Kiraku

I love this place so much, have been here for years and their food never fails to impress me. Definitely check for reservations ahead of time if you can because it gets busy. Kiraku is definitely one of the best izakaya spots in the Bay Area with a wide range of dishes and fresh seasonal ingredients. You can’t go wrong from their tempuras, to sushi, to skewers. Highly recommend bringing a friend so you can maximize trying different dishes. Prices are a bit higher, but well worth it.

Potato Croquette: Perfectly crispy outside, soft and creamy inside -- ultimate comfort bite. Grilled Angus Beef Tongue: Tender with a smoky char, brightened by a squeeze of lemon. Mini Kaisen Don: Fresh, flavorful seafood with just the right rice-to-topping ratio. Sashimi Sampler: Generous cuts, melt-in-your-mouth freshness. Overall, a go-to for authentic Japanese small plates. It has that cozy, intimate izakaya feel with warm lighting, lively but not overwhelming. The staff is friendly, attentive, and great with recommendations; dishes came out at a good pace. Expect about 30 minutes to 1 hour wait time during peak dinner hours.

Food was ideal for me. I had the abalone with creamed spinach, the carbonara, and clam miso. The waitresses clearly work very hard to tend to everyone. The chefs make sure the meals are up to par. It does take a long time to be seated which is worth noting if you’re traveling from afar. However, after eating the food I am glad I waited. To be candid it was a 2 hour wait, but this goes to show how in demand the food is. Furthermore, they prep the food fast and as soon as one table leaves someone takes that spot so they restaurant should not be blamed for the long wait.

I’m looking for great food. Kiraku is very hard to book, but I think it’s a bit overhyped compared to its price. I’m surprised how many good reviews it got on Google map. The seafood is good, but not worth the value. The otoro is not the creamy texture that its price should be. The salmon roe is too salty. Other food like grilled skewers including unagi skews, pork belly skews are ok but not excellent. Talking about Japanese food, people always have an illusion that it must be good. With very expensive pricing, I do not think it is good in taste as rintaro in SF, and both are overpriced even given the pricing level in the Bay Area nowadays. A mediocre restaurant in Japan can outbeat it. The food level also cannot catch up NYC or some Izakayas in Boston.

Loved my experience here! In the permanent menu, I ordered the curry croquettes and the grilled Angus beef tongue which I highly recommend - the flavor is so deep and smoky and it was perfectly cooked. The deep fried salmon nanban in the daily menu is a bit of a let down because the crispy shell got soggy, but the cod-kale kaganawa style was delightful.

Edit: coming back to say more cuz this honest review got reported 🤐😭😭 Super mediocre food and barely any space to move in the restaurant. The service was decent. Very unfortunately, we tried 10+ dishes including some that are highly recommended by the reviews, but barely half were good. You also can’t really tell from the photos but the portions are very small even for izakaya. We drove down to Berkeley and had only one meal there so I picked Kiraku since a lot of people say this is the best place in the town - very disappointed.

My fav izakaya in bay area over the years, the most authentic food and vibes, quick-changing seasonal menu. Never had enough, never be bored. Only thing is I wish the waiting line is shorter!

Kiraku had a lively and friendly atmosphere. The food was amazing! The chef’s choice sashimi was very delicious.

The deep fried salmon belly on the daily menu (02/01/2025) was absolutely mouthwatering, the best thing we ordered. Two generous slabs of salmon belly are breaded with a slightly chewy mixture, fried, and served with a refreshing lemon mayo dressing and ponzu. The sauce was so delicious that we did not leave a shred of the cabbage slaw accompaniment on the plate. Beef okonomiyaki was great, although the ginger flavor is quite strong. Uni carbonara was all cream--would have preferred more parmesan and less cream, though the portion of uni was quite generous. Mini kaisen donburi is just for visuals, but we loved the plain old rice since everything else on the table was rich flavor wise. Underwhelmed by the corn tempura but was worth trying. Honestly, service could have been more attentive. It seemed all the staff was hustling about, even though the place was not full by the time we left, around 7 on a Friday evening. The inside is very cutesy, though, and gives off authentic Japanese restaurant vibes. I would come back for the salmon belly.

I promised we'd come back, so here we are. Corn tempura, pork belly yakitori, beef tongue, sake sashimi, grilled squid, clams in miso soup, Asahi draft beers and warm sake. In my opinion, anything you order from the menu is going to be a hit. Service was excellent once again. Quite a busy night after a CAL men's basketball game. The wait for the table took some time because we didn't reserve our table through Yelp. The restaurant was playing some good Japanese pop music which is a plus. Makes the ambiance more relaxing and enjoyable. Definitely will be back for the hat trick.

This place was beyond incredible. We came in indecisive because everything looked amazing. We asked our wonderful waitress Angelina to take the reins and she asked a few thoughtful questions and chose absolutely everything from sake to dinner to dessert. She gauged our hunger level appropriately, it was timed perfectly, and absolutely every dish she brought left a lasting impression. I don't even know the names of the dishes but the beef tongue, sea bass, corn fritters and pork belly were all equally fantastic. This was beyond a 5 star experience for service, the food and the vibes. This was one of the best meals we've been to in a while and we somehow got out of there for $100. A meal that would have easily been $300 elsewhere. We will absolutely be returning! P.S. For a super fun date night, start with axe throwing next door. We had such a blast!

When I saw the Kaisen Don, I knew I had to try this place. I went around 5:30PM on a Tuesday and the place pretty much filled up within the hour. My absolute favorites were the Kaisen Don Deluxe (a bit on the pricier side) but it tasted so good and fresh (bonus for them using Japanese Bafun Uni instead of Santa Barbara Uni) and the Unagi Yakitori, which had a hint of wood charcoil and made it sooo tasty. Service is amazing and they are very attentive. The ambiance and vibe is giving small, cute Japanese shop as it is very cozy. I love that they have baskets on the floor for you to put your bags. Overall, this spot was perfect for a cute date night and I would definitely go again.

One of my FAVORITE places for sushi with a HIGE con. I ordered the DX kaisen Don for $70. Lots of delicious seafood the way it was meant to be eaten!!!!!!! So fresh and came neat and well presented in a wooden type box. Now the con... the picture on doordash makes it look larger then it is... and for the price it's not very filling... At all. I made a pizza after eating this and I get full easily, so that's saying something. And for the price you pay, you should be satisfied at least. Also, I wish they door dashed more nigiri I would love to order that to be delivered. I'll still order this plate for the price because it's good but damn, increase portion size. I ordered this for "free" due to my meal stipend but I'm still considering the price in its score. So they get a 4/5.

Kiraku has been hailed as THE izakaya spot, but despite its strong reputation, it fell short of expectations. We were able to get a spot on a weeknight and the tiny restaurant was packed at 7 PM. The menu is extensive and thoughtfully curated, but the execution didn't really justify the steep prices. Some of the fish dishes were not as fresh as I hoped, and the desserts were underwhelming. I would maybe come back to try the nigiri omakase, but I'm probably better off going to an actual omakase restaurant for that. For the cost, the overall experience felt underwhelming. I'd say it was decent but not remarkable.

dinging a star because they do a $50 minimum per person on reservation which is kind of annoying but it's not that hard to hit that... We got a reservation at 7:30 which I highly recommend you do because it's a bit hard to seat otherwise / the space is kind of small. we were sitting next to two tables that were unfortunately really loud. the menu is extensive, long, and delicious. I will say the vibes are sort of hectic / they're serving a lot (but it does come quickly!!) so it's not like a casual sort of hang out with friends / drink izakaya but like you are coming for a MEAL sort of deal. everything is great, no notes.

Easily my favorite restaurant in Berkeley. Service is always warm and considerate and I've not had a single miss on the menu. The space itself is quite small, and be prepared to wait if you don't have a reservation, but it's definitely worth it. Note: if you make a reservation, there's a $40 minimum. Menu changes often, offering variety of dishes izakaya style. My favorites: grilled squid, corn tempura, and the sweet potato crème brulee. The sashimi is consistently fresh and the grilled items have the ideal smoky flavor. Street parking can sometimes also take a little bit of time but it's manageable. Highly highly recommend!

I had heard a lot about this place, people around me really do recommend this place. And a couple months ago, I finally tried it out with my friend. This place gets packed, so we came right at 5 pm to beat the rush. They do priority people who have their whole group here already, so even though there were a couple of groups came before us. The two of us were seated immediately. The inside of the place was quite small, but cozy. They had quite a few server for the size of the restaurant. We got a few items to try. Grilled Squid: (5/5) highly recommend. I did not expect this to be this good. The squid was cooked to perfection and the sauce with it was just amazing! I would recommend this to everyone! nigiri omakase, (4/5), it was 5 piece nigiri set, very good and very fresh. Uni cream pasta (3/5) I was looking forward to this, but I dont think this was a good as I would like. Corn tempera (4/5) this was very unique and for people havent tried it yet should get it too

I really appreciate Kiraku and as long as you get a reservation, this is a fantastic izakaya experience. Love the squid, uni pasta, and the pricey yet delicious wagyu. It's a cozy spot with tight seating, but it's a nice restaurant for a date night or get together with 1-3 other people. Since it's on Telegraph near Berkeley campus, you'll need to deal with street parking so plan to come 5-10 min early.

Loud and crowded atmosphere in an intimate space, get a reservation or expect to wait! Service was good but we experienced a long wait for some items. The food was good but was pricey and inconsistent from the first time. - Assorted Sashimi was super fresh! Definitely worth it - Snow Crab Tomato Salad was interesting, the tomato was prepped in a way where it was super tender with a unique texture - Clams were overcooked but had a tasty sauce - Beef Intestine Skewers were absolutely delicious and melt in your mouth! - A5 Wagyu was really disappointing, for $78 it was overcooked and lacked salt. Still super tender, but not at all what I hoped for - Kiraku Salad had burnt (and bitter) garlic on top of bitter greens, not pleasant - Yaki Udon was tasty but also bitter towards the end! Overall, it was a tasty meal but I wasn't as impressed as the first time. Given the hefty price, I might reconsider going back

Amazing place, people are friendly. The sushi is very real, same i had in Japan. The vibe is calm and cozy making you want to stay there for the day.

Came here a few weeks ago as Kiraku is always a favorite of ours. We ordered our usuals (beef tongue, wagyu tataki, yuba spoons, 5 kind sashimi, uni carbonara). Everything was fantastic as usual. Kiraku maintains great service and quality/taste in the food they serve!

SO YUMMY every time! Thank you! Great people. Best part is the rice is flavored perfectly. Highly recommend

This was the best izakaya I've had in the Bay Area. Literally everything we ordered from the menu was amazing, you cannot go wrong with any order. The interior is super small and so seating is very limited. However, it's worth the wait. I recommend putting your name down right as they open for dinner. Parking is street parking only, which can be a bit chaotic in Berkeley. I will definitely be back!

I've had kiraku bookmarked forever and was super excited to try it out! Let me just say, I only tried the Kaisen don, but this might have been the best Kaisen don I've had. It comes with uni, toro, tuna, ikura, scallop, and shrimp, including the fried shrimp head. Everything tasted super fresh! Also, I don't know what they season the rice with - some kind of furikake or shiso or something - but it was amazing! It gives the rice so much more flavor and really elevates the taste. I def want to come back and try the other izakaya they have. Everything looks so good. The restaurant is quite small, with only a handful of tables, but it was packed even on a weekday night around 7/8. Def seems like a popular spot!

Another great experience at Kiraku. A small restaurant with great personality and excellent service, we love the vibe here! Make a reservation on Yelp as far in advance as you be can, and the wait is minimal (otherwise it could be 60-120 min) We were excited to see an omakase set added to the menu along side quite a few new items over the last year. I started with takowasabi, delicious as always and corn tempura with green tea salt along with a warm sake selected by our server. Then fish tempura and a 18 pc (two of each selection) sashimi plate. Then one of our favorite miso place cod plates along with a pork belly skewer. Then we shared a 12pc omakase and wrapped up with a negitoro maki. So happy to be back and we can't wait for our next visit!

When I was attending the University of California, Berkeley for graduate school a few years back, I was part of a peer-group program for graduate students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. Sometimes our group went out to eat or got something to eat from say a bakery. One evening we decided to come to Kiraku for an evening meal together. Arriving at the restaurant, we waited a little bit, but not too long. The inside of the restaurant was warm with lighting of moderate brightness. At our table, we had fun looking over the menu and deciding what to try. We went with a variety of dishes to share. Inside, the voices of those around us carried, so we had to lean in to hear each other better. Food came out in waves, same as drinks. One of the cultural surprise highlights for me was a pickle plate. I thought it meant like cucumber pickles, but it ended up being something with far more intense flavor than I was expecting. The items did have the crunchiness of pickles, only a little harder. A beverage highlight was a drink I ordered that came with a plum in it. I remember poking at it with a toothpick of sorts to try and get it to eat it and thinking and commenting out loud about how this is what us Vikings had become. Chasers of fruit in glasses. Workers were direct in their interactions, though busy. All in all, I had an enjoyable experience.

Wanted to go for a long time but don't go to Oakland much and they only open at 5:30pm. Passing by again and thought probably doing a takeout, nobody answers the phone, only web orders (I was driving!), and later on checking prices the $18 squid is now $24. I mean, how hard I have to try to just eat a couple overpriced dishes? Bye!

I love this place, one of my fave spots to eat in Berkeley. Several others must feel the same way as there is always a line at the door even before they open. Make reservation if you can, or show up right when they open at 5:30. Every time I've been here the food is solid, service is good, and the vibe is chill. My faves are the corn tempura, beef tongue skewer, pork belly skewer, mackerel, and cod in miso. My son had the buta-kim when he was here and it was his favorite thing. The sashimi is always fresh and delicious, no frills just really excellent pieces of fish.

This was my fourth time here and it was still as good as the past times if not better! No where else you can find a place like Kiraku! Dishes are unique, flavorful, tasty and eye catching. They have a wide variety of selections of dishes. Sushi and sashimi are premium quality with a touch of umami to the perfect balance. The black cod was done to perfection with miso taste. This was the best fish dish ever I have tasted! Even their dessert was done top notch with the chef's personal touch. The warm and friendly service adds to the pleasant feeling. The owner even came to greet us. It was another unforgettable experience here at Kiraku! We definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to come for a wonderful dining experience, and we will definitely be back every time visiting the area. It will be worthwhile in the waiting line.

Impressive! Cozy, intimate izakaya, with great food, and service. I think Ive tried more than half the menu at this point, and continually find dishes that surprise and delight. Here are some of my favs: Sushi omakase sampler: Fresh fish, good selection, with a little bit of fusion flavors. Sushi is a great mid meal delight in between the more succulent grilled dishes. Couple months ago they had tenmi cut of bluefin tuna, and just last week summer yaitokatuso skipjack tuna (bonito). Grilled beef tongue: The best I've ever had! Great flavor, and surprisingly super tender. Beef tongue is known to be a little tough (like a harder gummy bear), with the flavor being more about the beef texture. However, the beef tongue here has a great saucy flavor, and the beef tongue is the most tender I've seen in the US and Japan-- It really just melts in your mouth. Mini kaisen don: Pretty swanky bowl of goodness that has toro,uni, ikura, and salmon over rice. Fish head stew: Not for everyone, but if you are into fish head, this has a great soy flavor, and you can pick at all your favorite fish head parts. Service is great, and wait staff is super friendly. You can find street parking, but in evening lots of restaurants nearby also filling up, so it can start getting a little harder. If you order sake, they let you pick your sake cup to drink from.. small touch, but super cool. The one fault I can find with this place is that it's too small and/or too popular, and easily books out. I've done walk in twice and had to wait about 60-90 min each time.

A little small hole in the wall, forgot why I saved it in my bookmarks lol but was a little disappointing. ~foOod~ American wagyuy beef tatami was a little underwhelming. Wasn't cooked too well to be soft and sashimi like, felt like a thin blow torched rare steak and it's mainly just ponzu served. 2.5/5 Sweet shrimp is always delicious. A must get!! 5/5 Beef tongue was fairly good. Tasted more like short rib tbh but I'm not tripping! 4/5 Donburi was ok, needed maybe some sauce? Was really plain. 2.5/5 Never really a uni pasta guy but nothing wrong with it! If you like it get it!

Went here for my wife's birthday and had a great experience. Service was great, food was delicious, and it was a good energy for even how small the place was. We ordered the corn tempura, tofu skin w/ ikura and sea urchinnigiri sampler, pork belly, beef intestine, beef tongue plate, chicken cartilage, chazuke, and Roasted Tea Blanc Manger. Honestly everything was good and I would order it all again. The ice cold beer on draft was the full complete experience.

Walked into this Izakaya and instantly felt like Japan. Service was great. I love the tomato snow crab salad-the juice and sauces tasted so fresh with the tomato. The beef tongue tasted and felt like a short rib so it wasn't what I expected to be a beef tongue skewer. We got 3 different types of Nigiri and the ones with scallop and another type of fish were great, but the egg roe sushi was too salty to my liking. We also liked the natto tartare-a spin to eating natto! The cod skewer was also good. The famous fried corn was super underwhelmed though. Will definitely come back for their other dishes!

Reservations are essential for this popular restaurant, as walk-ins often face long waits. The interior, though cozy, tends to get quite loud. Despite the bustling atmosphere, the staff was attentive and ensured everyone was well taken care of. The grilled bluefin tuna, beef tongue, and grilled squid were standout dishes, each expertly prepared and full of flavor. However, the uni pasta was a letdown, with a bitter taste and undercooked texture. The beef sirloin also missed the mark, being excessively fatty and oily. These dishes, unfortunately, did not meet the restaurant's otherwise high standards and are not recommended. Given the restaurant's higher price point, I am 50/50 on whether I would return. While some dishes were exceptional, the inconsistencies in others make it difficult to justify the expense.

This restaurant is very small so there is almost always a wait, so join the yelp waitlist ahead of time. We tried the tuna three ways and mini kaisen don, which were pretty good but not outstanding. I was also disappointed by the portion sizes especially for the price, as the mini kaisen don could fit in the palm of my hand. The dessert was also just all right. Also note that you must spend a certain amount of money for each person in your party or else they will not serve you.

I don't get it. Why is this place popular? We've tried Kiraku a few times, and each time, I wonder if the sub-par experience is an anomaly. It's not. The cooked food is solid. But the sushi quality is pretty meh, despite supposedly being from Japan. The service leaves a lot to be desired. The servers are constantly bumping into your chair. One time, the server only brought one omakase?! And then seemed annoyed when I asked where my omakase was. Was she assuming I was just sitting there for fun?

Finally made it here (considering that I grew up in the east bay, this was one of the restaurants I should have been to but never did until now! Previously I only tried their chirashi bowl during covid which is stellar btw). What we ordered: Pork belly skewer - what more can one say? Grilled pork belly is amazing and glad that Kiraku made this well. Carpaccio - I forget which type of fish! Sorry! The sauce was okay, I think I would have actually preferred this as sashimi at the end of the day. Usually I love carpaccio, but this one wasn't quite it. Udon - what a unique twist on udon with the pesto! I was worried the pesto would overpower the dish but it didn't! I liked it. It was lighter than I expected. Quite delicious. Waygu skewers - again, so good! Good quality waygu, grilled well. Bluefin toro nigiri - so fresh!!! Melts in your mouth. Quality for sure! This is why I wondered if the carpaccio would have been better as sashimi or nigiri bc Kiraku does a good job with fresh fish. But maybe the sauce on the carpaccio took away from that. Salmon and mushrooms - this was a light dish. Baking the flavors in the foil is a different take. I think grilling both maybe would have been my preference for flavor profile, but if you're craving something light and hearty, this was good. Giant squid - yummm. I order this at every japanese restaurant that has it bc I mean... How can I not? Iykyk. And Kiraku did not disappoint. Overall it was a good experience. I'd give it 3.5 stars if that was an option because we had a reservation but still didn't sit for 30 min after that. And the crowded loud environment just isn't as conducive to date night. Staff was busy and wasn't able to notice our needs as much but they were quick to serve our food. Food overall was good, but perhaps not my pick for Izakaya. Was hoping for more grilled foods.

What a gem! I felt like I traveled to Japan once more. Authentic food and good ambiance. Fast and friendly service. They filled up quickly right after opening so be here early. I will definitely be back to try more dishes as they have such a large menu. Everything is so delicious!

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a decent experience. Made a reservation via Yelp and our table was ready upon arrival. Reservations via Yelp require a credit card and is subject to a $20/person flat fee for late cancellation and/or no-shows. There is a $50/person minimum charge for making reservations. Parking is available on the street around the restaurant. There is a Yelp waitlist at the front entrance along with a heater for walk-ins. The wait for a walk-in on a Saturday evening was 2.5-3 hours. Dining is indoors exclusively and it was a quick, almost rushed experience. Staff were super nice, wearing a uniform t-shirt. Some opted to wear a mask and/or reuse their tight blue gloves. Started off with the salmon crudo and it was okay. There is a minimum order of 2 at $9 each. The fried tostada was crispy topped with some salmon and avocado. I've had fresher salmon though. Moved on to the black cod nanban and it was unique. The black cod was lightly battered and fried, topped with a sweet and sour sauce along with tartar sauce. This was complemented with some vegetables on the side and beneath the fish. There were 3 pieces of fish per order. The A5 beef tenderloin skewer was decent, although I've had A5 with even more marbling. The beef tenderloin was served medium well and topped with some radish. The black pork belly skewer was excellent, although it was slightly dry. The salt flavor was on point, reminding me of izakayas in Tokyo! The chicken karaage may have been the highlight of the meal featuring lightly fried organic chicken served with a side of mayo. The anago tempura was unique. This was lightly battered and fried served with some tempura mushrooms on the side. The anago was fried just a touch towards the well done side. The roasted duck may have been the weakest tapa despite being roasted a medium rare. This was served with some sauce and green onions. Finished the meal with the roasted barley blanc manger which was excellent, super flavorful and light. Most importantly, it wasn't too sweet! $87/head after tax and gratuity for dinner.

I love Kiraku! They have authentic delicious Japanese dishes as well as their original recipe.

Kiraku truly delivers an authentic dining experience that makes you feel like you're in Japan! Their waitress was not only helpful but also incredibly cheerful and polite, enhancing our dining experience with her attentiveness. The food was absolutely exquisite. The uni served in Yuba and the Uni pasta were highlights, boasting a freshness that was palpable, with a sweet, rich flavor that melted in your mouth. The nigiri set was another standout, with each piece offering a unique seasoning that showcased the chef's meticulous attention to detail. I was thoroughly impressed with every aspect of our meal at Kiraku. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking to enjoy high-quality but not expensive Japanese cuisine complemented by superb service. A must-visit!

Hell yea. This place is authentic izakaya style Japanese food. Brought me back to the alleys of Shinjuku and Shabuya (rolll callll.) The fish is super fresh and is sooo flavorful when done omakase style. But of course me and my friend had to go dumb and get a bunch of apps! My favorite was the beef tongue skewer and the corn tempura (why don't more places do that!?) and the cabbage was savory and saucy. The uni carbonara was also creamy and delightful. I will say it ain't cheap. I spent $100 but whatever YOLO. You'll definitely need a reservation to visit. We snuck in with a last minute 5:30 one but I imagine they are packed during peak hours.

I've been to Kiraku twice since I got back from Japan and the vibes are perfect izakaya like. The food is fabulous, like you would expect in Japan. Order anything black cod. So flippin good! Pig ears were great and interesting Uni was perfect Uni pasta was ok. I don't really understand the allure to uni pasta. I'd rather have them separate to taste my uni. Without alcohol the bill isn't too crazy. Come in happy to know you gotta spend $50, cause it's gonna be worth the money. And you can easily get a bunch of small dishes and one big entree for two or three people and the price will be around $50-75 a person.

Cozy, intimate restaurant with the best service with a smile in Berkeley. I eat a lot of Japanese food and the freshness of the sashimi was surprising! We unfortunately weren't super hungry due to a late lunch so we enjoyed bites more than "meal" type dishes. What I totally recommend: . Sashimi Sampler, very fresh . Salmon sashimi, creamy . Corn Tempura, familiar yet unique . Agedashi Tofu, generous sauce . Fresh fish tempura - also lovely Would try something else next time: . Nasu Miso, too sweet . Beef intestine skewer, too rich but had a bone marrow feel to it if you like that . Beef tongue, not particularly standout . Yuzu chicken udon, odd essence Tip: Definitely make a reservation.

Came at 5 before they opened to join the waitlist and didn't get seated until 7:15 and this place is honestly not worth the wait or the hype. We were told by the host at 5:30 that if the people who made a 6pm reservation didn't show then we would get their table, so we stood outside for an hour in the cold and rain. Not sure why she would say this because not many people wouldn't show up for a reservation without notifying the restaurant. If we knew the wait was going to be 2 hours we would've gone somewhere indoors to kill time. Yuzu salmon crudo tostada - 6.5/10 Grilled squid 6/10 Beef tongue 8/10 Corn fritter 8/10 Okinomiyaki - 7/10 Cod nanban - 6.5/10 Mini chirashi don - 7.5/10 Uni carbonara - 7/10 Dessert - 7/10 I would only come here if I had a reservation and it wasn't on my own dime. Disappointing considering all the hype.

OMG food at Kiraku was authentic and SO delicious!!! I'm so happy I found this place :) *Ankimo Mousse with sweet potato chips $22- 5 stars!!!!!!! *Otoro $20 - was very good *Mini Kaisen Donburi - $22 - 5 stars!! *Yuba with Ikura - $18 - 5 stars!! *American wagyu beef tataki - $18 - 5 stars!! *Matcha Mont Blanc - $8 - 5 stars!!! *I thought even Oolong tea there was delicious!! $2 Services - food came pretty quick although the restaurant was packed!! I've made a reservation via Yelp on the same day. I got seated on time:) They sang happy birthday to their guests at two tables while I was dining there. They turned off the light each time, it was so cute :) Ambiance - it's small place but it's so cute:) I highly recommend Kiraku! I will definitely go back and would LOVE to eat their Uni donburi!!!!

Thank you to the waitress yesterday Saturday evening that just went above and beyond. She brought out a tray of sake cups so we could choose our own cups (fun!). All our food orders came out perfectly cooked and timely. Our water and table was cleared out quickly. This has been the best experience we had restaurant dining in a while.

I came here again after having such a great time last time (and finally being in Berkeley again). This time I came before opening as I had a reservation for right when it opened, and even though it was a weekday, there was already a line. I highly encourage to reserve a table before coming here, or you might not be able to get one at all. This time, I ordered some favorites from my first time trying: beef tataki, the omakase, and fried corn. However, I also ordered a couple new items: the tuna collar, marinated crab, and scallop risotto. Everything was phenomenal once again and the presentation was great. Out of everything I ordered for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by the collar. I've never had it at a restaurant before, and it was delicious (the portion was huge too). From what I know, this is a special item. Would definitely come back again next time I'm in the area.

I would highly recommend getting a reservation for this place because it is super busy all the time. I've been wanting to eat here so badly and finally I decided to get a reservation for a Friday night. I was in a group of 3 people and we were seated soon after we arrived. The restaurant is a small, cozy place that smells amazing! The menu has a lot of options and it got overwhelming really quickly because everything sounded so good and we wanted to try as many different things as we could. Our server was super friendly and was really helpful in recommending popular dishes. The server also recommended that we order from the specials menu first and then from the regular menu. Although the restaurant was very busy, the service did not suffer and our waters/drinks were refilled promptly. Highlights: beef intestine skewer, jumbo squid, unagi skewer, and corn tempura. All of these were so delicious! The beef intestine is a must try! For dessert my sister and I shared the sweet potato brûlée and it was great! The taste wasn't too sweet and you can also taste the sweet potato. Overall, I would come back to try their new stuff and I think that this place is a great gem in Berkeley.

5 stars all the way! Extensive menu, stellar execution, flawless service, lively ambiance. While everything we ordered was delicious, there were some absolute standouts. The beef tongue skewer: best beef tongue I have had, ever. Tender and juicy on the inside with a perfect grilled flavor on the exterior. Tempura fish and vegetables: perfectly fried and battered (I want to try more tempura items here!). Seasonal desserts: the roasted tea blanc manger and matcha mont blanc were the perfect end to a meal, beautifully composed and lightly sweet with balanced flavors. Definitely save room for dessert! We made reservations in advance via help: highly recommended given the popularity of this restaurant. I am already looking forward to a return visit!

Not realized we have been to the restaurant before, we came back after few years! I still remember this place has good food and their menu has changed. This is a small place and the space is limited. Highly recommended to make reservation! Parking is a challenge so go earlier and plan for looking for street parking. We love the food. Everything is amazing!

What a treat!! I love coming to this place. The ambience and the service is so good! I love getting the nigiri and the corn. Will def come Back again

Quaint izakaya spot in Berkeley. I went on a Friday night and joined Yelp waitlist early to ensure I had a table at 7. Service is super friendly. Our server greeted us with warm hand towels and asked if we are ready eat to eat a Friday night. Her energy made me feel at home. The restaurant is small so no large parties as the tables are pretty close to one another. We order a good amount of items to share: corn tempura- a fan favorite. Sweet and savory that had a slight popcorn flavor 9 kinds of sashimi platter - fish was fresh Buta Kim - more so a Korean dish but it was ok Ochazuke - tea with rice and a set of fixings. Bluefin Tuna Tempura- tasted really fishy. I wouldn't recommend Pig Ear Tempura Cartilage - chewy and had similar taste to popcorn chicken Shrimp heads - ok Tuna maki- fresh Grapefruit ice cream - favorite of the night. It had grapes and fresh blueberries on the bottom of a big portion sized grapefruit ice cream.

What more can be said about the izakaya GOAT? This is my #1 favorite restaurant in the East Bay. The only thing difficult about eating here is deciding what not to order. Usually the move is spending the majority of your belly real estate on the seasonal items. Always start with that little spoon of ikura, uni and shiso leaf. Delight in the experience of choosing a cute cup with which to enjoy your sake in this lively, friendly environment. From the regular menu my other personal favs are the rock shrimp tendon, wyagu nigiri, chazuke, and the panna cotta dessert. If there is any dish that contains simmered soy sauce on the special menu, ORDER IT, the sauce carries the depths of the deepest oceans, it will echo in your mind for days.

Excellent and unique sushi and a wonderful environment. Staff was also friendly! I will definitely go there again the next time I'm in Berkeley.

Tender beef tongue skewer: the sauce was sweeter than expected and a little heavy. If the sauce was toned down a bit, I think the flavor of the beef tongue would come through so much better. I also tend to prefer more umami and salty flavors than sweet. Grilled eel: this eel melted in your mouth but eel is such a common item to have at izakaya spots so i would skip on this next time. Jumbo squid: this jumbo squid was awesome and so tender. The glaze on the squid perfectly complemented it well and I preferred to eat it as is without dipping into the mayo. Sashimi salmon: this salmon was beautiful and worth it! Savored every bite of it!! Great sashimi Grilled beef intestine: oh my god this has to be my favorite item of the night! It was soo buttery and melt in your mouth, you could almost mistake it for bone marrow. It's so fatty yet not heavy! It's quite the delicacy. Uni carbonara: this item was a great choice for us since it was probably responsible for filling us up to a contenting level. The uni was not bitter at all--super soft and creamy. It also didn't disintegrate completely into the pasta which I loved as it was a great texture to pair alongside the pasta. The ikura was wonderful, and gave the perfect burst of saltiness in every bite. It held itself well amongst the noodles. Striped bass carpaccio: I gave this one a try even though this is not a fatty fish (I love fatty fishes) and I also am not too big on citrusy flavors in my dinner but the yuzu and garlic flavors melded well with the striped bass. No fishiness at all! Would skip this next time. Nekitoro maki: the bluefin tuna roll was savored every bite. However, wish the bluefin tuna was not minced so heavily--I would prefer it to be in whole chunks to highlight the beauty of the fatty fish. Overall wonderful izakaya place and would definitely come back!!! Next time will try: -tuna cheek and scallion skewer -bluefin tuna toro sashimi -bluefin tuna otoro with truffle paste nigiri -fresh Hokkaido scallop with pickles and shiso nigiri -spot shrimp with tobiko and yuzu kosho nigiri -omakase samplers Would get again: -salmon sashimi -beef intestine skewer -jumbo squid

This spot is super popular so it's best to make a reservation or enter the Yelp waitlist right when they open. You can join the waitlist remotely. Sometimes you can get seated earlier if people cancel or don't show up. They do respect the order in which you signed up. Food was amazing as always. I love the corn tempura and mini kaisen don the best. I've dined here 3 times now and I've always had a great time. The food was always super fresh and service is good. The seating is a bit a cramped, especially when you need to walk around to the restroom/etc. But everything else about it is perfect. Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in berkeley area