35 Best Japanese Restaurants in Oakland

“Probably the best meal I’ve ever had, super fun, exciting, every bite was perfect. Intimate and fast process“

“I think this could make a fun date spot.

I thought the sets were reasonably priced, but maybe it’s because I’m comparing it to SF pricing.

Every bite was great, but I think next time I’ll ask for less rice or maybe even none.“

“An astonishing 18-course omakase, expertly prepared, sourced in the finest sushi chef tradition of impeccable quality.
Warm and comfortable welcome with a happy-to-share chef who told us stories about his choices in making what has to be one of the finest Japanese experiences stateside.
Tiny space, superbly arranged.

I cannot recommend it enough. Not cheap but value for money if you struggle to “have something you’ve never had anywhere else” (and don’t want the 9+ hour Tokyo flight).“

“Sean Paul and the team are incredible. This is without a doubt the best restaurant in Oakland. Every dish was 11/10. Perfect service aside - the balance of each dish was outstanding- get the tempura Cesar- the wagyu bo Ssam- the hand roll dish!!!!! Literally everything was delicious- will be going back and bringing each and every one of our friends. Michelin star ⭐️ 100% without a doubt.“

“When I'm craving sashimi or sushi that's fresh and reasonably priced, I always head to Ebiko.

Ebiko is a quick stop-and-shop in Piedmont, wish fresh sushi, nigiri, sashimi and more! It's mainly for takeout. The service is good and friendly! Mainly just the chefs in the back and hostess/cashier. Since it's a shop without seating, the vibe feels like a convenient store with snacks and drinks as well.

Parking can be a pain, but if you emergency park, I'm sure you'll be in and out under 5minutes.

Overall, great store for sushi and I would always recommend friends to stop by here when visiting!“

“Heard of this spot via word of mouth. Me a good friend went there and the food was amazing! A personal nitpick was it was too dim, but that’s just a personal preference.

The food was fantastic, service was excellent as well, I forgot to ask the server’s name, but she went out of her way to fix our table that was wobbly. I remember she had a nose septum ring.

Overall, fantastic sushi restaurant, highly recommend the Macha Tres Leche cake if you have room left!“

“Intimate sushi and Japanese restaurant. The handrolls are delicious, crispy and subtle flavor. The fish is fresh (key to good sushi and sashimi). It's definitely higher level Japanese restaurant. And the servers are attentive and very friendly. They gave my toddler special attention and kept him happy ( no small feat). Definitely a premium sushi and sashimi restaurant at a reasonable price.“

“Nigiri combo is excellent! I can’t wait to try the sashimi combo next. I came just before they were closing for lunch and people were steadily coming either to pick up or eat-in up until their closing time. It seemed they were regular customers who are keeping this place a secret and happy to say, I am on it already. Can’t wait to go back.“

“Great fried chicken, and my friends food truck is there!“

“Truly excellent place that has been here in the neighborhood forever. We've been coming here or getting orders togo for a decade and it's been the same folks running it the whole time and they are superb.
2025 update - still going strong. great food and great service!“

“Went for a dinner and concert (Brian Simpson, oh yeah!). Purchased premium seating tickets and also made reservations to the restaurant. If you have tickets and you eat at the restaurant they will assign you preferred seating (not premier, but all seats are good in there). The restaurant is gorgeous inside. Menu and food was excellent. Highly recommend.“

“Okay, this is the fourth time we’ve been here this week so, I think we’ve crossed the official “rating your favorites” threshold. Pa’s Papa is ‘official’ in my heart for three reasons:
1. Every time I come in there’s a genially kind and friendly, LOCAL face to greet us! They hire folks from the neighborhood and I think that’s awesome and so “Official Oakland!”
2. Each visit our food has been so fresh, well seasoned, thoughtfully presented, packaged * and delicious The servings and pricing truly fair. *I teased the owner for teaching his young, new cashier how to properly bag hot soup like an official Oakland Chinese restaurant!
3. It’s a hella nice vibe. Every time. Music is upbeat, the restaurant is immaculately clean, and it’s a POSITIVE VIBE… that truly matters in this moment in time. I appreciate it.“

“Our favorite sushi spot! Always delicious sushi options, excellent staff and service! We really appreciate that they have tamari as a gluten-free option for soy sauce. If you haven’t stopped by here - think of this place the next time you want sushi!“

“I’ve been eyeing this place for months and finally was in the mood for sushi. The bento box was very fresh and delicious. I got the salmon teriyaki and spicy tuna. I also got the uji time ice cream. They offer a variety hand make ice cream that changes every week. This week I got the purple potato one. It was a perfect meal for an early dinner and the staff was very nice.“

“I walked in with low expectations only because not that many people were in the restaurant. I was proven wrong quickly. The food was amazing and the service was great. I can't stand it when you get giant sushi rolls. These were small and very fresh. The dudes rolling the sushi were bout the business. Tashiko was a great waitress and she made our 10 year old picky eater feel special and went out of her way to make sure she had a good experience. The salad dressing is amazing , the nigiri and rolls were awesome as was everything else. Great little date spot. Highly recommend.“

“One of the best sushi spot in the bay. The food just feels and tastes fresh. Portions are nice and flavors are there. The sashimi is amazing, the specialty rolls are all really well done. You can tell they care about their craft. Ive had delivery and the food is still amazing. You know delivery sometimes reduces the quality of the food.“

“This is a local authentic sushi place. Chef is friendly and good listener if you have special inquiries. Sushi are freshly made to order with generous portions.
Good varieties of sushi, nigiri and sashimi plus non-sushi items. Ask staff for veggie options but some are clear through menu.
Place is clean and organized with responsive waiter.
Atmosphere is good for groups, meetup, seniors (flat floor) and small parties. Will return for orange spicy salmon (Netscreen) roll.

Vegetarian options: Veggie options available. Check with staff.

Parking: Free and paid street parkings“

“Think of the part last time you ate teriyaki...dried chicken with a bunch of gross sauce. This place perplexed me... the chicken and shrimp are perfectly cooked, with just enough sauce. The care in the prep is beyond anything you'd expect for what you'd think is a simple dish. I honestly can't think of another place that makes food this juicy, and with care. It's been on my weekly lunch rotation for a reason. Shame it's in a dead city bc you can tell they care when restaurants around them only care to make a buck.“

“Update:

Came back again and the udon tasted even better than the first time! Got to try the wings this time which were superb, they also changed their potato salad to a perfectly breaded potato croquette. Uni was on the menu, so we got some nigiri’s as well as topped it on our udon! Their clam risotto was also super unique and had a ton of texture. Another big surprise was the crab cake sushi roll which was a deep fried sushi roll stuffed with real crab meat, and they do not skimp on the crab! Overall another amazing experience again and I cannot wait for the full menu.
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They say good things are worth waiting for and I waited all year for izakaya shodai to open, and it did not disappoint!

Gorgeous modern interior inside with plentiful seating. Soft opening so menu is more condensed but gives a good idea of what to expect from this establishment.

I tried the mentaiko udon, beef tongue skewer, tuna tataki, and was also given the curry fries on the house. Fav was the beef tongue, proper cut with a perfect smokiness to it since it was grilled over charcoal, just salt and pepper is the way to go! Mentaiko udon did not skimp on the mentaiko, most places just add a creamy sauce to cover up the fact that they don’t have enough mentaiko, whereas shodai is generous with it. Noodles had a perfect bounciness to it, only slight miss is it was a tad oily, but otherwise delicious and came with a side of potato salad. Tataki was seared to perfection with great sauce and flavoring. The curry fries were also good, I think it might be better if the curry was on the side for dipping so the fries can retain its crispiness; but it was refreshing to see a dark curry dish whereas most places usually serve light curry.

Cannot wait to come back and see what else is to come. Had a chance to speak with the managing partner Andy, and there are definitely some additions to the menu that I will for sure want to be the first to try (hello uni dishes!)“

“In all my travels, I look for what I call "happy food." Happy food for me is healthy, nutritious, tasty, nicely prepared, and served by smiling people in a clean environment. Oori exceeded all my happy food requirements and then took me for a ride through food blissfulness worth each bite. I had chicken teriyaki, grilled salmon, and spicy tuna triangles. On the side, I complimented it with miso soup and ginger. Each flavor was distinct and made my taste buds ooh, ahh, and wow for more. I'll be back here for more without question. I felt like I was dining at a 5-star restaurant and found the food reasonably priced.“

“Great sushi and sashimi in a loveky setting! the Lion King is the best! Fast and efficient service!“

“Mijori – A Classic at Lake Merritt!

This little gem has been a mom-and-pop staple in Oakland for over 30 years, and they’re still going strong. The service is consistently friendly, and the food never misses. It’s a must-stop if you’re in the Lake Merritt area.

They offer a variety of weekly specials depending on the fresh fish they receive, so there’s always something new to try. Don’t skip the tuna salad—it’s topped with their house-made spicy Korean sauce, and it’s absolutely delicious.

The sushi we ordered tonight was fresh, sweet, well-seasoned, and simply satisfying. Pair it with a cold beer or a glass of sake, and you’re in for a great evening. Come check them out—you won’t be disappointed!

Don’t forget to follow for more Great foodie stops @Only1christinelu“

“Small place, attentive staff, amazing sushi.
- Their rolls are stuffed to the brim with sushi.
- The salmon sashimi is a large portion, and super good.
- We also tried their Geta don. The tuna was amazing!! The onsen egg was really great!!!

I loved the spicy scallop roll. My friends really enjoyed the real cali roll. The hamachi roll was great too.

My only complaint is that the rice consistency wasn’t great and seemed basically unseasoned.“

“It's delicious.
Can't believe it's my 1st time tried out this place.
I believe at least one of the owner is Korean.
So there is delicious Korean bulgogi bento box.
Will definitely go back and try more.“

“I really like the food at this place. The sushi is yummy (if you like lots of sauce and Americanized sushi, which I do.) However, the rolls can be pretty expensive, and sometimes too large/ full of rice for my liking. Also the restaurants interior is a little out dated and uninviting. Street parking on Piedmont can be a challenge, but there’s a paid lot nearby.“

“Great people, fresh ingridients, authentic taste. Love it!!“

“I was out walking my dog, and I got this craving for sushi. I had picked up delivery from here before doing Doordash, but never tried it myself. They were sort staffed so I did have to wait a bit. But it was 1000% worth the wait. I got the Lion Princess and the White Dragon. Both delicious. And the sauces on the side took it to another level.“

“I have come to this amazing establishment for over 15 years. Delicious. Efficient and amazing staff. Fresh and tummy always pleased. Yes!“

“We come here for every single birthday three times a year at the least 15 years . The customer service is amazing and the kindness is always there, phenomenal community minded local business. wonderful human beings inside oh and the food is very good too. I’m a vegan. Everything is always accommodating no problem.“

“I came here with my friends while we were on a field trip and the atmosphere was super cozy, they had good R&B playing and it was lowkey aesthetic. I had the dragon roll, my friend had the sushi bae roll and we both shared the philly roll. We really liked the sushi and we finished it super fast. The staff was super sweet and super awesome, then when they told us about the pictures that they took for their poloroid wall, my friends and I were super excited. We had a really nice experience here and it was very hospitable. I will definitely be back when I have my next field trip in Oakland. Loved it!“

“Very clean, excellent menu with very creative rolls. The nigiri 🍣 sushi is fresh and the best I’ve had to date. Personable, knowledgeable and friendly staff. Japanese beers are on point, cold and priced right. This a “locals favorite” which feels very welcoming and the freshness will be bringing me back. Cheers!“

“I like to go with friends to this place with my highest recommendations. I visit this place often. This recommendation is always successful. The dishes they serve are flavorable and the stuff is generous and cooperative. always when we go to this place we enjoy a lovely evening. I warmly recommend this restaurant.“

“Love this place, I go about once a week. All the meats are really good and seasoned especially when paired with the spicy mayo or even extra teriyaki sauce which isn’t needed in just a big back. The stars of the show is the short rib triangle, and the buldock and unagi are ok too.“

“This restaurant has an amazing ambiance, delicious food and friendly and professional staff. I definitely would recommend!“

“Adding a review because I noticed this place had a much lower rating than I would give🥲
I order door dash from them often and have always been happy with the food. I have closer places to my house but I like to order from here because it just tastes better for some reason! Nigiri is my favorite. Very fresh and a good portion.“