“Best hidden secret. I have a hard time not visiting this place daily. There are so many options of rolls, rice bowls, and side dishes to-go. I believe most items are raw. Small amount of bon fish options rolls. Kids favorites are the avocado roll and California rolls There are a ton of Japanese snacks like pocky, shrimp chips, chocolate covered almonds, hi chews, wasabi peas a number of drinks. The staff are great, always friendly and have good recommendations . I've been visiting this place since they opened and every time I go they've got something new. Prices are right.“
“Love the Omakase here and come back any time budget allows. The chef and staff are engaging if you want to chat, or happy to leave you alone and let you enjoy your meal.Dietary restrictions: Share ahead of time and (within reason) the chef will accommodate. Obviously not compatible with highly restrictive diets.“
“Amazing quality for good price!!! The sashimi was so fresh, and some of the best scallop I've had. Service was so kind. They were really sweet, and considerate! The restaurant is a bit small, so I recommend making a reservation if you can! Cute interior and the dishes that they plate the food on contribute so much to the vibes!“
“We have been going to Kotobuki for the last eight years. This place is not only delicious, but all staff goes above and beyond to take care of everyone. Outstanding service! Delicious food! We are always looking forward to going. Recommending it to all our friends! Please stop by and support this wonderful business!“
“Tried the Kazuo Omakase w Dragon roll, Rainbow roll, Alaskan Roll, Ribeye, and Black cod. Rolls were tight, but on the larger side. Rice tasted slightly sweet, likely sugar added. Ribeye cooked to taste, chopped, and sauced over broccollini. Due to timing, it came out luke warm and likely wasn't rested long enough before sliced. Black cod was tender, cooked in miso sauce. I wish it was marinated longer. The table next to us had a large tempura dish, which I'd be tempted to try next time. Overall, solid food, good service, lovely restaurant.“
“honestly great spot for what it is. if you're expecting really bourgeois top of the line stuff, nah. the inside feels very corner sushi spot with lots of tables, a sushi bar, and the wait staff is super nice. there's also a small parking spot nearby that is great if you're driving since it's on piedmont which is a bit difficult to find parking and is a bustling street. we got the flaming dragon roll and a spicy scallop roll. both were honestly great, and the waiter was super helpful and quick. the prices were a bit more expensive than what I was used to but great nevertheless“
“My friend and I wanted ramen and this place has excellent vegetarian ramen. It's as good as Marufuku, without the lines and the noise. One portion is big enough to share, but since a serving has one egg, it's easier to get two portions and take home what you can't eat.“
“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.“
“Using the TooGoodToGo app i decided to give Bamboo Asia a try sometime late last year. Using this app is a cool way to try different restaurants in your area, but the catch is that the food is a surprise so what I got was unbeknownst to me until I arrived.The first time I came I got a curry of some sort. The second time I got a beef kind of dish. It was good and there was a large portion given both times. Anyway, there is a lot to choose from had I gone here any other time just to order. The interior is cute with plenty of seating. I imagine this being a popular spot amongst those working in the area.“
“This place is great. Dine-in is quick, but we’ve been doing takeout for most of the pandemic. Their food is AWESOME for takeout, and you can tell they take their time to make the food *look* good as well (no smushed sushi or stuff just thrown into a container.) 10/10“
“This is a place of culture.. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure was playing as we walked in. Everything was good from noodle texture to individual ingredients. Also dig the layout and interior design of the restaurant. Their exterior design is pretty unassuming, which makes the interior design that much better.Side note: The website hasn't been updated so the prices were a bit higher than expected. Still reasonable considering how bad prices are in Bay Area.“
“The folks who run the place are absolute gems, and the food is bomb! The auntie is so kind and often gives food to houseless people. The boats are fun of course! Best time to go for boats is 5-630. There are vegan options too. It is my go-to sushi spot in oakland.“
“This place was very different and tasty. The rice triangles are wrapped in seaweed with your filling of choice, like a little sandwich. I got the 2 triangle order and it came with edamame. I got chicken teriyaki, which was tasty and fresh, although a bit sweet for my taste. It was my son’s favorite. I also got the spicy Ahi Tuna. Tuna was delicious. I would return.“
“Ordered the sashimi appetizer over the phone for takeout on a late Saturday afternoon.Very efficient and friendly service.Given the location in a upscale area, I was surprised at the reasonableness of the price and the quality. Also, even though I didn't eat at site, it is a very pleasant intimate environment. If I'm ever in the area I would definitely come here again.“
“Really good sushi and a surprisingly broad assortment of other foods, amazing service, and open until a ridiculously late time in the evenings. If you're not sure what's still open and you're hungry near Temescal, this is your place, right here. No need to settle for "whatever's open" when you can have amazing sushi and bento until after midnight!Their space is a little weird, they have two storefronts that are kinda joined at the hip. They make it work really well, though! there are TVs, but they usually have something chill on, like a Miyazaki film, and not filled with commercials and blaring. Very chill atmosphere, good place to hang out with friends, be human, and enjoy life.Their tuna tataki and spicy edamame are especially awesome.“
“Stopped by on a Friday evening around 7:00 p.m. and the place was pretty empty. My party of five ordered three specialty rolls, two California rolls, some nigiri, along with a few appetizers to share, including mixed tempura, karaage, and hamachi kama. The food came out quickly. I enjoyed the freshness of the rolls and this ended up being the perfect amount of food. The karaage was a bit dry and the hamachi kama was slightly overcooked but otherwise, everything else was not bad. My friends and I noticed our waiter did a bit too much upselling for our liking, but I can't fault him to much for his hussle. If you're looking for a casual sushi spot, Tomsa delivers. Last things to note: there's plenty of off street parking in the shopping center and 20% auto gratuity was applied to our party of five.“
“The Dream Gina roll is so tasty I always have to get it and if sushi isn't the vibe for the day then I go with the Beef Teriyaki plate ! Always fresh and super delicious. Also had a great experience when I dined in and ordered the Katie 2 and Udon. The best sushi in Oakland imo (:“
“$22 for rice, salad, and 8 pieces of nicely sized chicken thighs that are perfectly fried and great tasting (I may have wanted some extra powder in the dry miso dry one) and then had some sparkling sake on the side. If we had been less hungry (2 of us) could have done 4 thighs AND we had leftovers.You order (super helpful) and pickup up front.Great vibes.“
“Under new management! Amazing service, felt so welcome. Some of the freshest sashimi I've ever had. Also they make home made ice cream in house you can take to go. The best I've ever had try the miso caramel! Can't wait to come back“
“I usually don't leave a review unless I truly believe there was something exceptional (good or bad) about the place. This little, unassuming, sushiya is simply amazing. The service was so attentive and went above and beyond what you'd usually expect (thank you for the plum wine for us and ice cream for the kids!) and the sushi itself was really good and very well prepared. I honestly didn't expect much when we walked in (I was hungry, that I can readily admit) but the place was such a gem and I'm so happy we stopped by. Looking forward to doing it again soon!“
“On days I'm too lazy to make and bring lunch, takeout becomes a fun treat. As there are quite a few Japanese options in the area, this place came up as one I haven't tried before. Pick up for lunch was quick and simple, everything was bagged up very securely in a paper bag (folded and stapled shut as well). There is a parking structure across the ways, but parking outside isn't all too hard to find. Inside, there isn't too much seating available but that's what makes this place the ideal lunch pick up spot. The menu was a little simple than what I'm used to, but this seems nice for an easy simple lunch. I ordered a teriyaki chicken and beef combo (that comes with edamame and a coleslaw like salad). It was a good sized portion for the price, it's a bit more than 1 meal for me (1 meal and an afternoon snack to finish up). I did order medium rare for the beef, but it was more towards medium well - but wasn't all too overcook. I have to emphasize this is a lighter taste of a meal as the teriyaki sauce was very light on the meats, mostly just soaked into the rice nicely. The chicken has a nice sear and wasn't dry even after walk back to the office. It's not what I typically expect from a bento box meal, but I just can't stop saying how much I like the simplicity of it (light flavors of a hearty meal, makes my tummy happy when I don't feel like something hearty/greasy/cheesy).The edamame was a little salty and soft to me. As for the coleslaw, vinegary cabbage mix- it was perfect to add to a bite of meat and rice or on it's own as a bit... I'd like a container of this alone to snack on. I also have to note that the rice was really nice, not too soft but enough with the sauce soaked in for a good bite.Final Thoughts: Portion and price wise - I'm definitely ordering again for lunch; feels like a nice healthy, hearty meal.“
“Came here tonight for the restaurant week menu (the set dinner with 5 rolls and chocolate mousse dessert for ~$35 pre tax and tip) for the first time with a party of 2, and boy was it tasty!!! It did not disappoint. I also got a Hana G+T cocktail. The set menu included the cucumber sunomono starter, and the following 5 omaka-set (the OG): zuke maguro (tuna), negihama, salmon, black cod, and snow crab. Our total cost after tax and tip was $60 ish (cocktails are ~$12-15 each) Pros: - SUPER fast service. They had reservations for ~1 hour after we arrived but said if we ate quick we could sit and eat at a window table. The girl who served us also had very corny jokes which we enjoyed haha. - YUMMY HANDROLLS which are very worth it, the pieces of fish are pretty big. My ultimate favorite was the black cod with truffle oil, it was so unique and delicious! Each one was perfect, no cons. - I LOVE the pipet-able soy sauce!! It makes it very easy to get some soy sauce in your hand roll without having the whole thing fall apart when you try to dip it in a soy sauce dish - The Hana Gin and tonic had the perfect amount of alcohol in it (where you can taste it but it's not too strong), and it was such a beautiful looking purple drink too. Definitely a pleasant surprise - Great for parties of 2 since there's multiple tables that can seat 2, but if you have a bigger party it could be a longer wait - I thought the price was very appropriate, and the menu wasn't too overwhelming, very straightforward. Good bang for your buck - they give you way more fish than Kazu Nori in SoCal. - Decent amount of food in the set menu - I didn't feel stuffed, but I wasn't hungry after either. Honestly, no cons other than the fact that it may be hard to find parking nearby and you might have to walk a bit (but also very walkable from 19th st. BART). 10/10 will be back, what a great restaurant week intro! Everything was so beautifully presented too. I can't wait to come back and try the other omaka-sets.“