4. Restaurants

Kiku Sushi

1316 Gilman St, Berkeley, CA, 94706
  • (510) 525-5458
  • Store is closed

Kiku Sushi Menu

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  • Natalia B.

    It was odd not to be greeted with "irasshai" upon entering, but then I realized that the staff was not Japanese, but Korean. However, it was still odd not to be greeted at all - we stood there for quite some time before being told to put our name on the wait list. We didn't have long to wait, fortunately. The staff continued to be a bit - what, diffident? Just not all that welcoming...but we had a perfectly fine meal - truly delicious hamachi, nice and fresh. A superb chawan mushi. A very chewy squid, but then that's how squid can be...and a very generous serving of miso black cod. All in all, quite good, worth a second visit someday.

    (4)

  • Patale M.

    No waiting at lunchtime today. I had a crab roll and a salad, both very fresh and tasty. The salad had just the right amount of dressing. I also had the grilled eggplant which was on the small side but piping hot and delicious. I may have to order two of them next time.

    (4)

  • Charles A.

    This place is aweful, don't waste your time. Bad service, mediocre food, no bathroom, weak atmosphere.

    (1)

  • eastbaygrl o.

    My review is long overdue but wanted to wait to see if this place continued to be awesome after being open for a while.... And the answer is yes! Bar none the best sushi in the area. Quality, fresh, and delicious! I don't feel any food is worth long lines though so I always get mine to go.

    (4)

  • Rand M.

    I have to call this place out on its seating policy, or in our case lack of seating policy. We first called a month ago and asked if it was busy that night. They said no, so we went over. But it was really busy and we couldn't wait that evening so just went elsewhere. Fine. Tonight, called again and asked if they are busy. It was about 7 pm. They said not too busy. I said there were 3 of us and if we got over right away would there be much of a wait. She told us maybe 10 minutes or so. So we went right over, and there was a line out the door and names on the sign up sheet. Hmm, ok, sudden flood of people. So we put our name on the sheet. And waited about 15 minutes, outside because it was crowded. Another party of 3 shows up. One of them waits inside, and as soon as a table opens up they are called to it. Another 5 minutes go by. I look inside. It's a small palce, and all the tables that could accommodate 3 of us are filled with diners who are still in the beginning stages. So we leave. That's 2 attempts to get in and 2 failures. Glad for their success, but please, don't lie over the phone and at least have some respect for the sign up sheet. The wait staff was busy, which, charitably, I guess explains their total indifference. Was the food good? Who knows? Maybe next time I'll have something to report that you can really chew on.

    (3)

  • Halona L.

    Are you in the east bay and want great sushi? This IS the place -- but make reservations or bring a coat for the wait outside.. this place is small. I eat out at more sushi restaurants than any other cuisine because I cannot make this stuff at home. OK fine. I eat at a lot of ramen shops, too but I love me some good sashimi and this place serves up some fresh and flavorful fish. That alone doesn't make it 5 star worthy but they actually converted a life long sushi roll hater like me into a believer. I'm used to eating rolls that are so doused in sauce, panko crumbs and other stuff that it doesn't even matter what roll I pick off the menu. They would all taste the same. I can't remember what two rolls we tried but both were absolutely delicious. They were light and the fish were definitely the highlights of the roll -- not the sauce (although it provided good flavor and complemented the fish well). One was the most beautiful roll I've ever seen (5 different types of sashmi fish... different shades of pink). I was amazed! Still am and it's been a few weeks since we ate there. I'm definitely going back soon.

    (5)

  • Mutant O.

    5 stars for the seafood udon, brimming with fish, clams, mussels, scallops, prawns, fishcake, and toothsome noodles. The sake sampler is great fun -- six samples, each generous enough for edifying contemplation.

    (5)

  • rosa S.

    It's been awhile since I've been inspired to write a review and this place deserves all five stars. Within walking distance from our home, the setting is intimate and similar in scale to what you would expect of a similar place in Japan. Decor is simple, warm, modern and sets the stage for the amazing food. Appetizers were served piping hot that showcases the best of simple traditional flavors. Agedashi tofu was fresh and supple inside with crispy crust that comes with savory fish flakes/ginger/scallion condiments to pour over the shoyu sauce. Hamachi Kama was super crispy on the outside and tender/juicy hamachi morsels on the inside. Sansai Udon soup bowl was also served piping hot with fresh variety of mountain vegetables and simple broth. Chirashi Special had a wonderful variety of top grade sashimi and vegetables. Uni Special -super fresh and tasted like seawater and cream Toro - melts like butter and super fresh Mirugai Geoduck- super fresh. I saw the movie "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" and this place definitely evokes a similar passion for quality presentation of the freshest fish with a flavorful simplicity that is refreshing and inspirational. We arrived at 6pm and were lucky to get seats before standing room only on a Friday night. (They had kids utensils and plates and booster seat.) Good luck Kiku, we hope you become a local fixture like Lalime's across the street. We hope they succeed.

    (5)

  • Lawren B.

    I used to complain about how the sushi in the East Bay sucks. I went to Kiku and before I ordered, I kept repeating myself: "This is going to be so good. Oh my god. I know it."The sushi was amazing, it was so fresh. I lost my marbles over how delicious it was. We overordered and ate more sushi that I believed was physically possible and it was reasonably priced. The restaurant is small and squishy, but it's worth it for the food.

    (5)

  • Andrew B.

    It may of been because it was New Years Eve but they were very unorganized. The place is very very small with no where to wait but outside. On cold nights this typically means you're standing in the door way of this tiny restaurant trying not to bother people who are already seated. There were two couples that were seated after us but had their orders taken long before ours. There was a couple that came in and complained that there table wasn't ready when they had reservations. Why you would allow reservations in a place that has maybe 8-9 small tables? We ordered a few different types of rolls including the Spicy Tuna Roll. While the other rolls we ordered were fairly good, the Spicy Tuna Roll literally had a small mound of spices sitting on top of each piece of sushi. I've been eating sushi for years in the bay area and this is the first time i've experienced a Spicy Tuna roll this way... needless to say it wasn't very good and we ended up tossing that particular roll. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh and maybe I need to come here during lunch instead of dinner but I would advise people to take the trip to Oakland instead of eating at this place. All in all I think this place is highly overrated on Yelp.

    (3)

  • Brittany Y.

    I live around the corner from this place and come here very often. I tend not to get entrées at sushi-geared restaurants, but entrées are what I primarily get at Kiku Sushi. I believe this place is super serious about quality. Everything is truly delicious and addictive. The agedashi tofu is crispy and soft, delightful to pop into your mouth. I'm in love with the katsudon, which is lovingly shoved into a small box to exaggerate the plentiful amounts of egg and katsu'd chicken. Like a muffin top, but of Japanese food. I only wish the sushi had more salmon options--salmon is my favorite and I get tired of the usual Alaska roll. Skip the mozzarella cheese and beef appetizer thing. It's weird.

    (5)

  • Joel H.

    Not a place to dine at if you are in a hurry as the wait staff is very slow but the food is worth the wait. Every appetizer and roll our table ordered was delicious. I also thought it was fun how you get to choose your own sake cup off of a serving tray when you order a bottle or carafe.

    (4)

  • Jess H.

    Amazingly FRESH fish. We just moved to the area and were so happy to find our new go to sushi spot. We had the Sashimi sampler. The only reason I took off a star is because they started cleaning the kitchen while we were eating and the smell really bothered me.

    (4)

  • Michael C.

    Came here about a month ago with a group of 8 with no reservations. We were looking for a sushi place nearby and heard this was new. The restaurant seating was definitely tiny, wasn't sure if we could fit, since the restaurant was already full when we arrived. We did end up waiting for about 45 mins. before we sat down o eat. We ordered an assortment of sushi, and all of them seemed quite fresh. The standouts to me where the regular rolls, not the specialty/ combo rolls, though we only tried a couple of those. The ambience was ok, a no frills interior, just straight-up fresh sushi. If in this area again, would definitely try some more rolls, but with a group of 4 or less.

    (4)

  • Brody S.

    Edit: they've now jammed so many tables into this place that you're constantly brushed by, elbowed, and have other people almost sitting in your lap. The food is still good but it's claustrophobic as hell. Minus two stars! Previously reviewed: Oh dang, this place is really good. This is unfortunate for my waistline and pocketbook, because it's 3 blocks from my house, and was open PAST 8pm when I came by tonight... that's amazing for this general area. Northwest Berkeley is otherwise a dead zone past 6pm. I got a to-go order of a seaweed salad and a rainbow roll. The seaweed salad wasn't the typical neon-green strips of seaweed that's normally presented....it was actual seaweed that looked like...seaweed. Purple things, white things, all oceany and delightful. The rainbow roll is the best rainbow roll I've had in a long, long time. Really fresh fish, good balance of flavors. Just the right size pieces-- none of this hugely-oversized rolls that take 2 bites for each piece and you end up dropping it into your lap. Civilized. Rainbow roll and a seaweed salad came to $20 before tip. Not cheap, but neither are the ingredients! The fish seemed very high-quality. The place is cute- small, though, only maybe like 10 tables max and a counter that seats about 4? Hopefully they'll do better than the Thai place that used to be in this location. The staff was friendly and polite, and my to-go order was ready within 5 minutes.

    (3)

  • JC R.

    Excellent! Some of the freshest fish I've ever had. We ordered saki and they put the glass in a little wooden box. Apparently its tradition to overflow the glass. If the overflow from the glass spills out of the box its good luck! That piece of fun trivia pared excellent sushi made it an awesome experience. Can't wait to go back!

    (4)

  • Lorna P.

    My husband, son and I decided to try a new Sushi restaurant since we were coming from the Oakland Airport and our favorite sushi place was closed on Sunday. My husband had the Chicken Teriyaki and they both had the Gyoza - HORRIBLE! The chicken looked like it was frozen (maybe from Costco). It had fake grill marks! Looks like the chicken was cut, placed in a plate and covered with some nasty teriyaki sauce then microwaved! JUST AWFUL! I could hear their microwave bell throughout our meal. The sushi was OK - nothing fantastic. Will go back to Shinsen Sushi in Hercules. Now, that's a great place!

    (1)

  • karen b.

    We have been looking for a replacement ever since Banzai closed and had hope for this one. Hopes were dashed, Waited an hour for even a small sale order to arrive. First piece of sushi finally arrived and then we waited 20 more minutes and all the rest came at once. Sushi lovers, you know what I mean about the order in which one eats sushi. I don't want to yuk anyone's yum about this place. This is just a personal observation and experience that ended up being almost entirely negative. Some of the fish tasted good. But it's a no return for us.

    (1)

  • Dave G.

    We live right around the corner from this place. It is on my wife's regular walk around the neighborhood, which is how we found it. And after having gone twice now, ordering the sushi specials, the regular sushi items, the seaweed salad, and some of the hot dishes, I have to call this the best sushi/ Japanese restaurant I have ever eaten at. And I have eaten some very good sushi. Both times we sat at the sushi bar, in front of the owner. A charming man from Korea, and a former chemical engineer (we know his life story by now), he opened this place about a month ago after having worked in some very renowned Japanese restaurants in the city. He talks of Jiro from "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" trying to emulate his traditional style: curing the wild king salmon in kosher salt, sake and kombu, marinating the Pollock roe in sake, sesame oil, etc. And the flavors and textures come through in a symphony of flavor in the mouth. They melt in your mouth, always a perfect temperature, and rather than hiding the fish, they accentuate it and accompany it and heighten it. Truly outstanding sushi! Every morsel we have eaten is excellent and fresh, with some standouts being the hamachi, the salmon, the aji, and the hotate. He talks of the seasons for certain fishes, what parts of Japan they come from (they all are coming straight from the best of the best places in Japan), and the work that goes into preparing each fish in its own, traditional way. Oh, and they serve real wasabi, not that green-dyed horseradish. And if having found the freshest, most flavorful sushi less than 5 blocks from our house wasn't enough, the bill is always pleasantly surprising. Tonight we ate two of every special nigiri on the menu, 6 varieties (and these pieces are huge, about a centimeter thick and 4 inches long), a seaweed salad, the special pollock roe, a korean short rib appetizer, and a 16 oz cold junmai sake for $63! That is quite outstanding for this quality sushi. Definitely try it. I'm just afraid this place will get so crowded we won't be able to get a table!

    (5)

  • mary r.

    Had dinner here last night. Fresh, simple preparations without gimmicks. Reasonable prices. Calm atmosphere. Friendly and efficient service. We showed up to a crowded restaurant and they did a great job of seating us without an extended wait in a very small space. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Mara G.

    My new favorite sushi joint. Reminded me of the sushi my friends mom from Okinawa used to make. The only down point was the tobiko wasn't great but huge cuts of fish for nigiri and just super good! And the staff were amazing!!

    (5)

  • Gary F.

    Not sure why my previous review is being filtered. Great sashimi (I don't like sushi in general, but their sashimi is very good here). If you get a chance, try the grilled hamachi collar.

    (5)

  • e B.

    Exceptional Food. Great service. Wonderful secret spot.

    (5)

  • mice o.

    My wife and I tried this place as this is right around the corner from us. Sure, as native japanese foodies, we know we can't expect excellent sushi easily here. But this place is always popular and has a great review that we had to try. The first time was about 3 months ago. We were very hungry. And we had zero expectation. It was still pretty bad. But it is not fair to judge only from one time try. So we went back again last week. And this time, we read reviews and noticed its popularity. It was bad. I'm sorry. I really would love to support local small restaurants. People there were nice too. Nice chef too. But for the better future of North Berkeley food scene(if that ever comes) we cannot give this place 4 stars. It doesn't have to be Japan standard but it needs to be decent to get 4 stars.. I want them to do better. Hopefully they will improve because we'd love them to stay in business. Kitchen food is really not good. Fish is maybe ok. Not so fresh but not too horrible. Just not that 4 stars... Ultimately, they had a very cheap/strong smelled cleaning material to wipe the table. It is no no for sushi restaurant. Sushi is all about subtle smell and flavor. You really can't use that kind of a cleaner.. again, we want small neighborhood restaurants to do well. We want Kiku Sushi to do well. but not this way. Please try a little harder. We will come support you!! And people of Berkeley and Albany. I know Sushi may still be new to some of you but please don't think this is good sushi. This isn't that cheap either. You deserve to ask for more or we will never get decent sushi restaurants in our area!!

    (2)

  • Eve C.

    Excellent sushi, very traditional, highest quality. A bit more expensive. Narrow wine list when we were there. Definitely going back!

    (5)

  • Leah K.

    Rounding up 3.5 stars, but it's only at 3.5 because of the price. Out of all the sushi places I've had in the East Bay, this place definitely has THE freshest sashimi. (and I've been to quite a lot of sushi joints around Berkeley/Oakland). The sashimi and sushi combos are pretty pricey though, and they don't even give complimentary salad and soup for everyone (we ordered a salad and it was just very mediocre - for $5, when it's usually free anywhere else; they also made us order a 3rd miso soup because we only got 2 complimentary ones with what we ordered.... ) but the sashimi combo was def worth it. The fish is SO FRESH and they're pretty generous with the size of the cuts. We also ordered the sushi combo, which was good b/c their fish is just such high quality. Also had their rainbow roll which I did'n't get any of but looked great - rice to fish ratio is very good. Still, the total came out to around 30-40/person, and we were all still hungry afterwards.

    (4)

  • Jacquie R.

    my husband and i are big fans of Kiku. lovely little location in Gilman. The food is delicious. They also do take-out, which is good, since it can often get a little crowded. Overall wonderful!

    (5)

  • JK C.

    Fresh and delicious sushi and rolls!

    (4)

  • Raz R.

    Very Good Chirashi Special!

    (3)

  • a. c.

    We came here on Tuesday at about 7:00 PM. Our first time trying this restaurant. We waited for about 20 minutes for a table of two. The restaurant size is relatively small, so better to arrive early. I love sushi and sashimi. So we ordered rainbow roll, baked spicy scallop roll and chirashi special. The rolls were just okay. I recommended the chirashi. It serves in a bowl with about 8 pieces of fresh sashimi along with rice on the bottom. It was delicious. The bill came out as about $45. The food was fresh.

    (5)

  • Masha S.

    We love sushi and decided to go to Kiku for a date night after reading all of the good reviews. It was an average, but overpriced sushi place. The simple rolls were good and fish was fresh. The specialty rolls was just ok. The wait time over an hour is way to long for what you get. With other sushi options in the area, I don't think I would be coming back any time soon.

    (3)

  • Christopher L.

    Man, all the sushi is effectively 33% discounted because the size of the sushi is about 50% bigger than normal servings. Maguro, Anago, Unagi, Yellowtail, Scallop and Uni were all fantastic. This place is not inexpensive - $8 or $9 per order of sushi - bit it is still a great deal. I got here early like other reviewers suggested, BTW. The decor is nothing special but it's pleasant, clean, neat, etc... I definitely recommend.

    (5)

  • Dave K.

    Saba (mackeral) is easy to slice and serve fresh. My gf and I got a funky rubber-esque saba with a sashimi plate as well. Fish is semi fresh and whoever says it is fresh is crazy, we got aji which stunk, my gf said the uni was gross as well. We didnt just ordera ccouple things, we tried the whole specials menu including chu toro, which was alright... but 3 bottles of sake , a dozen diffrrent raw fish that smelled funky and a bill over 120.00 made me think these yelpers are caucasian and ordering stuff like udon, lol.. or a teriyaki beef , or their taste for freshness in fish is jacked up or something. Me and my gf felt sick and all we can do is go to a place that wont make us vomit and have repeated violent diarrhea for a few days . Dangit. :/

    (1)

  • Kathleen A.

    So sad Mama Lan's no longer occupies this space but delighted with the sushi prepared and the service. Not only was the lunchtime chirashi fresh and delicious, Kiku Sushi has tamari (gluten free, unlike soy sauce) AND Ramune, a Japanese soda into which you get to slam a marble before drinking (perhaps look up the directions before you get there if you don't know them already). It made me most nostalgic for Japan and sent me checking the price of flights. Can't get any better than that!

    (5)

  • Erik Y.

    Took my Mom to dinner here & loved it. Not too noisy, easy to get a table (on a weeknight), and good quality sushi. I usually stick to the basics when I go out for raw fish, and all their basics delivered - gyoza, seaweed salad, miso soup and sake maki & unagi were all some of the best versions of simple sushi I've had. The salmon was especially well done, good fish and not too much rice, for $5 a roll.

    (4)

  • Adrienne L.

    i would willingly pull a jeremy piven mercury poisoning episode if it meant that i could eat at kiku sushi everyday. the sashimi platter is by far the most amazing. 10 huge pieces of delicious fish (hamachi, tuna, albacore, salmon, and one more i forgot). buttery buttery goodness. yummmmm. second favorite is the yosenabe. it's like a sukiyaki but not sweet and has seafood. it was absolutely delicious. the menu just says "chicken broth" but it should really say "chicken MAGIC broth." the description is not doing the dish justice. i'm so glad the bf ordered it because this is definitely something i would not order. seafood udon/soba were also solid choices. loaded with lots of seafood but not the best i've ever had. this is going to sound weird, but we're going to try the california roll the next time we're here. it's made with REAL crab. loooove. anyway, all in all, i love this place :)

    (5)

  • g g.

    Fresh sashimi. Large portions. Kid friendly. Service can be bettter but servers are very kind. We will be back!

    (4)

  • Jasmine-Desiree L.

    Came here for the second time last night unplanned. It was 10:12 and they close at 10:30 so I called to ensure they would actually accept us while "still open" and they said Yes! They were friendly, fast & the food is so good! Seaweed salad wasnt what I expected but the amiance is very peaceful, parking is easy too. Found them on a random yelp search both times I went.

    (5)

  • Becky S.

    What I really liked about this place is the emphasis on fresh fish, the fast service we received and the zero hassle parking. They had a wide variety of fish on the menu and 10 more on the specials board. Taste wise, the fish was 3.5/5 but the variety of rolls offered is less than I would have hoped. I ordered the salmon roll and one with tuna and they were both pretty bland and I could hardly taste the fish. My friend got chirashi (fish over rice) and he said it was ok, neither good or bad. I might go back because it is the perfect spot for a lazy Sunday night, but my search continues for a really great sushi place.

    (3)

  • Tim C.

    This place is terrible. Ordered sake maki, tekka maki, and negihama roll. They chop/mince their fish in the rolls which makes me believe its low grade or bad cuts. #1 all the maki rolls fell apart. What kind of chef can't make a maki roll right? Shitty chefs. #2 Fishy smell/taste Don't get fooled by the reviews I'm a experienced chef and I would run circles around these chumps. Terrible place. Good service but very very bad food. The negihama roll was not edible it was fishy tasting and hamachi is supposed to be buttery and fat, not the case, super fishy. Wish I could get my money/time back.

    (1)

  • tabisky c.

    I've read the yelp reviews plus a recommendation from a friend to dine here. We were warned about the slow service and how busy this little place can get at dinner. Wow, what a disappointment to find the staff speaking another language than Japanese and how cramped the place was. Yes, the service was slow, the table next to us was loud and the food was just okay. The tempura batter was different and not as crisp as I would have preferred. They serve rice in a metal bowl like the Korean restaurants do. We were served water and not tea. The sushi is meh IMO. I just cannot figure out why people would wait in line for a table at this spot. Only positive that I can give is a 10% discount if you pay cash.

    (2)

  • Johnny L.

    Came by here with my girlfriend because we were craving for UNI and this place usually has Japanese UNI but today they did not have any because they were going to be closed for the holiday, we ordered the kaisen- something roll I forgot what it's called but the roll was very enjoyable ! The fishes were fresh. We also got the ankimo , hotate , amaebi, sake nigiri and they do not disappoint! The service was excellent the sushi chef made sure we were satisfied with our food and on top of that they offered FRESH WASABI!

    (4)

  • Altan K.

    Love the new vegetarian menu. Tasted pretty good. My standard meals are still excellent. Loved the hamachi kama and other specialties.

    (5)

  • Jack R.

    Have you ever had fried uni in a shiso leaf? If you're adventurous and want to try this dish, then I highly suggest you come here. Their fried uni was as good as the one I had when I was in Japan. (I paid extra, $15 instead of $8 to have their uni flown in from Japan which was totally worth it) If uni isn't your thing, then may I suggest their sampler? Toro, ankimo, salmon....all flavorful and fresh. Think notes on a piano. If raw fish isn't your thing, then how about their cooked miso cod? With a hint of truffle oil? Decadent and delicious. Had several of their rolls. Toro, hamachi, butterfish, all were excellent. Who knew this restaurant in the middle of nowhere could be as good as the ones in SF? Bravo!

    (5)

  • Emily Z.

    Well, this is definitely a bare-bones place. It's tiny, cramped, and the service is usually rushed, but the food and quality is worth it. We stopped by on a late Saturday evening and had about a 20 minute wait. Once seated, service went pretty quick. We didn't go too fancy on the ordering, and ordered a Chirashi bowl and sashimi set. Both were very fresh, and I love that the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity or fancy rolls. Hamachi carpaccio was also great, with just a bit of a kick from the jalapeño and the grapefruit. Parking is not too terrible with residential streets, and they offer a 10% discount if you pay with cash.

    (5)

  • Spooky E.

    Cute little place. We ordered agedashi tofu - perfect! Eggplant - yum! I could eat that everyday! Little octopus? Deeelish! Yummy little critters. Our female server was kinda cranky. No smiles and it's like we're irritating her for asking questions about the food. I had a shower so no need to make that stink eye look! Hopefully we get someone else on our next visit!

    (4)

  • Jules S.

    Some dear friends of mine have lived in the Berkeley hills for forever, and are connoisseurs when it comes to local fine(ish) cuisine. I've been in town writing and housesitting for a couple weeks and I had a hankering (does anyone say that anymore?) for sushi...the kind that's not pre-packaged and available in stores. They directed me to this joint, and I trusted them. I read the recent reviews, but I trusted my friends more. So, off I went with a super hungry tummy, very excited to have some sushi that was most likely deliciously out of bounds. The place already had four different parties seated at 5:05PM (they open at 5PM for dinner) which I thought was amazing and indicative of a great place. Then, two servers came out and took every table's order....at the same time...not going back to the chefs to start making the food for the previous table, but taking all the orders and giving them to the chefs at once. Hmmm, ok. No biggie. That's how they roll (awful pun). I ordered three rolls and the veggie gyoza appetizer (I told you, I was hungry), and it took as long as you might expect--long enough to begin filling up with more and more people. My tastebuds were salivating, my stomach turning. This was going to be the best sushi of my life because the place was nearly packed not even a half hour after opening (mind you, it's a little bigger than a sardine can in there). And then the waitress, who was very sweet, delivered my first roll (the Alaska) and gyoza. Immediately, I could smell the salmon--super fishy, which is not the best sign and means the fish isn't very fresh. On top of that, the salmon was the consistency of mush. I ate it against my better judgment. The gyoza, I'm afraid, was mushy, too, and such a disappointment. I was incredibly up in arms, as this would go down as my worst sushi experience to date...even worse than a $20 all-you-can-eat place in the San Fernando Valley. I asked the server if I could take the rest to go, as by now, this place was overflowing, and I waited about another ten minutes for my next two rolls (veggie rolls) to be ready. (The avocado maki and veggie tempura rolls were sloppy, but fine, but you can't really mess those up too badly...their avocado was on point.) BUT, this place must have something special about it because people were coming in like it was their last meal ever (maybe it would be given the salmon?). I might've just been the one person who got the stinky meal (literally), but I'm not interested in finding out if it was just a one-time bad experience.

    (1)

  • Vy N.

    Great sushi place located at the corner of Gilman St and Neilson St! Location (5/5): This location is right at the corner - ideal for all businesses! Street parkings are limited, so you may have to park far away and walk here. Services (4/5): Services is quick, knowledgable and friendly. They take awhile to make food, which is perfectly fine for us. Food (3.5/5): We ordered the following dishes: seaweed salad ($5.95), sashimi sushi 6 pieces ($16.50), Kobe beef special sushi dishes ($6), salmon skin roll ($6.50), shrimp tempura roll ($8.00) and 3 mochi ice cream ($3.75). My favorite dishes out of all dishes were the fresh seaweed salad, the crispy salmon skin roll and the ending mochi ice cream. As recommended by a lot of Yelpers, the seaweed salad are indeed pretty refreshing. Unless you don't like seaweed textures, you may not like it. Second, I personally LOVE salmon skin, and I'm glad that their salmon skin was WAY crispy and flavorful. The shrimp tempura roll, on the other hand, was a nah~ It was oddly sour and not up to my preference. Up for desserts? Try out their mochi ice cream! They came in various flavors and presented to us on a beautifully transparent plate. If you are looking a sushi place around Albany and the Berkeley Hills, come here for solid food!

    (4)

  • Mindy S.

    BUMMER! I had been to this sushi restaurant 3 times and LOVED IT! The last two times it sucked. I found out why...the sushi chef that always prepared my food left. So KAMADO is my new sushi home! Chef Jin, the owner, takes such pride in the food he serves. I am amazed at everything he prepares for me. From the Miso soup (cooked every morning for 2 hours and made with fresh organic ingredients) to the quality fish he buys not from one vendor but many. Because as chef Jin said, "Not all vendors have the best quality fish across the board." I love that he is particular and so prideful about what he serves his customers. Thank you chef Jin!

    (1)

  • Tiffany D.

    Small and tightly knit sushi place! Do get their fresh Uni! It was great. As for their specialty hamachi carpaccio, it was nice with the tangy, but smooth grapefruit juice blend, small kick to the jalepeno and slender texture to the sashimi itself! They have the norm of sashimi and sushi rolls! Their hamachi kama was yum and rich in omega 3! I do recommend the Chirashi set if you want to sample the chef's special on their sashimi! It is quite a filler! For dessert, their tempera ice cream was interesting with the outer layer to be tempura texture. It was good, but not the best batter used. A good spot!

    (4)

  • Noelle H.

    Authentic sushi! Don't expect to have flaming rolls and things here. But do expect to have super fresh sushi. We ordered 1 roll and a few nigiri. The roll was simple, yet delicious. The nigiri pieces were huge! A bit on the pricier end, but definitely worth it. Luckily when we came there were only a few tables, but I can imagine how it could be busy with such a small space!

    (4)

  • Sara F.

    Sushi was delicious, but service forgot all about us on a quiet night. We pretty much had to get up and ask for anything we needed at the table.. which would be fine if we were eating at a spot with a take out counter.. but not for a mid-high end sushi spot with the prices to match... plus we were here to celebrate a special occasion.. ca ne se fait pas. Aside from that, we really did enjoy the variety of sashimi and sushi here. The specials were creative and traditional depending on your tastes and it was all delicious! I am willing to give it another go round, who knows maybe just an off night.

    (3)

  • .Vanessa G.

    Wow! Went here on a whim because we were in the area and well, wanted sushi. Knowing Kirala wasn't open on a Sunday afternoon I decided to use that handy Yelp search feature on my app. This place came up as being less than a mile away and had some good reviews. Actually saw that they make their wasabi in-house was kind of sold. (The little things!) The place is small -under 15 tables maybe plus a small sushi bar. There were three separate parties when we arrived. The food order: salmon skin roll, dragon roll. I'm just going to say it: the BEST salmon skin roll I have ever had. the salmon was ever so lightly battered and had burdock root and takuan in it as well as bonito and shiro. Flavor explosion! The dragon roll -real crab and the rice to fish ratio was very good. They use honey in the unagi sauce. Prices were reasonable and what? 10% off for paying cash?! IN! Yeah... i'll be back.

    (5)

  • Amy E.

    Portions are small (even for sushi). Rolls were sloppily assembled. Sushi rice was slightly hard. Avocado was sparse & brown. Arrived at 10pm (30 mins before closing) & was rushed 3 times within the first 2 minutes to order, even as they allowed a new customer in 15 minutes later. The food was mediocre. Menu items are very basic. Ordered the rainbow roll & it was a sloppy mess. Taste was ok, but not very fresh. Will not be returning.

    (2)

  • Shawn R.

    Check my check in, wow! Love this place. Be back in Berkeley next week (from LA) and will be back again! The server was far from great but I was at the bar so the chef had my back.

    (5)

  • Alexandra B.

    Staff is friendly love the location. I ordered my favorite chicken teriyaki. It came with soup and salad (peanut sauce) so flavorful and fresh everything tastes yummmmmy

    (5)

  • Maria A.

    Not authentic Japanese. (Their Japanese pronunciation of various fish was like nails on a chalkboard to a native Japanese speaker.) Hamachi nigiri was thickly cut, but mediocre quality. We also ordered Rainbow roll and Alaskan roll, both of which were again mediocre.

    (1)

  • Kiko' N.

    Extremely high quality of sashimi and great appetizers I'm surprised that Mongolian chefs can do that?!?! Also Jay " the chief was doing perfection job for all sushi and sashimi and rolls! I m really amazed " like a " " where have u Been all my life!!???? I'm so coming back here!!! High high highly recommended !!!! Very very very good! You know yelper ? I'm picky for sushi joint!!!! So goood!!! Owner is Japanese fish are extremely fresh

    (5)

  • georges m.

    Quality has gone downhill since Jin left. It's fine in a pinch (like Kirala), but if you want quality, check out Kamado, Sushi Sho or Yume in Alameda. Keep in mind you get what you pay for when it comes to sushi.

    (2)

  • Brittany G.

    This place is terrible. I'm upset that I ate here. Very, very disappointing. The fish was not fresh. The only decent thing was the ginger that came with our sushi. I will definitely not come back here.

    (1)

  • Cynthia C.

    There is a reason why there are 10-15 people waiting outside to eat here: -quality fish at affordable prices -kitchen and bar execute efficiently -generous portions, nigiri was NOT a one bite deal -aji nigiri comes with fried aji bone, like the whole skeleton!!! -hamachi crudo could use a few of the jalapeno seeds, to give it more zip, buttery, love the acid from the grapefruit slices instead of the typical ponzu yuzu -hamachi kama is HUGE and just anything hamachi here is buttery and great -seaweed in salad was a bit over hydrated and the dressing while sparse, didn't love, creamy, I like soy, citrus and oil based for this course -rolls are clean and surprisingly have a lot of flavor on their own, without the need for soy, get the dynamite and kaisen futo-maki, which is just 5-6 types of fish, half being chef's choice. Weird: TWO types of wasabi, one squeezed from a large food grade bag. Would skip: -nigiri next time and just go with sashimi, the rice leaves much to be desired, no wasabi between fish and rice -hon maguro is NOT what I was expecting, not a lot of flavor Japanese run, but they have the low-sodium soy option, rare. Be prepared for the kitchen to be out of a lot of the favorites, 7:30pm and no: shima aji, toro and black miso cod. Prefer the sushi bar, since it's so tight in the rest of the restaurant and would probably try to get take out in the future, since their bathroom facilities are not the most pleasant. Definitely make a reservations, but make sure to show up within 10 minutes, or they will give your table away. That's what happened to us. Don't fret, they will put you back on the list and not at the bottom. Generally, the wait for two people at prime time, 7PM is about 15 minutes, not horrible. It's DAMN chilly in Berkeley to be waiting outside. If you're a picky princess like me. Just under $100 for two, no drinks, with food to take home and FULL bellies.

    (4)

  • Phil S.

    Completely overrated. Hope it was an off day. Walked in during a slow lunch to see if the line out front is worth waiting for, today it certainly was not. Tonkatsu fried to a jerky consistency on a shabby looking plate. Unagi nigiri served cold, slimy and tasteless. Avoid.

    (2)

  • Judy H.

    Another sushi gem in Berkeley! This area offers so many sushi options that we've all just been spoiled silly. Now add Kiku Sushi to the mix. The restaurant is very simple and traditional, and that is how I would describe the sushi here. I can't handle those fusion and Americanized sushi joints. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to find this refreshingly plain and quiet Japanese restaurant. My colleague and I came during the tail end of lunch. There were only a few customers in the restaurant. After being seated, we both received a hot cup of green tea. I decided on the Sushi Lunch Special while my coworker ordered the Chirashi Bowl. These both came with a bowl of miso soup. The Sushi Lunch Special consisted of the standard CA roll (six pieces) and six types of nigiri: salmon, tuna, ebi (shrimp), hamachi (yellowtail), unagi (sea eel), and tamago (egg). For those who aren't sushi masters, nigiri is sliced raw fish with a molded ball of rice underneath. The Sushi Lunch Special was super filling and the fish were all fresh. Nothing tasted briny or rubbery. KS uses superior grade seafood. The fish-to-rice ratio was fair and I would say they had pretty generous cuts considering the top-notch quality of fish. I really enjoyed the unagi and tamago as well; they were flavorful and delicious. There were no complaints from my coworker about her Chirashi bowl, which came with assorted sashimi over white rice (same variety of fish that I had). Service is fine and the interior is cozy. It might be pricey for lunch but I don't mind splurging for some high quality sushi!

    (4)

  • Shannon N.

    I secretly don't want to write this review out of selfish reasons of not having more people go to this restaurant...I am in love with Kiku. This is my favorite place to go to for sushi in the East Bay--why? All the fish is SO fresh, and every roll is made perfectly, one by one. WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN: 1) hamachi crudo: YUM. get this. 2) CA roll: my favorite roll...this is the only time I will EVER order a CA roll from any sushi place...why? Because they used REAL crab meat, none of that gross imitation crab stuff!! 3) spicy tuna roll: mmm I love that the spice comes from the seasoning they add to the top of the roll instead of mixing the tuna with some mayo and spice like the majority of restaurants do. 4) spider roll: best spider roll i've ever had. 5) saba, unagi, ebi, and toro nigiri: mmmm pricey but oh so yummy, like butter in your mouf. 6) chirashi lunch special: for only $12, this was SO worth it for lunch! in LOVE. 7) seaweed salad: very different from the regular seaweed salads--this is a blend of different seaweeds--I'm in love with this too!! 8) crunch roll: YUM OKAY OKAY WAIT. So I'm just going to stop here because I realize I love everything I've gotten....so how bout this: anything you get, you will not be disappointed. I cherish this place so SO much. I am partly dying inside as I share this...because soon enough Kiku will have a 3 hour wait out the door at all times they are open and I will be left crying the the car, driving by, looking at the waiting parties outside at prime dinner time.

    (5)

  • Scott L.

    Residential Street Parking Small Restaurant Opens at 5pm Ten Percent Cash Discount Green Tea is Top Shelf Quality Wasabi Agedashi Tofu is Tasty and a Great Deal Sashimi Dinner has 10 Large Slices of Fresh Fish Kobe Beef Wrapped around Avocado is VG Miso Cod could have used a little more Size and Miso Spicy Scallop Roll was OK - Could have been a little Tighter Overall.....We'll be Back!

    (4)

  • Hoyan L.

    Have been here a couple of times and overall, the quality is consistently great and definitely a place to get authentic delicious nigiri and sashimi. I certainly agree that this is not the best place to eat out at for dinner every week without burning a deep hole in your wallet, but you should check out their lunch specials here. For their quality and price, I would say their lunch specials are pretty well worth it! I got their sushi lunch special plus an order of ikura nigiri recently for about $20, which I thought was a great deal. The sushi lunch special ($13) consisted of one maguro, hamachi, tai, sake, ebi, unagi, 6 pieces of real ca roll, and a miso soup. The quality of the fish is fresh and excellent, not to mention the slice of the fish is thick, and the rice is perfectly cooked and seasoned. I dipped the nigiri fish side down into a little bit of soy sauce and ate it side-ways (proper sushi etiquette?). The oil and flavor of the fish just blends so perfectly with the rice. It was like an explosion of flavors in my mouth. The salmon practically just melts like butter omg and the ikura was really good as well! I would definitely be back again for the lunch specials and probably get the sushi special again or their chirashi!

    (4)

  • Mik H.

    The original sushi chef left here and it has gone downhill. His new place is called Kamado and is on Shattuck near Rose. He's worth following.

    (2)

  • Bryan L.

    Disclaimer: I am a Berkeley freshman and therefore my tastebuds have been accustomed to what some wouldn't even call "food." However, I grew up in LA and I've eaten at some great Japanese places; let me tell you, this place is legit. I had the Chirashi Special and I was blown away by the quality of the fish. So fresh, so buttery, absolutely delicious. I will be coming back, because lord knows I'll need to have a reprieve from the cafeteria food.

    (5)

  • Mona S.

    Very impressed!! Found us a new favorite sushi spot in the east bay!! We did wait 10 min for a seat but it was well worth it!!

    (5)

  • Val T.

    The place is kind of tight, but the food is good. Portions are a little small. Bring cash as they give a 10% discount. They calmed down our restless son by bringing him a colored pencil and a piece of paper. I was really appreciative for that.

    (4)

  • Maria C.

    Found this hole in the wall-ish sushi place after finding out that Sumo Sushi (my go to local sushi place) was not opening til' 5 PM. The restaurant itself is pretty dainty & accommodates, at most, maybe 20 people, so leave your cousins, cousin's cousin at home. The quality of the food was great, although I can't judge because I didn't order anything raw. My baked scallop was tasty, but just lacked the x-factor I was looking for. There was no sauce over my sushi & nor did I taste anything baked. Their salad was sooo good. I don't know about others, but when I go to a sushi spot, the salad dressing is what makes or breaks the deal. The dressing was... Sesame seed, garlicky, light brown colored goodness. I devoured the tiny salad side dish. The portions of the food was tiny.. But I'm just a greedy fat American- so hell what do I know about portion size. The bento box that we ordered came with 8 slices of beef teriyaki (yes I counted), 6 California rolls, a miso soup, a side salad, & a bowl of white rice. Everything was delicious, but my hungry ass wanted mo' Servers seemed busy so I didn't get the above & beyond service that I always seem to feel obligated to receive. Oh wells.

    (3)

  • Tina R.

    Celebrated my birthday here back in Oct. The sushi is fresh and the sake good. We did have a problem getting a table, even though we had made reservations. They didn't have a table ready for us at the time we asked for, so it ended up taking about half an hr to sit down. The waitress was very helpful when we were trying to order sake.

    (4)

  • Katherine L.

    I've been here twice now and both times I wasn't very satisfied with my experience. The first time, my boyfriend had some sort of udon thing and it wasn't that good nor flavorful. Both times I've been here, even though the restaurant is so small and they seem to have enough waitresses, our food took a while and it they didn't check up on us very much. My latest experience, our food really took so long and we only ordered rolls! How is that possible to wait so long?! The rolls were not bad, but definitely nothing I would have to come back for. Plus, it is pretty pricey for such small servings.

    (1)

  • David Z.

    Sushi is good but service is abysmal.

    (3)

  • Ryan S.

    Small and a little crowded, but very good.

    (5)

  • Yelena K.

    I have been brokenhearted since my departure from San Diego and the later closure of my favorite sushi restaurant ever, Kiyo's. And although Kiku doesn't completely fill the void (I fear nothing ever will), it is certainly a step in the right direction. I hesitate calling it a hole in the wall because it's so gosh darn classy (and those spanning windows hardly characterize a hole), but holes in the wall hold a special place in my heart, so I'm going to go ahead and do it anyway. It's simultaneously smaller than you were hoping, but bigger than you'd expect it to be. The number of seats is limited and there is usually a short wait during prime dinner hours. Their rice is perfect and they don't skimp on the fish on the nigiri. Every time I eat ikura nigiri, it completely deteriorates, leaving me with a plateful of scattered ikura and rice and embarrassing sideways glances to see how many people noticed. But at Kiku, it somehow holds together for me! ...as much as ikura can hold together in my clumsy hands. Their saba is great and you can't go wrong with any of the rolls. This is probably not a big deal for most people, but I always just kind of assumed tamago came in bulk in some vacuum sealed bag off a Sysco truck. Well, the other day, I actually had the pleasure of watching these lovely people make tamago! And then I had the even greater pleasure of eating it! For dessert, the green tea tempura is way more decadent than it has any right to be and the staff is more than happy to serve it to you, even if you've been taking up the table for a couple hours already and they're just about to close.

    (4)

  • Melissa T.

    This is a great place for a casual and affordable sushi dinner. Although our food was not speedy out of the kitchen, it was worth the wait. The rice used in the sushi was well prepared, not sticky and squished like many cheaper sushi restaurants. We enjoyed all of our dishes, and we have both had our fair share of delicious Japanese dinners. My picks: -Tekka Maki (tuna roll) -Dragon Roll -Tonkatsu The restaurant does seem to get busy around 7pm on weekday nights but was almost empty at 6. Seating is limited so if you don't want to wait, go early.

    (4)

  • Jun L.

    I really wanted to give it a 5 star... Because there are not that many places that have decent sushi in this area. I am pleasantly surprised for their quality and effort to bring best dish possible. I had some sushi, sashimi, udon and spicy tuna roll. - Fish quality is 5 star! Very juicy and buttery. Freshness you can taste - Udon was great. Not salty, lots of tempura, lots of fresh veggies in the udon. - Spicy tuna roll though, it's good but it has some fragrance that I didn't expect from tuna roll. It overpowered the goodness of he fish itself. I wish it was simpler... Overall, I would come back time to time, and to explore more! -------------- Second review .. After omakase .. Had to change from 4 stars to 5. It's worth the try! The last item was fried shrimp with shrimp sushi. It was best thing ever!

    (5)

  • Emily S.

    Never has my stomach hurt so much after eating at a restaurant. And for such small portions. We had the miso soup, amberjack sushi, spider roll, and chicken teriyaki. The two stars are for the service, but that is it. Never going back.

    (2)

  • Junel S.

    It's a rare find these days to come across an affordable, fresh, and not over-crowded sushi restaurant. As my first Japanese restaurant in the Berkeley/Oakland area, I have high hopes that there is hope for sushi on this side of the bridge. Kiku Sushi is a relaxed, casual sushi restaurant. I like that they do nice plating's as well as use really authentic looking dishware. It's really cute and smart how they care about the way they present their food. Their menu had a broad selection (but not overly broad) of sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi, appetizers, and lunch specials. I opted for the chirashi lunch special ($16). The fish was fresh, the sushi rice was awesome, and the lunch special was well worth it. The lunch special came with miso soup and it was probably the best miso soup I've had. My friends both got the tempura lunch and it was huge! For $11, they could not finish it. The tempura looked very tasty. My friend noted that the batter wasn't too heavy and she liked the consistency of the way they made the tempura. My one friend also got the veggie roll which looked really good as well. I was very satisfied with the food. Kiku is one of the rare sushi places in the area open for lunch so I'm glad I came across it and will be a repeat customer!

    (4)

  • Ric M.

    Always busy, so they don't care about this. But here goes... Very cramped and loud. Next to impossible to talk with your dining partner without shouting. If you are seated near the door - and you pretty much will be - then you get to eat with someone's ass in your face while they stand there staring at your food waiting to get a table. Order is usually wrong. 2 times, back-to-back, they don't have what I wanted (Uni). Expensive. Almost $80 (before tip) for 2 people. And the food isn't really that good! Slightly fishy smell last night. I've been there 4 times now, and had decent food and service once. But the other times, it's been so-so food and service at best, and having to deal with peoples' asses in my face. Ugh. And forget about them checking up on you once the food fiiiiiinally makes it to your table. You're on your own......

    (2)

  • It G.

    The nastiest Japanese food we have ever eaten!! First of all Agedashi Tofu should never taste like fried Mochi (tofu isn't sticky ) Since when are Japanese Gyoza steamed and not pan fried? That's called a Chinese pot sticker duh! Why did there Teriyaki sauce smell like soap from Ikea. Since when is teriyaki sauce thick and fragrant like flowers?? Even the Udon was in like a chicken broth not a Dashi. We asked for Siracha and even that wasn't right!! Overall the worst thing I've eaten I can't call this Japanese food it's just not!!!

    (1)

  • James K.

    Wow, what a great place for sushi, and I'm talking from experience. This unassuming sushi joint offers some top notch fresh sushi by a couple of chefs that really have an in-depth knowledge on sushi prep. When we walked in, the place was almost completely full, which is a good sign knowing that there are return customers and also that the food will be fresh. I went straight to the bar and ordered omikase "chef's choice" and I'm so glad that I did. It was very interesting seeing a fish turn into our delicious meal. Our meal started off with a 7 seaweed salad that had a great balance. Next was our appetizer which was medium cooked black cod that was possibly the best piece of fish I've ever had. Great subtle flavors. And than came our sashimi platter with fresh wasabi. Yes that's right, I said it. Fresh wasabi grated from the root! A rare treat and by the end of the meal, I was eating the wasabi straight up. If you've never had it, than it will change the way you look at sushi. The sashimi platter itself had very generous pieces of fish. Some of the ones that really stuck out were the chutoro, the scallops were so fresh, and what I thought was salmon but was actually a type of trout was amazing. Very fresh sushi overall. The plate came with a deep fried aji bone and sauce that had an amazing crispy texture and taste. Another small thing I noticed is that they give you the pickled white ginger, not the dyed pink stuff. News flash, ginger is NOT pink. I prefer it with it's natural color. The service came quickly and with pleasant smiles. Needless to say, I will be coming back here for my sushi fix.

    (5)

  • Ken S.

    Bad service. Took over an hour to get our food. Had to ask for things multiple times before getting it. Very cramped and uncomfortable, I'm sure this place is over the max capacity. Portions are WAY smaller than other restaurants. I will not come to this restaurant again, long wait, bad service, overpriced.

    (1)

  • Erin J.

    Had this tonight for the first time. It was a good, solid choice. Nothing special or creative with the rolls, but very fresh fish. My crunch roll could have used a little more eel, but overall very good. They also have a decent selection of sake for such a small place. I got an unfiltered nigori sake, it was good. It was very slow but overall good service, good food.

    (3)

  • Benjamin F.

    Been here twice and tried a variety of nigiri options including the chef's special (moriwase) as well as from the daily board. Pros: quality seems fresh and size of each piece is large. Cons: nothing is worth repeating. The sushi doesn't have the "melt" character of a restaurant of this quality/price and each bite is difficult due to the "fishy" flavor. I went back based on a friends recommendation and will not return.

    (1)

  • Jay S.

    Went back again to Kiku for round #2 to see how consistent they were. After ordering a wide variety of Nigiri, it was just like the first visit. Incredibly fresh and fantastic rice which really makes the Nigiri. My only disappointment was no Salmon Skin Salad but it's understandable that if you don't have fresh product, you don't compromise. I was reminded about the reasonable prices and am now willing to make the 25 minutes drive here whenever I want to get my Sushi on! Definitely one of my favorite Sushi spots between Hayward to Livermore.

    (5)

  • Daniel R.

    Great little sushi bar, emphasis on small. While the seating was cramped, it was ok. We tried a full assortment of offerings and none disappointed. The restaurant had a great vibe and was very busy...the wait was a little long but everyone was nice. The Black Cod " butter fish" was awesome, melted in my mouth , it's a must have.

    (4)

  • A N.

    What a great surprise this little place was, fresh fish reasonably priced. Service was prompt and efficient. Try the sashimi plate

    (5)

  • Travis J.

    The food was good, but the we had a new server and she was... well lets just say that food service was not her forte. I would go back ... and sit in a different section, or just get take out.

    (4)

  • Max D.

    This review is from a few months ago. Sat at the sushi bar. Tried this place after looking at reviews and so I wanted to share my experience. When it comes to sashimi bigger is not better. The portions were cut too big for my taste. And it was cramped and loud. Some items on the menu were fantastic and a good value but I may not come back. 2.5 really.

    (3)

  • Eric S.

    If you're in the berkeley area I recommend this japanese restaurant. The food is fresh and sashimi is just sooo delicious. Been coming here since 2 months ago and I always come back for the chicken bent with sashimi substitute!

    (5)

  • Erin K.

    This is my second time here, and I have to say that Kiku is much less appealing the second time around. My first visit was 4.5/5 stars. I was with a friend. Service was good and the food was even better. This time around, however, I was not so lucky. I came to a dinner service (Thursday night @7pm) and it was fairly crowded. The restaurant itself is very small and packed, but not stuffy. Service was very slow and, at times, was nonexistent. My table would flag down a waitress, ask for something (like tea or wasabi), waitress would acknowledge the request... and then that was it. We were never brought anything we asked for unless we asked multiple times. It was just kind of tiring, because it took so much effort to just flag down one of the waitresses! Another issue, besides the shoddy service, was the quantity of the dishes (or lack thereof). The portions are very small - think bite-size appetizers and almost regular sized rolls. The saving grace: I enjoyed my food (except for the natto roll... that was just NO), and 10% off if you use cash!

    (3)

  • Leona L.

    A tight little squeeze of a sushi spot, but with a warm and busy feel to the place. There is usually a wait of 15 to 30 minutes for a party of two. The sushi here is fresh, and the portion sizes are reasonable if not generous. My favorites here are the scallop, uni, and smoked salmon sashimi. My husband loves their tuna roll as they load it up with shizo leaf to impart that extra punch per bite. We still love Sushi Sho, but in terms of price, faster service, and overall quality of the dining experience, we prefer Kiku's more often.

    (4)

  • Chani P.

    Overpriced, for tiny 6 pieced maki rolls which tasted like nothing. The fish wasn't bad but it wasn't good. No flavor... It didn't seem like high-quality sushi, or even medium level :/ The miso soup was delicious though... It's a very tiny place, so people seem to be very loud, and the waitress was rude. I will never go again.

    (2)

  • Tao Tao W.

    went here once before with my mom and again today with a friend. They have a great lunch menu and also one of the few restaurants open on a Sunday afternoon in the Berkeley area. I got the Chirashi both times and for $13, you get 12 pieces of well worth cuts such as salmon, tuna, yellow tail, egg omelet, shrimp, etc AND unagi my fav. It also comes with miso soup as well. Good quality cuts and good size too. very fresh tasting. wait staff is great. It is a small place though but they can accomodate a decent sized group.

    (4)

  • Leaf T.

    Stopped in on a whim after leaving work early and meeting up with my wife to find a late lunch - this is a winner!! Kiku Sushi is a small place on the corner tucked in a quiet residential neighborhood in Berkeley. It's relatively small inside, but quiet and cozy. Service is quick, attentive, and non-intrusive. Sushi is excellent. My wife and I each ordered a couple of items, and we left talking about the freshness of the fish and how satisfying the portions were. Loved loved loved the food.

    (4)

  • Isabel N.

    Generous sashimi portions. We had the combo moriwase. Uni nigiri was ok, not melt in your mouth orgasmic. Blow fish although interesting wasn't great. The texture isn't my chip of tea. It's quite tough. They were out of kanpachi! Chawan had a great broth, but the custard was slightly over done. I enjoyed mushashi's version better. Agedashi sauce was slightly too sweet, but I liked the smaller tofu cubes. Appreciated the fact that they had fresh wasabi.

    (4)

  • Courtney S.

    What a sweet little discovery this was! Fiancee and I stopped here in a Saturday on our way back home to Marin after running errands in the east bay. We didn't want to make a big deal out of lunch, so it seemed quick and easy enough to take a break for two beers and two rolls. He had an assortment of chef's choice nigiri, whereas I had an entire crunch roll; all of the fish was fresh, the sushi rice was perfect, and my own roll was a perfect balance of creamy, crunchy, and savory. In the end, we actually saved on our bill too since they charge a 10% discount on any orders paid with cash, which is a great incentive (in my opinion) to encourage people to not pay with plastic as much. The beers were HUGE and decently priced, so that was a plus too. Not sure if we'll go back soon, given that we don't venture out of the north bay very often, but I will definitely recommend it to others in the area!

    (5)

  • Nick F.

    So this place was horrible! Super small and they are ridiculously slow! Everything was unorganized and people were standing right next to our table basically over our food just waiting to be seated! The food wAs all nasty except the Edamame which came out last! This place we will never come back to! The only reason It gets one star is because our server wAs pretty!

    (1)

  • Alastair S.

    Kiku Sushi well-deserves its esteem among Yelpers. The salmon sashimi, which can be rather nondescript in most Japanese restaurants, was outstanding. The Agedashi tofu also comes cubed, a subtle innovation that increases the surface area for more batter to be applied. This place is a neighborhood gem. If you are craving sushi at an affordable price range, be sure to give this place a visit. Mansfield Score: 8.5/10

    (5)

  • Vivian D.

    Like the reviews say, a bit pricey and I left this place still hungry, but everything was so fresh and delectable! I wouldn't come back on a completely empty stomach again however, more of a tapas place if you want to get sushi. We tried the seaweed salad. And it was very different than traditional seaweed salad. It had a creamy sauce that reminded me of mayonnaise. I wasn't a huge fan. A few bites were OK, but it was just so thick. Apparently everyone gets the hamachi crudo. For good reason, it's so yummy! Pricey but worth it I think. The vinaigrette sauce is just subtle enough and not too overpowering. It definitely made the dish. Spicy tuna roll- I always get this wherever I go and it was delicious here! Sake nigiri was so fatty and good. Would come back!

    (4)

  • Will F.

    Really 4.5 out of 5. Quaint little spot, quiet, quality sushi for a very reasonable price. Prompt service and the rolls were wonderful.

    (4)

  • Steph C.

    Not sure why it took me so long to write a review for this place but here goes... When I first came here I would always order the black miso cod, spicy tuna roll and agadashi tofu. All of which are delicious. The spicy tuna roll isn't my fav only because they add some kind of seasoning to make it more spicy and I'm not a huge fan of it, but the cod is a great dish for those who like their food cooked and the texture (chewiness mmh) of the coating on the tofu is amazing. Then I upgraded to the hamachi curudo and let me just tell you, the hamachi with the grapefruit and jalapeño (hold the cilantro please) is such a great combo, especially with the grapefruit vinaigrette. Well, eventually I continued on my journey and started ordering sashimi. I love this place because their fish is fresh. My favorite? Sake. Laugh all you want, they have the most delicious sake. I can't explain it, you just have to try. I started dabbling in everything basically, hamachi, tuna, aji, etc. Long story short, this place had been an extremely important part of my growth in Japanese cuisine. I love coming here. The service is always great (sometimes a bit slow when it's busy, but nothing out of the ordinary). My favorites?.. Hamachi curudo Aji tataki (fried fish bones.. Yesss please (note: you have to order two orders of aji in order to get the fish bones) Sake sashimi Scallop sashimi Tempura siso uni The fried shrimp heads when you get the shrimp sashimi. Come and try it out for yourself. Sit at the bar to get a front seat view of an awesome sushi chef at work. And no.. I didn't order all of that food in one visit. Agadashi tofu

    (5)

  • Philip N.

    My wife had been raving about this place, and we finally had a chance to check it out. When it comes to sushi, I have one rule: keep it simple. I don't need rolls covered in multi-colored mayonaise with two different types of deep fried seafood. I don't need techno music blasting and uplights blinding me during my dinner. In short, I don't want a Michael Bay movie type of experience, where the glitz and effects hide the sheer lack of quality. When I want sushi, I want good quality fish, cut precisely at the right temperature over perfectly seasoned and cooked rice. In this regard, Kiku is an absolute win. They serve great sushi at a reasonable price. I am knocking off a star for our chawanmushi order however. Our chawanmushi was a far cry from the light, delicate custard that one is used to. Instead, we got a dense, overseasoned and overcooked mess. It was the only knock to an otherwise fantastic meal. If you want great sushi, go to Kiku. If you want mayonaise and $19.99 AYCE sushi deals, look elsewhere.

    (4)

  • Joy C.

    This is the freshest sushi I have every eaten. .....I love their food and it's affordable. Wonderful atmosphere, I have truly found my spot. ....I will definitely come again!

    (5)

  • Javier C.

    Love this place! Chef Jay is awesome and always hooks us up with specialties. Tonight's visit we got salmon roe with a quail egg on top. The pieces are thick and the prices reasonable.

    (5)

  • David L.

    we had decided we would try and find the best local sushi. WE FOUND IT!! Extremely fresh fish. Live uni and abalone. LIVE!! That is rare indeed to find in a restaurant. We walked in 45 mins before closing. Closed the joint down. Great service. Very generous sake servings. Bar was amazing. Cash discount. HANDS DOWN THE BEST IN TOWN!!!

    (5)

  • Angela V.

    Yeah...it's f****** yummy. Uni was super fresh and tasted amazing on its own, one could get lost in the pores if you stare at it too long. The salmon, yellow tail and tuna were bites of perfection. I appreciate the manageable portion sizes. Can't wait to get back and try more. Table seating is fairly cozy, service was great, waitresses were very attentive and knowledgeable.

    (4)

  • Kayla R.

    The restaurant is super small so not ideal for large groups or kids (unless well behaved and quiet) ! Great quality fish and good customer service :)

    (5)

  • Ronaldo P.

    Arguably the best sushi in Oakland of not one of the best in the Bay Area. The sashimi 10 plate was outstanding. Fresh cuts of fish generously sized, with fresh wasabi...not the green toothpaste most places have. Hamachi was awesome... Tuna two ways... Glistening salmon and their fresh catch of Bonita Macarel was incredible... I'd come back over kirala and I am a kirala fan... Now a big fan of Kiku sushi

    (5)

  • Wendy H.

    Good sashimi on a Wednesday? Nice. The balanced layers of grapefruit slices, fresh hamachi, and jalapeño in their hamachi kurudo makes my mouth sing. I've come here twice for lunch and both time left very satisfied. At $12 for a miso black cod bento or a chirashi bowl or their sashimi lunch complete with salad, soup and.california rolls, they're quite affordable for Japanese food. And the staff here have been nothing but gracious and hospitable. There was a moment today when the server brought out something different than what I ordered. She immediately brought the dish back and gave me the benefit of the doubt. Thanks Kiku!

    (5)

  • Doris C.

    I went in for lunch with a friend because I've been hearing good things about Kiku. Kiku did not disappoint. I ordered a sashimi lunch special and my friend ordered the morikawa lunch special. Each order was only $15, which I thought was steal especially since each cut was fresh and huge. The fish was delicious! Each piece melted in my mouth. I'm definitely coming here again to try out some of their items!

    (5)

  • Stephanie L.

    I saw lots of people; therefore I came for sashimi, with high hopes of freshness. Just to preface, I was very satisfied with all the sashimi I ordered, which was the majority of my meal. I ordered pairs of two types of hamachi, hokkaido scallop, and king salmon. I was full and happy with that. Just one weird matter that bothered me: When I ordered my sashimi, I didn't want it in nigiri form. I also ordered a bowl of rice on the side. I got both. The waitress was happy to take the bowl of rice back after the misunderstanding but it was strange to me that she didn't confirm how I wanted my sashimi and thought I would want a extra full bowl of rice. Now, onto the appetizers. We got edamame and fried tofu. 1. Edamame: Overcooked, soft, tasteless. How do you mess up the easiest appetizer in the world? 2. Fried Tofu: The potato starch coating was soggy and easily separated from the tofu. I'm picky about my fried tofu. I've had good fried tofu and this was not it. Last, the place is crowded. There is no place to wait inside even though it was freezing outside. When seated, the table next to me was close enough that I could lick my neighbor's elbow. I've had better sashimi in SoCal and will try other places in the Bay Area.

    (3)

  • Kelly R.

    My first time at kiku sushi, was an experience in it self. Solongo, our server, had my boyfriend crush the sesame seed for of our calamari rings sause. He thought he was going brake the fragile little bowl the sesame seeds were in. Solongo also show me the step to opening ramune (Japanese soda) which was more than what was in mind! New favorite drink. Most definitely would come again! Great experience.

    (5)

  • Parker I.

    Great, cozy sushi place, with a hefty cash discount; slightly off the main drag, so parking isn't a nightmare. I would call it a "hole-in-the-wall", except that it is cleaner and more professional than that term implies. Excellent food at typical sushi prices (and 10% off if you pay cash!), and a wider selection of sake than I would expect at a place so small. It was packed when we walked in, and although there is nothing like a private conversation in those close quarters, it didn't interfere with a wonderful meal. The staff seemed a little overwhelmed at first, but recovered gracefully, and really made us feel welcome.

    (4)

  • Teal M.

    Super fresh fish, amazing edamame, and flavorful sushi. Meals come with white rice and miso soup. Sashimi is always so fresh and nicely arranged. The service could be better, the waitresses are slow and one woman is not so friendly. Small dining room, but there is a mini sushi bar where you can see the chefs prepare the food. I had one of the soups the other day, it had a teriyaki broth, not at all to my liking. It contained fish balls, clear noodles, beef slices and mushrooms. It was way too sweet and not subtle at all. I would recommend their sashimi, their bento boxes and their sushi.

    (3)

  • Mariah P.

    Great sushi place. Fresh and delicious. They have a simple menu but best place so far in east bay for sashimi and sushi. It's small restaurant so it does feel tight and ambiance is so so. However the food and service is great.

    (4)

  • Ngoc S.

    Much better second experience! We stuck with rolls and nigiri this time...tasty and even though it's small, it's tres kid friendly.

    (4)

  • Evelyn Q.

    awesome sushi it could get really crowded but customer service is great!

    (5)

  • Joanie H.

    Not sure if I've been coming on the wrong day or time cause services and food went down the hill... The last few times I came here it wasn't even busy. Had to ask for water and tea refill multiple of times... They're so forgetful even on a non busy day. Yesterday was the last straw! Came here for dinner with my family and two of my party arrived early to get a table and they ordered some rolls first. The rest of us arrived 15 mins later and we ordered a few more rolls. I asked for tea and water after placing the order and it never came and it's hard to flag the waitress down. When you flag them down they'll acknowledge you and forget all about you. We waited 20-30 mins for the first order to come and another 20 mins for our second order... People that came after us got their food already and we waited a long time for ours. This place doesn't care about service and their food is not that good anymore. Thought that I've found my sushi spot but I'm on the hunt again!

    (2)

  • Paola T.

    Best sushi ever! Incredibly fresh and delicious. I am officially hooked! Will go there at least twice a month and always make sure I bring out of town guests who inevitably love it as well. Superb sushi.

    (5)

  • Vina D.

    I had the spider rolls, which had crab, and usually I get California rolls but tonight I decided to try something new; I enjoyed it very much! They weren't too expensive for sushi ( around $30 cash) for two of us and the waitress was very nice. My friend enjoyed her sushi and beer as well. Definitely will take my boyfriend here and come back.

    (4)

  • Yuting H.

    It's a very small but nice restaurant. It has about 30 seats. The food is great. Warm sake is very good.

    (4)

  • Becky M.

    For sushi in the area, the quality of Kiku's fish rank supreme in my eyes. Every time I've gone, I've gotten the Sake Don (Salmon over rice). I have a little bit of an affinity toward their Sake Don because they cut the pieces of fish in a larger but thinner manner than typical sashimi cuts, which makes the fish taste smoother and actually how I prefer to eat my raw fish. Also, to me, their rice tastes better, but that might just be me. However, the prices for entrees are a bit steep. I usually only come here if I'm feeling especially good and am trying to reward myself. It's also a bit away from the UC Berkeley campus so I really have to have a good reason to come here.

    (4)

  • Hung P.

    We sat at the bar and the sashime combo plate was amazing. The fish were fresh, but the most incredible thing was the wasabi. It was freshly grated from wasabi root imported from Japan, the chef explained to me. I've had fresh wasabi before but they were from the Pacific Northwest, and they're not the same. The wasabi served at Kiku will make any fish taste amazing! I made the mistake of ordering a couple sushi rolls - should have know to order only traditional sushi plates at an authentic place like this. The rolls were OK, but the fish were great and the wasabi ... did I mention the wasabi was out of this world? Apparently they only serve this wasabi with the more expensive sashimi plates. Check it out!

    (4)

  • Ashley T.

    Though it's on the pricier side, Kiku Sushi definitely gets all its stars for the quality of its fish! I took my boyfriend here for his 21st birthday dinner, and we tried a good assortment of things that were all really worth the money. The grilled hamachi collar is a must-try. It has a lot of meat on it, and the crispy skin on the outside was a great contrast to the buttery and flaky fish on the inside. We also tried the futomaki, which is supposedly a vegetarian roll, but it had unagi inside. I actually loved it like this, and they added a little more than what's traditionally in futomaki. Both the chirashi and sake don had huge pieces of sashimi on top of a bed of sushi rice. The rice was just right, and I liked the sesame seeds on top that added a little extra crunch and flavor. The fish was extremely fresh, and they definitely give you your money's worth. I'm also a huge fan of tamago, so I was glad that it was also done really well. At the end of the meal, they included a green tea tempura ice cream as a birthday special! It's a little out of the way and pricey, but its quality is comparable to Kirala and other high-end sushi places in SF. Stick with anything with fish, and it'll be so worth it!

    (4)

  • Li C.

    This is a small but friendly restaurant. Me and my girlfriend came in for dinner of 2. All dishes we ordered are above average. 10% off if you pay cash. Will visit again in the future.

    (4)

  • Dominique S.

    Popped in to try... We'd been driving past for about a year... tried both the sashimi (super fresh/high quality) & dragon roll and it was so yummo! The sauces are perfectly seasoned and compliment the food very well... the items are light and delish. We sat at the counter and the chefs were delightful and sweet. We didn't bother them too much with conversation, and they checked in with us while the waitress was taking care of other biz... I like it when a team easily picks up where another left off. We will definitely be back :)

    (5)

  • Britney O.

    Loved the dancing bonito, crunch and rainbow. We had the blue shrimp it was pretty good. Service was a little slow but very friendly.

    (4)

  • Dante S.

    Very nice Chinese staff attempting to make Japanese food for white clients that don't seem to know the difference. If you love Spider rolls, then you will love this place. If however you are a purist, you might reconsider. Let me say that I just returned from Japan, and I miss the food and the quality of it terribly...

    (2)

  • Tim O.

    Kiku Bubble guts... I really liked this small neighborhood sushi restaurant until... I didn't feel like sushi last week so I went with their teriyaki salmon dinner. 3-4 hours later I was gripping the toilet with food POISONING.. :/ I gave them a call just to give them a heads up about their salmon being bad and they didn't seem concerned the least bit... #bubblegutz@Kiku

    (1)

  • David C.

    Terrific quality of fish, extremely generous portions, and all around great service. The only drawback here would be that the place is quite small, so the wait does tend to get quite long. This is always telling of good food and service, so don't hesitate to try this joint. Freshest in order: Albacore, Salmon, Hamachi, Tuna Memorable items: Monkfish liver (surprised they had this!) Fresh ground wasabi Overall, a fantastic experience. This secret gem is hidden away in a quiet residential area, but don't let the humble exterior fool you.

    (5)

  • Deborah K.

    This is a very cozy place. I was hooked when they served my saki traditional style, overflowing in the box. The sushi is always good, make sure and check the board for their features. The service is attentive. I eat out a lot and I have had to make a conscious effort not to go here, like every night. It's that good. Family friendly.

    (4)

  • Tara S.

    This is a nice and cozy sushi restaurant with a nice small selection of Sake. They had some completely delicious and fresh selections of fish, but some fish was mediocre. Plus, we sat for an entire hour without having any food brought to us. At least we had Sake... Sure, they were very busy, but that was unacceptably long to sit with nothing to eat on our table. I had to press the server to give me an ETA, too. All was forgiven after I received the Moriawase Sashimi dinner with hand ground wasabi with a delicious and fresh selection of fish. However, my husband got the Chirashi, which had a huge chunk of Mackerel and other mediocre pieces of fish. In my opinion, Kirala wins hands down. If I go back, I hope it's when they aren't too busy :)

    (4)

  • Victoria J.

    Delicious! Amazing!!!! If you are sick of Kirala being disappointing, COME HERE INSTEAD! This is true sushi and an amazing meal that will make the rest of your day bright. We came here on a Thursday night around 6pm. There were certainly people there, but it wasn't by any means super crowded and we didn't have to wait for a table. There weren't any Japanese people there, which concerned me, but I guess it is Berkeley and there aren't too many Japanese people in the area to start. After we got our food, my worries were allayed because the food was terrific! We were originally seated at a table, but when we asked about Omakase, they said we had to sit at the sushi bar, so we moved without any problem and there were open seats. I typically like to do omakase at a new place because I know a good restaurant will serve me their best because they're the experts. I'm just the unknowledgeable customer! I don't 100% remember what I received, but the plate consisted of 10 pieces, 5 pairs of nigiri and it was a perfect amount of food for me with my boyfriend picking off it too. My favorite was the hamachi toro and there was this orange fish (not salmon) that was amazing. They also had the mark of a good Japanese restaurant where you don't realize it, but everyone is hyper aware of your experience and watching to see if everything is going well. We also ordered the miso black cod and oh boy! The fish was beautifully cooked and the sauce was incredible. The sauce was super flavorful and satisfying because of the rich umami flavors. It came with a little bit of noodles and some nicely done squash. We chatted with the sushi chef and apparently he used to work at the sushi bar in Hotel Nikko, which is where he learned a lot of his skills. This particular chef was Korean and Japanese. I really enjoyed the experience and I can't wait to add this on my list of go-to places in Berkeley!

    (5)

  • James M.

    Kiku never disappoints me. Been coming here a few times each week for my sushi fix and I always get some of the freshest fish and sushi. The service is always warm and friendly and they never give you bad fish even when you order take out (which I find that many sushi places do). Try their uni, ikura, ankimo, and anything they have on their specials board.

    (5)

  • Vahe M.

    Not really sure how this place received an average 4 star yelp rating but I guess the majority of people see something I don't... The place is relatively nice and convenient especially if you live in north Berkeley, the service was pretty good as well but I wasn't impressed with the sushi...this is not intended to bash the quality of the fish, because the fish was fresh but as an individual I just wasn't impressed with the taste of the sushi rolls...the rolls seemed dry and uneventful and after two tries I didn't see anything in particular that would distinguish this sushi restaurant from anyplace else

    (3)

  • Nam N.

    My brother just took me here today. One of the best sushi I've had! I had the Sushi and Sashimi Combination. Both were great. I also got the Spicy Tuna Roll and the Spider Roll. The Spider Roll was good, the Spicy Tuna was just okay in my opinion. The service was fast. They were polite and they greeted us when we left. When the food was brought out, the waitress named everything out for us. I thought that was nice. We also got the Sampler Sake. We got 6 shots of 6 different sake. It was placed in the order of less flavor to most flavor, in which the waitress advised us to try starting from the less flavored sake. The only con I would give is that there could be a lack of parking during busy hours. I went at night near closing time, so there were parking spaces, and the restaurant was about half full.

    (5)

  • Musetta S.

    The food was good, but nothing special. The restaurant is pretty small and gets packed. Street parking is easy. Pricing is average. I would go back only if someone really wanted to go here, but have other places higher up on my list. Service was good.

    (3)

  • Martina R.

    It's been a long summer, boy. I needed to let loose in a big way, and to feel sexy again. I needed a spontaneous date night. My fiancé and I made the very last minute decision to go here. It was a 5 minute drive. We waited for about 25 minutes, from 7:30-7:55 on a Friday night. It smelled Amazing inside. I immediately knew we were in for a treat. Long story short, we had a treat! We went crazy. We ordered maguro, hamachi and unagi sashimi, beef teriyaki (me) and a couple fancy rolls (him). The portions were huge. We almost completely filled up on the sashimi (plus salads, miso soup and rice). We took most of our entrees to go. TO GO. The quality of the sashimi was unbelievable. To quote the once great Mike Meyers, "Oy, it's like butter!" IT WAS LIKE BUTTER. Just go here, Ignore the negative reviews, order the sashimi. Service was amazing. God, can't say enough, just go! Go NOW! Seriously.

    (5)

  • Mickey N.

    Sushi is top quality. Their specials are also really good. Seating is tight. My favorite is the dragon roll and rainbow roll.

    (4)

  • Jerry P.

    I'll keep it short and sweet. This place is a gem. I have been to Japan multiple times, and have been a fan of sushi and all Japanese cuisine for over 30 years. This place is top notch, and the Chef is friendly and very knowledgeable. Service is excellent. Tip - have him plate up his suggested items. You won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Grace C.

    I cannot think of a decent sushi place in Berkeley, but this place takes the cake! I had the seaweed salad because I had read reviews about it previously and boy was it good! Kinda pricey but oh well. I also had the Tekka don and the sashimi was presented in a flower shape. I always cut my sashimi in half with my chopsticks to see how good and buttery the fish is, this fish cut in half so easily! Very good quality. One con- to get to the bathroom you have to go outside of the restaurant and also there is bad ventilation so you and your clothes will smell like oil.

    (5)

  • Sheila N.

    Best sushi in Berkeley out of all restaurants I've tried so far. Their California roll is out of this world and I never order California rolls...the real crab meat is delicious and Kiku will be the only place I eat and order this roll. Their spicy tuna and crunch rolls are also really good, favorite staples my bf and I order every time we go. The hamachi crudo is the perfect balance of sweet and sour, the grapefruit accenting the jalapeño and hamachi really well. If the dish itself weren't so pricey, I would order two of them! Their seaweed salad is also delicious and different; its not the usual green stringy seaweed but rather a mix of green and purple seaweeds, giving the salad a slight bitter taste on some bites. Its not a bad bitterness at all and gives the dish a unique flavor. Its different and refreshing from the typical seaweed salads at other sushi restaurants and I love it! Restaurant is pretty small so get there early or you can order takeout to avoid the wait.

    (5)

  • Angie W.

    Good service and quality sushi. Regular spot to fulfill our sushi cravings! Creative items on the menu along with the traditional staples. Always has their fresh fish/specials menu posted. Definitely try them.

    (4)

  • Che K.

    No water or tea until we ask for it. Waitresses are no friendly. No smile at all. Spider was sour, they put lime in it, doesnt taste rite. Spicy scallop roll- didnt taste the scallop at all. Whole Aji (chopped the aji mix with veggie and put it in the lemon) cant taste the aji already. I think is overpriced. Food is not so good Service sucks. Only see her smile when she take the bill. Wont go back for sure.

    (2)

  • Angie N.

    How lucky for us to have a quaint sushi spot right here in the neighborhood. Mind you, we've visited several times already. We had high hopes for our dining experience after we sung Kiku's praises to our friends visiting from out-of-town. You would think that Wednesday night would be low-key, but it was busy! The service was spotty and painfully slow. Our orders came in between huge gaps of waiting. Apparently, we weren't even on our server's radar. Not cool when you've got two hungry 6-and 9-year olds. Edamame is not hard to plate and send out. Sorry Kiku, you were a huge disappointment this time. It'll take more than the Hamachi Crudo to get me back in here. In the meantime, I'll go to Tokyo Fish for my sashimi fix.

    (2)

  • Harvey B.

    Went here 2 times in a week. Great presentation, service, and quality fresh fish. Prices are around $20-30 a person depending on type of sushi/sashimi. Have tried most of the sashimi, sides, soup. Haven't tried dinner plates, eel, or uni.

    (4)

  • Lili T.

    Pay with cash and get 10% off your total order!

    (4)

  • Susan S.

    Walked in at 5:15 pm and place was empty with only one other table occupied. 15 minutes later all tables were occupied and people lined up outside and some had reservations for a party of 7. Ordered sake and the cool part is you get to pick your sake from about 30 cups- I got the bamboo one! Hamachi Kama was market price $15.95 which was pretty pricey, considering that's the price we pay for a tempura combination with Hamachi Kama at another restaurant and not as flavorful and a bit tough. Sushi was good but better and fresher at our usual sushi restaurant in Walnut Creek. Having said that, if we are in the area again, I would come back to this restaurant. Parking is street parking so earlier is probably better.

    (3)

  • Ian C.

    Kiku is currently my favorite sushi spot in Berkeley. My party and I tried a combination of small plates, entrees, and sushi. The overall consensus was this place is worth coming back to again and again. The spicy tuna roll and baked spicy scallop roll stick out in my mind as my favorites of the night. The quality of the fish and the care that went into the preparation was noticeable. Just thinking about the seven types of Japanese spice in both rolls is making my mouth salivate. Make sure to sign you name on the clipboard hanging on the wall when you walk in. They seat on a first come first serve basis and that's the hostess.

    (4)

  • Sandra H.

    I came here for dinner on a Sunday night around 7pm. My party of three was seated immediately with no wait! My cousin, who I came with has been here before and totally loved their food, so I was ready to be blown away as I am always seeking a new "go to" sushi spot. I really liked that there is a lot of varieties on their menu. We ended up ordering the Agedashi Tofu, Hamachi Special, Crunch Roll, Dynamite, Dancing Bonito, and Bay Scallop. My FAV was the hamachi special, it was absolutely amazing - hamachi over a piece of grapefruit, topped with cilantro and jalapeno and drizzle in a vinaigrette sauce. The mixture of flavors go so well together. The Crunch Roll and Dancing Bonito were pretty good. My least favorite was the dynamite, there was nothing special about this at all, it tasted a lot like spicy tuna roll. The Agedashi Tofu was kind of weird. The batter was not the typical light and fluffy tempura batter, it was super chewy and stretchy. The Bay Scallop was not as described on the menu, it was not baked at all. Though the food is decent, the presentation was terrible. Almost all the rolls were loosely bind together, so everything will fall out when you go in to pick it up. It must have been a bad night because the service wasn't great either. We waited for over 15 minutes for our food and they didn't come together at the same time. Though, they did give us a second order of Agedashi Tofu for the wait, so I guess it was a little more forgiving. I also didn't like that the server didn't know the name of the rolls she brought to us. However, our teas and water were filled quite often. I would come back just to have the Hamachi Special and hope that the service and presentation is better because all the pictures posted here, they look delicious!

    (3)

  • Deanna K.

    I really like this place. Don't order omakase, because it isn't really omakase. With that being said, the fish is super fresh and this is a cute and delicious and authentic sushi place. Would definitely go again! It is one of the top sushi places I've been to in the Bay Area. Not as good as Sushi Sam's, but very good.

    (4)

  • Marisa D.

    This place fell short when they served their beef teriyaki bento, cold =\ the portion was pretty small also. There were about 5 or 6 thin slices of beef with minimal teriyaki sauce (like you could barely see it). We also ordered the baked scallop roll and got it at the end of our meal. It took so long to bake, it would be nice if they informed us the lengthy cooking time. There are so many great Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area, this just didn't quite do it for me.

    (2)

  • Lotus R.

    This restaurant is small and was packed when we went on Friday night. The waitresses have a challenging job to find their way to the tables. Easy to find parking in the neighborhood. The fish was super fresh. We had miso cod, rainbow roll, fermented soy bean roll, yellowtail w/ grape fruit & jalapeño, green tea tempura. All of them were delicious. In particular, rainbow roll and yellowtail stood out. Will definitely go back!

    (4)

  • Katie M.

    Super delicious and reliably good sushi; definitely check out the specials menu! I'm heading there for lunch right now actually :) One star minus because there are too many tables for the space, so it feels cramped unless you are there for lunch, which is much quieter. Also always super busy.

    (4)

  • Doug F.

    Definitely lives up to it's good Yelp ratings. We had the rainbow roll, tuna sashimi, and two other rolls I can't remember. They were all fresh and delicious. The service was a tad bit slow, but it's expected in such a popular place. Definitely worth coming back again.

    (4)

  • flitter k.

    Totally delicious. It is TEENSY tiny though, and the wait for food was really long. We would have ordered more food but didn't have time by the time the food actually showed up. They forgot our tea we ordered. The rolls and sushi were Very fresh and flavorful though. Reservations were a good thing.

    (4)

  • Ken T.

    Order the following for two people: 1) Chirashi (morikawa or whatever it was called) 2) chicken teriyaki 3) rock n' row 4) dragon roll The food was mediocre (but the fish at least seemed pretty fresh). The chicken teriyaki was very plain and blend. The servers seemed like nice people but was not very attentive. I doubt that I'll be going back because of the price/quality.

    (2)

  • david p.

    Stunning food! Try the teryaki sauce! Actually, try everything! YAY!!!

    (5)

  • Heather P.

    I had never done a chef's choice sushi ordering before and while I hadn't ever tasted 75% of what was on the platter, I loved 99% of it. I highly recommend trusting those guys. We ordered "for two" but in all honesty it would have fed three just fine. All the usual things are great too of course. Yes, service is sometimes not great. It's not a place to go if you're in a huge hurry both because there can be a wait to be seated (even on a random Wed night) and because while the place is small, it packs out, and they can really only have so many servers running around such a small place. If I could take off a half a star for service I would. At any rate, I fully recommend them. They find and serve great fish in good portions and it's a place you can trust with being a little adventurous.

    (5)

  • Samuel H.

    Came here with one of my mentors. We ordered hot tea as well as the Spider Roll, Dragon Roll, and Spicy Tuna. The sushi was incredible. I really appreciated the space. It's a small restaurant and it looks really nice inside. The cups that the tea was in were pleasant as well. Service was good too. I have nothing bad to say!!!

    (5)

  • Liz S.

    The food was great. My partner and I are a tag team vegetarian/vegan combo so we ordered the veggie tempura and several vegetarian rolls. The tempura was fantastic! Along with the dipping sauce itself. The sushi was great as well, we had a shiitake-avacado-cucumber combo. It ended up being so great that we ordered another round of rolls. The restaurant itself was small and very crowded. We must have hit on their busiest time because we weren't the only group waiting. Though we managed to get good parking, I think that might've been a stroke of luck. Parking looks like it'd be a pain.

    (3)

  • Enkhgerel O.

    The best sushi I ever had in my life! I still can't get over how tasty and fresh the sushi was. Definitely one of my best sushi experiences. The first we got was the Mixed Seaweed salad. It was perfect combination of fresh and delicious. Then the amazing sushi journey began. From simple salmon to exotic chutoro, the whole meal was amazing. We also ordered some Sake and it was really fun to choose my own Sake glass. The service was amazing. They were attentive and quick. The sushi chefs were fantastic. The restaurant was packed yet, our order came out quick and accurate. Hope to see this place again once come back to Bay area and thank you for a great experience.

    (5)

  • Rachel T.

    I love this place. Excellent sushi combined with huge portions and reasonable lunch specials. Delicious bang for your buck! They were also very mindful of dietary needs.

    (5)

  • D H.

    We were around the area & our regular sushi place was closed so we yelped this place & had good reviews. This place was alright nothing special from the places I've ate sushi before. This place is a bit pricey, we got the Bento Teriyaki chicken. The chicken was just so plain. Like they just boiled the chicken and added a LITTLE bit of teriyaki that I had to ask for more. I loved the soup it came with. The rolls were just simple they were good but not great! Some people just have different taste buds! The waitress was nice, but I don't think I'll be coming here again. The Customers just stare to damn much!!

    (3)

  • Tracey A.

    We've hit here on a pet peeve of mine which is: if you say you're open until 9:30 be open until 9:30. If I walk in at 9:31 tell me you're closed. If I walk in at 9:29 you're open and should serve me the same way you would have at 7:00. If I walk in at 9:30 on the dot, you decide, but if you let me come in don't give me crappy "we're done here" service. You weren't done; you just let me in, and you're still charging me the same prices you were charging at 7 p.m. So gentle reader, what time do you think I arrived here? Upon my 9:15 p.m. arrival, 2 tables were occupied and there was 1 customer at the sushi bar. I decided to sit at the sushi bar only to find that 1/2 the small counter, to the right of the lone patron, still had wasabi and rice pieces on it. Yech. I went to that patron's left and sat at a clean, unset space. Never was I offered a warm towel nor were any instruments placed in front of me. They were D-O-N-E. The sushi chef inquired about my order and it was clear I was to order now, whatever it was that I wanted. After placing my order, I waited in vain for some utensils or water to appear before me. I wound up having to request water and, separately, a napkin. With the napkin request, I think they realized their error, so it wound up being delivered with accompanying chopsticks. About 5 minutes after my food arrived (all at once on a single platter, which is not the usual sushi bar experience) someone came by to report that it was last call, get any additional orders in now. It's not like I was expecting anyone to hang out and party with me. At this point it was maybe 9:45 p.m. They sure were quick with that bill. I was back in my car, headed home at 10:03 p.m. Oh yeah, the sushi was very good. Great big pieces but well constructed and fresh tasting. I'd like to come back here and see whether the "service" was an (unacceptable) end of evening experience or whether it's par for the course. Other yelp reviews leave me feeling this service thing might be a routine, any-time-of-day problem and that's no good.

    (3)

  • Christopher M.

    The sashimi portions are big and the seaweed used in the rolls is cut very thick. It really added to the roll and it's overall texture. Great place. Seating is very intimate. If you can, ask for a spot at the bar and watch them work. It's fascinating.

    (5)

  • Jean P.

    Not really sure why this restaurant averages 4 stars. The food is decent, but way overpriced. For example, a rainbow roll is $13 and you get 7 pieces that aren't very big at all. The fish tastes good, but isn't as fresh as it could be. Left here feeling a little ripped off. Service is fine. Not sure what other reviewers are talking about, the waitresses smile and regularly ask how things are going.

    (2)

  • Ashleigh L.

    I have loved Kiku since it opened a few blocks from where we live. And I love it even more now. The fish is crazy fresh, huge pieces of sashimi, and lovely specials. I especially enjoy the Saba and the Uni is as fresh as it comes. The owner sources his seafood from the best places, and knows the worldwide market. The best part is that the owner now uses gluten free tamari in preparation of a lot of dishes so that they can be gluten free! Last week we had the Ikura that had been marinated in tamari and it was awesome. I cannot recommend this place enough

    (5)

  • Alex T.

    I have eaten a lot of good sushi and Japanese food at places, but this restaurant is not among them. This place has a 4 star rating and two price tags. The food was absolutely terrible for the price and the portions are small. The eel dinner I ordered was not de-boned and my wife swallowed a sharp piece of it. It was 2 small strips of meat on a bed of rice for around 17 dollars. The chicken teriyaki was the worst I have ever had anywhere. It was completely bland and unflavored. It cost around 15 dollars. The crunch roll I ordered was decent, probably the only decent thing of the 3. The portion was very tiny, it cost 13 dollars, but it was very good. The lesson I took from this is that the only thing to order here at all, is sushi rolls and nothing else.

    (1)

  • H B.

    This is the best japanese restaurant in Berkeley! Everything is fresh, delicious and sooo beautifully presented. In short, its OMAMI!!! I gave it 1 star short because of slow service and long wait if your not here early because there are only less than a dozen tables here. But food is really good here!

    (4)

  • Nicole B.

    Wow. I am a sushi snob (not only am I a foodie but I also worked in a higher-end sushi place for three years), and highly recommend this place. It's so good that for the first time ever, I'm writing this review in the car on the way home. This is top-notch sushi, but it is not outrageously expensive - in fact, it's cheaper than many places that have poor quality fish. The chef puts a lot of time and effort into the food, making every bite absolutely satisfying. Even if I wanted to, there's not one thing I could complain about. I live in Petaluma, but will shortly start making trips to Berkeley just to eat here.

    (5)

  • Jana C.

    Service is still deficient here. Why are they so inattentive, with so few servers?! Not checking in, not looking for eye contact. Ordered two special lunch combos:$15/each. Fish fresh, but threw in some cheap tolls with "chef's choice", like CA rolls. Portions on nigiri ample and very wonderful. Spendy place, fresh fish, good food, sucky service. Havent changed, and been in total of 3times now. Perhaps stick to take-out.

    (3)

  • Athena A.

    Such good sushi and good service! Visited here with my husband after a long day at work, and after braving Magnani's Poultry and Monterey Market on Christmas Eve Eve! The sushi lifted our spirits and fortified us for our trip to Trader Joes, on (I repeat), Christmas Eve Eve.

    (5)

  • Eric F.

    A small neighborhood in a residential area of Berkeley, the head sushi chef here serves up a mean Omakase that includes all the daily specials, fresh as can be and served with legit grated wasabi(!). Like Amami Sushi across the peninsula, the Aji here delicious and includes the head and bones deep fried to a crisp. Tasty as well, though very greasy. Admittedly, the sushi rice here could use some work in terms of texture and vinegary flavor. While the fish freshness and portions are just a notch below top places like Amami, Kiku most definitely still holds its own and is worth a stop for any sushi lover.

    (4)

  • Peg S.

    Service inconsistent and spotty despite having a plethora of wait staff. Long wait in between appetizers to main course. Lots of people waiting for their food that night. Humph. Otherwise, grilled squid nicely chewy, sushi rolls and sashimi fresh and non-skimpy. Still, the service made me grumpy.

    (4)

  • X Y.

    There's only one criteria for good sushi: you get up from the table and you feel HAPPY. Good sushi just does not cut it. I came out of this place and definitely felt happy. This quality of sushi is nowhere to be found in CT where we reside. For some reason west coast sushi places surpass those of the east coast. Kiku sushi is one of the best I ever had. I gave 4 stars only because cleanliness (food on floor) was compromised and presentation was less than impressive but taste was superb. The albacore sushi was out of this world. Definitely will come back.

    (4)

  • Augusto T.

    Undiscovered great place sushi in Berkeley. This place is just far enough from the usual paths that it remains under the radar. It is between the gourmet ghetto and Solano ave and surrounded by residential neighborhoods, so you won't ever randomly stumble upon it. The highlight of the meal was definitely the chirashi bowl. It initially looked on a bit on the small side, but it was packed with tons of goodies including tasty mushrooms, egg tamago, roe caviar, and most importantly huge CHUNKS of very fresh tasting fish. I definitely felt my $20 were well spent. I'm pretty sure I had a second serving in my dreams that evening. The agedashi tofu was a little odd as it was cheweyer than others I've tried. It wasn't bad though, and a pretty large portion for $5. Service was welcoming and attentive; the atmosphere family-friendly and comfortable. I look forward to returning.

    (4)

  • J.A. K.

    July & Sept rvws combined. SERIOUSLY dropped a level for sloppy execution. The pan-fried gyoza came with ripped-open bottoms, no crust at all. Starter of black cod was sloppily cooked (raw in the center) in July; in Sept two orders of it were not fresh; barely acceptable. Seafood yosenabe has a good broth: dinner in July it was perfect, but lunch in Sept it was full of old, overcooked fish. September's combo tempura was sabotaged by too-short a frying time. The coating quickly got soggy, never a good thing. I do like the touch of ginger in the dashi dipping sauce, however. However, July's dinner-only entrée of glazed black cod was again a 5-star dish. It comes with a "truffle dashi, edamame, yam noodles, toasted nori." Much more elaborate than the plain grilled starter at lunchtime, and this was noticeably superior. A beautiful piece of fresh fish, properly cooked to a soft melting texture, wonderful accompaniments and a great broth (that was a touch salty, but very tasty). So...one lunch, one dinner, but erratic on both. The one dish that was good, the dinner black cod dish, was phenomenal. But everything else was off on the execution, unlike previous visits.

    (3)

  • jacky c.

    The service and sushi here are always great. Just saw someone order the most beautiful platter of assorted sashimi...wow !

    (5)

  • Bruce C.

    Opening chef/owner left in early May. We didn't find out until we went back recently to not see him there. Well, since we were there, we stayed to eat, but disappointing. Udon not so good, tempura not so good, chirashi ok, but now missing the tamago, which the original chef made in a not too sweet version that I really liked. So now, this is an ordinary run-of-the-mill Japanese place and we won't be back. 3* is generous, but it's not so bad as 2* implies.

    (3)

  • Arlene C.

    This is my new favorite place for sushi, even though I have to cross the bay to get here, and need to come early or make a reservation. We came here without a reservation at 5:45 on Saturday and were so lucky to snatch the last 2 seats at the bar. Ordered the Hamachi collar as recommended by so many. Warning, it will fill you up...huge piece! I have never seen Toro for less than $20. Hamachi with grapefruit vinaigrette is so refreshing!!! We also had the sushi dinner with 5 pairs of different sushi including red tuna, hamachi, salmon & 2 chef's choice. Now if I could only find a place this good and reasonable in the city :( I may have to move to Berkeley.

    (5)

  • Rich R.

    First visit, great choices ordered. Unfortunately, the preparations were sadly off the mark in too many ways. The calamari was tough; gyoza undercooked; California roll ruined with mayo; Bbq sauce sickly sweet. This place cannot last like this.

    (1)

  • Alex M.

    At first, I didn't even want to review this place, so we could have it all to ourselves. But this tiny little place is fantastic. Fantastic fish, excellent rice ratio, good temperatures. I had the chirashi, my wife had the nigiri dinner, and we shared the scallop roll. It was excellent, and comparable to a good sushi joint in Tokyo. Locally, it is easily on par with, or surpassing Kirala in some aspects. (Except seating, they're both pretty cramped! Expect a bit of a wait during dinner.) HOWEVER, their grilled food is not even remotely up to par with their sushi; so keep that in mind.

    (5)

  • Mike K.

    We went here because a featured review compared this favorably to Kirala. Bullshit. We were pretty disappointed. Now, granted, a Kirala comparison is setting an extremely high bar. But this place, for all its local neighborhood joint, full of families, big portions, value-priced menu charm, delivered pretty average food. We had an eggplant app, gyoza, tempura udon soup, and sushi. In all cases, the defining feature was the clarity with which one could taste the fact that the ingredients were not top quality. The (cheap) oil came through as a dominant taste in several dishes, rather than supporting simplicity of the main ingredients as good japanese food should. Maybe we didn't order well, but we picked a couple of the servers favorites, and had a broad enough sampling that I am not tempted to try again. Sorry, I don't pan places like this very often, but our experience here really was just OK.

    (3)

  • Hoppie B.

    This place is surprisingly good. The sushi is fresh, the bento is good and the food is pretty authentic. We ordered a variety of rolls and were pretty happy with each of them. The down side is that it's small and it gets really busy. Make a reservation -- or expect to wait for a long time.

    (4)

  • Helen S.

    Not terribly impressed... I've had MUCH better sushi. Food takes a very long time as well

    (3)

  • Noam B.

    Nothing I love more than a good fresh sushi. This place has a great service and amazingly fresh fish. And you can tell that the chef put love to his work. Big time my new sushi spot.

    (5)

  • Sandy L.

    Have watched this storefront turn over a few times before Kiku took over. I wonder if this Kiku is related to the one in Oakland? After checking the Yelp reviews and reading about the small space, for a Saturday night dinner, we headed over at 5pm. The restaurant was 3/4 full and by 530, there were 2 parties waiting. Lots of families with babies. The couple next to us had the sake sampler and a variety of shared dishes. That looked like fun! Our family of 4 had the chicken teriyaki (2 kids), seafood udon (me) and some sort of sashimi don buri (husband). We also had 2 sushi rolls, a beer and a diet coke. Everything was very deliciious, fresh and authentic tasting. However, after tip, we spent about $100. That was a bit of a sticker shock.

    (3)

  • Larry B.

    This place is alright. Overall the food is pretty good but everything else about the place is sub par. Super dirty, very very cramped inside, no bathroom inside, there is also little bugs flying around everywhere. Besides a fish bone in my sushi it was pretty good. On top of that they only take visa or mastercard. This is one of those places you just have to try and not come back.....

    (3)

  • Ramsel R.

    Kiku is a small restaurant without any frills. We went on a Friday night with a full house and the service was pretty slow. The uni and salmon sushi were delicious, with the fish overall being very fresh. The Dynamite roll was less than dynamite.

    (3)

  • Carrie T.

    Not bad for the price. I prob give it a 3.8 compared to Sushi Sam In San Mateo or other high end sushi joints in SF. Most sashimi is from the pacific except for fish on the board. They are from japan. Rolls are decent. Enjoyed the Kaisen roll and the crunch roll. Small place so not suitable for big parties.

    (4)

  • Fish Y.

    The service here is not good, like you can tell that the lady who served us had a long day. Never at once the lady had a smile the whole time. We were afraid to ask anything basically lol. We came here on a Sunday night and we were tipsy from a good Karaoke session. But this place totally suck out the fun of us. The ambiance is dark, the vibe is intimidating. Food is sub-par, and on the pricey side. not coming bk most def, yelp tricked me go on this one hahaha

    (2)

  • Patricia G.

    Phenomenal. I dined here with the family, and the four of us noshed on a good amount of nigiri, rolls, and of course ended it all with tempura ice cream. Yum!! The tempura mix was standard and solid-I could take it or leave it but I am not a huge tempura fan. The nigiri, on the other hand, blew my mind!! We had Chu toro, Kampachi, Hotate, Sake, Saba and Unagi-all of which came in generous steaks above delicious sushi rice. Outstanding. The rolls were delicious and fun-tried the Crunch roll, Baked Scallop roll, and Dragon roll. All of which were awesome. Washed it all down with a large Sapporo and it was a meal made in sushi heaven. Servers were polite and enthusiastic and food came quick. All in all fantastic. Go!!

    (5)

  • Pietro S.

    No way. No way. Authentic it is not. Agedashi tofu substandard. Mixed tempura included terrible tasting broccoli. Nasu Miso (spelled wrongly on menu as Natsu) eggplant inedible. Waited one hour for the Mune which arrived cold. Sashimi huge cuts but flavorless. Friendly service and hard working sushi guys but they became overwhelmed. Too bad. Was hoping to rack a "go to" here. Had heard good stuff.

    (1)

  • Dina M.

    The sushi was fresh and delicious. However, they are lacking a kids' menu. With 3 kids in tow, it was a very pricey meal for our family of 5. May return without the kids. If they get a kids' menu, will definitely become a regular place for us. Love to support businesses in our 'hood.

    (3)

  • K F.

    I've been looking for a quality sushi place in the Berkeley/Albany area for a while. I'm half Japanese and I'm picky. I loved my meal. I can say, this place warms my heart. The food is traditional, done well, the fish is fresh and of the highest quality. I've found my spot! I can't wait to come back!

    (5)

  • Sasha M.

    Delicious! Chirashi and loved it!

    (5)

  • Sam R.

    Great spot, great rolls.

    (5)

  • Angie M.

    Lovely staff. Comprehensive menu. Intimate setting. Competent sushi. A very sweet local business. Go there.

    (5)

  • Craig I.

    Tiny place with no air circulation. I guess I should've ordered sushi because steak teriyaki wasn't very flavorful.

    (2)

  • Gigi T.

    I really want to like Kiku, I do.... They have the Aji with deep fried bone. Not many places deep fried the bone you know.... Anyhow, I went in expecting fresh, tasty, not as common sushi and sashimi. I got a mediocre freshness of fish. Uni were not fresh, you can taste the sweet and sea if they were, but the sweet sea was nowhere to be found after i stuffed a uni in my mouth... good thing we got some nice sake to wash it down, and the buzz really helped. And the saba... saba is a common fish, and it's the bf's favorite. but DANG, what the heck happen to the texture and the color. I was buzz already so I just inhaled it. Aji was just ok, again, I don't think it's the freshest, the bone I love though. I guess the most memorables are the bads, I really don't even remember what we had. Bad thing is, I had a stomache the very next day. Food poison? i'm not sure, but I won't be surprised if I got it from Kiku....

    (2)

  • Jen G.

    Kiku is excellent, and although we want it to stay a secret from the crowds, we have great respect for the chef, and he and his staff deserve praise. It's the kind of the place that does not require you to open the menu, just ask the chef what he recommends. In doing so, my husband and I enjoyed 8 different types of nigiri, and we were not disappointed. The fish is extremely fresh, prepared with old-family recipes, and presented beautifully and authentically. A hidden gem in a great neighborhood, 5 stars go to Kiku Sushi. Well done.

    (5)

  • Jon L.

    We live around the corner from Kiku, and actually quite liked the Thai place it replaced. And average sushi places are a dime a dozen in these parts. Nothin' wrong with 'em. But... We finally walked in on a night we were too lazy to cook, and we weren't just pleasantly surprised, we were legitimately impressed. The sushi is creative but not too flashy, and most importantly, truly delicious. The presentation of the non-sushi dishes is thoughtful, verging on beautiful. Don't come here and not get the seaweed salad. I've never seen anything like it. It looks like a Pollock painting! There's also an nice-looking sake menu we haven't explored yet. The family that runs and owns it is charming and super excited to serve you. The space is small, cute, and can definitely get crowded. I hope they keep doign well, but I also think things will settle down after a while. For now, you gotta come early, late, or be ready to wait. Excellent food, excellent service, and the prices are right in the middle of the range. Definitely fair. Give this place a try if you're in North Berkeley.

    (5)

  • Sarita O.

    The first time I ate here, I was excited and thought the sushi had potential, though the slabs of fish on the nigiri were just too big. The second time I went back, both the appetizer hamachi and the maguro in a roll were fishy. A total turn off, forever, there is no third chance after that.

    (2)

  • Em S.

    Best sushi in the Bay Area hands down. I know, I'm was just as surprised as you will be when you go. Think "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" in Berkeley. Ridiculously fresh fish, adorable chef/owner with an attention to traditional details and prep, and cozy space (aka I wish they had more tables and less of a wait on the weekends).

    (5)

  • W J.

    Believe the hype. This place is incredible. Best sushi I've had in the East Bay.

    (5)

  • Raphael M.

    It is difficult to make the choice.... but I have to do it If I write a review and share that this place is great, that the sushi is some of the best I had in years, because the owner (he told me this) is using just the best ingredients in order to establish his new restaurant, is bad... the place will be discovered and who knows what will happen On the other hand not writing a good review would be totally wrong, since he does truly deserves a good comment since the food is amazing

    (5)

  • A. W.

    Just very good sushi at a good price. Presentation and service are great as well! Have been back already 2 times since first discovering this restaurant !

    (4)

  • P. E.

    Don't come here on Sundays. Their quality on Sunday does not match up to what they serve on any other days. My husband and I had our 2nd Sunday dinner there because its the only sushi restaurant opened on Sundays. I was greatly disappointed. Had chirashi dinner, it came with 5 pieces of sashimi and a piece of cooked and still hot unagi placed right next to a piece of raw fish. I quickly removed it from the sashimi and was actually quite surprised by how they think its ok to arrange a bowl of chirashi in this manner. The rice was under cooked to almost inedible. The one piece of mackerel was served as a one-inch thick chunk which was unusual and quite unpleasant to bite into. I love mackerel, but always have it served in thin slices. We love it when the main Chef, Jin (sp?) is in the house, unfortunately he is not there on Sundays. Will make note to not return on Sunday again! What a shame!

    (3)

  • Mona L.

    Will never return, dishonest establishment! When I approached the cashier that I calculated the bill and the numbers do not match their final printout, the cashier quickly recalculated while I was standing there and apologized that is was off by $200. $200 not $20! Another senior waitress/manager stood next to her and relay she will calculate it herself again. About 15-20 minutes and many recalculations later with squeezing other customer checks in, we got the check with an insincere sorry. I would have been fine with this error if they had just recalculated the bill and handed it back to me with an apology but making us wait 15-20 minutes while they try to make the numbers tally higher threw the just an error out the window. I was originally going to just pay the bill and sum it up as an expensive meal but my smart brother in law mention it seem off and to tally it myself, so glad I did. Please check your bill if it seems off, chances are it is.

    (1)

  • Lara B.

    This is certainly our new favorite sushi restaurant in Berkeley/Oakland! The seaweed salad was excellent and combined more types/colors of seaweed than one usually sees in this dish. Our tempura shrimp and vegetables were perfectly fried and presented in a cute basket. My boyfriend ordered hot sake, and they offered him a choice of beautiful cups when they served the drink; such attention to detail! Our main dish, the spicy tuna roll and spider roll, were good but not great. However, the attentive service made up for the lack of "wow factor" in the main course. I'd recommend a reservation for a Friday or Saturday, as this restaurant is quite small and popular!

    (4)

  • Erik N.

    Great food and nice sake selection. Like a few others have said, it is a small space and a party bigger than four is going to be a headache to fit in. Hopefully the relatively remote location keeps the wait from becoming too much like to Kirala's as the word gets out. :-/

    (5)

  • Marc F.

    Excellent sushi lunch. I particularly appreciated the California Roll made with real crab and not too much rice on the nigiri.

    (4)

  • Dan M.

    Finally! The sushi place that Berkeley has needed for so, so long! Super fresh sushi, super cozy spot, super friendly staff - stop reading and go now!

    (5)

  • S M.

    Very friendly, caring service. Fish pretty fresh the 2 times i went, but not extraordinarily so. i got the sushi special both times. 1st time at least one piece of fish was tough to bite through; 2nd time one piece i couldn't chew at all -- all sinewy. yuck! will give them one more chance.

    (3)

  • Sean B.

    Fantastic sushi, friendly and warm service, nice ambiance, what more do you need? I am up in Berkeley visiting a potential grad school and found this place on yelp. Honestly, this is about as good as I have ever had, and I have had my share of high end sushi. Reasonable prices for the quality. the sushi chef was genuinely friendly and passionate about his sushi. I was lucky to order the last piece of horse mackeral so I was served the fish body and head deep fried. Sometimes it pays to sit at the bar alone and chat up the chef, because the fried fish head and body was special and not available to order. i was the one lucky customer to try this delicacy, and it was spectacular served with ponzu. The seaweed salad was wonderful and complex, with multiple kinds of seaweed and a spicy homemade dressing. Honestly this restaurant is on par with top quality sushi in San Fran, LA or New York. Fresh fish and beautiful presentation. The traditional sushi is especially impressive. Go and eat, you will not regret it.

    (5)

  • Aaron T.

    We went for dinner last night and were pleasantly surprised. It was a little expensive for a Tuesday night I don't feel like cooking dinner, but the food was excellent. The grilled Mackerel w/sea salt was crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. The rolls were well done and the plum/cucumber roll was wild, very tart. The fresh Wasabi is not to be missed, but be careful it will knock you on your A**.

    (5)

  • Joel B.

    I went here on a saturday night and sat at the sushi bar. We only ordered Sashimi and Nigiri. Everything we had was better than average. The head Chef who is also the owner served us and he was great. Next time I am visiting Berkeley I will return.

    (4)

  • mary b.

    First time there. About a 15 minute wait at 8;30 on a Friday. Service was not great. Food was good but not great. Sushi has to be impeccable to get a 5 star review and this was OK but not great. Very nice sushi chef (we sat at counter). Overall just OK. May try again but not knocked out by first experience. I hate the wait at Kirala too (actually don't go there anymore because of it) but there is a reason. As far as I can tell, it is the best sushi in Berkley.

    (3)

  • Kate S.

    I have been twice. Pleasantly decorated; quiet in the earlier dining hours. Last time we sampled the appetizer menu. The Seaweed salad was good, although a very small amount. I thought for sure the waitress would apologize for the size but instead explained about the different colors of seaweed. The Tempera was below average: too heavy for my tastes as the amount of fat used saturated my appetite for the rest of the meal ie. not hungry after eating an appetizer of tempera. Gyoza and soup were excellent. Nothing special about sticky white rice. Cooked fish was excellent tasting, yet a small amount again.

    (3)

  • Big Baby Jesus C.

    Yes bitches 5 motherfucking stars. If you're a sashimi fan (if you're not, let's face it, wtf are you doing in a sushi bar?) this place is nirvana. Pairs of huge pieces of extremely fresh fish for ~$5 on average. Usually you get tiny wimpy pieces for same price. Only downside is you may feel like a seal trying to eat them, but BBJ don't give a fuck what people think while I'm grubbing down. Only sushi place I've been to that uses fresh wasabi and ginger. Kitchen is insanely small and there's only one guy working, so not a good place to go for lunch if you're under a time restraint.

    (5)

  • RJ S.

    Lived in Japan on and off for 12 years. Best place for authentic (stylistic & quality) sushi place I've been to in the east Bay in the last dozen years (live in WC now). There are better I've been to, but only a couple, and not by much. Putting it on the top of my list for when I want the good stuff.

    (4)

  • M T.

    Ah - we love love this place. Great to have a yummy sushi place in the neighborhood. Have fun exploring ... The fish is very fresh and the sake is delicious. Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Douglas B.

    I have just experienced a terrible Japanese sushi meal the service was very poor their website advertise that they accepted all credit cards only to find out that they did not accept American Express because the owner did not like paying the fee at American Express charges. The food was bland no passion no life. My wife and I had eaten there when they first opened up about a year ago nothing has change this is not Japanese sushi this is Berkeley liberal sushi it's terrible do not go. Everything is water down. In addition the one dish I wanted they said they had only to find out that they just ran out they only had two portions for sale that day and I was the third customer.

    (2)

  • Linda K.

    I had lunch here today, it was ok- not bad not great. The service is ok but the sushi bar takes forever to bring out the order. My husband got his udon which came out within 10 mins then the cali roll came out 10 mins after that and then another 20 mins went by until I got my two other rolls- unacceptable when one person hasn't started their meal while the everyone else is already eating. They like to put cucumbers in a lot of their rolls as fillers and the price is a big higher than average. I won't be coming back mostly because the sushi comes out too slow. FYI- They are owned by Mongolians if anyone was wondering if it's Japanese owned.

    (3)

  • Earl G.

    (First, we did not order the sushi, however ordered the non-sushi dishes.) To me this place seemed like a lot of other ok Japanese restaurants out there. Waitress did not know what Tonkatsu was. Yes, it was on the menu. Huh? Food was ok, not bad, but not great either. No thanks.

    (2)

  • Steve T.

    We had a great first impression of this place last year and were hoping this place still had the high quality of food. I just had the Morimoto chirashi for $33 and this guy's chirashi was better at $19. Not only was the seafood fresh, the seafood blended well with each other as he seemed to know how to maximize what tastes good with each other piece. I thought chirashi is just a bunch of fish they throw on top of the rice but this dish at Kiku was the first one that felt deliberate. The chef used very little rice as it tasted better that way and this was the best chirashi I have had. The wife had a beautiful multicolor fish roll. We were both enjoying the food so much we decided to keep going and ordered a tempura appetizer for dessert. Again this was well done and the shrimp had lots of flavor along with their dipping sauce. This chef is thinking about all the details of his food and I hope he stays around for a long time to come.

    (5)

  • Peter M.

    Came here for the first time today based on yelp reviews. Stick with the sashimi and nigiri and you'll be very happy. Cuts of fish are large and very high grade. We had two orders each of chu toro, amberjack, sake, and maguro. All were amazing! Stay away from the spider roll. They put asparagus and some tart lemon sauce in there. Nasty. Stay away from the rainbow roll. Not very tasty. Def stay away from the seaweed salad. It was brown, wilted, and hella nasty. We found a bug in the chicken teriyaki and they wouldn't take it off the bill. Wth? Yelpers let me down...five stars for the nigiri and sashimi...minus two for everything else.

    (3)

  • May C.

    This is my first time here and it will be my last time coming here. Service is horrible. Didn't serve tea Until we ask 2 times. The waiters don't know how to smile and they are rode. I ask them politely for napkin because of my allergy I don't want to blow my nose on to their cloth napkin but they never came back with it. Food are ok they are not all that great. I don't know why they get 4 stars rating.

    (1)

  • Fiona M.

    Fresh, delectable cuts of fish. We waited an hour with the kids in the cold, but after the meal everyone agreed it was worth the wait. I even got to pick out my own cup for my hot sake! I thought that was a cute idea. I also enjoyed watching the sushi chef artfully place tobiko from a tiny spoon onto a roll he made - i thought if the chef concentrates that hard on all details no matter how small, the food will be great. We ordered the sushi plate, crunch roll (which was the best version of crunch roll I ever had. Not one if those crunch rolls they just dump in the deep fryer but sofisticated and with spicy crab inside- yum!), rainbow roll and more....but we ate every last bite. We'll definitely be back.

    (5)

  • LeTran B.

    This is a teeny tiny place with a wait line. I think we had to wait awkwardly in the door way for a good 20 minutes before we got a table (it was too cold outside). Sushi were good in general. Fresh sashimi. I wish they have more sushi selections. Service was really good because my tea cup was never empty.

    (4)

  • Betty T.

    Best Japanese restaurant in East Bay! Everything is fresh and tasty... Not going to go into details... But the Uni was so soooo delicious... Like whipped butter melting in my mouth!

    (5)

  • J L.

    The fish is always extremely fresh and the sashimi very generously sliced. Some favorites: spicy scallop, sake, and the shirt maguro. Also the appetizers are fresh and delicious. Service is above par, and they will do their best to accommodate you when the place is busy. If you haven't tried it yet, get up and go already, you won't be disappointed. Great neighborhood spot

    (5)

  • Charles K.

    My wife and I love good sushi. We've been searching for a good sushi place in the Bay Area for the past decade and were disappointed by most places we've tried. Then we tried Kiku last week. Eureka! This place serves top quality sushi. The chef is passionate about the quality of his fish and it definitely shows. This is not a place that serves a bunch of fancy rolls with ridiculous amounts of sauce poured on top. Their priority is traditional nigiri sushi and sashimi. It's not cheap but not outrageously expensive, either. You will get great sushi for a fair price. Don't forget to try the uni; it's the best uni we've ever tasted.

    (5)

  • G T.

    The earlier review by "mice o." (May 2013) is really spot on. I'll just add that we too experienced subpar service. As others said, it wasn't because the people weren't nice. Just a little incompetent, or perhaps inexperienced. The seating "policy" is really disorganized. Our waiter was in way over his head, poor guy. Added on a tekka maki that we didn't order, on top of messing up a few other things. (We still got charged for the tekka maki.) The food was okay, but for the price (and based on some of the other reviews here), I was expecting something outstanding, akin to Koo in SF. But this was more like Kirala II takeout, no better, that's for sure. Now that I think about it, the next time I'm going to spend $80 on sushi, I should go to Tokyo Fish or Yaoya instead and buy all sorts of sashimi and fish eggs, make sushi rice and throw a little party.

    (2)

  • Jackie L.

    nice sushi. easy parking

    (3)

  • Warren F.

    Staying at nearby DoubleTree Berkeley Marina. My wife was craving sushi and read Yelp reviews for this place. One word description = disappointing. Ordered Shrimp Tempura Roll = tasted like it had nutmeg (??? used for pie) Ordered Spicy Tuna Roll = they drowned it in cayenne pepper Ordered Spider Roll = devoid of taste. Ordered Hot Tea = they had to boil the water (?) Ordered Edimami = good Ordered Chicken Teriyaki Dinner = average Service - average but kind Wait Time - long due to small place with 3 rows of 4 seating tables (3 x 3 x 2) Ambience - small, cozy Price - pricey Meal - dinner You can do better by taking the drive over the bridge to Japantown in SF. For comparison, our go-to sushi restaurants are Matsuyama in Discovery Bay and its sister restaurant in Manteca. We used to go to Matsu Sushi and Little Madfish in Dublin. We've been to sushi in Pleasanton, South Bay, Livermore, etc. If we're in the City and want something authentic we will go to Japantown.

    (1)

  • Silvia L.

    Awesome place to have sushi, especially sashimi! Their fish is very fresh (not Wednesday when I went there tho). 5 stars for the food and creativity. 3 stars for the service. (rather slow) average 4 stars! Yeah!

    (4)

  • Joy S.

    My daughter and granddaughter say that I must emphasize how kid-friendly Kiku's turned out to be. 'Tis true - they immediately set out a cute kid's plate and Hello Kitty training chopsticks for her and were all smiles to the little girl. It made for a great experience for my 7 year old granddaughter and, thus, for her mother and I! She actually was motivated to try a whole array of foods from miso soup (a hit) to tempura vegetables and shrimp and terriaki chicken, all of which were happily tried and pronounced yummy! Daughter and I also found our meals "yummy". I had the chirashi lunch special. She had a bento box lunch. The fish was amazing and both fresh and plentiful. We had more food than we could really eat and walked out happy and content. The only negative was that the crab in the California rolls was as a salad, not whole pieces. Neither of us cares for it that way. I imagine that's how they manage to use real crab - by using bits and pieces, but it detracted from the flavor and texture of the roll in our opinion. However, that's personal taste and not a deal-breaker by any stretch of the imagination. This is not a "bargain" sushi place. You pay for what you get, but it is worth it. Quantities are substantial, flavors are excellent and the presentation is lovely. We will be going back for more.

    (4)

  • Jon M.

    OK, so I've struggled mightily about whether or not to write a review about Kiku Sushi. In the end, my sense of obligation to support this terrific restaurant won out over my fervent desire to keep them a secret so I can wander in and be seated whenever I want. Very simply, they're the best sushi place I've been to in the East Bay. They make Kirala seem like some tourist floating boat joint. Ozumo on a good day aspires to have fish as tasty and well-presented and staff as courteous. Sigh. There, I've contributed to letting out the secret. Now as a favor to me can you please stay away at Friday lunch times? Leave me just that small consideration, that's all I'm asking!

    (5)

  • ken s.

    I really wanted to like this place as it's in the neighborhood, but..... Grilled calamari was barely edible, little to no actual grill marks on the outside. Sushi nigiri's were ample portions, maguro and hamachi were pretty fresh, o-toro was meh, and not worth the premium price. Tempura was excellent . Ankimo had a nice presentation, pate had good texture but was not as fresh as it should be. This place shows a lack of detail in their sushi, presentation was good, and service was excellent. The bottom line is the bottom line, for what they are charging, the food needs to be of a higher quality. 2.5 stars.

    (2)

  • Melanie C.

    Kiku now serves lunch! Great bento boxes and various lunch combos for $10 or less (or more). Delicious!!

    (4)

  • Lilo And P.

    For the sushi we received (which was good), the price didn't really match up. It was a little overpriced. You can get almost the same quality sushi elsewhere for much cheaper. The cost to quality ratio is way off. I could pay just a little more ($20-30) and get excellent sushi elsewhere. Service: 2 stars. Well-intentioned but needing a little more experience managing things. Food: 4 stars. Great. Not excellent sushi, but really good. They have fresh wasabi- that was so good! Most of the fish was good, but a couple were stringy/ badly cut.

    (3)

  • Denyse E.

    I tried this sushi joint a week ago.. And I'm still dreaming about it. The whole experience was amazing. From the service, to the food, and the vibes. I had the dragon roll and the sashimi dinner platter. You know a sushi place is already going to be magical when the miso soup is good. The fish in the sashimi platter was insanely fresh and the cuts were perfection for every bite. My boyfriend and I couldn't get over the yellow tail! It was so delicious and fresh. I've never been so excited to find a new local sushi joint.. I cannot wait to come back!

    (5)

  • Ouroboros B.

    Ok, and pricey. Nice touches (napkins, chopsticks, sake cups.) My salmon was amazing, his 3 vegetarian rolls were not great (taste and weren't rolled right.) We'd rather go to other East Bay sushi favs, but for convenience, Kiku it is.

    (4)

  • H K.

    This place only opens for lunch during the weekdays and I made a point of coming here during a Friday off-day. Their lunch chirashi was a pretty good deal, for around $12 I think. The sushi rice was good also, had good amount of vinegar taste (something I look for when ordering chirashi). The sushi is average-plus but pretty good portion for the price. I also ordered the spicy tuna roll for $7 because I was tempted by the description of the number of spices in the ingredient. However, instead of a sauce giving it the spiciness, it was more like just powder sprinkled on top. Overall a good lunch place, one that I will keep in mind when coming this direction on a weekday.

    (3)

  • David P.

    Very disappointing. Went for lunch service and they had one server working. At first I felt bad for her, but after waiting 20+ minutes for a glass of water I lost any empathy I had. When we got our sushi rolls, it tasted fine at first. I got the unagi (eel), but then I realized it was full of tiny BONES. We complained to the server and she didn't say anything. After another 30 minutes of waiting for our check she explained that it is normal for eel to have bones in it. I'm sorry, but I have been eating sushi for several years and never once have I had to bite into a bone filled roll. However, that's not the major issue. The issue is that I was very unhappy with the food, which I barely ate and they still charged me for it. I would have accepted a sincere apology, but only received arrogance and rudeness. I will never step foot in this establishment and advise others to stay away if they want to avoid bad service and sub-par sushi.

    (1)

  • Lindche T.

    Im usually a fan of sushi buffets and happy hour sushis so paying full price for limited sushi never feels worth it but this place was delicious. This place is small with a home feel to it. They do need more seating areas because it seems to get busy at times if you want to wait to be seated and someone is ahead of you, you might need to stand outside because there is not waiting area so it feels a bit cramp. Other than that the sushi is fresh and the customer service was okay.

    (3)

  • Katherine K.

    This place has only been around for 3.5 months and we went in for the first time tonight not knowing what to expect. It was INCREDIBLE. Its such a cute spot in North Berkeley, a really wonderful addition to the neighborhood that blows all of the other sushi restaurants in town out of the water. My fiance and I have been to some of the "best" (read $$$$) sushi joints in NYC and SF and this place is on par with Nobu and Matsuhisa, but about 1/4 of the price. The fish was such high quality (as was the seaweed, even the avocado!) that we kept asking the chef how he did it. The head chef and owner is such a nice guy who puts heart and soul into his food. We sat at the bar and chatted with him and he told us all about the different foods we were eating. I recommend asking them for recommendations. They told us what was freshest that day and the sashimi and sushi they suggested (mackerel) was out-of-this-world. Also, you must try the seaweed salad (you've never had anything this good), the yellowtail-grapefruit sashimi, the baked scallop roll, and the gyoza. I can't wait to go back again! We will definitely be regulars. And call ahead/ go early. It gets busy!

    (5)

  • Eric S.

    The sashimi was really good. The BBQ short ribs were really good. One roll was ok and one was not so great, but my wife liked it. I was not really impressed with the warm sake we had. It felt lite, like it had been watered down. (Warm sake). I approve of the size of the sashimi cuts, nice and big. I'd recommend making a reservation. We went on a Saturday night and had to wait for 10-15 minutes. Not too bad, but they are fairly small. Some people definitely walked away. Perhaps it was the people buying carry out, or some people were just coming over to the counter to pay, but they were right up in our business. Not cool. Try to avoid the table by the cash register.

    (4)

  • Brenda T.

    The food is spectacular and the presentation is beautiful. It's small, quaint, and in a nice neighborhood. The service was excellent. I also love their cute dishware. I ordered the miso glazed cod, salad, and california roll bento box and would highly recommend it. The miso cod had a great texture and was cooked to perfection, flavored very nice. It was very humble and welcoming, This one's a keeper!

    (5)

  • Marcus G.

    Excellent. Parking is a bit of a challenge, but then seating is limited. If you like sushi you'll love this place. Service was great, the menu is varied, but the sushi was some of the best I've had. Highly recommended

    (4)

  • Arthur Y.

    Fish is high quality and overall it's solid - but frankly there are better places considering the price point. Odd to have to go outside to use the bathroom if we're paying $50/person for dinner. But I guess that's all part of the appeal of a homey place in Albany??

    (3)

  • Chris H.

    We went to have sushi last Saturday in the late afternoon. We were pleased to see that it was open and in fact after 5:30pm, it became full. It is a popular place! The food is very good, even the miso soup or the sea weed salad beats anything I have had in the Bay Area so far. The sushis were great, among the best fish I have eaten. We will come back!

    (5)

  • C C.

    The food here is pretty awesome. I stopped by once during lunch and didn't think that the sushi was great. I decided to stop by during one of their dinners to give it a second try. I don't know if dinner meals are generally better than lunch meals but I currently only order food during dinner. The chirashi is really good. Normally, I pay about $10-15 for chirashi and here it's slightly more expensive but it is worth it. The miso soups are also the best I've ever had. The nigiris are pretty amazing but you can rack up a big bill this way. Their dragon roll has really crispy shrimp tempuras and my other favorite roll is their kaisen futo-maki. I highly suggest stopping by during dinner time. The waitresses are extremely friendly and the chefs really know what they're doing. Two thumbs up!

    (5)

  • Darren S.

    Torn between a 3 and a 4, I'll give Kiku the benefit of the doubt. Kiku qualifies as a friendly, potentially romantic sushi restaurant for parties of four or less. Food: We ordered their nigiri special and sake sampler. Sake sampler provided a great spectrum of choices--everything from sweet and airy varieties to heartier, deeper flavors. It was also showcased in a sleek arrangement of colored glasses. The nigiri was above average, but not among the best I've ever had. The blue shrimp stood out as a real treat, but the yellowtail was a bit on the fishy side. The nigiri pieces were also cut too big for the standard bite, and the fish was too tough to split in half by yourself. Turned out to be a bit annoying. Finished the meal with green tea ice cream. Not so much green tea, but still a pleasant ending to the meal. Atmosphere: Tiny, quaint, yet comfortable place. Arriving at the restaurant feels like you're pulling up to your local corner drug store, only to walk in and find a successful sushi restaurant when you walk in. The restaurant receives good business, but we didn't have to wait to get a table. Everybody in the restaurant seemed like they were enjoying themselves, and we felt comfortable mixing into what was otherwise a standard sushi set-up. Service: The staff was very friendly and attentive to how we were progressing through our meal. Kept up with refills, but didn't intrude or interrupt at all. They did have a few slip-ups, though. When we arrived, they seemed low on menus. They had to wait for another table to order before we could get a second menu for our table. Somehow, we ended up receiving three menus at the end of it all. No big deal, but funky. They also split our bill incorrectly, so we had to let them know they hadn't charged us enough. They showed their gratitude, but you think we would have gotten some discount for being honest customers. Once again, not a big grievance. Finally, when we ordered dessert, we asked for hot tea, which we were never given. Damn. Take it from Me: Ask the waitress if you can get nigiri pieces cut in half. Double check your bill. You may want to go for their sushi rolls over their nigiri or sashimi, since everybody around us who ordered rolls seemed much more satisfied.

    (4)

  • Sasha S.

    Got take-out from here on a Sunday night because our usual sushi place was closed. Ordered a rainbow roll and a sashimi dinner. Everything was good and seemed very fresh, but it wasn't outstanding. Also, it's pretty expensive. Almost $20 more than we usually pay for the exact same thing. It wasn't bad at all, I just really love our usual spot. I'll probably try it again, but order something different next time.

    (4)

  • Lit G.

    My husband and I were taken aback by the sheer sushi excellence of this unassuming spot. This is the best sushi I've had in years- absolutely fresh, delicious, and generously cut. The scallops were fabulous as was the seaweed salad and the deep fried Uni. The sushi is at a level higher than Kirala or even Ippuku. I'm grateful West Berkeley has such an option.

    (5)

  • Piyali F.

    Love this place! I've been here a few times now and the service is always good and fast, and the fish is fresh and delicious. I found this place one night after trying to find an alternative to Kirala since we wanted to make a res for 4 for sushi somewhere (and kirala doesn't take reservations) and have been coming back ever since! We always get a bunch of rolls, nigori sake, and have tried the plum wine and the sake sampler (all great) and end the meal with the tempura green tea ice cream. So so good. Prices are about the same (maybe slightly cheaper?) than Kirala, and I've always had a reservation so never had to wait but it is a much smaller restaurant with not very much seating. Recommend sitting at the sushi bar for a great experience.

    (5)

  • Sue C.

    Came here for my father's goodbye party. Setting: clean, calm and inviting Food: fresh and delicious Staff: kind and welcoming Location: Take Gilman exit and its pretty easy to find Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant if you are a fresh sushi fan. -Sue

    (5)

  • Daniel L.

    This place is outstanding! we stumbled across them while out on a walk and decided to have dinner. we had a sake sampler with six small glasses of different varieties and a few rolls. everything was reasonably priced--not cheap sushi, but by no means expensive--an the quality was outstanding. My date and I were impressed with the chef's knifewwork as well as the flourish and style of the rolls' presentation. I would not expect a chef of his caliber at such a reasonably priced restaurant! the rolls themselves were fusion takes on classic rolls for the most part. the skin in our salmon skin roll was battered and deep fried, fish and chips style! we also had a Sabagari roll with hamachi, ginger, and scallions that we felt was a little heavy on the ginger, but overall the experience was excellent. service was fast, although they were slightly overstaffed for a quiet night, and the restaurant's interior was obviously reflecting their food: traditional japanese style with a bit of flourish and fusion. very tasteful and well thought out. are there better places for sushi in Berkeley? perhaps, but I can only think of one at this price, and I'm biased towards my favorites. you cannot be disappointed by Kiku.

    (5)

  • Kamome K.

    First thing I've noticed was misspelled menu items. Unaju (eel in box) was misspelled as Unazu, and Tonkatsu (port cutlet) was misspelled as Donkatsu. This indicates that the restaurant is not managed by a Japanese. My friend asked for Tonkatsu, and the waiter asked which he wants, pork or chicken. Ton in Tonkatsu means pork, so the question doesn't make sense. I ordered Chirashi sushi. It was descent but the fish wasn't sliced thin. Each piece was more like a block. If it were sliced in two thinner pieces, I could have enjoyed the same piece twice. Tonkatsu that my friend ordered was rather dry. There was no juice. Thickness was uneven. Nevertheless, the waitress was friendly and the meals were descent. I might return if I am near them at lunch time.

    (3)

  • wendy w.

    Finally, an amazing alternative to Kirala. My husband and I love sushi and were very disappointed when we moved to Berkeley to find that there really aren't any thoughtful, creative, and delicious sushi restaurants. While talked up a lot, we have always found Kirala to be uninspired and overcrowded, with extremely poor service. On a whim, we went to Kiku Sushi expecting to find the typical sushi standards. Boy, were we wrong! Even when we arrived at 8pm on a Sunday evening, the menu was full of creative and delicious offerings - don't leave without having the ankimo appetizer, and if the chef is still offering it - he has a mackerel dish that he turns into a work of art. Last night, we had the most amazing sea eel (not at all your typical unagi - much better), and toro that reappeared in my dreams. In addition, we had a delicious little roll and a special plate of mixed fish which the chef put together with a sesame olive oil that he created himself - amazing! I wanted to try their amber-jack or scallop specials, but feared that we couldn't possibly eat everything. My husband and I are eager to get to Kiku when they have fresh uni and their menu also says that they occasionally offer geoduck! I think 8pm on Sunday night is probably not the best time to find either, so I can't blame the restaurant for our late arrival. From what I understand, the chef is part-owner and previously worked in a high-end sushi restaurant in San Francisco. His experience shows. Everything we ate was classy, elegant, completely fresh (the chef can tell you where every single fish came from and when it arrived at the restaurant), and beautiful.

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : No
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Quiet
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Kiku Sushi

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