This is delicious, well prepared chicken! Delicately crispy outside, moist tender inside, very flavorful. Sauces are yummy. Good prices, too. Great after a stroll around Lake Merritt nearby.
S M.
This review is just for the tofu rice bowl, so if you want chicken this is not the one read. I've tried the bbq sauce but the garlic miso rub is where it's at. The garlic miso rub on tofu is hands down the most comforting meal, it has savory umami without being too salty, and because it's not deep fried it's not super heavy. The rice is always perfectly cooked. The serving size is big enough that you can often make 2 meals out of one order. If you don't want the half a head of cabbage side you can request just the spring mix salad, and they will replace the cabbage if they have it available. If I get the cabbage I just like to chop it up and throw it into a home made stir fry the next day. And last but definitely not least, THE RANCH. Holy &&)8;/,)&". Holy grail ranch right here and if you're vegan they offer a vegan version. I only wish I could buy the ranch in a full salad dressing size bottle. Thank you Aburaya, for making the most delicious tofu rice bowl I've ever found. I used to pick up in person, but now I live a little further away and I pay the extra for delivery, I'm still impressed with the quality. Their deliveries have always arrived in less time than expected. The picture is crap because I had to eat half of it first haha.
James L.
I love the fried chicken at this place. The family meal for $50 will feed six grown men and leave leftovers. Totally one of my favorite spots to hit up whenever I'm in town.
Darlene K.
Ordered through grub hub and I was preparing myself to be disappointed with soggy fried chicken. I was surprised at how delicious everything was! I will have to go back and eat this fresh next time I'm back in Oakland.
Hai Y.
Good crunch. Decent batter. Meat wasn't full of fat. But not salty enough. Felt meat was a bit dry too.
California C.
This restaurant is not good. The chicken is stale and brined too long. All decor and no flavor.
Jeremy D.
Been coming here for over 10+ years. Adachi, the owner, has done well for himself starting from pop-up. Taste is just as good as I remembered it. Now with COVID, there are only 2 standing tables inside and a random folding table outside. No seats! The fried chicken Sando on Texas toast is my favorite but really difficult to eat. My fiancé rips the bread apart and eats everything like a salad.
Cathy P.
Fried chicken a bit disappointing after seeing rave review on TV, bland but accompanied by a tasty miso garlic sauce. No problem, ate my takeout dinner & went to bed a few hours later. Woke in middle of night with stomach ache & cataclysmic vomiting. One of the worst episodes of food bourne illness I've ever experienced in my life. Aburaya needs to do a serious reevaluation of its food handling & storage practices!
Esso E.
Run, don't walk. Choose the garlic miso. You'll need the rice and cabbage to cut the rich flavor.
SF O.
I really liked the vegan ranch sauce. It was served with some raw cabbage. I don't recall eating a quarter head of raw cabbage before, but it was ok with the ranch. The vegan chicken was those drumsticks from Layonna veg or similar purveyor which was fried in some seasoning of your choice. $13 was a bit pricey for four little drumsticks, but it was filling for one person. The cauliflower appetizer was ok- cooked in the same seasoning as the drumsticks. The order was done in a timely manner, and the staff was really friendly.
I have been here a few times now. I love the garlic miso rub chicken so much that I haven't yet tried the other rubs yet. I finally joined the VIP club since eating this chicken is becoming a habit- so delicious. I was skeptical at first, as I am with any gluten-free food. I also doubted that the chicken could be crispy since it's skinless. Was I ever wrong! I think they use skinless boneless thighs which hold up to frying much better than white meat. In any case, the meat is very tender, mildly spiced, so crispy and moist! Last night I tried the wasabi salad and will definitely get that again- perfect compliment to the chicken! I've also tried the matcha flan- SO YUMMY!
Cedell B.
The absolute best food for lunch in downtown OAK. I'm gonna miss the food once I move out of the area.
Nancy P.
Crispy and flavorful fried chicken spot. I got the chicken sando which was a mistake on my part. The bread ratio was too much to the chicken and they used the Asian bread which was not toasted or grilled so it didn't add much to the meal. Next time I'm going for the rice. Unfortunately I forgot to take the picture until after I've already taken a bite.
Heidi O.
Now I know why this place on my block is always busy. We got a few flavors of the three-piece fried chicken and rice with wasabi slaw and whewwwww it's good. They're really careful about trimming the pieces well so there aren't any chewy/fatty bits--that's the kind of love and attention we're dealing with. I really enjoyed the sweet/spicy sauce but there's a bunch of flavors to try for next time. The wasabi slaw is the perfect thing to pair with the fried flavor; such a nice hit of freshness. Really appreciate them putting in some high quality salad with the chicken too.
This is delicious, well prepared chicken! Delicately crispy outside, moist tender inside, very flavorful. Sauces are yummy. Good prices, too. Great after a stroll around Lake Merritt nearby.
This review is just for the tofu rice bowl, so if you want chicken this is not the one read. I've tried the bbq sauce but the garlic miso rub is where it's at. The garlic miso rub on tofu is hands down the most comforting meal, it has savory umami without being too salty, and because it's not deep fried it's not super heavy. The rice is always perfectly cooked. The serving size is big enough that you can often make 2 meals out of one order. If you don't want the half a head of cabbage side you can request just the spring mix salad, and they will replace the cabbage if they have it available. If I get the cabbage I just like to chop it up and throw it into a home made stir fry the next day. And last but definitely not least, THE RANCH. Holy &&)8;/,)&". Holy grail ranch right here and if you're vegan they offer a vegan version. I only wish I could buy the ranch in a full salad dressing size bottle. Thank you Aburaya, for making the most delicious tofu rice bowl I've ever found. I used to pick up in person, but now I live a little further away and I pay the extra for delivery, I'm still impressed with the quality. Their deliveries have always arrived in less time than expected. The picture is crap because I had to eat half of it first haha.
I love the fried chicken at this place. The family meal for $50 will feed six grown men and leave leftovers. Totally one of my favorite spots to hit up whenever I'm in town.
Ordered through grub hub and I was preparing myself to be disappointed with soggy fried chicken. I was surprised at how delicious everything was! I will have to go back and eat this fresh next time I'm back in Oakland.
Good crunch. Decent batter. Meat wasn't full of fat. But not salty enough. Felt meat was a bit dry too.
This restaurant is not good. The chicken is stale and brined too long. All decor and no flavor.
Been coming here for over 10+ years. Adachi, the owner, has done well for himself starting from pop-up. Taste is just as good as I remembered it. Now with COVID, there are only 2 standing tables inside and a random folding table outside. No seats! The fried chicken Sando on Texas toast is my favorite but really difficult to eat. My fiancé rips the bread apart and eats everything like a salad.
Fried chicken a bit disappointing after seeing rave review on TV, bland but accompanied by a tasty miso garlic sauce. No problem, ate my takeout dinner & went to bed a few hours later. Woke in middle of night with stomach ache & cataclysmic vomiting. One of the worst episodes of food bourne illness I've ever experienced in my life. Aburaya needs to do a serious reevaluation of its food handling & storage practices!
Run, don't walk. Choose the garlic miso. You'll need the rice and cabbage to cut the rich flavor.
I really liked the vegan ranch sauce. It was served with some raw cabbage. I don't recall eating a quarter head of raw cabbage before, but it was ok with the ranch. The vegan chicken was those drumsticks from Layonna veg or similar purveyor which was fried in some seasoning of your choice. $13 was a bit pricey for four little drumsticks, but it was filling for one person. The cauliflower appetizer was ok- cooked in the same seasoning as the drumsticks. The order was done in a timely manner, and the staff was really friendly.
Restaurantji Recommends
Best chicken in the Bay Area!
I have been here a few times now. I love the garlic miso rub chicken so much that I haven't yet tried the other rubs yet. I finally joined the VIP club since eating this chicken is becoming a habit- so delicious. I was skeptical at first, as I am with any gluten-free food. I also doubted that the chicken could be crispy since it's skinless. Was I ever wrong! I think they use skinless boneless thighs which hold up to frying much better than white meat. In any case, the meat is very tender, mildly spiced, so crispy and moist! Last night I tried the wasabi salad and will definitely get that again- perfect compliment to the chicken! I've also tried the matcha flan- SO YUMMY!
The absolute best food for lunch in downtown OAK. I'm gonna miss the food once I move out of the area.
Crispy and flavorful fried chicken spot. I got the chicken sando which was a mistake on my part. The bread ratio was too much to the chicken and they used the Asian bread which was not toasted or grilled so it didn't add much to the meal. Next time I'm going for the rice. Unfortunately I forgot to take the picture until after I've already taken a bite.
Now I know why this place on my block is always busy. We got a few flavors of the three-piece fried chicken and rice with wasabi slaw and whewwwww it's good. They're really careful about trimming the pieces well so there aren't any chewy/fatty bits--that's the kind of love and attention we're dealing with. I really enjoyed the sweet/spicy sauce but there's a bunch of flavors to try for next time. The wasabi slaw is the perfect thing to pair with the fried flavor; such a nice hit of freshness. Really appreciate them putting in some high quality salad with the chicken too.