The food is good here and the prices are fair... I'd never been here before and didn't realize that you had to pay first. I took a seat at the sushi bar and then proceeded to be ignored by the staff for about 10 minutes before finally flagging down a sushi chef, only to be told that I had to give my order to the girl at the register. Maybe there is a sign that I ignored, but I'm sure that I'm not the first person to have done this... This place seems to be popular with younger folks... read more

Come here for the ramen - it is great!! The sushi, however, is sub-par. read more

Boo they don't serve alcohol...I was so excited that we were going to get sushi and was looking forward to some hot sake on a chilly rainy day...was super disappointed to learn that they don't serve any alcohol. The sushi was decent and cheap comparing to a lot of other places. We had the sushi combo c for 22 bux or so. It had some nigiris and rolls...the typical kinds. They were pretty good. Didn't care too much for the rolls coz the fish to rice ratio was not preferable (gimme sashimi please!) the nigiris were decently sized. But WHY?! WHY NO ALCOHOL?!!! read more

So I used to LOVE Manpuku. First time I came here I was blown away by their speed and the price point of their sushi. Not to mention their sushi was pretty darn good. The only tiff I had with them was the cramped eating space. Definitely NOT a place to come with a big group of people. But at that point I would have given them 4 stars. Now, a couple days ago, me and 7 of my friends decided to come here one more time. Friday night, the place is packed but we managed to find a table. The sushi came out really fast and was just so-so. I swear it was better (and slightly cheaper) last time I was here. Being an absolute fatty I ordered their tempura udon. The Tempura was so-so. I've definitely had better sauce and better batter. The irritating thing was that the udon came out 15 minutes AFTER the tempura which made me eat them entirely separately because the tempura was getting cold and soggy. The noodles in the udon were quite delicious but the broth itself was way too salty. I know I can be a little overly sensitive to salt, but this tasted as if someone covered the lack of real flavor with salt. Overall, this isn't going to be my last time eating there but I want that first time experience once more. read more

I have had better. I have had worse. This place is alright. It is a super small establishment. read more

I love Mankpuku! Come here for the ramen...seriously. I love the soy sauce base, the perfectly cooked noodles, and the tender pork. It's hands down the best ramen experience I have ever had. The gyoza are good too, the california roll was decent. I wish the place had more space! I think the biggest bummer about it is it's so small and always packed. But it's definitely worth the wait. Haven't had the rolls here but you can watch them be prepared and the fish smells fresh. read more

I LOVE ramen! I always get the Ramen combo with the gyoza and fried rice. Cheap AND filling AND yummy. You order and pay at the cashier, get a number and sit. The food comes out pretty promptly. You also get free hot tea and, of course, water. read more

As a vegetarian there are limits to what I can eat here but what I do love to eat are the enormous avocado rolls and the fact that I can order a large miso soup. I also love that the nigiri comes in 1 piece so I can order odd numbers of tamago and inari. Also i love that they have Calpico, and their tempura bento boxes can be made vegetarian upon request. SUPER GOOD!!! and all at a great price! The only thing I would change is that i wish they had more appetizing sounding vegetarian maki like Tako on telegraph has. read more

For the price, it is well worth it.. The pork broth I had was delicious and so was BBQ pork, just wished I had more than two small slices of it. The flavors were good, noodles sub-par but still springy and not totally far gone.. Small place, inexpensive sushi rolls and the hot green tea was *free*. All in all, a good experience if you need a quick ramen fix on the go. The servers were very nice as well. read more

I've basically stopped coming here. Quality -- especially for rolls -- is clearly not what it used to be. I remember coming to Manpuku two years ago and swearing by the Spicy White Tuna Rolls (Poki Maki). They were filled to the brim with chunks of tuna mixed in with spicy mayo. Things changed abruptly about a year ago when they begin adding chunk of RAW onions into the Poki Maki albacore mix and also decided to cut back on the amount of white tuna mixture in each roll. I swear I'm not exaggerating when I say that today's roll have at most half the fish of the old ones. The rolls look deformed and as though they've been pummeled for lack of filling. And the raw onion is frankly disgusting. It's sad that they decided to cut corners. While the cheap is still extremely cheap, I'd rather they had increased the prices, say $.50 or even $1.00 a roll. At least I'd still be able to eat there and not feel grossed out. read more

3.5 stars for you manpuku (and none for Gretchen Weiner's!) Manpuku consistently delivers decent sushi at affordable eat-out-every-night prices. I am a big fan of sashimi and their chirashi bowl satisfies me every time my ugly sashimi craving roars. Their rolls are also decently sized and fits my appetite for sushi. My breakdown +1 for price +1 for consistently good food +1 for fast takeout +0.5 for the display case of goodness in the front -1 for service during rush hour (come on, don't chat with the other server when you see a line of 3+ people) -0.5 for the size of their dining room All in all, Manpuku has managed to take my hard earned dollars most of time I want sushi, so they must be doing something right. read more

Cheap sushi is my new best friend. =) So glad I found this place. Although I was a little confused at the seating in the beginning. So it's basically a order at the front and sort-of seat yourself place. They have a hostess at the front that will constantly be checking the amount of seating, so she will direct you to an open table. I'm not sure if this still applies during less busy hours. Anyways, Saturday evening is busy hour! We came in with a party of 2 and maybe waited about 10 min. But I think we were lucky because the seating is suited for smaller parties. Menu has a wide variety and relatively cheap! Happy to see that special rolls are about $7 and don't cost an arm and leg. Nigiri is about $1.65 each and the sushi rolls are only $3.25. Yay! Granted this rolls are super creative, some of the special rolls are california rolls in different forms, but I was craving fresh fish, and this did the job. -Salmon and avocado roll - generous portions of salmon and avocado. Good! -Philadelphia roll - every was fresh -Kokomo roll - shrimp tempura with imitation crab. Fish roe and spicy mayo on top. Love the spicy kick of the mayo, shrimp tempura was fresh and not soggy. Good. -Chicken katsu don - First time having this and it was good! I really liked the egg and pickled veggies. Came out piping hot. Rice was moist and the katsu was perfectly fried. Came with miso soup (ok). Even though for the most part, this place doesn't have table service, our waitress was nice enough to bring us an extra plate because we were sharing. Good spot if you have a hankering for affordable sushi. I'd only dine in though if you have a small party. read more

Overall, an OK place and deserving of 3 stars. It is certainly not a four star place, nor is it as bad a a two star place. Therefore, it is a 3. CONS: Ambiance is probably a zero. Parking (on a Friday night) is terrible, and you have to pay for it as well. Seating, spotty. We had a party of 7 and it was a challenge to get us seated. Food was flavorful but plating was just kinda thrown on. PROS: Pricing is most affordable. Servings generous. I had one of the bento boxes and it was HUGE. Quality of food, OK. There is nothing to complain about with Manupuku. It is just adequate and if you wanted better seating, etc. you should probably find another place. It is unlikely I would revisit here as there must be better places in Berkeley. read more

The Japanese food at Manpuku, particularly the sushi, is good but not fantastic, but notice that there's only *one* dollar sign on the Yelp page. Sushi at these prices is a steal, and it's an especially good thing when you're a college student. So it's no surprise that this place is located fairly close to Berkeley campus and is basically always crowded. If you're into raw fish (why are you looking for cheap sushi if you aren't?) go for the chirashi. It's under $10, which is pretty amazing, and the fish is pretty fresh and delicious. It looks small but actually does a fairly decent job of filling you up. If you're really hungry, get a smaller roll on the side. I've had the donburi and the ramen as well, but I don't think these are quite as worth it as the chirashi, pricewise. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but I highly recommend it for any college kid looking for some decent sushi at affordable prices. Don't forget to enjoy your meal with some barley tea, available self-serve at the front of the restaurant. read more

Never again. Their ready to go sushi was spoiled so I asked to be made a fresh batch. They deceived me by giving me the same spoiled box of sushi after the wait of a new one. Unbelievable. read more

Manpuku - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Good cheap sushi...who would have thought? Sounds too good to be true, and it sort of is. The catch is, as others have said, you gotta stick with the rolls. They're delicious, but the nigiri is just ehh. Yummy tempura. Not the end of my quest for the perfect sushi in the bay area, but somehow I keep going back. read more

[Only reviewing the sushi and the restaurant.] Manpuku is definitely for the cost-conscious college kid pulling an all-nighter. This place is teeny-tiny. The rolls are teeny-tiny. There aren't many creative rolls (Korean-style). The rolls are inexpensive but, you get what you pay for. There are about five tables inside that seat anywhere from 2-4 people per table, and there is some bar seating. The lines move quickly but, there's only one waitress for the entire place (I suppose one is enough when the maximum capacity in Manpuku is about 25 people). At least she's helpful/friendly. I probably would not go back unless I was a) broke or b) desperately seeking sushi late at night. read more

I love this place because of the Ramen. Dont get me wrong, I think this place has really good sushi too, but the Ramen, in my opinion, is insanely good. Give it a try and you'll agree. read more

My favorite sushi place in Berkeley for what I'm paying :) Come on, six pieces fresh sashimi (combo A) with 6pc California roll and 6pc salmon/tuna roll for 9.95$??? What about chirashi (assorted sashimi over sushi rice) for 7.95? But I am not they type that would order cheap sushi just because it's cheap. I've simply never had a miss here! I'm very picky about my California rolls and they do it just right here. The sashimi is fresh, and they have yummy ramen for those who like ramen. The adventurous should try the mango with eel roll :9 Fried california roll is good too, along with the caterpillar. I recently tried the cold soba and that's 6.95 on it's own and for an extra dollar you get a big plate of tempura veggies and shrimp! Can someone say deeeaal? I remind you once again that it's good. And the Katsu-don that I had earlier today is yummy too... mmm... no misses, nope. Conclusion, yummy sushi, cheap, always a safe bet. Definitely my default sushi place in Berkeley. I don't understand how there was a rating slump as of late, but I just went earlier today and it's the same good ol' Manpuku that I remember. And I eat plenty of sushi in other places so I know my japanese food. I don't think people can really say much about a place unless they've tried many dishes there. What if they just had the one dish that was soso? Listen to me, I've tried a ton of stuff here and it's good. And if not, you will have paid not so much to try it, so you don't lose! read more

It's pretty difficult to find a bowl of good ramen in Concord, so whenever I crave those chewy, yummy noodles, but don't want to make the trek to the city, I stop by Manpuku. It's either that or whip out my instant Doll ramen package and an egg. I've always ordered the ramen here, never anything else. Ordering noodles in a restaurant usually presents a slight problem for me because the noodle:topping ratio is always off. No problems with that here though, the bowls are usually the size of my face and stuffed with tons of noodles and toppings, and I'm never able to finish it. Only problem I have with the ramen is with the broth. I can't ever drink the broth or I end up with MSG-induced gas for hours afterwards. The bf wants his two cents put in that their sushi is really good and decently priced. Otherwise, this is a decent old college days haunt for me with a-okay food at prices that my wallet loves. Seating can get a little bit competitive, but just keep your eyes and elbows out. read more

Ahhhh....my soul-food after a stressful day at work. I absolutely love love love their spicy scallop nigiri, fresh salmon sushi (in any form), and tempura. Their ramen is alright, if you like yakisoba make sure to ask for the vegetables to be thoroughly cooked. Don't come here if you expect Tokyo grade ramen. In a city like Berkeley where eating organic and healthy living is a mantra among its residence, not sure if they can appreciate a hot bowl of greasy soup noodles coated with lard (yummy!!) Did I mentioned that they have the most wonderful service? Nothing over the top, just simple, courteous, to the point, food brought to your table with a smile. read more

Nice place, except they really need to get some more sitting area... all the tables were for 2 people, and the walkway between the tables and the counter was small and inconvenient, lots of crowding around and getting in people's way. Too much waiting around, switching tables, moving, being hungry. Though the waiters were very nice and polite. When we finally relocated to the counter, the sushi was very yummy. I got the Dragon roll, which was delicious. My friends got a Maki roll and the Caterpillar roll (very cute and pretty and looked like a caterpillar) Great cheap sushi, but the place was so small, it'd be better for two people, unless you can grab one of those big tables for sure. They also had a $10 minimum for credit cards. read more

"Good Value" is the catchphrase at this small Japanese restaurant. You'd be hard pressed to find another Japanese restaurant with a Bento Box for $5.95 or a specialty sushi roll for $3-ish; the exact reason why my group of four friends chose to eat at this restaurant at our most recent outing. But "good value" doesn't always mean consistent quality or decent clientele. I ordered a Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box and a Manpuku roll (eel, avocado and yellow tail fish). I have to say that they have the tastiest Chicken Teriyaki in the Bay Area. It's quite tender and they leave the crisped skin on so you can get that juicy, fatty chicken flavor. The Manpuku roll was good, but it was missing the customary Unagi/eel sauce you'd find at most other places. My friend ordered an Aloha roll which was a complete disappointment. It comes with this crab filling (same what you would find in a California roll) but it tasted as if the mayonnaise used in the filling went bad a few hours prior. She also ordered a Chicken Curry, which I also sampled, and it tasted a little bland. I would have to say the worst part about my visit was the seating issue. Manpuku has got to find a better way to seat people. Currently, you have to order and pay first at the front counter before you can start looking for seating in the small open dining area. In fact, if you don't order first before finding seating, you are chastised for the mistake. In our situation, our food was starting to come out before we were able to find seating. We eventually located a four-top in the back. But much to our surprise, someone who just walked in and pushed their way through without ordering swooped in and took the table before we could reach it. Instead of chastising this party of two adults and one baby, we were offered a three person table across from it by the dining room attendant. But it quickly became obvious that it would be a very cramped dining situation with four people. So as I turned around to ask if the other party if they would be willing to switch tables, I see them put their baby on the table for a diaper change...in the middle of the dining room on a table that people eat at. How disgusting! So after making a few very loud snide comments at them from our table in hopes these unbelievable rude people would hear and feel bad, my friends and I just ate our food in disgusting and disappointment. Well...it wasn't the last we heard or saw of these people. At the end of our dinner, my friend starts to make a face. I asked what's wrong and she motioned over to the other table. The mother was openly breast feeding in the dining room. I'm sorry, that is just gross. When is breastfeeding in plain sight of other people having dinner acceptable? We quickly got up and left. Overall, I'm going to give this place 3 stars. Inconsistent quality combined with a bad seating arrangement is -1 star each in my book. As far as the clientele goes, that not something any restaurant can control or prevent, so I'm not going to lower their score because of it. Would I come back? Probably. But maybe for take-out only next time. read more

Best place to go for quick sushi. My favorite is the spicy tuna roll with sashimi wrapped around it...can't think of the name at the moment. Also, this is one of the only places in Berkeley where I'll get cold soba noodles...yumyum... so refreshing on a hot day. The sushi here is quick and it tastes really fresh ... from the rice to the fish to the nori... it is one of the best 'in and out in under 30 minutes' (if you're in a hurry) type of restaurant. I kind of think of it like I'm picking up prepackaged sushi at a store (although it is NOT prepackaged sushi) and getting it to go. yum... one of the other delicious places on college ave. read more

Do we really have to sacrifice that much quality as college students? Manpuku IS really cheap....for good reason. It is bare bones sushi. They give you seaweed, slap on some rice, add whatever fish or vegetable and hope that it keeps its shape long enough to make it to your mouth. The fish isn't particularly good, the vegetables are nothing special.....it's the absolute basics. Aside from the sushi, the Donburi just isn't that appetizing. I would gladly pay another 2 dollars to get an Oyako Donburi I WANT to take home. You get what you pay for....not much. But Manpuku is ideal for those who just want to hold over their sushi craving until they can save a few more bucks for quality sushi. read more

Man~ the price was great for a Japanese restaurant. Pretty good food. It's a tiny restaurant but they have lots of food!! It's a hidden GEM! I love love these kind of place! Cheap, good food & lots of food. It's a small place so you might not like this place too much if you have a baby like us. Though, we found a table in the back & figured out a way to enjoy our place with our baby. We are ramen lovers! We've been to Santa Ramen many many times. I think the Ramen here is pretty impressive. It's not as so deep in flavor as Santa Ramen but I liked it because it wasn't too salty. Though the guys in my table thought Santa Ramen is the best ! so many maki selections! We ordered so many that I don't even remember what we ordered. All GOOOD~ read more

Manpuku is my new favorite, everyday Japanese restaurant in the East Bay. Good, affordable Japanese food in a casual venue. Loved the dragon roll ($6.95) and liked the Miso Ramen ($5.50). I can definitely see myself as a regular here. It's amazing that there's generally no wait. read more

I don't know why but Koreans are good at making Japanese food. It's cheap, delish, and convenient! Suggestions: Tenzaru Soba read more

Delicious ramen and sushi, even though the price indicates that it should be bad. I guess it's due to the small storefront and lack of ample seating. But hey, if you get it to-go, there are no qualms. In fact, popularity might be Manpuku's only downfall because of how difficult it can be to find a place to sit during lunch and dinner hours. However, if you're patient, you can usually find something that will fit your group, even if its uncomfortable to cram 6 people at a 4 person table. read more

~2.5 stars. Decent Food for a Decent Price.I don't see what the fuss is about. I came here yesterday and tried #69 Manpuku Ramen. For most restaurants, when they brand a dish - it's usually a house special. Sadly it was not. The Manpuku Ramen basically had vegetables (cabbage, seaweed, tofu, soy bean sprouts, etc) and fish cakes. I guess I assumed that at least the fishcakes would be home-made or something since its a house special, but when the ramen came...I was thoroughly disappointed. Do you remember those pink "fish cakes" you find in the Instant NongShim Bowl Noodles? Basically it was those PINK "FISH CAKES". And you know NongShim is KOREAN not JAPANESE... Anyways, the quality of the RAMEN was like 1.5 steps above the instant ones you can make at home. Maybe I just tried the wrong Ramen Bowl. The size of the ramen bowl was ginormous (which is why its decent food for the QUANTITY they give you). I also ordered the Spicy White Tuna Roll and it wasn't spicy...at least not like the ones I've tried else. The sushi rice was soft, but it didn't give me that authentic sushi rice feel... ALSO, they dont take card purchases unless its over $10 or they have a $0.50 charge. Come on people, restaurants/stores ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO HAVE A MINIMUM CHARGE. wtf is this, I was saddened that I didnt bring out the card/slip from VISA that says this. Word of Advice - BRING CASH (just in case). I don't know if I'll be returning to try other things on the menu... read more

Sushi, ramen, tempura, teriyaki bowls. Hooray! This place may not look like much, but the food is quality, generous in portion, and quick to be served. The prices are deceivingly cheap...but you get much more than you pay for. Comparable restaurants will serve the same item but charge you substantially more. Granted, it's a no-frills experience; if you're not trying to impress anyone, you'll love it. I would happily dine here every day. read more

Went here for dinner tonight with my cousin for some cousin-cousin bonding time. We're both avid sushi fans, so I was pretty excited when she said she wanted sushi for dinner...BUT to my disappointment, the sushi at this place pretty much sucked. Sure, I'll give it props because it's cheap Japanese food. But if you actually like quality sushi, don't even bother. However, my cousin got the chicken katsu bento box and it's a good amount of food for a cheap price: edamame, salad, rice, miso soup, and chicken katsu for $6. My New Winter Ramen, sadly, tasted um...actually there wasn't much flavor. It was kind of a bunch of bland vegetables, aside from the not so spicy kimchi, mixed in with not so spicy miso soup (which tasted nothing like spicy miso soup btw). I had a bunch of ramen left so I got a to-go container for it, but I'll probably end up throwing it out or else it's just gonna sit in my fridge until I do throw it away. 2 stars for cheap food. Next time maybe I'll get a bento box and up the rating hopefully? read more

This place is such a steal for the quality of fish you get. Wow, like every single piece of nigiri I get just melts in my mouth. I get the sushi combo C and sometimes an extra roll to split with my bf. Total is like $25ish for the both of us and we're STUFFED. I've also had their udon and dumplings. All good. If you get a ramen combo, it comes with noodles, fried rice, and dumplings. WTF right? There's no way you can finish the fried rice and dumplings, so you should ask for that to go. Two meals for like less than $11 if you save the fried rice and dumplings. I love it. My only gripe is that I feel rushed if the restaurant is too crowded. But that's not Manpuku's fault at all! read more

1 star for the PRICE (it's pretty damn CHEAP) 2nd star for pretty good rolls 3rd star for complimentary tea & for the variety of rolls & the friendly service I recommend the fried spicy salmon roll, negi-hama (yellowtail & green onions), & the island roll is aite. DON't get the RAMEN it's not very good. Just stick to the rolls and you'll be good to go. read more

Manpuku is awesome if you're living on a student budget. You can easily spend less than $11 and stuff yourself for dinner. And the food is good! Cheap prices and good food, what's not to like? I usually get the ramen combo that comes with 6 dumplings and half a bowl of fried rice. That meal costs less than $11 after tax and is extremely filling. Separately, a bowl of ramen starts around $5. The ramen isn't packaged instant ramen either, so it doesn't get disgustingly soggy as you feast upon your dumplings and fried rice first. The dumplings aren't amazing but I'm not complaining. I normally eat all the ramen first before eating the dumpings and fried rice because I can take that stuff home if I don't finish, and I'm always full by the time I get to the fried rice. $11 plus leftovers for snack later? Awesomeee!!! Last night I tried their rolls and sashimi. The sashimi combo was under $8 and had 16 pieces from 5 different fishes!!!! Ok, the pieces aren't gigantic, maybe 1/2 the size for some fishes. But on a whole, $7 something for so many pieces from so many different fishes is such a steal! The fish was really good too! I also shared a manpuku (yellowtail topped with unagi) roll, tropical maki (asparagus and mango) roll and a rainbow roll with my friend. All the rolls were really good. They don't have the best presentation but for $6 for the more fancier rolls, who cares! For the sashimi combo and 3 rolls, we spent a grand total of $25ish and we were ridiculously full and happy. Every time I go to Manpuku, the place is packed. There is limited seating but the wait is generally pretty short so just be patient and know that a few minutes after you sit down, you'll be eating. Don't come in large groups if you want to sit down to eat though, tables usually max out at 4 or 5 people. I always leave happy and full without having to spend too much money. read more

Wow! I was very pleasantly surprised by this place! Freaking inexpensive sushi that was cut well and very fresh! Best cheap sushi I have had in the Berkeley area yet!! Loved the spicy white tuna (poki poki roll), and the saba sushi and yellowtail sushi were delicious. Only cons were that it took 30+ minutes to get our small order in the middle of the afternoon when they weren't busy at all, and no beer/sake. read more

I love this place! The sushi is always fresh and delicious, but the real 5 star quality is the price!! Specialty rolls are ~$5-6, and simple fish rolls ~$3. I ordered takeout from there last night 4 simple rolls, and 1 fancy roll (my bf and I eat a lot!) and the total bill was $19! Usually when the two of us go out for sushi we either end up dropping $60 or have to go when we aren't that hungry. This place makes GOOD sushi affordable. ***Warning, their hot sauce... is WICKED hot. The spicy white tuna isnt that hot, but that red sauce, even like a spec of hit was so freaking hot.*** read more

Not the best Sushi place but certainly edible and affordable (yes, even for you, my dear college students. If you budget well, that is). I've tried some sashimi, sushi rolls, kitchen foods and ramen here and unfortunately, I cannot say that I find any of the dishes particularly memorable or worth recommending. The ramen is okay and many people seem to favor it as their lunch meal-- it's certainly better than the one on University. Atmosphere = Okay. Service = Nice. Food = Okay. We end with a mediocre sandwich bumped with an extra star for service. read more

Me likes!!! You put your order in and grab a seat. For what it is, inexpensive, efficient and casual...I like it. I ordered a few rolls, tempura and BF got some beef teriyaki-ish bento box. On a Saturday evening when every Japanese joint in Berkeley has at least a 20-30 minute wait, this place was just what we needed when I needed my sushi fix. I will be returning again to check out more things on the menu. Great job Manpuku, I will be seeing you soon! read more

I forgot how awesome this place was - so I'm writing a Yelp review so I'll remember! This place is a great spot to fulfill your sushi cravings at an affordable price. I got the sashimi bento (to go) which came with rice, 12 pieces of sashimi (chef's choice), salad and miso soup. Although the pieces were a little small, there were still 12 of them and they were fresh and delicious. And it cost like $9! Pretty good deal, in my opinion :) The service was also really great - I was greeted warmly by all the staff and it took about 10 minutes to complete my to-go order, which wasn't bad at all. Also FYI - if you want to use credit card, you'll need a minimum order of $10. And the restaurant itself is a little small - I've only gotten take out and never sat down, so I can't tell you what the restaurant experience is like. And you'll have to find parking somewhere along or nearby College Avenue. Good luck. In any case, will definitely come again! read more