Sushi Salon

This is hands down one of the best meals I've had in Oakland and possibly the Bay Area, the phenomenal, the quality of the seafood and the sake were outstanding, and this is right in my own neighborhood is mind blowing. Worth every cent. Particularly worth calling out, the Aji (Horse Mackerel) and Temaki Toro/Negitoro (Tuna Handroll), also as mentioned in other reviews the Ice Cream was unreal, I'd but it by the pint.

It’s a one of a kind omakase experience. Sushi Salon sources a majority of his fish from a famous fish concierge in Japan that not only has rare fishes unknown to many, but also uses a specific technique to delay rigor mortis! It makes a difference! If you are a sushi fan and want to try something other than salmon and hamachi, you’ll discover more yummy dishes. Definitely a hidden a gem in Oakland!

An astonishing 18-course omakase, expertly prepared, sourced in the finest sushi chef tradition of impeccable quality. Warm and comfortable welcome with a happy-to-share chef who told us stories about his choices in making what has to be one of the finest Japanese experiences stateside. Tiny space, superbly arranged. I cannot recommend it enough. Not cheap but value for money if you struggle to “have something you’ve never had anywhere else” (and don’t want the 9+ hour Tokyo flight).

Extraordinary experience - lovely staff and unbelievable quality in an intimate setting. Not quite sure how I'll go back to any other sushi... Grateful that a restaurant of this quality has found a home in Oakland.

I’ve been following Sushi Salon and Mr. Nonaka for a little while now, from their pop-up journey to now having their own location! This is my first time sampling their sushi, and it is spectacular. This is not just a meal, it is certainly an experience. From enjoying the space, seeing the fish/sushi being prepared one-by-one with care, hearing about the fish and preparation, to enjoying the sushi, two hours flew by quite quickly. While Mr. Nonaka prepares our sushi, we felt very well looked after by the lovely staff who handled our plates and made sure our drinks are always filled. Overall a great option for a special occasion. Wishing the Sushi Salon team much success!

Chef is young with lot of room to improve. Excited to see how he develops his style in the years to come

This intimate omakase sushi salon, with only eight seats, has a special charm. It feels like you’re part of a secret society or an ancient ritual. My favorites included the olive oil-marinated akami, shima-aji, and the sake ice cream made with Den Sake. The uni was totally exceptional. It reminded me of the ones I’ve had at local fish markets in Aomori. The price is fair given the effort and high-quality ingredients, but I would have liked a bit more variety instead of a series of exotic sushi. Overall, this place is truly one of a kind. It has the potential to become a cult-favorite shrine for sushi enthusiasts.

It was a wonderful food experience. You are paying for the high quality of all the ingredients, most are sourced from Japan. Whether it be the small batch vinegar, soy sauce or unique cuts of fish. The vibes inside were cute and quaint. As for booze, most of the sake was way too expensive. We opted for sharing the half bottle for $35 which was very tasty. Wish they had more options in that price range.

Lovely experience! Food: 5/5 flavorful exotic fishes Service: 5/5 good with refilling the tea Jojin introduces each dish Ambiance: 5/5 Clean, modern, small tabletop place

Went here with my wife on a Wednesday and enjoyed our experience at Sushi Salon. Chef Joji focuses on serving fish predominantly from the Kanagawa prefecture. I admire their focus on sustainability and sourcing fish thats less mainstream, but always in season. The place seats 8, so it's an intimate space where Anna works FoH and is knowledgeable in sake. She picked a great junmai daiginjo for us to enjoy during our date. Overall I enjoyed my experience here, but because the fish is sourced from one area the flavor profile, mouth feel, and finish and were all pretty similar that night. Even though my favorite cuts are ones that fit the category - Hirame, Aji, Sanma, Kanpachi, Shima Aji - I felt a bit of flavor fatigue near the end of my meal. There's no reason to dock ratings for the things above at all: it's all down to preference. Because the fish flies in twice a week, it'll change on when - and which season - you visit. Overall, while it was delicious, I still prefer Hanazen in Orinda if you're in the east bay for omakase. Their ice cream dessert was absolutely delicious. They used the sake rice from Den Sake in West Oakland to make it and it was by far the best ice cream flavor I've had in years.

8-seat traditional omakase menu featuring 17 courses by chef Joji Nonaka, honoring the meaning of less-is-more. They source the majority of the fish through a well-known fish concierge in Japan. They also use a special 8-month fermented vinegar crafted by Iio Jozo Vinegar Brewery based in Kyoto that is dedicated to transparency, environmental sustainability and cultural preservation. They use Mitsuboshi Shoyu, naturally brewed and fermented using a 300 year old traditional method that continues to use wood fire in their cooking. You can taste the combination of these three intentional decisions in every course! Also loved the cubbed ginger they served. Every course is prepared allowing fish to shine. Absolutely delicious. Clean space. Quietly attentive service. Fantastic sake options (saw a review giving them 3 stars mentioning lack of champagne or wine - such an ethnocentric perspective. Thats like going to an Italian restaurant expecting sake to be served. Also, did not agree with their assessment of the "uninspired" experience. Perhaps they'd be happier at a modern Japanese restaurant catering to the western palate. Just sayin'!). Price point was great for the quality. We will definitely be back!

Such an adorable hidden gem! Only enough seating for 8 and two seatings per night. Very cozy and intimate. Their omakase menu was really diverse and I was surprised to enjoy everything I tried. I wasn't even able to try the last five because I was too full already. Staff was very friendly and warm. Really great experience!

Excellent fish which you can't anywhere. Their sushi rice is also special. I highly recommend this place for sushi. Also, they have extremely good selection of sake. Must try in Oakland.

I came here for Valentine's Day with my spouse, and had a great time even though they didn't have any Valentine's Day specials or decorations. Since this is a whole sushi experience, they waited until everyone arrived before Chef Joji started serving. They did check for allergies around the room. Pretty much everything tasted great, from the fish to the pickled ginger on the side to the buckwheat ice cream at the end. Even the seaweed was excellent! The miso bone broth was a little disappointing though because it had less miso flavor than expected and had an odd taste to it (though I normally like bone broth). After the broth was dessert, so that was our chance to order extra, and we chose to get amaebi (sweet shrimp). As a side note, it did not come with the shrimp's head like typical Japanese restaurants. We took the liberty of ordering alcohol, and since I like sweet drinks, I liked the Oze x Rose, Gunma Junmai Daiginjo and the Orange Daiginjo Special Sake the best (out of the 4 that I tried). The Honeya "Tsubasa", Toyama was good, but it was on the drier side. One of the downsides is that they don't have a restroom, so you have to use the one next door at the mac and cheese place. All in all, this was a great place to go to for a quiet fancy-ish dinner for a special occasion. It's also a quick walk from MacArthur BART (though I don't recommend walking alone, especially at night). ECO NOTES (Dine-In) Dine-In Dishware: Reusable plates and bowls Napkins: Reusable cloth napkin Utensils: Reusable wooden chopsticks (since they appear to be lacquered) Water cups: Short cups made of glass

Sushi Salon by Chef Joji Nonaka is a special spot with its quality selection of fish and signature sushi rice using vinegar from Iio Jozo Vinegar Brewery based in Kyoto. Seriously, the rice has this burst of umami that I haven't had before with nigiri. The approach here really honors the less is more, allowing the fish to stand out on its own. We had the pleasure of trying Chef Joji's pop-up menu last December when they were at Fish & Bird, and this was reminiscent of that, along with some of the classics. Highlights were the mature yellowtail, Japanese butterfish, sweet shrimp with shrimp head paste, and barracuda (best bite of the night). I also enjoyed Chef Joji's playful take on carrot "uni" (which made me appreciate carrot even more in a way), and the fish bone broth miso soup was like a hug for my soul, especially given the rainy weather. To top it off, we appreciated them making our anniversary all the more special with the little touch to our matcha dessert and the attentive service as always. It's an intimate setting with up to 8 seats and two services per night, so I anticipate they'll get booked up quick. We were happy to support Chef Joji and Anna again, now in their own establishment. Many cheers to them, and we can't wait to come back again soon.

I usually have one Omakase meal during the holiday season and for 2023, my friend wanted to go to Sushi Salon. I was intrigued - it's a pop-up turned brick and mortar whose specialty is rare fish not available elsewhere. The other thing is that it's in Oakland (not SF) - it's an eight seater around a sushi bar and they do two seatings a night. Overall, the dining experience had some hits and misses. The appetizers were bluefin tuna, hirame and octopus. The bluefin tuna was crusted with kalamata oilves which was very unique - to this day, I still don't know if I liked it or not. The hirame and octopus were good. The nigiri came out fast and furious - a total of 11 nigiri plus two handrolls (Ankimo and Negitoro). There were some unique pieces (especially the white fish varieties served earlier in the meal) and the best pieces were the medium fatty tuna (Chu-Toro), snow crab, Hokkaido Uni and the Barracuda. The weirdest piece was a vegetarian (carrot) nigiri - it was out of place and I would replace this with another unique fish. The Ankimo preparation served as a handroll was also unique and very good. The sushi rice was good but the vinegar content was inconsistent from piece to piece (don't think that was intentional). The meal ended with some miso soup and a matcha olive cake. I had the genmai tea as my beverage pairing for the evening. Service was excellent. The ambiance is a bit mixed - it's OK but probably not at the same level you'd expect for an omakase experience at this price level (with tax and tip, this was around $260 per person). They don't have their own bathroom and you have to go to the bar next door. I think they are still working through some kinks and this experience is still evolving. At this price point, there are stronger options in SF but if you are in Oakland, this is a solid choice.

Joji is a master sushi chef! His art is precise, clean, thoughtful and delicious. Anna has a wonderful sake list to complement the sushi experience and their warm hospitable energy made for a beautiful dinner with friends. This is definitely a special occasion spot, very memorable sushi bites, my favorite was the Iwashi! YUM.

Lucky to have this delicious sushi restaurant in Oakland. Great owners and a chef who shows great passion, creativity, and skill with the food he prepares. In the Bay Area only here or Yoshizumi for sushi. My favorites are the usuba hagi (Unicorn leatherjacket), ishigakidai (spotted knifejaw), kagokakidai (stripey), sumikuiuo, sawara (mackerel), and utsubo (moray eel).

Best sushi in the East Bay and top 3-5 in all of the SF/East Bay area. It is a little on the pricy side for people that don't really appreciate high quality sushi. However, they offer more variety of exotic fish than any of the michelin rated places in SF with the same level of quality, which is why I have been there 10 times already. You can tell chef Joji loves his craft and his partner always serves the best sake.

I have never had sushi like this! My poor husband doesn't know how he'll "ever eat regular sushi again." Chef Joji Nonaka elevates the sushi experience. Watching him create with the finest ingredients available and then tasting the resulting flavors, texture, and balance is an experience you should not miss!

This is a new spot in Oakland and we've been really excited to try it but we were disappointed. Overall it's too expensive for what it is and didn't wow us. The ambiance was cool and quiet, and the dishes were good but limited. The fish was creative and I would call it "modern traditional". Mostly traditional with a few fun elements to enhance the flavor. I also requested no monk fish liver (a very expensive delicacy) and they still served it to us. Why ask if you have preferences if you just ignore them? This is in line with a lot of the other omkase places in the bay when it comes to price but we left feeling hungry and uninspired. They don't have any wine which is a miss at this price point. They need to add a few more dishes or drop the price to accommodate. Also having 1 champagne or a white wine would go along way.

Exciting news for sushi lovers in East Bay. My favorite sushi chef in this region, Joji Nonaka, has finally found a permanent location in Oakland alongside his partner Anna Osawa. With only 8 seats and an 18-course omakase, we got to enjoy rare and seasonal fish sourced from Japan by a renowned fish concierge, as well as organic vinegar and soy sauce made with 300-year-old techniques and static-fermented vinegar from a 130-year-old brewery in Kyoto.

Such a wonderful experience. We had a party of 4 and we all enjoyed every part of our meal. You can really taste the quality of every ingredient. And the host and chef were very friendly. Would definitely recommend

We've been twice. The first time was really really good. The second time was outstanding. Perhaps a top 10 sushi meal of my life. It's a bit of a feast. The chef is super nice and they play jazz. What more can you ask for?

Cute date spot. Chef is super friendly. Good variety of fish. This chef has fish you don't normally see served at other omakase restaurant's. Definitely would recommend is you are a true sushi lover .

With just ten seats at a sushi bar, the service and interior setup is simple and straightforward. This place is all about the fish. Its the best fish quality and preparation we've ever had, hands down.

This was the best sushi I've had anywhere ever, and that is no exaggeration. The salon is very private and comfy, with 8 seats at a time, allowing us all to watch each sushi preparation and the chef to tell us each what we were having. The fish was the most incredible, fresh, melt-in-your-mouth, delicious fish I've had. It is flown here from Japan. Even the pickled ginger was special, and they hand-grate wasabi root in front of you. They also had incredible sake and gave us wonderful recommendations and samples to try them out. This is the best food I've had in Oakland and I recommend it so highly.