Saw people bringing up Kazunori but can you really compare the two? Kazunori lacked the specialty sets that Taki Nori offers. We both ordered their premium set, which included Japanese scallops, lobster, wagyu, and uni & toro hand rolls. We also tried a few of their other hand rolls a la carte style. The uni handroll was easily our favorite (Japanese uni btw!).Handroll Project is still the better value, but this is a nice addition to Bay Area. Service was also good - the server we had was very attentive and prompt. We did have a small issue with snow crab running out, but the server resolved it for us. Overall a good experience here for us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salmon Belly Roll, Taki Toro Handroll, Scallop Special Hand Roll, Handrolls
Felix Wong
Waitlist said 5 min, but table ready after 35 min. Not worth
Jelly2 Tasty
One of my favorite - not just Japanese, but any cuisine - restaurants in the Bay area. Worth the hour+ drive in traffic for me, plus now that Nori Nori closed down, I'm finding myself driving out more often. Although it's a hand roll bar and not a full sushi bar like Sushi Jin or Kaisen Don, it's also a fraction of the price, a very good deal for the area.The hand rolls are amazing. The sashimi is also fresh, but there's nothing like being given a hand roll as soon as it's made, so that the nori is still crisp and not soggy when you bite into it.Chefs are young and cute, and good about taking special requests like "no eel sauce." And the owner works just as hard as the employees, which is inspiring and great to see.I have visited enough times that by now I've managed to try every roll and side dish on the menu, several times over. It *is* a somewhat limited menu (1 page), but that keeps the quality and variety consistent from visit to visit - no finding out something is out of season.Everything involving raw fish is good. My favorites of those are the hamachi, salmon belly, chu toro and oh toro.The spicy tuna can sometimes not be spicy enough, and occasionally is too spicy, but that's minor to me.I don't love the oysters only because I'm a bit of a purist and don't like too much stuff on top of them they tasted fine, just busy, imho.Cooked items:Hits:Tempura shrimp roll - served piping hot, so be careful!Sukiyaki beef roll - hot, tender, and not too sweet, which is often my complaint with sukiyaki (it is still sweet, however, so you may want to skip it if you're diabetic).Miso soup - piping hot, big portions, good amount of tofu, though not a lot of seaweed or green onions.Edamame - also hot, perfectly cooked, lightly salted (you might need to ask for salt).Yaki ramen - al dente, looks and tastes like fresh, not instant, ramen (yellow, eggy, and thick), big portions, but a bit bland (also may need to request salt for this). This dish is normally slightly sweet but it's strictly savory here.Sushi tacos - more like sushi tostadas. Way too sweet for me but everything else about it was good: generous portion of fish, super crunchy base.Misses:Fried calamari - slightly sweet, it tastes like Taiwanese fried squid, which is what I want to have with boba, not in a Japanese meal, where I am expecting an ika geso-style preparation.Fried chicken - as above, it's more like Taiwanese popcorn chicken rather than Japanese karaage.BBQ ribs - basically LA kalbi. You're better off ordering this at a KBBQ.Ambiance:Pluses: the big whale mural is beautiful, and the decor feels traditional yet modern.Minuses: just a few detail issues that could easily be addressed. Nothing that stops me from returning, but things that could elevate the experience for not a lot of elbow grease.One, things are a little dusty for a place that serves raw food, so don't look too closely at the shelves, haha.Also, customers are always getting marker all over their beautiful wood counter. It can easily be cleaned off with a little bit of hand sanitizer, which would go a long way to keeping the bar looking upscale.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alicia Zhou
Not a lot of food selection but almost every single item is so tasty! Reserve beforehand is easy and they do get a line at peak dinner hour. Highly recommend the scallop one. The otoro one has cilantro so do watch out if you don’t like
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oyster Half Shell 3 pcs, Scallop Special Hand Roll, Salmon Belly
Jenn
I’ve had my fair share of handroll experiences and this place is pretty good, but quite pricey for the experience. Most handroll places I’ve been to have stellar customer service — very attentive to you even when it is full house.Reservation on Saturday at 5PM. Walked in and the seating is very limited — there seems to be only bar seating (which is totally fine and what I prefer for the experience). No one greeted us at all but my friend sat down and was early to our reservation, so we just took our spot and sat down. There was probably 4-5 other people inside so it was fairly empty on a Saturday. There was also some time where the music just stopped playing and it was so oddly quiet (the only party that was talking was my party!).Also we had four seats but we only got two small plates of wasabi and ginger haha - not a problem since I asked for my own.Pricing of the handroll is pricey compared to other places I’ve been to but makes sense since it the Bay Area (I’ve only been to handroll places in Japan and SoCal).4/5 - Crab Handroll was good! It was my first time having this since I’ve only eaten blue crab, but I’d get this again since it was on the cheaper side of the menu ($8)5/5 - Uni Toro Handroll was so good and very nicely presented! It is quite on the hefty side at $25 but gotta at least try it and plus I wanted a nice picture for my review and instagram3/5 - Hamachi Handroll was pretty basic, but fresh!4/5 - Uni Handroll cause they use Japanese Bafun Uni instead of bland Santa Barbara Uni haha3/5 - Maybe I’m biased with service, but all the handroll bars I’ve been to were super attentive and I feel like they just tried to get food to us and never really followed up with us or ask how we were doing. We waited awhile to finally flag down a host/manager to get the bill.Not a terrible experience but wasn’t up to my standards for some parts. The more expensive items were absolute fire though. I’d still come back if I’m craving a handroll spot since I’m only 20min away haha
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Salmon Belly Roll, Taki Toro Handroll, Handrolls
Diana L.
I feel sooooo blessed to have Taki Nori in our area because it's genuinely everything I've wanted in a Japanese restaurant. They specialize in handrolls - simple and fancy - and each piece is made with attention and care, right in front of you. I was drawn in by $25 special handroll, and it was the best thing I've ever had. The slices of toro are generous and melt in your mouth. The inside of the restaurant is narrow, and seating limited to the bar. I wouldn't walk in here as a group without a reservation first!
Jenn N.
I've had my fair share of handroll experiences and this place is pretty good, but quite pricey for the experience. Most handroll places I've been to have stellar customer service -- very attentive to you even when it is full house. Reservation on Saturday at 5PM. Walked in and the seating is very limited -- there seems to be only bar seating (which is totally fine and what I prefer for the experience). No one greeted us at all but my friend sat down and was early to our reservation, so we just took our spot and sat down. There was probably 4-5 other people inside so it was fairly empty on a Saturday. There was also some time where the music just stopped playing and it was so oddly quiet (the only party that was talking was my party!). Also we had four seats but we only got two small plates of wasabi and ginger haha - not a problem since I asked for my own.Pricing of the handroll is pricey compared to other places I've been to but makes sense since it the Bay Area (I've only been to handroll places in Japan and SoCal). 4/5 - Crab Handroll was good! It was my first time having this since I've only eaten blue crab, but I'd get this again since it was on the cheaper side of the menu ($8)5/5 - Uni Toro Handroll was so good and very nicely presented! It is quite on the hefty side at $25 but gotta at least try it and plus I wanted a nice picture for my review and instagram 3/5 - Hamachi Handroll was pretty basic, but fresh! 4/5 - Uni Handroll cause they use Japanese Bafun Uni instead of bland Santa Barbara Uni haha 3/5 - Maybe I'm biased with service, but all the handroll bars I've been to were super attentive and I feel like they just tried to get food to us and never really followed up with us or ask how we were doing. We waited awhile to finally flag down a host/manager to get the bill. Not a terrible experience but wasn't up to my standards for some parts. The more expensive items were absolute fire though. I'd still come back if I'm craving a handroll spot since I'm only 20min away haha
Evelyn N.
I had high hopes for this place and it fell short a bit for me. I was craving KazuNori from LA and Taki Nori was 3/5. Wish the nori was crispier and the rice were warmer but the fish was superb. Truffle hamachi slices could've been more precise. Pricey for what you're getting compared to quality or KazuNori. Service was 3/5. Ambiance was nice. Limited table seating, mostly bar seating and the football game was on so that was a plus for hubby.
Erenis Lemus
Great place. The nori could be a bit softer when rolled.
We arrived to Taki Nori as they opened on a Sunday. We heard about their popularity and wait time so we made sure to get in there before the potential rush and start our afternoon with some hand rolls. The hype did not disappoint. We were seated at the bar with a menu to mark our selections. We each choose a few hand rolls each and they highlights were the lobster, toro, and of course uni hand rolls. Each burst with fresh and unique flavors. We washed each roll down with some Dassai 39 sake which was smooth and aromatic. The clean and wooden setting gave a vibe straight from Japan which was great to experience and the staff was attentive and friendly to us. Our first experience at Taki Nori will not be our last as we plan to come back for other menu items like the Wagyu and Truffle Hamachi.
Christophe Gaboury
Eating hand rolls at the counter is a pleasing experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Handrolls
Christina N.
Simple hand roll. Prices are slightly on the high side. I had the spicy tuna, salmon belly, chutoro and hamachi. My favorite was the chutoro. They were generous with the fish and there was not too much rice in the handroll, which was nice. The soft shell crab side was pretty good too. I was decently full on 4 handrolls and could probably fit room for dessert :)
Jonathan R
Clean simple hand rolls . A treat but not a hunger killer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lisa Zhu
When we went there were only 3 groups, yet we had to look around to find the waiter to place the order. The "chef" behind the counter was not really helpful in answering our questions. We didn't get any water refill even though we finished the bottle a little more than half way. The waiter is busy though, just need more help I think.The food - well, it's store-bought packaged nori, rice that's lightly seasoned, and fish and I could've gotten from Suruki around the corner. There are no technique of how to wrap this hand roll, and no special seasoning in the fish like I'd expect.So all in all, overpriced for a simple dish. I have to say I'm somewhat disappointed. For the same price of the 3 rolls (hamachi, salmon belly, yuzu toro), I could've gotten the Amami omakase with more and better quality fish.
Food is priced very reasonably, the nori tastes good. Good place for a casual and semi-upscale meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salmon Belly Roll, Taki Toro Handroll, Wagyu, Yuzu Toro Handroll
Saw people bringing up Kazunori but can you really compare the two? Kazunori lacked the specialty sets that Taki Nori offers. We both ordered their premium set, which included Japanese scallops, lobster, wagyu, and uni & toro hand rolls. We also tried a few of their other hand rolls a la carte style. The uni handroll was easily our favorite (Japanese uni btw!).Handroll Project is still the better value, but this is a nice addition to Bay Area. Service was also good - the server we had was very attentive and prompt. We did have a small issue with snow crab running out, but the server resolved it for us. Overall a good experience here for us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salmon Belly Roll, Taki Toro Handroll, Scallop Special Hand Roll, Handrolls
Waitlist said 5 min, but table ready after 35 min. Not worth
One of my favorite - not just Japanese, but any cuisine - restaurants in the Bay area. Worth the hour+ drive in traffic for me, plus now that Nori Nori closed down, I'm finding myself driving out more often. Although it's a hand roll bar and not a full sushi bar like Sushi Jin or Kaisen Don, it's also a fraction of the price, a very good deal for the area.The hand rolls are amazing. The sashimi is also fresh, but there's nothing like being given a hand roll as soon as it's made, so that the nori is still crisp and not soggy when you bite into it.Chefs are young and cute, and good about taking special requests like "no eel sauce." And the owner works just as hard as the employees, which is inspiring and great to see.I have visited enough times that by now I've managed to try every roll and side dish on the menu, several times over. It *is* a somewhat limited menu (1 page), but that keeps the quality and variety consistent from visit to visit - no finding out something is out of season.Everything involving raw fish is good. My favorites of those are the hamachi, salmon belly, chu toro and oh toro.The spicy tuna can sometimes not be spicy enough, and occasionally is too spicy, but that's minor to me.I don't love the oysters only because I'm a bit of a purist and don't like too much stuff on top of them they tasted fine, just busy, imho.Cooked items:Hits:Tempura shrimp roll - served piping hot, so be careful!Sukiyaki beef roll - hot, tender, and not too sweet, which is often my complaint with sukiyaki (it is still sweet, however, so you may want to skip it if you're diabetic).Miso soup - piping hot, big portions, good amount of tofu, though not a lot of seaweed or green onions.Edamame - also hot, perfectly cooked, lightly salted (you might need to ask for salt).Yaki ramen - al dente, looks and tastes like fresh, not instant, ramen (yellow, eggy, and thick), big portions, but a bit bland (also may need to request salt for this). This dish is normally slightly sweet but it's strictly savory here.Sushi tacos - more like sushi tostadas. Way too sweet for me but everything else about it was good: generous portion of fish, super crunchy base.Misses:Fried calamari - slightly sweet, it tastes like Taiwanese fried squid, which is what I want to have with boba, not in a Japanese meal, where I am expecting an ika geso-style preparation.Fried chicken - as above, it's more like Taiwanese popcorn chicken rather than Japanese karaage.BBQ ribs - basically LA kalbi. You're better off ordering this at a KBBQ.Ambiance:Pluses: the big whale mural is beautiful, and the decor feels traditional yet modern.Minuses: just a few detail issues that could easily be addressed. Nothing that stops me from returning, but things that could elevate the experience for not a lot of elbow grease.One, things are a little dusty for a place that serves raw food, so don't look too closely at the shelves, haha.Also, customers are always getting marker all over their beautiful wood counter. It can easily be cleaned off with a little bit of hand sanitizer, which would go a long way to keeping the bar looking upscale.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not a lot of food selection but almost every single item is so tasty! Reserve beforehand is easy and they do get a line at peak dinner hour. Highly recommend the scallop one. The otoro one has cilantro so do watch out if you don’t like
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oyster Half Shell 3 pcs, Scallop Special Hand Roll, Salmon Belly
I’ve had my fair share of handroll experiences and this place is pretty good, but quite pricey for the experience. Most handroll places I’ve been to have stellar customer service — very attentive to you even when it is full house.Reservation on Saturday at 5PM. Walked in and the seating is very limited — there seems to be only bar seating (which is totally fine and what I prefer for the experience). No one greeted us at all but my friend sat down and was early to our reservation, so we just took our spot and sat down. There was probably 4-5 other people inside so it was fairly empty on a Saturday. There was also some time where the music just stopped playing and it was so oddly quiet (the only party that was talking was my party!).Also we had four seats but we only got two small plates of wasabi and ginger haha - not a problem since I asked for my own.Pricing of the handroll is pricey compared to other places I’ve been to but makes sense since it the Bay Area (I’ve only been to handroll places in Japan and SoCal).4/5 - Crab Handroll was good! It was my first time having this since I’ve only eaten blue crab, but I’d get this again since it was on the cheaper side of the menu ($8)5/5 - Uni Toro Handroll was so good and very nicely presented! It is quite on the hefty side at $25 but gotta at least try it and plus I wanted a nice picture for my review and instagram3/5 - Hamachi Handroll was pretty basic, but fresh!4/5 - Uni Handroll cause they use Japanese Bafun Uni instead of bland Santa Barbara Uni haha3/5 - Maybe I’m biased with service, but all the handroll bars I’ve been to were super attentive and I feel like they just tried to get food to us and never really followed up with us or ask how we were doing. We waited awhile to finally flag down a host/manager to get the bill.Not a terrible experience but wasn’t up to my standards for some parts. The more expensive items were absolute fire though. I’d still come back if I’m craving a handroll spot since I’m only 20min away haha
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Salmon Belly Roll, Taki Toro Handroll, Handrolls
I feel sooooo blessed to have Taki Nori in our area because it's genuinely everything I've wanted in a Japanese restaurant. They specialize in handrolls - simple and fancy - and each piece is made with attention and care, right in front of you. I was drawn in by $25 special handroll, and it was the best thing I've ever had. The slices of toro are generous and melt in your mouth. The inside of the restaurant is narrow, and seating limited to the bar. I wouldn't walk in here as a group without a reservation first!
I've had my fair share of handroll experiences and this place is pretty good, but quite pricey for the experience. Most handroll places I've been to have stellar customer service -- very attentive to you even when it is full house. Reservation on Saturday at 5PM. Walked in and the seating is very limited -- there seems to be only bar seating (which is totally fine and what I prefer for the experience). No one greeted us at all but my friend sat down and was early to our reservation, so we just took our spot and sat down. There was probably 4-5 other people inside so it was fairly empty on a Saturday. There was also some time where the music just stopped playing and it was so oddly quiet (the only party that was talking was my party!). Also we had four seats but we only got two small plates of wasabi and ginger haha - not a problem since I asked for my own.Pricing of the handroll is pricey compared to other places I've been to but makes sense since it the Bay Area (I've only been to handroll places in Japan and SoCal). 4/5 - Crab Handroll was good! It was my first time having this since I've only eaten blue crab, but I'd get this again since it was on the cheaper side of the menu ($8)5/5 - Uni Toro Handroll was so good and very nicely presented! It is quite on the hefty side at $25 but gotta at least try it and plus I wanted a nice picture for my review and instagram 3/5 - Hamachi Handroll was pretty basic, but fresh! 4/5 - Uni Handroll cause they use Japanese Bafun Uni instead of bland Santa Barbara Uni haha 3/5 - Maybe I'm biased with service, but all the handroll bars I've been to were super attentive and I feel like they just tried to get food to us and never really followed up with us or ask how we were doing. We waited awhile to finally flag down a host/manager to get the bill. Not a terrible experience but wasn't up to my standards for some parts. The more expensive items were absolute fire though. I'd still come back if I'm craving a handroll spot since I'm only 20min away haha
I had high hopes for this place and it fell short a bit for me. I was craving KazuNori from LA and Taki Nori was 3/5. Wish the nori was crispier and the rice were warmer but the fish was superb. Truffle hamachi slices could've been more precise. Pricey for what you're getting compared to quality or KazuNori. Service was 3/5. Ambiance was nice. Limited table seating, mostly bar seating and the football game was on so that was a plus for hubby.
Great place. The nori could be a bit softer when rolled.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We arrived to Taki Nori as they opened on a Sunday. We heard about their popularity and wait time so we made sure to get in there before the potential rush and start our afternoon with some hand rolls. The hype did not disappoint. We were seated at the bar with a menu to mark our selections. We each choose a few hand rolls each and they highlights were the lobster, toro, and of course uni hand rolls. Each burst with fresh and unique flavors. We washed each roll down with some Dassai 39 sake which was smooth and aromatic. The clean and wooden setting gave a vibe straight from Japan which was great to experience and the staff was attentive and friendly to us. Our first experience at Taki Nori will not be our last as we plan to come back for other menu items like the Wagyu and Truffle Hamachi.
Eating hand rolls at the counter is a pleasing experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Handrolls
Simple hand roll. Prices are slightly on the high side. I had the spicy tuna, salmon belly, chutoro and hamachi. My favorite was the chutoro. They were generous with the fish and there was not too much rice in the handroll, which was nice. The soft shell crab side was pretty good too. I was decently full on 4 handrolls and could probably fit room for dessert :)
Clean simple hand rolls . A treat but not a hunger killer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
When we went there were only 3 groups, yet we had to look around to find the waiter to place the order. The "chef" behind the counter was not really helpful in answering our questions. We didn't get any water refill even though we finished the bottle a little more than half way. The waiter is busy though, just need more help I think.The food - well, it's store-bought packaged nori, rice that's lightly seasoned, and fish and I could've gotten from Suruki around the corner. There are no technique of how to wrap this hand roll, and no special seasoning in the fish like I'd expect.So all in all, overpriced for a simple dish. I have to say I'm somewhat disappointed. For the same price of the 3 rolls (hamachi, salmon belly, yuzu toro), I could've gotten the Amami omakase with more and better quality fish.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Salmon Belly Roll, Handrolls