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    Kyoto

    4.1 (267 reviews)
    InexpensiveJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Kyoto Photos

    KYOTO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Kyoto

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    Reviews With Photos

    Takeout Station
    Abi H.

    My go to spot for takeout sushi during my lunch! Typically, I get a platter of Unagi nigiri or salmon nigiri. The portions are always very generous and the rice is seasoned well. Not too much salt or too much mirin. I love how quaint & homey the shop feels. They have hot foods, sushi rolls/nigiri, and a shelf with drinks/chips/candy. A few weeks ago, I stopped by to get a wedding gift for my coworker. I got her a sushi party tray because I show love through food! Admittedly, I didn't order ahead. I walked in and asked how long it would take to make a tray. The woman working there, I didn't catch her name, said to grab what I want from the takeout fridge and she will arrange it on the spot for me. So in less than 10 minutes, I arrived at the store, made my selection, and left the store with a roughly ~$80 customized sushi party tray! Of course, it's better to order ahead so you don't clear out their stock, but it was a very last minute idea and I'm glad they were willing to accommodate my request!

    Front of Kyoto
    Alvin F.

    I was driving to the Bay to pick up my Bear (not a real Bear, but IYKYK haha) and felt like some quick sushi. Of course I check out Yelp and stumbled upon Kyoto. Perfect, it was in the way... sort of haha. Parking was the tricky part though. It's street parking, so anyone who is from the bay knows Parking is a pain. After a few rounds of driving, I eventually ended up with a parking spot right across the street from Kyoto! The shop is located right on the corner. It's pretty small. You take a few steps inside and you're already to the register, which is the end of the shop haha. To the left is the Sushi ready to go. To the right are some Japanese snacks. I went ahead and got their 8 piece Salmon nigiri and went to the register. The person working offered some soy sauce and chopsticks. I went ahead and paid and walked to my car to eat. The rice was a bit starchy and dense. But the size of the Salmon made up for that. It was nice thick slices. It wasn't too thin like other places around this price range. The nigiri overall was a bit above ok. I think if the rice didn't taste too starchy/old, it would be better. I wouldn't go out of my way for this, but was glad to get my salmon fix that day. If you're around the Solano area and can find parking quickly, stop by Kyoto for some Sushi and Japanese snacks!

    A number of rolls we'd picked up.
    Steve C.

    My wife and I came here on a weekday to grab lunch. It's a small space with a lot of fresh rolls and other hot options. I was very impressed with the selection and how clean it was. There are a number of Japanese snacks on one side of the room, dozens of nice niche options for some added interest. The sushi options all looked fresh and high quality. We liked what we got, a spicy tuna roll, a tempura roll, a cali roll. Overall all the food was very good. And most rolls were between $7-$10, with some combo plates at $14. There really isn't much in the way of staff, just a cashier, but he was fast an friendly and offered plenty of soy sauce and napkins. TL;DR: Good quality cheap sushi.

    Tobiko California Roll, Tuna/Avocado Roll
    Wesley L.

    It can be hard to find quality and affordable Japanese takeout, but Kyoto answered my prayers. I hopped off the 18 bus early to finally give this place a try. I got the California roll covered in fish roe & a tuna/avocado roll for under $20. Aside from the reasonable price point, the fish tasted fresh and the portion was sizable for a quick lunch. The service is pretty straightforward here where you pick your food, go to the counter, pay, and leave. No pleasantries which is fine by me. It's a takeout place so really casual, an open fridge with shelves of fresh sushi, some hot food options, and nowhere to sit so prepare to find somewhere to picnic with your findings. Will definitely visit again if I'm in the area

    Rose L.

    A nice hole in the wall with convenient grab-n-go sushi, snacks, and other assortments of foods. I personally come here for the sushi as it is fresh, fairly priced, and because the store has a homely feel to it. The owners are super sweet and you can definitely tell that the folks put a lot of love into their shop. My favorite cut is the yellow tail. It's very sweet, not overtly fishy, and has a great taste to it. With that, the salmon is very nice too. It packs a decent fishy punch to it. The tuna is also great in both the nigiri and tekka maki. The rice is a bit packed with vinegar but the texture is great. With that, the wasabi is also great. As a side note, they do not have extra packets of wasabi, only the ones included. Overall, definitely check this place out for a quick sushi fix, a nice afternoon picnic, or if you're just in the area!

    Anh-Dao T.

    Cute little Japanese shop that offers fresh sushi, teriyaki bowls and a wall full of Asian snacks. It's not a place I'd really going out of my way for but a good option when you're in the area and want something fast and easy. We grabbed three trays from the sushi section - eel and avocado, salmon and a combo of inari with futomaki. It's a 4 out of 5 on the flavors, but I did appreciate how filling their rolls were. We could barely finish half of it. I do like supporting mom and pop shops during this time so please check them out of you're on Solano Ave.!

    Soosh selection
    Samantha D.

    Kyoto is a neighborhood spot that offers take out Japanese. The offerings are not elaborate in their sushi variety but if you're craving some sushi and are on a budget this place is great. I love sushi and sashimi, and I get cravings for it a lot so coming here helps me stretch my dollar a bit. I also tried a salmon fried rice and it was super good! They also have a bunch of Japanese snacks so if you're an adventurous snacker this would be a great place to shop. Take out only, takes card and street parking.

    Yummy selection
    Rachel M.

    Solano Avenue always has some cute foodie gem that I happen to chance upon. Kyoto is no exception as my BF and I strolled down the block over the weekend. Luckily they were open during Covid times but with limited capacity. It turned out to be a smallish takeout Japanese spot with freshly made unagi-don, Salmon teriyaki bowls, a variety of maki rolls, specialty rolls, nigiri- it was beautiful. I spent a lot of time looking at each item- I wanted to buy them all- it didn't help that it was lunchtime and my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I ended up with a rainbow roll which had salmon and tuna on the outside and a California roll on the inside. What I liked about this roll was the bonito flakes, umami type sauce, and sesame seeds on the bottom. That elevated the roll's flavor and made my lunch more savory. I would highly recommend this place for a quick takeout lunch/dinner, which is pretty much what most people do nowadays. Next conquest is getting the unagi don and a variety of the other rolls with sake and hamachi.

    $2.00. Cash only
    Cari A.

    I noticed this place for the first time today as I was on Solano. It's a small Asian store with grab and go sushi and bowls on the left hand side and a bunch of Asian snacks on the right. There is no seating in this place. I wasn't very hungry so I only picked up a beverage from their fridge. My drink (coffee in a can) was $2.00. Pros: - grab and go meals. Great if you want to pick up something quick -metered and street parking in front and on side of store Cons: -cash only. I'm not sure if it's because I only got a drink or if that is across the board?

    Montage of images from Kyoto
    Ed U.

    ** The following review reflects my takeout experience DURING the shelter-in-place order currently in effect. ** I knew if there is one spot on Solano Avenue that I knew would survive COVID-19, this be it. Even though I've walked by it dozens of times, I never bought anything here not because I didn't find it appetizing but simply because I'm not the sushi-to-go type. Well, until now since it's the only way I can have it now. I thought I'd surprise Jamie W. by getting some for dinner. There was barely any left by the time I perused. I got three items. The first was the $10.99 Nigiri Combo with maguro, hamachi, and salmon slices over eight pieces (photo: https://bit.ly/2JWGdPp). The second was the $6.50 Salmon & Avocado Roll (photo: https://bit.ly/2UZUHV6), and lastly, the $2.99 box of Edamame (photo: https://bit.ly/2yacgbS). Really hit the spot for both of us when we realized we took such delectables for granted before. As Joni Mitchell said, "you don't know what you got 'til it's gone." FOOD - 4 stars...hey, it was fresh enough for us, the sushi deprived AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...it's a tiny spot with all sorts of Japanese goodies and no space to sit if we could...felt like Tokyo to me SERVICE - 5 stars...they're open, enough said TOTAL - 4 stars...I won't take takeout sushi for granted again RELATED - Strolling Solano Avenue? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2HvcTQH

    Salmon roll

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    4 years ago

    Solid unagi bowl, no complaints at all. Service was quick! They have a small selection of snacks available too.

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    3 years ago

    Such an easy grab and go experience. Never disappoints and something different for everyone!

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    4 years ago

    Super affordable, fast, and tasty sushi ready to go out the door. Cashier is always friendly.

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    Page 2 of 7

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    Mugunghwa

    Mugunghwa

    4.4(287 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Free parking

    Came here for a Friday lunch. I've driven past this location many times, but never noticed the…read morestorefront. Thank you Yelp for the referral! Mugunghwa has their own parking lot, which is nice since parking is not the easiest in this area when it gets busy. The restaurant is a pretty good size compared to the strip mall just north of this location. They could handle a larger group, no problem. We were a party of two and ordered a combo along with some wings. The food: The banchan here is S-Tier. Everything is so flavorful and there is a lot of diversity. I'm including the SSAM as banchan, which includes lettuce, thinly sliced, pickled daikon, thin pieces of raw garlic, pickled jalapeno and onion, and a gochujang based sauce. I really enjoyed the bulgogi with the sides. I wasn't exactly sure how to eat it, but I put a little bit of everything that came with the SSAM along with some rice and bulgogi and it was delicious. We ordered an 8 piece wing that they were able to split half Soy Garlic and half Spicy. It was nice they offer half/half on such a small order. Crunch was good, but not excellent. As part of the combo, we got the Seollongtang, a thinly sliced beef brisket soup and purple rice. The soup was neutral and not super beefy. It looked about right, but maybe it could have used a little more salt. Overall, really impressed with the selection and the complimentary side dishes here! Excited to find another solid Korean restaurant in the Bay Area.

    Came here with some friends. Lots of seating. Very tiny parking lot. Limited parking overall…read more Self service- you order at your table with a tablet. They bring you the food- rarely ever come back, and then you go to the counter to pay. Beef bulgogi $33: very tasty BBQ chicken $33: my least favorite. it was grilled chix; not much flavor Chicken half 8 piece boneless soy garlic $19: This was amazing. Esp with the sauce Green Onion Jeon pancake $18: This was also delicious, especially with the sauce Total was $174 for 4 people with 3 drinks. The makgeolli $13 was like a white rice wine that you drank from a dog bowl type experience lol I thought it was super pricey but the food was definitely very tasty.

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    Mugunghwa - Seollung tang

    Seollung tang

    Mugunghwa - Mugunghwa naeng myun

    Mugunghwa naeng myun

    Mugunghwa - Bossam

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    Bossam

    Sushi Matsu - Matsu special combination 
Salmon skin salad 
Salmon Don
Ama Ebi

    Sushi Matsu

    4.0(283 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$
    Discounts available
    Fine dining

    First time there and had sushi and the salmon skin salad (at the recommendation of the waiter). The…read morefish was super fresh we enjoyed everything very much.

    We've been here a couple of times now, and my hubby and I really like this place. The atmosphere is…read morevery warm and fairly cozy. Tables are spread out so you are not on top of each other. It appears to be popular with families as well. It was a Friday evening after 9pm, kind of late for us to eat very much but I needed something so we popped in. It was quiet, maybe three or four other tables. Our food server was patient as I looked over the fairly large menu. Ended up with some of my current faves: hamachi nigiri, California roll, yam roll, and salmon skin roll. Everything was thoughtful, well prepared, and delicious. It was just enough food and I was good for the night. On our second visit, my hubby and I brought my dad for lunch to celebrate his 88th birthday. It was pouring rain outside but we were fortunate to get parking right outside the door. We ended up sitting by the window which was the same table we sat at during our first visit. We ordered gyoza (6) for the table. We all ordered bento. Dad had the beef short ribs and California roll, hubby had the Vegetable tempura and California roll, I had the Saba shiyoyaki and hamachi sashimi. All three came with miso soup and salad. Everything was delicious. My fish was well seasoned and moist, dad's beef short ribs were tender, hubby's tempura was light and crisp. Lunch was very reasonably priced for all we ordered. I am definitely a fan of this place and look forward to dining here again.

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    Sushi Matsu
    Sushi Matsu - Fresh veggie tempura roll !

    Fresh veggie tempura roll !

    Sushi Matsu

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    Butterfish Sushi

    Butterfish Sushi

    4.5(216 reviews)
    1.7 miWest Berkeley
    $$$
    Family-owned & operated
    Locally owned & operated

    Absolutely loved both visits to this terrific restaurant, and it's definitely top five now -- of…read morethe hundreds I've been to The service was good, but the creativity and quality of the dishes is wonderful. The fish was very good and the combination of flavors they put together are what really makes this place special. The style and decorations are also really nice, and help you feel how special this place is.

    Butterfish is not your average sushi restaurant. In the two visits I've made, I have not been…read moredisappointed once by any of their dishes. The sashimi and fish really are as buttery as their name -- it is unlike anything I've ever tasted! My favorite has to be the Kurodai Experience, an optional addition to the omakase plate priced at $69 per person. Intricately cut and carved from the belly of the Black Sea bream, each piece is incredibly soft but still reserves a bite in texture. There's a reason why this item is called an "experience," as it's not *just* a sashimi dish. Should they have any left in their inventory, please make sure to give this a try! Last but not least, the staff are amazing. Even in the midst of their busiest hours, the waiters and waitresses are so friendly and accommodating to all of their customers. Paired with the delicious food and ambiance, Butterfish Sushi easily cements itself as one of the most memorable omakase experiences I've had in Berkeley.

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    Butterfish Sushi
    Butterfish Sushi
    Butterfish Sushi

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    Sushi Sho

    Sushi Sho

    4.2(240 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$$$

    Aki-San is decreasing to 2 nights per week starting in June! No more Thursdays. Friday and Saturday…read moreonly. But I am glad he isn't retiring yet!!

    Review for dinner service on 6 March 25…read more I had been trying off and on to get a booking but nothing was ever available, so I was pleasantly surprised to snag a seating for two within a week of the reservation because a fellow Yelper cancelled her reservation (thank you Sarah T!) The following week, we were in for a wonderful, delicious and entertaining evening. The two other couples had made their reservations back in December, so I felt very lucky we did not have as long a wait. Chef Aki-san and Michiko-san are a husband and wife team. At 6pm, the door opened and Michiko-san invited the six of us to choose a seat at the sushi bar. We all sat down before a simple place setting: a square ceramic plate, hashioki (chopstick rests), hashi (chopsticks, paper napkin and oshibori (towel for wiping your fingers). She handed us a menu and checked in with everyone to see if there were any dietary restrictions or allergies, took our drink orders and a brought a small bowl of edamame for each couple. We declined ordering any side dishes because I suspected that the 16-item omakase selection would be more than enough for the evening. As it turned out, two salads were added to our already extensive menu. Nommmm ... more tastes for me :D As we drank and munched on edamame, we watched Aki-san stocking the bar with ingredients he would be serving to us. He introduced himself and in turn we introduced ourselves - where we were from, how we learned of the restaurant, etc. It turned out to be the first time for all of us. During the course of the evening, we learned quite a bit about his history and experience working as a sushi chef before opening his own restaurant. Our menu (in order) for the evening: -Tako and Sunomono salad with shiso leaf, drizzled with a light miso sauce -Blue fin toro -Ika/squid -Hokkaido scallop -Ebi/fresh water shrimp -Sake/salmon -Saba/mackerel -Ankimono (Monkfish liver) and Sunomono salad with scallions and tobiko, shiso leaf with a ponzo sauce -Ikura, avocado and tobiko -A5 wagyu -Seared albacore -Hokkaido uni -Buri/ hamachi yellowtail -Blue fin toro -Sake/salmon cold smoked with hickory -Anago (fresh water eel) -Unagi (salt water eel) -Tamagoyaki Everything was incredibly fresh and tasted of the sea. Each piece was carefully prepared, perfectly seasoned, beautiful on the plate. He talked about each item as we tasted and ate. I loved watching as he rubbed the wasabi root against a metal shark skin grater, a tool he has had forever. Chef Aki-san chided me when I confessed I was eating the nigiri in two bites - apparently that is the wrong way to eat! Nigiri is meant to be eaten in one bite, the logic being that you don't get the full experience of the taste and flavour in two bites. My issue is that most nigiri sushi these days have too much rice that my mouth is too full to appreciate the flavour. However, he prepares "low carb" portions so the fish and beef are highlighted, yet all in balance. To sum things up - the food and presentation was perfect. I am not a fan of eel, so those were my least favourite bites. It was my first time eating monkfish liver. I found it quite delicious and would definitely eat it again. Mitchiko-san was very sweet and attentive, noting if we needed refills of water or sake jars. The atmosphere overall was light, friendly and jovial, and we enjoyed the company of who we were dining with. Not to mention that Aki-san is quite entertaining in his own right. Note: There is only one service per evening so you will not feel rushed to eat and dash. We did not get out of there until 9:30pm. He also mentioned that starting in June they will be cutting back to two days a week - Friday and Saturday only - something to keep in mind. Will try our luck getting reservations again in about 7 months to celebrate our birthdays and anniversary.

    Photos
    Sushi Sho - The chef making the magic happen

    The chef making the magic happen

    Sushi Sho
    Sushi Sho - Interior

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    Interior

    Kyoto - japanese - Updated May 2026

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