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    Musashi

    4.1 (497 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Open 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Musashi Photos

    MUSASHI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Musashi

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    Reviews With Photos

    Chirashi don
    Chan T.

    This bowl is so packed with sashimi deliciousness! I easily counted over 20 pieces! Every piece carried its own flavor and didn't taste bland at all. This spot looks small but they expand into the next space as well. They have a good happy hour menu. I walked in 30 minutes before closing and they were more than happy to seat me and never rushed me to get out. One of my fave go to spots when I'm in Berkeley craving sushi. They also provide all the to go sushi packages at Tokyo fish market. Go check them out over there too

    Chawan Mushi
    Rachel D.

    Wappa Meshi sets... order one and you're set. Whole menu is great, but come for the Wappa. Because it's a lost art and not many places do it. If you know a place, or places, that serve some great wappa meshi, holla. I'm gonna wanna see what's up. Place has a homey vibe. I dig it. I'd visit regularly if I didn't live so far away.

    CA and Salmon roll (from Happy Hour menu)
    Karen G.

    I wanted to try this Sushi place. This is right off Shattuck on Dwight (parking is neighborhood parking). The rolls are substantial and the chicken karage are big pieces! We also tried the Sake, it was good if you like Sake (on happy hour menu). If you want to try a new Sushi place, this place is a no frills kind of place with great customer service. The place filled up quick right after they opened. We would be back for date night!

    Sushi Combo - variety and quality are great. The Chirashi bowls solid too.
    Thomas S.

    Consistent, nice people, and great quality sushi. It's authentic sushi without the over marketed hype. Our go to place.

    Montage of images from Musashi
    Ed U.

    Sometimes you just have to seize the moment, and it was just one of those moments when Jamie W. and I were strolling on Dwight Way. Jamie was actually the one who spontaneously pointed to the place and said we should have a light dinner here. Never been before, but we could tell it was a casual spot, pretty family friendly. We managed to nab a good size table. Before we ordered, the server gave us a complimentary plate of their homemade potato salad (photo). Nice start. We couldn't help but notice quite a few yakitori choices in the Robata Grill section of the menu. We ordered several sticks. The first was the $3.50 Kawa (Chicken Skins), which was crispy-tasty and not too chewy (photo: https://yelp.to/LrKdTRk2Fk). The second was the more substantial $5.50 Kama Negi, which alternated pieces of tender duck and grilled leeks (photo: https://yelp.to/71FHin34fj). Delish. The third yakitori was the $3.50 Hatsu (Chicken Hearts), a personal favorite because I like poultry innards (photo: https://yelp.to/8UlQxK7TNZ). The last was the $5.25 Teba, a couple of meaty Chicken Wings that required two sticks (photo: https://yelp.to/mA8XeoMBd6). Yakitori was clearly what they did best as they reminded me of the sticks we ate in Japan. Yep, that good. The $10 Kara-age Appetizer was good but not quite at the same level (photo: https://yelp.to/_bR49uaylD). Crunchy though the chicken was a bit chewy. We were surprised our priciest item, the $21 Rainbow Roll was the most disappointing (photo: https://yelp.to/U91ODg-Lv0). Not bad but kinda sloppy and not as fresh as we were hoping. Stick to the sticks. FOOD - 4 stars...the yakitori is the get here, hands down AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...casual place like you'd see on Midnight Diner SERVICE - 4 stars...friendly and timely TOTAL - 4 stars...satisfying izakaya especially if you like robata RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

    hamachi kama
    Jennifer T.

    This Japanese restaurant serves a good variety of sushi and Japanese dishes. I went with friends and they all recommended ordering the chirashi bowl. The chalkboard menu caught my eye and I ordered the hamachi kama (yellowtail collar) which was also a great choice. The waitstaff were all very attentive and kind. I could tell that they knew when was a good time to take or order after appetizers and offer more sake. I really enjoyed this place and would come back!

    Russell R.

    Not really a sushi restaurant, but a Japanese restaurant. Great "wine" -- sake -- list. Tried a few. The Shiro Kirishima was my favorite last night, though that "honor" could have gone to another. Just an excellent glass of wine, served at the perfect temperature (slightly chilled, but not cold). Service was appropriate. We were there for almost three hours, and never felt rushed. The meal started with some pickled items that opened my palate. Up first was the "mini" chirashi bowl. It was loaded with a wide variety of fish and seafood (including a whole prawn and some octopus). For $21, methinks you might wanna check it out. Two grilled skewers, one rib-eye and one duck+leeks (kamo negi). I rarely eat duck (as I would be eating alone; like poor, neglected lamb, so few of my companions join me in exploring menus as they refuse to deviate from the beef-chicken-prawn trichotomy) but dang this was a great way to enjoy duck. The leeks added color, texture, and tons of flavor. The veritable coup de grâce was the salmon collar or "samonkara." Grilled, succulent salmon, full of flavor - the real finger-lickin' good (as if I lick my fingers, ever, cos that's what the napkin's for, diners). The price? Four people, plenty of food, flowing booze, and great laughs: $200, before tip. Just a great time and night. Check it out. - workingman's gourmand

    Michael L.

    GREAT Japanese food near downtown Berkeley. Service was kind and efficient. Parking was easy with no wait on a Tuesday evening. Ambiance was nothing special but the food was authentic and fresh with reasonable prices given the fish quality. Tempura was excellent. Like the make of any great Japanese restaurant, grated daikon came with tempura, and shiso leaf came with sashimi. Will be coming back!

    Takoyaki
    Wesley L.

    Catering one of my last meetings of the year, I knew I wanted to go big! Having catered from other local Asian businesses, I wanted to find one that specialized in Japanese cuisine. Musashi is a place I frequent often not just because of their amazing dinner special (5-7 PM), but also since I've tried a lot of dishes I can't find elsewhere. While they're sadly only open for dinner and closed on Sunday & Monday, they were happy to assist me with my catering order. I went in-person and talked with one of their staff to find items that would please a wide variety of tastes and dietary needs. I ended up choosing their yakisoba, tofu salad, chicken karaage, ginger pork, shrimp tempura, and variety of sushi. Happy to say this was a success among my guests with the chicken karaage being a huge crowd pleaser! I haven't seen other pictures of their party trays before so if you're interested in sizing, this will give you an idea of how much food you'd get. Musashi is a small hole in the wall restaurant on a residential street with limited seating and can get quite busy, so get in earlier or make a reservation if needed. Also a huge fan of their unagi wappa and side dishes they give out before each meal

    Julie S.

    Absolutely everything here was fantastic! We tried mackerel dinner, agedashi tofu, small plates of grilled sweet potato and eggplant, gyoza, meatballs, sashimi, and the uni special from Japan. Service is friend, the food is fairly quick, the decor is cozy and authentic. They even have happy hour specials!

    One of the best sushi i ever had. Really worth the price and the service is phenomenal, hope a lot of people gonna try this restaurant

    Unagi don
    Jamie K.

    Portions were crazy good, and everything was overall above average taste! Do wish the unagi don had less rice and more toppings -- the proportions were pretty off. Server kindly explained different dishes and sake, and food came out relatively quickly! There weren't too many ppl on a weekday night, and restaurant is fairly spacious and clean despite its age

    Chirashi Salmon & Ikura bowls
    Kat Z.

    One of my favorites restaurants in Berkeley! Worthy of a visit even after graduating. For how much salmon we got, the price was more than reasonable. The salmon was pretty fresh, and the service was quick. Very homey place.

    Salmon and Ikura Donburi

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    6 years ago

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    Daiju Y.

    Thank you very much! Happy New Year!

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    2 years ago

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    Daiju Y.

    Thank you for sharing!

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    Daiju Y.

    Thank you for coming in and so happy you had nice time!

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    Daiju Y.

    ありがとうございます。

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    Daiju Y.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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    Daiju Y.

    Thank you so much!

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Good food reasonably priced. I buy their sushi platter often. Service with a smile.

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    8 years ago

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    Daiju Y.

    Thank you for the review and drinking pitchers! Kanpai!

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    Daiju Y.

    Thank you and happy holidays!

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    Thank you!

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    Daiju Y.

    Thank you so much! Happy birthday to your father!

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    Page 2 of 13

    Musashi Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Musashi

    Do you take reservations? How can I make reservation? Just call?

    Yes we do!

    Is proof of vaccination required?

    Yes, patrons do have to show vaccine card. Our restaurant is currently closed until 1/11/22.

    Do you have osechi boxes for new year this year (2022)?

    Yes! We are taking orders still. Please call in, fax or email your order. Order sheets can be found on our website musashiofberkeley.com or call 510-843-2017. Fax number is 510-843-2100.

    Are you open tonight 12/28?

    Yes, but we may close early so please call!

    View All 5 Questions

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    Asaka Sushi & Bar

    4.5
    (195 reviews)
    1.5 mi
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    Asaka is THE BEST sushi in Berkeley. It's basically our family's home away from home. The soft…read moreshell crab is a must. Our other favorites include the raw oysters, house salad, edamame, miso soup, spider roll, hamachi nigiri, salmon avocado roll... everything is amazing! Oh, and it's family owned and they are soooo caring and quick and accommodating and... basically family to us! They remember details about our lives and prep the food in advance.

    I stopped by here for a quick bite as I'm heading to the city. The parking was a little bit of a…read morehassle, but that was to be expected. The restaurant itself was very cute & cozy. Our waitress was quick & greeted us with a smile & brought waters. The menu had a lot of options to choose from, so it wasn't hard for us to find something we wanted to try. We decided on the tempura mix, Mango Crunchy Roll, & the Hopkins roll. The tempura was good, just wish we ordered it a little bit more crispy. When it came to the rolls, both were amazing! They were huge & definitely got us full pretty quick. Our waitress made sure to check in on us during our visit & kept our waters filled. For dessert, we got the mochi ice cream. You can never go wrong with mochi ice cream as dessert(; overall, we had a great meal! The service was nice, restaurant was clean, & food was great. I'll definitely stop by if I'm ever in the area again.

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    Inside dining area is nice
    Inside dining area is nice
    Yummy sesame dressing and miso soup
    Yummy sesame dressing and miso soup
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    Large Sapporo
    Kamado Sushi

    Kamado Sushi

    4.2
    (420 reviews)
    1.3 mi
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    I've been a regular here for almost 10 years, and Jin-san has never disappointed. The quality of…read morethe fish he selects is consistently exceptional, and his omakase is one of the best values you'll find. I've brought many friends here over the years, and every single one has been just as impressed as I was on my first visit. This is the only place I go for omakase in the entire Bay Area. If you're looking for authentic, high-quality sushi and a true omakase experience, this is the place to go. Highly recommended.

    Updating my review--I left a message with my name & number Friday night. They never called me…read moreyesterday (Saturday), and I wasn't going to make a special trip to the restaurant with my uneaten food to argue about it. I think I deserve the courtesy of a return phone call. Their seafood is usually high-quality, and the preparation has been excellent whenever I have eaten there. However, I just cannot patronize a restaurant or any business that does not respect their customers enough to make things right. P.S. - I realize I need to do a better job leaving positive reviews. I'm not all sour grapes, so I plan to start leaving more reviews about my positive experiences. Lately those include Lanzhou Handpulled Noodles at the corner of Hearst & Euclid in Berkeley and U: Dessert Story at the corner of Hearst & Shattuck in Berkeley. Both are FANTASTIC! Reviews forthcoming.

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    Ankimo Sushi ($11) - steamed monk fish liver pate
    Hirame engawa  (halibut fin)- so creamy but good texture, some chewiness (which I enjoy!) full mouth flavors yum!!
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    Kirala

    Kirala

    3.9
    (1.9k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Still all these decades later, Kirala meets the mark. We sat at the sake bar in the back with two…read morekids and it worked well. Service by Taka was great - attentive and quick. Only lag was when we ordered 2 nigiri at the end and it took a really long time but I think the sushi chefs lost the order or something. Delicious sukiyaki, chicken skewers, cold tofu, salmon rolls, hamachi sashimi, Ikura and uni, tuna and Ikura nigiri, and hamachi Kama (not sure why they charge $21 and then $7 for a large when it is two small dollars that came out though). Decent wine selection - Chardonnay was good. Restaurant itself is fairly loud, especially with a baby that kept crying. But it might have been crying because it was loud. Owners should consider the Constellation System by Meyer Sound to make the dining experience more enjoyable for patrons. As this is a longtime bastion of Japanese food in the Bay, they should really invest in the sound portion of their restaurant. Prices have gone up since the last time I was here but it's not totally unreasonable. Good quality food and service. Love this place.

    Kirala isn't just another Japanese spot for us--it's a reminder of how far we've come. My wife used…read moreto only treat herself to Kirala when she was younger--on special occasions when a bonus check came in. Now, we get to dine here as a family, and that nostalgic treat feels all the more satisfying. Food (4 stars) + Ribeye teriyaki was a hit--tender, cooked to perfection, and the kids loved it! + Lamb chop was a standout--one piece, but perfectly grilled, juicy, and tender. I could eat 2 of these with a bowl of rice and it would be a hearty meal! + Chicken karaage was solid--crispy, good portion, and a nice appetizer. It's basically a Japanese version of chicken strips that is way better than nuggets. + Salmon sashimi for the kids never disappoints. ~ Chirashi bowl was fresh and filling, though standard compared to other spots. There was a lot of rice which if we knew that we probably would've skipped the extra bowl I ordered to eat with my lamb chops. For the somewhat premium pricing, I wish they provided fresh chopped wasabi. ~ Stuffed mushroom skewer was just okay--tasty but nothing special. I guess for mushrooms it does taste kinda like a chicken meatball which could be a good thing. Service/Ambiance (4 stars) + Attentive and thoughtful service, especially accommodating a broken foot. They let my family wait at the bar instead of standing. + Ambiance is that classic Japanese vibe, busy but comfortable. Maybe not high-end, but definitely a place that feels special--especially now that we can afford it!

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    Kirala
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    Musashi - japanese - Updated August 2026

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