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    Kirala

    3.9 (1.9k reviews)
    ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 8:45 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    KIRALA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Kirala

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    Reviews With Photos

    Fried blue crab - hard pass
    Robbin R.

    Still a great place after all these years! They get packed, so be patient and join the Yelp waitlist. Try to snatch a seat at the bar and have a beer while waiting for your table. Pro tip: ask for off menu beers! Service is good, food is better. Sushi always hits, so does the tempura veggies. I'm not a fan of the fried chicken nor the fried blue crab, but other grilled items are pretty solid. Plenty of on street parking, paid. Decor is minimal, tends to get loud, but always a good choice.

    Philip W.

    We were looking for food after leaving Walnut Creek. We ended up in Berkeley and found this restaurant. We haven't been to this restaurant in years. It does get busy and is a very popular spot in Berkeley. The staff was friendly, and our server was amazing. Every dish was great and tasted fantastic. The ambiance of this restaurant is quaint and cozy.

    Breakfast for tomorrow!
    David N.

    Finally, after a four-year hiatus in Vegas and LA, it offers the most authentic home-cooked Japanese cuisine around. Oyako Donburi was not on the lunch menu; however, Chef Gregory obliged me and fired up a delicious bowl of chicken and egg over rice. Good to be back home!

    Not a fan of the different cash and credit card pricing.
    Candice F.

    Taking a trip down memory lane nearly 27 years later, we came back to return to our very first Sushi experience ever! It's the spot that won us over to this delicacy of a cuisine and has had us venture to try so many sushi restaurants across the bay area. Our return visit did not disappoint! We arrived approximately 6 PM On a Saturday evening and fortunately we were seated immediately. Decades past, this would not have been the case as the line would be out the door and around the corner at this very early hour. There was indeed a line when we left at about 7:00 p.m. The restaurant was certainly busy during the entire stay while we were there. They are a bit understaffed with three wait staff including a busboy circulating the small restaurant. Nonetheless, our waitress was very friendly and as attentive as she could be. We did have to on all occasion specifically call out to the service staff to refill our water glasses. The menu is not as vast and overwhelming with an abundance of special rolls that you may find at some other popular Japanese restaurants. However, there are number of specialty dishes that aren't common across Japanese restaurants. We got adventurous with ordering the Chawan Mushi, which comes in a covered individual-sized clay soup bowl with mostly a seafood broth and some fish paste and seafood items that I can't even recall. I enjoyed it, however, I can see how this may not be a universally coveted item. We also ordered garlic edamame which isn't a necessarily common appetizer that is done right. I can say Kirala does this quite well and is definitely at the top of my list. The seafood yakiudon was delicious and full of seafood ingredients. And lastly the caterpillar roll; although a very common sushi roll, the taste was superb and tasted so fresh. Prices are typical, but definitely on the higher side. However, the freshness of the ingredients and unique flavors can definitely justify what we paid for. I hope it doesn't take another several decades for us to return again. This was such a great dining experience that brought back great memories!

    Rich L.

    Years ago a coworker recommended Kirala to us. Taken the advise we stopped in. Very cozy Japanese restaurant that lived up to the hype. Great food and excellant service. Unfortunately it's been over ten years since our visit so when out friend asked if we should eat at Kirala after the SF Giants game, we said yes without hesitation. We got here about half an hour before they opened to make sure we got a table without a lengthy wait. First in and seated we ordered right away. I went with the Unaju, fresh water eel over rice with special sauce. Most places would name this dish, Unagi Don. This was delicious! Perfectly grilled unagi! While most in our group ordered the Beef Teriyaki making my have second thoughts, I was very pleased with Unaju. Our service was on point with not just our server but all staff jumped in to help. Thank you Yelp Elite extraordinaire, Patrick Y for the suggestion!

    Sashimi plate
    asal ..

    The food was nice and fresh. I ordered the Sashimi dinner and everything was delicious. We sat at the sushi bar had a great time. They were busy.

    Diego B.

    Best thing I ate here? The gyoza. And that's not that much. Heard that this place was great, but after a 45min wait on a weekend evening what I came out with was overpriced mediocre sushi. Sat at the bar and the waiter didn't even do the courtesy of coming by to get my order. Had to shout to him across the bar. Which, he ended up getting wrong. I know, shocking... Honestly, there are way better ways to spend your hard earned money.

    Caili C.

    We came here early right when they opened for dinner which was definitely the right choice as the restaurant quickly got packed. We sat at the sushi bar and I ordered the chutoro don, clam miso soup, and grilled stuffed mushrooms. The chutoro don was delicious with thick slices of fatty tuna and I liked that it came with Ikura. The grilled mushrooms stuffed with minced chicken were great as well and had a good amount of smokiness. Service was rushed but given how busy they were it's understandable. Will definitely be back!

    Deluxe sushi dinner
    Abby C.

    I came with a couple of friends on a busy Saturday night. We were able to sit at the bar and order our food there. We were soon served by the bartender with cutlery and water. I ordered the deluxe sushi dinner and it was delicious. The fish was fresh and buttery soft. My friend ordered a beef skewer and a couple rolls. The portions were very good. I wish I tried the clam miso soup but I'll probably try it next time. The restaurant is quite compact with a cluster of tables close to one another, seats along the sushi bar and grill, and more seating at the bar itself. Regardless, the food was worth it.

    Sharing the Seafood Yaki-Udon...
    Elvine V.

    It was a busy Friday night and my date and I walked in and waited for a mere 2 minutes to get seated at the bar area. The bar seating was pretty cool since it gave us a chance to watch the robata grill (robatayaki) in action. We ordered (and shared) the following dishes: the Seafood Yaki-Udon, Seaweed Salad, Edamame, a Spicy Crab Roll and a Caterpillar Roll. I had no complaints of the food since it arrived fresh and tasteful. My personal favorite was the Yaki-Udon, since the noodles and the scallops and shrimp were flavorful together! The service was quick and friendly. The staff running the floor were courteous and mindful. I'm giving this place a rating of 4.8 aye!

    Uni Nigiri.
    Lloyd C.

    Kirala Restaurant is a very popular restaurant that always has long lines. We were fortunate to get in before closing. It is a very cozy and small restaurant. The decor is modern yet simplistic. Deluxe Sashimi Dinner: five kinds of fresh sliced raw fish (15 pcs). Tuna, seared tuna, salmon, albacore, and yellow tail. The sashimi was fresh. Uni Nigiri (Santa Barbara) - The uni was good, but not as great as I had hoped it would be. The service was friendly and attentive. Overall, 3.5 stars.

    Chirashi

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    3 days ago

    Always a pleasure seeing everyone again, especially the chef who prepares the food . Still the best sushi I've ever had.

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    11 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Best sushi in East Bay. And the online waitlist is amazing. Showed up just in time for table.

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    1 month ago

    The Robota menu is great. I like the whole squid. I miss the pumpkin pie. Easy to make reservations. Seating is tight

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    2 months ago

    Kirala never disappoints. Wonderful place but it's just always crowded. A sign that the food is delicious.

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    5 months ago

    Great food, the spider crab is my favorite. Good vibes as well. A neighborhood classic.

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    Page 1 of 49

    Kirala Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kirala

    Can you order for take out?

    Yes, you can order through phone for pick up or online order through chownow for delivery. Thank you.

    Do they still offer robata grill items?

    They do

    What time do you have to get there to get the first seating at 5:30?

    10 mins before 5:30 would be fine

    Do they take reservations?

    No reservation

    Do they have real crab for rolls?

    Yes......best Sushi in town.

    Does anyone know where they purchase their mochi ice cream?

    Cold soba noodles?

    Yes they did when we went, I had the one served with Nori and Quail Egg....it might be listed in their menu online!

    Do they AYCE sushi?

    No, they do not.

    Do they have an omakase option?

    No. But there is a great deal of choice for u. It's my favorite restaurant. They have lunch specials if u go early. (They run out)

    Is this place an actual sushi buffet. Where you pay once and can order however many you want?

    No.

    Do you serve Oysters?

    They also grill oysters at the robata

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Kiraku

    Kiraku

    (1.8k reviews)

    $$

    5 stars Expensive…read morebut a worthy splurge. I will note that they don't serve Highballs as a drink option for added authenticity but their drinks menu is otherwise complete for an Izakaya. Skewers: Beef intestines: fatty, perfectly charred and marinated Pork belly: delicious but the least interesting Lamb + okra: nicely prepared and delicious Pickled Sakana leaves: deliciously pickled and salty on its own but worked perfectly as a skewer meat accompaniment Chicken karage: perfectly cooked and juicy Beef+lamb potstickers: homemade and presented in the traditional style. Very good Roasted tea leaf pudding was delicious

    Honestly one of the top meals I've had in the bay in a while. Made a reservation for Friday 9PM,…read moreand it was still very lively and packed. Would order again/changed my brain chemistry: - Suzuki carpaccio: my bf didn't like this as much as I did since he thought it was too acidic, but I thought it paired well with the rest of the dishes... nice acidity but then sesame and umami aftertaste - Beef intestine skewer: melts in your mouth, actually insane - Beef tongue skewer: also melts in your mouth and also insane, loved that the flavor was distinct from the beef intestine skewer - Soy sauce marinated shrimp: so much flavor infused and the texture is amazing Good: - Roasted tea blanc manger - Smoked unagi: very tender & different flavor than typical japanese unagi, which I appreciated - Mini kaisen donburi: tasted very fresh, though not sure why but the fattiness of the salmon didn't come through as much Skip: - Pork belly, thought this was standard... not bad but it was tougher than I expected and the sauce was ok - Homemade tofu/yuba spoons: if you're getting the kaisen, I would skip. it's basically a lot of the same ingredients but there was what I think was the tofu skin in there and idk why but the texture reminded me of bland playdough a bit - Black cod: good flavor and smokiness but idk if it stood out

    Ippuku - Sashimi combo: tuna, fatty tuna, sea urchins and ?

    Ippuku

    (1.5k reviews)

    $$$

    Downtown Berkeley

    Walk-in at Ippuku in Berkeley came with a pretty long wait, and there is no online waitlist which…read moremakes planning difficult. We were seated around 7:30 (which is still prime dinner time imo) only to be told that many of the menu items had already sold out, which was disappointing. The items that were still available were good and we still had a nice time overall. FYI, the non-alcoholic beverage selection is quite limited. At this price point, the wait plus the number of sold out dishes makes us question whether we would come back.

    This place has been on my want to go list for a while, and I finally got to try it! We didn't make…read morea reservation and walked in instead. We waited for about 30 min and the restaurant texted us once the table was ready. We ordered quite a few dishes and started with Omakase gushi, which came with chicken breast, thigh with leek, heart, cartilage, and minced chicken. We also ordered the oden set, sasami, tori tataki, gyu-tan, enoki bacon, and buta bara. Evertyhing tasted pretty good, but the most impressive dish was sasami with umeboshi, which was inner bresat with umehad was the inner breast with umeboshi. It was my first time trying raw chicken, and it tasted really good. The chicken breast was really tender, with a tuna-like texture, and without any slimy or odd flavors. Ever since then, I've been telling my friends to try it. The Tori Tataki was seared chicken breast sashimi with ponzu, which tasted a bit plain compared to the sasami. So I would highly recommended to get theeir sasami!

    Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya

    Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya

    (442 reviews)

    Downtown Berkeley

    Top contender for Japanese cuisine in Berkeley--equal parts sophisticated and scrumptious…read more Highlights include: - Sea Bean & Corn Tempura: a savory funnel cake worthy of a Michelin star thanks to its texture and the side of matcha salt - Salmon sashimi: succulent with fresh wasabi - Wagyu Shime Special: insane price for insane flavor--a generous portion of veggies and wagyu in a big ol' iron bowl of bubblin' broth

    Ate Christmas dinner here with my mom as our celebration tradition is usually a Japanese…read morerestaurant. The ambience was intimate and cozy yet elegant, and the staff was very attentive and kind. I loved the decorations, the plates and silverware, and the food was just as intentional in flavor and selection. For appetizers we had: Anchovy Stuffed Olives Tempura - Tempura Spanish alives stuffed with anchovies $9 Kombu Tsukudani - Premium Hokkaldo kelp, say sauce, bonito, shiso, sesame seeds, enjoy with sake or rice $6 For our meal we had: Saba Bouzushi - House-cured saba mackerel bouzushi - stick-shaped sushi, also called battera, served with shiso, sesame, scallions, topped with Hokkaido shiraita kombu, ten pieces $29 Gindara Yuanyaki - Local black cod marinated in soy sauce and shikuwasa Okinawan citrus juice served grilled $34 Steelhead Trout Nabe - Norwegian ocean trout raised sustainably in the clear, cold ford where the seawater meets fresh meltwater from the glaciers in the mountains. Enjoy the rich flavored, melt-in-your-mouth fish, hotpot with dashi broth, mushrooms, napa cabbage, burdock, clear noodles, tofu, mizuna, scallions, yuzu kosho $39 We've been to many izakaya spots and this place had some of the most unique flavors I've tasted. The Saba Bouzushi stood out to me because it reminded of Filipino paksiw but as a roll! The Gindara was buttery and soft and had a yummy smoky flavor. The Nabe was perfect for a rainy evening - hearty, fresh, and so well balanced in flavor (I loved the yuzu kosho the had us add for a citrusy, peppery flavor)

    Asaka Sushi & Bar - Hamachi Capaccio

    Asaka Sushi & Bar

    (193 reviews)

    $$

    Berkeley Hills

    I stopped by here for a quick bite as I'm heading to the city. The parking was a little bit of a…read morehassle, but that was to be expected. The restaurant itself was very cute & cozy. Our waitress was quick & greeted us with a smile & brought waters. The menu had a lot of options to choose from, so it wasn't hard for us to find something we wanted to try. We decided on the tempura mix, Mango Crunchy Roll, & the Hopkins roll. The tempura was good, just wish we ordered it a little bit more crispy. When it came to the rolls, both were amazing! They were huge & definitely got us full pretty quick. Our waitress made sure to check in on us during our visit & kept our waters filled. For dessert, we got the mochi ice cream. You can never go wrong with mochi ice cream as dessert(; overall, we had a great meal! The service was nice, restaurant was clean, & food was great. I'll definitely stop by if I'm ever in the area again.

    Incredibly mediocre Japanese food. My husband and I both got bentos and a sushi roll. In my…read morehusband's bento, he got beef teriyaki, which came basically raw in the middle. We asked our server if that was normal, and she just flippantly told us that was how it was supposed to be. Luckily, there was no food poisoning afterwards, but the taste was definitely not as expected - think raw, slightly seared on the outside beef slices. My tempera was very thick, the tempura batter they used wasn't right. Usually, it should be nice and light. The fried sushi roll was fine. They do have a massive list of rolls - see my photo below. Everything was fine, I would probably grade it at slightly worse than a supermarket Japanese bento/sushi roll.

    Kirala - sushi - Updated May 2026

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