20 Best Japanese Restaurants in Oakland

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

“-The quality of the fish is very good and tasty. They know how to combine and play with the ingredients
- the price is too expensive for what you get
- the service is average. Our server is very friendly. However, we arrived a bit early for our appointment, the server told us to wait for 10-15 min for them to get a table ready since the customers at that table about to pay.We waited for more than 30 min outside, watching new customers came in and out. The server knew we were waiting outside at the door. Then we went inside just to see why they took new customers and saw there were multiple empty tables. It's quite weird when they have available tables and still let us wait outside. It took us a while to get the server attention at the door and also at dining.“

“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).“

“Love the convenience and quality of their sushi. The setup of this place is odd; people don’t know where to stand and there’s a past of the shop that is totally unused. It would be nice if they redesigned the space and could have more things or allow people to not block others trying to look at and grab food.“

“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.“

“I have experienced many different types of sushi hand roll bars and this is one of my new favorites. The location is perfect , right in the heart of Jack London Square and the food was amazing. They have some really cool drinks if you’re into content creation and overall it’s just a cool place to catch up or go for date night !!!“

“This place is amazing. Some of the best Japanese food around. Favorite dishes: karage, blue Hawaii, and the caterpillar rolll. I'm definitely interested in trying their vegetable tempura. I kept seeing people order it, and it looks special.“

“We’ve been eating here for years, and the fish is always fresh and expertly prepared. We especially love the Fire Cracker Ball, Joy Roll, and Spicy Geisha Roll. Additionally, the staff is exceedingly kind. A great place to dine in or take out.“

“Pardon my ignorance but I didn’t know shrimp tails had edible meat until we visited Yoshi’s for dinner. The shrimp here has changed my standards for a good quality shrimp. Oh and before I forget to mention, I really liked the shrimp here and would go again for…you get the idea. Give the s****p a try :). Guess what I forgot to take a photo of?“

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

“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.“

“The ambiance is nice, always clean.
Service is fantastic, they remember you and your orders and what you liked
All the food is always fresh and the oysters are great, no grit and no slime; the price is great on the lower end of most places that offer oysters.
All in all, I love this place and have visited it multiple times, it is a little pricey but if you enjoy sushi, oysters, great beers, sake and wonderful service this is the place to go.“

“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“

“Evidently this is my daughter’s favorite sushi spot and I can’t believe that it was my first time there. Truly delicious food! The Alameda Roll has all of my favorites—salmon, tuna and unagi, plus snow crab! I asked for it spicy and they totally hit the spice mark. Very filling and very reasonably priced. RnR is a neighborhood gem and I’m very surprised that I hadn’t bothered to eat there before. It appears as a hole in the wall restaurant however, it totally delivers. Efficient service, happy staff, really good vibes. A true neighborhood keeper.
Cheers!“

“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.“

“I went to shimizu for dinner and the line is ok for a Sunday night, almost right away.
I tried teriyaki chicken, chicken Karaage, tempura, and flaking sushi roll. Everything is so good!
The restaurant also offers stamp collection.“

“I have have been getting the wonderful chicken Teriyaki with rice from Genji for years and it is the best I have every tasted. Grilled to perfection. The 'Sushi is also very fresh and very good. Easy to go or eat in. Clean and located in Downtown Oakland. You can also buy their great Salad dressing in bottle form. I bring the dressing to friends as gifts.“

“Good spot on Grand. Mijori has been putting out solid bentos and sushi/maki rolls for years. The beef teriyaki and gyoza lunch set has been a lunch staple in this family as well as the karai tuna roll. Lunch can get extremely busy at peak times but you can get in and out quickly. The staff works hard and has been together for awhile now. Parking around Grand/Lakeshore can be tight but eventually something pops.“

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

“Really nice place! Came to the neighborhood to get my watch repaired today and saw this place on the walk back to our car. Me and my girlfriend both had lunch specials and were very satisfied. I had the curry and rice + tonkatsu and my girlfriend had the Squid Tempura + tonkatsu. All of our food was tasty and the staff were friendly. I especially enjoyed the curry which had a great flavor and didn't taste like it was cooked from the golden curry blocks you can buy from the store (which are delicious, just not exactly what I expect when I order Japanese curry at a restaurant). I will definitely check this place out again next time I am in the neighborhood.“