Came here for a quick dinner after shopping in Emeryville, upon entering you look at the menus order with a cashier and then take a seat, when your order is done someone will bring it out to you. You don't have a server like a traditional sit down restaurant, but considering there isn't a lot of room in the dining area I think their system is great. My boyfriend and I ordered a dragon roll, Philadelphia, gyoza, and chicken Katsu with steamed rice. Nothing extraordinarily life changing but it was good! I just wish the Gyoza was steamed instead of fried, but that's just my personal preference. The atmosphere was nice, not crowded and loud, but not dead. The workers were friendly and the tables despite not having designated servers or bus people were nice and clean for us. Overall a great experience for a quick sushi fix and I would def come again :) read more

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Affordable and good sushi. Good for a college student who likes sushi but doesn't have a huge budget. I ordered the aloha roll which is something I order everywhere and it was good but not special. The spicy scallop hand roll was really good and I would definitely get again. read more

Manpuku - Aloha roll and spicy scallop hand roll - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is my go-to neighborhood Sushi place. Yummy food at great prices, and the staff is so nice! I love their veggie options. De-lish!

Don't expect amazing quality from this local neighborhood sushi restaurant. The food here is okay, and the main draw to this restaurant is the price and speed. When walking up to the restaurant, notice that there is two sides. One side is a sit down restaurant while the other one is order before you sit, so pick accordingly (both sides have the same menu). On the order before you sit side, there is a fridge area with pre-made sushi. As well, there is a hot bar side usually filled with spam musubi or chicken teriyaki bowls. They aren't the best quality, but serve as quick grab-to-go foods. After 9pm, these pre-made foods are half off, as Manpuku tries to sell off their food. The maki and rolls are the best part of this restaurant. They also serve items such udon, soba, ramen, sushi, donburi, bento boxes and other Japanese items but are mediocre at best . The maki are affordable, and each come with 6 pieces each. The rolls are a little more elaborate but have the same concepts of maki, with a few extra ingredients and pieces. The maki here are different than other places, with maki with ingredients such as mango and eel or fried asparagus and mango, but they also provide traditional ones as well. For a Japanese restaurant, the portions are generous for such a cheap price for Japanese. However, the overall food lacks in quality and presentation. Thus, the overall environment is very casual with bar seats and tables. Don't expect to come here with a big group since tables seat 2 or 4 people, and there isn't much space to combine tables. read more

Manpuku - Maki rolls! - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Smoked a fatty before coming here, so as you can imagine I was starving! Lol Manpuku is my go to spot when I'm craving sushi. Been coming here for at least seven years and it's still a gem. Good prices for their rolls, udon, bento box, etc. and it always taste fresh. The deep fried California is my favorite!! Only thing, it's small restaurant so if it's a busy day it's hard to find a seat. Luckily there was plenty of seats on a Friday. For five rolls I spent $24.70 such a steal since some places like to charge out the ass. If you're ballin on a budget I suggest checking it out! read more

Manpuku - Deep fried California roll, avocado maki, spicy tuna, crispy crunchy roll, and California roll - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Always fresh food. Friendly service. Love the sushi and ramen. Bern visiting this establishment for more than a decade.

Best college sushi for the low you can get! I've been coming here for years and like my friend Kristen would say " it hits!"

My favorite neighborhood restaurant for sushi also serves tempura and noodle dishes. I often get salmon maki, avo-cu maki, tekka maki, and sometimes the "Ashby" special sushi if I'm feeling festive. When sit down was prohibited due to pandemic rules, I joined many of my neighbors by ordering pick-up and there were gaggles standing outside waiting for our numbers to be called. Sit down is back, the tables are full inside, and there are still gaggles most days of the week. The sushi is fresh and tasty, the staff is friendly, and although Manpuku is small and unassuming, it is a neighborhood gem. read more

A great affordable sushi spot. Take out has always been popular as the restaurant seating (when open) is limited. They should be able to survive the pandemic fortunately as I hope to keep coming here for years to come. read more

Since I first tried Manpuku a couple years back, the price of the food has gone up, but I think the corresponding quality of food and service has as well, which is probably for the best. Still "good and affordable Japanese food" but no longer "not bad and cheap but you get what you pay for." I'm a fan of the sashimi that comes with the bentos. 3 pieces of each of some great fish selections. The fish is always fresh and comes with relatively nice cuts (none of that gristle or other weird chewy stuff). The tonkatsu is pretty bomb too usually, although sometimes it's a bit inconsistent. read more

This place is what I would call "if you want Japanese food just for a fix" place. Manpuku has a variety of items that could also be found in the cafeterias in Japan. Thus, you can find udon, soba, ramen, sushi, bento boxes, donburi, amongst other typical Japanese food items here. The portions are good, and although the food is lacking in the higher quality and presentation typically found and expected from fancier Japanese restaurants, it is in exchange for single digit meals, most under $10-12. The environment is casual to fit with the vibe of quickly served Japanese food. There are plenty of seats in the restaurants, with bar seating and tables of 2 or 4. Large groups may have difficulty sitting together here. In addition to dine-in and to-go options for orders, there is also a deli fridge next to the cashier if you're really on the go and simply need sushi or a bento box (or some dessert). Lastly, a tip that there is a $0.50 charge for orders under $10. That means that if you order one item from the menu, it is to your benefit to bring cash. read more

Manpuku - Pork katsu donburi. Comes with miso soup. The tea is self-served - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love this place with my whole heart. The sushi is amazing and the prices are great!! I've grown up with manpuku and no matter what other sushi place I try, it just isn't as good. The woman at the front is so sweet and it's always nice to support a local business. Thank you Manpuku for all the great sushi over the years!! :) read more

We generally get take a way and of course now have to. When looking at Yelpers comments I like to sort by date as things may have improved or gotten worse. Only ONE low review posted here in a year and it was for service (as are the majority of the low reviews). With take out, table service reviews are now moot so readers should take that into perspective. As to what we like is miso soup, nigiri and various rolls like: rock n roll, tropical, elmwood, hamachi. Not very inventive I know but they do a good job with the simple things we like. The rolls are small and priced accordingly which means we can order several different ones for variation. read more

TL;DR: huge variety of options, really inexpensive Japanese food This is the move for inexpensive Japanese food and sushi! I'm disappointed that I didn't hear about this place sooner during my time here at Berkeley. Manpuku has a huge variety of different eats here that can make any party satisfied. Although the quality of the food can dwindle, this is perfect for the average college student craving sushi. During various visits, I had a Sushi Combo C and Katsu Don. SUSHI COMBO C (4/5) - Shared with three other people - Great amount of rolls for everyone to try - Super fresh and tasty sushi - Even some nigiri for variety KATSU DON (3/5) - Probably not something I'd order again - Katsu wasn't very crispy by the time I ate it (take-out) - Not many different ingredients, but really filling The staff here is very kind and patient. Getting our food doesn't really take all that long. They also have delicious tea to pass the time. I can imagine that a typical audience wouldn't really come out of their way for this place, but I'm not over-exaggerating when I say it's great for us students. Check it out if you haven't! read more

The layout changed in response to the pandemic, so everything is served to-go right now but they do have some seating in the back. I invited a few friends thinking it was still the dine-in layout but the staff informed me that I would be receiving take out containers but we can eat at the restaurant. They were super nice and ended up putting all our food on a platter for us to share! And it was delicious (as always). Recommend the veggie tempura roll + also the mango asparagus maki took me by surprise. Everything was great: food, service, atmosphere! Will stop by again soon! read more

Manpuku - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

My partner and I love Manpuku. There was a period of time where we were probably ordering it twice a week. It's so hard to find an affordable, yet tasty sushi restaurant and we feel lucky to have one in the neighborhood! Highly recommend their shrimp tempura roll, Manpuku roll and Aloha roll read more

I am so glad Manpuku survived the pandemic. Been coming here for years, seems like the same menu, though was told it had changed owners. Love the tempura, decent sushi, and the prices are reasonable. Om nom nom! read more

While they offer a large selection of pre-made items in take away packaging (increased due to W. V.), we called in our order. Long time customers that also enjoyed their food with a lively Korean kitchen crew. Sushi, sashimi, rolls remain fresh and delicious as ever. The spicy tuna roll is just amazing. I had a combo bento (A+B) and it is a lot of food and tasty; but a bit salty. Forgot to take photos. We'll be back. I miss their vegetarian ramen. (Rpstng aftr ylp Spch & thght plc bnnd m rvw.) read more

My go to for sushi. Place online order and it's prepaid and ready for an easy pickup. Prices are so reasonable too.

We got the mixed tempura, rainbow roll and a few pieces of Saba n unagi. We were really happy with our order. Everything tasted fresh and good portion of tempura. We come back read more

Talk about bang for your buck. This tiny place is delicious, has great service, and beyond reasonable prices. You can order up front, find a table, and food is brought to you, or there is a full service section with booze in the back. Can't wait to go back! read more

This place has the best tempura (for this price range). Miso soup and side salad are very good. Love that the salad has a good mix of different herbs and vegetables in a delicious miso sauce! This is the go to place for good quality and descent priced sushi. The fish is fresh and the food is very tasty. The salmon teriyaki was pretty standard and not too impressive; the fish was too overcooked though. We also tried the crunch tempura roll and umami (mango plus eel) which were both very good. Ika (squid) nigiri was fresh and good too. Service was really slow and we kept having to flag them down. They messed up our order as well. read more

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This place definitely surprised me! I didn't think that I would enjoy the food here, but I did. This place is definitely better quality than the other places around Berkeley for the same cheap prices! My favorite here is the Hakata Ramen, which I was really surprised to discover how good it was the first time I tried it. Their noodles are not over-cooked like it is at a lot of other places. The place also has a nice ambience and the wait isn't usually too long. I would definitely recommend this place to others. read more

Manpuku - Hakata Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

You know when you wanna go to a baseball game- but you don't really need to have great seats? You just want to get in, so you buy the bargain bleacher tickets. That's kinda like Manpuku- You don't want to go all out and buy great sushi, but you still want to eat sushi on the cheap. For ridiculously low prices you can get several rolls here at Manpuku. At other sushi restaurants I would usually expect to pay $9-11 for my favorite roll- A Rainbow roll. At Manpuku you can get one for only $6.75. From the rolls I've tried, the flavor of the fish tastes fresh, but the sushi rolls fall apart easily and it feels poorly made. However, the fact that this place is so inexpensive and you get so much bang for your buck- I'll probably be coming back. It's totally geared toward the broke college student. Manpuku is A-OK. 3 Solid stars. read more

Manpuku - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

For a hole in the wall with a line out the door, I was expecting some bomb @$$ food! If you see people walking out with to-go boxes filled with sushi and eating it right out front while standing... wouldn't you think the same? I played it safe with ordering. First off, you have to order before you can sit, so I felt a bit rushed (one party was leaving and it woulda been the only open table). Secondly, I just wanted something in my stomach so I could eat ice cream at Tara's or Ici! We ordered a bento box combo and deep fried California Rolls and Spider Rolls for sharing. While sitting, I noticed trays of sushi were just left out on the counter by the sushi chef. Sushi unrefrigerated + a hot day = food poisoning = me scared! The food was decent and happy to say I survived - no food poisoning! The prices are cheap for what you get, so it's a def maybe if I'm ever in the area and need something in my stomach before Tara's! =) read more

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I initially had the impression that this sushi joint was an americanized one, where you would find your typical california rolls boxed in the fridge. I was wrong! This place is cafe-like.. very small but definitely cozy. You order in the front and pick a seat at the bar on the side or tables in the back! The waitresses bring your orders to your table of course! Quick service and very friendly indeed! My friend and I took awhile to order but she was more than friendly to help us out! She was actually scared to recommend us something in case we didn't like it.. but her choice was different and delicious! We ordered: 1. 2 salmon skin hand rolls- no need to add soy sauce since the salmon skin roll is already salty enough. the hand roll is a handful for $3 each. 2. aloha roll - california roll with a touch of salmon and lemon on top. Initially, I thought "lemon?!" but it was actually really good! different but good! http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/Em_zomsPYowm65DvFH72Lw/l 3. unagi don bowl - this was delicious for $7. Plenty of BBQ eel ( my favorite) and beautifully layed out in the bowl. I was impressed! The combination of flavors worked perfectly well together. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/H0WjDTt0dWYmhwOjWIdjRQ/l 4. miso soup All for a total of $22 !!! I definitely want to come back here. It's so CHEAP!!!!!!! I would of thought restaurants on College Avenue are all pretty pricey! To go is available for the ones in rush! Parking along college can be a pain but I got lucky and got it right in front of the restaurant! booyah! :) read more

Manpuku - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My #2 favorite place to get Ramen (Katanaya in SF is my #1). Manpuku gets extra points from me because its SUPER CHEAP!! - $5 for a big bowl of Ramen...now that's a deal for real! I usually get the Shoyu Ramen which has really good flavor. The dragon roll is also another one of my favorites here. This place can be a little cramped inside but the good food, cheap eats, and quick service all make up for it. read more

Let's get this straight. You come to Manpuku for quantity, not quality. You come to Manpuku because its fast, not because you're looking for a place with a really cozy atmosphere. You come to Manpuku when you need to satisfy your sushi craving AND your wallet. No joke, your wallet will TOTALLY THANK YOU - we're talking $2.95 for spicy tuna rolls, $6.75 for a huge bowl of ramen, $10.95 for a 15-piece Chirashi bowl. Granted, the spicy tuna isn't the spiciest, the ramen broth definitely hasn't been simmering overnight, and the sashimi pieces are quite small. The original (more South) side of Manpuku is self-serve for utensils, tea, and water. They bring the food out to you after you've ordered at the front based on your check number. Seating is cramped but it seems like most people do takeout here. And how can you even complain after looking at these prices? I definitely can't, and I keep coming back, especially on those lazy nights where I don't feel like cooking. read more

Affordable, mediocre sushi is what you'll find here. Though we like it fine, and come quite a bit. My boyfriend enjoys the shoyu ramen and the bento boxes, and I generally get the crunch tempura or another sort of maki roll. Though I've had to send rolls back before because the shrimp has been sitting out for awhile and gets chewy, so not always great quality. There can be a bit of a wait on weekend nights, but it always seems to go by quickly. They have green tea (for free) and super inexpensive saki. I enjoy the atmosphere, a cozy space with contemporary paintings and warm lighting. read more

Manpuku - Tempura roll and California roll - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Food is alright and affordable. California rolls is good but ramen is on the salty side. Service is lacking. Usually when I come here I order to-go. Usually when I get my to-go it's just sitting on the counter even though the food is ready, waiting to be packaged. They're not busy either. Staff is just chatting around. Today when I got my to-go they didn't seal my sushi properly. Nearly had a very unfortunate accident with spilt rice and raw fish all over the car. read more

Parking along this particular stretch of College is an absolute nightmare. I would highly, highly recommend teaming up with a friend, or friends, who can pop-in to place an order/grab a table, while the other finds parking. Why should everyone suffer, right? When I came to place and pay for a party tray order this past Saturday afternoon, I had to drive around for about 30 minutes to find a parking spot. Another little tip? Bring some snacks to keep your mind off of how this was not how you wanted to spend a small chunk of your life. Am I whining? Yes, yes I am. Fortunately for me, my Dad and two younger brothers came along on Sunday when it was time to pick up the order. Dad found a parking spot in the post office parking lot (thank you, Lord!), and my two brothers, both in high school and on the football team, provided the muscle it took to carry back the following items: - Green Salad (Wafu, Miso, Ginger dressing) - 25 - Chicken Teriyaki Platter w/ Rice - 45 - Sushi Party Tray D (118 pieces) - 105 *32 California rolls, 12 piece Rock 'n Roll roll, Rainbow Roll, Dragon Roll, 10 tempura rolls, & 8 each of the following: tuna nigiri, yellow tail nigiri, salmon nigiri, shrimp nigiri, eel nigiri, albacore nigiri) - 42 Piece Nigiri Sushi Tray - 60 6 each of the following: tuna, salmon, yellow tail, snapper, white tuna, shrimp, & eel (see my uploaded photos) The waitress who helped me with my order asked me how many chopsticks I needed (and then added some extra pairs), and packed in napkins, ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce). They held off on cooking the chicken teriyaki until I arrived, which I appreciated because it meant that it would still be warm by the time we got to our destination, and they also packed the teriyaki sauce separately. This was more than enough to feed 5 adults and 2 teen guys with plenty of leftovers. Manpuku definitely did a great job with my 24 hour notice on this order, and I look forward to ordering from them again in the future! read more

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Very disappointing.. I've been to this restaurant twice and the customer service (I'm talking basic common courtesy) does NOT exist here. So rude. The hostess/server, I am at a loss for words for.. let's just say, we thought she hated us based on the way she looked at us and treated us. Also, I speak Spanish and could here a couple of the kitchen workers (young males) talking S*** about another couple that just walked into the restaurant... it was disgusting and very uncomfortable. read more

Is it weird that I don't recall ever eating sushi here? Or if I have, it was unremarkable in neither a good nor bad way. This could also be your go-to place for Japanese snacks if you're really in the mood for some mochi, teriyaki chicken, or seaweed. But Manpuku Champon is the annual tradition for Jiwon M. and I because their noodle soup is consistently flavorful, hearty, and fits just right in my stomach. The noodles provide the expected amount of chewiness for a satisfying bowl. The contents are sure to fill all aspects of the food pyramid. Except maybe fruits and dairy, but that's what dessert is for, right? I've been to Manpuku only when it's extremely crowded and there's a wait, or it's off season and just one table is miraculously open. You have to put in an order before you take a seat (or divide and conquer). All tables are two-seaters except for two tables shoved in the back meant for 4, maybe 5 people if you squeeze. The cramped aisle of seating and dim lighting vaguely reminds one of other Japanese-style restaurants, but most of the cooks no longer hail from that motherland. Still, if they can satisfy my belly, I'm not complaining. Manpuku is extremely affordable and located in one of the nicer areas of Berkeley on College Ave. One of the other draws of Manpuku is the free self-serve barley tea. I'm a sucker for barley tea. There's also water, and I suggest you get one or the other to accompany the ramen since the sodium does tend to creep up on you. The bathroom is located all the way at the end of the hallway, and there's only one, so y'all are just gonna have to share. read more

Friends and I were playing Smash and lost track of time. Manpuku was one of the only places around that was still open. Sorta late night food - that's a nice perk. I hadn't been here in a few years, but I was told that the interior was remodeled and looked completely different. I didn't notice, but it was nice on the inside: very clean and woodsy. I ordered the Champon ramen, which had stir-fry seafood and veggies with pork broth. Friends also got a few orders of rolls. My ramen was pretty good, but nothing spectacular. Same with the sushi - they liked it, but wasn't anything special. General consensus was that it's a great place if you want mediocre Japanese food for a cheap price in a somewhat nice restaurant. Ambiance: 3/5 Food: 3.5/5 Service: 2.5/5 (food was very slow even though restaurant was not crowded at all) Overall Experience: 3/5 read more

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Manpuku is an hoie in the wall that has a counter for tenish people. and seating for 30 at 10 tables of 2's and 4's. you order at the cashier on the right, then proceed to a table if any are available. lowest ticket number gets priority for table. food will be brought to your table. menu: nigiri, ramen, sampling: -hakata ramen (5,95) pork broth with toppings of chashu, bamboo, bean sprouts, fish cake slices, nooldes chewy, kinky, similar to what one gets in a yamachan noodle. broth about the same. -nigiri:(hamichi, saba, maguro) @1.40 , nice slices, small amount of rice, rice fell apart easily. fish still cold, not so tasty temaki: -food value, 4 stars, food quality, 2 stars, -no service...... read more

The best, casual Japanese restaurant- HANDS DOWN. Eating Manpuku has become a good tradition for me and Charchar (arigato ;). I never thought cheap and Japanese could coexist in a sentence but I now am in humble awe of Manpuku. Thank you divine kismet for letting me taste the elixir of immortality hence known as MANPUKU! Food: A Recommendations: Beef Curry, Chicken Katsu Curry, Deep Fried California Roll, Spider Roll, Salmon Avocado Roll, Winter Udon, Spicy Negi Ramen, Beef Teriyaki Bento, Chicken Teriyaki Bento Have I tried them ALL? Yes you BETCHA! Each item is made well and tasty for the price that you are paying. Under $8 for curry, bentos, and sushi rolls? Is that even possible?! The portions are big and they don't skimp out on the meats. The Cali roll comes in 10 pieces- 10 PIECES! All foods are made when ordered so it's guaranteed piping hot and fresh! To be fair, the quality is not "high end" but if you are paying for fast food that is cheap, then don't expect Iron Chef quality. Location/Ambiance: B- I abhor the location and interior x_x It is located in Berkeley along a very busy street. Parking is ALWAYS impossible. It's safe to say I've never parked in front of the restaurant despite the many times I frequent this establishment. I always park one or two blocks away, and even then, the interior of the restaurant is tinnny. There is probably a total of 10 small tables lined against the wall with a long table for stool seating. Sometimes there is no seating and we just do take-out. So if you are hoping to have a nice dinner date here, then forget it. Come here for your 5th date cause the place is not for romancing haha! Service: A Based on their fast, efficient service and the pretty chill attitude of the employees. Although the employees aren't ecstatic or energetic like a squirrel finding a pile of nuts, they were never rude to me so that's a plus. Prices: A+ Seriously? Japanese food for under $10? This is like a poor college student's fancy Friday night dinner. For the pricing and portion, A+++ TL;DR? Great Japanese food for the cheap price (under $10). Do not come here for an exceptional fancy time- location, ambiance, and non-interactive service will disappoint you. View it was a casual, fast food Japanese restaurant (like Panda Express but 1000x better) :) read more

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Too small of a restaurant to make it a pleasant dining experience. Their tables and seats are meant to serve about 2-4 people each table setting and they only have about 5 tables with a short single bar table. The dining walkway area is narrow too. Their ramen and sushi entrees were alright. Not the best I have ever had, but it'll suffice! I can't really pinpoint anything in the ramen bowl, which I had, that tasted over the top, so you get the idea. I like to have my ramen while dining in instead of packed to go because it just isn't the same when it's eaten later! It's definitely not worth the wait to try dining in while ordering their ramen or sushi here! read more

I've been here many times before when I was in college. There really is no wow factor. The food is good and the price is reasonable. What more can you ask for? Whether it's sushi, ramen or even a bento, you really can't go wrong. I will say this though, the portions they give you are pretty decent in size. If you have a craving for Japanese, Manpuku will satisfy. read more

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this is a mix review. Heres what I say.. dont come here for ramen, just come for the sushi. The ramen soup base to me is just basically soy sauce and water. I was so disappointed. Granted it is a big bowl of noodle, you will be full. But i didnt even want to eat it since it tasted like nothing. The sushi rolls on the other day, I think its pretty good. ITs not excellent, but its ok for its price. Most non-special rolls are around 3 bucks. and they are decent. Heres the protocol, you step in, you stand in line to order the food. You pay. you get a ticket with a number. You need this receipt, this is how you get your food, sitting in or to go. If you are eating there, look for a table and sit down. Get your own tea up front. If you are to-go, just wait for your number to be called. Ta-Da!! read more

Manpuku - This was hanging in the back wall - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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There's a reason why you pay first before you seat yourself. The service is terrible. Come here for the $10 chirashi, but don't expect much from it. All of the sushi platters have wasabi underneath the sashimi. It's an unfortunate surprise. I've waited over 30 minutes for a togo order that I called in ahead of time. I would not recommend this place unless you are on a major budget. read more