Aug 9 2025 3:30pm 3.4 stars…read more After a short struggle to find parking, we walked the half a block to find Bansho tucked away in a corner- almost hidden from the street. The front doors are littered with adds and dirt. It looked a bit sketchy on the outside but we went inside anyway. Inside, the restaurant looks very pleasant. It has a comfortable and cozy look for a small 49 seat place. Mood music plays at a quiet level. There are several conversation starters for sure inside the restaurant like.. "What is that shrine with the green bananas on it for?" "Can you decipher the price of beer written on that chalkboard?" My favorite was "What is that treadmill doing in this restaurant?" We were seated and given menus. The waitress left and then came back after four or five minutes. I felt a little rushed to order as if the order taker assumed we had pre-prepped ourselves on their menu. We had to ask for more of a chance to look at the options. The two of us shared a bowl of Ramen, an order of California Rolls, a coke and later on we ordered Takoyaki-deep fried dough with I believe a piece of squid inside. Before the waitress left to give our first order to the chef, she said "Anything else?" I inferred she was suggesting our order was to small. Later I understood she might be warning me that that might be our last chance to order anything. It was hard for us to place that second order of Takoyaki. Once we were given our food, the waitress disappeared and never checked on us. To place another order, I had to keep the kitchen under surveillance, watching for someone to exit so we could jump up, run to the frond desk area and order. The food we did have was tasteful enough and the $41 seems fare. Negatives for Bansho. 1) The phones used by the front desk and in the kitchen are too loud, they ring for too long and destroy the ambience. Someone will one day invent a device that buzzes in your pocket instead of ringing loudly throughout the entire restaurant. Name it something catchy like "Cell Phone". 2) The Men's restroom was too dusty and the toilet seat was "spotty"- if you know what I mean. 3) Having someone check on you while you are eating and saying "Welcome In" when you get there and "Thank You For Your Business" when you leave would go a long way. I did see a sign that they are hiring so they might have been short staffed.

The server was very nice, it doesn't seem like they have very much help but they are quick food is…read morefresh and tastes great. I also loved the Decor, it's a cute little spot. I wasn't so impressed with the Ramen broth It seemed to be lacking some seasoning in comparison to other Ramen spots I've tried but nonetheless it's a nice flavor & fresh ingredients. I got chicken instead of pork. Also beware of the spice level, as it really is SPICY. I was coughing and sipping at the same time. Get a mild or medium spicy. - coming from a spicy food eater. They seem to have a lot of traffic but they are efficient. Street parking is a bit hard to find, beware of that. It's hard to see the restaurant at first, it's tucked around the street corner. You must try the soft shell crab, was a 10/10. Genmaicha was also very good.

We stopped by for dinner and ordered the Dry-fried beef ho fun, teochew noodles, and dry pot spicy…read morebeef! Everything tasted really decent, the portions were nice, and the owner was really friendly. It was our first time trying dry pot spicy beef, and we enjoyed it. It had a nice kick of spice without being too overwhelming. I personally would have preferred it to be even spicier, which would have made it perfect!

Can confidently bump this up to 4*. Their signature beef pho was noticeably all around better. The…read morenoodles didn't come off soggy and the quality of the beef was good. I did feel bamboozled by their Couples Delight dish. The picture on the menu shows honeycomb tripe.. and it didn't come with any.. there's actually another dish for that. Super disappointing haha. They gave out free goldfish crackers this time!

One of my favourite spots to grab a quick, satisfying, and filling lunch near campus! The wait can…read morebe a little longer during peak lunch hours, but you can conveniently order online and pick it up. My go-to is the shrimp katsu onigiri. Their onigiri are huge, and just one is enough to fill me up. The shrimp is fried fresh and tastes delicious every time. I also tried the eel donburi, and the eel was perfectly marinated and cooked. For the quality and portion, the bowl almost feels underpriced. Highly recommend!

Convenient onigiri spot in Berkeley's Southside! Riceful serves delicious folded sandwich style…read moreonigiris with a large variety of toppings. My favorite part of their onigiri is their egg, which tastes slightly steamed but have a good amount of flavor. Any of their onigiris are a great pick to grab on the go! The reason why I give Riceful 4 stars instead of 5 is because of its portion size at its price. I love the taste of their onigiris, but they're quite small at pretty steep prices. Service can also take a while sometimes despite being solely grab-n-go. I'd still say it's a solid onigiri spot to check out when you have the time to!

We were in Berkeley and felt like having some sushi. We resorted to Yelp and we saw Daruma. It was…read morean AYCE sushi joint, even better! We drove there and was happy to see they had some designated free parking spots next to the restaurant. As we entered, we were a bit confused why there was only a few people. As we were seated, we were given the bad news... there was no AYCE for dinner. Nooo!! Oh well, we were already seated, and this place got good reviews, so we went ahead and started ordering. Man, everything we were ordered was very good. I didn't get to take a picture of everything we had, but I know it was all good. Service was quick and helpful as well. As the evening went by, more and more people started coming. Apparently there are more tables to the left of the entrance, so that's good. It's not as small of a space as it seems when you first walk in. When in the area, we'll be back, and hopefully this time around lunch time so we can try their AYCR option.

Been here a couple of times and it doesn't seem like much on the outside but when you walk inside…read moreit gives you a little vibe of being in Japan. Cozy space and loved the vibes. Service is quick and food came out fast. Prices are reasonable and food tasted great. Fresh and yummy. Parking is okay not super easy but not super difficult to find. If you're in the area, I totally recommend it!

I shjt you not this is the best Thai spot in NorCal. The second is Krung Thai in Santa Clara…read more This place is insanely good. Insane. Don't list to the other reviews, they do not know real flavor the way I do! This review has been in my drafts for who knows how long but I'll tell you now this is still my #1 Thai spot. 7 years running!!!!!!!!! THE BOMB DOT COM!!!!! I will ask them to cater my wedding lol

Pad se ew had so much oil but so little flavor! Quite peculiar…read more.. Price was moderate as well as portions.

Brief summary: - Good portions - fills up more than its…read moreappearance - Liked the equal balance of the broth and noodles with protein - Close to Trader Joe's - Indoor seating Ramen is a dish that has started sprouting in Berkeley, and this is one of them .I decided to go there for dinner with the family before heading to the Trader Joe's across the street to stock up on groceries. We entered a few minutes before peak dinner times, so there were seats to choose and sit from. By the time we left, mostly all the seats were filled up, so I would suggest coming in early. I liked the naming for each of the ramen dishes, some I recognized the names from Hawai'i. For this round, we ordered 3 different types of ramen: the Kuni, Broke da Mouth, and the Miso Hungry. These orders also came around the same time. A notable elements I liked about the ramen was that the noodles were chewy and springy, and the broth was smooth and easy to drink. I also didn't have the urge to drink lots of water either, so the seasoning was perfect. The other element was that I got to enjoy the ramen's broth and noodles as the stars of the dish, and the proteins, like the pork were supporting roles. For me, what I enjoy ramen are the broth and noodles, so I'm happy that these are prominent in the dish, rather than me having other chow down a thick slab of pork. This restaurant hit the right marks for what a delicious ramen is for me, so I'll come back, and maybe try their other broths.

Berkeley is a great city to try new food and we found another ramen spot! This restaurant is…read morelocated near the campus and parking was fairly easy to find after hours. When walking in, the dinner crowd was slowly trickling in. I found a spot closer to the entrance. They have the place a bit divided by two sides for more intimacy. The food is a mix of Hawaiian and Japanese. We both wanted to try the broke da mouth ramen as it was a customer favorite! I enjoyed my ramen and it was good to catch up and talk. The atmosphere was chill and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We ended up talking for hours about everything until I realized how late it was and the bowls were cleared. They were patient and didn't kick us out right away. Lol Ty Ty Very good ramen, good place to catch up and friendly staff. I'm still biased and have a few favorite ramen spots though

Well I liked everything about this place, especially the proximity to taking a break after…read moreshopping. The food is great. I've ordered various Pho,'s, all delightful, salt and pepper tofu, curry chicken etc. Sitting in and takeout food is equally good. It became a staple to meet with a friend there. Would highly recommend. I will miss this place, as I've since moved back to CA.

Get the shaking beef!! My parents love their pho but I've…read morehad better from other places. I usually order to go and when I arrive to pick up my food, they make sure I have all necessary condiments.

Bear ramen used to be my go to in Berkeley, but the kimchi fried noodle was not the same as I…read moreremembered. Maybe the noodles are not fresh made or the sauce was a bit too sweet, but it just tasted different. One of the better deals in Asian ghetto though.

I'm sure food here will be great. The service was okay. Ambience was kitchen fan and customer…read morechatter. Soup here and fried rice is what you should try.