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2nd Visit. I'm smitten with the menu and vibes. $6 Kyuri: refreshing vinegary counter to the fried and grilled items. $12 Crispy Chicken Knees: very karage like. Excellent. $6 Bacon+Oyster: Least surprising. Tasty at least. $4.50 Chkn Skin: kinda sweet! In a good way, charred, and fatty. Delicious. $31 Ika Yaki: delicious
Really good izakaya spot! There are so many dishes, and since we came as a group, we got to share quite a few! Some favs include the chicken gizzard skewer, mentaiko udon, and uni scallop spoons. Only complaint is their donabe was more of a fried rice than proper donabe, but still alright. Also much more affordable than some of the other more popular izakaya spots in Berkeley. Would 100% come back and try their other dishes.
Kinda Izakaya has been on my to-try list and I've heard mixed reviews from people on know, but I definitely wanted to judge for myself. Today we had something to do in Berkeley, so we made Kinda Izakaya our dinner spot to meet up with a couple friends as well! It was a Thursday night and I wasn't sure if it would be packed or not, but I made a reservation through Open Table just in case. We walked in around 6:30PM and it was fairly empty, but we didn't order until closer to 6:50PM. A little later and it did get pretty pack, so I'm glad we beat the rush. For our group of four we got a lot. We shared: - Purple Tempura - Crispy Knee - Karaage - Shima Hokke - Gomae - Beef Tongue x 2 - Chicken Skewer Set (Special Menu) x 2 My partner and I specially also shared a Chirashi Don and a Ochazuke, while our friends shared another Ochazuke and a Japanese Curry. Of everything we ordered, I had a few favorites: 1) The purple tempura was very nicely fried. It had a crispy outer layer, but the potato was still soft. Who doesn't love some fancy fries? 2) The crispy knee was nicely fried as well. Hard to go wrong with crispy knees when we love the cartilage crunch so much! 3) The Chirashi bowl was beautiful! There was a good variety and I like that they gave two slices of every fish (and tamago). It made for a great sharing bowl with partner. Each piece of fish was pretty fresh and my favorite of the bunch is the Hotate and the Ikura! 4) The Ochazuke was probably my ultimate favorite. The dashi broth was comforting especially when it's a little cold outside. It was also really delicious. They topped it with some fresh salmon pieces so when you pour the broth in, it cooks it just slightly, but still retains the soft texture of raw fish. We also had a few disappointments as well though. 1) Most of the skewers were a bit of a let down and I think it's because they put a marinade on the meat. I didn't like the taste of it that much - there's a weird tangy taste that was a little off-putting. The quality of the meat wasn't bad though. The tongue was actually a nice thick, but soft cut. 2) The Gomae wasn't quite what I expected. Although spinach is the main component of the dish, I feel like the sauce pairing should really elevate it because otherwise spinach is pretty bland. Their twist on this was on the blander side. Overall it was okay, but the sauce could definitely use some work. 3) Shima Hokke was a little tough so I think it's slightly over-grilled. I think I would choose to try the Hamachi Kama next time instead. All in all, service was pretty attentive. The place got crowded, but we didn't particularly feel neglected. Food came at a good pace. I recommend their stuff from their Fried section and Donburi section. The place is such a vibe too. I like how much posters and decorations they plastered around the restaurant. Parking here can be a little crazy, but otherwise, we had a good time here!
Brief Summary - Close to Trader Joe's in Berkeley - Recommended to reserve a seat if you're visiting during peak dinner hours - Portions are great to order a variety and avoid leftovers Been a favorite place to eat with friends in Berkeley. There is a large variety of menus and appetizers to choose from. I did most of the ordering by looking at the menu rather than from the QR code (It didn't work for me when I tried the latter option). I also prefer the menu in this restaurant because it's like a piece of art. The whole canvas is covered in collage of food; I like the pop. I also love the interior decoration. There is a lot of things to look at and observe, the eyes are entertained. My particular favorite is the nook, where the wall panel is covered in manga panels of well-known manga. Favorite dishes I ordered - yakionigiri - yakitori - beef tongue - mentaiko spaghetti - kinda tofu - fried squid - hamachi carpaccio
Sometimes you visit a restaurant while traveling and instantly wish it existed in your hometown. That's exactly how I felt about this place. Kinda Izakaya is located in Berkeley, just outside the busy college areas and food streets. It's a cozy Japanese izakaya-style spot that serves small plates, yakitori, sushi, fried bites, and comfort dishes meant for sharing. The vibe feels casual but lively, the kind of place where people sit around chatting while plates keep arriving at the table. I'm currently visiting San Francisco and Berkeley and only have a few days left before heading back to San Diego. My goal while visiting was simple: eat. What I didn't expect was finding a restaurant I loved more than most places I've had recently in San Diego. This place completely blew me away. We arrived around 7:30 with no reservation and the staff was able to accommodate our party of three right away. I appreciated the flexibility, but as the night went on walk-ins quickly turned into a 25+ minute wait, so reservations are probably a good idea. We were seated in a fun booth setup and immediately given menus and water. I also want to highlight the staff here. They were incredibly attentive and kind. You could tell they genuinely enjoy working there through how they interacted with guests. The menu is a little overwhelming because there are so many options, some with pictures and some without. I wanted to order everything but we settled on five dishes for three people which came out to around $56 total: fried mochi, beef tongue yakitori, garlic fried rice with beef, crispy knee, and the cherry blossom roll. The fried mochi was the first surprise of the night. For $6 this might have been the best value on the table. They came out hot and crispy on the outside while staying chewy inside. Think chewy rice cakes cut into blocks and fried, then drizzled with a sweet, sticky, almost teriyaki sauce and topped with bonito flakes. The flavor was balanced and the texture was amazing. I honestly wish we ordered two plates. The beef tongue yakitori was another standout. Large chunks of tender and flavorful tongue grilled perfectly on the skewer. A little tip is to squeeze the lemon over the meat and let the juices mix together. If you have cabbage on the side like we did with the crispy knee dish, that lemony meat juice works great as a dressing. The garlic fried rice with beef was a huge portion for $17 and easily shareable. It was buttery, garlicky, and comforting. The steak pieces stayed tender and soaked up the garlic butter flavor really well. The crispy knee was something I had never tried before but I'm glad I did. If you like karaage, imagine that idea pushed a little further. It has a crispy exterior with some cartilage texture inside that adds crunch. A squeeze of lemon helps cut the richness and dipping it in the spicy mayo made it even better. The cherry blossom roll was unfortunately our least favorite dish of the night, though it wasn't bad. It came out about ten minutes after everything else. The cuts were a little inconsistent in size and it looked smaller than expected for a $20 roll. The fish tasted fresh, but I've had better sushi back home in San Diego. Overall I'm honestly just sad because I want to come back and try more dishes. This is the kind of place I would happily become a regular at if I lived nearby. If you ever find yourself in Berkeley, I highly recommend giving it a try.
Quite a disappointing experience all around. My husband and I came for dinner and made a reservation same day. No issues making reservations and being sat. It got quite packed. We ordered a large hot sake ($9) and immediately there was something off about it. Weird yellow sediment floating around, and it tasted and smelled strongly of vinegar. This indicates that it has spoiled and oxidized, presumably from being warmed too long. We flagged over the male server (who was nice enough throughout), and he immediately brought it over to one of the female servers to check. Initially, he offered us a replacement but upon checking with her (as she looked concerned), he asked us if we wanted to replace it with cold sake instead. We said sure. After getting the replacement, this same female server kept giving us dirty looks throughout the night. They also had people they knew keep coming in and they would go sit in the back by the bar, then the servers would go chit chat with them. Made it hard to flag anyone down, besides from the one male server. Disappointing service, besides from the one male server who checked in with us once. The food also came out really slowly; we came at opening and ordered quickly, but the food still came out quite slowly. Food-wise: we started off strong with the grilled chicken skin ($4.50). We also got fried chicken skin ($10) - the chicken skin items were good. Mentaiko udon was quite good, if you like carbonara. The roe was salty, udon was creamy, it's a super 'fishy' tasting pasta but it's really good. $18 atka mackerel: pretty good, tender, less 'fishy' than typical mackerel $18 Fried mochi was interesting, my husband liked it enough. Sweet, crispy outside, chewy inside. $6 I wanted to try a variety of grilled items as they're a izakaya: - Grilled beef tongue was a massive chunk and just overall kind of dry. Not much flavor. ($6) - Grilled angus beef was just okay as well. ($6) - Grilled baby scallops: small because they're baby scallops but also unremarkable and dry ($6) -grilled pork belly: way too much fat and cut too thick of slices. Would've been a much better texture if it was cut thinly, but since it was so thick, the fat was overpowering, it was around 80% fat, 20% meat I would say ($14) Overall, I would recommend the mentaiko udon and the chicken skin items. Mackerel wasn't bad either. Everything else is just ok to not great. I don't know if we'll be back anytime soon. On to the next restaurant to try in Berkeley...
I'm definitely a fan! The ambience was great, service was amazing, great place. I had the MENTAIKO udon, soooo good with the added bacon. I'm not a fan of the assorted chicken skewer. The best skewer was the chicken skin. We also had the lychee tower, you can't even taste the alcohol. Definitely will be back
I feel like I was in Japan when I ate here. The vibe gives the same small izakaya feeling as if you were in Japan. The tables are seated somewhat close to each other and there is single seating at the bar. It's on the darker side in here, but it definitely sets the vibe for late night ramen and appetizers. I tried the shishito peppers and tonkatsu ramen. The wait time for food is not bad at all. Appetizers came out quickly, and the entree followed shortly after. Definitely looking forward to coming back but be weary!! There might be a wait!
Wow impressive and my first time her and def won't be my last. We are seeing a gig at the back room and wanted to grab a bite. Entered and the place was packed for a Friday. Mina greeted us and asked if we had reservations in which I looked at hubs in disbelief thinking we were out of luck. Let Mina know we dont have any and hoping shes able to accomdate us as we weren't planning on staying long. She and another waiter were very attentive and were awesome. Highly recommend and Mina is the best.
great little place in berkeley! it's a bit small but still cozy and usually has a waitlist around dinner time. the sushi and gyudon wasn't really anything special, but i did really like the tofu & udon! the agedashi tofu has a nice crisp on the outside so it fast before it gets soggy in the sauce! the carbonara udon has great flavor -- i could honestly eat a whole meal of just the udon overall this place is a staple, no complaints!
DD a few times from here when I have a hankering for quality snacks: - the sauces are all different and really good - batter on the fried items - light and not overly seasoned - hamachi kama, small portion, super fresh - beef tongue, so tender and love the wasabi Excellent izakaya eats - like Kiraku and Ippuku's love child.
excellent food, all so tasty and generous serving. My favorite was the ochazuke with salmon, the dashi broth was so good I wish there was more! The skewers a a bit small but cooked well and flavorful. The udon was comforting and came with lots of tempura! friendly staff and service. they only have 2 highchairs so if other families with kids are there you may not get one.
Arrived at 6PM on a Saturday as a party of 2 and we were able to be seated immediately with no reservation. The interior is quite cool with awesome decor and moody lighting. Service was attentive throughout as well. The mentaiko udon was definitely the standout--creamy and savory, and the noodles had the perfect chew. I also thought the chicken yakitori set and squid had a great char flavor, although there were a few pieces of squid with grainier texture that may have indicated it wasn't as fresh as it could have been. The tofu was also fried well with the soy sauce adding just enough saltiness. Would skip the yakisoba next time, the flavor was overall on the blander side surprisingly. Decent option for izakaya, especially for the ambiance, but keep in mind the smaller portions/higher price point.
3 years ago
I went here for my birthday last night and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! I found my new fav place in Berkeley. We pretty much ate the whole menu and I loved every single thing I put in my mouth lol. The ikura was fresh and burst with umami. The beef tongue was so tender and flavorful!! They also served it with a raw egg yolk and a house soy sauce that made it a 12/10. Ugh we ended up ordering 4 of them lol. I loved the atmosphere and the drinks!! You can come here for a fancy date or just a casual late night bite with amazing drinks and nice ambiance. I loved the posters on the wall and the Japanese music in the background. Apparently, it was our server's 1st and he was so nice and attentive. I will be definitely be a regular here lol. read more
Business owner information
Kinda I.
Thank you so much for joining us last night! I’m happy to hear you…
2 years ago
Came in on a Saturday night around 8. Around 715 called in to know what the wait time was and was told "maybe 1 hour, 90 minutes or even 2 hours. Bar seating might be available sooner" From that point, reconsidered going because of how hungry we were. But we went because we've been wanting to try them and would be open to bar seating. Got there and was seated within 5 minutes. Servers were friendly and welcoming. Inside had a variety of seating options that could be rearranged in different configurations (wood and box crates) and bar seating, slightly/dimly lit. Not super loud. Cabbage salad - very light and refreshing, tasty, crispy 5/5 Miso soup - hard to mess this one up, generous tofu and seaweed only downfall was that it wasn't piping hot 4/5 Garlic butter mushrooms - super flavorful, buttery and garlicky. Wish there was more of a variety of mushrooms. Also had a ton of onions. I love onions but it was almost as if the onion:mushroom ration was 1.5:1 4/5 Angus beef skewers - I'd pass on these. Meat itself not flavorful but the glaze/sauce on top was sweet/savory. Texture/consistency was close to a dry patty 1/5 Shishito peppers - very good, not spicy. Crispy. 5/5 Assorted sashimi - good variety of sashimi. Not super fresh but not super fishy either 3/5 Handroll set - good variety and tasty but were prepared as tacos vs handrolls. This made it really difficult to eat 4/5 Mentai udon carbonara - highlight. Creamy, tasty, very umami. Not too salty/fishy. At the end you can see the butter/oils hanging out at the bottom. That's when we knew it was very tasty but not good for us 5/5 Overall, would recommend trying but i personally won't go out of my way to try them or wait more than 15-20 minutes to eat there. read more
2 years ago
Get warped into the streets of Shinjuku when you find at Kinda. A street-like, Izakaya atmosphere. Best fried tofu we've ever had and always talk about it. Open later so we stop by after the local breweries close. The nicest people work here! Love Kinda! read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Great food. Would recommend. Yummy sushi. We decided to try new things. In addition to the yellowtail the calamari and bacon wrapped mushrooms were delicious. I'll be back read more
3 years ago
My visit to Kinda Izakaya was absolutely amazing! The food was out of this world and filled with so much delicious flavors! I started off with the Salmon Sashimi, Chicken Thigh Yakatori, Agadashi Tofu and complementary pumpkin. They all were a great start to the meal to come. I also paired my meal with the Kimochi cocktail which was tart and tasty. The stars of the show were the Sake Roasted Pork Belly & the Beef Tongue with Egg Yolk! They were buttery, crispy and mouthwatering good. I ended my meal with the Pork Belly Ramen which was the perfect way to finish the night. The staff was very friendly and nice! The ambiance of the restaurant was cozy & chic. I love all of the elements of Japanese art in the decor. I cannot wait to come back again! I'm already thinking about the next time I'll be here. I will definitely recommend this spot to everyone I know! Thank you so much Kinda Izakaya for having me! read more
2 years ago
I love the ambiance and food here. I have come here many times; the food is always good and the vibes are great. However, I recommend making reservations on weekends because they are very busy. My favorite dishes are mentaiko udon and hamachi kama. This time i tried golden spoon and Kinda roll. Yum! It's so good read more
3 years ago
Little bit pricey but great quality. The staff was super nice and the food is super super yummy. They make food that is super to be great with alcohol but it is good by itself. The Ambiance is a little loud, and the seats are definitely not super comfy. I would say it's a great late night munch place though! read more
1 year ago
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2 years ago
This place is pretty decent in terms of quality, however I wouldn't say it's worth the price. You'd get more bang for your buck buying a gold-plated taco truck. Regardless, I still enjoyed the raw octopus and salmon sashimi. The manga on the wall is a nice touch for decor. read more
1 year ago
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2 years ago
I've walked past Kinda Izakaya a few times while going to Trader Joe's and I decided to give it a try -- and I am so glad I did! The interior of the restaurant was nice and cozy; sort of Studio Ghibli, Howl's Moving Castle ambiance! The staff was super quick in seating us and getting our orders. We ordered the octopus -- something that I've seen online but has never tried. I must say, I was a bit skeptical as to how fresh it would be. I was pleasantly surprised! It had a nice firm and chewy texture, and the lemon on top of the wasabi mashed any fishiness. The tofu was delicious! The exterior was super flavorful and the broth/sauce added a nice touch. The fish itself was a bit overcooked, so the texture itself was crumbly in a odd way, but there was a nice crisp to the skin! Overall, I would give this place a try. I will definitely come back for the beef tongue as I've heard my friends recommend it. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
Celebrated my daughter's 17th birthday here and it was such a great find. Conveniently located next to my husband's office, the atmosphere was so cute and the food was exceptional. We got there as the restaurant opened and so glad we did because the place filled up quickly. Very friendly staff and once we ordered, the food and drinks came out rather quickly. Tried a bit of everything and enjoyed the small plates as to not over stuff ourselves. Food definitely paired well with a beer or cocktail. Highly recommend this place for a quick bite or any gathering where you want great food and a cool ambience. read more
3 years ago
Great izakaya in downtown Berkeley area. Great bar bites, and rivals neighboring Ippuku, given the latter's notorious wait time. Perfect place to find Japanese pub food to pair with a crisp Japanese rice lager. read more
3 years ago
The decor and ambiance of this place is very cool. I ordered the Sukiyaki which was recommended by the wait staff and it was SO delicious! read more
3 years ago
Super Cute New Japanese street food spot in Berkeley. Easy to get to on University ave, it's a small place with both table and bar seating and the atmosphere is so cozy and inviting. Our server was really sweet and attentive. Went on a rainy Sunday night and didn't have much of a wait but wouldn't have been upset if we did as we enjoyed everything! Portions were just right for two to share. We tried a couple shochu and sake cocktails, the shishito peppers, pickles, sashimi salad, golden spoons and a bowl of sukiyaki. The highball was a little sweet for my taste but the hot ginger cocktail was delicious. Loved the potato noodles and variety of mushrooms in the soup. I can see this place becoming very popular! Looking forward to our next visit:) read more
Highly recommend checking out Kinda Izakaya for a fun, casual dinner with friends! The store is small but decorated to the max, showing lots of personality. I would recommend trying the sake roasted pork belly and the mentai cream carbonara udon! Dishes are reasonably priced and I am already craving to go back and try some more items on the menu! read more
Loved this place ! Food was so good and the price was reasonable. We waited about 30-40 minutes for a table on a Friday night. This place was packed. We saw another Japanese restaurant just down the street and it was empty. We will come back next time we visit our Bear. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
I had a fantastic dinner here with my friend Alice a few weeks ago and I was in love with the service and the food. I thought that most of the plates were really representative of the ones that I've had in Japan and really thought that the flavors were spot on. Additionally, the drinks are delicious! read more
3 years ago
Business owner information
Kinda I.
We wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks for your feedback. Your…
3 years ago
3 years ago
Love the food here! So many options to choose from and love the sharing concept. I recommend the roasted pork belly, okonomiyaki, agedashi tofu, tuna tataki. This gem in Berkeley brings me all the Japanese feels and even has super cute cocktails. It's a fun vibe and it's great spot to hang with friends or for date night read more
1 year ago
Delicious! Best Izakaya we've had. Very flavorful, not a single dish was bad. I did love the yuzu soda, H liked the lychee cocktail. The bacon wrapped mushroom was very tasty, enjoyed the miso pork belly, the seaweed salad and chicken heart skewers, and the potato noodle soup very much! Vibe was great, music playing but not too loud! read more
Business owner information
Kinda I.
We’re thrilled that you enjoyed our food! Your satisfaction means a…
3 years ago
Kinda Izakaya is perfect if you want a nice dinner with a fun ambiance. The food was overall good, but the pork belly was the best by far. The takoyaki and chicken thigh skewers were pretty standard, and the udon was also okay, but they did give us a lot of tempura which was a nice surprise! I would recommend this place for a fun night out with a great atmosphere (good for date night) but to me, the food was mostly average for the price. read more
More info about Kinda Izakaya
1941A University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
Downtown Berkeley
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(510) 647-9226
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https://kindaizakaya6.godaddysites.com
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Ask the Community - Kinda Izakaya
When is the happy hour?
Is it always noisy there?
When you go there in the afternoon when they just opened there will be few people there. Later it will be more crowded and noisy there.
Do you open at 5 or 5:30 ? Your website says one and Yelp says the other.
Hi we open at 5:30 pm :)
I can't find any reference to Reservations?
For 6+ persons, otherwise just walk in
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