Itani Sushi - Berkeley

I’ve been a huge fan of Hopscotch, Itani Ramen, and Yonsei Handrolls for years, and I was beyond excited to see that the same group was opening a sushi spot in the Gourmet Ghetto! Of course I had to try it with a friend 😅 We each ordered a three-course sushi set and decided on the ITSU set and the baller set. We also added some miso soups and eventually more nigiri, including their delicious Hokkaido scallops and fantastic Hokkaido uni, both of which were about half the price I usually see when eating sushi in the Bay Area, Seattle, Hawaii, and New York. The arctic char was also phenomenal 🤤 (I should probably mention that I didn’t confirm that the scallops and uni were from Hokkaido, but the uni had that sweet butter consistency that I’ve only seen with Hokkaido uni.) For drinks we both had still water, and my friend tried the iced tea. I went with the yuzu lemonade, which was delicious and perfect for the warm day but threatened to overwhelm my pallette at times. Service was prompt, generally lovely, and better than most of the service I’ve experienced across multiple states in the last few weeks (including other Bay Area restaurants). They also have different soy sauces available, and both of the ones we tried (I think it was the Yonsei house soy sauce and a garlic soy sauce?) were delicious! Itani Sushi also had a bunch of freshly made to go options that looked like a perfect option for those in a bit of a hurry or wanting to enjoy the sunshine and some fresh air in their gorgeous, shared back patio (accessible if you walk past the bathrooms and towards the back of the building). I will 100% be back and look forward to my next visit!

Had the sashimi and the nigiri omakase. When we told them we were sitting out back, the chef prepared everything on ceramic plates instead of to go containers- so much better. The presentation was beautiful and the quality of fish was great. They are the sister restaurant with one in Oakland and Albany so I imagine have a strong connection for sushi grade fish. We will definitely return. I heard they may get a license for sit down bar inside which would be great.

Absolutely delicious! Been coming here for years and everything on the menu is amazing. The quality and freshness is unmatched.

Amazing counter sushi spot in the food hall. The arctic char and toro nigiri was absolutely incredible. The Chef was so nice and personable and his suggestions were spot on. Definitely coming back here before it’s gets too crowded and won’t be able to get a spot at the counter

My partner and I love hamachi carpaccio and came across this spot when looking for a sushi restaurant that was open on Mondays! We had a wonderful dinner here. The hamachi carpaccio is incredible and the owner also let us sample the arctic char which was also really good. The staff are very welcoming and the ambiance is really cute. This is definitely our new sushi spot and we’re looking forward to visiting again!

The sushi is really super yummy here!!! I got the maki roll and nigiri combo and it was really tasty. The rolls have a crunchy middle. Maybe crab? It adds a really nice touch. Sad that Kirala II closed and happy that it was replaced by another great sushi restaurant. It’s a perfect place to grab a quick ready made lunch or dinner.

Was so excited to try this new place out. It did not disappoint! I especially enjoyed the tamago and spicy mama roll. The yellowtail was some of the best sushi I’ve ever had.

Enjoyed my first time at Itani Sushi. Ordered pickup tonight and my Spicy Mama was by far my favorite!!! Yum. The kids enjoyed their Ayla and cucumber rolls. Everything we got was delicious. Will definitely be ordering again.

I Love love love Itani Sushi! It checks all the boxes. Great sushi, amazing vibes (always playing bangers) and incredible service. The sushi is honestly one of my favorites in Berkeley, great quality, fresh, delicious and lots of veggie options. I recommend if you're in the city! Also shout out to the cashier ashley!!

Great spot for fast, high-quality sushi. The service is quick and efficient, and the staff is friendly. The fish was fresh, and the rolls were well-prepared. I especially enjoyed the Tuna Nigiri and Spicy Salmon Roll. Perfect for when you're in the mood for sushi but don't have time to sit around for a long meal. I'll definitely be back!

Since Kirala went out of business at this location, I have been wondering what would take its place. I was super happy to see another sushi place come in. Even happier to see it was staffed by some of my favorite sushi chefs who used to work at Mujiri. The sushi here is affordable, super fresh, with great quality fish, perfect rice and elevated in the way they package it. It's a food court, but the ambience is nice and there are plenty of tables both indoors and outdoors for you to sit down and eat. I really like to sit outside as they have a really beautiful garden. I tried the potato salad, the avocado roll, the Negihama Roll and the California roll. The potato salad was nice, tasty, and comforting. The avocado roll was delicious with perfect avocado. The California roll was excellent and they use real crab, which was a nice treat. And the Negihama roll was super good and fresh and tasty. I'll definitely be going back and I'm looking forward to trying new things. My favorites were definitely the California roll and the avocado roll but everything was good.

Back to exploring food in the Bay Area after spending some time in Asia this winter - I was curious what was new, and Itani was listed by Eater. They seem to specialize in to-go sushi and I got some delivered. For delivery / to go sushi this was very fresh and a good variety too - the combo I got had some not as common fish and a piece of toro. Overall I was impressed and it certainly satisfied my sushi craving of the day. I also got karaage and spinach, both were pretty good and tasted slightly different than other places. The chicken had a thicker batter and the spinach had a slightly more sourness in the flavor. I liked them and would try other things in the future too.

Another great sushi takeout spot. They have very limited indoor seating, but there are tables outside as well. No need to find a local park or go straight home. They have a lot of options at various price points. I highly recommend their nigiri set. They do have some repeating pieces but hey.. this is takeout sushi lol. No issues with the staff. Everything was grab and go. Not a lot of interaction needed.

Itani Sushi takes over Kirala 2's space in Epicurious Garden in the Gourmet Ghetto. Inside & outside seating 2 tables each baked by the sun. Self service grab n go of premade sushi in display case or can order at cashier station. Menus next to display case & at cashier station. Offerings: starters & salads, nigiri, donburi rice bowls, maki rolls, sashimi & sushi sets, drinks. Nigiri & maki rolls combos As i was perusing display case, cashier asks if i needed help. I asked is there omakase? Cashier suggested the 14 piece nigiri which was made to order. Ready in 5ish minutes. Bites: 14 piece nigiri & maki rolls (49) -decided to take home as seating was sun lit. Hr. Journey didn't affect freshness. -portions were smaller than Mujiri or Ebiko. Quality similar. Smaller nigiri options here. -fish served at peak quality: kanpachi (amberjack), umi masu(trout), tai (sea bream), scallop, toro (tuna), ika (squid), ebi (shrimpj, shiro maguro (albacore), hamachi, maguro (tuna), sake(salmon) Subtle sweetness of fish + grated wasabi (not powdered or tube type) signs of top quality eats. Also Maki rolls of tuna & shiro maguro or sake. 4.5 stars would repeat if parking available @4.00/hr.

We ordered the maki and nigiri combo platter. Spashimi was fresh, rice was not mushy with right amount of seasoning. It was a generous portion for $100. Good quality. Will try other rolls next time.

Let me first say that it was sad to see Kirala 2 close but so grateful this place opened in its place. They have a good selection of food on their menu and everything is fresh!The people working there are very helpful! The prices are comparable to those of Kirala 2 as well. This place is definitely on my list for goto Japanese "grab n go" but they will also make you whatever you want from their menu if it's not readily available and the most important .... They are open til 8pm!!!!!! Whoo hoo! Parking can be a bit challenging depending on when you go but there is metered parking if you can find a spot! If it's a nice day, you can take your food and eat outside in the back! This place has good food for decent prices, nice people who work there and open til 8pm! Try it and you won't be disappointed!!!!

This is by far the best sushi in Berkeley. It's simple but the quality is amazing. The rice to fish ratio is perfect. I get the shared sushi platter with miso soup when we go as a family but they have to-go platters for one that are perfect for a quick lunch. Love this spot, shoutout to Jeremias

Wow. The rolls are amazing. So good it's mind blowing. I get California rolls at every sushi restaurant I go and this one exceeds expectations. I will definitely be back.

Itani popped up as a 'Hot and New Restaurant' on Yelp, and based off the reviews, we wanted to give it a shot. It's located inside a small food hall. It seems they have taken over the spot Kirala used to be. They're semi-takeout only, but they have small seating areas scattered throughout the food hall. We opted to just enjoy our sushi takeout there since there wasn't many people around. Between my partner and I, from the refrigerator section, we picked up a 1) Maki Roll + 5 pc. Nigiri Combo, and 2) Ohitashi. We also ordered 1) Yonsei Seared Albacore Roll, and 2) Hotate Sashimi x 2, which were made-to-order. Service was pretty nice with their explanations. I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I thought the Hotate on their menu under Nigiri/Sashimi could be sold as a Sashimi order, but it's not typically. Their price on the menu is for 2 pcs of Nigiri I believe. However, because we asked about it, they said they could make it, but it'll be charged as two orders and they added an extra piece so 5 in total! Maybe they were just feeling nice that day, who knows, but I appreciate it! We started on our Maki Roll + 5 pc. Nigiri Combo and the Ohitashi first since the other two were made-to-order. The Ohitashi was quite delicious. It seems fairly simple to make as it's Spinach with soy dashi dressing. While it was tasty, I'm not sure it's worth the price, but it certainly inspired us to want to try making it ourselves at home. As for our Maki Roll + 5 pc. Nigiri Combo, this was good, but not amazing. The combo comes with Kanpachi, Umi Masu, Hamachi, Maguro, and Sake. While I think they're fairly fresh, I feel like for the price point, I could get something even more fresh with just a few additional bucks. I enjoyed the Maki roll though - that was pretty good. This is also only an assumption, but I think because we picked it up from the refrigerated section, the flavor was just okay for the Nigiri pieces. Their made-to-order items were pretty good though! I would probably recommend you order right off the menu if you have a bit of time to wait. But if you don't, refrigerator selection is a quick and easy meal. We thought their Hotate was pretty fresh and they gave generously sized portion scallops! I liked the additional bits of ikura added to the top. I also really enjoyed the Yonsei Seared Albacore Roll. The tempura adds a nice crunchiness to each bite, and the seared Albacore was just a tad smokey. Presentation for these made-to-order items were on-point too, but if you're not dining in, you can't really expect it. I'm definitely glad we gave it a try though. Part of our reason for going out tonight was to try Itani. It's a nice, affordable, friendly place if you're around the area and looking for sushi, but it's just not quite worth the trek out there for us when we have better options available closer to our own area. I do recommend you give this place a try though if you're around here! If I'm around the area, I'd like to try their cold soba takeout. Looks delicious!

Itani Sushi is sooo good - really elevated takeaway sushi. Ultra fresh fish and plenty of options for vegetable loving Berkeleyites like myself. I ordered the Nigiri Combo and some rolls, and two salads: Caesar and seaweed. Pickup was fast and efficient. Pro tip: the knowledgable staff at Vine St will recommend a cold bottle of wine to go with your sushi.My husband and I picnicked at the Rose Garden in the Berkeley hills as the sun went down: perfect date night.

This was my first time trying Itani Sushi and I got it through DoorDash. I enjoyed the rolls and also the nigiri set I ordered. The fish to rice ratio was perfect!! The only thing about my order since I got it delivered, I asked for no chopsticks, napkins and no packages of soy since I have all that at home, but it was included in the bag anyway. Aside from this, I would order again or dine in.

I ordered Itani Sushi for dinner last night and I was really surprised at high quality the fish was for the convenience of takeout! Fried shrimp was super crunchy so held up well even though it was delivery. Ordered a bunch of different things but the Nigiri Set really stood out as the best value. Will order again!

Awesome experience with the order/delivery and the food was amazing! Everything on the menu looked delicious but settled on Cold Cali Noodle Salad, Nigiri Combo, Spicy Mama, Yonsei Seared Albacore Roll, ITSU Roll, Yonsei Salmon Belly Roll, Negihama Roll and the Ume Shiso Roll. All the dishes were plated very well and the sushi had very fresh fish with a perfect rice to fish ratio. I am a big fan of ume and shiso so the Ume Shiso Roll was a pleasant surprise to see on the menu and it did not disappoint! Another highlight was the Cold Cali Noodle Salad. The salad was loaded with crab, the soba was cooked perfectly and the dressing was delicious! Excited for my next order to try the rest of the menu!

Delicious sushi at a reasonable price point! All the fish was super fresh with great texture, rice was perfectly seasoned, and all of the rolls were really tight - nothing fell out. The Yonsei salmon belly roll was a real standout - the yuzu kosho knocked it outta the park. Family and I can't wait to come back :)

Great sushi platters! We had an event catered for 60+ people from Kyle's team (Itani Ramen / Hopscotch / Itani Sushi). They executed to perfection - cooked foods prepared perfectly and the sushi was delightful. Thanks Kyle, would definitely work with you all again!

Incredible quality for the price. Quick and insanely fresh. Has no business being this good for a quick to go. Fish were incredibly fresh and staff were quick and attentive with their service. It's in a food court, but facing the street, so it's a very casual ambiance. 11/10 would recommend, best sushi for the price in the bay. Had the maguro, hamachi, toro, and hotate, all were excellent.

I got the sushi combo with 5 pieces of nigiri with maki. Good rice to fish ratio for the nigiri, fresh fish, super fast and easy takeout, and good quality for the price. Will definitely be adding into my regular rotation of favorite sushi places. Only note is they didn't include chopsticks or soy sauce but maybe they just forgot

Wow! We were longtime customers of Kirala, who were in the same space for years, and while the sushi was good, Itani puts it way over the top! Very fresh and delicious sushi! And the staff was very friendly and accommodating. We can't wait to try more items in the near future. The two definitive descriptors are fresh and delicious! We'll be back!

Sushi was delicious and really fresh! They have plenty of ready to go options to pick from but can also make things to order. Service is friendly and they made great recommendations like their Yuzu lemonade which was refreshing!

I've become a regular at Itani Sushi since they opened earlier this year -- it's my top spot for quick, fresh, and super tasty sushi in North Berkeley! My go-to orders are: the Yonsei Seared Albacore Roll (an amazing mix of tempura shrimp, seared albacore, and a delicious aioli with a little bit of kick) and the Cold Cali Noodle Salad. I even picked up their Nigiri and Maki platter for a small get-together, and it was a total hit. Everything was so fresh and beautifully presented, which isn't always easy to find with takeout sushi. If you're nearby, give them a try -- they're definitely worth it! (Insider tip: there is ample sunny garden seating in the back)

Fish was exceptionally fresh. Service was good. I got take out but one can eat at the food court if they so choose. Wanted more sauce for the soba as it was so good. I will return for some of the cooked items and sushi rolls.... Yummy!

High quality made to order and grab and go sushi. Yes please! Really good salads too.

Came here right before closing with a big group. The staff were all lovely and accommodating. We got several rolls and snagged a table on the back patio. It was convenient to grab stuff right from the cooler up front so there wasn't a wait for the kids. We ordered several other speciality rolls which were all made to order. It was beautifully presented on one large plate for everyone to share. The patio also connects to Tiger Lily and we grabbed drinks from the bar there. The Yonsei roll was absolutely insane- seared hamachi, shrimp tempura, pickled red onions, and black garlic- say less!!! We were fighting over these. Could easily put down a few rolls without sharing. The other stars were the nigiri and California rolls. Why doesn't everyone use fresh snow crab in their California rolls?? Love Itani Sushi and anything chef Kyle creates. This place was

Our delivery order from this great new spot was excellent! It came on time, looked amazing and tasted even better - fresh, classic with some fun twists, and very satisfying. I love that Itani Sushi uses real crab, my fave - I recommend the Nikkei Roll! My kids love the bite-sized rolls. Can't wait to order again, and to stop in for a quick, easy, gourmet bite.

It's hard to get my family to all agree on one spot for sushi. I'm so happy we can all agree on Itani Sushi! Awesome friendly service and fresh quality ingredients! Must try, you won't be disappointed

Fresh and great quality fish! The food tasted amazing and experienced excellent customer service!

Just awful. Food delivery took too long and the person they sent for delivery delivered to the wrong place. Then, no phone number to get a refund. Awful. Don't recommend. Esp for delivery.

Great fresh sushi from an Oakland OG. Great spot for a quick healthy lunch or take out dinner.

Kyle Itani does it again! Super fast and easy experience and incredible fresh and delicious sushi. Highly recommend stopping by this new spot.

Sushi tasted very good. The service was really nice. Lots of options to pick from if you go in person.

Some of the best sushi I've ever eaten (including on a tour of Japan). Excellent quality. Service was great as well - fast, and very well priced.

Amazing! We ordered a variety of rolls and nigiri - everything was delicious! We are avid sushi fans and this was by far the best we've had in the Bay. Everything was so fresh. Even the wasabi! Our 8 year old usually refuses all sushi but she loved the Ayla roll! Great service and delicious food.

Most of the sushi we ordered was tasty enough, but the California roll tasted so fishy I couldn't eat it. However, my husband did eat it and ended up with a big stomach ache an hour later. I never encountered a fishy California roll before. Probably not going back.

Last month I went to get some Kirala takeout and was very sad to see that they were shutting down. I am very happy to say that Itani Sushi is meeting and maybe exceeding the very high standards of Kirala. Incredible sushi