for if you stay there awhile. There is a CVS and Safeway across the street for free parking. The customer service is amazing and the food is authentic and great. read more

Kamado Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I loved Kamado Sushi, and would return. I got the sashimi platter, and all the pieces of fish were delicious. They serve very fresh sushi, and healthy slices of them too. Not the tiny slices that you see in some sushi restaurants. Service is great, restaurant is clean, and has a nice ambience. Would highly recommend! read more

I remember when this space was occupied by a bakery cafe called Bel Forno, which is kinda amazing since the food wasn't all that memorable. The space looked to be better used as a sushi spot since it was full up when Jamie W. and I would casually pass by. On one late Saturday afternoon, we noticed the restaurant opened its door at 4PM, which was a full hour before other local eateries. This was enough of a drawing card to lure us in for an early dinner. Snagging a table for two at that hour was a cinch. Jamie loves a good katsu, and he got one with the $15 Chicken Katsu Dinner (photo: http://bit.ly/2KKYcGr). It came with the requisite salad with miso dressing and a cup of miso soup (photo: http://bit.ly/2vWpW5C). With a bowl of rice and katsu sauce, the breaded cutlet was a hearty portion deep-fried but not too heavy and sliced (photo). The chicken was surprisingly tender. I, on the other hand, went a la carte and first ordered the $5.50 bowl of Kinoko Miso Soup which placed a variety of different mushrooms in a warm miso broth (photo: http://bit.ly/2M5U0GO). Soothing with nice textures. Then I had the $15.95 Grilled Hamachi Kama which was as meaty a yellowtail collar as I've ever had and came with a ponzu sauce (photo: http://bit.ly/2OrlcMV). We were pleased enough with our virginal visit that we came back a couple of months later with slightly more mixed results. Jamie tried another poultry dinner, the $16 Chicken Teriyaki Dinner (photo: http://bit.ly/2MdIdWe). This time, the combination of dry breast meat with a decidedly sweet sauce didn't satisfy as much as the katsu. I fared better with the artfully presented $22 Chirashi Special with a variety of sashimi - including maguro, hamachi, and unagi - arranged alongside kanpyo (calabash), yamagobo (pickled burdock root), salmon roe, and tamago (photo: http://bit.ly/2KFfKUw). Now that was worth a third visit. FOOD - 4 stars...stick with the fish and the 'shrooms and skip anything with that teriyaki sauce AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...nice use of an oddly shaped space on that shopping center island SERVICE - 4 stars...servers are friendlier than the hostesses here TOTAL - 4 stars...really dependable sushi find in the Gourmet Ghetto RELATED - In the mood for sushi? Here's a collection of spots I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2AW8WlI read more

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Delicious ! Definitely one the best omakase experiences in Berkeley and east bay we have been too. For the quality and price better than SF restaurants. The variety and quality of the fish is excellent thanks to Chef Jin who sources from Japan and around the world. There is your typical salmon, tuna, scallops, toro but he also has trouts, 2-3 types of fresh mackerels, sea eel, sardines etc. We always ask to sit at the counter and do the omakase menu with him specifically. He's an excellent chef and such a nice guy. Expect 70-110 per person. Prices are quite reasonable and move up and down depending on number of pieces you can take down. I appreciate that they have not downed on quality and variety like many places since the pandemic. There is also a cooked food, appetizer and various rolls menu as well but we haven't tried that yet. Sake selection is great and fairly priced. Eating here you can also support this a small business and they can keep up this super quality and unique omakase menu for everyone. read more

Came here yesterday to treat myself and get some food to go! The Chirashi was good and fresh as usual! So was the Uni as well Amaebi and they remembered the heads as well! I appreciate the freshness of their fish everytime I come here! The service was great as well! No waiting for seating either! Lots of parking after 6pm too! read more

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Excellent sushi selection. We ordered over the phone and had our order ready in 20 minutes. We got an eggplant appetizer, crunch roll, rainbow roll, spider roll. It totally filled me up read more

Kamado Sushi - Spider roll, rainbow roll, crunch roll, sake maki. - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Amazing. Great waitstaff, knowledgeable, professional, attentive and friendly. Had some nigiri, rolls and edamame, super fresh and delicious! read more

Kamado Sushi - Tamago,ocean trout and salmon nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Been here few times, and both food and the service were great. Food is flavorful but not overwhelming, and served beautifully. They also have good sake. Located in a cute corner of the Gourmet Ghetto (yes, aware some people have lately made a big deal of this name but it really tells of the eclectic vibes of Berkeley), it has a following of its own around here. Love the seaweed salad, an unusual find. It is a great place, giving four stars because in our opinion it can do even better. Will ofc return again. read more

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In town from ATL and I eat sushi regularly. And I'm picky. Jin, the Sushi Chef, proceeded to rewrite my reference in short order. Goma Saba ? WTF was that ? I never knew Saba could taste like that. On and on, he kept our Omakase experience on POINT. Jins Omakase is FINE SUSHI. Not any silly "rolls". Not a thing fried except the Blue Sweet Shrimp head. Worth EVERY PENNY of the $220 for both of us.. in fact I tipped $60.. $40 for her and $20 for Itamae San. A small, unassuming place that totally brings the World Class Nigiri. Let Jin run the flight and you are in the hands of a true master. read more

Sushi was outstanding. Really great selection of less common varieties of fish. You'll pay a lot for it, but it will be delicious.

I've been here many times in the past and I always ate inside. There was always such a great vibe inside. Now with coronavirus they are open for takeout only. I am so glad that they are still open and that the food is still as delicious and fresh as always. 5 strong stars. Super high quality fish, I always know it's gonna be the best! They are very reliable. Great place and I can't wait to go back. Thank you Jin, thank you staff. read more

Kamado Sushi - Front of restaurant , main entrance - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

My favorite spot for udon in Berkeley! The seafood udon has fish, fish cake, clams, mussels, shrimp, mushrooms, zucchini and cabbage. It used to be less than $20, but for $22 it's still a great deal! I always forget how good the broth is and find myself constantly sipping it as I'm enjoying the udon. Spider roll was a tad over fried this last time, but still kept me happy as I waited for my udon. read more

Kamado Sushi - Spider roll - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Fancier Japanese restaurant with lots of parking places around. We came on a Saturday and had to wait about 30 minutes for a table, that was inconvenient given that we can't wait inside and it started to rain. However the wait was worth it, once seated, the service was fast and pleasant, the staff was friendly with children and understanding with food accommodation. Now the food was delicious, Fresh and different from your regular sushi place, even a simple limonade or iced tea was more elaborate. We took makis and some dinner place and the portion were generous and food was so good that we left our plates empty. read more

Came in on a random Wednesday night, and expecting it to be a full house. Instead, greeted by Jin with an almost empty sushi bar so I was pleased to have some extra elbow room for this evening. A lot of variety and from all over the world. His menu is big enough where everyone can see it across the bar, and it tells where the fish is from. Omakase is the only way to go if you're sitting at the bar. Had a great personable conversation with Jin. What a great background he has; and made the experience much better and more memorable. Pro Tip: follow his restaurant on Instagram to get up to date seafood selections. read more

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Pretty good and on the more affordable side of sushi places around the area. The rolls were good. They put a good amount of fish in their sushi rolls and the rice is cooked well. The gyoza was good. The bottoms are nice and crisp and the inside is juicy. I usually just park in the Safeway parking lot across the street while I'm eating and don't have any trouble. The hot towels that they give you before you get your food is a nice touch and the chopsticks come propped up on super cute little oragamj holders. It's pretty inauthentic but still good for rolls and things and definitely tasty. read more

Kamado Sushi - Sushi rolls - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great place in Berkeley for some sushi. We tried the sea urchin from SB and the sweet shrimp from the daily special. We also got the sashimi platter that comes with miso soup and rice. An additional miso soup was added since it was $1.50 (very affordable). I recommend trying all of those, especially the sea urchin!! I've had sea urchin before, even ones from Japan that weren't as tasty as the ones we got here. We also got some maki rolls. Those weren't the greatest so I don't recommend that. Nigiri and sashimi is the way to go! Prices were fair for the quality of the food. We will be coming back to try the food on the daily special menu. read more

Kamado Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I'll admit that I was expecting better based off all the reviews, but I'll still round up to four stars, because I have no real complaints. I went for lunch, and the chirashi was a nice size, the presentation was good, and the fish was decently fresh, although not as fresh as I'd like. Maybe I'll come sometime for dinner to see if the fish is better then. Still, the lunch specials are a nice deal - they come with a surprisingly large bowl of miso soup. Cozy! An oddity: the spicy tuna roll. All the spicy tuna rolls have involved tuna mixed with spices, but this spicy tuna roll was just a tuna roll with spices sprinkled on top. Huh. read more

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Came here for a friend's birthday dinner (party of six) and all of us loved it!! Half of us are vegetarian but we still found plenty of delicious options. Food: We ordered the agedashi tofu and edamame for the table as appetizers. Both were delicious! Honestly though, the corn starch or potato starch on the outside of the tofu was quite an interesting texture, almost slimy?? Everyone was a fan of this dish, but me not so much. The agedashi was my only qualm with the food. Aside from the apps, we ordered the crunch roll, avo tuna roll, salmon roll, dragon roll, and chirashi for three of us non-vegetarians to split. It was absolute heaven! The fish was so fresh, flavorful, and thickly cut. If you're only ordering for yourself and are in the mood for lots of high-quality protein, go with the chirashi bowl. It has so much: hamachi, sake (Salmon), albacore tuna, ikura (salmon roe) on picked radish, egg, shiitake, squid, all on top of sushi rice. You will be a very happy camper. The miso soup that came with the chirashi bowl had a lot of flavor and was perfect for the cold rainy day. Edamame was served hot and also delicious. Service: If it was just left to the food, the review would be 5/5. But boy, the staff was so friendly and made my friend feel welcome so I would post six stars to this review if I could: They said "Happy Birthday" to us as soon as we walked in; the servers who didn't even have our table walked by wishing us well too; to top it off, for dessert we were surprised with a beautiful, large ball of tempura matcha ice cream, topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a maraschino cherry. Thank you for treating us well and for making our friend's birthday so special! We all had a memorable evening, in no small part because of the food and excellent service. read more

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Easily the best sashimi I have ever eaten. Stopped by for dinner with a friend on a Friday afternoon. Service is friendly, quiet and a nice place even in summer heat. The portions are generous, all around. Come for the food, stay for the qualify. read more

Delicious! We have come a few times and have always left happy and full. They have a lot of options when it comes to the menu, including some cooked options. They always have specials, and the fish is fresh. We tried barracuda for the first time ever here and it was really good! The folks who work there are always kind and friendly. The space inside isn't huge but you're far enjoy away from other tables to be able to enjoy your meal. We've always been able to find parking when we come. Highly recommend checking this place out if you haven't! read more

One of my favorite sushi places in Berkeley. Nay, in the Bay Area! The sea bass appetizer (and probably entree as well) is amazing. Mouth watering just to remember it. The fish is fresh and delicious. I wish I won the lottery so I could eat here everyday and order every item on the specials menu. Deep fried uni sounds wrong, but it's so right. They keep the delicate flavor and complement it. Five stars for sure read more

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Berkeley's best kept secret sushi heaven. I've had some of my favorite eating experiences here. It's my family's go to spot. The fish is delicious as is the rice. Better than the others. Especially at this price point. I should keep it a secret. Go become a regular here before it gets discovered. Chef Jin is the man. read more

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Aw man! Omakase here is so good!! I been coming here for years! Recently tried Hinata and let me tell you.. it's levels above that place. We went on a Saturday night with a party of 6 and it was such a wonderful experience. Chef and the staff are very welcoming and the food is delicious!!! You must try the sushi here, it's so fresh and so good. The seaweed salad he made is homegrown and nothing can ever be compared to it. The quality is top tier and I can't wait to eat it again. I never had torched Toro and let me tell you.. AMAZING...lots of variety of fish and each one is so unique.. you must try... you will not regret!!! I promise!! read more

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We came here for my daughter's birthday dinner. She picked the spot because it was recommended to her by friends. Very cool little spot. It is near Saul's Deli in Berkeley. We went on a night when the Berkeley Farmers Market was open so many of the usual parking spots were taken up. We had a reservation and kind of a large group. The restaurant is small so we took up the majority of the seats. They have a video board of the fresh local fish of the day. I tried the Japanese barracuda which was really good! The top was lightly seared and it has a very nice texture and flavor. I also ordered a spicy scallop roll which was very tasty. Overall, we had a great time and my family had plenty to eat since we ordered some appetizers too. This is a pricey spot so don't expect a sushi buffet (I actually like those if they're good). This is a great spot to sit at the sushi bar and have some drinks with friends. Very neighborhood friendly vibes! Come and check out this place! read more

I was craving sushi before parting ways with my date. Most other sushi joints were at capacity on a Saturday night which brought us here. Neither of us were that hungry. He ordered a dragon roll, and I decided on the sashimi combo. For beverages, we sipped on what I thought would be a bottle of Ozeki Karatamba sake for $22. Instead, they brought out a 1.75l and poured into a 10 oz. sake decanter. I am not a fan of open bottle pouring sake unless it's defined as "house". Everywhere else it always arrives in a bottle. My sashimi wasn't very impressive in presentation or taste. The bonito's once bright glistening pink color had gone to a darker mauve matte sheen. The rest of the fish was looking just as sad. No buttery textures or fresh flavors to enjoy here. Service was okay but slow also. The waitress had zero personality and seemed inconvenienced for the most part although the guy who brought my sashimi was smiley and kind enough to go down the line describing the fish. This was one sushi joint worth forgetting. So much not to like - including the close seating quarters. Girl next to my date was very interested in our conversation. -def amusing but not a welcoming factor when eating out! read more

Our favorite sushi spot in the East Bay -- always great fish and excellent service! Favorite date night spot.

The sushi was incredibly fresh, but the overall experience was lackluster, which was further compounded by the price and the missing minor details that made us want to come back. It seemed like while we were in there, every customer quibbled over something, big or small. Our own 3-Star rating comes directly from the sticky feeling of the tables, the hazy water glasses, and that extra something missing that makes you feel good about eating here. I'm not sure if it was having to rearrange dishes on the table (as we and every other customer around us did) due to them just being set on the table, or the goopy texture of the oversaturated rice, or the feeling of getting exactly what you ordered, but not really what you paid for. I think this place is a sashimi lover's dream, that is if they have the fat stacks to binge. Beyond that, I'm not sure we'll be back anytime soon. read more

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Came here after seeing a snap of the food from my brother. Parking wasn't as bad since I came on a weekday around 8 PM. Atmosphere of the restaurant was really nice and service was good. We had the miso glazed black cod appetizer, aji nigiri, saba roll, ankimo appetizer, and the omakase (nigiri). Miso black cod ($13) was good. Super soft and buttery and light flavor, but my friend wasn't a fan of it. aji nigiri (MP) I like aji and it was pretty fresh. saba roll (?? forgot) interesting since it has sushi ginger inside and saba. Outside the roll consisted of green onion. Ankimo appetizer ($15) 4 Huge chunks on a spoon with a little ponzu, daikon radish and a dot of siracha on top. Needed more ponzu or some flavoring since the ankimo was thick. Omakase (server said its around $70-$90 depending on the sushi. Ours came out to be around $73 for 14 pieces.) Pretty fresh but I noticed the sushi rice is a smaller portion than other places. Came with a piece of the firefly squid which was different and delicious. Uni was very sweet and creamy. Also came with whelk? meat and inards. My friend described the inards as bad oyster without the fishy smell (its good or maybe cause she warned me so I covered it with fresh wasabi and ginger.) The selection of fish was pretty fresh. Also came with a miso soup that was average. They only have sapporo beer on draft for $7 a pint. Service was friendly and they serve matcha hot tea here. It is quite expensive here compared to a few sushi joints I like to go to around the bay area but definitely worth trying for the first time. read more

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The best sushi experience anywhere. Period. We've eaten sushi up and down the west coast from Seattle to San Diego. Kamado is in its own category. Chef Jin has unmatched knowledge and skill, and he's always extremely friendly and welcoming. His fish is of the highest quality. Sit at the bar, order omakase, and let Jin delight you for a couple hours. You won't regret it. read more

This place is outstanding! I just stumbled into it looking for something to eat. First the service is very friendly warm and helpful. The sushi was incredible. Very thick pieces and extremely fresh. The also give you a generous pour of sake. This is my "go to" place in Berkeley from now on! read more

Kamado Sushi - Sashimi Sampler! - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Life is good when you're having good sushi. We walked in without reservations and seated within 5 minutes. The omakase was perfect. read more

As a place that was recommended by my friend, I was looking forward to trying out this place. The service is supposed to be friendly,and one of the severs was very friendly and nice. The other one however seemed to rush and was almost curt at times. Onto the food, the appetizer of the miso glazed cod was delicious. A small portion but so good. The seafood platter comes with soup, salad, rice and a dipping sauce. Loved the quality of the tempura itself. Crunchy, perfectly fried, and many different varieties of seafood. Definitely worth the price but I would share it with someone next time. The sushi chirashi platter was great. Lots of pickled veggies with interesting textures and flavors. My fav was the eel. read more

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"Making that good first impression" During Hanabata (small kid) days one of the first things we are taught is, "make a good first impression". This is the same with any business, especially restaurants. As so many people do, when deciding where to eat, we will check with friends and our modern version of the "word of mouth", which of course is Yelp. Berkeley seems to have many great Japanese restaurants so we decided to go to a new, well regarded restaurant close to where we were. Kamado Sushi is located in a newer, low-rise retail building across the street from a CVS store. A medium-sized first floor restaurant, your first impression upon entering is a clean, contemporary feel with friendly and courteous service. The menu is similar to what you find at other Japanese restaurants but the key is noticeably better ingredients and superb execution. They also came with paper origami chopstick holders which we thought was very clever. We ordered the Chirashi and it came with a delicious miso soup, a great soup made from scratch with two miso pastes. It is clearly not a run of the mill soup. The Chirashi used the freshest cuts of seafood and tamago and was really tasty. The portion size was perfect, just the right amount of rice to topping ratio. That first impression, from the time walked in to the completion of our meal was all thumbs up. A perfect way to end our passing visit through Berkeley. This is now our go-to Japanese restaurant when in the area. read more

Kamado Sushi - A most excellent Chirashi offering - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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