Met old friends for dinner. Quaint Japanese establishment located next to Safeway. Convenient parking in the Safeway parking lot. Offers usual Japanese fare including sushi, sashimi, Ramen noodles, grilled items. Almost felt like they were trying to do too much so they couldn't be outstanding in one area. The rice was not prepared to our liking but the pork ramen broth was creamy and just right. It wasn't bad, I would probably give 3.5 stars if I could... read more

Mitama Restaurant - Pork Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Did large order left big tip. Got home to find gyoza missing in the bag Tried calling No answer

Aside from a family letting their kids running around the restaurant screaming and crying, we loved the restaurant! We expected parking to be a challenge, but was delighted to see a sign giving permission to park next door Safeway parking lot. Been eating Japanese on our trip in Los Angeles and this was the best by far. Sashimi was premium, generous, and excellent!!! I ordered the New York Rib Eye Angus teri beef and tempura, was sooo good. Even their rice was premium. Hubby ordered tonkatsu , spider roll, and california roll (can you tell he doesnt do raw?). Loved it. This was a gem and will definately be back. Our friends who also are Japanese truly enjoyed their meal. Highly recommend. Small place, but we had no problems booking on opentable on a Friday night. read more

I love the sushi here and the staff is really great! The ama ebi is especially delicious and the fried shrimp heads are perfect! They serve edamame cold, which I don't really like, hence the 4/5 stars. The miso soup is PERFECT though - probably my favorite miso in the East Bay. Really light and crisp tempura, although I usually skip the broccoli tempura bc I don't like the taste. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I had a plesant experience bk in august ..we both checked in yelp when we got to the resturant .lol and we got a free salad for checking in..courtasy of Yelp.thanks yelp.!:)lol. its worth it. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Very good food - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I thought it was pretty good. I have been here once and ordered to-go once. The sushi was fresh and good, nothing special though. I got a nigiri combo when I dined in. The service was good even though it was pretty busy, but its a decently small place. The second time I ordered Ramen to go. The ramen was pretty good considering its a new item and not their specialty, but there are a handful of places I'd go before here for ramen. Overall, a good choice in Berkeley, where the pickins are slim for good Japanese cuisine. read more

3-Stars for the service! The waitress and staff are all really nice and make sure that you are satisfied with your food! However, the food itself was mediocre. Nothing special and the portions seem to be a bit smaller compared to other sushi places. Nice atmosphere but not sure if I would ever return for sushi. They have happy hour and the cool thing was that they let you pick your own sake glass x) read more

Great food and a very friendly staff! The sushi is very fresh and flavorful. My personal favorite dish here is the Chicken Teriyaki. The best I have found in the Bay Area. This place is great for parties of 2-6 people. There is a large parking structure above the Safeway grocery store. I definitely recommend this place to all of my friends. read more

Mitama Restaurant - Chicken Teriyaki.... Yum! - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

This review is long overdue! An awesome, local sushi spot - my go-to every week. The sushi is delicious, and they do a great job overall. I love the owners too, they are warm and take care of their customers. Highly recommend! read more

The Honor Roll gets an A+! Delishi! Parking is tricky. Definitely tag on 10 minutes for that. Otherwise, Kanpai! read more

This is a real Japanese restaurant! Casual but fast service, fresh and tasty and authentic Japanese dishes. It is not a fancy, over-priced, fusion spot, but something you will find in towns by the seaside in Japan. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Needed to feed the grandkids -- one is pretty fussy, the other loves sushi. Couldn't have found a better place. And, they have Japanese soft drinks (with the glass marble in the top). I don't know why this is called a "Sports Bar"--I didn't see a television, at least none within sight of our table (thank god!) read more

The food here is good, if you dont mind waiting ONE HOUR for Sashimi. Which is not cooked, last time I checked. Service is an essential part of the experience when your bill is $80 for two people. Normal restaurants who are jammed up usually have some kind and engagingly person out front who will reassure diners and comp some drinks or appetizers. Not here, several sepulchral employees and eventually the owner came to our table. No joy, or even humor, just desperation. And the owner was full of excuses, but no kindness, and certainly no comps, which is the only thing that would have helped. Showing up for dinner at 600 and eating at 720 is not cutting it. The miserable vibe was palpable and ruined the dinner. Why would I ever go again? read more

Mitama is very near to where my wife and I live, so as a result of convenience, we are relatively frequent visitors. Having said that, we almost exclusively order nigiri when we come in, so the scope of our overall opinion is somewhat limited given the fact that they serve many other items you're likely to find at most Japanese restaurants (Ramen, Soba, Sushi rolls, grilled meats). Mitama isn't going to top any "Best in the East Bay" lists, but it is definitely a step up from the majority of sushi restaurants you will find here. The prices are probably a little higher than they should be, but if you're looking for reliable quality fish in a comfortable and clean environment, you really can't go wrong here. They have all the usuals (maguro, toro, hamachi, saba, uni, unagi, etc), but they also have a regularly changing whiteboard of specials that always have several more interesting options. The staff and chefs have always been very friendly and helpful in explaining anything we ask about. My wife also always gets a kick out of the wide variety of cups/glasses you can choose from to use for your sake. If available, try the ankimo nigiri. Delicious! read more

You could make reservation on OpenTable, but not really necessary since it's not crowded at all on Saturday night. The food is not pricy, but still not worth how much I paid, especially for the chicken salad. Some green leaves with a few pieces of fried chicken on top... the noodle and rice combo were okay, considering the variety it contains. But the eel rice has two pieces of eel, and the rest of plain rice. The place is more expansive than a restaurant for a quick meal, and it's not as good as other Japanese places around the area, if you want decent Japanese sushi or ramen. read more

I've been coming here for years. Overall the food is good. I like that this place is kids friendly since I have 3 young ones that loves Japanese food. Also when my kids are at Kumon center across, me and my wife come here for omakase dinner. My only complain is that pricing's been gone up noticeably. I might have to look elsewhere where. read more

This restaurant is your typical run Japanese restaurant. The best thing going is that they have a variety of options, you can get skewers, ramen, sushi and sashimi and bento boxes all in one spot. The downside is that they don't do any one of those things well so that is a consideration. Came here with my nieces and they wanted different things ie: ramen + sushi and salmon yakitori + ramen, so this restaurant was great for them. read more

Mitama serves impeccably fresh sushi made with care and skill. They also serve bone broth ramen that will fix whatever ails you. It's a pleasant, low-key place, quiet but warm with the sounds of conversation and laughter. I like it a lot, go there regularly. read more

Favorite neighborhood spot! Cozy and warm with very kind staff. Pork ramen always hits the spot. Ask the sushi chefs what to get. They always know! read more

The nigiri is fresh with just the most delicate dab of wasabi. I haven't had much luck with tuna and don't usually order it due to the strange aftertaste and almost gummy consistency it's taken on at multiple sushi restaurants I've tried in the past, but I like the tuna here. Fresh, I tell ya. The ramen is good. It's the most bang for my buck that I've found in the east bay thus far, meaning it is a decidedly memorable bowl of long-simmered brothy goodness that you don't have to sell your soul for. (I hear The Ramen Shop down the street has blow-your-mind ramen, but I refuse to pay $15 for it, especially after eating legit ramen for less than $10 on the regular in LA.) The ramen at Mitama has "THE EGG", which is in quotes and all caps because it can be rather challenging to find this perfectly soft boiled delight nestled amongst the noodles of other Japanese restaurants. It's like a unicorn--there is no substitute and it is hard to find around these parts, and no other cuisine in my knowledge does a soft boiled egg quite like this. How do they make the yolk taste like that?! Magic. The service is frequently slow, but always friendly. Plus it's not that hard to flag someone down because it's on the cozy side. I've never ordered sake here as I usually come here solo and those who have the alcohol tolerance of a squirrel should probably not drink when they have to drive themselves home... but they seem to have a pretty good sake selection and you get to choose your own cup from a big basket. After a long week, come here for a comforting dinner with a friend or two, stumble in and out of College Ave. bars afterward, and call it a night. read more

Came for a weeknight visit at Mitama's with the girlfriend and another couple. Mitama's was running a special on their Bento Box/combination dinners. At $17.95 for the normal price I thought was kinda pricey but the special price of $12.95 was doable. Salmon and beef was offered for a couple dollars more and next time I'll give them a try. Mitama's also offers sushi combinations, orders of sushi and assorted rolls. The bento box featured chicken teriyaki, gyoza and four pieces of nigiri sushi. The sushi was fresh, the gyoza was not greasy and the chicken teriyaki was flavorful plus not salty. Overall I thought the food was very good quality. The strange thing is the meal did not have any rice and we had to ask the waiter. Plus the bento box did not have those pickle radishes that are a salty and sweet with the different textures. The Asahi beer was a good choice with the meal. Mitama's offers two different beers plus an assortment of Sake. I wish they offered the edamame as a freebie but now most Japanese restaurants charge for it. How much is a small portion of edamame? Not that much. Good service but they seem understaff. Decor is simple with pictures of great samurai overseeing you when you eat your meal. The restaurant has the sushi bar plus approx 12 tables, so I bet it becomes crowded on the weekend Great location on College Ave but parking is limited. read more

Mitama has turned into a routinely safe but enjoyable choice for Japanese. The sushi isn't exactly standout, but standards like teriyaki and tempura work out just fine. The service is a little scattered and unfocused, but they try and it's all pretty reasonable. The crowd is a mix, with a slight edge toward young parents with small kids, but it runs the full gamut. There are three separate eating areas, each with a different feel, but all are generally spartan and not particularly cozy. I'm trying to muster a little more excitement or describe something unique, but Mitama is straight down the middle on all fronts... read more

Decent food but terribly slow service. We ordered a sushi plate, two udons, and a katsu plate and it took at least 35 minutes to get even our sushi, the rest came much later. It then took even longer to get the check. It would perhaps be more understandable if the restaurant was busy but it was half empty on a weekday night. I ordered the unagi udon and while it was tasty, it was not worth the long wait. The sushi came faster than our other dishes and again, it was decent - nothing I'd write home about. I'll just write here on Yelp. The fish was fresh and the roll well constructed. I'd only come here if I were in the area and was neither real hungry nor had any time constraints. read more

Fantastic food! Great service! Recommend this!!! The owner is really nice he gives us Christmas presents!!! read more

To preface my review, I would like to think that my terrible experience at Mitama is uncharacteristic of this restaurant. Surely, no business would be able to maintain clientele if others experienced service as unfortunate as I did. If I could give no stars, I would. My waitress was unapologetic for the 45 minute wait I endured for my RAW food (as the sushi chefs were taking shots of sake - I KID YOU NOT!). The sushi was forgettable, and the service was terrible. Don't waist your time or money dining here. read more

Uh...guess I still have to look for that "go-to" Japanese spot in Rockridge. To keep it short, the service - as others have noted - was pretty slow. Since no tables were available, we sat at the bar but it took forever to place our order. And we never were served tea. The servings were also on the small side (the shrimp tempura was tiny) and if you like bland miso soup then this is your place. This was my first time coming here (we only came in cause Flavors of India, next door, was packed) but I'd be hard pressed to return at this point. There are tons of other restaurants in Rockridge that I could go to before returning here. read more

Service. A bit aloof. I mean how long to I have to wait to get seated? How long to I have to wait for you to take my order? There were four other parties who had already ordered in the restaurant and yet he couldn't make it over to my table quicker? Hmmm. Not a good sign. Beautiful colors on the walls. Nice bowls, plates, and soy sauce holder. Hard but functional seats. Wooden chopsticks. Good green tea. I ordered the tempura shrimp & veggies with soba noodles soup. Pretty tasty. Also pretty expensive. Not sure I'll be back as Yume gets the majority of my funds for Japanese food. You'll have to try this one for yourself. I'm conflicted... read more

Epic fail.... I confused Mitama with Rikyu and accidentally wrote Rikyu's review here. I'm catching up on my yet-to-be reviewed restaurants and was pretty sure that Mitama was it--the decor, menu, and food are essentially identical o.o That goes to show how similar a lot of Japanese restaurants are these days, which is why my favorite is Musashi in Berkeley for their endless creativity and spin. Anyways, I should stop writing my nonexistent review before I start describing Rikyu instead of Mitama. read more

Why do I have such a hard time putting together a review for a place that I've been to so many times?! I consider myself virtually a regular. I normally come for lunch time. They recently added ramen to the menu as a few yelpers have noted. I was really excited for my first restaurant experience with ramen. I ordered the miso broth. So good! But I have been coming here for several years and have always enjoyed the sushi and the vegetarian bento. The rolls are particularly good as well. I would highly recommend this place for someone in the area wanting delicious (and fresh) but reasonably priced meal! read more

Mitama was the perfect place for a Sunday lunch! It was quiet and the service was friendly and quick! I got to sit at the bar, by choice, but the window seats were beautifully lit as well. The food was good and the fish was fresh! I always find it refreshing to be able to see what the chefs are doing at the bar as well. read more

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Mitama is a hidden jewel for sushi lovers in the east bay, and hands down, one of the best sushi restaurants in the bay area. Although they have the standard assortment of inventive rolls featuring all things fried, spicy, and avocado-laden, it's the fish that really shines. Very few sushi restaurants go to the effort to procure really amazing fish unless they have a predominantly Japanese clientele. But the fish at Mitama is simply extraordinary. If you want a real treat, carve out a couple of hours, and let the chefs prepare a meal for you 'omakase'. They'll select only the best and freshest fish, and you'll get amazing dishes that don't appear on the menu. If you can, be sure to ask for 'engawa', the fin of the halibut. They also get fish fresh from Tsukiji, the extraordinary Tokyo fish market. You can eat rolls anywhere - go to Mitama for the incredible nigiri sushi and sashimi. Another thing to note about Mitama is the quality of their rice. Many people think sushi is all about the fish, but in fact, the quality of rice is the most important factor in perfect sushi. While most sushi restaurants serve rice that is too soft or over-vinegared, Mitama takes great pride in getting their rice exactly right. A couple of hints: 1. Don't add wasabi to your soy sauce, unless you're having sashimi. The chef has already added what he believes to be the right amount of wasabi to the sushi - it shouldn't require more. 2. Dip your sushi fish side down in your soy sauce. This takes a little practice, but it puts the soy sauce where it belongs: on the fish. This also eliminates the problem of your rice disintegrating into your soy sauce. 3. Buy your sushi chef a beer. It's good manners, and you might get rewarded with a treat you wouldn't otherwise even know was there to be ordered. Definitely give Mitama a try. It's far better than any of the other places in the east bay. read more

So when I yelp! I like to read the other reviews and ask what I can add without being repetitive. Mitama's hella Japanese, the servers and cooks are Japanese and for me, it adds a little atmosphere that other places lack (hi, Tachibana). Food is spot-on, and they have Ramune soda which makes it tops with my 10 year-old. read more

Me to Server: Excuse me , this miso black cod is not grilled, there is too much liquid on the plate and it seems steamed. Server: Oh we never steam or fish. Me: I cook miso black cod at home and it doesnt look or taste like this, This is not good. Server: Oh yes it doesn't look right. Sorry. He then gave us our bill and never said anything else. Hmmm. Not coming back. read more

This place was recommended to our group after sake tasting at the Takara factory, and it really hit the spot! It's kind of small, and there's not a whole lot of ambiance, but who cares? Not sure why, but I got the impression they're more of a lunch time place (even though they are open for both lunch and dinner). I ordered a salmon avocado roll, which was great! It was simple & both the fish & avocado tasted fresh. I also had a couple pieces of a spicy tuna roll, which was good. In addition, I also tried the dashi tofu. I liked that it didn't taste overly fried & the broth was good. Nothing about this place really stands out for better or worse, but it's a pretty solid lunch place in this area (especially if you like sushi). read more

I enjoyed this place very much. Sitting at the sushi bar is delightful, you can see how the sushi chef slices, arranges, and makes a masterpiece of your food. And the sushi chef of the evening was very entertaining and helpful. He made us laugh and guided us towards yummy food. I liked the cucumber salad with unagi. That was yummy. The amazing fish that Cris L. wrote about was the butterfish. Melts like butter in your mouth. It was a nightly special so it is not something they get every evening I think. We also very much enjoyed the Spanish mackerel. Oeshi (I think that means delicious)! The sushi chef was accomodating to my dietary needs. Here's my rating for accomodating people with special diets: Responsiveness to questions/needs: ***** (five stars, they answered all of my questions) Dairy-free: ***** (five stars, a number of dishes are dairy-free) Gluten-free: *** (three stars, some dishes made without wheatful soy sauce or wheat) Vegetarian: *** (three stars, some veggie options) Vegan: *** (three stars, some vegan options) read more

Mitama serves decent sushi but it lacks a certain "wow" factor, making it easy to forget amongst all of the other Japanese restaurants around. We came for lunch and got the salmon bento box, sushi lunch special, and Tonkotsu ramen. Each of these ran around $12. The service was fine and the food was fresh but the portions were smaller than usual. Typically, I'm pretty set after a bowl of ramen but I was still hungry when I finished, which ended up causing me to buy an ice cream sandwich at Cream nearby and now I'm chubby. Anyway, the next time I'm looking for quick, decent ramen/sushi, I will probably head to Manpuku a couple blocks down instead. The prices are cheaper, portions larger, and quality comparable. read more

Can't comment on the food because we never even sat down. The hostess said they were clearing a table for us. We waited 20 minutes without another word. To help ease the boredom, we stared at the 5 empty tables. We also watched other annoyed patrons. The couple in front of us left after they were seated 20 minutes without service. They said "expect to wait a long time". Well, we didn't. read more

Well I might regret giving them so few stars due to still being angry (and hungry) but will update if I change my tune later. When we showed up at 615 at the restruant it was hopping. We put our name down and told 20 minutes. Well we waited and waited and finally, a seat became available. A little annoyed as it was a lot longer than 20 but waiting is the name of the game in the Bay Area. Whew seated and ready to order. The pace was chill and relaxed and nobody was in a hurry. We order. Someone from my party pointed out that the table seated about 20 minutes before us had no food. I should have... Oh I don't know, known dinner was gonna be awful. Here I will admit I had brought my 3 year old daughter with us. We were seated around 7pm so far in toddler world so good, but kinda pushing it. The mood in the place was tense at this point as most tables have no food on them. We look at the clock: 7:40! My daughter has gone through 2 boxes of raisins, a handful of blueberries and a snack pack of almonds, at any moment this girl is gonna flip out! Our tea and water glasses have long been empty so there isn't even anyone to ask about how long. So, to my embarrassment, my wife takes our daughter across the street to Extreme pizza for a slice to eat while we wait. Some of the food arrives and I ask when my dish and my daughters will arrive. 5 minutes I am told. 10 minutes later my daughters udon comes, but crickets are still chirping in my corner of the table 20 minutes later. Finally I approach the counter and cancel the order, I am so mad (and hungry). They did say sorry, some mix up I don't care about. So now it's 8:30 and I haven't eaten and it's time to get my daughter home for bed. PS I might have given them 2 stars if they had even comped my measly soda as an apology for a crappy dinner out. Even better they could have kicked butt in the kitchen to actually make the ramen I ordered and boxed it To Go at no charge so at least I wouldn't be hungry. read more

I ate here on Saturday night. The rolls and fish were pretty tasty and good! Service was a bit slow. We stood in the front for awhile before we got seated. Even after we have finished eating our rolls, the waitress took awhile to give us the bill and take our dishes away. Overall, the rolls were good. If you're in a rush, I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Came here today after seeing the sign out front "Now serving Ramen". I had been a regular at Mitama in years past but this was my first time back in maybe the last three years. First the ramen. 12$ and delicious. Jenni had miso and I had tonkatsu. The broth was great! Not quite at the Ramen Shop level of goodness, but rich and satisfying. Garnishes were basically the same for both of us--sprouts, seaweed, sliced pork, soft boiled egg and mine had pickled ginger. As Robert C. points out the egg was the best I've had including the Ramen Shop. Usually the egg and often the meat are cold when you get them. This egg tasted like they had just soft boiled it. Really well prepared soup. I will be back. read more