“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.“
“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!“
“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!“
“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.“
“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“
“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.“
“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.“
“The food is tasty and spicy, which I like, I ordered the Mongolian beef. It wasn't clear or stated on the order platform that this was just the Mongolian Beef. Apparently it does not come with rice which is very disappointing. It should be clear on the order app that this doesn't come with rice. This is first time I didn't get rice with my Chinese meal.“
“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 (:“
“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.“