I enjoyed this restaurant. The hamburg steak was super juicy, the sauces were good, and the decor/cutlery was very nice. I enjoyed my experience here. It's hard to get a reservation though, I heard the host say that reservations open around 3pm so that's when you should check OpenTable! read more

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no min the menu is super small but it just makes it much simpler to choose what you want. the hamburg steak is the only entree on the menu and you get 3. the staff will prompt you on how you should be eating each one and they're also so friendly. I also got the gamja jeon and gim mari for apps. I love hash browns so the gamja jeon was good but thats really all it was. the hamburg steak on the other hand was pretty good. it was juicy, rich in fat and paired so well with the mushroom sauce (which was my favorite!) read more

Twinflame on MacArthur, brand new spot just opened in July, Japanese-Korean concept built around one thing: binchotan charcoal grilled wagyu hamburg steak. They cook it right in front of you over the binchotan grill and the whole setup is modeled after the Hikiniku experience in Japan. Comes with rice, miso soup, and a poached egg, clean and focused menu that doesnt try to do too much. Japanese whisky highball program is legit, pairs perfectly with the beef. Space has a nice vibe, counter seating lets you watch the grill action up close. 5 stars, brand new and already one of the more interesting openings in Oakland this year, get there before the line gets out of hand read more

Saw Twinflame open in Oakland and that it mirrored a similar concept to the popular Japanese hamburger concept. I haven't been to Hikiniku yet so my review isn't comparing the two restaurants. Luckily I was able to snag 2 separate reservations so I've been twice now and each time, the food is delicious. The cooks are really good about spacing the hamburger patties and it's always hot/fresh off the charcoal grill. The texture of the burger + rice can be a bit heavy/repetitive with 3 patties; since the sauces lean more on the Korean side, I would love to see kimchi as an option later on to add a new texture and flavor profile. My favorite part of the meals are the sauces, they make them all in-house. My favorite is the yuzu citrus, chilis, and the mushroom. The ambiance gives off elevated warehouse vibes. read more

Phenomenal service - the servers are friendly, attentive and super patient. Made the whole dining experience very enjoyable. We got the set with 3 patties which comes with miso soup and a poached egg. The sauces were really good especially when combined. The cucumber salad was refreshing as well. The restaurant has a very cool / minimal aesthetic. Brings the attention to the folks grilling the hamburg steaks. Loved that we didn't come out smelling like the food. read more

Loved the sleek modern design of the restaurant space. Food and the sides/banchan were excellent. The burgers were flavorful and juicy, didn't think I'd get full but I was. Sarah, our server, was amazing, attentive and kind. read more

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Service and ambience was great. Offers one dinner entree, 3 hamburger pattie meat set, 3 apps, and matchs for dessert. Service was quick - char on pattie was good and the meat was juicy. My only this is I don't like "sweet" meats and the pattie had some sweetness that I wasn't a fan of (just my preference). It helped to have the sauces (favs were the mushroom and the lemon sauce to dampen the sweetness). Loved the fried potato jeon with the truffle sauced. read more

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I love how the place was so open and the seating arrangement was very unique. You get to watch the chefs shape the meat and place it on the grill. The staff was attentive and our needs and the price of everything was worth it. The meat was soft and cooked to perfection! The potato pancakes is also a must!They were crispy and it paired well with their sauces. Lastly, we got the matcha ice cream and it was perfectly sweet! read more

Twinflame - Steakhouses Near Me - Oakland, California

Twin Flame just soft opened in Oakland They specialize in Japanese-style hamburg steak, grilled over charcoal right in front of you. The main set is $35 and comes with 3 Wagyu hamburg steak patties, Koshihikari white rice, miso soup, and a poached egg. The patties were juicy, smoky from the charcoal, and really good with the egg mixed into the rice. They also have different sauces and seasonings on the side, so you can switch up the flavor as you eat. read more

My buddy and I had a Guy's Night Out and decided to check out Twinflame to see if the hype was real... Entering this huge modern space, you can tell that this place was about the "show", but could it live up to the hype? The service staff are very attentive and always checking in to see how things are going. They also do a good job in explaining what the sauces are and how you should enjoy the meal. As for the food, the Hamburg patties are delicious! Cooked perfectly over coals adding a nice char to the outside while the inside is packed with juices and flavor. The miso soup that comes with the meal was also delicious. We also ordered all three of the starters that were available... I would say that 1 of the 3 were really good, which was the Gamja Jeon, while two (Doobu Kim and Gim-Mari) of them were marginal. To finish off, we tried the Matcha Ice Cream, which was excellent! Overall, we really enjoyed the experience of the meal. I'm giving it 5 stars for the Hamburg Steak and the service, but adding the appetizers, I'd give this restaurant a 4.5. Don't take this as a negative, but I just wouldn't order the two appetizers next time and would still be very full and very content with the meal. read more

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We had a great time at Twinflame! Food was great, service was excellent, no complaints. We even got a free dessert for my wife's birthday! The vibe of this place is pretty relaxed, not much noise once you're inside. I would think it would be a good first date spot. The meat is very accurate to Hakiniku to Come in Kyoto, so if you're looking for that experience, you can definitely get it in the bay without the need for an airline! All of the sauces they offer are very good, but I'd recommend the lemon paste thing (can't remember the name) most of all. I would also recommend trying the tofu side and their matcha ice cream for dessert (though i do not remember the price for the dessert). I will say, it is hard to get a reservation, you really need to plan out two weeks ahead for the spots to open, but it's worth doing! Overall high marks, we would definitely go back! read more

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Its not bad as I didn't know what to expect. I just wanted to try the restaurant in Oakland. We had no reservation but the guy at the door sat us anyway but also told us that we would have to move to bar if his 8pm reservation showed up(rude). Audrey was great! She explained the concept and all the sauces very well! The space is kinda blah! No artwork or decor. It really just grey in there! The food is really delicious! However it really just feels like deconstructed hamburger with rice substituted for a bun. I liked the fact that they had a bunch of sauces which made better but they give you the poached egg 1st then suggest to eat it with the 2nd burger. By that time it's over cooked and cold. The bar is not really a full bar. Do not expect a mixed drink, it's either highball, neat, sake or beer. Maybe I'll be back, maybe I won't! read more

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I believe reservations open two weeks before your desired dine in date. We were able to find a last minute reservation for 2, but then ended up calling to add another person to our party. They were very accomodating and we are so grateful that they were able to fufill it. We didn't get to try Hikiniku to Come in Japan, so this is the next closest spot. This was hands down my favorite meal in the bay. Now don't be fooled with it's simplicity, it may look very underwhelming but the flavors are there. My brother was so skeptical of this meal and he ended up eating an extra patty. It is on the expensive side, but it's so good. This is a heavier and "fattier" meal as the fatio ratio is higher. While we dined there, we notice that the restaurant is a bit wasteful. It a patty lost it's shape then they were just thrown out. We saw that happen to at least 3 patties. They recommend to eat the first hamburg plain, second with sauces, and last with egg. Super cool place to try and a cool experience watching them shape/grill in front of you. ig: @cravingswithcat read more

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Twin Flame has an amazing ambiance and a great vibe! If you can snag a seat near the grill, it's worth it, you get to watch the grill masters cook the Wagyu hamburg steak right in front of you, which is such a fun experience. The Wagyu hamburg was incredibly juicy, tender, and packed with flavor. Everything we ordered was delicious, and the quality of the food was outstanding. The only reason I'm mentioning this is because it would've made an already great experience even better: I wish our server had explained how to properly eat the Wagyu hamburg before it was served. We ended up figuring it out afterward, and knowing that beforehand would've helped us appreciate the dish even more. Overall, we had a fantastic meal and will definitely be back. Highly recommend! read more

Twinflame - Grilled Wagyu Hamburg steak - Steakhouses Near Me - Oakland, California

Girlfriend and I went to twin flame. We did not have reservation so we waited in line starting at 4:50. Already a line had started to form. They stated they would only be able to accept 6 people over the course of a couple hours, with pairs of 2 every hour or so for walk in so if you want to walk in make sure you come at 4:30 pm and wait in line to make sure ur the first one...also try to keep it to a party of 2 if possible. We were able to eat at 6:30 and the experience was worth the wait! I never experience the version in Japan but the meat was so tender and juicy, the rice tasted great, the service was great, nice to see the meat being cooked right in front of you. As mentioned in other reviews, the recommendation is to eat the first one alone, second one with sauces and third with an egg. My favorite sauces were the green chili (very spicy!) and the lemon yuzu (great sour taste!) 10/10 would recommend this place! Modern ambiance. read more

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Great food love the griller wagyu burgers. Really good portions and great ambiance. Me and my boyfriend love our food. Our server was very attentive to our needs read more

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Ate here with the in-laws. Did not disappoint. The 3 little 3oz ground beef footballs are very filling. The variety of condiments / toppings was excellent. Although I wish they had more non-spicy options vs spicy. (Currently 3 n 3) we had the potato appetizer which was delicious. Also had some sake, which was a hit. Collectively, we thought we might come here once every 12 - 18 months, or with visiting friends. Just not enough variety to make repeat visits worthwhile. But you gotta try it at least once! read more

Very cool Japanese hamburger steak restaurant in Oakland. The interior decor is very modern and has great ambiance. The waiter was very tentative and explained in detail about the different sauces to use for the hamburger. I personally just like to eat the hamburger with the soft boiled egg over rice along with my Asahi draft beer. The Matcha ice cream was delicious and very refreshing after a big meal. read more

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Missed out on Hikiniku to come in Japan, so I was very excited when I saw this place opened. The food was so good. The burger was tender, juicy, and well seasoned. They served 3 burgers and all 3 were cooked through, very consistent. Restaurant has a very nice ambient and modern feel with the open kitchen concept. The chef was attentive, checked to make sure you finish a patty before serving the next one. The person next to us couldn't finish in time and i saw the chef offered to switch to a new patty, very good service. I would definitely come back again. read more

Twinflame - Steakhouses Near Me - Oakland, California

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For our anniversary, my wife (who has celiac disease) chose this restaurant based on marketing describing its Korean food as gluten-free friendly. Our reservation noted her celiac disease. Yet the restaurant's only main dish, a meatball at a steep price, couldn't be made gluten-free, which left her with a few sides and sauces over rice. (The rice was unlimited, which we appreciated.) A heads-up when we booked would have let us choose somewhere else for a special night. When we raised our disappointment, a man who told us he wasn't the owner came to our table. Rather than listen or apologize, he pointed at the menu and asked us to show him where it said gluten-free. When I asked to speak with the owner, he walked away and said the server would show us out. I've eaten out across the Bay Area for years and have never left a negative review before. Celiac diners should confirm directly before booking here, and don't count on a reservation note being read. read more

The course was subpar, I would say the gamja jeon that was separately ordered was the best dish of the night. Otherwise, the wagyu patty had great texture, however the flavor was underwhelming, nothing to really write home about. I didn't feel the sauces on the side helped with the patty. I do like the modern ambiance and Audrey, our server was great and very attentive. read more

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Hikiniku To Come in Kyoto was my favorite meal in Japan so the bar was set high. Overall, the hamburg patties were pretty similar and were to perfection. Extremely juicy and they had a nice beef flavor. Juices soaked into the rice. While the food was amazing, some things stood out that affected the overall restaurant experience. 1. Host could be more warm. While checking in, we didn't see a single smile. Not rude by any means but more neutral than what a host should be. 2. Fried potato pancake came out lukewarm. My flags were raised as soon as it was brought out within 3 mins of ordering. They were crispy (but small) but definitely not fried to order. read more

I've been seeing so much content about this place over the past week, I had to try it. You're greeted with a comfortable, low lit ambiance that, which adds to how intimate the seating arrangement is. The entire dining area is a long counter with a front facing view of staff grilling the hamburgers while you dine. Matthew took care of me very well, I didn't have to fumble around asking questions on how the sets worked, he already had everything laid out plain and simple. I thought watching the set grilled in front of you just adds that extra splash of flavor. The intended way of eating was to have the first steak on its own, second accompanied with their selection of different sauces, and finishing off the last with the poached egg. All in all, the food was great, ambiance very appropriate, and service immaculate. Return visits are in the cards for sure. read more

Twinflame - jeon - Steakhouses Near Me - Oakland, California

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Closest you can get to Japan's Hikiniku to come. Everything was absolutely delicious from the appetizers to the hamburgers to the condiments. The matcha ice cream was also pretty good, nice cereal like exterior. The hamburgers were cooked to perfection with a nice char on the outside but juicy and well seasoned inside. Looking forward to coming back already. Hoping they will extend and open for lunch in the future. read more

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Was able to snag a prime 6:30 reservation a couple nights before through Chase/OpenTable. The space is super vibey -- modern, contemporary, high ceilings, and honestly felt like something you'd find opening in Palo Alto or Sunnyvale. Glad they chose Oakland though, especially with it being right near other great spots like Mago, Commis, and The Wolf. The dining experience was unique -- all counter seating around two charcoal grills, watching the cooks constantly flip and perfect the meatballs before serving them right in front of you on their branded wire racks. The set comes with miso soup, rice, three meatballs, and a variety of sauces/fixings. The first meatball is meant to be enjoyed on its own and it was tender, juicy, and packed with flavor -- I got hints of soy, onion, and green onion, almost like an elevated Asian kebab. The second meant to be eaten with the condiments, and the last is paired with a poached egg. We also got the tofu kimchi appetizer, and between that and the spaced-out meatball courses, we left feeling full and satisfied. The value was actually better than I expected, especially with the complimentary beer/wine they gave us for the grand opening. Service was attentive and relaxed. I also liked that they seated larger groups on the corners so they could actually converse while keeping the middle for parties of 2. However, we did get lucky with corner seating for two. Overall, definitely worth checking out. Is it something I'd crave every week? Probably not, but it's a fun experience and I could see myself coming back a couple times a year. read more

The vibes and service are 5/5, my review is strictly about food and I'm comparing it directly to the "Hikuniku To Come" restaurants in Japan. 1. They didn't have the house ponzu sauce that was a really signature condiment in Japan and was really necessary here as the citrus of the sauce is used to cut through the richness of the beef patties. 2. The patties are cooked at the perfect temperature however the texture is off. The texture is a bit gooey when you bite into it and it was slightly unpleasant. I think maybe because the meat is over mixed or too wet when it's cooked and in my opinion I believe some more coarseness texture in the patties would tremendously improve this. Maybe if it wasn't as over mixed, not as fine of a grind, or cooked longer would improve this texture, perhaps a leaner cut on one or two of the courses. 3. In Japan they gave a sheet that explained which condiments would go best with the 3 courses of patties, there's a lot of condiments and that could be overwhelming to someone that is eating there for the first time. There are some adjustments they could make that would improve the food tremendously but overall it's a really solid restaurant and also noting that it's only been open for a week. Looking forward to coming back. read more

I'm literally blown away by the quality of food and luxurious interior design. They have a very small menu, hamburg steak and 3 sides. And weirdly (slightly disappointingly) all of the sides are vegan without meat. However, all of the food are of top notch, to the point I would say they're even better than the one I have in Japan. You sit at a huge countertop surrounding the two central grills. The space is extremely beautiful with high ceilings and contemporary design. The utensils feel premium and they even use Aesop hand soap. Absolutely gorgeous One small suggestion I would make is to expand the menu while maintaining existing out of the world food quality, eg: chawanmushi, yakitori (utilizing the charcoal grill), non-vegan sides, Japanese drinks like green tea read more

Twinflame - Steakhouses Near Me - Oakland, California

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The food's OK but it let's go back again but not right now next next month maybe thank so long. We wait 50 minutes. read more

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Let me start by saying there's a waitlist on OpenTable that you can join. We joined it but they don't honor it. We drove over an hour to get there only to find that they "may not seat us" because they give priority to those who come in person. My argument was, then, why have a waitlist on OpenTable? We were fourth on the online waitlist, so we assumed we wouldn't have any issues which is why we made the trek over. Despite the confusion, they ended up working with us and seating us within a couple of hours and vowed they would fix the issue. The experience and food was good. We enjoyed ourselves. When sitting down you realize why they can't take so many people. I feel like they could add more seats around the communal table and possibly even put some tables on the sides of the restaurant for those that don't care to sit in the middle. We were a party of five and might have been difficult to get us all seated together if it was crazy busy. The patties were great and they tell you to eat it in a certain order. First is plain with rice to get the taste of the patty, the second is to eat with one of the sauces and the third is to eat it with the egg I think. I dipped the meat patty in the egg and ate it, but we were actually supposed to mix it or something with the rice. Anyhow, I did it wrong, but it was still delicious. Really enjoyed our experience and for the price point, I would definitely come back. Just make sure to try to grab an actual reservation (not get on the waitlist) on OpenTable in advance. read more

There is no reason to pay $35 for a hamburger steak with rice and egg. If I wanted to, i can go get Loco Moco at a local Hawaiian spot.

Instead of hopping on a plane to Tokyo to try Japanese Hamburg Steak, you have it right here in the Bay Area. It's the only item on the menu besides Korean side dishes, japchae rolls and tofu with kimchi. Matthew, the server, did a good job of explaining how to eat the hamburg steak, you get 3 pieces of wagyu beef patties to go with your bowl of rice and poached egg. Side spices keep your meal interesting. A welcome addition to Bay Area dining. read more

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Amazing loved the food 10/10! Service is amazing nice people. Ambiance is also very amazing!!! read more

I went on Saturday evening with my gf this past weekend and it was their 3rd day open. I thought there would be more gaps to their service, food, etc but it was quite good. The inside is spacious and refined and fun for a date night because the meal is so unique. They are trying to copy hikiniku to kome in Japan, but not exactly. Their sauces are different, its Korean influenced. All you can eat rice, but one bowl was enough for me. I do wish they had some sort of pickled vegetable as part of the set menu. The meat was juicy and you hope the grill dudes bring your next meat football at the right time because you don't want it to get cold. Our grill dudes did a good job, checking if we were through, and asking my gf if she was ready for the next one. We also ordered the deep fried japchae, which was ok. The miso soup was done well, you could tell it had umami from the dashi, onions, and carrots. I hate when good restaurants can't make a simple miso soup right. Overall, a great experience and one you can only have here in Oakland, for now, unless you go to one of the Japan/APAC locations. I think these guys are gonna be popular, others will copy. Just like like maid cafes in the US will proliferate, hehe. read more