Immaculate service!…read more Chef Kenji and Coco provided us with an exquisite omakase experience of seventeen courses. Not your basic slice and serve sushi but each piece was took days to prepare. The curing process of the fish and incredible house made soya sauces, yes he made more than one. As well as a very tasty ponzu sauce. While Chef Kenji plated each dish they were served by his wife, Coco. She provided a description of each dish and well as the best way to enjoy the full flavors of each. She was very detailed as to which sauce to use, if any, and how you should place is in your mouth. I can't say enough good things about this humble and almost hidden away gem. We will be back!

Wow this place is SO good and so authentic! This sushi omakase located in Orinda is one of the best…read moreexperiences I've had, and such a hidden gem. It's owned by a wife and husband team, and they take a limited number of tables per night. They offer a unique range of fishes all flown in from Japan. We have had the dine-in and takeout options and both were delicious. They provide instruction and recommendations on how to best enjoy the sushi (such as dipping in soy sauce versus ponzu). It can be difficult to contact them, but I have always left a message in the past, and they have gotten back to me within a week. I would recommend ordering at least a week in advance for sushi platters.

This meal was excellent! My partner and I ate here recently and were blown away by everything we…read moreate. The service was great and felt very intentional, with each dish coming out one by one so we could savor everything individually. We started our meal with marinated mackerel toasts. These were life changing! The flavor was incredible. I wish we had ordered 20 more. Next we had the snow crab miso begna cauda. The broccoli was roasted nicely, and the dip was rich and full of flavor. After that, we had the wagyu cutlets. These were nice and crispy, but we could have skipped this one. Next we had an order of clams, and two skewers (bluefin tuna and lamb). Finally, we got the uni carbonara pasta, which was creamy yet light. We were feeling a little hungry still, so at the last second we ordered the beef tongue and the sweet potato brulee for dessert. The beef tongue was delicious! We ordered it because we saw a nearby table had ordered it, and it looked amazing. It did not disappoint! The flavor was perfect, and the beef melted in our mouths. These sweet potato brulee was also exceptional! I would absolutely recommend Kiraku for your next night out!

Had dinner at Kiraku last week. It was a big disappointment!…read more During the pandemic, my husband and I found this restaurant for take out. Everything we ordered was delicious. One of my husband's favourites was the fish porridge. However, after a few times, they decided not to make it anymore. It's a shame cause it was their best dish even though my husband normally doesn't like porridge, he thinks they made the porridge so good that he can give it an exception! Fast forward to last week, we decided to give Kiraku a try again - dine in. I noticed that they have quite a strict policy in reservation (if we don't show up, they automatically charge a fee and we have to spend at least $50 pp like other high end restaurants which I guess it's ok because it's hard to do business nowadays). When we arrived, we were greeted and seated right away. The restaurant was very small, obviously all the tables were very small as well. There was hardly any room for the wait staff to walk/move around and my head/arm got hit a couple of times by their elbows. That was not the worst though. The place was so loud that we could not hold a conversation. I felt that my ears and my head were hurting by all the noise from people talking and the sound of the dishes clinking. However, that still was not the worst! We looked at the menu, my husband doesn't eat raw stuff (I did tell him that they have lots of cooked items). I asked the wait staff what kind of fresh sashimi they have since I have a craving. She told me they have blue fin tuna. I was so excited so I placed that order. Here comes the break down of my disappointment: 1. Blue fin tuna, turned out that they actually didn't have. So I had to choose either salmon sashimi or torched mackerel. I don't like to order salmon sashimi since most of the salmon restaurants serve is not wild caught so the farm raised salmon often tastes fishy. I decided to order the torched mackerel at the wait staff suggested. It was a big mistake....the mackerel was so fishy that I couldn't finish the whole thing. My husband ordered the chicken karaage and the snow crab with torched cabbage which were only ok, we also had the tender beef tongue skewer which was good, black cod miso which my husband said I cook that one much better, we also had jumbo squid and gyoza which were only ok. Our dessert was probably the best - the sweet potato brûlée. We have decided to scratch this restaurant off our dining list because the food was just not good enough for us to give it another try! I guess I am spoiled by the excellent Japanese food in Singapore, Japan and Australia, this place just cannot compare to any of the places we had but I am sure I can find other better Japanese restaurants in California!

I will be thinking of Mensho for a very long time. I have had ramen in Japan and Mensho comes very…read moreclose to ramen in Japan. The chicken broth is so rich and creamy. The noodles cooked perfectly with a small bite, their proteins are tender and flavorful. I would absolutely recommend!

A great restaurant with a wonderful variety of vegan noodle dishes! We visited as a group for…read morelunch, and the place was packed. We ordered several different dishes, and all of them were delicious. You can also watch the noodles being prepared in the kitchen near the entrance, which adds to the experience. I ordered the vegan Tantanmen extra spicy. The broth and toppings were really flavorful, and the eggplant was a highlight. We also tried the corn wings, which were so good that we kept ordering more! It's a bit pricey, likely because of the location, but the overall food experience was excellent. This restaurant now ranks second on my personal ramen list. Whenever I'm back in the area, I'll definitely return to try the other vegan noodle flavors.

You know? I always come back here whenever I'm by concord and worth it all the time every time…read more You have parking you have great ambiance not too loud and not candle light quiet. Bathroom always clean and the bathroom seat covers always stocked and toilet paper always good. Bathroom floor and everywhere in the restaurant is clean and welcoming. The sushi chefs and the people taking our menu orders and requests are always accommodating and always welcome us as soon as we pass through the doorway entrance way You know I have special requests all the time and mine were always easily accommodated. I don't like sauce on my rolls and requested it put on the side, done! I like appetizer sauce on the side, done! And the specialties and other things? Unique. I don't see it often in the Bay Area.

Great food and excellent service …read more This is a sushi restaurant located in Pleasant hill . Their sushi is fresh , artistically plated, and innovative. Their melt in the mouth quality sashimi are so delicious and fresh ! Popular rolls are Pleasant Hill roll and Melt in the mouth roll ( shaved Toro and avocado) I like their hot food menu too . Like well-seasoned beef teriyaki, rich udon noodle soup . I love their 10 pieces Omakase nigiri and it is the star of the show !

Visiting friends and they brought us to this sushi place, we sat by window inside, our server so…read morefriendly and answered all our questions. It was quiet when we arrived and started to pickup after while. This place has their own restroom so you don't need to go outside restaurants to wash your hand Roll fresh made upon order. You can see the kitchen preparing your roll and sushi Seems sure authentic and tasty

I tried the chicken udon with the signature broth, and it was a bit of a mixed experience. The…read morenoodles and chicken were solid, but the broth didn't quite deliver. It was thinner than expected and lacked the deep, layered flavor I was hoping for in a signature dish. That said, the service really stood out--incredibly attentive and friendly, which made the overall visit enjoyable. With a richer, more developed broth, this could easily be a much stronger dish. The environment was pleasant, clean and well lit.

Food was delicious…read more Service was great Would recommend this Japanese restaurant to anyone who wants authentic Japanese cuisine

Really Good Japanese ramen. A must try. Great service…read more Relaxing ambiance. Great for any size party and occasion.

Came here on a Friday night and had to wait over an hour to get seated at a table. Highly recommend…read moremaking reservations ahead of time if you don't want to wait. We ended up seating at a shared communal table for dinner. We ordered maguro tuna carpaccio and hamachi hand roll set as appetizers to start. Carpaccio was very thinly sliced with interesting Asian fusion flavors. I loved the hamachi handroll set; well seasoned thick cuts of fish. We also shared the ocean trout and mentaiko pasta for entrees and both were good. Crispy skin on the fish was excellent. The pasta was buttery but felt like it was missing something. We got yogurt soju and Sauvignon blanc wine, both were really good. Small restaurant with small tapa style plates. Great vibes and suitable for date night. Prices were high for the amount of food but amazing service!

Planned a friend date and suddenly I knew what it felt like to be a guy…read more With no context of what the girl likes, and judging by her taste in make up, catalog of stamps from around the world, and a diverse palette Bob Ross could paint with, I provided two options. Oken was 1st choice while the 2nd choice was somewhat more casual. MAGURO CARPACCIO - FRESH MAITAKE TEMPURA - Great texture, not greasy BAECHU SALAD - lots of flavor and love a crispy topping WAGYU KALBI SHORT RIB SSAM - TENDER af, great flavor STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE - subtle, not too sweet Asian fusion can sometimes be a hit or miss but Oken executed every dish beautifully. Make reservations because this place fills up quick. Good date spot. Great service. Amazing food.

Butterfish Sushi provides some of the best service and flavors in Berkeley. Recently, their Salmon…read moreSkin Roll shocked me as one of the best rolls I have tried in the Bay Area. It combined crispy salmon skin with snow crab in a creamy mayo and was topped with daikon radish, avocado, cucumbers, unagi sauce, yuzu tobiko, and ikura. This rich combination really showcased the ingredients at Butterfish. The Arctic Roll serves as a fantastic scallop-forward addition to any meal, and in combination with the formal yet cozy atmosphere, it makes Butterfish one of the best bites in Berkeley.

A neighborhood gem with fresh & creative sushi…read more The restaurant is small with a few tables on the sidewalk. We were only able to secure the first lunch seating for our party of 6. The staff were knowledgeable and attentive. (I was amused by the "tablet" that grew into a handtowel when water was added) We ordered Smoked Hamachi Roll (a must & IG worthy), fresh oysters, Hamachi Roll, Pacific Roll, Sushi and Sashimi Set, Hamachi Collar set, 7 handroll set. The fish is so fresh and rice-ratio was perfect. We had such a pleasant dining experience. Butterfish will be our go-to spot for sushi in Berkeley area

Stopped by for a quick dinner with friends, and I'm so glad we did! The space feels really cozy,…read moreclean, and nicely updated. We started with the Gyoza and Hamachi Kama, followed by a couple of specialty rolls. Everything came out surprisingly fast and visually beautiful! You can really tell the chefs care about quality. Service was super friendly throughout the night. Highly recommend if you're anywhere near Moraga Way!

Very small place which does a good business. A few people like to eat there. Several times that…read moremany like to order and then pick it up. I think they also do a big business in delivery. I really like to go to the Orinda Theater which is right across the street. The Orinda validates parking which is below the theater. The people are nice and the food comes out at a reasonable time. It is reasonably priced for sushi and I can get full on a Bento Box.

I found this cute sushi place, Kiki Sushi and Vegetarian, when I was practicing using the voice…read morecommands while using the full self driving feature in my 2018 Tesla Model 3, "find sushi"! (There button on the right steering wheel must be pressed down until it beeps, then you use your voice command.) The nearest sushi restaurant in my Tesla car screen was Kiku Sushi! This is a little gem of a restaurant with a cute interior dining area with television for people watching the FIFA games, a good bar selection of you imbibe, and a delightful patio where you can sit under a covered awning. The place has a small parking lot along the side of the restaurant located in the back. If you're shopping at Whole Foods or Mount Diablo Foods, this restaurant is located down the street from them on a side street on Lafayette Circle. I spoke to the owner, they only use the best quality sushi: Atlantic King salmon, bluefin tuna, the shrimp is cooked here, white tuna is from Korea, the onso hamachi is from Hokkaido. The onagi is high end, and ordered from Thailand. There are two other Kiku Sushi & Vegetarian locations, one is located in north Berkeley, 1416 Gilman Street, Berkeley, CA, and one is located at 538 Valencia Street, San Francisco. The food is absolutely delicious, nicely presented, and the sashimi is cut into very thick slices. I ordered my favorite go-to dish, chirashi sushi, and a specially ordered eel handroll with rice and veggies. The matcha tempura ice cream was delicious, too. You must absolutely come and try out this place, they play relaxing, nice jazz music in the background, it was good for a very nice before-the-250th-anniversary of our country, the 4th of July! Check out this place, you surely won't be disappointed!

i love this restaurant!!! i love that they have super unique flavorful vegetarian and vegan sushi…read morerolls. i have tried the kiku roll, vegan spicy baked scallop roll, and the gogo roll. they're all so delicious!! the service is wonderful and everyone is so kind and welcoming. very clean restaurant as well with both indoor and outdoor seating.