Has there been a recent change of ownership? I came many times before covid, and today I returned to Kiku for the first time after the shutdown. I found the food quality to have worsened. The server spoke unintelligible English. The sushi chef did not look familiar. The menu and price have not changed though. The food was ok but not worth more than 3 stars out of 5 and not worth what they charged. I understand that many restaurants went out of business or transferred ownership during this difficult time. I am just a bit disappointed as this is not the good Kiku Sushi I remember from before. read more

Melt in your mouth, complex, and infinitely possible sushi. Packed minutes after opening. Women sushi chefs. We absolutely loved thus place! read more

Kiku sushi is so fresh and taste delicious. Must try while you are in town. The waitress and the chef is very friendly

Delicious! Melt in your mouth freshness! A pleasant surprise. I will definitely be back. Reasonably priced as well. read more

Kiku Sushi - Delicious! Melt in your mouth freshness! - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

We love this place, it's our go-to now! It's very small but we've never even had to wait. The hamachi karudo is soooo good, I order it every time! read more

Kiku Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Darn I really wanted to like this neighborhood place but like other reviewers I can't believe its over$100 and we are still hungry. Guess we'll be driving to Kiralas where $100 means we leave happy and sated. . $7 for Edamame? Really? read more

This place is a little whole in the wall sushi that has a lot of the fish vacuum sealed in pouches in the freezer in the back. I thought the sushi was pretty decent however some were a little mushy for my liking. Four stars because they had live fresh scallop. This is a must try if they have it. It's so freaking delicious!!! read more

We came here super late because it was one of the few things open. Service was quick but food was decent. We had a small salad, miso soup, and sushi. The restaurant is quite small so I think they shouldn't have such big tables. I can't imagine moving around if there was a full crowd. read more

Sushi So yammy, food is great .. Traditional Japanese restaurant. Make me feel like I am back to last trip at Japan. Highly recommend it read more

Kiku Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

We ordered soba salad and the miso glazed black cod around 12:10. Waited and waited for what seemed like half an hour wondering why no one else has received their food. Good thing today was the type of day where were weren't that hungry or in a rush because food was served at 12:50 or something. We were maybe the 4th party to be seated when they opened, but the wait was much longer than most restaurants. Anyway, the miso cod was tasty, but my husband ate it in two bites. He said it was the smallest piece of fish he has ever seen. As for the soba salad, I would give it 2 stars. It didn't have a lot of soba and salad dressing. It did have a lot of pickled veggies which was quite overbearing. I got a slight stomachache after. We both agreed that we wouldn't go back. Not worth it. read more

Great service! Food was amazing place was clean. Quality you can taste. Ben had amazing service Jin had amazing food

So happy to be able to enjoy this sushi spot again. Friendly service, delicious rolls and drinks. Tried uni for the first time here and it was fantastic! read more

Sushi is great but the wait is way too long and they lowball the estimated waiting time which can be 1.5 hrs on a peak night.

The maguro and sake sashimi were so delectable that I'm still craving more today 5 days later! What a little treasure in an unassuming corner in Berkeley. We will definitely go back for more. And, btw, the service was excellent-fast, friendly, and helpful. See you guys soon! read more

Yes bitches 5 motherfucking stars. If you're a sashimi fan (if you're not, let's face it, wtf are you doing in a sushi bar?) this place is nirvana. Pairs of huge pieces of extremely fresh fish for ~$5 on average. Usually you get tiny wimpy pieces for same price. Only downside is you may feel like a seal trying to eat them, but BBJ don't give a fuck what people think while I'm grubbing down. Only sushi place I've been to that uses fresh wasabi and ginger. Kitchen is insanely small and there's only one guy working, so not a good place to go for lunch if you're under a time restraint. read more

The sashimi? Very fresh. Tempura? Very crunchy. The sushi? Well balanced. Staffing? Friendly enough. We ordered the combination sashimi which was very fresh. The order came out quick and the staffing was attentive. Our default spot for sushi in Berkeley. read more

The fish here is very fresh and the presentation is beautiful. It is a small restaurant so seating is a little tight, but it is worth it. Sometimes there is a little wait, but I've never waited longer than 10 mins for a table. Favorite sushi spot in Berkeley hands down! read more

Kiku Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is terrible. Ordered sake maki, tekka maki, and negihama roll. They chop/mince their fish in the rolls which makes me believe its low grade or bad cuts. #1 all the maki rolls fell apart. What kind of chef can't make a maki roll right? Shitty chefs. #2 Fishy smell/taste Don't get fooled by the reviews I'm a experienced chef and I would run circles around these chumps. Terrible place. Good service but very very bad food. The negihama roll was not edible it was fishy tasting and hamachi is supposed to be buttery and fat, not the case, super fishy. Wish I could get my money/time back. read more

Very disappointing. Went for lunch service and they had one server working. At first I felt bad for her, but after waiting 20+ minutes for a glass of water I lost any empathy I had. When we got our sushi rolls, it tasted fine at first. I got the unagi (eel), but then I realized it was full of tiny BONES. We complained to the server and she didn't say anything. After another 30 minutes of waiting for our check she explained that it is normal for eel to have bones in it. I'm sorry, but I have been eating sushi for several years and never once have I had to bite into a bone filled roll. However, that's not the major issue. The issue is that I was very unhappy with the food, which I barely ate and they still charged me for it. I would have accepted a sincere apology, but only received arrogance and rudeness. I will never step foot in this establishment and advise others to stay away if they want to avoid bad service and sub-par sushi. read more

First time here. Ordered to go, just 3 items. Happy this place is open late, when your hubby has a late night craving for raw fish, and it's around the corner. Very nice people to talk to, wasn't busy. Rainbow roll was decent, the fish on it was good, but pricey for the size. Hubby got the Seven Spicy Tuna Special and Kiku Vegan Roll. He was very sad that the spicy tuna was so expensive for such a small dish. It also didn't taste very good - whatever oils they seared it in didn't taste fresh, and being served on top of the coleslaw mix made the cabbage taste old and bad. The Kiku roll, being deep fried, was also okay, but nothing special at all. At least the sushi was better than Yo Sushi just down the block, but we probably won't be back unless it's another late night emergency craving. read more

I've read the yelp reviews plus a recommendation from a friend to dine here. We were warned about the slow service and how busy this little place can get at dinner. Wow, what a disappointment to find the staff speaking another language than Japanese and how cramped the place was. Yes, the service was slow, the table next to us was loud and the food was just okay. The tempura batter was different and not as crisp as I would have preferred. They serve rice in a metal bowl like the Korean restaurants do. We were served water and not tea. The sushi is meh IMO. I just cannot figure out why people would wait in line for a table at this spot. Only positive that I can give is a 10% discount if you pay cash. read more

The food is spectacular and the presentation is beautiful. It's small, quaint, and in a nice neighborhood. The service was excellent. I also love their cute dishware. I ordered the miso glazed cod, salad, and california roll bento box and would highly recommend it. The miso cod had a great texture and was cooked to perfection, flavored very nice. It was very humble and welcoming, This one's a keeper! read more

The earlier review by "mice o." (May 2013) is really spot on. I'll just add that we too experienced subpar service. As others said, it wasn't because the people weren't nice. Just a little incompetent, or perhaps inexperienced. The seating "policy" is really disorganized. Our waiter was in way over his head, poor guy. Added on a tekka maki that we didn't order, on top of messing up a few other things. (We still got charged for the tekka maki.) The food was okay, but for the price (and based on some of the other reviews here), I was expecting something outstanding, akin to Koo in SF. But this was more like Kirala II takeout, no better, that's for sure. Now that I think about it, the next time I'm going to spend $80 on sushi, I should go to Tokyo Fish or Yaoya instead and buy all sorts of sashimi and fish eggs, make sushi rice and throw a little party. read more

Wow. I am a sushi snob (not only am I a foodie but I also worked in a higher-end sushi place for three years), and highly recommend this place. It's so good that for the first time ever, I'm writing this review in the car on the way home. This is top-notch sushi, but it is not outrageously expensive - in fact, it's cheaper than many places that have poor quality fish. The chef puts a lot of time and effort into the food, making every bite absolutely satisfying. Even if I wanted to, there's not one thing I could complain about. I live in Petaluma, but will shortly start making trips to Berkeley just to eat here. read more

No water or tea until we ask for it. Waitresses are no friendly. No smile at all. Spider was sour, they put lime in it, doesnt taste rite. Spicy scallop roll- didnt taste the scallop at all. Whole Aji (chopped the aji mix with veggie and put it in the lemon) cant taste the aji already. I think is overpriced. Food is not so good Service sucks. Only see her smile when she take the bill. Wont go back for sure. read more

We had a great first impression of this place last year and were hoping this place still had the high quality of food. I just had the Morimoto chirashi for $33 and this guy's chirashi was better at $19. Not only was the seafood fresh, the seafood blended well with each other as he seemed to know how to maximize what tastes good with each other piece. I thought chirashi is just a bunch of fish they throw on top of the rice but this dish at Kiku was the first one that felt deliberate. The chef used very little rice as it tasted better that way and this was the best chirashi I have had. The wife had a beautiful multicolor fish roll. We were both enjoying the food so much we decided to keep going and ordered a tempura appetizer for dessert. Again this was well done and the shrimp had lots of flavor along with their dipping sauce. This chef is thinking about all the details of his food and I hope he stays around for a long time to come. read more

This place looks delicious! Delivering for postmates. But definitely dining in next time I'm in town.

Fabulous sushi- in the top ten I've had to date. The fish is fresh and melts like butter and most importantly, the fish portions are generous in proportion to the other flavors, which I enjoyed. Intimate atmosphere. We sat at the bar so had immediate attention from the sushi master and got recommendations as well. I would give it five stars if it wasn't for a weird acvident: the waitress added three things to our bill we didn't order. We caught it and corrected it but we're puzzled how that happened. read more

Kiku Bubble guts... I really liked this small neighborhood sushi restaurant until... I didn't feel like sushi last week so I went with their teriyaki salmon dinner. 3-4 hours later I was gripping the toilet with food POISONING.. :/ I gave them a call just to give them a heads up about their salmon being bad and they didn't seem concerned the least bit... #bubblegutz@Kiku read more

Like the reviews say, a bit pricey and I left this place still hungry, but everything was so fresh and delectable! I wouldn't come back on a completely empty stomach again however, more of a tapas place if you want to get sushi. We tried the seaweed salad. And it was very different than traditional seaweed salad. It had a creamy sauce that reminded me of mayonnaise. I wasn't a huge fan. A few bites were OK, but it was just so thick. Apparently everyone gets the hamachi crudo. For good reason, it's so yummy! Pricey but worth it I think. The vinaigrette sauce is just subtle enough and not too overpowering. It definitely made the dish. Spicy tuna roll- I always get this wherever I go and it was delicious here! Sake nigiri was so fatty and good. Would come back! read more

Food done right! They take the time core zucchini, to grind the wasabi and make the soups delicious. The vegetarian mushroom sushi thing (I forget what it's called! Is so good I had I two! Though I did take half of one home.) Enjoy these meals! read more

I've dropped into Kiku once for sushi and a couple times for take-out. The sushi's a bit on the pricey side of the fence, but delicious. The space is intimate and the staff is friendly. This is one of my go-to spots for takeout where I live, the udon and katsu dishes are pretty filling and reasonably priced. read more

Extremely high quality of sashimi and great appetizers I'm surprised that Mongolian chefs can do that?!?! Also Jay " the chief was doing perfection job for all sushi and sashimi and rolls! I m really amazed " like a " " where have u Been all my life!!???? I'm so coming back here!!! High high highly recommended !!!! Very very very good! You know yelper ? I'm picky for sushi joint!!!! So goood!!! Owner is Japanese fish are extremely fresh read more

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This is my go to sushi place when my parents visit Berkeley. The fish is extremely fresh, prices are fair, family owned and the parking is so much better than downtown Berkeley! Definitely recommend if you're looking for a sushi place in West Berkeley! read more

I'm very very happy with this place. One of my first impressions was that it had Japanese folks actually working there which is always a huge plus for me. Not that other races can't make perfectly delicious Japanese food, just that the Japanese do it best. The miso soup was obviously homemade and the tofu was plentiful and soft and delicious. I had salmon sashimi which was buttery and fresh. I highly recommend Kiku. So good! read more

I've been here twice now and both times I wasn't very satisfied with my experience. The first time, my boyfriend had some sort of udon thing and it wasn't that good nor flavorful. Both times I've been here, even though the restaurant is so small and they seem to have enough waitresses, our food took a while and it they didn't check up on us very much. My latest experience, our food really took so long and we only ordered rolls! How is that possible to wait so long?! The rolls were not bad, but definitely nothing I would have to come back for. Plus, it is pretty pricey for such small servings. read more

It's been awhile since I've been inspired to write a review and this place deserves all five stars. Within walking distance from our home, the setting is intimate and similar in scale to what you would expect of a similar place in Japan. Decor is simple, warm, modern and sets the stage for the amazing food. Appetizers were served piping hot that showcases the best of simple traditional flavors. Agedashi tofu was fresh and supple inside with crispy crust that comes with savory fish flakes/ginger/scallion condiments to pour over the shoyu sauce. Hamachi Kama was super crispy on the outside and tender/juicy hamachi morsels on the inside. Sansai Udon soup bowl was also served piping hot with fresh variety of mountain vegetables and simple broth. Chirashi Special had a wonderful variety of top grade sashimi and vegetables. Uni Special -super fresh and tasted like seawater and cream Toro - melts like butter and super fresh Mirugai Geoduck- super fresh. I saw the movie "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" and this place definitely evokes a similar passion for quality presentation of the freshest fish with a flavorful simplicity that is refreshing and inspirational. We arrived at 6pm and were lucky to get seats before standing room only on a Friday night. (They had kids utensils and plates and booster seat.) Good luck Kiku, we hope you become a local fixture like Lalime's across the street. We hope they succeed. read more

I have loved Kiku since it opened a few blocks from where we live. And I love it even more now. The fish is crazy fresh, huge pieces of sashimi, and lovely specials. I especially enjoy the Saba and the Uni is as fresh as it comes. The owner sources his seafood from the best places, and knows the worldwide market. The best part is that the owner now uses gluten free tamari in preparation of a lot of dishes so that they can be gluten free! Last week we had the Ikura that had been marinated in tamari and it was awesome. I cannot recommend this place enough read more

The nastiest Japanese food we have ever eaten!! First of all Agedashi Tofu should never taste like fried Mochi (tofu isn't sticky ) Since when are Japanese Gyoza steamed and not pan fried? That's called a Chinese pot sticker duh! Why did there Teriyaki sauce smell like soap from Ikea. Since when is teriyaki sauce thick and fragrant like flowers?? Even the Udon was in like a chicken broth not a Dashi. We asked for Siracha and even that wasn't right!! Overall the worst thing I've eaten I can't call this Japanese food it's just not!!! read more

Finally, an amazing alternative to Kirala. My husband and I love sushi and were very disappointed when we moved to Berkeley to find that there really aren't any thoughtful, creative, and delicious sushi restaurants. While talked up a lot, we have always found Kirala to be uninspired and overcrowded, with extremely poor service. On a whim, we went to Kiku Sushi expecting to find the typical sushi standards. Boy, were we wrong! Even when we arrived at 8pm on a Sunday evening, the menu was full of creative and delicious offerings - don't leave without having the ankimo appetizer, and if the chef is still offering it - he has a mackerel dish that he turns into a work of art. Last night, we had the most amazing sea eel (not at all your typical unagi - much better), and toro that reappeared in my dreams. In addition, we had a delicious little roll and a special plate of mixed fish which the chef put together with a sesame olive oil that he created himself - amazing! I wanted to try their amber-jack or scallop specials, but feared that we couldn't possibly eat everything. My husband and I are eager to get to Kiku when they have fresh uni and their menu also says that they occasionally offer geoduck! I think 8pm on Sunday night is probably not the best time to find either, so I can't blame the restaurant for our late arrival. From what I understand, the chef is part-owner and previously worked in a high-end sushi restaurant in San Francisco. His experience shows. Everything we ate was classy, elegant, completely fresh (the chef can tell you where every single fish came from and when it arrived at the restaurant), and beautiful. read more