What a find, absolutely worth our 40 minute wait on a Sunday night!! Service was friendly but he did forget a couple items we ordered but quickly had them out. The robata grilled items were delicious!! We had a broad list of items we order from sushi to their teriyaki steak to cold noodles to whole calamari to assorted veggies and each was better than the last!! Will absolutely come back next time in town, can't believe I never went here the decades I lived a few miles away!!! read more

Best sushi restaurant in Berkeley, hands down. So glad they're doing to go! My favorite is the rock n roll and the grilled squid. Would highly recommend! read more

We ordered a deluxe sushi dinner and it was ridiculously priced for the quantity, quality and variety of fish that we ordered. This was extremely disappointing considering that we had waited 20 minutes for the food to arrive. The menu does not explicitly state what fish is included, and the only difference articulated on the menu between deluxe and regular was that the quantity (9 vs 7). The price difference was 10 dollars. They also charged a highly suspicious $4 for credit card "admin fee". We did some googling online and absolutely could not find a credit card fee that was at the level we were charged at. This place is a total rip off and is not the place it used to be. read more

Solid, fresh, and beautifully laid our rolls -- just a tad bit expensive. But hey, you're in Berkeley. The wait can be a little crazy if you come during peak hours. They have a system, but not the most amazing system. We weren't sure if we're suppose to crowd around the entrance like jerks or loiter in front like we're waiting for Burma Superstar. We also grabbed some goodness from the Robata BBQ grill. A nice little snack was perfect before the wave of sushi. Although we'd be better without the lines, it's a fine local joint that's certainly worth the wait. read more

Unfortunately I am going to have to give this 3.5 stars until perhaps I go back. The ambiance: My friend and I came here for lunch on a weekday and it was pretty crowded with not-your-usual-Berkeley-student crowd. It was mostly business people, and the interior was very nicely decorated. It has a great feel to it. Another great place for dates (I am continuously coming to these sort of places it seems). We sat at the sushi bar because we didn't want to wait for a table (I had class). The food: We both ordered the udon noodle, which was pretty good. The bowl it came in was sort of deceiving though, it looks like they aren't giving you too much food when in reality there is actually a lot. Then I found a hair. Luckily I am well equipped with handling this (see post below) and tried to be nice about it. They were very apologetic, didn't charge me, and gave me a green tea ice cream to make up for it. This is why they still get 3.5 stars. Without the hair it would have been a solid 4. I don't want that to taint my experience, so perhaps I will give a fresh review upon return.... I hear the sashimi is great too. read more

KIRALA is a nice, clean and modern looking restaurant. The staff were extremely nice, including the man at the front who helped bring our food out. I think he may have been the owner, but was doubling up as a host. Either way, I really liked him. We started with the Wakame. It had a hint of peanut flavor and the seaweed was flat and wide versus the standard shredded seaweed I'm used to. We also had Tako, which is Octopus ceviche style (definitely not actual ceviche, but that fresh, almost puckery style of serving seafood), which was really good. The mixed tempura is one of the best I've ever had. The batter was light and flavorful and the vegetables were delicately dipped and fried, so while I got the delicious flavor of the crust, I could also taste the vegetables, which were very fresh. The sashimi platter was also good, but in all honesty, I could taste that the sashimi wasn't the freshest. To me, that's a huge knock against a place and while I still go back to places without the freshest sashimi, it deters me from ordering their uncooked fish dishes. Of course I couldn't go to a sushi restaurant without trying their sushi, so we got the Caterpillar Roll, which is crab, avocado, tobiko, with eel, avocado on the outside. It was okay. I enjoyed KIRALA and will definitely go back for their tempura and appetizers. I feel like they deserve 3.5 stars, but Yelp doesn't allow that half, so they get four, because its safe to say I am a fan. read more

I'm going on a limb here and hope sharing this won't get me banned from the place. But I've felt this way for a while now and figured with 1100+ very positive reviews, no real harm done. OK here goes: Meh. Been visiting since late 1980s off-and-on, since right when they opened. (Who here remembers Berkeley Bowl being right next door, in the old Berkeley Bowl(ing Alley) building? Kirala's predecessor restaurant used to be in there too, but I can't recall the name. Shinobu, maybe.) The owners are loving and hospitable, and the food is perfectly fine. But that's just it, it's fine. And I think they've been coasting for a long time, while the state of Japanese cuisine in the Bay Area has come up dramatically in the last 10-15 years. It's classic 総合日本料理店：a general-purpose Japanese restaurant, serving a little bit of everything, on a menu full of easy-to-recognize, crowd-pleaser dishes. It plays well in Berkeley where we used to have very few Japanese restaurants of this caliber, but there's no way they'd be this popular in a more competitive area like the South Bay. And here in the East Bay, there are many authentic & innovative options these days. Nothing wrong with tried-and-true. I mean, just look at Chez Panisse. But while the crowd still loves and adores this place, and I still love the people too, my expectations have just moved on. Wouldn't avoid, but wouldn't go out of my way. read more

ONE STAR for when the owner is not there.... service is a mess. I was 2nd on the waiting list.... somehow I Waited for over an hour to get a table. Took my order.... Brought some of the items and at the end one dish was not delivered.... their explanation was kitchen closed.... Order was placed 45min before.... $288 bill and.... unsatisfied customer. I like their food. Back of the restaurant where the bar is located is a mess.... only if they clean it up it will be a cool place to wait and have drinks while you wait for over an hour. read more

If you're a fan of the larger, creative maki rolls, skip this place. The food is good, however with a modest offering of more traditional Japanese maki, nigiri and sashimi. Everything was fresh and there were other Japanese dishes for the non-sushi members of our party. I would have given 4 stars, but we were seated at one of the back tables and were constantly forgotten. I also had to ask for two items to be removed from the bill that we never received. They were very nice and apologetic about it though. read more

I went here with a small group of friends on a Saturday evening around 9pm ( They close at 930) and I didn't run into any of the waiting issues other people have written about. I wanted to really like this place, I really did, but I was left feeling a little blase about the whole experience. Maybe because I'm more of a bento box, teriyaki whatever kinda guy ( I know I'm lame). So I can't really comment on what makes great sushi. I ended up ordering a few items off the robata menu and a roll though, because I heard it was worth it. I got: Black Cod (the waitress recommended it, as they were out of the sea bass) Shishito Spicy Crab Roll First few bites into the black cod, I thought, "wow this is really amazing"...few more bites later, I started thinking, "god, this is awfully salty". The Shishito (Japanese bell pepper topped with bonito) was really gross. My friends commented that it tasted like Chinese medicine + ginger. So, I'd skip on that all together. The spicy crab roll was really good , I guess this is what good sushi is supposed to taste like? haha. All-in-all, it was alright. I wanted to give 3.5, so I rounded up to 4. I'd go back if I was in the area. Maybe try more of the sushi menu to really get the full Kirala experience. :D read more

Kirala is the premier sushi restaurant in Berkeley, hence the packed dining room every time I've visited. Yummy, fresh sushi in a festive and lively environment. Perfect for date night or a night out with friends. I love the fried shrimp heads.. Must be the oil they're fried in or something. It's like crack! I always get more than one order. They have a vast menu of rolls and there's a robota grill behind the counter where you can watch various meats being grilled. Definitely smells great in there! Friendly servers and food always comes out quick. read more

Kirala - Sushi Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Delicious sushi. The fish was great quality, especially the hamachi. Talk about melt in your mouth buttery goodness. The rice is perfectly cooked, and the seawood in the rolls was a perfect soft consistency. I haven't the cooked dishes from the grill so I can't speak to that but the sushi is delish. Be prepared to wait. There's no going around that. Even on a Tuesday night. The bar/waiting area will also try your patience. But just know that going in and you will be rewarded with awesome sushi! read more

We came last minute to grab dinner for a party of 4. The wait was about 30 minutes. Luckily, there's a bar to wait for your table. I ordered a lychee sake and got a large portion in a wine glass. The bartender was very friendly and provided japanese snacks/crackers for us to much on and edamame. While we were waiting, the bartender also let me try the fuji apple sake, which was delicious! After being seated at our table, we were able to order our food. I ordered tobiko with quail egg and the tonkatsu. My boyfriend ordered the mongfish liver appetizer, amaebi, and the sizzing ginger beef which smelled delicious. The portion for the tonkatsu was large! I've never seen a cut of pork that thick! Normally, places serve the pork pretty thin, but this portion was very filling. The salad with the soy ginger/ponzu sauce was the best salad i've ever tasted! The waiters and staff were very nice, friendly, and we received great service. It speaks to one when there's still a wait for tables and it's 9pm at night. I definitely recommend this place to anyone that is in the Berkeley area. read more

My friend and I went here for dinner on a Saturday. TIP #1: Arrive at least 30 minutes before it opens and expect to wait in line. TIP #2: Make sure you arrive early enough that you can find parking. TIP #3: If you think this will be a nice and quiet place... don't come here. This place is packed the moment it opens its doors and it's a tight place. Food: 4/5 They have food items that I never seen in a Japanese restaurant around Berkeley area. Some items that I only tried in Japan and finally found it here like the eel over rice and some Japanese curry. We ordered the seaweed salad, edamame for appetizers. Then for main course, we ordered the grilled duck, grilled scallops, sushi dinner, and the dragon roll. For drinks, we had the cucumber martini and the white sangria. For dessert, we had the tempura green tea ice cream.. pretty yummy! Overall, the quality of the food is pretty good. I wasn't too excited about how expensive those grilled items on a stick. Probably would not pay $5 - $7 per stick for those again. I don't mind paying good money on great cuts of seafood. The quality of fish was great. Sushi roll was okay. Staff: 4/5 Some of them were great and some of them were not. Our waitress keep skipping our table and it was about 15 minutes after we could order... not till we stopped one of the waitress and she had to call the other waitress that suppose to be taking our order. We got our order pretty quick but still.. everyone around us already got their meals while we still sitting there with nothing and we all arrived at the same time. Ambience: 4/5 I never seen a Japanese spot get so packed and since it's a tight place inside, you can hear just about everyone's conversation. It's pretty cool inside since its warm outside (thankfully they have ac) Why 4 out 5? If I could give 4.5 I would but I can't... - .5 deducted because of the wait. And where are my photos? I actually had a good time chatting with my friend that I didn't bother taking pictures and also we were waiting so long that when we got the food, we dug right in. read more

Man, this restaurant is not worth all of the wonderful reviews. We brought my fiance's mom to Kirala with high hopes. We got there really early, so there was no issue getting in the door. There was, however, an issue with getting a menu. There was also issues with getting water. And issues getting somone to take our order (20 minutes) And once the food got there, it was... ok. Sake menu was lacking. Our bill for the 3 of us was about 150.00. If we had paid $40 I would be ok with the quality. Won't be back. read more

I have been searching the Bay for good sushi, and I was so relieved to have found it when I sat down at the sushi bar inside Kirala. SO FRESH! I always use the spicy tuna roll and rainbow roll to gauge a sushi place then go crazy with their other specialties. Both were on point, and I have almost eaten my way through the rest of their sushi menu without a single complaint. I want to try the other menu items (watching the chef prepare them has made my already stuffed mouth water!), but the sushi is so good, I have yet to pry myself from the sushi menu. read more

After reading all of the 5 star reviews on Yelp, I had to try out this place. I went to Kirala with two workers for a leisurely Friday lunch and was completely underwhelmed. The atmosphere was lacking any substance. Plus we were seated at a random table in the back of the restaurant, at least 15 feet away from any other patrons, and right next to the bathroom. (Yum...there's nothing like eating sushi right next to the bathroom.) The food was okay. Nothing special. I ordered the Tekka Don and the fish was fresh but the vegetables were completely unappetizing. Someone, please help me understand what I did wrong. read more

Busy little joint even on a Wednesday night - Tad expensive with minimal sushi selections and of course the night we went, they didn't have A LOT of Robata; Booooooooo! What we ordered: Negihama - TINY wrapped with seaweed - not the fat looking typed with rice outside Spicy Scallop roll - not bad and again the tiny version with seaweed wrapped Rainbow roll - nothing special Sashimi Appetizer (salmon, tuna) - fish were fresh Agedashi Tofu - not bad Soft Shell Crab - greasy Quail robata - not bad Ika-Sugata - grilled squid, not bad Salmon avocado roll - fresh Kaisenn Salad - yum yet expensive $12.75 for a few slices of fish with greens Unagi avocado hand roll - expensive -$17.25 for 3! Pomegranate Saketini - not bad read more

I really, really wanted to be a fan, I had told myself not to be discouraged by the ugly interior, and their ambition to do both sushi and izakaya food well. The two of us ordered $200 worth of food and drinks, and every single grilled item was over salted, it is indeed a soy sauce orgasmic happyland. The nigiri was mediocre, dried out fish, overcooked/flavorless rice. I had not gone there with a super high expectation, yet the place still let me down. Go to Izakaya Sozai, or Halu in the Richmond. read more

Overpriced sushi restaurant! Food were mediocre. Service was terrible. Our waitress didn't greet or smile at us. She took our order with a stone-cold tone (LoL...I am serious!) She even forget our hot sake. She did apologized to us with the same tone. read more

The best sushi in the Bay Area, hands down. We have been several times and we are always excited about trying something new. We went this pay Halloween and have now decided to make Kirala our destination every 10/31. read more

Amazing food and service. The place was packed full with lunch crowd and yet the waitress were very attentive. There was 5 of us so we ordered a lot. Chirashi bowl, unagidon, sashimi set, tempura set, and their udon. It was my brother's graduation and we were very happy to be there for a celebration lunch. All the food was amazing. The unagidon was a huge portion compare to other places. Highly recommend. read more

While the atmosphere and service is nothing to write home about, the food is quite good and the sashimi always seems quite fresh, and they use fresh ingredients. The prices are not exorbitant and you can always count on not leaving hungry since the portions seem generous. This is not the type of place for an intimate dinner since it tends to be fairly noisy and the place is small so you sit close to others. So too, it's not good for large groups although they can probably accommodate parties of about 6. I've been going here for years on and off for both lunch and dinner and will continue to do so. read more

Yes! This is the place you to get real sushi. Not a Dancing Dragon Roll with everything plus the kitchen sink on it. This is for sushi with rice and fish or just fish alone. So fresh, so delicious... I even dared to try Sea Urchin again because I felt if I was going to get a good piece anywhere it would be here. Sake is good with a great variety. Our waiter was a cutie and very patient with all our questions and requests. The grilled quail is amazing... read more

The sushi was great. The tuna just melted in your. Out, fresh fish! Chicken curry soup was good, that was a big serving, will remember to share this next time! read more

Kirala - Sashimi, this fish just melts in your mouth! Yummy! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Not a fan. I have MULTIPLE complaints. 1. I understand waiting for good food. I NEVER mind waiting for good food. But what I DO mind is when a couple is seated before me that ARRIVED AFTER ME BY 45 MINUTES!!! I thought this place was supposed to be no reservations? Awful!!' 2. I have a problem with crappy seafood, especially when I order a chirashi bowl and expect good fresh fish, and then I am given poor cuts of meat. 3. Horrible service. Normally I don't mind poor service, but with this overall experience, it was especially notable how bad it was. 4. "Lamb chops" : I ordered the "lamb chops" appetizer, and got ONE lamb chop. $8.95 for ONE lamb chop? It isn't even that good! 5. The roll I got was standard, and was less than remarkable. Overall, WON'T BE COMING BACK. YOU SHOULD NOT COME BACK UNTIL SERVICE AND QUALITY IS IMPROVED! IMMENSELY! read more

Went on a weekend vacay from the Sierras to the bay area, and wanted to get some wonderful seafood, and looked here on yelp for a good sushi place. When Kirala was recommended, it seemed like a good idea. For 3 people, we waited over 45 minutes, which is absolutely ridiculous, and when we finally ordered, had to wait another 25 for the food. We thought at least that would be a good experience. The sushi was subpar, too tiny portions for too big a price, and a terribly limited menu. For a 77$ bill for maybe 4 rolls of lame sushi, I will never be back here again when I am in the area. read more

Amazing sushi! It's easy to spend a lot of money on a meal in Berkeley, and easier still to be disappointed in the price of a meal that doesn't reflect the quality of the ingredients or the preparation. This is not a problem you'll have at Kirala. read more

This is THE place to go for quality sushi. I've been here many times and have never been disappointed. In fact, I don't know why I haven't reviewed it earlier! I have yet to find anything that compares to it in the city. It's straight forward. Nothing fancy. But clean and modern inside. I like the little bar in the back room. Friendly servers. But its all about the sushi!!! Quality + Authenticity= Perfection! They also have all of my favorite non-sushi Japanese dishes that are like comfort food to me... like Natto (fermented soy beans) and Chawanmushi (a hot egg custard with shrimp, shitake mushrooms and kamaboko). But beware, secret's out and has been for quite sometime so be prepared to wait if you come at peak hours. They don't take reservations. Trust me, though, it's soooo worth the wait. read more

The uni here made me gag. The pork cutlet was dry, small, and hard as a rock. The service was inattentive and hard to flag down. Waited forever to order. I have been here a couple times, the most recent time being the experience above. The time before that, I couldn't even remember the experience other than I went with people I didn't like and I wasn't impressed with the food. I agree with people that this is probably one of the better places in the Berkeley area (what with the only other 'famed' sushi place being Sushi House, which isn't really saying much and is more known for its fancy rolls than its sashimi). I want to end with, I really want Kirala's to wow me the way it wows other people. Perhaps my next try will be luckier! read more

I'm not very confident when it comes to Japanese food - I don't eat sushi very often, so I'm usually at a loss when it comes to ordering. If you're like me, my advice is to get someone who knows sushi to take you to a great restaurant, preferebly one like Kirala, and let them order. We had a tempura appetizer, edamame, a greeen salad, Caterpillar, Maguro, and Cal Inside Out rolls. And it all tasted great to me! This place is popular so you're in for a wait. Not much going for it in the way of atmosphere, but the food makes up for it! read more

I remember when Kirala Japanese Restaurant first opened in the 1980s. It was one of the hottest places to go to and to be seen out at. It was a popular dinner spot by friends and myself. The family has been here as well. Recently came here for take out lunch, my staples of tamago sushi and pork tonkatsu. Still good as I remembered from the 1980s. One of these days, must come here for an early lunch and take in the atmosphere. As well as write an updated review! read more

The sushi is mediocre at best. Stick with the Robata, which is very good with excellent flavors, and using quality pieces of meat, fish, lobster, etc. The lobster is truly delicious. The Udon is not worth the effort, they don't seem to make their own noodles which makes the pricing even more laughable. I believe it's popular because most don't venture too far from the Berkeley border in search of Sushi (Alameda kids, trust us on this) and when compared to things like Isobune it wins easily. Also, the turn over is high so the fish is at least fresh although not top quality. There are many better sushi restaurants in the East Bay, let alone the general Bay Area. read more

Kirala never disappoints me; I have a great time each and every time I visit. We got there after the second seating (meaning around 7ish), and had to wait at a bar for good 35 minutes on weekday. So be sure to get there before the dinner rush or expect to spend some time at the bar. This is not your everyday sushi house because we usually end up spending $80-$120 (per person) with a few bottle good sake. But I mean, what good does a Japanese cuisine do without a fine sake, right ;-) The quality of food they serve is superb and you can forget about other so-called Japanese restaurant nearby. I mean the most of people who stand behind the bar (Yakitori, Sushi and Beverage Bar) are Japanese; which is a great sign. It does not get more authentic than this... I love Kirala and plan to go back with whom appreciate good Japanese cuisine! read more

Giving it another star after all these years. Monkfish liver, excellent Hotate nigiri, excellent Uni nigiri, excellent You have to have a chef in the kitchen who knows fabulous food in order to get exotics like that right. read more

Must say that their MUSHROOM SOUP is Thee Bomb!! Went for dinner last night with a group (there were 5 of us); wait time was not too bad, 30 mins for a Saturday night. When it was finally time to seat us, we were taken to a pretty isolated corner of the restaurant, past the bar and bathrooms. It did not seem like the restaurant accommodated well for parties of more than 4. Although we didn't get to enjoy the live ambiance of the restaurant, the corner wasn't too bad for our semi-loud party. Our waitress great, she was very attentive, so it's not like the service changed with us being in the corner and all. As far as what we ordered, besides that fantastic mushroom soup... we had Shrimp tempura roll, Spicy Crab roll, Spicy tuna roll and 49er roll (this roll isn't on the menu, but they made it for us upon request). The spicy crab roll was exceptional! It was the tastiest of all the ones we ordered, had a nice flavor and the perfect amount of spice to give it a nice kick but not too overpowering. I think we ordered like 3 servings of this alone. Everything was fresh and I must say, their wasabi is pretty damn good when broken down in some soy sauce. I won't say this is my favorite sushi spot, but I will definitely be back for some mushroom soup and maybe the spicy crab roll. Oh yea... and most, most definitely less than 4 people!! read more

The only thing that beats a delicious sushi dinner at Kirala is a delicious sushi special lunch at Kirala. I was floored by the tasty bowl of seafood udon I had the first time I came here for lunch. Seriously amazing stuff. read more

I came here relying on positive reviews for my birthday. The long line out front was also a positive indication. Horrible menu (only the most basic rolls), OLD greasy fish. Whack service. You guys have no idea what good sushi is. Avoid this place like the plague. It is totally over-hyped. Try Kansai where there is NICE ambiance, FRESH fish. WTF? read more

So having heard of this place for a long time, I finally found an occasion to visit. I actually thought it was much further than it was, so it was a pleasant surprise to have such a short period of transportation to this place. But I digress... This place is popular. This translates to long waits. At least they have a nice little "sake bar" that doubled for us as a waiting area. The placement is sorta questionable though, since its placed at the BACK of the restaurant, instead of the front. You would think the bar is usually placed near the entrance somewhere. I tried their house Kirala beer in a chilled glass and it was pretty light for a pale ale, but very refreshing (needs more hops!). I would get it again. I came here to try their sushi, and so I did. I got the "sushi dinner", which is composed of chef selected nigiri and a spicy tuna roll. The portions they gave weren't large, but I didn't feel like spending a ton of money that night for more food. The quality was great though. The fish was fresh, the rice was sweet, and the nigiri felt like it was crafted well (something that is problematic at other sushi joints, as their nigiri looks like crap and made by an amateur). Next time though, i'll have to make sure to order a bigger sushi meal. Or maybe order a traditional non-sushi dish. Either way, Kirala is a must-return-to kind of place in order to experience everything they have to offer. read more

KIRALA, be still my heart, you are one of my favorites for Japanese in the East Bay! The special wagyu beef appetizer was tender and oh so scrumptious. The grilled chicken gizzards was awesome! Yes, I had gizzards and they were amazing! The spider roll is one of THE BEST I've had, and their baby back ribs were oh so juicy. AND of course, the sashimi deluxe was so fresh! Oh Kirala, you had me leaving with a smile running from cheek to cheek! read more