The restaurant was closed to full inside due to rain and a bit loud since it’s small. Food was okay but overpriced. Service was normal, nothing spectacular.But service is a 3/5 for the fact that the server questioned if service was good while motioning to the card reader POS system after I had tipped $10. Seemed confrontational, and personally don’t believe customers shouldn’t be explaining themselves to employees on why they aren’t more generous, especially if generous to began with it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: ´Kara-Age´ Japanese Fried Chicken
Carole Petiet
The food was the best Japanese food I have had, including in Japan. DelIcious, unique and completely satisfying. A delightful find with excellent service. The only down side was the closeness of the tables and noise. It is now my favorite Japanese restaurant in Berkeley.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
오혜영
Luxurious atmosphere and food! I told it was my birthday and the bartender served me a cake for dessert ? I had rolls, ramen, and sashimi, and it was good quality Japanese food, but overall the food was salty... Still, I want to try the tempura next time I go! I made a reservation even though it was a weekday evening. It was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wendy McGrane
I always make sure I have a reservation ahead at Iyasare when I visit Berkeley. If you dine inside, it can be a little noisy, but very energetic and beautiful and you can watch the chefs prepare the meal. The bar is always a good choice if there’s No seating in the parklet or outdoor dining. Everything is tastefully prepared from the miso soup to the salads to the sushi and entrées. I always make sure I get a ramen dish or soup and some hot tea…but go and explore and you’ll understand what everyone’s talking about.!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Gidget Jng
I generally avoid fried food but the tempura with shrimp here is to die for. Better the next day, so we over-order for leftovers. The other food is very good and reliable if not amazing, and the wine list is reliable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Terry KF
The food is just okay and the prices are somewhat high. The best thing about this restaurant is perhaps its atmosphere, although the space can be a bit noisy and constricted.
My kids enjoyed it so much, they insisted I write this review. (My wife and I loved it, too.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lingling
Our experience at this restaurant was a bit of a mixed bag. The unagi don was tasty, but the size and price didn't quite match up. If we're talking about ambiance, it's a yes, but when it comes to the food, not so much. The textures were good, but it didn't align with my initial expectations.My partner opted for the yellowtail don, and while the taste was fine, the portion size seemed insufficient for the price. Moving on to dessert, the Persimmon flavor was missing in action; it leaned more towards a chocolate cake and, in my opinion, wasn't worth the cost. Overall, not recommended.On the service front, there were some lapses. When I requested a spoon, it never arrived. These small details added up, affecting the overall experience. In conclusion, while there were positive aspects, the high prices and service hiccups make it hard to give a wholehearted recommendation.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Lingling Wang
Our experience at this restaurant was a bit of a mixed bag. The unagi don was tasty, but the size and price didn't quite match up. If we're talking about ambiance, it's a yes, but when it comes to the food, not so much. The textures were good, but it didn't align with my initial expectations.My partner opted for the yellowtail don, and while the taste was fine, the portion size seemed insufficient for the price. Moving on to dessert, the Persimmon flavor was missing in action; it leaned more towards a chocolate cake and, in my opinion, wasn't worth the cost. Overall, not recommended.On the service front, there were some lapses. When I requested a spoon, it never arrived. These small details added up, affecting the overall experience. In conclusion, while there were positive aspects, the high prices and service hiccups make it hard to give a wholehearted recommendation.
Delicious vegetarian dish, the presentation was beautiful and the food was great. Mixing in the spicy mustard was key! Started with the Brussels, cooked right with a subtle and addictive flavor. Evidence presented is the empty plate, if I wasn’t full I would have licked it!Vegetarian options: Vegetables are cooked right, and flavored well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sandro Culic
Really eye catching restaurant, nestled in the corner of a street. Breathtaking interior and very attentive and professionally groomed staff. From host stand to bartender. I got all vegetarian options and they were spot on. The miataki with the butter ponzu is out of this world! The only thing that could use a kick, would be the Cesar salad. Kind of bland. But everything else was knocked out the park.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Becky Nicholson
We got the omakase and the fish was quite fresh, especially for only $70. The drinks are tasty as well. Service was very slow on the day we were there, however- they ended up giving us a free order of edamame
Steve Jones
I found this place, and this little section in Berkeley by accident, if you have not been, go. If you like Japanese food go to this restaurant it was outstanding. If you're not a fan of Japanese food go to this gem of a neighborhood for a variety of other restaurants. Great food, great ambiance and good selection of wine, sake and cocktails. Great place for a date or night out. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jonathan Wang
High-quality ingredients in the hamachi donThe dessert was lovely, but I expected more of a black sesame punch to the black sesame
The restaurant was closed to full inside due to rain and a bit loud since it’s small. Food was okay but overpriced. Service was normal, nothing spectacular.But service is a 3/5 for the fact that the server questioned if service was good while motioning to the card reader POS system after I had tipped $10. Seemed confrontational, and personally don’t believe customers shouldn’t be explaining themselves to employees on why they aren’t more generous, especially if generous to began with it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: ´Kara-Age´ Japanese Fried Chicken
The food was the best Japanese food I have had, including in Japan. DelIcious, unique and completely satisfying. A delightful find with excellent service. The only down side was the closeness of the tables and noise. It is now my favorite Japanese restaurant in Berkeley.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Luxurious atmosphere and food! I told it was my birthday and the bartender served me a cake for dessert ? I had rolls, ramen, and sashimi, and it was good quality Japanese food, but overall the food was salty... Still, I want to try the tempura next time I go! I made a reservation even though it was a weekday evening. It was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I always make sure I have a reservation ahead at Iyasare when I visit Berkeley. If you dine inside, it can be a little noisy, but very energetic and beautiful and you can watch the chefs prepare the meal. The bar is always a good choice if there’s No seating in the parklet or outdoor dining. Everything is tastefully prepared from the miso soup to the salads to the sushi and entrées. I always make sure I get a ramen dish or soup and some hot tea…but go and explore and you’ll understand what everyone’s talking about.!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
I generally avoid fried food but the tempura with shrimp here is to die for. Better the next day, so we over-order for leftovers. The other food is very good and reliable if not amazing, and the wine list is reliable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
The food is just okay and the prices are somewhat high. The best thing about this restaurant is perhaps its atmosphere, although the space can be a bit noisy and constricted.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Tempura with shrimp is my favoriteAlso great
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lyasare Kakiage Tempura, Ichiba Salad, Unagi Donburi
My kids enjoyed it so much, they insisted I write this review. (My wife and I loved it, too.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our experience at this restaurant was a bit of a mixed bag. The unagi don was tasty, but the size and price didn't quite match up. If we're talking about ambiance, it's a yes, but when it comes to the food, not so much. The textures were good, but it didn't align with my initial expectations.My partner opted for the yellowtail don, and while the taste was fine, the portion size seemed insufficient for the price. Moving on to dessert, the Persimmon flavor was missing in action; it leaned more towards a chocolate cake and, in my opinion, wasn't worth the cost. Overall, not recommended.On the service front, there were some lapses. When I requested a spoon, it never arrived. These small details added up, affecting the overall experience. In conclusion, while there were positive aspects, the high prices and service hiccups make it hard to give a wholehearted recommendation.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Our experience at this restaurant was a bit of a mixed bag. The unagi don was tasty, but the size and price didn't quite match up. If we're talking about ambiance, it's a yes, but when it comes to the food, not so much. The textures were good, but it didn't align with my initial expectations.My partner opted for the yellowtail don, and while the taste was fine, the portion size seemed insufficient for the price. Moving on to dessert, the Persimmon flavor was missing in action; it leaned more towards a chocolate cake and, in my opinion, wasn't worth the cost. Overall, not recommended.On the service front, there were some lapses. When I requested a spoon, it never arrived. These small details added up, affecting the overall experience. In conclusion, while there were positive aspects, the high prices and service hiccups make it hard to give a wholehearted recommendation.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Delicious vegetarian dish, the presentation was beautiful and the food was great. Mixing in the spicy mustard was key! Started with the Brussels, cooked right with a subtle and addictive flavor. Evidence presented is the empty plate, if I wasn’t full I would have licked it!Vegetarian options: Vegetables are cooked right, and flavored well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really eye catching restaurant, nestled in the corner of a street. Breathtaking interior and very attentive and professionally groomed staff. From host stand to bartender. I got all vegetarian options and they were spot on. The miataki with the butter ponzu is out of this world! The only thing that could use a kick, would be the Cesar salad. Kind of bland. But everything else was knocked out the park.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We got the omakase and the fish was quite fresh, especially for only $70. The drinks are tasty as well. Service was very slow on the day we were there, however- they ended up giving us a free order of edamame
I found this place, and this little section in Berkeley by accident, if you have not been, go. If you like Japanese food go to this restaurant it was outstanding. If you're not a fan of Japanese food go to this gem of a neighborhood for a variety of other restaurants. Great food, great ambiance and good selection of wine, sake and cocktails. Great place for a date or night out. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
High-quality ingredients in the hamachi donThe dessert was lovely, but I expected more of a black sesame punch to the black sesame
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hamachi Don