We were 6 pax when we dine in, some ordered bento box and mostly, rolls. Maki's rating is 4 and not 5 coz too big. Their bento is 3.5 and not 5 coz their salad is coleslaw?? The reason why I am writing this review is because of the Automatic Gratuity that was charged with a total of $17.0! As far as I know tips or gratuity should be made by the customer and that is why even it's been 2 weeks ago since we ate, I can't forget. Lesson: always check the receipt!
(2)
Sean S.
Reasonable food, smallish portions for the cost. It's probably a downtown thing. I've been here three or four times now so I'm comfortable saying the food is reliably good. But the place doesn't have food that stands out among other sushi restaurants. The staff were friendly, but seemed a bit judgmental the last time I was there. I ordered another roll after I'd finished what they brought me for the first round. A server came up to me with the check and I said I would like to order something else, then she just stared at me for a moment and said "really?". What can I say, I was hungry.
(3)
Jack R.
Anyone who thinks this is the best sushi joint is as crazy as the Mad Hatter! If you think the sashimi here is the best in Berkeley, well then I have a Millennium Falcon out back that I'd like to sell you. Maybe best sashimi on this corner maybe, haha. But seriously, based on a lot of Japanese places being closed on Mondays I came here. Decent bento box, with a good creamy miso dressing. Not a big fan of their spicy tuna roll or their fake California roll. If you're a student and want something Japanese that's a little above a food court in terms of taste, then this is your place.
(3)
Manni H.
The place is nice, dishes are tasty, the portions seem too large to be elegant, and the staff are cold
(3)
Colette T.
I tried out Nanayiro with a friend a few weeks ago. I've actually known about this place for a really long time but never came to try it out because of the price and cuz I was a poor college student. So when my friend suggested we try it out, I was a little skeptical. Anyways, I came in and asked for a table and was seated fairly quickly. We decided to order a few rolls: the Amazon roll, the Ninja, and the Samurai roll. Our order came out fairly quickly and tbh they were amazing! The fish was fresh and the flavors were unique. Also, the rolls were ACTUALLY spicy. I hate when rolls are advertised as spicy and they really aren't. Anyways, this was delicious and the rolls were super filling (huge). I will definitely be coming back. Also props for the atmosphere. It was quiet but not too quiet and allowed for some great conversation.
(4)
Beca P.
Amazing sushi and great quality sashimi. I got the poke salad last time and it was so good! I also really like the katsu as well. The restaurant is always nice and clean and I love all the windows. Great place t catch up with friends (:
(5)
Augusto T.
A good choice for a sushi dinner. The restaurant is clean and inviting. Good for a dinner date or small group. Service is casual and friendly. All of the food I have tried has been pretty good. It won't blow you away and like most other sushi places it is not cheap, but I have generally been satisfied. The one thing that stood out was how big the rolls were. Most folks probably could not eat a piece in a single bite. Not sure if it is a good thing or not, but it was definitely notable. I have also tried their chirashi bowl. It has lots of fish, but unfortunately the wasabi for some reason got mixed up with everything and the fish were served a bit too cold. As the fish got warmer the dish got tastier. You might miss Nanayiro because it is on the edge of downtown, but it might be worth a try!
(3)
Kurt E.
They are super close. They do take-out. We have given them many chances. We are done. Frozen sashimi, rolls that fall apart, huge pieces of raw kale in a veggie roll. Consistently inferior product for the the price. We've been on 2.5 strikes on at least three occasions...I guess this is our fault for trusting things will get better?!? Don't be afraid to complain a lot, because maybe that's what takes. Oh, and they ain't cheap. We're done, and that usually takes many incidents for me.
(1)
Geoffrey C.
First off, I would actually give this place 3.5 stars. But since Yelp doesn't allow half stars, it's gonna have to be a 3. Why you ask? Well, the food here is pretty decent, with a great selection of interesting sushi rolls, bento boxes, and other entrees, along with a lunch menu with special deals. But, it's just too expensive for the atmosphere and cooking. For lunch, you will definitely pay around $15 and for dinner, expect to pay $20+ per person. Yeah, Japanese food is more expensive than others because of the raw fish and whatnot, but for the price, there are better Japanese restaurants in the area (ie Kiraku, Kirala). But purely reviewing the food itself, my order of Ton Katsu Curry was actually very good. The pork itself is fried really well, with nice tender pork on the inside and a beautiful golden fried coat on the outside. Definitely some of the best Tonkatsu I've tasted, both flavor and texture-wise. The curry itself tasted ok, but it was really thin and watery instead of being thick the way I expect Japanese curry to be. Good thing I ordered it on the side so that the perfect pork wasn't drenched or soggy! One weird quirk though -- they serve a small serving of preserved seaweed with the meals....in a little paper ramekin...the kind you associate with free samples at Costco. For the price range, I would definitely not expect that sort of presentation, but maybe that's just me.
(3)
Jade P.
Food was good, but because we were a party of five, they added a mandatory 18% gratuity. Mandatary tipping is a scam. Just be honest and charge more if you need it.
(2)
Brenda Jiwon L.
I've always wanted to try this place since I walked by it a couple times, and I finally did. In all, I like this place. I got the Samurai roll and roll was big with large slices of salmon and was filled with spicy tuna. One roll was filling for dinner. The dinner combo with the sashimi and nigiri is also really good! The sashimi slices are really big though so be prepared to take at least 2 bites to eat it. The only downside was that the price was a bit more expensive compared to other sushi restaurants in Berkeley. And no complimentary salad as appetizers.
(3)
Amanda B.
A very solid sushi place for Berkeley that _isn't_ Kirala! Huzzah! It's down the street from my house, so they get bonus points for that. The fish is good, the portions fairly generous, and the service quick. All in all, a solid experience. Definitely coming back, and skipping the line at Kirala.
(4)
Henry L.
Nice sushi shop with Burning rolls Words cannot describe how awesome the fire roll is! At first I wasn't really sure what to do with the fire, or whether I should stick my Wooden chopsticks into the pit of fire to grab ma sushi. How do I eat ma food???? Turns out, you're supposed to wait for the fire to burn itself out (~5 min). The sushi inside was actually pretty good--the fire actually gave it a slight "burnt" smokey flavor, which when coupled with the crunchy tempura in the center, tasted quite well. The other non-burning rolls are pretty good too. The decor inside was also quite nice, with nice furniture and a chill vibe. Everyone in Berkeley should visit this place at least once!
(4)
Katherine L.
Good service! It was a quite night! Nice place to talk and chill!! Sushi was good and very fresh!! One thing I was very happy to mention: restroom is back at the long hallway inside the building. The table inside the restroom for moms to change babies diapers prepared with baby wipes and Kleenex. Very sweet and caring!!!
(4)
Antoine D.
I had lunch there. It was fat, sliced way too thick and portions were too big. Food isn't fine and delicate as Japanese cuisine is normally. Moreover I was sick all the afternoon and the evening after...
(2)
Stefanie C.
This has become my go-to place in Berkeley to satisfy sushi cravings. The service is okay but the food is (luckily) the highlight of why I love it so much. The sushi itself is a little pricey, but they do not skimp on the ingredients they use. They also cut their sushi pieces so they're huge... and made me wish my mouth was bigger. My friend and I ordered a special sashimi salad that was advertised on a board in front of Nanayiro. For the life of me, I cannot remember what it was called, but it was freaking amazing. Actually the portion was large enough so that I could eat it myself and be full... but we decided to order two sushi rolls in addition. The Ninja Roll ($15.50) has crab, avocado, eel, spicy tuna, fishi roe, green onion, spicy mayo, avocado sauce, and eel sauce. The Samurai Roll ($14.50) has spicy tuna, cucumber, salmon, avocado, fish roe, green onion, wasabi sauce, and eel sauce. Both are options I would highly recommend. They have tons of food options (with pictures!) and I can't wait to come back here again.
(4)
Andrew L.
Chirashi was extremely fresh with excellent variety. Big hunks of: sake, hamachi, maguro, hotate, tai, hokigai, tamago, hirame and ebi. Service and atmosphere both top notch. Not sure why they don't have more stars. Maybe it's the higher price point, but "you get what you pay for." Will be back again.
(5)
Leanne C.
I came to Nanayiro again a couple of weeks ago and ordered the chirashi ($18). The portion was pretty big, plenty of fish and a good sashimi:rice ratio, but overall it wasn't great. I'll probably stick to ordering rolls if I decide to come here again. Unfortunately, service was terrible this time around. My friend and I waited about 20-25 minutes to get our check. I understand that it was a busy Friday night, but having to wait that long for the bill was ridiculous...
(3)
Alex M.
It's gone up a star in the last few years. The sashimi and nigiri fish is still sliced wayyyy too thick, but I'm a fan of their chirashi, which is reasonably priced with good fish and roe. Their deep fried rolls are also pretty tasty and bad for you, in a good way.
(4)
Mr J.
I had the bento box combo here two days in a row for lunch and was very impressed overall by the quality of the sushi/sashimi. There was a lot of food and the price was very reasonable. The salmon sashimi was fresh and absolutely delicious. The staff is friendly and accommodating. A great value with quality food. I'm very happy to finally find a great sushi restaurant in Berkeley. This has quickly become my go to venue for sushi in Berkeley.
(5)
S V.
I liked this place for how fresh their fish is. I was surprised how big and fresh their sashimi were. Pretty pricey, but still good. As for their rolls, they are fulfilling. They use a lot of sauce and rice so you will feel full at the end.
(4)
Margaret H.
Because I stay nearby this restaurant, I almost always come here for Japanese food when I'm in the mood. Although there are more affordable alternatives, in my opinion, Nanayiro is worth the splurge on occasion. Unlike other Japanese restaurants in Berkeley, nothing here really disappoints. Their baked rolls are delicious, the udon broth is hot and tasty and served in a big bowl that holds heat. The overall vibe of the restaurant is very relaxed--lighting is dim, and service is slow-paced, which isn't really a bad thing. A great restaurant to go to for a chill weekend with friends or your significant other.
(4)
Danielle L.
Can't believe I live so close to this place and I've never been! The Sushi was amazing!! I saw the "awesome roll" on their special board outside and it was nothing short of AWESOME. Good quality fish at a decent price too! The service wasn't the best but it was close to closing so I'm sure they had just had a long day... I'll definitely be coming back :)
(4)
John A.
Very fresh and tasty sushi. The size of the sushi is huge . Good service . It's a casual restaurant with simple furniture a and music sounds in the background. It's central in downtown Berkeley. Parking might be an issue but you can some public parking in nearby areas . I had the albacore and hamachi sushi which was fresh and good and the lion king roll which was very big but tasty. Nice place altogether .
(4)
Jason T.
I ordered Ikura with quail egg, which was served with the quail yolk busted and leaking down the bottom of the rice. And the nori wrapper was split. This should have never left the kitchen. Then I ordered the sushi/sashimi lunch where they served two pieces of sashimi with raw garlic on them, which overpowered any fishy flavor. Plus the fish looked relatively lifeless. If the prices weren't so high, I would not have cared much about the lunch combo. But it's $18 and the Ikura was $5. Avoid this place for sushi.
(2)
Lily C.
The Food Was Delicious
(5)
Curtis T.
Sushi is average. Miso soup is salty. Overpriced for the quality of fish. Really not worth it. But you can go if you have nowhere better to eat.
(2)
H G.
I have been coming here for years... Love their sushi and sashimi and they have generous bento boxes.
(5)
Jeff W.
Great Japanese food. Ordered a sashimi dinner and the pieces of fish were twice the size as what is typical. And great tasting to boot. I'm stuffed!
(4)
Brittany N.
Nanayiro is a great sushi place if you are craving sushi and live close by. The place is quite spacious, clean, and invites you to stay. It's not the best sushi you'll ever have, though, and the prices are higher than other sushi places a little further away. I ordered a Ninja Roll (Crabmeat, avocado, deep-fried eel, spicy tuna, flying fish roe, green onion, spicy mayo, avocado sauce and eel sauce, $15.50). The roll itself was quite large. However, the spicy mayo seemed to overpower the taste of the crabmeat and eel, which was disappointing. All in all, a good sushi place if you're close by...but I likely won't return on my own accord.
(3)
Shannon N.
I've gone here twice. The first time I thought--maybe I came on a bad day? What was everyone raving about? It was honestly mediocre and my roll was falling apart before I even got to putting it in my mouth. Second time solidified me not wanting to go here afterward--prices were high for mediocre sushi that was just "whatever." I would rather go elsewhere to get my sushi filling rather than waste my tummy space here. Service was pretty slow too, from what I remember.
(2)
Ada G.
The sushi is really fresh here, and you have the option of substituting brown rice for white rice for $1 (for the health conscious:)). I really like the vegetable roll, or the vegetable CA roll, which has avocado and cucumber. The wakame however isn't really worth it. It's kind of dry, and also $6. It's a bit pricier than some of the other sushi places, however, the presentation is definitely a lot better than the places nearer to campus like Tako Sushi. There's a lot of really interesting rolls here with different combinations, so it's a great place if you're looking for something new to try. The service is ok, nothing special. Overall, I recommend this place for quality sushi near campus!
(4)
Jessica D.
This is the best sushi restaurant in Berkeley! They have bigger and better sashimi portions than other restaurants. I specially like their salmon sashimi, 49'ers roll and fire roll.
(5)
Maggie W.
I came here hoping to satisfy my week-long sushi craving, and Nanayiro's didn't disappoint! Even at 8pm, there's a good amount of people eating here, and the waitress was quick to serve us and take our orders. We were served with complimentary miso soup only (no salad for us, despite what other reviewers have said). I loved that the rolls here are different from the typical ones (e.g. dragon roll or lion king roll): where else do you find sushi topped with lemon slices? My friend and I ordered the Ninja Roll and the Samurai Roll (the force was with us that night), and we were both very surprised with how gigantic the rolls were! With just a hint of spiciness (I'm sure Brittany N. would argue there's more than just a hint), both rolls were quite delicious and rather filling. $14 well spent, I say. And, unlike some restaurants, the pictures in the menu were pretty accurate with how the sushi rolls actually looked. Nanayiro's is definitely one of the better places for sushi here in Berkeley, and I'm lookin' forward to my next visit.
(3)
Brandon R.
Nigiri deluxe and udon. Fat awkward sliced nigiri slapped on rice. Friend told me it's because americans want bigger portions. Not fresh at all. Udon had so much shii in it like a wannabe ramen + msg.. who puts msg in udon. One of the many below avg japanese places in Berkeley, not surprised.
(2)
Melissa G.
This place is delicious and their bento boxes are always on point! I have ordered many items from the menu, everything is great!
(5)
Claire W.
I'm always in favor of decimal points for ratings and this place would definitely earn a 3.7! For not as expensive sushi, it was definitely good!! I'm was very satisfied with all the rolls and miso soup (definitely a make or break for me). I went with a party of 6 (mom and daughter dates) and it was a great vibe for a bigger party. We could still hear each other and I was able to try a bunch of different roll and was happy with all of them. I got the fire roll(?), which was served on fire!! Definitely got brownie points in my book for the entertainment factor. If you are looking for casual, sit-down sushi (that's not crowded) - Id recommend here!
(3)
Xinyue H.
This is definitely one of the best sushi restaurants in Berkeley! Their salmon sashimi has bigger portion and is really yummy!!! I also ordered their chicken soba, which is the best udon/soba I've ever had in Berkeley. I believe the restaurant owner and the waitress are both Japanese. Good Japanese food in general.
(5)
Younes S.
I really liked the restaurant and their food nice people good service everything is clean u can watch the cook preparing your sushi I really loved it I want go their again soon . Thank you nanyiro
(5)
Esther S.
I came here twice. Both times my impression was this: Good sushi but why do I have to keep waving away flies during my mealtime?! Ugh.
(3)
Vi T.
the place is nice and the sushi roll on fire is a nice experience :)
(4)
Majel C.
This restaurant is insanely bad. I have eaten days-old sushi out of the fridge; I've eaten sushi from grocery stores and deli counters. I've eaten really bad sushi. This sushi was so bad I couldn't eat it at all. I left the restaurant hungry. Just in case my experience was a total fluke and there are things you can order that won't turn your stomach, I strongly recommend not ordering the spider roll (which comes with some kind of bizarre fake crab coleslaw kind of thing in the middle of it) or the Philadelphia roll. The salmon was the wrong color. The restaurant uses far too much rice on rolls and -- here's the real kicker -- it's regular old long-grain rice. They don't even have sushi rice. What Japanese restaurant doesn't use sushi rice? Yikes! Maybe the worst part of the whole experience is that when we asked for the check, the waitress could clearly see we'd eaten nothing. But she didn't ask. She just brought us our bill. 40 bucks for three rolls. Down the drain. Go to Kirala. You'll have to wait for a table but it'll be delicious and you won't feel like vomiting.
(1)
Jared S.
Came for lunch on a Sunday. Didn't see on the menu anywhere that "they don't serve lunch on Sundays" and we're charged dinner prices. Ton Katsu Curry was lackluster. Curry wasn't bad but it was more like a thin splash with a bit on the side -- nothing like a real plate of curry. Katsu was also dry. Salad over drenched in dressing and broccoli soaked in sauce as well. Don't get the modest cup of tea for $2. No server ever came around to offer anything more (eg tea or water) and just hung out in the corner. Over-priced for the quality and service.
(2)
Dana P.
Great place to eat! Huge portions and really nice waitresses. A little pricy though, that's my only complaint.
(4)
Laurel G.
Great place for rolls! Not Kirala, but if you're in the mood for less traditional sushi, this is your destination. The food is consistent and the service is very good.
(4)
Melanie R.
i stopped in on saturday in a hurry to pick up some sushi to-go for lunch. the place was empty save for the workers. i placed my order for a lion king roll with the young woman at the front. she was very nice. they sensed i was in a hurry because they pumped out that roll pretty quick! i ate it standing up on a packed bart train with hella santacon people. i want to go back and try their lobster roll. their sushi is tasty!
(4)
Sandra L.
Service was SO slow on a Friday night... Like incredibly slow when the house wasn't even packed. I went with a group of 7 and here's what I've observed from the assortment of rolls we got: 1. If you're a vegetarian, stay away from this place. Their veggie rolls are terrible. My friend got shiitake mushroom and an avocado roll, and the shiitake mushroom roll was awful. 2. You're much safer with rolls that have pictures, because the ones without pictures are puny and not very good. My friend got the dragon roll and it wasn't very good, it wasn't a crunchy roll or even spicy! I got the Sexy Roll and it was mediocre. Confused about why there was a blob of imitation crab meat in the middle as opposed to being integrated in the roll but nevertheless, it was definitely filling. The yummy factor was lacking though. The whole thing looked like it was fried and the eel was fried too fried.. They automatically include gratuity so watch out, Don't overtip!
(2)
Alex B.
We'll the food actually was okay , but for me it is not only the food- most of it it's a service- and the service in this place was ridiculous! It is hard to explain all the situation but basically I have a Government tax exam ( which is means I'm free from paying taxes in any places because I am paying them to other government directly ) anyway in the end of the bill when I provide the card the waitress called the manager and a Manager instead of listen and read the instructions on the card which clearly says that by California law I'm not supposed to pay taxes .... So he just preferred to call the police but the thing is he just embarrassed his self and he's restaurant because when police arrived they told him to give me a different bill without taxes !!! Anyway I am very unsatisfied of the way that the manager preferred to handle the situation- I will definitely never go there again, and will tell my friends to not to go there! Food it's not everything, service sometimes it is more important !!!
(1)
Peter L.
I've been wanting to eat here since I read my girl Shamina K.'s review of this place. I was expecting to get the five-star experience, but the sushi wasn't doin' it for me! Came here with my new roommate Eric J. for dinner to celebrate our new apartment since we both decided on Japanese and this place happened to be right around the corner. The ambiance definitely deserves five stars! Large windows, ambient lighting, and modern decor. It felt like an actual restaurant and I felt so comfortable, which I don't get enough of at other places in Berkeley! I loved the quick and consistent service here! It took me forever and a day to decide on what to order, but the waitresses were all smiles and were patient with me. They were fast on their feet and quick to respond to us. Compared to other Japanese restaurants, they don't have much to choose from, but I guess that's at the cost of having better food. I finally decided to settle on the Baked Roll with Scallops. Be sure to check out their daily specials if you're feeling outside the box! They pile a mountain of scallops on top of the rolls, which I thought would be filling until I realized how off the scallop-to-roll ratio was towards the end. I ended up with a pile of scallops even after having ate a bunch alongside the rolls. It seemed more like an accessory for food porn pictures rather than actually being food. I enjoyed the texture, but it became too overwhelming to try to finish, so I ended up with a bunch of untouched scallops. No amount of soy sauce and wasabi could make up for their plainness! I loved the rolls themselves, but I could've done without the scallops and have been much happier. Definitely not worth the price, but I didn't mind because it was on Eric's tab! He's the best roommate ever. I'd have to agree with Shamina on the great customer service and fragility of the rolls, but the sushi could use some tweakin'. I'd most definitely come back for the ambiance though!
(4)
Graham S.
I have been here many times. The finest Japanese restaurant and possibly the best ethnic restaurant in berkeley. They have very efficient and nice servers, great owners who are always visible, and excellent high quality food. I recommend the bento box or salmon teriyaki. The food is out quickly in 10 min and is always fresh and consistent. Nanayiro deserves YOUR patronage.
(5)
Valeria R.
This is one of my favorite sushi spots in Berkeley. Food is always fresh and reasonably priced. Service can sometimes be a little slow but free parking in the back always makes up for it.
(4)
Vanessa B.
This was an awesome, authentic Japanese restaurant that serves really delicious, entertaining and interesting food. They have great service too. I ordered the fire roll which was so entertaining because they serve it to you while it's burning so you have to wait for it till the burning stops and it resulted in having a delicious smoky flavor. I also ordered the Amazon roll and Lobster roll and I'd recommend both. We also had yellowtail sashimi. They were fresh, and delicious.
(4)
Sungeeta A.
I came here for dinner yesterday with some friends and was a little disappointed. The meal started off nicely when the waitress brought us all miso soup, even though we only ordered 2 bento boxes among the 4 of us. The rest of the meal, however, was a little downhill. The salad in the bento box was mostly just shredded cabbage (which I do not enjoy) mixed with some dressing. The spicy tuna roll was barely spicy! And the grilled mackerel was a little salty. I also ordered a spicy scallop roll on the side, and couldn't taste any scallop! Also, there was sriracha sauce mixed with a miniscule amount of scallop. Don't get me wrong, I love sriracha as much as the next person but it shouldn't be the only thing I'm really tasting. This place is good to grab a quick bite for a reasonable price, but I definitely won't go out of my way to come back.
(3)
Amanda C.
Nanayiro has really good and unique rolls! They're huge too. My favorite used to the be the fire roll, but once, they accidentally poured the some vodka onto the rolls and that completely ruined it for me. When I told them that the rolls tasted like alcohol (in a bad way), they just said it was was vodka. Yes, I know. I was hinting that I wanted those rolls replaced with non alcoholic ones but they didn't get the hint... Their udon is really really good too, and so is their agedashi tofu. Overall, Nanayiro is a good japanese restaurant, but it is a little bit on the pricey side.
(4)
Edward W.
Finally decided to check this place out since I'm graduating and was craving some Japanese food. I wasn't really feeling sushi so I decided go with the pork katsu. Surprisingly, the pork katsu actually came with extremely large portions, maybe twice the amount of meat I would have expected. At the same time $13 for pork katsu is kind of pricey so I guess I just overhyped it a bit. The pork itself didn't have as much flavor as I hoped, but with the sauce it's much better. Don't think I would fancy this place again since the reviews for the rolls seem like hit or miss and the pork katsu came out to be average.
(3)
Alli Q.
I've been searching for a good sushi restaurant near the UC Berkeley campus and I've found it! Nanayiro has fresh/quality sushi at fair prices and quantities. They even give you complementary miso soup. We ordered the Amazon roll and Lobster roll and I'd recommend both. We also had yellowtail sashimi - it was pretty fresh but not the best. I think I'd skip this and get another roll next time. We came on a Monday night and were seated immediately. I noticed that other people have had issues with service but our waitress was very attentive to us.
(4)
Andrew W.
After my failed attempt to study at Royal Ground Coffee House I needed a sushi pick-me-up. I happily walked over to Nanayiro for some nigiri happiness. Ordered the hirame, sake, tai, tataki shiro maguro, unagi, uni, and hamachi. Each piece was $4-4.50 except for uni, which was $8. Order only 10-15 minutes before it arrived in all its glory. First thing the girlfriend says "The pieces are so big." I immediately worried that the fish would be sushi buffet quality of worse but luckily I was wrong. These pieces were better than decent and fairly priced. My favorite was the tataki shiro maguro and the tai. Next time I will try their rolls. What I recommend: -- relaxing quiet place to grab sushi
(4)
Lu H.
It's my favorite Japanese place in Berkeley. The fish is fresh and not skimpy thin slabs drowned in sauce. My two go-to rolls are the Oregon roll and Rose Garden roll. Nice jazz music plays in the background.
(4)
Jana C.
Gonna have to agree---the service here has a lot to be desired. True, the young gals are kind, but proactive and observant aren't very accurate descriptors here. We ordered some edamame, the tonkatsu dinner, samurai roll, and the $14 fire roll special (its circumference actually gets flambe-ed, for visual effect!) Overall, food was not bad. Some parts of the unagi, softshell crab, spicy tuna fire roll were falling a bit apart when going to grab with the ol' chopsticks, but overall, no complaints with the freshness of the fish. The sake salmon was nice... Panko crust on the pork cutlet was excellent--- crisp, light, the way it ought to be. Place is modest-looking, and generally clean. Odd labyrinth of a jaunt to bathroom. Must use key and walk---like entering a scene from INCEPTION. Satisfying first-time visit for dinner.
(3)
Ally M.
Wow wow wow wow. I love this place. I'm a big fan of sushi, and Nanayiro is one of the best places I've ever been to. Their rolls are huge (but a bit pricey), and they are delicious. The fire rolls are very cool, but not the most delicious out of the choices they have - I recommend the Lion King roll! Anyhow, you pretty much can't go wrong here!!
(5)
R M.
The lobster roll is amazing. It is by far the best roll I have ever tried. I would go back just to eat it again. I tried several other rolls, but none of them stood out like the lobster.
(4)
Helen W.
I think Nanayiro must have changed in recent months/years because some of the earlier reviews don't reflect my experience at all. I had a great time! I came with my family for quick meal right before my graduation.There's plenty of seating, and bar style seating as well. there's also some signs that say "no sake bombs" put away in the back - lol I wonder what necessitated those!! clearly my grandparents were not down for sake bombing either. my family ordered a mixture of bento boxes and rolls. In general they did not skimp on the food - each roll was really filling, and the sashimi heapings on the bento boxes were bigger than I had anticipated! (see my pictures for examples.) the bento boxes also came with miso soup and salad. the service was great as well. they met all our needs instantly! although I guess that's partly because we were one of two parties there at 5:30PM - in any case I had a great time and I will be back.
(4)
Chris C.
11/17 at 1:43 pm. Bad customer services. Two waitresses seating on their chairs chatting with one another without serving us water for 5 minutes. My friend and I ended up leaving the restaurant. Been to this restaurant before and their ramens were alright. Taste similar to most ramen and cost around $13 Mediocre food and bad costumer service will definitely not lead me to come back again.
(1)
Andrew T.
The food was great, tasted fresh! The service could have been more attentive, but would definitely return for another lunch to try more things!
(4)
Katie Sue B.
Great place with quick service and large portions. Their rolls are a little pricey, but they give a lot of food that tastes good! Also, their beer prices are not bad.
(4)
Thomas B.
I love Nanayiro, it's delicious sushi for a great value. I've been to a lot of sushi restaurants in Berkeley and this is by far my favorite.
(5)
Anna N.
Their fusion rolls are ENORMOUS. My boyfriend and I shared two: the baked scallop roll and the ninja roll. I ate less than my share and he was food-coma-stuffed when he'd finished the remainder. There's no way I could have finished a roll on my own. Anyway, the reason I'm giving Nanayiro 3 rather than 4 stars is because I found the rolls to be a bit too heavy. The two different flavors of mayo, the fried eel, the mayo with the California roll...it was a lot! I know that's how it is with fusion rolls, but that's also why I can't rate Nanayiro as any higher than 3 stars. Perhaps their other dishes are really good! I was tempted to order the donburi or even a bento set. Maybe next time I'll go with another choice. The actual restaurant is nice. Full-length windows, a relatively quiet atmosphere, and an open seating area ( a lot of restaurants make me feel cramped).
(3)
Amy Z.
i am sorry but i have to say, this is the worst experience i have never had before. The service is really bad. I have waited for my order for 30 mins, and at that time their business is not busy, it was around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. but it was still not ready. so i asked one of the waitress about what's going on and she told me it still not ready even without saying "sorry". And then i said sorry i cannot wait. and she seems like she dose not care her business at all.
(1)
Ryan M.
For the most bang for your buck, stick with getting two samurai rolls and you're set (unless you got an appetite than three of them would set you in sushi coma). Granted their other rolls are also pretty sizable and the nigiri offerings are also of good quality. Customer service has been consistently friendly and orders are made promptly (within 10-15 minutes of sitting down). However for the repeated visits especially as a sushi connoisseur who likes to stay on a budget once in a while. I'll always be ready to slice into the Samurai at a moment's notice.
(4)
Jennifer L.
Holy god. This place is fantastic. Lovely waitstaff. Freshest fish in town. And the portion of fish (whether you're a sashimi or a nigiri sushi person) is honestly probably double of what you've ever seen before. I was dumbfounded by the huge slabs of fish on my plate! Definitely recommend.
(5)
Tiffany J.
My boyfriend and I came here for dinner to try something new, and we both thought it was okay. The ramen was good, but not authentic at all-- the broth was good but tasted like chicken broth. I got a beef teriyaki donburi, and there wasn't much teriyaki flavor, nor was the beef the normal kind of beef used in beef teriyaki. It seemed like it had been pan-fried, and was a bit tough and not very flavorful. We got some fried ice cream for dessert, and it was pretty good too, but the fried layer was thick and cake-y and not thin and crispy. Overall, okay food but don't come here if you're looking for authentic Japanese food.
(3)
Angela M.
Nanayiro isn't the best Japanese food I've ever had, but it was still pretty good. The restaurant is a very nice place and in the early afternoon it had quite a few people turning out for the beginning of the lunch hour. I was happy that they had zaru soba on the menu (usually I have to make the trip to Japantown in San Francisco for it) so I decided to give it a try, along with the gyoza, and my boyfriend got the salmon sashimi and teriyaki chicken bento. The zaru soba was not quite as great as I was hoping it would be; the noodles hadn't been drained properly and were so wet they were almost mushy, and pieces of ice cubes were still melting on my plate. The gyoza were good, again not the greatest, but I was actually more impressed by my boyfriend's salmon sashimi - the fish was incredibly fresh and almost melted in your mouth. The amount of chicken teriyaki in his bento was laughable though, as it amounted to MAYBE half of a breast, if that. The tea here was also underwhelming, and frankly flavorless. I don't think I've ever encountered flavorless tea before but Nanayiro's got it. Our waitresses were nice and service was very prompt, so that's a plus. All in all, a slightly underwhelming experience that was also a bit more pricey than other Japanese spots I've been to. I'd be willing to give it another go and try some of the other offerings on the menu, but if I want great zaru soba it looks like I'll have to keep making the trip to Japantown for it.
(3)
Christopher L.
This place has superior udon. Been here several times - my wife always has the veggie udon, which she says is the best anywhere, as they have a lot of different veggies - cabbage, squash, broccoli, asparagus, onions. I had the seafood one, which was very good as well. Great stop on a cold or rainy day for some warm food.
(5)
Kathy C.
Food: 4/5 Good! Came for a friend's birthday. 4 people (girls) we shared 3 rolls and it was great deal! I'll definitely recommend ordering the rolls with pictures. They are pretty and come in generous portion. Also they give you a tiny ice cream mochi if you tell them it's your birthday. It's very small indeed but it's free... so no complaint :P We ordered: fire roll- really cool, comes with real fire! it's warm sushi ninja roll- topping is so big! good cold sushi baked roll (with scallops)- plating is pretty. Scallops don't have any taste, but if you eat the whole roll together at once it tastes pretty good. Service: 2/5 It's not bad service, just very slow. The restaurant was not packed either, I don't know why it took so long. We had to get their attention to order food and get check and everything. Food also came pretty slowly. But it's good if you don't like your waiters interrupting your meals with "how's everything? need anything?". Atmosphere: 3/5 Clean and organized. Lighting is sufficient for good pictures.
(4)
Deanna C.
Deanna would give a 5. James would give a 4. Deanna won because she's posting this rating. Probably THE best sushi I've had so far in Berkeley. Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday, and it was such a nice atmosphere. We ordered things that had pictures: Fire Roll, Dragon Roll, and Butterfly Roll. And everything was bomb. We also got the seaweed salad appetizer to share. The seaweed salad wasn't anything special, but I loved everything else. I usually don't enjoy raw fish, but the Butterfly Roll had the most amazing balance of flavors and textures to make everything taste just right. Also, my Fire Roll was literally brought to me on fire... which I thought was pretty cool. The Dragon Roll was really yummy too. The servings sizes were great. While it was a little bit on the pricey side, the food and the atmosphere made it worth it.
(5)
Joy J.
This place was found randomly while walking around downtown berkeley. The restaurant is located on Shattuck nearby a local coffeehouse (No not PEET's) The ambience from the outside seemed to exposed the inside of the restaurant which actually captures the eye due to large glass windows. The interior ambience has a modern feel and clean "AIR" . We were seated and was given the menu and they offered only a page selected rolls compared to what I have seen at other japanese eats in which imo its a good thing! IMO a place that offers more "ROLLS" than other japanese dishes and sides is not authentic japanese IMO. I would have given this place 5 stars however drink service was poorly rated. We needed to flag the server a few times to have water and hot tea refilled. We ordered Seaweed salad that came in nicely under a leaf of lettuce on a small appetizer plate. The seaweed salad tasted fresh and non fishy smell. The color was a vibrant popping green and crispy. We ordered 3 Rolls - 911 Roll, Baked Scallop Roll and the Over the Rainbow Roll. The portions of the rolls is a "mouthful" that it hardly fit my mouth and was somewhat difficult to chew inside of the mouth in which its both good and bad? LOL Good because that means its a huge roll = getting your money's worth Bad because its hard to chew! The raw fish rolls were quite tasty due to it tasted non fishy and fresh. LOVED the baked scallop roll. The flavors just danced! The rolls were served with Miso soup yet the menu stated we also get a free salad. However the server stated no free salad is served (in the menu stated it comes with miso AND salad.. not OR) The tea tasted mediocre it needed more tea bags soaked in IMO. But it helped the palate and tummy! We ended the meal with 3 orders of Mochi Ice cream in Mango, Strawberry and Green Tea. They were served in 2 sliced in 4 per flavor with cute mini fork picks to eat them with. They were served under a lace dollie. Overall experience good but couldve been better if the drink service was addressed. A few japanese clientele were also present when we ate here so in my eyes that is a good thing! Will def come back again - However I wanted to try out another few more spots before I fly back home to the South!
(4)
Michael K.
My service wasn't as bad as the other reviews. However, when we went we were proactive enough to keep asking for what we needed. As such, we didn't have a problem. The sushi here has the best presentation compared to Tako Sushi, Sushi House, CU Sushi, and Manpuku. The sashimi plate was literally beautiful, and tasted really fresh. However, the prices are equally higher compared to the places I just listed. I would definitely recommend coming to Nanayiro at least once to expand your sushi perspective. They do have their own style - their atmosphere is suitably Japanese and very different from any of the other sushi places around - and while they are close to campus, they are just far enough to take you out of your normal routine (and make it interesting).
(4)
Salvador R.
My go-to sushi place in Berkeley. Fish is always fresh, you do not have to stand in line for hours like in other places and service had always been consistently good. While Kirala is pretty amazing, Nanayiro is always good airport without paying as much. I also like to order to go on their webpage.
(5)
Keith C.
I always used to walk by this place on my way up or down Shattuck, but I finally dropped by to give it a try on my way to Thalassa. I think I had the Golden Gate roll, and I guess I just didn't read the menu closely enough, 'cause it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I think it was mostly artificial crab meat (both inside and on top) which wasn't really what i was looking for. It also said it was spicy, but besides the sauce that was on the side I didn't really notice anything. Maybe I just ordered a roll that i wouldn't really like, so I guess that's my fault, but I'll come back when I get a chance and try something else.
(3)
Michael M.
The service here was great when we ate here. But it was noon on a Saturday and the place was mostly empty. While nothing tasted bad, nothing was particularly good either. It was expensive for not very good Japanese food. But the one star is because I got food poisoning from the dodgy hamachi I was served. This place has the dubious honor of being the only sushi place in the Bay Area that has served me spoiled fish. Happened once before in Evanston, Illinois. First time here. Sorry, but you really ought to know better. I'm particularly annoyed to see that others have had the same problem here over a year ago. Very unhappy.
(1)
Ricky A.
Tis was good, food is kinda expensive but its worth it!
(4)
Robin K.
3 1/2 stars The fish was fresh, sushi rice was seasoned well, rolls were tightly rolled, but not too tight, and everything was decently priced. Service was distant but attentive. My Ankimo appetizer was delicious, and the pieces of Monk Fish liver were larger than most sushi restaurants. One of the rolls was served with long shreds of raw beet, which I've never seen before. It added a nice color to the plate. I was able to try Sanma for the first time (mackarel pike), and also saw a few other choices of fish I'll try when I venture back. Definitely not the best of the best in the Bay, but definitely a solid sushi choice if you're in search of a convenient spot in Downtown Berkeley. Bring a defensive weapon (pepper spray, butterfly knife, etc.) if you ever need to use the restroom. After all the recent sexual assaults happening around the Berkeley Campus, the narrow dimly lit hallway to the restroom is definitely not a safe environment for women.
(3)
Rob W.
I walked by this place for weeks before finally trying it. Why did I wait so long? They have a great a variety of rolls... we had the Panic Roll and the Golden Gate Roll. Both were great and affordable ($12) These are what I'd describe as large-scale "architectural" rolls, which means lots of things stacked together and very visually satisfying. Complimentary miso soup and a salad were brought to our table, which was a nice touch. The bento boxes looked good too, and if it hadn't been my last day in Berkeley I would have gone back the next day!
(4)
Tracy A.
Went here on a whim and I was glad I did. Such a yummy place! I opted for a couple rolls and they were fresh and delish. I would do this again, for sure, if undecided on what I should eat on Shattuck.
(4)
Kimberly S.
Had a bad experience. Ordered the Lobster Roll--so much mayo sauce it was all I could taste--it looked like cheese on top. The crab in the actual roll was imitation and the rice was dry. For $14 plus tax and a tip it should have been better. I asked for a discount since it was really disappointing, and the management said they couldn't do it. I only ate about half of it, trying to see if it was actually somewhat edible,but couldn't bear to eat any more. The waitress was nice though and tried to help us out with the discount, but it didn't matter.
(2)
Meghana S.
Went here for the first time last night. The decor is pretty fancy, and the service is good. As for the food, I ordered the Berkeley Roll; spicy, filling, and oh so delicious! My only complaint about the food is that the individual sushi rolls are quite big, and fall apart when you're trying to eat them. Also, there were no small plates for the soy sauce, which meant I had to pour the soy sauce over the roll before eating (yes, I know, #firstworldproblems) and it got pretty messy. One thing I didn't understand is why the corridor leading to the restrooms is sooooo ridiculously long; takes a couple of minutes to just get there! But apart from that, this place is good and I will definitely be visiting again!
(4)
Jacqueline W.
I love sushi....like passionately. But something about this place was not appealing. I ordered a Rose Roll to go, as I was not too hungry and in a rush, it took about 12 minutes to make one roll. Considering that there were not many people inside the restaurant I wasn't sure why. The roll itself was decent. Nothing ground breaking. The salmon and tuna on top did not seem at its best. Standard 6 pieces on the roll. The waitress who took my ordered seemed friendly enough, but I doubt I will return to give this place another try.
(2)
Caitlin M.
Is that a roll or just a giant ball of rice? Honestly, I couldn't get either my avo and salmon roll or my tempura roll into my mouth without making a ridiculous mess of myself. SO much rice. SUCH big pieces. The fish was fresh and delicious when I pulled it out and ate it alone, though! On the other hand, their soba noodles were super delicious. I'd definitely come back just for those. And they came with soup and salad--very much appreciated on a chilly evening. Service was friendly and pleasant, too. In the future, I'd go back for their other food--but definitely not the sushi.
(3)
Shamina K.
I heart Nanayiro! Where else can you get a Jalapeno bomb? Totally love their sushi and the restaurant itself. I've been here quite a few times over the past 5 years, and have never been disappointed. Customer service is great. the only thing I would change is if they could make the rolls bite size.. It takes me about 2 bites to finish a roll, and most of the time it falls apart. Other than that, I love their fresh and flavorful rolls.
(5)
Amanda N.
I like Nanayiro - I used to live really close so I'd eat here a lot, dining in or taking out. The girls working there are always super nice & friendly, and it's very easy to call in an order for pick-up. I mainly come here for the rolls, although the nigiri is not bad (not great though). They have all your standard rolls (the spicy crunch roll is really good), and some interesting new combinations too (I loved the Vegas roll, but I'm not sure if they still have it). When you order rolls, you get free miso soup & salad, which is also a plus. Overall, this place is a tad pricier than Joshuya's, but I think the rolls are better so it's worth it. Portions are pretty big also. It has a nice, quieter atmosphere that's great for dates (:
(3)
Kevin J.
Nanayiro is a perplexing sushi restaurant. The place is nice and clean, and the service isn't bad. I ate here with a friend, and ordered sushi, while he ordered the chicken rice dish. Upon receiving our orders, I found the sushi small, and not worth the price. The chicken tasted better, which leads me to wonder if it's better to order an entree rather than sushi. I also ordered an ice tea, and they served me an Arizona Ice tea in a bottle...which surprised me and lowered my standards of the place a bit. This was the first time I've seen a restaurant not have "ice tea" but rather bottles of ice tea that you order yourself...
(2)
Jennifer W.
Dragon Roll Love Love Roll 911 Roll Total: ~$14 (tax + tip) I did not expect to come here for sushi because I thought they specialized in other dishes, but the 3 of us ended up ordering sushi because the sushi menu turned out to be bigger than I thought. The sushi itself was pretty damn good too. It was fresh and a sizable. Each order comes with miso soup and salad. This place definitely exceeded my expectations, yet, it was not amazing.
(3)
Allison S.
I honestly didn't see what was so great about this place. The sushi was alright; I've definitely had much better. They gave complimentary soup and salad during lunch, but the dressing on the salad was wayyyy too sweet. We ordered the Ichiban (a special), the Rose Garden, and the Red Dragon rolls: - Ichiban: honestly didn't taste like anything... the crispy parts of the sushi kind of overwhelmed the sushi IMO. For some reason, which I can't put my finger on, it just wasn't good. - Rose Garden: I liked the amount of salmon and other fresh fish on the roll but that was about it. - Red Dragon: the spicy tuna on top overwhelmed the roll, and the rest was okay. The service was really good, but I have to say that I'd much rather go to Anzu down the street for sushi.
(2)
Leah C.
Nanayiro is the only Japanese restaurant I like in the area. The sushi, rolls, and bento box are pretty good and I especially like the katsudon. I was really bummed last time when my friend and I came here for dinner and found out that they only sell katsudon for lunch. I ended up getting the Sexy Roll (haha) and it was yummy. The service is very fast and friendly and I enjoy the atmosphere of the place. I am definitely coming back here soon.
(4)
Oliver S.
The sushi here is two notches above the generic retail sushi restaurants that have been popping up all over the place (e.g., Todai), but there's still quite a price / flavor incongruency that would lead me not to like this place enough to be a "fan". Nanayiro has the option of customizing your own Bento Box with two or three items (~15.95) of choice (on the list). It includes the regular miso soup and a delicious salad. The options they provide for the Bento Box are nothing new: they span from chicken teriyaki to spicy tuna roll. I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki, Spicy Tuna roll, and Spicy Salmon roll. They were all delicious and the sushi makers did a good job not obscuring the flavor of the fish with all the other flavors. I highly recommend the Spicy Tuna roll. One slight criticism I could see people having: the sushi rolls are wrapped in A LOT of rice. When the Bento boxes came out, I was amazed at the amount of food there was! You should definitely come hungry if you order the three choice Bento Box. Along with your requested orders, you get a coleslaw type salad, a seaweed salad, and a cup of rice. All of it tasted delicious, especially the mayo dressed coleslaw. Scrumptious! The service at this restaurant was great! The servers were very accommodating and mindful of our needs the entire night! We had a server who really enhanced our dining experience. The night ended with a sweet slice of orange. I really liked Nanayiro, but in the end, there was nothing that stood out that would make me a fan of this place. It seems like 1 of many.
(3)
Sarah W.
I would give them a 3.5 but I hope they stick around (decent japanese cuisine on the cheaper side). Got the baked salmon roll and dragon roll per recommendation. Baked salmon roll was super filling and delish. It had a nice layer of spicy flavored mayonaisse on top of the rice. Dragon roll was what one might expect it to taste like, so nothing out of the ordinary (which is either a good or a bad thing, depends). Overall, the food was average Japanese restaurant. It's a great place to go with friends for a casual spontaneous dinner since this place isn't crowded, the food is decent, and they present their food well. It's pretty. If you're looking for EXCELLENT Japanese cuisine go to Norikonoko's. Tis divine there.
(4)
Regina W.
I went there and had two rolls: the spicy tuna and the Philadelphia roll. I ordered some seaweed salad too. The rolls were broken up into 8 medium-sized pieces each. I got miso soup with that too. It was a really good meal for lunch. My waitress was friendly too. I'm new to this neighborhood and will definitely stop by on a regular basis. It's just a short bike ride away.
(4)
J P.
This is my go-to place for sushi in Berkeley. The decor has a nice clean feel, and the sushi is consistently good and fairly priced. The fish isn't super high quality, so it may not satisfy really picky sushi eaters, but it is perfect for a casual dinner. The best part about this place is that you can get a substantial amount of sushi for not that much money. The bento box is a great deal and can usually be split amongst two people, maybe with another roll order or appetizer if you are feeling particularly hungry. The service is very friendly and fast, up until the time when you get all of your food, at which point they will leave you alone for an extended period of time. I often have to hunt them down for my check. Other than that, Nanayro is a great place to have a relaxing and tasty dinner.
(4)
Kat S.
I consider this as one of my 'nice-little-finds' in Berkeley. Why? Well the place is tucked in a corner, for a start. No flashy sign or name to draw your attention when you driving past (at 50mph across Shattuck ... yeah, right ;p ... ). And it is nice because it IS good! Finally a good (& affordable) sushi place in Berkeley. The retaurant is clean, tasteful in its zen-like interior, yet gives a sense of warmth with their choice of soft lighting. *ehm* to put it simply: you walk in, you sit down, and you feel like 'oh yes, I wanna eat here!' To my delight, they got a good selection of weird sushi rolls ^^ Traditional nigiri sushi always heavenly in a purist sense, but you know once in a while the radical in you just craving for something that is pushing the edge of the plate. Better yet, it is not $$$$ more like $$ or $$ and a half, and for a good quality sushi, I'd say it's a fair value. I mean, this is not your pre-package sushi off of a convenience store, but also not a Matsuhisa. Will I come back here? Well of course! So, Laura, want to have lunch? :)
(4)
Andrea G.
The prices are affordable and the staff is very friendly. The sushi quality is good, but not fabulous (the hamachi and maguro can be a real hit or miss sometimes which is why they get 4 stars) They offer a number of specialty rolls which are pretty good. I recommend the Berkeley roll. The spicy sauce that they top it with is a nice touch. I also really like their chicken teriyaki. It comes on a sizzling plate with grilled onions - very yummy.
(4)
Amanda S.
I used to come here at least once a week while I lived/studied/worked/occasionally breathed in Berkeley, but now I live in Oakland and have only made it back over a couple of times. I really, really miss coming here. They offer fantastic sushi at really great prices (definitely kicks Joshua's ass!) and they have these great bento boxes and plenty of entrees to choose from. I love going there and getting the two item bento box with a spicy tuna roll (and it's actually spicy!) and their amazing chicken teriyaki. I usually don't like chicken teriyaki but the sauce they use is really light, not super thick and sticky like a lot of teriyaki, and the chicken is always very tender and grilled to perfection. They also hook it up with hot tea, miso soup, and a salad with the most delicious sweet, gingery salad dressing! I can tell it's becoming a little more popular because the last couple times I was there it was pretty packed (but this mostly occurs on friday and saturday nights). The service is good and the food comes out pretty quickly, and they love all their customers sooo much that they just don't want you to leave! (i.e. you will probably need to look a waitress straight in the face and ask for your bill or you may sit there until closing, well I exaggerate slightly...) Also great for take-out: call in and food is ready in 10 minutes, or walk in and order and you will be served some delightful hot tea while you wait!
(5)
zoe w.
This place looks nice, very spacious and bright. I ordered Tempura Don for lunch. The size was Huge, but the actual shirmp inside is so tiny. The price is quite ok, I spend less than 10 bucks and still couldn't finsh my bowl. I think I will spend a bit more to order sushi or rolls so I won't be fed with a lot of fried flour...
(3)
T D.
Best sushi place near campus
(4)
Grey Wolf Y.
This is my favorite sushi place in Berkeley. Their specialty seafood salads are out of this world. Clean and contemporary interior. Great place to take a date.
(4)
Janet K.
i've frequented this place for a while now...it's our staple "take-out" restaurant when we want to splurge and get sushi. the fish has consistently been good and fresh, which is why they get 2 stars. however, minus 3 (and i was tempted to subtract 4) because of the horrendous service we've had the past few times. it's consistently gotten worse, i feel the owners are the same but the waitresses are scattered and seem to have little to no training. having worked at a fairly busy thai restaurant, i know that it's not rocket science when you're figuring out to-go orders. a few times, they've gotten at least one roll incorrect, making us come back to exchange our order. as you can imagine, eating your sushi an hour after having ordered it is not delicious! but last night was the final straw. we ordered a few rolls and a dinner entree. i guess it was our fault for not checking both bags...but the first bag was correct and the waitress even made it a point to tediously say each roll we ordered, so i had no reason to suspect our bags would be so fu*ked up! when we got home, we realized that they had given us two bags of the exact same entree and no sushi! so we drive back to the restaurant, assuming it would be a quick transfer since our sushi, ideally, should have been waiting for us. but when we got there, they were totally confused...and had apparently give the sushi away to some other random person! they made us sit there for ~15 minutes while they made new rolls...and when we opened them up to check to make sure...they had switched up our order AGAIN!!! the whole ordeal, which took over an hour, definitely soured my opinion against this place. thanks for the memories nanayiro...you'll never see my money again!
(2)
Allison B.
I am so disappointed in my dining experience with this place. We went there last night and although it was crowded, we were seated right away. I was really pleased at the diversity of the customers here; there were lots of families, college kids, and everyone else in between, which seemed like a really great sign. The fish that was brought to the tables around us made me drool and it really looked the way sushi is supposed to look: fresh, colorful, and beautiful. Between my girlfriend and I, we got 4 orders of nigiri Sake, 1 order of Himachi, and 1 order of Maguro. The soup and salad that came with the meal were delicious, especially the salad with its amazing dressing. We also ordered edamame for an appetizer, which was fantastic as well. Everything was great until we were served the sushi. 3 out of 4 of the salmon pieces had a shit load of skin on them as did the Himachi, which also looked like it had been cut with a bread knife. The salmon was completely inconsistent in temperature between the fish that had the skin and the one order that didn't, leading us to realize that they totally gave us the shittiest cuts of fish we had ever seen. The maguro was a complete disaster and you couldn't even bite through it, which defeats the whole purpose of sushi. I have never in my life been served sushi with skin on it, this also defeats the whole purpose of sushi, since skin makes the fish tough and doesn't allow you to make a clean bite. We ate the pieces without the skin and asked the waitress to please have the skin removed, which she more than graciously had taken care of for us. In fact, when she brought us back the fish, they were brand new pieces that were ice cold, unlike the original pieces we were given. Once we were given the high quality pieces, it was delicious, it was just so irritating that we were given the shit pieces first, presumably because we wouldn't know better. I'm torn, because it was really good, I just think the place is kind of shady. I used to sell sushi knives and it's not that difficult to skin fish before serving it!
(3)
Tamara T.
We should have known when we ordered Sapporo beer in a Japanese restaurant and the waitress didn't know what we meant we were in the wrong place. Just don't go. Terrible service and bad tasting food.
(1)
Corey I.
Not sure what's with the 1's or 2's. My wife and I have been coming here for years. This is our favorite Japanese/sushi restaurant in the Bay Area. The prices are a little high, but the food quality is extremely good. Plus the place is very clean. A+. Also, not sure why people are saying service is slow. I've literally been here 1-2 times per month for the last several years, and I can't ever remember service being slow.
(5)
Vivian L.
My favorite japanese restaurant in Berkeley!!!! The food is amazing, I love the fire roll and the salmon. They have a lot of options in the menu, the fish is always fresh. The staff is friendly!! I recommend to all
(5)
Nicole M.
I love this place! I have had the great opportunity of trying some great restaurants in Berkeley, but because I am an avid Sushi fan, this place deserves a review. Very good service, welcoming vibe, and the sushi is AWESOME no matter which roll I choose to order. Definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves good, quality sushi!
(4)
Stephanie S.
My boyfriends and I had been craving good sushi lately and we walk by this place all the time, so we decided to give it a go. It's usually is pretty packed, but this day, it was slow so we figured it was a sign. Our host and waitress was a sweet Japanese girl, who didn't know a whole lot of english. Which we thought was a good sign. She got our drinks and miso out to us quite promptly. I orders the Samurai roll and i think my boyfriend ordered the bay bridge roll or something. They both had a good sashimi/rice ratio. Which is always my biggest concern. It was loaded with topping and sauce. Really, my only complaint was too much mayo based sauce. but other than that, we left quite satisfied and happy with our experience. Definitely going back.
(4)
Lindsay H.
The service hasn't been that slow for me whenever I've come here. Very good sushi, fresh, flavorful. I like traditional sushi: salmon, tuna, yellowtail. They are all excellent and vey friendly.
(4)
J. L.
This place USED to be just "OK" but has recently become incredible! I don't know what's changed over the last 6 mos. but the sushi has been absolutely phenomenal. It's become equal to Kirala but less expensive. The fish is now top-notch. Keep it coming!
(5)
Wendy N.
I come to Nanayiro regularly for lunch since I work only two blocks from here. I would recommend the bento boxes- well-priced, good sized portions, with your choice of 2-3 items as your entree(s). The meals come with miso soup, rice, salad, a small serving of seaweed salad. All the food is really delicious and the waitresses are sweet and eager to please. They usually are not crowded at lunch, which is good since there seems to be only one waitress on lunch shift, with an older Japanese woman who appears to be the manager. The only bad experience I've had was when I went there by myself the day before Thanksgiving and the place was packed with only one waitress. I was brought a water immediately but no other type of service ever ensured. After waiting for over 15 minutes for the waitress to return to my table, I finally left. She called out, "Sorry! We are very busy. " but did not attempt to convince me to stay. Usually the service is very prompt so I would just recommend staying away near the holidays when more people are off work and they don't schedule extra staff to deal with it.
(4)
Tim O.
This place was a real flop! The prices were below average as was the sushi. Some of the sushi we ordered was really fishy and my date ended up getting sick;/ nogo!
(1)
David L.
2 star
(2)
Albert L.
After getting lost on highway 101N, a group of friends and I decided to bust a b**** and grab some sushi in Berkeley. Nanayiro was the first restaurant that popped on our Apps so why not! Off the bat, this place is slightly over-priced. I dunno if Berkeley is just like this but damn. $9-$15 per roll.. Ouch! Ebi + Tako Sunomono ($8) [ s3-media4.px.yelpcdn.com… This might have just been an appetizer but damn, what a rip off.. Yeah, it's a seaweed salad and all but for $8, all you get is 2 slices of octopus and a measly half [cooked] piece of shrimp.. I can't elaborate further other than saying.. it's not worth it. Ankimo ($7) [ s3-media3.px.yelpcdn.com… Ankimo stands for Monkfish Liver, which if your not custom to, you'll probably pass on it. However, I enjoyed this (must be my Chinese chromosomes) and they were generous on the portions too! Comon, it isn't that bad. It's just like foie gras.. but fishy! Awesome Roll ($15) [ s3-media1.px.yelpcdn.com… This roll consisted of: stuffed deep prawns, avocado, fish roe, soft shell crab, crab meat, and spicy mayo. That being said, the crab was imitation.. (for $15, that's disappointing). Furthermore, it was TOPPED all over the rolls. I wasn't sure how we were supposed to eat it but it was messy. The rolls were definitely not awesome, decent at most, and for the price, not worth it.. Heart Attack ($10) [ s3-media2.px.yelpcdn.com… This roll consisted of: stuffed spicy tuna, jalapeno, avocado, topped with "crunch", and unagi sauce. WTF is "crunch"? I still dunno, but I believe it's just tempura crumbles, which was also topped off all over the rolls. It gave it the rolls a "crunch" to the bite but it didn't help the overall taste. The jalapenos were deseeded so that didn't give off any hot "heart attack" worthy spiciness too. In addition, there was no avocado.. The chef decided to substitute it with more cucumber instead, without notice. I don't want to go too in depth about this but it was just a "WTFreally" moment. So.. because of all the "toppings" on the rolls, each rolled crumbled. The quality of the ingredients and fish were sub-par and it was just not a nice depiction of what sushi Berkeley has to offer.. The waitress was very kind so I give em' that.
(2)
Yesi P.
was this the only resturant opened after 2:30pm in Berkeley? MAYBE. we were trying to go to another resturant but they were closed and we tried 2 more but closed between 2:30 and 5 pm. (I hate when resturants do that) We entered Nanayiro and were seated right away. I had my family with me and we ordered Edemame and my husband had some sashimi and california rolls. by the way he was breathing them I will say they were good. I had a chicken teriyaki bento box and the portions were perfect. The gyozas were freshly made, nothing frozen (thank God!) I do feel that $15 was a bit much but cant really complain, the food was very tasty. One thing I didnt like was the bathroom, I took my baby with us and had to walk a long hall to realized they didnt have a changing table. Thats very incovinient and I will probably not visit the establisment if I have my daughter with me.
(4)
Kadesh C.
I absolutely LOVE this place. It's my favorite sushi spot in Berkeley. Perfect location and great service. A nice place to go to for lunch, dinner, or a date. The sushi is always fresh, which is what you should always expect. Their full menu has a perfect assortment of rolls and complete meals. The setting is very comfortable and beautifully decorated.
(5)
Akvile H.
Oh Nanayiro, why did you have to make my tummy hurt? I LOVE sushi and have a stomach made of steel, never get sick, and unfortunately, this place got me and my husband. :( The place seems usually somewhat busy so I would think that their fish has a good turn over rate. I always feel bad about giving reviews less than three stars but I'm not going to risk coming back in unfortunately. I never get sick from food and I guess it just didn't sit well...at all. We shared the Panic Roll, tempura roll, and Philly Roll. I think the Philly one got us. The service was good, quick, and the rolls looked appetizing (but look more like grocery store sushi than gourmet sushi), however they didn't taste very fresh. The Philly roll had raw fish in it, which I love, however it tasted a bit off and one piece had a weird cartilaginous crunch to it. I thought it was really odd so I just covered the rest in a lot of wasabi because I was hungry and thought maybe it was a fluke. I was also a little disappointed that the rolls had larger outside rice to inside ingredient ratio. Don't get me wrong, the two cooked rolls tasted alright, the Philly was mediocre however, and the overall experience was ok. I think for the price it could either taste fresher or the prices should just be a little lower. If you go, I'd recommend trying the cooked rolls.
(2)
Pim D.
I ordered yakitori and hamachi roll. They were both awful. First of all, the yakitori, or grilled chicken, came with carrots and broccoli, and I immediately thought: this is weird. In my mind, I was still hoping that it might taste ok. However, at first bite, I regretted walking into this place. The chicken was too dried and burn from the grill. The hamachi roll wasn't any better. I have never seen any place serve hamachi with the red part of the fish. It is really dark red, which is kinda strange and scary. I should have gone to CU sushi instead. It's cheaper and the food is way better.
(1)
Michelle N.
Oh my god...why is the service here so slow....you'd think I'd learn my lesson after going here time after time..each time I think that it's just that serving team that's particularly slow but no. For the handful of times I've been here for the past few years, the service is consistently slow. It's not even that it's a fully house. I've been one of three patrons in this restaurant before, and had the service been slow. It's not that the food takes a long time, the wait staff here just feels that their conversations with one another are more important than their conversations with you. Most recent experience was this past week. We came here for a friend's birthday since it was close to the apartment and someone didn't feel like walking too far. First, the waitress had to be reminded to provide the table with water. Then they gave us a lunch menu during dinner time. Rather than replace our menus or at least have the decency to say, "We've marked everything up $5 more for dinner than lunch," they just let us think the lunch prices were the same as dinner. We pointed that out when they gave us the bill (THE ONE THING THEY CAN GIVE TO YOU FAST) and the waitress basically goes, "That's your fault." The rolls here are decent, but for the wait time, go somewhere else, unless you have hours to spare and are in the area. CU Sushi is even better than this place, and that's saying a lot. Don't go here. I've learned my lesson. Nanayiro sucks.
(2)
Jamie L.
My boyfriend and I were looking for sushi bars in Berkeley. We found Nanayiro via the Yelp app on the iPhone. When we walked in, I was surprised at the space of the restaurant. It was pretty spacious, especially for a sushi restaurant. We ordered the 911 Roll and Samurai Roll, which were delicious. With our order came garden salad and miso soup. The service was medicore, but the food was pretty delicious. My favorite by far of the two was the Samurai Roll which was just delicious with every bite. The 911 Roll was just as good, but I wanted to gobble up the entire roll of the Samurai before my man had a chance at it (LOL). At least we know where to go now for sushi the next time we're in Berkeley.
(3)
Sam F.
Came on a sunday night for dinner and it was very slow, which makes sense. The food was really good, salmon nigiri was very fresh, and my friend had a shrimp tempura roll he really liked. Complementary miso soup. Here's the catch... service was bad, I mean really bad. And I work in a restaurant. We were completely ignored despite being some of the only people there. We had to ask for water, then flag someone down for sake, and after some 15 minutes flag them down again to order food. I just thought it was rude and I felt really unwelcome. Even when it's slow, its important to demonstrate care for your patrons, at least a little. I still tip 18%, never be one of those jerks :) Won't be back, though.
(3)
Christopher J.
I ordered the Tekka Donburi (tuna over sushi rice). Portion size was great, but the quality of the sushi wasn't impressive. I would recommend Joshu-Ya or Musashi over it (haven't been to Kirala yet).
(2)
Juana S.
Calamari Appetizer: Yummy this deserves a 5 star all the way it was my favorite of the night, was lightly battered fresh calamari, came with a side of wasabi dipping sauce which had cream texture. Alaska Roll: What's in it! Salmons skin and cucumber, it's fresh with a bit of a crunch to it. not the best salmon skin roll I have had, but it was good was drizzled with a dark sauce no wasabi needed or soy sauce. Drinks: Tea brewed tea, not fresh. Restaurant: Clean spacious. Bathroom: is located outside the restaurant you have to walk a long quiet hallway to get to the restroom which always freaks me out I'm thinking Freddy Krueger is coming out to get me run run run; obviously I watched too many horror flicks.LOL 8 siete once
(3)
Jenny M.
This is my 100th Yelp post! I was waiting to save it for reviewing a good place :) Nanayiro is a great place for dinner dates. I came here with my boyfriend and got a bento box (great value and portions), and one of those fire rolls (ahhh I wish I remember what it was called, but they literally bring it to you ON FIRE.) Our food was delicious and came with miso soup and salad :) Service is kind of hit or miss - it was my second time coming to Nanayiro and our server was very attentive, but I remember that the first time I went, the service was much slower.
(4)
Amer H.
Really good sushi, I had the Philadelphia roll, Shitake roll and the Golden Gate roll. All of them were amazing. i highly recommend the Golden Gate Roll as well as the Shitake Roll for those who are not a fan of raw sushi. the mushroom was super tasty thanks to the what it was marinated in. The Golden Gate was rolled with" Deep-fried shrimp, avocado, crab-meat, cream cheese, crab, spicy mayo, spicy sauce, eel sauce." super tasty and will order it again in the future and makes me hopeful about ordering other special rolls. Not only was the food great but so was the delivery! it came right on time if not sooner and i was concerned because the restaurant was far away from my home. This place is great for ordering in and I look forward to dining in the near future
(5)
Sara C.
I like this place a lot - the sushi is maybe not the best I've had in my life, but it's fresh and tasty. They have a nice selection of fancy rolls, although they are on the pricey side. They do provide free miso soup if you eat in. The service was also quick and friendly. In comparison to Kirala down the street - I think the sushi at Kirala is tastier, but you won't have to wait an hour for a table at Nanayiro.
(4)
Nina M.
I used to come here often and ordering spicy tuna on my way home. But, after they have increased their prices twice within a few months, i have chosen to not go. This is a student town and while the food is good, i dont understand why their prices have gone up. Twice.
(2)
Helen L.
Highly recommend their Chirashi. Very fresh sashimi and generous portion for $18. Hamachi kama and salmon kama are very good, too. I also tried some of their rolls (fire, tempura, BBQ rolls). They are okay.
(4)
Jenniffer G.
I was on the hunt for a place that served soba noodles (alternative to udon noodles, which I personally am not fond of - soba noodles are made primarily from buckwheat and are brown in color with a mild flavor - yum imo), and came across this place. Always passed by, but never considered eating here, until tonight of course. Came here with a friend. I ordered the sabe chicken soba, and my friend got the ton katsu curry (pork katsu with a strong curry-ish flavored sauce on the side). We also ordered a California roll and Alaska roll, to test out the quality of their sushi. I was personally impressed with their soba. The broth is not overly salty (which gets huge points in my book), and the amount of non-noodle items in the bowl are rather generous: several chunks of chicken breast, onions, an egg, cabbage, brocolli, mushroom, tofu, a few slices of fish cake, one shrimp tempura, and of course...soba noodles! I generally have quite the stomach, but could not get through my bowl because there was so much going on in there! I approve. The katsu on the otherhand, was not super amazing. Then again, I've never been a fan of katsu (breaded things make me feel queasy usually). My friend was expecting something more curry-like, since the name of his dish mentioned curry, but it was simply the sauce that had some sort of curry flavoring hinted throughout. We both found the taste of the sauce (which is served on the side) to be a bit strong. The pork katsu itself was not bad. It is served with a serving of rice, brocolli, a small side salad, and a serving of this seaweed thing (I think, I never got a chance to try it). Not presented in an amazing way either - the plate was plasticy and just the overall layout of the dish made it seem a bit cheap (of which, this place is not). As for the rolls - the California and Alaska rolls - my friend approves of the California roll, and while the Alaska roll wasn't bad, it wasn't the most amazing either. It seemed to lack much flavor all around. The quality of the rolls were okay, they didn't really fall apart when picked up for consumption. Service is lackluster as some yelpers mentioned, and I agree. However, the quality of the food wasn't bad, especially for a first try. I would come back again to take on another bowl of soba, and try a couple more rolls (lobster roll, anyone?). One downside is that some items on the menu are a little overpriced for what they are (probably the katsu, but I think the soba was worth the $12). Otherwise, good place, worth a try, and a possible return visit might be in order in the near future.
(4)
Ellie O.
I am still new to sushi and so am not adventurous with my choices. I stick to either avocado rolls or California rolls and edamame. So far in the three times I have visited Nanayiro (once to sit down, twice for take out) the food and service was fantastic! The ladies who work there are always pleasant and attentive. The food has always been tasty and made perfectly. The prices are good and they have quick service, which for a working student is an absolute must when eating out. Definitely recommend Nanayiro.
(5)
Teresa G.
I've been here several times. Great food, great service and reasonably priced!! Definitely will be returning soon!
(5)
Kevin J.
Was seated quickly. Clean place, friendly staff. First was salad and the standard Miso soup. Iceberg lettuce should be outlawed for salads. The salad was very disappointing and Miso was the standard. Nothing special. I got the Bento with Gyoza, beef teriyaki and Cali roll...GREAT. Makes up for the salad and miso. I will be back!
(4)
Esther Y.
I came here for lunch on a whim with some classmates today and was pleasantly surprised! There was nobody there so we were served quickly. I'm the kind that tends to stick my fork in other people's food...so based on that, I think that the best rolls out of what we ordered were the Caterpillar Roll and the Crunch Roll (slightly spicy, but not really noticeable). I thought the Berkeley Roll and the Dragon Roll were just okay. Salmon looked good but it's not really my favorite fish so I won't comment on it. I got the Crunch Roll and it was about $7 after tip and tax, which is not too bad. Prices seem to generally be on the higher side, but I think the quality and freshness matches up. I'd go here again! I like it better than Joshu-Ya. EDIT: GET THE FIRE ROLL!!! 141. Fire Roll $15.40 Stuffed with soft shell crab topped with crabmeat, avocado, eel, flying fish roe and unagi sauce. Served ON FIRE!
(4)
Margaret I.
Had dinner here last night because my husband and I were meeting up with some friends at Thalassa. I thought it was decent sushi considering the location. We ordered way to much food. The miso soup was good, then again I love miso soup. We had seaweed salad, yum, best part of the meal if you ask me. We shared three rolls. We had a spicy tuna roll, it was so-so. We tried the champion roll because it sounded amazing, it was kind of ridiculously huge and didn't quite carry the flavor i wanted it to, but it wasn't bad, just hard to eat. The best thing by far was the special baby lobster roll. It was delicious,every bite was great and I would order this an only this if I were to go again. The girls who waited on us were very nice, and always made sure I had plenty of water. The pricing seemed to be pretty reasonable as well. If i were in Berkeley more often I'd probably go here again.
(3)
Prescila B.
YUMM, YUM, YUM! This place is a gem! Great sushi, so fresh and delicious..great roll selection, certainly a great spot to eat great food. This place holds a special place in my heart, because my boyfriend and I eat there when we visit the Bay area..its "our spot". Its in a prime location (downtown Berkeley) and the prices are reasonable=)
(5)
Elaine L.
SMH. I've come here a few times with family and once or twice whenever I was craving sushi. They recently updated their menu and added new rolls that I dont remember seeing before. Overall, the meal was good. We ordered the Berkeley roll, Sexy roll, caterpillar roll, 49er, and the green something (I forgot the name). All of them were pretty good although the green roll was my least favorite. The sexy roll was really big also came with a big pile of imitation crab meat in the center of the dish with the big fish eggs. We also ordered the teriyaki salmon, which had onions on the bottom which i found tasty with the sauce, and fish which I found a bit dry and hard to eat (although my sister says that it tasted better another time she ate it here). We also had free miso soup although a few looked only half full but I guess we couldnt complain seeing that it was "free". We had a party of 6 and they charged us gratuity AND 8 dollars for cake cutting fee. I really hate places that dont tell us before hand that they will be charging us to give us plates for the cake. If we knew, we would have cut the cake some other place. Hmph. I also heard that the tempura green tea is good here. I'll try it another time but probably to go.
(3)
Amiee H.
I haven't been here in a LONG time and coming back today was a total let down. All I can say is the quality has totally decreased here. The fish didn't taste that fresh, and the rolls were not that impressive. Not only that but they skipped out on the hot tea and salad. Those used to be included in the meal!! Why are you skimping out on me nanayiro?!?!?! Rolls: 1) Ace roll: unagi and softshell crab. I normally really like unagi and soft shell crab but even with the combination of these two delicious sea animals, I still wasn't crazy about this roll. 2) Over the rainbow roll: softshell crab with an array of different types of fish on the top. Sounds good, but the fish didn't taste too fresh. 3) Jolly Salmon Roll: Spicy salmon roll...again, not crazy over this 4) Spicy Tuna roll: Didn't spark my interest. Service: Nice but just kinda slow. Ambiance: I've always liked the ambiance here. It's quiet and relaxing. A good escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are huge windows for you to look out into the busy street and people watch. It's pretty nice place to dine. Price: WAY over priced for the quality of food you get. Overall: WHAT Happened to you nanayiro?? I used to like coming here for the good quality sushi I got. Now it's just plain expensive. Today's dining experience was so bad that it may be the last I ever eat here.
(2)
Anne L.
Nanayiro has decent sushi, but there are definitely way better places out there. On top of that, the rolls here are a bit overpriced. I liked their Lobster Roll, but I really didn't want to finish the Golden Gate. Their chirashi dinner is a good price compared to other places, but that's because the quality is just okay rather than top-notch. Next time I'll try the Fire Roll, which is actually served on fire. Their servers are always really nice and attentive so I always make sure to tip them.
(3)
Kenny L.
Went here for dinner and it was not bad. Food was decent, had the salmon sashimi. Fish was fresh, solid but still melt in your mouth and super flavorful. The reason for the 3 stars is because it was a pretty empty night yet still took forever to ask us for drinks. Then after we ordered water it took another 10 minutes before they took our order (still no water.) The water ended up coming a few minutes before the food came, which took quite a bit of time itself. After we were done eating we sat there with empty water cups, empty plates and waited for someone to come by with the check and maybe a water refill. I finally had to flag someone down to get the check. Also one of the other tables had to have someone get up and walk to the counter in order to ask the waitress for some water and to take their orders.
(3)
Stu S.
We stopped in yesterday about 4pm for a snack. Split the Sexy Roll, which had unagi, avocado, yellow tail and crab. We opted for the real crab for $2.00 more and wow! The crab was served in a mound in the middle of the round roll and it was delicious! The whole roll is deep fried and the crab is served warm. It was not greasy. Service was a little slow but friendly
(4)
Jennifer L.
Decent sushi place with good service. I went for dinner and it wasn't too crowded. Ordered a couple rolls and some sashimi. The rolls were good, and the fish tasted fresh. The complimentary salad had a nice dressing. I would go again.
(4)
Mariel F.
Definitely come here for their Baked Rolls (LOBSTER / Scallop / Salmon). The Lobster Roll is my Favorite roll here. Those baked rolls are definitely their specialty. Service is good. I recommend checking this place out.
(4)
Jazmin Y.
Although the complete lack of service, they do provide bendy straws... Which distracted me from the 15 min wait for water and miso soup. On the plus side, the food was good. My usually dragon roll. But the shrimp tempura had ONE shrimp. Wtf? Probably won't come here again.
(2)
Rachel S.
Pros: Really reasonably-priced bento boxes Tempura All ingredients seem really fresh Not too expensive Waitress comes around to check on you a lot Quick service Flower candies with your check Cons: No Ramune sodas! Music - a lot of the time it doesn't really fit the atmosphere Waitress comes around to check on you a lot Atmosphere can feel a little weird Bottom line: Come here with friends, try for a more romantic atmosphere if you're here for a formal date.
(3)
Nadia S.
They get 5 stars only because this is the place my boyfriend took me for our first date oh so many years ago. Sentiments and ooey-gooeyness aside, I don't really remember much from the first time we went there since I was too nervous to really eat, let alone notice the food. Hm... Well I wasn't really nervous, I was just talking too much to really eat so boyfriend was the one who was shoveling the food in. (Ok, not shoveling, I'm sure we were more classy than that.) We walked by the restaurant the other day and decided to re-visit our old memories. I ordered a rose garden roll and my boyfriend got udon (I think chicken.) My roll was beautifully made, filling and delicious. Boyfriend loved the udon noodles. The restaurant is a small and a nice place for a date (I'm being so unbelievably biased here). Service was solid. Oh! And you should try to find the bathroom. It's down the world's longest corridor maze. I dunno. I'm easily amused.
(5)
Irene C.
The service has always been decent and they have cool rolls.. AWESOME. My favorite choice for group birthday dinners. It's never too full to accommodate a table of 10. I crave the baked tuna roll.
(4)
Eric F.
Been here a couple times for dinner and the sushi is very solid. Prices are about average and appropriate for the quality of the fish, rice, and overall composition & presentation. The inside is spacious, well-kept, and on the quieter side - a much appreciated quality when I'm trying to converse. Service is okay, food is served in a timely manner though they tend to lag on water and tea refills.
(3)
D C.
This is a pretty solid place for sushi, stopped by last night with some friends for a bite to eat. The restaurant is pretty spacious for a place in downtown Berkeley and there is parking in the back which is great. I ordered the eel nigiri and the butterfly roll (salmon sashimi wrapped around crab meat topped with Sriracha). The pieces of eel were good but the rice could have been seasoned better. I definitely enjoyed the butterfly roll, it was nice eating a roll without all the rice and the salmon was fresh.
(3)
Genessee K.
When I was still in school, this place was a fave, (one very rainy evening, while studying, v-day, I even asked a guy to bring back an order of spicy tuna for me). The floor-to-ceiling windows, turning your table into a display for hungry passers-by, are not for the shy, or self-conscious, but their red dragon roll is delish enough to bear it, and every guest is treated to salad with citrus-vinegar dressing, miso soup and green tea.
(4)
Helen V.
2 times, not so charmed... If you're around the area, I would say head to Anzu or the other sushi joints along Shattuck. Nanayiro definitely would not be my 'go to'... I will give them a semi-redeeming quality, they have a long list of rolls, but HEY, so do a lot of other sushi joints around here! Most of the menu consists of what you would normally see. The service described by other yelpers is spot on. The waitress was horrible! Really not attentive and assumed our tip! In addition, she charged my credit card for more! I would have to say service counts just as much as the food. When you go to a restaurant, you go for the food, the atmosphere, and the hospitality....otherwise, you should just stay home. So thanks Nanayiro, I should have stayed home...
(2)
Kim-van T.
I've passed by this place so many times and finally got the chance to try it. My sister frequents this spot during her lunch break so we decided to go one day. The menu is pretty expansive but what caught my eye right away was the 3 item bento box for $11.95! What a steal! I couldn't pass it up! I decided to get the california roll, tempura, and chicken teriyaki. Miso soup and salad are also served with all lunch orders. In the end the three item bento was too much food. All the bento box items are pretty big servings. Service is really quick! I'd say the only bad thing about this place is that when I had my leftovers packed to go they didn't throw any extra wasabi in. Oh well, will just have to request it next time. I'd come back. =)
(3)
Kat C.
Consistantly good. No really, yummy. Trying to find the bathroom is like being in the Matrix. Once you step outside the restuaruant it's a series of hallways and doors. Weird.
(4)
Frannie C.
Food is standard Americanized Japanese food. Nothing stands out. Prices are reasonable. Customer service is good.
(3)
Roxy L.
Dinner and a show! The sushi was decent, I will get to that but the crazy bum and other guy fighting outside was down right scary. The normal?guy had some crowbar type tool in his hand and the bum was yelling and cussing him out. I dont know how it started and didnt see it actually go down but I'm glad no one busted out a gun. The guy with ghe weapon left with a ripped up shirt and the crazy bum say in front of the store squirming around and still yelling and cussing at the wind...some lady had to tell the restaurant people to call the cops because they were just watching the fight go on....anyways back to the food. The edamame was nice and warm. The mushroom roll, the house special was a delight, the jungle roll was not very good we didnt finish but ya gotta get the fire roll. It is served YES on fire. Tasty but the mushroon roll was better and about half the price of the fire roll.if i can upload my pics I will be posting. Service was just alright, with the chaos outside we didnt get refills and were not really checked on. Oh and the bathroom is a walk....u must use a key and walk thru a series of pathways. I didnt know where the heck i was actually going to end up. Restsurant and facilities seemed clean but i think for our next Berzerkely visit we will try Namaste Madras Cuisine down the street, it was our second choice.
(3)
N N.
Food is mediocre and overpriced. Not to mention, they don't itemize the bill and we highly suspect that they double charged us. But since we had a large group and 3 people had left by the time we settled the bill, we had to cough up the $40 difference the restaurant was demanding from us. Not happy and not returning!
(1)
Gnaz A.
Maybe I should have reviewed this place the first time that I came here, because I was so satisfied and so happy, it was the best sushi I had had till that night, but I came for a second time but this time it was a Saturday night as oppose to the first time that was a week night, and totally disappointed me... The first time(weeknight): 1)good service 2)great sushi Second time: 1)bad service 2)half full cup of misso soup!!!! I probably give them another try before I leave Berkeley, I loved them so much the first time. tips to remember: parking is not so easy on Shattuck or Channing, so plan to be there in time if you have a date! 2) the prices are acceptable, not student price but acceptable 3) the restrooms are a bit crappy, far, you have to actually walk in small halls to get to it!!! I'll try them one more time and update my review, hopefully for the better :)
(3)
Holly P.
Once upon a time, I used to eat here once or twice a month. It was a nice, quiet spot that was perfect for a quick girls night out dinner. It's not too far from home and the location was convenient. But the last time I was there in mid-December 2009, the pretty little picture of Nanayiro that I held so dear in my heart was completely shattered! We were in a group of 10 or so and entered the restaurant around 7 p.m. The servers seemed confused and upset when they took our order. Our water was never refilled. It must have taken more than an hour to start getting our food. Sure, I enjoyed the item I always get, Baked Salmon Roll. But mind you, it is a cooked item. My friends were not satisfied with their meals, noting that the raw fish did not taste fresh and that most of it was imitation meat. When it came time to pay, everyone put their cash together. The servers looked confused again, taking forever at their register. Next thing you know, they say that we are missing $10! I'm not sure they can count. Afterward, a bunch of my friends went to Wendy's or Carls Jr. Yes, it was that serious! Needless to say, I'll endure a long drive for some quality sushi rather than stopping at Nanayiro ever again.
(1)
Elizabeth C.
I live just a couple of blocks from Nanayiro, and boy do I love me some sushi, so I checked out this place when it opened, hoping that the change from its previous incarnation (Manga Sushi) would mean an improvement in the meh-quality but foofoo-priced sushi. Alas. Overpriced mediocrity. I went there again a few weeks ago, and had a really good dinner. In particular, the hamachi kama was awesome -- so perfectly grilled that it hardly needed the accompanying ponzu. It was so good that I was eager to go there again, just for this dish! Made that return visit tonight. Date night with my man. The place was nearly empty, so I can't blame the results on the kitchen being slammed. The hamachi kama was burned. Black, charcoal, burned. The waitress sweetly took it off our bill, but I can't believe the chef would let such a badly prepared dish leave the kitchen. The tobiko tasted less than fresh, and the saba was obviously frozen. The special rolls are HUGE -- the quality of the ingredients was okay, so if you feel like you've gotten your money's worth just because your $13 spider roll is bulked out to the size of a possum with rice, go for it. Altogether, an expensive lesson; we spent almost $50 (not including drinks!!!) to learn not to go back to this place.
(2)
Reham S.
Love this place! Delicious sushi, very generous portions, and the staff is so nice and friendly! My favorite is the seafood noodle soup. Highly recommended overall!
(5)
Anna P.
Great Sushi in a Central Location! Free miso soup with any special roll. Very filling and well made sushi for a reasonable price. Very attentive waiters/waitresses with very fast service. One weird thing is that they pour out all of their soy sauce through filters into a large vat system and then refill each soy sauce container individually (come near the end of the night to watch this strange event). Oh, and when you open their front door, the side glass window (that makes up the entire side wall) shivers a bit scarily.
(4)
Nesta M.
Fresh, tasty raw fish - what else do you want? The orange blossom, 911, and rose garden rolls never disappoint. As others have pointed out, the free tea, salad, and miso soup are nice touches. Service is as attentive as you like, but never rushes. Another plus is the presence of parking behind the restaurant - this can be very helpful considering the downtown Berkeley parking situation in the evenings. Overall, a very good choice for sushi in the East Bay.
(4)
Eat W.
I just came back from Nanayiro for a late night bite. All the rolls we ordered were delicious, large and very fresh tasting. This is now my favorite sushi place in Berkeley. The servers were super attentive and frequently came by with a jug of water in one hand and a jug of tea in the other hand. I don't know how their other items on the menu taste, but I will definitely come back for the sushi ;-)
(5)
Josh S.
Nanayiro in my opinion is the best place to go for Sushi in Berkeley. Yes, even better Kirala. 1. They always have great service. Service is always very fast, you never wait long to order, or to receive your food. 2. The sashimi is always very high quality. I have been to Kirala several times and Nanayiro dozens of times and the Salmon is always better at Nanayiro, the tuna being about equal, and the mackerel is better here. Also the tempura is always great. 3. The prices are reasonable. Its not cheap but it is nowhere as expensive as Kirala. I think most Berkeleyites have a mental block to Nanayiro because the interior decorations in Nanayiro are not as exciting as Kirala. With whatever you order you get free tea, miso soup, and salad. Even if you just order a hand roll, Nanayiro will give this to you for free. I order a sashimi plate, a roll or two, along with a hand roll and nigori sake, and always come out paying around $50 for me and my girlfriend. This would cost more like $100 at Kirala. Add this with reason #2 and Nanayiro is the clear winner. Tips: Sit at the sushi bar and ask the sushi chef what fish is fresh and good. I find their recommendations to be good, and I always leave happy with my sashimi. Also I find the chefs to be creative, and they will make you custom rolls if you request it. Sometimes I ask for custom rolls with whatever the best fish of the day is, along with some tempura shrimp, and possibly avocado in the roll. Again, this usually leaves me pretty happy, and you know you are getting exactly what you want! I did want to add that Nanayiro does not have a grill where they grill seafood like Kirala does. For some this is important and I can see why some like that better. To me sushi is about the fish, the sashimi first and foremost; since that fish is used in all the rolls and nigiri. In this department Nanayiro wins.
(5)
Rinky N.
Although I've only had the veggie stuff, I've come here with omnivores. We all have enjoyed their food. I love the veggie tempura rolls and the veggie gyoza. Lunch specials offer the best deals. Dinner prices are over $10. Waitstaff ranges from very pleasant to irritable. Bathroom is f-a-rrrrrr away. You literally have to make 6-7 turns in the hallway till you find it. Amazing since the building doesn't seem that big.
(4)
Christina L.
This place is, hands down, my favorite Japanese restaurant in Berkeley and the reason for this is simple: good, fresh, melt-in-you-mouth sashimi. Honestly, when it comes down to it, food is only as good as the ingredients you put into it and the sashimi here is so fresh you can definitely taste it in the sushi rolls and when you just eat it plain. Although the rolls are not gigantic as seems to be the upcoming style a la Sushi House and Nude Sushi, they are delicious and how I believe true Japanese food should be. Also, the tuna salad is also very good and a surprise find for me that I definitely think you should try. It's seared tuna on salad with these little crunchies and amazing sauce all over - something I haven't found at other restaurants and I am a sucker for new things (hard to find at Japanese restaurants). For real Japanese food in Berkeley, trust me, give Nanayiro a try!
(4)
Monica S.
What a find.. Thanks to my brother for introducing us to this place. They have a wide selection of very fun maki rolls. The lobster roll was by far my fav. My second fav was the baked sushi topped with scallops.. I ate every last bite of everything.. can't wait to head back to Berkley for the delish sushi..
(4)
Tyler B.
Sushi is pretty good. nothing to freak out about. good facility service is meh. The general overtone is pretty OK on all levels nothing too awful and nothing too great.
(3)
Audrey B.
Yuckville. Seriously. Why can't I find good sushi in Berkeley when I could get so much of it in SF? This was bad sushi. The raw fish wasn't fresh. The fish that was supposed to be cooked wasn't. The rice was dry. There was a crazy high cucumber to fish ratio. Just all around ick. It would be one thing if the great service made up for it, but no such luck. We didn't get a water refill in the hour we were there and the place was empty. When we complained about the food (something both of us rarely do) nothing was done. No manager apology, no discount, nada. I guess my search continues.
(1)
Lizi F.
This place is totally underrated, I think because it's a tad far from where everyone goes for dinner, and it's pretty easy to miss. But the interior of the restaurent is very quiet and classy, and the menu is actually really creative. I tried the Fire Roll, which is served on fire, and it makes the sushi has such flavor that it might as well be the best sushi roll i've ever had. We also ordered Over the Rainbow Roll, which an assortment of fish and it was so fresh and tender. The price is on the pricer side, but i think it's worth it for the freshness and the creativity of the menu. They always have new stuff coming out! (:
(4)
Alexis V.
The atmosphere was lovely and the presentation was also beautiful. I liked the variety of appetizer options. However when it comes to sushi, freshness and taste are what count the most. The Salmon was so so and the Tuna was downright fishy. If the waitress had warned us that the fish wasn't fresh I could have forgiven it, but there no such warning, no recommendations for what was fresh... my friend got the sashimi and I got a stomach ache. Too many good sushi places to give this a second chance.
(2)
Kayla M.
I ate here 2-3 times a week for the whole school year. I get the bento box with spicy tuna rolls and sashimi.... sometimes gyoza. Delish! Always fresh. In my experience, this place has the best sashimi on Shattuck.
(4)
Ivan B.
Very good restaurant. Service is great, sushi are awesome in this place.
(5)
Seong P.
3.5 stars. i have a habit of getting wildly obsessed with something and then completely losing interest. i get people all in a frenzy about whatever i'm into and then, poof, no thank you. it takes a lot of energy maintaining that level of enthusiasm and i may be incapable of it for more than few months. it's happened with: my favorite authors, designers, cabbage patch dolls, making my own clothes, hula hooping, tetris, collecting matchbox cars, refinishing furniture and making sparkly ladybug shells for halloween. the latest victim of my disaffection may be pub trivia. i didn't think it would happen but it may be time for me to retire from the circuit. so, prior to one of my last forays into pub trivia, i met up with my stage momma for dinner. i was on a very tight budget so he accommodated me by limiting our order. it was very sweet but when he wouldn't let the waitress take the plate because he had to eat every piece of tobiko and ginger on it, i felt bad. i was starving him (i buy you dinner next time, k?). the restaurant is very long and somewhat narrow, clean and they have cute dishes. i heard the bathroom was very far away, like on the other end of shattuck. we had 3 rolls with hamachi, spicy tuna and softshell crab and everything tasted fine. (don't try to tell me i'm not useful, van.) hmm, i just realized i have been pretty into yelp for more than a few months. and korean fried chicken. maybe i'm changing. we'll see.
(3)
Joyce D.
Giving this 5 stars because it was the last meal I had with my boyfriend before he left for Seattle and they didn't mess up. I had the Rainbow Roll and he had the humongous bento box which he actually finished... Everything was pretty tasty and things weren't overly salty or bland. Service was quite attentive and authentic? Also, the restaurant is one of the cleanest on Shattuck and also very modern. They have a nice selection of sake and plum wine. pros didn't get food poisoning from a berkeley sushi place speedy service good price cons bathroom was kind of hidden It is a nice place for a casual date if you want to show you're interested but not seem like you're trying too hard, not too pricey, don't have to dress up, pretty close to campus... funny how this place was always around but i never went because for a long time i didn't trust sushi places on/near shattuck (after having been to CU fusion sushi).
(5)
Katie H.
This place is pretty bad. Got the Berkeley roll and the 911 roll. Some of the worst I've ever had, including that dry grocery store stuff. The rice was old, the fish was flavorless and not fresh. The ginger on my plate was dried out and hard. The spicy tuna in my roll was gray and flavorless. My friend and I were one of two groups in the whole place during lunch, and we didn't get our waters refilled once. Average sushi is okay if it's cheap, but these are $10-12 rolls that are terrible. NOT recommended.
(1)
A B.
I love this place--it's a pretty modest place, but for me the sushi is better than anything else I have had in the Bay Area. I know, big call. And great value too. I've eaten dozens of times times here over the years, and the food is consistently great. Also consistently good service. If I ever venture to another sushi restaurant (whether locally, or travelling), it makes me hanker for Nanayiro.
(4)
Stephanie A.
-----Preface My boyfriend is a vegetarian and I am a peskatarian (I eat fish but not meat). -----Number of Visits 5 -----Service Nearly the best service I've had in Berkeley, and THE best for a Japanese restaurant. The waitresses are extremely attentive a
(4)
Kate M.
Best inexpensive sushi in Berkeley. I've been going here for years, and while I liked the old chef a bit better this place is still great. The salmon in amazing and I love the Crunch Roll. If you order two rolls you get complimentary salad (with the best dressing I've ever had) and miso soup. The staff is sweet and usually pretty fast. The chefs wave good bye as you leave. The only thing I don't like is the smooth jazz they play - but I am willing to plug my ears for their yummy fish.
(5)
Ted R.
I'm sure I'll go back to this place because the prices are so righteous and the location is close to the movie theaters. But the sushi I had on my first visit wasn't anywhere near great. Maybe it's because I've been hitting up some badass places across the Bay lately, and my most recent experience at Hama-Ko in Cole Valley was absolutely mind-blowing. Don't get me wrong Nanayiro doesn't suck. Like I said, I'll go back. The decor was pretty nice and the service fast and friendly. And you can do some serious damage for 20 bucks. So I'm really hoping it's better next time. At these prices, the food wouldn't even have to be too amazing to make this a legit 4 star joint.
(3)
Randy S.
This restaurant has great sushi! Although I most often opt for the maki rolls--can you say spicy crunch, spicy tuna, and yellowtail rolls--I've also had the bento box (with varying options), the sashimi, and more... Always great to get the complimentary green tea, small salad, and miso soup as a starter to the meal as well... The fresh sushi, fast service, and simple atmosphere (which, though simple, is a definite step up--or several--from the other fast-foodesque sushi joints in the area), will keep me coming back for more. Whether by myself or with a friend (or friends) this is a great place to go... I'll second the comments re: the bathroom hike...I practically thought I was walking to campus in that hallway...but the quality of food and the reasonable prices easily outweighs that very minor inconvenience... Mmmm...sushi!
(4)
Veggie J.
UPDATE!! the vegetarian deep fried gyozas still frickin' rock like no other!!! GD it! go get some now!! my sisters and i had to order TWO orders of it (7 pcs. each) and still it wasn't enough. the sushi lunch special i had last time was not on the menu. but i tried the avocado roll and the oshitashi (spinach) roll, both which were super yummy. we all got salads with our menu and that salad has got to be one of the best salads i have ever eaten. there's something about the dressing...i don't know what it is but i think i need to have it everyday. 1 star up for a second taste of pure goodness and absolutely loving it. --------------------------------------------------Â--------------------------------------- vegetarian deep fried gyozas!!!! i almost gave this place 5 stars just for those super yummy gyozas. but then i don't really know how the rest of the food is. i've only been here once. we tried coming back for the gyozas again, but they're closed on sundays. when i went, i had this lunch special sushi combo thing that had asparagus, cucumber and shiitake rolls. all very good. but i would like to come back here again for those oh-so-yummy gyozas. it's not everyday you come across delicious vegetarian potstickers ever since vegetarian gourmet in san mateo closed. but this place is really nice...very very very nice decor. and when i went to use the ladies' room, i felt like i walked all the way to oregon until i got there. nice.
(5)
Mortiche W.
it's alway best to go in to a place without preconcieved notions. I didn't read the reviews for this place but saw the rating guide, and had driven past it for years and always saw it quite busy so I had no idea what this place was like. Not busy like Kirala busy, but busy enough to alleviate any *'old fish' fears. We just wanted a place that had sushi for my still -no-quite-over-the-cold tummy. We opted to sit at the bar and I decided I didn't want anything cooked like teriyaki unless they had a robata. They didn't, so it was all sushi. We ordered: For JR: Sashimi dinner For me: Amaebi Unagi Maguro Tamago Uni Hotate Sake (yes I like food babies!) After having a good chuckle at the typo where the Aladdin sake was spelled "Araddin"- the ultimate Engrish translation- we actually decided to order it looking at the cool bottle. The sake was actually pretty good. We also ordered the oshitashi, which was cooked spinach in a ground sesame dressing. The dish was great but it lacked salt in a big way- no worries! Nothing a little soy sauce couldn't change! The soup was unremarkable but the salad came topped with a garlic dressing so I had to give mine up. The sushi arrived and JR's sashimi combo dinner looked great- large, healthy slices of Sake, Maguro, Hamachi and something else that looked like it could have been Tai (not really fond of it so I didn't try). I heard no complaints on his end. The Amaebi were presented very nicely with the shell of another shrimp on the front of the body like some sea-cyborg army. My sushi was also cut in healthy portions, and had a little bit of trouble sitting/staying wasabi-glued on their rice but it tasted fresh and flavorful, and the rice wasn't a terrible, hard ball of starch. The uni stole the show here- each piece came literally overflowing with briny sea urchin. I think they used twice as much uni here as they do at other restaurants, and the sushi chef won my heart. Next thing you know, we're pouring sake for the man. What? A seared tuna special dish just for us? Why THANK YOU! *gobble gobble gobble* Needless to say, we have found another delicious, slightly less expensive and more accessible place for sushi in Berkeley.
(4)
Paula R.
Musk soup with a roll which is cool, also piping hot edamame, the fish wasn't the freshest but still good...
(3)
Leily P.
They have your standard fancy sushi rolls which come with free miso soup. I would recommend this place if you don't have a car or the time to go to Sushi House in Alameda. The prices are comparable but the rolls are obviously smaller. However it's still not bad compared to the sushi places in Berkeley.
(3)
Betty H.
Too pricey for what they serve, even though service is good. we got the baked salmon roll which was 12 dollars and a two-item bento with tempura and salmon: paltry, paltry. Not a good deal at all! The roll was good, but not fantastic and the bento - well, it ought to be ashamed to call itself a bento. Their tempura is a joke! Anyway, definitely not coming back.
(2)
regina k.
Surprisingly, for being on the corner of two busy streets in a college town, the sushi was really good. It's very fresh, melts in your mouth, and the menu has a good variety. I usually order the sashimi and it's always buttery and comes out quickly. The service is good and each plate is beautiful. The rolls are fantastically huge. Ambiance was ok... more like a sit-down pizza restaurant, I thought. Overall, the food was really good, so 4 stars.
(4)
france d.
Although I've lived in front of Nanayiro for the last two years, I went there two weeks ago for the first time. I'm not a big fan of sushi, and the idea of going there mainly came to our mind because my friend had to rush to go back to study after the gym, and claimed he only had "20 minutes at most for dinner" that night. The place is not bad, pretty clean and spacious: in addition to the sitting spots in the front, they also have a bar area where people can eat in front of sushi makers. With all orders, they first bring you a miso soup, which is not my favourite (I don't like tofu) but my friend likes quite a lot: he had the whole of it, tofu included, in less than a minute! Our sushi dishes were not bad: I got the california roll plate, which was eight abundant pieces of sushi served with ginger and sauce. The fish really tasted fresh and I was happy with it. My friend ordered a bento box with sashimi and salmon: for the price they charged, the latter was definitely a deal. The salmon tasted good, and the sashimi was really fresh. To drink, I had a Asahi beer, and convinced my friend to have one too, ince it's quite a light one and wouldn't have interfered too much with his studying. Overall, I think Nanayiro is a good option if you really want sushi and do not want to pay too much.
(3)
Mark O.
This is my favorite sushi spot in Berkeley. A large group grad school friends made this our "regular spot" for sushi every couple of weeks and it still is just as good as then! The miso soup is included when ordering rolls and is some of the best ever. I really like the prices...very reasonable. The ambiance isn't special, but the place is clean, the service good, the people friendly. A very good neighborhood sushi r restaurant!
(4)
L B.
Pretty good. I come here if I'm not in the mood to walk to Tako Sushi on Telegraph. The fish is higher quality, although they don't have as many options and they're pricier. They're picky about the bento boxes... C'mon people let me pick what I actually want. Tempura is a bento box choice, but not veggie tempura? I can't pair a roll with sashimi in a bento? Charge me another dollar, I don't care. Overall a decent mid-priced sushi place. Better than the rest of the places in the immediate vicinity.
(4)
Victor G.
sake, suzuki, hamachi, hirame, and maguro, all for 3.95. only the sake was close to being fresh. the portions was large but mostly tasteless. service was good here. free miso, tea, and salad(iceberg) accompanied the meal. the agedashi(5.95) was average and consisted of four squares of tofu in a sea of soybased solution. bento boxes are pricey at 2 choices(11.95) and 3 choices(14.95) you may think you get your monies worth here. you are actually getting what you paid for. the regular japanese food. is actually overpriced.
(2)
Lauren J.
My craving for sushi in Berkeley last night took me to Nanayiro, which I have walked by so many times. The dining room looks inviting, so we dropped in. We were greeted and immediately brought complimentary tea. The service was fast and the miso soup and salad enjoyable and complimentary. The edamame was extremely disappointing, and was very mushy. The rolls were creative and very tasty, but the whole experience didn't excite me. The service should get an extra star because I spilled my tea ALL OVER THE FLOOR and they cleaned it up with a smile and brought me more right away. I felt so horrible. Don't worry, I left a ridiculous tip. Unfortunately, this restaurant doesn't have that special something that warrants a second visit. Still looking for a great sushi experience in Berkeley.
(3)
Linsey S.
This is my go-to Japanese restaurant in Berkeley. The food here is consistently good and the prices are great. Their seaweed salad is bomb-dot-com as well.
(3)
Ami Y.
This place is pretty darn good for its price. Love their spicy tuna hand rolls......! They make the freshest quail egg on fish roe...recommended only if you can handle it
(5)
Tito Y.
I figure you have two choices to get authentic Japanese food, one jump on JAL airlines and fly to Tokyo or show up at Nanayiro Restaurant located in downtown Berkeley. Simply wonderful, I just ate my fill and I am about to stand back up and go back for some more. I figured that I wanted the Bento box, stuffed with Kobe Steak, Saba and Tempura and in these guy's even get crunchy piece of lettuces when so many of these places fail. Bring an empty tummy, bottle of Saki and your pile of Samurai's.
(4)
Becca M.
My favorite sushi place in Berkeley
(4)
Carrie A.
FOOD IS GOOD! Boo - no free refills for soda Boo - Expensive Boo - Customer service just okay. YAY - THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS HERE!!! All of those bad things are outweighed by how good the food is here. Bento Box - salad, soup, and your choice of 2 options. I got the teriyaki salmon and california roll. Let me just say that the first salad came out and the dressing on it was INSANELY GOOD. Miso soup - BEST I EVER HAD. On my big plate of food came another salad with some kind of peanut sauce - OH MY GOSH DELICIOUS. Salmon was great, sushi is great (I have gotten a few other rolls at other occasions and they were always delicious). But I am telling you all - get this meal deal and eat these salads and miso soup, you will thank me later.
(5)
John V.
Great cuts of sashimi. Lovin' the Jalapeno appetizer and the entertaining rolls. The place could use some character, definitely. The waitstaff are nice enough, the place is clean, and the service is perfectly serviceable but... but it ain't 5 stars, ya know? What's GREAT are the creative rolls and flaming entrees, all for a good price. And what I keep coming back for is the Sashimi Dinner B: 15 fat slices of succulent sashimi for $25 bucks. Word!
(4)
Kevin O.
So every experience I've had with Nanayiro has been mediocre at best. Food isn't high quality, it's over priced, customer service is terrible. The reason why I'm finally leaving a review is due to my latest experience: I order takeout at 7:45pm, two rolls. After struggling with the order because the employee can hardly understand English and has to put me on hold to give me the price, she finally quotes me $15.62 and estimates it will be ready in 15-20 minutes. I leave my house at 8pm exactly and arrive a few minutes later. What looks to be the manager tells me my order will be another 5 minutes. I sit patiently and watch as other people are delivered their rolls. Another 15 minutes go by, it is now 8:20 and the manager finally comes up to me with the check. I tell him that there's no way I'm paying full price. I ask for a discount and he refuses, his only response "I'm sorry". I tell him that I won't pay full price for the food that was supposed to be ready 20 minutes ago. His response: "I'm sorry, I make good food here". Yeah alright, so I left without my food and without paying. Great way to make a customer happy. When I worked at a restaurant as a server/takeout, my first priority was always making the customer feel welcome--even if that involved comping/discounting their food whether it was the restaurants fault or their own. The fact that the manager seemed to care about nothing other than charging me full price after it was the restaurant's fault...yeah, I am NEVER going to this restaurant again. Plus, there's honestly no reason to go to this horrible fake Japanese food anyway because most of the people working there are Korean. If you are looking for good Japanese food, go to KIRALA, it's literally a couple blocks south on Shattuck right when it splits into Adeline. Much higher quality food, better customer service, actual Japanese chefs that take their work seriously, and the wait is always worth it. P.S. I created this Yelp account to share my experience and warn others that this restaurant is seriously not worth their time.
(1)
Quincy Q.
I went here for a club dinner. The place and the waitresses are nice. I ordered the bento with teriyaki chicken and avocado rolls. It was good but for $13, it was quite expensive for the amount they give you. Their tempura ice cream is also good, though I was having a hard time cutting through the ice cream.
(4)
David O.
We've come here (seemingly) a thousand times. I went through a sushi phase and decided this was THE place. I haven't been in a while, though - maybe 6 months. I've had pretty much everything at this place. It's really not necessary to go into bloated detail about the rolls or dishes. Suffice it to say, the quality is consistently excellent, and the service meritorious. I would recommend the Baked Salmon Roll or the Spicy Tuna Roll - favorite past times of mine. As one would expect, there's a good selection of vegetarian options, and they're a little more vegan friendly than most sushi places.
(4)
Joshua W.
Good sushi, friendly chefs, good service. Too expensive (for me) but it's probably worth it if you have the money.
(4)
Kimberly S.
Quite possibly my favorite sushi place of all time... or at the very least, it has my favorite roll of all time: the Berkeley Roll. I used to come here a lot when I lived on channing and shattuck and now I'll make a trip over to berkeley just to eat here. Dinner (and possibly lunch) comes with hot tea, miso soup, and salad [there might be a certain amount you're supposed to spend... like $5-$10 but I'm not really sure, my sister and I always eat over excessively when we're here.] To be content and satisfied, a meal is as little as $12 (berkeley roll, tea, soup, salad, tax, tip) but like I said, I eat to excess sometimes and tax, tip, and everything usually cost $40. Notes: - the berkeley roll is fantastic... it's something like a shrimp tempura roll topped with salmon and imitation roll ($10) - the snow roll is also amazing... its topped with snapper(?) and a green wasabi sauce... they blowtorch it a bit so it has this incredible flavor (reminds me of the sushi I had when in tokyo) - had the toro once... $6 a bite; not really worth it - had my birthday party here: strictly no sake bombing :/ (this might be the only downside I can think of to nanayiro..)
(5)
Lydia W.
Nanayiro is a 2 minute walk from my apartment and I am so happy to share how yummy it is! I came here a few times before but it was never too memorable. Not bad at all but not too special. However tonight it was great and I am definitely coming back whenever I want Japanese food. The free salad has this sweet, garlicky dressing that is quite refreshing. The free miso soup is slightly salty but it's free so whatever. Tuna salad = amazing. Especially the seared tuna part! It's a very unique appetizer with sweet fried onions, lettuce, tuna, some shreds of other veggies... and really good sauce. It took forever to find the baked scallop roll on the menu, but we found it and it was good. Kind of heavy and the sauce on top was reminiscent of cheddar cheese but it tasted spicy. The scallop was goooood. I think we got about 8 pieces for 10 dollars which is alright. I would probably not come here for rolls but they are made well. Ton Katsu dinner was really great too. Breaded pork topped with curry, sides of broccoli, japanese coleslaw with a mayo-rice wine dressing, a froyo sample cup of wakame salad, and a bowl of rice. I loved the meat. Even though half of it was covered in curry, the dry side still had a crunch and it wasn't greasy at all! I really wanted to go to the bathroom after reading the reviews but I didn't drink enough tea. I shall save that adventure for next time!
(4)
Ernie F.
The Short: I have eaten here on multiple occasions (reunion dinner with my floormates, with my older brother after a session of tennis, etc.). The sushi is good, but nothing too spectacular. The fish is relatively fresh, the sushi rice has the right amount of vinegar, and a decent selection for your run-of-the-mill $11-13 rolls (Dragon, Cherry Blossom, etc.). Service could use a little bit of work because they've taken quite long to come by to refill water and tea. I've had to raise my arms for quite a while to catch the attention of the waitresses. Lastly, the salad and miso soup could both be less watery. Recommendations: - Chirashi Bowl. Pros: + Quiet interior. Cons: - Slow service.
(3)
Andrew D.
I came here with a friend for an evening bite. We were seated promptly by the waitress. The prices on the regular menu were fairly high for rolls, and the specials menu had lower prices but were still a little high. I happen to have a crustacean allergy so it can be difficult to order sushi. Luckily they had rolls on both menus that contained no shrimp/lobster. I got a fried salmon roll that was delicious. We each also got the miso soup which was tasty. Their hot sake was great. Something I saw the was kind of funny was a sign over the bar that read "No Sake Bombs". I guess it must get pretty annoying for Japanese restaurants in a college districts, when every place that serves sake is associated with people chanting "Sake bomb, sake bomb", while banging on tables! Over all, even with the high prices, the place is very nice and the rolls were quite good. I'll more than likely be returning at some point.
(4)
Abban L.
With sushi, I can be very distracted by pretty, shiny objects. i.e. if the rows are topped with elaborate looking sauces, toppings etc. or have unexpected presentation (such as open fire), I happily ignore/forgive if most of the roll is rice. That being said, the proportions of seafood to rice at Nanyiro on certain rolls was slightly ill-balanced, but overall flavor was mild and pleasant. Not necessarily a place for True Sushi Fans, but definitely a spacious and relaxed environment to have some good ol' Californian style rolls. Service was friendly and efficient.
(3)
Marie S.
I'm fairly picky about sushi and I'd have to say that this place is underrated as another user stated. The only thing is that it definitely can be slightly awkward is that it is usually not very busy and it can feel a bit strange to dine here when it's only your table and say one or two other customers dining. When people complain about ambiance I believe this has a lot to do with the lighting. Everything is clean and cute, but the lighting can be off putting. Bottom line is- the food is good, fresh, and comparable to any other sushi restaurant. I'd much rateher have quality food over quanity.
(4)
Sean B.
This is the best sushi place I've been to since I moved to the Bay Area. Reasonably priced lunch specials, big portions, very fresh sushi, and the beef teriyaki in the bento box was superb! Lost one star for somewhat slow service for the lunch rush, I almost had to run back to work because I was going to be late. The order was taken prompty, the time to get the food was reasonable, but we had to wait quite a long time to get the check. Actually gave up on waiting for it and just walked up to the counter, eventually, to pay and then rush back to work.
(4)
Jesse L.
Love love love! Favorite sushi place in Berkeley. It's a very simple place, pleasant ambiance, great service, and way above average sushi for the money. Especially like the 49er roll with sliced lemon and the sashimi plates are fresh and delicious.
(5)
Joyce B.
Having passed by this place many times, but never stepped foot in here until today. Sushi = so-so, nothing special. They had some new roll special, for $7. Decided to get Hawaii Roll. I was expecting something more extravagant, but it was simply california roll with pieces of salmon and tuna on top. Sushi was that special either. Another thing, so our waitress asked us if we wanted miso soup, and we all said yes. However, when the bill came, we realized that they actually charged $1.50 for the miso soup!! Without letting us know! Honestly, it wasn't even that great and they only filled the bowl half the way. For sushi around that price, I am expecting something a little better. Quite disappointed. The restaurant was pretty nice and the people were very friendly, but I would rather go to Tako sushi to get better quality sushi for the same amount of money.
(3)
Rocky S.
Came across this place when the sushi place we normally go to was closed. Not a bad place. Nice ambiance and super friendly staff. Sushi was decent and prices were pretty good. I would come back here.
(3)
Briana W.
Really like this place. Tried it a couple years ago and have been back multiple times since. Their baked salmon roll is equal to the lion king... so yummy! They actually upgraded their menu and I think added a few more selections not too long ago. Try it! Order soup, salad and tea... then all the sushi you can afford! Going back again soon.
(4)
Ashley O.
Tummy-a-grumbling from not having eaten lunch, we were on a mission to find a mid-day meal. I was craving Japanese, so we ventured all around town, hitting up all of the local Japanese restaurants I could think of off the top of my head. But it was one of those awkward times of the day when restaurants are closed in between lunch and dinner. (This is when a smartphone + yelp would have been handy). Two hours later, starving and fed up with driving around, we finally settled on Nanayiro. Service: We were only one of four tables eating there at the time, but service was good regardless. Our water and tea was refilled whenever it fell below half. The waitresses greeted us with a smile when we entered and were very friendly and courteous. It's too bad the service couldn't make up for what lacked in our meal. Food: We ordered the tempura, red dragon roll, and rose garden roll to share between two people. The tempura arrived fresh out of the fryer and was pretty tasty. The batter was a bit on the heavy side, but it was still a nice starter to relieve the hunger pangs. The two rolls came out shortly after and were the big disappointment of the meal. The red dragon roll looked nothing like the photo in the menu and was a meager excuse for a sushi roll. The spicy tuna and the raw fish that topped these two rolls did not look, nor taste, fresh - tasteless and rubbery. A few slices still had their silvery scales. Yuck. Bottom line: I would not recommend this place to anybody searching for solid Japanese fare. Besides serving up sub-par sushi rolls, this place is pricey! We were in the mood for udon, but passed due to the unappetizing $12 price tag. Our rolls were $10 each and the total bill (including tip and tax) was $32 for two people. We should have kept driving.
(2)
Maggie L.
AVERAGE SUSHI FOR ABOVE AVERAGE PRICES. The boy and I shared 3 rolls- the baked salmon, spicy salmon and samurai. (We both love salmon maybe just a teeeeny bit too much. XD) The baked salmon was pretty good. One of the really nice things were that the pieces weren't falling apart like some *other* places are known for. Spicy salmon had a barely noticeable spiciness to it. I thought it could have been better. The samurai was just alright. The wasabi sauce on top of the roll gave it a little kick if you like that. Originally we had tried to go to another sushi place close by, but when we got there, we saw that the place was closed so we just walked around until we found this place. What I like about this place is their specials. They gave us a menu that had their current specials at pretty decent prices. We also received complimentary miso soup, which is always nice. Our waitress was very friendly and easy going so another plus for having nice staff. Overall, this was just, like the yelp rating says, A-OK.
(3)
V. C.
Bento box 3 item lunch you get a lot for your money. Everything was good except the mere smell of the Miso soup it is not something that I like, so no bueno.
(4)
Oscia W.
Sushi is fine. Service is fine. Price is way too high for the quality. For one 9-piece nigiri meal and a 7-piece tempura appetizer: $30 after tax and tip. Overall quality and quantity vs price was a tad too high. Last time for us.
(2)
FUPS F.
The sushi here was pretty good - not the best i've ever had, but definitely worth what you pay for it. Certainly fresh. I also had the saba shioyaki, and was definitely pleased. The portions are fair, but not giant. True-to-Japan sort of fare. The ambiance is nice for those of you who like a spare and open environment. In restaurants, i can tend to be a tad agoraphobic, but that's not the architect's fault. The acoustics were fine, anyhow.. Servicepeople here were super professional and VERY polite by Japanese standards. We were welcomed at the door, seated promptly, and checked-up on. We actually had two waitresses bringing us food and drinks at the same time. My tea was always full, and i was asked if i would like water as well. All the food came at the exact same time, and with great presentation. Immaculate. I would only ask that they excise Kenny G from their soundtrack........
(4)
Chris W.
I usually come here for sake, but enjoy their sushi too. Their rolls are definitely delicious and filled, over the top. Every time I've gone, they've served me tea, miso soup and a small (but very refreshing) salad. The staff is generally polite and quick with the orders. My favorite here is the Ace roll (Fried soft shelled crab with avocado, cucumber, and unagi). The baked scallop roll is great here too, topped with a spicy mayonnaise house sauce and tobiko. I'm a big sashimi fan, so only gripe I have is that I wish they had more sashimi options (a la carte).
(4)
Daniel L.
This place was my initial gateway to eating sashimi. After years of hiatus I was able to return for lunch and was surprised at how well the place has been maintained with the same spacious layout and serene ambiance. The extensive menu has shifted to feature sushi rolls but I kept it simple with an order of their all-salmon bento combination. The miso was light and tasty but the complimentary salad and another from the bento was redundant at best. The side of seaweed salad provided a nice accent but it could have been more generous to go with a very good four-piece set of salmon sashimi that did a good job at overwhelming a lackluster salmon teriyaki. The experience confirms my perception of this place as a solid gateway restaurant for developing a palate for Japanese cuisine. 3 stars for the solid experience.
(3)
Mari C.
I've had some great sushi in my day, and I must say, this place isn't at all bad. Given that it was pretty good, the miso, tea, and salad (whose dressing was vastly superior to the 1000 Island served at most sushi joints) were complimentary, the service polite and very fast, and its only 2 blocks away from my apartment, it gets a top rating. We definitely liked this place better than any other sushi places in Berkeley. For the last few months my boyfriend and I have been searching for "our" sushi spot and kept on being disappointed by Berkeley sushi choices. Some other places had ok food, but the service just wasn't anything near as good as Nanayiro's. The value and quality of the food was the best combo I've found thus far. So Nanayiro has earned the spot! The rundown on our meal: 1. Tempura Roll - typical tempura roll but very tasty. Low price and healthy portions 2. Rose Garden (salmon, tuna, avocado) 3. Red Dragon (tuna, roe, tasty sauce). A very different flavor than I was used to, but I really liked it. Included: Miso Soup. Salad with tasty dressing. Unlimited hot tea. Price: $30. Result: we left full and very satisfied with our meal. Oh yeah, and they give you orange slices when you leave so you don't walk out with sushi breath. How considerate.
(5)
Scott B.
So this place has your standard sushi items, but the service is always very prompt with friendly staff. I love their Berkeley and Heart Attack roll. Also I have found very few other places in the east bay with such fresh sushi with affordable prices. You should come here for relatively inexpensive sushi in Berkeley.
(4)
Mei C.
food 3.5 stars ambiance 5 stars service 4.5 stars drinks (didn't have any) not much to say other than that its a good place. absolutely yummy.
(3)
Maureen M.
I haven't been dissapointed yet! They have a traditional Japanese menu. There Chicken Teriyaki is one of the best I've tried not rubbery and boiled like some places. There sushi is always fresh and a bit on the big side (I kinda hate sushi that is too big for mouth but thats just me but you'll get your money worth here), Vegetable Tempura and shrimp is excellent the sauce is perfect. The Bento is reasonably priced with good selections for a two or three item Bento box. They have a nice and modern decor, It doesn't make you question about cleanliness. But like a previous yelper said the hike to the bathroom blows, what is this Labyrinth???
(5)
Seth F.
since they chancged ownership sometime back, the quality fell off. hope they recover.
(2)
charlotte c.
Revised 12/27/2007: I tried Nanayiro again for dinner with some friends and I was SO disappointed with the gyoza I have to knock a star off my original review. Why should you care? Because those dumplings were terrible. The filling was mushy and flavorless, not to mention dangerously hot. I like warm food and all, but not hot and oily direct from the deep frier, ouch! But we still like the red dragon roll, the baked salmon roll, and the free tea, miso soup, and salad.
(3)
Alexei B.
The nigiri was soggy, tendony, and tasteless. One even had a bit of garlic sauce on it, which totally ruined the taste for me. I'm sure this place will suit most people, but if you're looking for nigiri or sashimi - beware.
(3)
Nuri K.
I must have inherited the masochist gene from my dad-- we are both weirdly attached to certain restaurants that never leave us satisfied. For Pop, Nanayiro is definitely one of these. Every time he comes to Berkeley to visit, we will invariably face a situation in which we're on the south side of campus, pressed for time, and hungry. Rather than walk to Pie in the Sky or even Top Dog, he hastily suggests we go to "that nice-looking Japanese place we went to last time." And every time we walk into the door of the cute blue-tiled structure, we will invariably face food that looks like the typical fare that every Japanese restaurant carries, but executed and presented poorly. My father isn't the type of person to EVER complain about food or service, except the one time we were at La Creperie and it took literally an hour and a half for them to remember our order and dish it out to us. But every time we set foot into Nanayiro, the seemingly neat and cute arrangement starts to go-- and fast. Inspect the bowls and even some teacups and you'll see chips and cracks on the edges. This is a very tough thing for my very anal, neat-freak Asian dad to swallow. If you don't go for that crap in your own home, why take it outside? The last time we ate there my tea glass was chipped, as was my salad bowl, and my dad promptly requested that they replace them. But something makes me think that they didn't throw them away; they just pushed them toward the back of their inconsistent, eclectic inventory. Now to the food. This is the place that has single-handedly ruined soba for me. Usually one expects to be at least mildly disappointed as good soba is incredibly difficult to come by in the States, but Nanayiro kills their noodles, leaves the carcass in an unsavory heap atop a shallow bamboo basket/platterette type of thing and actually expects the customer to add insult to injury by dunking it into an overly sweet concoction that they shamelessly call tsuyu. The soba did not get finished, and it takes something really awful for a table of eaters that include me to leave food untouched. Their tempura is unspectacular, their donburi forgettable. Nanayiro also suffers from a problem that admittedly most Japanese joints around here share: a tendency to overstuff their sushi. I guess we as poor students are supposed to be grateful to have more bang for the buck, but if you can't get your mouth around it, it generally isn't good sushi. It ruins the delicate balance and sometimes just tastes foul. Plus, the rice here is extremely gluey and unpleasant to eat, by itself or in sushi. Surprisingly, however, for a place that is so incredibly disappointing in two crucial aspects-- flavor and quality-- the fish isn't too bad, and the waitstaff is usually very nice. I would still go somewhere else, though. Sure, I haven't tried a lot of stuff here; I only come here when my dad's in town. But even if they have incredible this-and-that, it'll take a lot for me to come back to Nanayiro.
(1)
V T.
Though it looks nice, and a bunch of people were inside, the food was god awful. We had teriyaki beef and teriyaki salmon. Maybe those aren't their strong points, but the teriyaki beef was like boiled beef with sauce poured on it. I've had better from a takeout stand on the street for $4, not $13!!! Miso soup was good. Rice was mushy and over cooked. For the same price, Isobune on College is way better.
(2)
Sha V.
The food overall is good, the only reason why i only give this place 3 stars is for one, it's pricey. The food is good, but there are other Japanese restaurants who have specialty baked rolls and fire rolls that won't fall apart on you that taste just the same if not better and are at a more reasonable price. 2. the service, it's basically hit or miss with he servers. I went here for lunch with my boyfriend, and it was just us and one other table being served at the time, no other people in the restaurant, and it took them over 20 mins to get a refill on a glass of water and we basically had to yell across the restaurant to get a server to our table in the front. Don't get me wrong, it could have been "one of those days" there and just our luck that we had to experience it. The place is nice, restrooms are far lol.. but overall, i think we'll come back here again, not as much as we would like, but we'd most definitely come back!
(3)
Jeremy W.
The service is lightning fast, the miso soup/salad are tasty, the portions aren't tiny, the tea is free, but the price is a little too much and the tuna is a little too crummy. The rolls, salads, and other miscellaneous dishes are interesting-looking, but the sashimi bento I picked up wasn't too hot. The salmon sashimi and sunomono were schweet, though. Oh, and the sukiyaki my friend got looked great as well. The pattern here? Stick to ordering dishes that start with 's' and you'll be safe. Oh, also of noteworthiness: the trek to the bathroom was a dining experience all on its own. First I'm told to pick up a bathroom key. Then I must traverse through an intricate network of doors and hallways to find the bathroom, following arrows as my guide. Once I found the final, unlabeled door, I tried the key. But my journey was all for naught. The key that I picked up at my adventure's beginning failed to unlock the secret end door. I retraced my footsteps back to the restaurant and returned to my table -- still with a belly full of tea.
(3)
Alejandro H.
When I'm in Berkeley I usually frequent two sushi places: Nanayiro and Joshuya. Both places pretty much offer the same with slight differences, just different locations. Pro's Baked Salmon Roll Rainbow Roll Spider Roll Fresh Cuts of Sashimi Free Miso Soup and Ginger-dressed Salad Good Service Con's Food Coma freeeeeeeeeeeeeealz
(4)
Christine N.
Now, this isn't even close to the best sushi I've had (which was in NYC btw), but the sushi has a few things going for it: decent price, decently good sushi, great service, and convenient location. Last week I went here for the sushi boat for two. It was about $50 and includes a variety of sashimi, nigiri, CA rolls, spider roll plus salad, miso soup, and mochi ice cream for each person. The sashimi and nagiri seemed fresh with a nice texture. The rolls weren't memorable, but of course, since when did anyone remember spider and CA rolls? I'll be back here when I feel like some affordable, fresh sushi with a nicer atmosphere than Manpuku.
(3)
Ben P.
All reviews say, good sushi at fair price. It's true. But, Nanayiro is even better than that. I am a white kid so I don't know anything about authenticity for Japanese. I don't even know what "maki" means and I don't eat eel because of toxins. But I think with my white kid judgement this was really great! Waitress was enthusiastic and happy like a singer from J-pop videos. The food came so fast! First came free things, Strong miso and fresh salad with tang. Green tea also. Not like trendy SF "small plates" where you pay for each asparagus. Tempura was perfect. Except for the bell pepper. Bad idea. Who thought of that? Special Berkeley roll had lots of fish and good sauce -- what does this have to do with Berkeley!? I don't know but, Jungle roll spicy tuna with seaweed salad on top and Spider roll with so much crab-- both were also so yummy. Under $6 each -- take that, expensive crap holes! The prices here are the best! The fish was fresh and full of taste. And also a woman came in and sat across from us. Her t-shirt said --big letters over her chest!-- I -HEART- VAGINAS She and a lady friend ordered so many rolls. Maybe 40 pieces each? I don't know. They ate and ate. I asked a friend who is a lesbian if she thought this woman was one also or just a sorority girl who had low self-esteem and wanted attention from frat guys and she asked me if her nails were long or short. So now I know, some lesbians don't like fingernails!
(4)
Angela H.
I used to go here all the time (or at least get take out). This is the only place I know of that serves OREGON ROLLS--california rolls with a piece of raw salmon on top. IT IS MY FAVORITE SUSHI EVERR. Their raw salmon is usually fresh to me and very yummy. The chicken teryaki is not good here. The miso soup is decent and pretty good. I've tried a lot of things on the menu (the bento boxes), but nothing really stands out. It's an average tasting Japanese place. Btw, the service is HORRIBLE. It used to take about 25 minutes for them to make your food when ordering for take out. When you dine in, the waiters are really bad too. Though, I haven't been here for at least two years, so maybe they're better now.
(3)
Jason R.
What's the day you're not supposed to eat sushi?
(3)
Emme K.
This used to be one of my go to Japanese restaurants in Berkeley, but I dropped by for dinner on Christmas Day and had the worst food. I understand that it's probably not a busy day for them and for that reason, they might not want to take out their best stuff. But I'm not a moron, I know bad food when I see it. The sashimi was not good and most of the hamachi was bloodline - I was not impressed. The rolls were bad too. I'm so disappointed and offended by my most recent experience there, I'm never going back.
(1)
Ed L.
Solid Japanese place with good selection of rolls and sashimi. Not the best but its is definitely good enough for Berkeley. I really enjoy the complimentary salad, has a sweet garlic dressing. Thye offer lots of cooked dishes for those afraid to experience rawness. Make your own Bento boxes are also a plus.
(4)
Thomas C.
I have eyed this place several times when I walked through downtown Berkeley and finally had the opportunity to sit down and dine tonight. While the decor is very nice the food is not on par. I ordered the hamachi, tekka, sake and spicy tekka roll. The spicy tekka roll was decent and the sake (salmon) roll had more flavor than the hamachi or tekka roll, but I was disappointed with the tekka and hamachi roll. I've had better hamachi roll at CU Sushi where I could actually taste the tuna and green onion flavors, but this one was very plain. I don't know if the fish was fresh or if the sushi lacked seasoning, but it didn't impress me to make a return visit. The waitstaff had trouble understanding my order and they didn't bring out water, but tea. It was still warm at 7 when I went in for dinner and I think they should have known better than to only serve hot tea and water on request. But I will say that the water with lemon slice did go nicely with the sushi over the sake I ordered. This was my first time ordering sake and the waitstaff were limited in help with my selection so don't expect any miracle pairings here. However I'm not deterred from trying more sakes. In summary, while this place is acceptable you can get a better price-to-quality experience at some other places in Berkeley.
(3)
Jay M.
My gf and I used to come here soon after work for an early light dinner. We were a fan when it first opened, but somehow just got tired of it. The place is clean and sushi chefs are friendly. They provide free miso soup and a light salad...and sometimes edamame. In the beginning, they used to give us free fried fish or other surprises. The bathroom is out in the boondocks. I felt like a mouse in a maze trying to find it.
(4)
Ed W.
i discovered this place only because my apartment is a block away from channing/shattuck. this is the japanese restaurant i frequent the most. i tend to go for the rolls (and sometimes sashimi) at these japanese joints, so my review is mostly based off of that preference. they have new rolls every month or two so you dont eat the same thing over and over again... sashimi for the most part has been well cut, fresh. (had a gripe with the salmon one time...) rolls are well-made pluses: - not bad selection of rolls - udon, generous portions - good/speedy service gripes: - recently, i've noticed their "orange blossom roll" has been downsized, such that it has more rice, less salmon... - baked salmon/scallop roll (know as "lion king" at joshu-ya) is not well-made here. ive ordered it twice, each time it was half-baked, the fish was still half raw which is not how the roll is supposed to be. and they never cut the roll well - also. not a fan of the bathroom. it's a shared unit for the whole business complex, so it's quite a long walk down a hallway...i rather hold it. - still a bit pricey though... but the staff is very nice. makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. or that could be the complimentary miso soup.
(3)
Adam D.
The menu at Nanayiro is typical of most japanese/sushi restaurants that I have been to. The food here is excellent especially the sashimi. The atmosphere is nice and the staff is friendly. My only complaint would be the long hike you have to take to get to the restrooms.
(4)
Karen W.
Note: Get the Ace roll! Deep-fried softshell crab, unagi, cucumber, and imitation crab=YUMMINESS. (there's avocado too, i poke it out) I ate here for a late Valentine's dinner. We walked in semi-confused because there was no one in the front. When we were seated, a waitress immediately brought us steaming green tea. My bf and I decided on a 3-item bento box ($15) with vegetable tempura, spicy tuna maki, and saba shioyaki, and a Rainbow Roll ($9). Much to our delight, they brought us both miso soup and salad even though these not come with the Rainbow Roll. The miso soup was quite typical except it was lacking in nori. The salad dressing was sweet and tangy--I prefer the creamy sauces but this was pretty good. Our food came promptly, and at the same time, which was nice. There were little extras in the bento which I enjoyed. A sort of coleslaw in a creamy Japanese-style dressing, a little seaweed salad (loved it), and rice, of course. The saba was quite delicious, but the tempura was mediocre, too bready. It's very hard to find a place with delicately-fried tempura. Now, the Rainbow Roll consisted of 7 different types of fish, over rice and a filling of avocado and imitation crab. Very exciting. A slightly spicy creamy orange sauce was lightly drizzled over it. I normally don't really like sashimi--I must say this is the first time I've actually enjoyed it. There was also this one piece with unagi and shrimp, which I happily snatched up. So, come here for the special rolls. They're great value-wise, quite filling. I didn't try the Spicy Tuna maki, but my bf said the roll was better. The bento, overall, was just adequate. Some Japanese monks (?) sat at the table beside us, adding to the "authenticity" of the restaurant. It was sort of cool. Nanayiro isn't a particularly romantic place to dine, but it is tasteful and clean. The waitstaff is quite attentive, especially with the green tea refills, once you get seated.
(4)
Sun K.
People need to understand that almost all the places you go for "sushi" is in reality going for "rolls". Sushi is what you see on those pictures placed on each table where it's labeled by each fish. You know when you see rice wrapped in nori with a fish on top. That is sushi and I usually don't eat sushi unless the place screams authentic Japanese. This place seems to be Korean owned like most joints in California hence the selection of rolls found on their menu. Their rolls are pretty decent and around 8.95 a roll which is usually a dollar cheaper than most other places. However some of their sauces on their rolls can break the taste of it because it doesn't seem to match, but most of the time their rolls are good so try them all. I once ordered a roll that had three different fishes packed inside and it was really good. The fish was fresh since it melted in my mouth. I'm still on my katsu donburi search and this place was actually better than most places I've tried. I applaud them. They serve you miso soup and a salad with hot tea. The service is good and for a Berkeley place I think it's one of the better ones. The only bad thing about this place is that every time someone enters or leaves the gigantic window walls shake. But that just keeps you on your toes during dinner.
(4)
Sara M.
Sushi is good, not fabulous. Nanayiro is a good place to stop for a quick meal before going to the movies down the street on Shattuck. The interior is nice, not one of those grungy Berkeley restaurants.
(3)
noey v.
The Tuna salad was good... totally fooled me with the battered and fried onions and the tuna was fresh. The Baked Scallops and Berkeley roll was good although the Sauce over powers the taste of the Salmon, Crab meat and Shrimp on each rolls. The place is nice and decent with friendly looking staff.
(3)
NAEL K.
very okay place, service is always great and food comes fast , nothing super special to talk about but you will never be disappointed :)
(3)
Gabriel A.
I tried tempura squash! My favorite part!
(5)
C J.
If you're a die-hard sushi lover, and love Toro ... don't come here expecting a 5 star meal. This is one of my favorite restaurants because of the combination of excellent service & a decent meal. I know that if I'm craving sushi and can't make it to the best/pricey joints, I can count on Nanayiro. The waitresses have always been very attentive and super nice. Upon leaving and despite the staff being down for lunch, everyone would always chime in together and thank me for coming (again). I've tried the sushi (nigiri rolls), the sashimi, and the grilled Mackerel. And all have been good. I did try the Tuna sashimi, but it doesn't have much flavor ... so now I just stick to the Salmon sashimi. Regarding service time: I've always been acknowledged right away and I've never had to wait long for my lunch/dinner.
(3)
Kevin S.
I visit this place about twice a month, and generally, it is hit or miss... more often than not, it is good... My general complaint would have to be the inconsistency of their food. For example, one of the rolls I usually order is a spider roll. At times the crab is hot, crisp, and fresh... but there have been times when it has been mushy and filled with water. This last time however, I found a bug in my salad. This bug was an earwig (also known as a pincher bug), swimming happily in the salad dressing, only to be discovered as I lifted up the next to last piece of lettuce. It wasn't a roach, and it wasn't a fly, and some people do eat bugs, but I didn't go to a restaurant to eat a bug. It was no big deal, but it was no little thing either, as I'm sure most people would have reacted more than I did. I alerted the waitress of the bug, and they had a conference between the other waitresses and their boss. Standing behind me, I could clearly hear that they were grossed-out and traumatized by the bug. Now, here's the disappointing part. It took them quite a bit of time to apologize (our sushi was delivered, and so was an udon before they said sorry for the bug in your salad). I also wasn't expecting anything to compensate for the bug, but I would have imagined that if I go often enough to get recognized by the waitstaff (they have been trained to bring me and my friend extra bowls for the udon without asking) an extra gesture as a free appetizer, or a few dollars off the bill would go a long way to show good faith. At least, if I owned a business, that's what I would do for a recognized customer. What's a few dollars for a bill that's going to be around $50? So, if it weren't for the fact that the place is generally acceptable, I would have given it 1 star for trying to add extra protein to my salad. As for my return to the place, all I know is it won't be anytime soon. If you do go, just remember to inspect underneath the lettuce in the salad before digging in.
(2)
Reuben D.
I like Nanayiro for sushi. As a college student, I would prefer this place over Joshu-Ya Sushi Boat. It's a little more expensive but i feel the quality of sushi is much better and im always willing to pay extra for the extra mile. The atmosphere is nice and the service is friendly. They have a good selection of sushi and a decent selection of Sake as well to go along with your dinner.
(4)
terra d.
try the baked salmon roll. mmm.
(4)
James K.
This is a good sushi restaurant. I ordered a dragon roll and was happy to find that it included soup and salad. It's not very expensive and well-staffed. I'll probably go here again.
(4)
Rochelle N.
I haven't had anything here I haven't liked. My favorite is the rainbow roll, and I appreciate that they automatically serve you miso soup and salad. I also like to trick myself into feeling healthy by ordering tempura stringbeans.
(4)
Jack G.
Without a doubt the best chicken teriyaki I have ever had. It came on a sizzling hot fajita-style plate complete with grilled red onions and plenty of sauce, a side of rice and a salad. The whole meal was only $11, and included green tea and miso soup. Fantastic! The location is great and the decor is clean and simple - slightly over lit but comfortable and airy. Definitely comes highly recommended, but be sure to ask for the chicken teriyaki "dinner" and not the "plate" or "bento-box".... delicious!
(4)
Angela N.
This is actually a fantastic sushi place by Berkeley standards. It sits at the corner of Shattuck and Channing, a couple stores down from La Note. Nanayiro has soft lighting, good music and wide-open spaces. You can choose between platform seating, sushi bar seating or seating in the general area (near the gigantor windows). For a little more than you'd pay at Tako (dirt-cheap sushi near campus), and for significantly less than you'd pay at an SF restaurant on a similar par, Nanayiro provides relatively fast service and quality sushi. The best part, though, are the freebies - stuff you get even before your meal comes out: green tea, miso soup, a salad (sometimes), edamame, and a house special (depending on the night) - usually a small fried dish or some dumplings. Two sides of the restaurant are entirely window-panelled, so people tend to gawk at your plate as they walk by. Fantastic advertising if you ask me, but avoid sitting near the windows if you're a self-conscious eater. You'll find the attention unbearable.
(4)
Benjamin L.
This is probably my go-to Japanese restaurant in the area. I wouldn't say it's the best Japanese food I've had, but it's never disappointed me. In particular, I like the Katsu Curry (either kind), as well as most of the rolls (esp. the sexy roll, which is aptly named); I haven't tried the nigiri/sashimi, so I can't comment on those. The noodles are also pretty good. A personal favorite of mine is the wakame, which is done quite well. Generally speaking, the service has been pretty good, with the food being served fairly quickly and still pretty warm. Also, for some reason or other, there tend to be free seats, so there usually isn't too long of a wait (maybe it's the times I choose? Who knows?).
(4)
Jass M. B.
OK so....first off...some random dude on the corner suggested this place when my friend asked where the closest [good] Japanese/Sushi spot was from where we were (Shattuck Down Low - Show started in 45 minutes..so we needed something close and fast) Anyway...back to the review... The place was nice enough (i.e. the reason for the 2 stars) the ambiance/lighting nice - not too dark, not too light, and I liked the layout of the place. Very cute. The server was nice enough...she didn't go above and beyond, but she wasn't brusque. I ordered the 2 item Bento Box with Beef Teriyaki and California rolls - light avocado *sidebar* (I'm not a lawer but I frequent the use of sidebars extensively in my life - cause sometimes you gotta get some ISH off your chest...so this will be a highly frequented staple of my conversations/reviews) I tried to get real crab - they don't "do that"...What is THAT about?!...I'm so mad that some places "don't do" real crab..I mean I will eat the imitation stuff...but why? when you can pay a couple dollars more for real crab?? - and TO ME a place that "dont do that" is not *REAL* haha.. so what? I digress....My friend orderded the 3 item Bento with Salmon Teriyaki, Sashimi somethin' or another (basically some raw stuff) whatever. (cause I "don't do that" haha) The bento boxes arrived ..and I don't EVEN know what to say...I'm lookin' at my "meat" like what is that?? it was some light brownish gray opaque looking mystery meat...I'm like what part of the cow is that? *sidebar* If you ain't usin' Ribeye (or to a lesser extent NY strip) in your Beef Teriyaki then you're INFERIOR!!) So anyway....I'm speculating it's like the cow's knee or somethin'...he says...it looks boiled...I'm like yeaahhhhh hunh. (After tasting the knee meat...yeah...it tasted like they boiled it...then "colored on" some grill lines? or did they actually put it on the grill press down for 2 seconds to get the "lines" and put it in my tray?) Did I mention the terriyaki sauce on top looked like some gelatinous blob sitting on the "knee meat" which let me know right then that it was warm at best. Needless to say...I'm cool! I tasted his salmon (did they boil that too?? and "color on" char lines) which was mediocre at best. I'm sorry... and I see so many good reviews for this place? Whaaaa?? Now you can take this review with a grain of salt cause I don't profess to be a sushi connoisseur - hell, I'll be the first to say I go for the cooked stuff - Teriyaki, Yakitori, Donburi, Tempura...California Roll Dynamite...you get it... so I'm quick to correct myself and say I want Japanese...instead of I want sushi... *sidebar* I did taste a very small piece of his sashimi? - raw salmon basically - for the first time (EVER!! :: shocked face ::) I might add, [he also got me to try calamari in the same week WTF?!?] anyway...it was soft and mushy and nasty in my mouth...which is WHY I don't eat sushi...I have an issue with textures in my mouth and that's not one that I would like (assesed from touching and handling fish/salmon I tactile-y deduced what that texture would be - and it was EXACTLY THAT) he did inform me that usually sushi grade fish is of a firmer variety so maybe they need to improve on that too...but Yuggh! Would I go back...probably not. But this isn't my neighborhood anyway...so why would I?
(2)
Arun C.
The quality of the fish, the good service, and the variety of the special rolls make Nanayiro worth while. The prices are good. Standard nori-maki are about $5 and the special rolls are about $9. My favorite is the 49ers roll, the paper thin slices of lemon on top of the salmon give each piece of the roll a refreshing finish. Look for the funky purple tiles at the corner of Shattuck and Channing.
(4)
rocky c.
pretty good sushi, awesome seaweed salad, and tonight- i had the heartattack roll. wow!! the tuna in the center melts in your mouth while the crunch topping on the outside explodes creating the best combination of textures and tastes. yummy! and save room for the tempura green tea ice cream!!
(4)
Jeffrey P.
Sometimes I like sushi, and sometimes I'm not so sure, but I'm always satisfied at Nanayiro. Their sushi is good, their tempura is light and crisp, with fresh ingredients, and their teriyaki is made with lean, beautifully cooked meat. I really like teriyaki, and theirs is the best I've had in the east bay. A lot of places give you over-cooked, fatty meat, but here, it's delicious. I'm going to whisper this part, because I want to give them ample credit, but I don't want everyone and their uncle hogging this place up so I can't get a table. You get free soup, salad, and tea with your meal. Free. And it's tasty. And the service is good (I've had my bill messed up a few times, so check the math before you pay). Everybody is very nice. To top it off, clean restrooms. It's tough to find that on Shattuck. Any time I want Sushi in Berkeley(or more often, a bento box of teriyaki and tempura), I pick Nanayiro. Please don't fill it up when I'm hungry, but go all the time when I'm not there so they stay in business.
(4)
Jennifer W.
solid japanese restaurant serving your standard fare of rolls, bentos, and udon. the quality has gone a bit downhill and is up to 2x more expensive than anzu which is just a block away.
(3)
Cinny C.
Free tea refills! A lot of the dishes include miso soup and a salad. Sushi was fresh. I came with a group and enjoyed myself. I'll definitely be back!
(4)
Jeremy S.
Nanayiro consistently has the best sushi in Berkeley, and possibly the Bay Area. The fish is always of the best quality, there is a large variety of rolls, and everything tastes great. The prices are affordable, and the service is good. I always take out of town guests to eat here, and they are impressed.
(5)
Mia D.
I had a sashimi combo (dinner). I was disappointed to see my dinner mostly consisted of fatty white tuna and a few other pieces of sashimi. Before I touched anything, I asked our waitress if I could get something else instead of white tuna. She just ignored me and stepped away from our table. When the same thing happened at another Japanese restaurant, also in Berkeley, our waiter was able to accommodate my request with a smile! There are other places you can go if you're craving for Japanese food in Berkeley.
(2)
Melody L.
Edit: I take back my poor review of the place. After visiting that poor excuse for a sushi place on Center? (C.U. Sushi) and then taking another visit to Tako Sushi a few days later. And then having a REALLY bad experience at Manpuku (on College). I have come to realize how underappreciative I was of my beloved Nanayiro. Out of these four sushi places in the Berkeley Campus area, I would have to say Nanayiro is the CLEAAAAAAAAR winner. Its price points are similar to C.U. but Nanayiro BLOWS C.U. out of the water in EVERY POSSIBLE way (although I have to give credit to C.U.'s cool wet napkins they give you to wash your hands). C.U.'s rice had WAY too much rice vinegar in it (Dear Chef, Do you taste the food you're serving?) Tako Sushi and Manpuku are both cheaper than Nanayiro, but both of their sushi can't even be called sushi. I don't know how people regularly go there! I used to go to Manpuku as often as I went to Nanyiro, but my last visit was a real turn off. One of Nanayiro's waitresses once told us that the rainbow roll got its name because there are seven types of fish in it. But when you go to Manpuku, one of the types of "fish" is a slice of avocado! And throughout the roll they repeat types of fish! Also, I noticed the sushi is prepared differently depending on the sushi chef and the Chicken Teriyaki is suspiciously oily for something that comes on a sizzling plate. Maybe they're taking precautions so the meat won't stick to the plate. I have long hypothesized that the restaurant just heats up a chicken breast and places it on top of the red onions and then slathers up the teriyaki sauce. (I have already noted that the sauce is the clear reason this place is as tasty as it is. But sauce is important! Then again so is the meat) Basically: I don't think the grill marks are very authentic, but that's just my opinion! Anyway I love the ambience. Very low key and never very crowded or loud. Another plus: it's usually open until 9:30 or 10:30 (very uncommon with Berkeley area restaurants). This place is tasty, I'll say that much. The fish is fresh and I really like their charbroiled plates, but I'm a little weary about everything else. My bf and I have come to this restaurant fairly frequently over the past six months, and I'm pretty sure the waitress that has served us each and every time now recognizes us. The service has been nice. Maybe a couple times she's forgotten my bf's coke, but really apologetic everytime. What really upsets me is that this past dinner, there was a miscommunication with our order, and rather than the owner just suck up the costs, he stuck us with an extra sushi roll and the bill too. I've seen more gracious service and better customer policies. Because of this mishap, I can honestly say that we won't be coming by this establishment as often, which is a shame because I seriously doubt that the cost of that roll was more than the cost of our loyalty to the restaurant. Note to Sunim: This restaurant is actually run by Mongolians. Not that it matters. Edit: Rainbow is pretty solid though. But if you like sushi for the taste of fresh fish, I'd direct you to Kirala. Because with all the sauce they put on the roll, the fish really plays second fiddle. But I still think the rainbow roll is pretty tasty, just not very classy. Also, I think I notice a poorly cut piece of salmon on my rainbow roll- referencing the review with the lady unhappy with the skin on her salmon. Anyway I come here because it's the best choice for the compromise between wait (never any wait, unlike Kirala), price, ambience, and taste around here.
(4)
Lisa B.
I went here for the first time tonight. I was planning on going to Joshu-ya's because I always have a good experience there and I crave it like what. However, my roommate is a hypochondriac and claims that Joshu-ya's makes her sick (she's eaten there many times and she got sick once.. and it could defintely have been attributed to something else..). Anyway, we went to Nanayiro. I must say that I did enjoy the decor of the restaurant. It's clean and elegant, though the rattle-y windows are a bit disturbing when you sit right next to them. Since it was a cold night, being served hot tea right after being seated was amazing. I liked the free miso and salad--the dressing was good but too oily and the miso kind of left a weird after taste in my mouth. I ordered the baked salmon roll and the spicy tuna roll. I did not like the baked salmon roll.. I'm used to the Joshu-ya lion king roll. The sauce on top was unpleasantly spicy and had a sort of cheese-like taste. The salmon was mushy and there was so little avocado that I didn't think they put any in until I ate my leftovers and saw the tiniest speck of green in my roll. I would not get this roll again. On the other hand, the spicy tuna roll was good.. pretty standard. My roommate's dragon roll was very tasty and I would probably get that if I had to go again. The service was very good and they didn't make a fuss or get confused when we paid with three different debit cards. Overall, I enjoyed my first experience here, and probably would go back, but I would definitely order something different. I prefer Joshu-ya's and Alameda's Sushi House, but Nanayiro is fine if my roommate continues to be a hypochondirac.
(3)
ZEEBRA W.
Went there today for a quick bite to go... but ended up eating there with their to go boxes. I order their Crazy roll which is a combination of Salmon, Tuna, Hamachi (i think) and cucumber. It was only six rolls and I was charged around 7$ for that. They were pretty big and thin and tasted fresh. I also ordered miso soup for 1.50$ and my total was 9.19$ Go figure. Anyways my friend ordered some Wakame and it was probably half the size of the container of my miso soup all for 6$. It didn't look well worth it. Yes, they're expensive. But they were also courteous to us since we didn't plan on eating in.. they still brought us some green tea and complementary oranges. How thoughtful. This place is friendly. Food might be priced up a bit for what you're asking. But people who intended to dine inside seemed to enjoy themselves.
(3)
Aromy X.
Very good sushi! Not the best I'd ever had or would die for... but when you feel like sitting down and having a good meal of raw fish, they have a very nice selection. There are also a lot of vegetarian choices as well. I also enjoy the free miso soup and salad when you have a sit down dinner. I don't know why they don't have it all sushi restaurants! The service is always very sweet and attentive; they make sure your tea cup is never ever empty.
(4)
K K.
After reading Yelp reviews for Nanayiro, my wife and I decided to give it a try. Like other reviewers, I thought the service was very good. We were shouted at as soon as we walked in and served tea promptly. I like that they provide soup and salad for any order over $8 and not just for dinner combinations. The miso soup was good--it was hot and had little tofu pieces, but the salad--a very sweet sesame dressing over iceberg lettuce was "eh." A few pieces were wilted and brown (I think they should've gone with greens instead). My wife doesn't eat raw fish and I tend to go with combination nigiri plates when I try a place out. I opted for the Rainbow Roll and Unagi Roll while she ordered the Tempura California Roll and the Shrimp Avocado Roll. I can't review the fish because my Rainbow Roll was covered with Unagi sauce and a spicy mayo. The roll was okay and worth the $9.95 price. Nanayiro isn't for sushi aficionados, but good for those looking for a filling maki rolls. The Unagi Roll is a safe bet. The eel wasn't too mealy and the roll had the right portions of cucumber, eel and sauce. I was very impressed with the bright green color of the avocado on my wife's Shrimp Avocado Roll (a long shrimp tempura roll covered with cooked shrimp and avocado). Unlike the lettuce, there was not a hint a brown anywhere. The tempura batter on the Tempura California Roll was soggy and had a oily taste to it (my wife peeled it off). I suspect that their deep fryer isn't hot enough. Overall, the food was decent, the service was good and the atmosphere was pleasant. I like the dark, contemporary interior. It's a bit sophisticated and good for a casual date. The large windows looking out onto Shattuck was for good people watching, striking up a conversation about the modern building across the street, or commenting on the people walking by. There's enough choices on the menu to satisfy different tastes and, if the date is going south, there's a full sake menu. I'm planning to go back to Nanayiro to try the fish again but will avoid any tempura dishes. Nanayiro is good and worth the money when you want big maki rolls and don't feel like waiting at Kirala.
(3)
jane f.
Sushi and rolls definitely a 3 to possibly a 3 1/2 stars for this Chinese Japanese food restaurant. Entrees are not as good... probably a 2....but the tempura is dense and soaked in oil ZERO stars. My husband did not finish it (now we know why) on our first visit... I thought he was stuffed with all the sushi we ordered... nope...each piece soak the entire napkin. My son orders it on our second visit and he also leaves it piled on his plate. The sashimi salad was generous with lots of fish but it was fishy. Why did we return? b/c Kirala was closed and we had no choice close by... Vegetarians should be warned... Japanese miso soup and stock (for soups, udon, etc) is made with a fish dashi base. We asked the waitress for our vegan friend... She did not know what dashi was... or bonito flakes...
(3)
Alli B.
the fish was fresh but not smooth and buttery tasting, like angelfish in alameda. so while it satisfied a 'sushi' craving it didn't fully in that kind of perfect sorta way. the miso soup and the seaweed salad tasted store bought- i think the seaweed salad definitely came from the korean market on telegraph that i go to, which was kind of weird. we went an hour before closing so the service was super fast and all the bases there were covered. it's much better than a lot of the other east bay sushi places available, simply because it is fresh and relatively inexpensive.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Jena K.
We were 6 pax when we dine in, some ordered bento box and mostly, rolls. Maki's rating is 4 and not 5 coz too big. Their bento is 3.5 and not 5 coz their salad is coleslaw?? The reason why I am writing this review is because of the Automatic Gratuity that was charged with a total of $17.0! As far as I know tips or gratuity should be made by the customer and that is why even it's been 2 weeks ago since we ate, I can't forget. Lesson: always check the receipt!
(2)Sean S.
Reasonable food, smallish portions for the cost. It's probably a downtown thing. I've been here three or four times now so I'm comfortable saying the food is reliably good. But the place doesn't have food that stands out among other sushi restaurants. The staff were friendly, but seemed a bit judgmental the last time I was there. I ordered another roll after I'd finished what they brought me for the first round. A server came up to me with the check and I said I would like to order something else, then she just stared at me for a moment and said "really?". What can I say, I was hungry.
(3)Jack R.
Anyone who thinks this is the best sushi joint is as crazy as the Mad Hatter! If you think the sashimi here is the best in Berkeley, well then I have a Millennium Falcon out back that I'd like to sell you. Maybe best sashimi on this corner maybe, haha. But seriously, based on a lot of Japanese places being closed on Mondays I came here. Decent bento box, with a good creamy miso dressing. Not a big fan of their spicy tuna roll or their fake California roll. If you're a student and want something Japanese that's a little above a food court in terms of taste, then this is your place.
(3)Manni H.
The place is nice, dishes are tasty, the portions seem too large to be elegant, and the staff are cold
(3)Colette T.
I tried out Nanayiro with a friend a few weeks ago. I've actually known about this place for a really long time but never came to try it out because of the price and cuz I was a poor college student. So when my friend suggested we try it out, I was a little skeptical. Anyways, I came in and asked for a table and was seated fairly quickly. We decided to order a few rolls: the Amazon roll, the Ninja, and the Samurai roll. Our order came out fairly quickly and tbh they were amazing! The fish was fresh and the flavors were unique. Also, the rolls were ACTUALLY spicy. I hate when rolls are advertised as spicy and they really aren't. Anyways, this was delicious and the rolls were super filling (huge). I will definitely be coming back. Also props for the atmosphere. It was quiet but not too quiet and allowed for some great conversation.
(4)Beca P.
Amazing sushi and great quality sashimi. I got the poke salad last time and it was so good! I also really like the katsu as well. The restaurant is always nice and clean and I love all the windows. Great place t catch up with friends (:
(5)Augusto T.
A good choice for a sushi dinner. The restaurant is clean and inviting. Good for a dinner date or small group. Service is casual and friendly. All of the food I have tried has been pretty good. It won't blow you away and like most other sushi places it is not cheap, but I have generally been satisfied. The one thing that stood out was how big the rolls were. Most folks probably could not eat a piece in a single bite. Not sure if it is a good thing or not, but it was definitely notable. I have also tried their chirashi bowl. It has lots of fish, but unfortunately the wasabi for some reason got mixed up with everything and the fish were served a bit too cold. As the fish got warmer the dish got tastier. You might miss Nanayiro because it is on the edge of downtown, but it might be worth a try!
(3)Kurt E.
They are super close. They do take-out. We have given them many chances. We are done. Frozen sashimi, rolls that fall apart, huge pieces of raw kale in a veggie roll. Consistently inferior product for the the price. We've been on 2.5 strikes on at least three occasions...I guess this is our fault for trusting things will get better?!? Don't be afraid to complain a lot, because maybe that's what takes. Oh, and they ain't cheap. We're done, and that usually takes many incidents for me.
(1)Geoffrey C.
First off, I would actually give this place 3.5 stars. But since Yelp doesn't allow half stars, it's gonna have to be a 3. Why you ask? Well, the food here is pretty decent, with a great selection of interesting sushi rolls, bento boxes, and other entrees, along with a lunch menu with special deals. But, it's just too expensive for the atmosphere and cooking. For lunch, you will definitely pay around $15 and for dinner, expect to pay $20+ per person. Yeah, Japanese food is more expensive than others because of the raw fish and whatnot, but for the price, there are better Japanese restaurants in the area (ie Kiraku, Kirala). But purely reviewing the food itself, my order of Ton Katsu Curry was actually very good. The pork itself is fried really well, with nice tender pork on the inside and a beautiful golden fried coat on the outside. Definitely some of the best Tonkatsu I've tasted, both flavor and texture-wise. The curry itself tasted ok, but it was really thin and watery instead of being thick the way I expect Japanese curry to be. Good thing I ordered it on the side so that the perfect pork wasn't drenched or soggy! One weird quirk though -- they serve a small serving of preserved seaweed with the meals....in a little paper ramekin...the kind you associate with free samples at Costco. For the price range, I would definitely not expect that sort of presentation, but maybe that's just me.
(3)Jade P.
Food was good, but because we were a party of five, they added a mandatory 18% gratuity. Mandatary tipping is a scam. Just be honest and charge more if you need it.
(2)Brenda Jiwon L.
I've always wanted to try this place since I walked by it a couple times, and I finally did. In all, I like this place. I got the Samurai roll and roll was big with large slices of salmon and was filled with spicy tuna. One roll was filling for dinner. The dinner combo with the sashimi and nigiri is also really good! The sashimi slices are really big though so be prepared to take at least 2 bites to eat it. The only downside was that the price was a bit more expensive compared to other sushi restaurants in Berkeley. And no complimentary salad as appetizers.
(3)Amanda B.
A very solid sushi place for Berkeley that _isn't_ Kirala! Huzzah! It's down the street from my house, so they get bonus points for that. The fish is good, the portions fairly generous, and the service quick. All in all, a solid experience. Definitely coming back, and skipping the line at Kirala.
(4)Henry L.
Nice sushi shop with Burning rolls Words cannot describe how awesome the fire roll is! At first I wasn't really sure what to do with the fire, or whether I should stick my Wooden chopsticks into the pit of fire to grab ma sushi. How do I eat ma food???? Turns out, you're supposed to wait for the fire to burn itself out (~5 min). The sushi inside was actually pretty good--the fire actually gave it a slight "burnt" smokey flavor, which when coupled with the crunchy tempura in the center, tasted quite well. The other non-burning rolls are pretty good too. The decor inside was also quite nice, with nice furniture and a chill vibe. Everyone in Berkeley should visit this place at least once!
(4)Katherine L.
Good service! It was a quite night! Nice place to talk and chill!! Sushi was good and very fresh!! One thing I was very happy to mention: restroom is back at the long hallway inside the building. The table inside the restroom for moms to change babies diapers prepared with baby wipes and Kleenex. Very sweet and caring!!!
(4)Antoine D.
I had lunch there. It was fat, sliced way too thick and portions were too big. Food isn't fine and delicate as Japanese cuisine is normally. Moreover I was sick all the afternoon and the evening after...
(2)Stefanie C.
This has become my go-to place in Berkeley to satisfy sushi cravings. The service is okay but the food is (luckily) the highlight of why I love it so much. The sushi itself is a little pricey, but they do not skimp on the ingredients they use. They also cut their sushi pieces so they're huge... and made me wish my mouth was bigger. My friend and I ordered a special sashimi salad that was advertised on a board in front of Nanayiro. For the life of me, I cannot remember what it was called, but it was freaking amazing. Actually the portion was large enough so that I could eat it myself and be full... but we decided to order two sushi rolls in addition. The Ninja Roll ($15.50) has crab, avocado, eel, spicy tuna, fishi roe, green onion, spicy mayo, avocado sauce, and eel sauce. The Samurai Roll ($14.50) has spicy tuna, cucumber, salmon, avocado, fish roe, green onion, wasabi sauce, and eel sauce. Both are options I would highly recommend. They have tons of food options (with pictures!) and I can't wait to come back here again.
(4)Andrew L.
Chirashi was extremely fresh with excellent variety. Big hunks of: sake, hamachi, maguro, hotate, tai, hokigai, tamago, hirame and ebi. Service and atmosphere both top notch. Not sure why they don't have more stars. Maybe it's the higher price point, but "you get what you pay for." Will be back again.
(5)Leanne C.
I came to Nanayiro again a couple of weeks ago and ordered the chirashi ($18). The portion was pretty big, plenty of fish and a good sashimi:rice ratio, but overall it wasn't great. I'll probably stick to ordering rolls if I decide to come here again. Unfortunately, service was terrible this time around. My friend and I waited about 20-25 minutes to get our check. I understand that it was a busy Friday night, but having to wait that long for the bill was ridiculous...
(3)Alex M.
It's gone up a star in the last few years. The sashimi and nigiri fish is still sliced wayyyy too thick, but I'm a fan of their chirashi, which is reasonably priced with good fish and roe. Their deep fried rolls are also pretty tasty and bad for you, in a good way.
(4)Mr J.
I had the bento box combo here two days in a row for lunch and was very impressed overall by the quality of the sushi/sashimi. There was a lot of food and the price was very reasonable. The salmon sashimi was fresh and absolutely delicious. The staff is friendly and accommodating. A great value with quality food. I'm very happy to finally find a great sushi restaurant in Berkeley. This has quickly become my go to venue for sushi in Berkeley.
(5)S V.
I liked this place for how fresh their fish is. I was surprised how big and fresh their sashimi were. Pretty pricey, but still good. As for their rolls, they are fulfilling. They use a lot of sauce and rice so you will feel full at the end.
(4)Margaret H.
Because I stay nearby this restaurant, I almost always come here for Japanese food when I'm in the mood. Although there are more affordable alternatives, in my opinion, Nanayiro is worth the splurge on occasion. Unlike other Japanese restaurants in Berkeley, nothing here really disappoints. Their baked rolls are delicious, the udon broth is hot and tasty and served in a big bowl that holds heat. The overall vibe of the restaurant is very relaxed--lighting is dim, and service is slow-paced, which isn't really a bad thing. A great restaurant to go to for a chill weekend with friends or your significant other.
(4)Danielle L.
Can't believe I live so close to this place and I've never been! The Sushi was amazing!! I saw the "awesome roll" on their special board outside and it was nothing short of AWESOME. Good quality fish at a decent price too! The service wasn't the best but it was close to closing so I'm sure they had just had a long day... I'll definitely be coming back :)
(4)John A.
Very fresh and tasty sushi. The size of the sushi is huge . Good service . It's a casual restaurant with simple furniture a and music sounds in the background. It's central in downtown Berkeley. Parking might be an issue but you can some public parking in nearby areas . I had the albacore and hamachi sushi which was fresh and good and the lion king roll which was very big but tasty. Nice place altogether .
(4)Jason T.
I ordered Ikura with quail egg, which was served with the quail yolk busted and leaking down the bottom of the rice. And the nori wrapper was split. This should have never left the kitchen. Then I ordered the sushi/sashimi lunch where they served two pieces of sashimi with raw garlic on them, which overpowered any fishy flavor. Plus the fish looked relatively lifeless. If the prices weren't so high, I would not have cared much about the lunch combo. But it's $18 and the Ikura was $5. Avoid this place for sushi.
(2)Lily C.
The Food Was Delicious
(5)Curtis T.
Sushi is average. Miso soup is salty. Overpriced for the quality of fish. Really not worth it. But you can go if you have nowhere better to eat.
(2)H G.
I have been coming here for years... Love their sushi and sashimi and they have generous bento boxes.
(5)Jeff W.
Great Japanese food. Ordered a sashimi dinner and the pieces of fish were twice the size as what is typical. And great tasting to boot. I'm stuffed!
(4)Brittany N.
Nanayiro is a great sushi place if you are craving sushi and live close by. The place is quite spacious, clean, and invites you to stay. It's not the best sushi you'll ever have, though, and the prices are higher than other sushi places a little further away. I ordered a Ninja Roll (Crabmeat, avocado, deep-fried eel, spicy tuna, flying fish roe, green onion, spicy mayo, avocado sauce and eel sauce, $15.50). The roll itself was quite large. However, the spicy mayo seemed to overpower the taste of the crabmeat and eel, which was disappointing. All in all, a good sushi place if you're close by...but I likely won't return on my own accord.
(3)Shannon N.
I've gone here twice. The first time I thought--maybe I came on a bad day? What was everyone raving about? It was honestly mediocre and my roll was falling apart before I even got to putting it in my mouth. Second time solidified me not wanting to go here afterward--prices were high for mediocre sushi that was just "whatever." I would rather go elsewhere to get my sushi filling rather than waste my tummy space here. Service was pretty slow too, from what I remember.
(2)Ada G.
The sushi is really fresh here, and you have the option of substituting brown rice for white rice for $1 (for the health conscious:)). I really like the vegetable roll, or the vegetable CA roll, which has avocado and cucumber. The wakame however isn't really worth it. It's kind of dry, and also $6. It's a bit pricier than some of the other sushi places, however, the presentation is definitely a lot better than the places nearer to campus like Tako Sushi. There's a lot of really interesting rolls here with different combinations, so it's a great place if you're looking for something new to try. The service is ok, nothing special. Overall, I recommend this place for quality sushi near campus!
(4)Jessica D.
This is the best sushi restaurant in Berkeley! They have bigger and better sashimi portions than other restaurants. I specially like their salmon sashimi, 49'ers roll and fire roll.
(5)Maggie W.
I came here hoping to satisfy my week-long sushi craving, and Nanayiro's didn't disappoint! Even at 8pm, there's a good amount of people eating here, and the waitress was quick to serve us and take our orders. We were served with complimentary miso soup only (no salad for us, despite what other reviewers have said). I loved that the rolls here are different from the typical ones (e.g. dragon roll or lion king roll): where else do you find sushi topped with lemon slices? My friend and I ordered the Ninja Roll and the Samurai Roll (the force was with us that night), and we were both very surprised with how gigantic the rolls were! With just a hint of spiciness (I'm sure Brittany N. would argue there's more than just a hint), both rolls were quite delicious and rather filling. $14 well spent, I say. And, unlike some restaurants, the pictures in the menu were pretty accurate with how the sushi rolls actually looked. Nanayiro's is definitely one of the better places for sushi here in Berkeley, and I'm lookin' forward to my next visit.
(3)Brandon R.
Nigiri deluxe and udon. Fat awkward sliced nigiri slapped on rice. Friend told me it's because americans want bigger portions. Not fresh at all. Udon had so much shii in it like a wannabe ramen + msg.. who puts msg in udon. One of the many below avg japanese places in Berkeley, not surprised.
(2)Melissa G.
This place is delicious and their bento boxes are always on point! I have ordered many items from the menu, everything is great!
(5)Claire W.
I'm always in favor of decimal points for ratings and this place would definitely earn a 3.7! For not as expensive sushi, it was definitely good!! I'm was very satisfied with all the rolls and miso soup (definitely a make or break for me). I went with a party of 6 (mom and daughter dates) and it was a great vibe for a bigger party. We could still hear each other and I was able to try a bunch of different roll and was happy with all of them. I got the fire roll(?), which was served on fire!! Definitely got brownie points in my book for the entertainment factor. If you are looking for casual, sit-down sushi (that's not crowded) - Id recommend here!
(3)Xinyue H.
This is definitely one of the best sushi restaurants in Berkeley! Their salmon sashimi has bigger portion and is really yummy!!! I also ordered their chicken soba, which is the best udon/soba I've ever had in Berkeley. I believe the restaurant owner and the waitress are both Japanese. Good Japanese food in general.
(5)Younes S.
I really liked the restaurant and their food nice people good service everything is clean u can watch the cook preparing your sushi I really loved it I want go their again soon . Thank you nanyiro
(5)Esther S.
I came here twice. Both times my impression was this: Good sushi but why do I have to keep waving away flies during my mealtime?! Ugh.
(3)Vi T.
the place is nice and the sushi roll on fire is a nice experience :)
(4)Majel C.
This restaurant is insanely bad. I have eaten days-old sushi out of the fridge; I've eaten sushi from grocery stores and deli counters. I've eaten really bad sushi. This sushi was so bad I couldn't eat it at all. I left the restaurant hungry. Just in case my experience was a total fluke and there are things you can order that won't turn your stomach, I strongly recommend not ordering the spider roll (which comes with some kind of bizarre fake crab coleslaw kind of thing in the middle of it) or the Philadelphia roll. The salmon was the wrong color. The restaurant uses far too much rice on rolls and -- here's the real kicker -- it's regular old long-grain rice. They don't even have sushi rice. What Japanese restaurant doesn't use sushi rice? Yikes! Maybe the worst part of the whole experience is that when we asked for the check, the waitress could clearly see we'd eaten nothing. But she didn't ask. She just brought us our bill. 40 bucks for three rolls. Down the drain. Go to Kirala. You'll have to wait for a table but it'll be delicious and you won't feel like vomiting.
(1)Jared S.
Came for lunch on a Sunday. Didn't see on the menu anywhere that "they don't serve lunch on Sundays" and we're charged dinner prices. Ton Katsu Curry was lackluster. Curry wasn't bad but it was more like a thin splash with a bit on the side -- nothing like a real plate of curry. Katsu was also dry. Salad over drenched in dressing and broccoli soaked in sauce as well. Don't get the modest cup of tea for $2. No server ever came around to offer anything more (eg tea or water) and just hung out in the corner. Over-priced for the quality and service.
(2)Dana P.
Great place to eat! Huge portions and really nice waitresses. A little pricy though, that's my only complaint.
(4)Laurel G.
Great place for rolls! Not Kirala, but if you're in the mood for less traditional sushi, this is your destination. The food is consistent and the service is very good.
(4)Melanie R.
i stopped in on saturday in a hurry to pick up some sushi to-go for lunch. the place was empty save for the workers. i placed my order for a lion king roll with the young woman at the front. she was very nice. they sensed i was in a hurry because they pumped out that roll pretty quick! i ate it standing up on a packed bart train with hella santacon people. i want to go back and try their lobster roll. their sushi is tasty!
(4)Sandra L.
Service was SO slow on a Friday night... Like incredibly slow when the house wasn't even packed. I went with a group of 7 and here's what I've observed from the assortment of rolls we got: 1. If you're a vegetarian, stay away from this place. Their veggie rolls are terrible. My friend got shiitake mushroom and an avocado roll, and the shiitake mushroom roll was awful. 2. You're much safer with rolls that have pictures, because the ones without pictures are puny and not very good. My friend got the dragon roll and it wasn't very good, it wasn't a crunchy roll or even spicy! I got the Sexy Roll and it was mediocre. Confused about why there was a blob of imitation crab meat in the middle as opposed to being integrated in the roll but nevertheless, it was definitely filling. The yummy factor was lacking though. The whole thing looked like it was fried and the eel was fried too fried.. They automatically include gratuity so watch out, Don't overtip!
(2)Alex B.
We'll the food actually was okay , but for me it is not only the food- most of it it's a service- and the service in this place was ridiculous! It is hard to explain all the situation but basically I have a Government tax exam ( which is means I'm free from paying taxes in any places because I am paying them to other government directly ) anyway in the end of the bill when I provide the card the waitress called the manager and a Manager instead of listen and read the instructions on the card which clearly says that by California law I'm not supposed to pay taxes .... So he just preferred to call the police but the thing is he just embarrassed his self and he's restaurant because when police arrived they told him to give me a different bill without taxes !!! Anyway I am very unsatisfied of the way that the manager preferred to handle the situation- I will definitely never go there again, and will tell my friends to not to go there! Food it's not everything, service sometimes it is more important !!!
(1)Peter L.
I've been wanting to eat here since I read my girl Shamina K.'s review of this place. I was expecting to get the five-star experience, but the sushi wasn't doin' it for me! Came here with my new roommate Eric J. for dinner to celebrate our new apartment since we both decided on Japanese and this place happened to be right around the corner. The ambiance definitely deserves five stars! Large windows, ambient lighting, and modern decor. It felt like an actual restaurant and I felt so comfortable, which I don't get enough of at other places in Berkeley! I loved the quick and consistent service here! It took me forever and a day to decide on what to order, but the waitresses were all smiles and were patient with me. They were fast on their feet and quick to respond to us. Compared to other Japanese restaurants, they don't have much to choose from, but I guess that's at the cost of having better food. I finally decided to settle on the Baked Roll with Scallops. Be sure to check out their daily specials if you're feeling outside the box! They pile a mountain of scallops on top of the rolls, which I thought would be filling until I realized how off the scallop-to-roll ratio was towards the end. I ended up with a pile of scallops even after having ate a bunch alongside the rolls. It seemed more like an accessory for food porn pictures rather than actually being food. I enjoyed the texture, but it became too overwhelming to try to finish, so I ended up with a bunch of untouched scallops. No amount of soy sauce and wasabi could make up for their plainness! I loved the rolls themselves, but I could've done without the scallops and have been much happier. Definitely not worth the price, but I didn't mind because it was on Eric's tab! He's the best roommate ever. I'd have to agree with Shamina on the great customer service and fragility of the rolls, but the sushi could use some tweakin'. I'd most definitely come back for the ambiance though!
(4)Graham S.
I have been here many times. The finest Japanese restaurant and possibly the best ethnic restaurant in berkeley. They have very efficient and nice servers, great owners who are always visible, and excellent high quality food. I recommend the bento box or salmon teriyaki. The food is out quickly in 10 min and is always fresh and consistent. Nanayiro deserves YOUR patronage.
(5)Valeria R.
This is one of my favorite sushi spots in Berkeley. Food is always fresh and reasonably priced. Service can sometimes be a little slow but free parking in the back always makes up for it.
(4)Vanessa B.
This was an awesome, authentic Japanese restaurant that serves really delicious, entertaining and interesting food. They have great service too. I ordered the fire roll which was so entertaining because they serve it to you while it's burning so you have to wait for it till the burning stops and it resulted in having a delicious smoky flavor. I also ordered the Amazon roll and Lobster roll and I'd recommend both. We also had yellowtail sashimi. They were fresh, and delicious.
(4)Sungeeta A.
I came here for dinner yesterday with some friends and was a little disappointed. The meal started off nicely when the waitress brought us all miso soup, even though we only ordered 2 bento boxes among the 4 of us. The rest of the meal, however, was a little downhill. The salad in the bento box was mostly just shredded cabbage (which I do not enjoy) mixed with some dressing. The spicy tuna roll was barely spicy! And the grilled mackerel was a little salty. I also ordered a spicy scallop roll on the side, and couldn't taste any scallop! Also, there was sriracha sauce mixed with a miniscule amount of scallop. Don't get me wrong, I love sriracha as much as the next person but it shouldn't be the only thing I'm really tasting. This place is good to grab a quick bite for a reasonable price, but I definitely won't go out of my way to come back.
(3)Amanda C.
Nanayiro has really good and unique rolls! They're huge too. My favorite used to the be the fire roll, but once, they accidentally poured the some vodka onto the rolls and that completely ruined it for me. When I told them that the rolls tasted like alcohol (in a bad way), they just said it was was vodka. Yes, I know. I was hinting that I wanted those rolls replaced with non alcoholic ones but they didn't get the hint... Their udon is really really good too, and so is their agedashi tofu. Overall, Nanayiro is a good japanese restaurant, but it is a little bit on the pricey side.
(4)Edward W.
Finally decided to check this place out since I'm graduating and was craving some Japanese food. I wasn't really feeling sushi so I decided go with the pork katsu. Surprisingly, the pork katsu actually came with extremely large portions, maybe twice the amount of meat I would have expected. At the same time $13 for pork katsu is kind of pricey so I guess I just overhyped it a bit. The pork itself didn't have as much flavor as I hoped, but with the sauce it's much better. Don't think I would fancy this place again since the reviews for the rolls seem like hit or miss and the pork katsu came out to be average.
(3)Alli Q.
I've been searching for a good sushi restaurant near the UC Berkeley campus and I've found it! Nanayiro has fresh/quality sushi at fair prices and quantities. They even give you complementary miso soup. We ordered the Amazon roll and Lobster roll and I'd recommend both. We also had yellowtail sashimi - it was pretty fresh but not the best. I think I'd skip this and get another roll next time. We came on a Monday night and were seated immediately. I noticed that other people have had issues with service but our waitress was very attentive to us.
(4)Andrew W.
After my failed attempt to study at Royal Ground Coffee House I needed a sushi pick-me-up. I happily walked over to Nanayiro for some nigiri happiness. Ordered the hirame, sake, tai, tataki shiro maguro, unagi, uni, and hamachi. Each piece was $4-4.50 except for uni, which was $8. Order only 10-15 minutes before it arrived in all its glory. First thing the girlfriend says "The pieces are so big." I immediately worried that the fish would be sushi buffet quality of worse but luckily I was wrong. These pieces were better than decent and fairly priced. My favorite was the tataki shiro maguro and the tai. Next time I will try their rolls. What I recommend: -- relaxing quiet place to grab sushi
(4)Lu H.
It's my favorite Japanese place in Berkeley. The fish is fresh and not skimpy thin slabs drowned in sauce. My two go-to rolls are the Oregon roll and Rose Garden roll. Nice jazz music plays in the background.
(4)Jana C.
Gonna have to agree---the service here has a lot to be desired. True, the young gals are kind, but proactive and observant aren't very accurate descriptors here. We ordered some edamame, the tonkatsu dinner, samurai roll, and the $14 fire roll special (its circumference actually gets flambe-ed, for visual effect!) Overall, food was not bad. Some parts of the unagi, softshell crab, spicy tuna fire roll were falling a bit apart when going to grab with the ol' chopsticks, but overall, no complaints with the freshness of the fish. The sake salmon was nice... Panko crust on the pork cutlet was excellent--- crisp, light, the way it ought to be. Place is modest-looking, and generally clean. Odd labyrinth of a jaunt to bathroom. Must use key and walk---like entering a scene from INCEPTION. Satisfying first-time visit for dinner.
(3)Ally M.
Wow wow wow wow. I love this place. I'm a big fan of sushi, and Nanayiro is one of the best places I've ever been to. Their rolls are huge (but a bit pricey), and they are delicious. The fire rolls are very cool, but not the most delicious out of the choices they have - I recommend the Lion King roll! Anyhow, you pretty much can't go wrong here!!
(5)R M.
The lobster roll is amazing. It is by far the best roll I have ever tried. I would go back just to eat it again. I tried several other rolls, but none of them stood out like the lobster.
(4)Helen W.
I think Nanayiro must have changed in recent months/years because some of the earlier reviews don't reflect my experience at all. I had a great time! I came with my family for quick meal right before my graduation.There's plenty of seating, and bar style seating as well. there's also some signs that say "no sake bombs" put away in the back - lol I wonder what necessitated those!! clearly my grandparents were not down for sake bombing either. my family ordered a mixture of bento boxes and rolls. In general they did not skimp on the food - each roll was really filling, and the sashimi heapings on the bento boxes were bigger than I had anticipated! (see my pictures for examples.) the bento boxes also came with miso soup and salad. the service was great as well. they met all our needs instantly! although I guess that's partly because we were one of two parties there at 5:30PM - in any case I had a great time and I will be back.
(4)Chris C.
11/17 at 1:43 pm. Bad customer services. Two waitresses seating on their chairs chatting with one another without serving us water for 5 minutes. My friend and I ended up leaving the restaurant. Been to this restaurant before and their ramens were alright. Taste similar to most ramen and cost around $13 Mediocre food and bad costumer service will definitely not lead me to come back again.
(1)Andrew T.
The food was great, tasted fresh! The service could have been more attentive, but would definitely return for another lunch to try more things!
(4)Katie Sue B.
Great place with quick service and large portions. Their rolls are a little pricey, but they give a lot of food that tastes good! Also, their beer prices are not bad.
(4)Thomas B.
I love Nanayiro, it's delicious sushi for a great value. I've been to a lot of sushi restaurants in Berkeley and this is by far my favorite.
(5)Anna N.
Their fusion rolls are ENORMOUS. My boyfriend and I shared two: the baked scallop roll and the ninja roll. I ate less than my share and he was food-coma-stuffed when he'd finished the remainder. There's no way I could have finished a roll on my own. Anyway, the reason I'm giving Nanayiro 3 rather than 4 stars is because I found the rolls to be a bit too heavy. The two different flavors of mayo, the fried eel, the mayo with the California roll...it was a lot! I know that's how it is with fusion rolls, but that's also why I can't rate Nanayiro as any higher than 3 stars. Perhaps their other dishes are really good! I was tempted to order the donburi or even a bento set. Maybe next time I'll go with another choice. The actual restaurant is nice. Full-length windows, a relatively quiet atmosphere, and an open seating area ( a lot of restaurants make me feel cramped).
(3)Amy Z.
i am sorry but i have to say, this is the worst experience i have never had before. The service is really bad. I have waited for my order for 30 mins, and at that time their business is not busy, it was around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. but it was still not ready. so i asked one of the waitress about what's going on and she told me it still not ready even without saying "sorry". And then i said sorry i cannot wait. and she seems like she dose not care her business at all.
(1)Ryan M.
For the most bang for your buck, stick with getting two samurai rolls and you're set (unless you got an appetite than three of them would set you in sushi coma). Granted their other rolls are also pretty sizable and the nigiri offerings are also of good quality. Customer service has been consistently friendly and orders are made promptly (within 10-15 minutes of sitting down). However for the repeated visits especially as a sushi connoisseur who likes to stay on a budget once in a while. I'll always be ready to slice into the Samurai at a moment's notice.
(4)Jennifer L.
Holy god. This place is fantastic. Lovely waitstaff. Freshest fish in town. And the portion of fish (whether you're a sashimi or a nigiri sushi person) is honestly probably double of what you've ever seen before. I was dumbfounded by the huge slabs of fish on my plate! Definitely recommend.
(5)Tiffany J.
My boyfriend and I came here for dinner to try something new, and we both thought it was okay. The ramen was good, but not authentic at all-- the broth was good but tasted like chicken broth. I got a beef teriyaki donburi, and there wasn't much teriyaki flavor, nor was the beef the normal kind of beef used in beef teriyaki. It seemed like it had been pan-fried, and was a bit tough and not very flavorful. We got some fried ice cream for dessert, and it was pretty good too, but the fried layer was thick and cake-y and not thin and crispy. Overall, okay food but don't come here if you're looking for authentic Japanese food.
(3)Angela M.
Nanayiro isn't the best Japanese food I've ever had, but it was still pretty good. The restaurant is a very nice place and in the early afternoon it had quite a few people turning out for the beginning of the lunch hour. I was happy that they had zaru soba on the menu (usually I have to make the trip to Japantown in San Francisco for it) so I decided to give it a try, along with the gyoza, and my boyfriend got the salmon sashimi and teriyaki chicken bento. The zaru soba was not quite as great as I was hoping it would be; the noodles hadn't been drained properly and were so wet they were almost mushy, and pieces of ice cubes were still melting on my plate. The gyoza were good, again not the greatest, but I was actually more impressed by my boyfriend's salmon sashimi - the fish was incredibly fresh and almost melted in your mouth. The amount of chicken teriyaki in his bento was laughable though, as it amounted to MAYBE half of a breast, if that. The tea here was also underwhelming, and frankly flavorless. I don't think I've ever encountered flavorless tea before but Nanayiro's got it. Our waitresses were nice and service was very prompt, so that's a plus. All in all, a slightly underwhelming experience that was also a bit more pricey than other Japanese spots I've been to. I'd be willing to give it another go and try some of the other offerings on the menu, but if I want great zaru soba it looks like I'll have to keep making the trip to Japantown for it.
(3)Christopher L.
This place has superior udon. Been here several times - my wife always has the veggie udon, which she says is the best anywhere, as they have a lot of different veggies - cabbage, squash, broccoli, asparagus, onions. I had the seafood one, which was very good as well. Great stop on a cold or rainy day for some warm food.
(5)Kathy C.
Food: 4/5 Good! Came for a friend's birthday. 4 people (girls) we shared 3 rolls and it was great deal! I'll definitely recommend ordering the rolls with pictures. They are pretty and come in generous portion. Also they give you a tiny ice cream mochi if you tell them it's your birthday. It's very small indeed but it's free... so no complaint :P We ordered: fire roll- really cool, comes with real fire! it's warm sushi ninja roll- topping is so big! good cold sushi baked roll (with scallops)- plating is pretty. Scallops don't have any taste, but if you eat the whole roll together at once it tastes pretty good. Service: 2/5 It's not bad service, just very slow. The restaurant was not packed either, I don't know why it took so long. We had to get their attention to order food and get check and everything. Food also came pretty slowly. But it's good if you don't like your waiters interrupting your meals with "how's everything? need anything?". Atmosphere: 3/5 Clean and organized. Lighting is sufficient for good pictures.
(4)Deanna C.
Deanna would give a 5. James would give a 4. Deanna won because she's posting this rating. Probably THE best sushi I've had so far in Berkeley. Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday, and it was such a nice atmosphere. We ordered things that had pictures: Fire Roll, Dragon Roll, and Butterfly Roll. And everything was bomb. We also got the seaweed salad appetizer to share. The seaweed salad wasn't anything special, but I loved everything else. I usually don't enjoy raw fish, but the Butterfly Roll had the most amazing balance of flavors and textures to make everything taste just right. Also, my Fire Roll was literally brought to me on fire... which I thought was pretty cool. The Dragon Roll was really yummy too. The servings sizes were great. While it was a little bit on the pricey side, the food and the atmosphere made it worth it.
(5)Joy J.
This place was found randomly while walking around downtown berkeley. The restaurant is located on Shattuck nearby a local coffeehouse (No not PEET's) The ambience from the outside seemed to exposed the inside of the restaurant which actually captures the eye due to large glass windows. The interior ambience has a modern feel and clean "AIR" . We were seated and was given the menu and they offered only a page selected rolls compared to what I have seen at other japanese eats in which imo its a good thing! IMO a place that offers more "ROLLS" than other japanese dishes and sides is not authentic japanese IMO. I would have given this place 5 stars however drink service was poorly rated. We needed to flag the server a few times to have water and hot tea refilled. We ordered Seaweed salad that came in nicely under a leaf of lettuce on a small appetizer plate. The seaweed salad tasted fresh and non fishy smell. The color was a vibrant popping green and crispy. We ordered 3 Rolls - 911 Roll, Baked Scallop Roll and the Over the Rainbow Roll. The portions of the rolls is a "mouthful" that it hardly fit my mouth and was somewhat difficult to chew inside of the mouth in which its both good and bad? LOL Good because that means its a huge roll = getting your money's worth Bad because its hard to chew! The raw fish rolls were quite tasty due to it tasted non fishy and fresh. LOVED the baked scallop roll. The flavors just danced! The rolls were served with Miso soup yet the menu stated we also get a free salad. However the server stated no free salad is served (in the menu stated it comes with miso AND salad.. not OR) The tea tasted mediocre it needed more tea bags soaked in IMO. But it helped the palate and tummy! We ended the meal with 3 orders of Mochi Ice cream in Mango, Strawberry and Green Tea. They were served in 2 sliced in 4 per flavor with cute mini fork picks to eat them with. They were served under a lace dollie. Overall experience good but couldve been better if the drink service was addressed. A few japanese clientele were also present when we ate here so in my eyes that is a good thing! Will def come back again - However I wanted to try out another few more spots before I fly back home to the South!
(4)Michael K.
My service wasn't as bad as the other reviews. However, when we went we were proactive enough to keep asking for what we needed. As such, we didn't have a problem. The sushi here has the best presentation compared to Tako Sushi, Sushi House, CU Sushi, and Manpuku. The sashimi plate was literally beautiful, and tasted really fresh. However, the prices are equally higher compared to the places I just listed. I would definitely recommend coming to Nanayiro at least once to expand your sushi perspective. They do have their own style - their atmosphere is suitably Japanese and very different from any of the other sushi places around - and while they are close to campus, they are just far enough to take you out of your normal routine (and make it interesting).
(4)Salvador R.
My go-to sushi place in Berkeley. Fish is always fresh, you do not have to stand in line for hours like in other places and service had always been consistently good. While Kirala is pretty amazing, Nanayiro is always good airport without paying as much. I also like to order to go on their webpage.
(5)Keith C.
I always used to walk by this place on my way up or down Shattuck, but I finally dropped by to give it a try on my way to Thalassa. I think I had the Golden Gate roll, and I guess I just didn't read the menu closely enough, 'cause it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I think it was mostly artificial crab meat (both inside and on top) which wasn't really what i was looking for. It also said it was spicy, but besides the sauce that was on the side I didn't really notice anything. Maybe I just ordered a roll that i wouldn't really like, so I guess that's my fault, but I'll come back when I get a chance and try something else.
(3)Michael M.
The service here was great when we ate here. But it was noon on a Saturday and the place was mostly empty. While nothing tasted bad, nothing was particularly good either. It was expensive for not very good Japanese food. But the one star is because I got food poisoning from the dodgy hamachi I was served. This place has the dubious honor of being the only sushi place in the Bay Area that has served me spoiled fish. Happened once before in Evanston, Illinois. First time here. Sorry, but you really ought to know better. I'm particularly annoyed to see that others have had the same problem here over a year ago. Very unhappy.
(1)Ricky A.
Tis was good, food is kinda expensive but its worth it!
(4)Robin K.
3 1/2 stars The fish was fresh, sushi rice was seasoned well, rolls were tightly rolled, but not too tight, and everything was decently priced. Service was distant but attentive. My Ankimo appetizer was delicious, and the pieces of Monk Fish liver were larger than most sushi restaurants. One of the rolls was served with long shreds of raw beet, which I've never seen before. It added a nice color to the plate. I was able to try Sanma for the first time (mackarel pike), and also saw a few other choices of fish I'll try when I venture back. Definitely not the best of the best in the Bay, but definitely a solid sushi choice if you're in search of a convenient spot in Downtown Berkeley. Bring a defensive weapon (pepper spray, butterfly knife, etc.) if you ever need to use the restroom. After all the recent sexual assaults happening around the Berkeley Campus, the narrow dimly lit hallway to the restroom is definitely not a safe environment for women.
(3)Rob W.
I walked by this place for weeks before finally trying it. Why did I wait so long? They have a great a variety of rolls... we had the Panic Roll and the Golden Gate Roll. Both were great and affordable ($12) These are what I'd describe as large-scale "architectural" rolls, which means lots of things stacked together and very visually satisfying. Complimentary miso soup and a salad were brought to our table, which was a nice touch. The bento boxes looked good too, and if it hadn't been my last day in Berkeley I would have gone back the next day!
(4)Tracy A.
Went here on a whim and I was glad I did. Such a yummy place! I opted for a couple rolls and they were fresh and delish. I would do this again, for sure, if undecided on what I should eat on Shattuck.
(4)Kimberly S.
Had a bad experience. Ordered the Lobster Roll--so much mayo sauce it was all I could taste--it looked like cheese on top. The crab in the actual roll was imitation and the rice was dry. For $14 plus tax and a tip it should have been better. I asked for a discount since it was really disappointing, and the management said they couldn't do it. I only ate about half of it, trying to see if it was actually somewhat edible,but couldn't bear to eat any more. The waitress was nice though and tried to help us out with the discount, but it didn't matter.
(2)Meghana S.
Went here for the first time last night. The decor is pretty fancy, and the service is good. As for the food, I ordered the Berkeley Roll; spicy, filling, and oh so delicious! My only complaint about the food is that the individual sushi rolls are quite big, and fall apart when you're trying to eat them. Also, there were no small plates for the soy sauce, which meant I had to pour the soy sauce over the roll before eating (yes, I know, #firstworldproblems) and it got pretty messy. One thing I didn't understand is why the corridor leading to the restrooms is sooooo ridiculously long; takes a couple of minutes to just get there! But apart from that, this place is good and I will definitely be visiting again!
(4)Jacqueline W.
I love sushi....like passionately. But something about this place was not appealing. I ordered a Rose Roll to go, as I was not too hungry and in a rush, it took about 12 minutes to make one roll. Considering that there were not many people inside the restaurant I wasn't sure why. The roll itself was decent. Nothing ground breaking. The salmon and tuna on top did not seem at its best. Standard 6 pieces on the roll. The waitress who took my ordered seemed friendly enough, but I doubt I will return to give this place another try.
(2)Caitlin M.
Is that a roll or just a giant ball of rice? Honestly, I couldn't get either my avo and salmon roll or my tempura roll into my mouth without making a ridiculous mess of myself. SO much rice. SUCH big pieces. The fish was fresh and delicious when I pulled it out and ate it alone, though! On the other hand, their soba noodles were super delicious. I'd definitely come back just for those. And they came with soup and salad--very much appreciated on a chilly evening. Service was friendly and pleasant, too. In the future, I'd go back for their other food--but definitely not the sushi.
(3)Shamina K.
I heart Nanayiro! Where else can you get a Jalapeno bomb? Totally love their sushi and the restaurant itself. I've been here quite a few times over the past 5 years, and have never been disappointed. Customer service is great. the only thing I would change is if they could make the rolls bite size.. It takes me about 2 bites to finish a roll, and most of the time it falls apart. Other than that, I love their fresh and flavorful rolls.
(5)Amanda N.
I like Nanayiro - I used to live really close so I'd eat here a lot, dining in or taking out. The girls working there are always super nice & friendly, and it's very easy to call in an order for pick-up. I mainly come here for the rolls, although the nigiri is not bad (not great though). They have all your standard rolls (the spicy crunch roll is really good), and some interesting new combinations too (I loved the Vegas roll, but I'm not sure if they still have it). When you order rolls, you get free miso soup & salad, which is also a plus. Overall, this place is a tad pricier than Joshuya's, but I think the rolls are better so it's worth it. Portions are pretty big also. It has a nice, quieter atmosphere that's great for dates (:
(3)Kevin J.
Nanayiro is a perplexing sushi restaurant. The place is nice and clean, and the service isn't bad. I ate here with a friend, and ordered sushi, while he ordered the chicken rice dish. Upon receiving our orders, I found the sushi small, and not worth the price. The chicken tasted better, which leads me to wonder if it's better to order an entree rather than sushi. I also ordered an ice tea, and they served me an Arizona Ice tea in a bottle...which surprised me and lowered my standards of the place a bit. This was the first time I've seen a restaurant not have "ice tea" but rather bottles of ice tea that you order yourself...
(2)Jennifer W.
Dragon Roll Love Love Roll 911 Roll Total: ~$14 (tax + tip) I did not expect to come here for sushi because I thought they specialized in other dishes, but the 3 of us ended up ordering sushi because the sushi menu turned out to be bigger than I thought. The sushi itself was pretty damn good too. It was fresh and a sizable. Each order comes with miso soup and salad. This place definitely exceeded my expectations, yet, it was not amazing.
(3)Allison S.
I honestly didn't see what was so great about this place. The sushi was alright; I've definitely had much better. They gave complimentary soup and salad during lunch, but the dressing on the salad was wayyyy too sweet. We ordered the Ichiban (a special), the Rose Garden, and the Red Dragon rolls: - Ichiban: honestly didn't taste like anything... the crispy parts of the sushi kind of overwhelmed the sushi IMO. For some reason, which I can't put my finger on, it just wasn't good. - Rose Garden: I liked the amount of salmon and other fresh fish on the roll but that was about it. - Red Dragon: the spicy tuna on top overwhelmed the roll, and the rest was okay. The service was really good, but I have to say that I'd much rather go to Anzu down the street for sushi.
(2)Leah C.
Nanayiro is the only Japanese restaurant I like in the area. The sushi, rolls, and bento box are pretty good and I especially like the katsudon. I was really bummed last time when my friend and I came here for dinner and found out that they only sell katsudon for lunch. I ended up getting the Sexy Roll (haha) and it was yummy. The service is very fast and friendly and I enjoy the atmosphere of the place. I am definitely coming back here soon.
(4)Oliver S.
The sushi here is two notches above the generic retail sushi restaurants that have been popping up all over the place (e.g., Todai), but there's still quite a price / flavor incongruency that would lead me not to like this place enough to be a "fan". Nanayiro has the option of customizing your own Bento Box with two or three items (~15.95) of choice (on the list). It includes the regular miso soup and a delicious salad. The options they provide for the Bento Box are nothing new: they span from chicken teriyaki to spicy tuna roll. I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki, Spicy Tuna roll, and Spicy Salmon roll. They were all delicious and the sushi makers did a good job not obscuring the flavor of the fish with all the other flavors. I highly recommend the Spicy Tuna roll. One slight criticism I could see people having: the sushi rolls are wrapped in A LOT of rice. When the Bento boxes came out, I was amazed at the amount of food there was! You should definitely come hungry if you order the three choice Bento Box. Along with your requested orders, you get a coleslaw type salad, a seaweed salad, and a cup of rice. All of it tasted delicious, especially the mayo dressed coleslaw. Scrumptious! The service at this restaurant was great! The servers were very accommodating and mindful of our needs the entire night! We had a server who really enhanced our dining experience. The night ended with a sweet slice of orange. I really liked Nanayiro, but in the end, there was nothing that stood out that would make me a fan of this place. It seems like 1 of many.
(3)Sarah W.
I would give them a 3.5 but I hope they stick around (decent japanese cuisine on the cheaper side). Got the baked salmon roll and dragon roll per recommendation. Baked salmon roll was super filling and delish. It had a nice layer of spicy flavored mayonaisse on top of the rice. Dragon roll was what one might expect it to taste like, so nothing out of the ordinary (which is either a good or a bad thing, depends). Overall, the food was average Japanese restaurant. It's a great place to go with friends for a casual spontaneous dinner since this place isn't crowded, the food is decent, and they present their food well. It's pretty. If you're looking for EXCELLENT Japanese cuisine go to Norikonoko's. Tis divine there.
(4)Regina W.
I went there and had two rolls: the spicy tuna and the Philadelphia roll. I ordered some seaweed salad too. The rolls were broken up into 8 medium-sized pieces each. I got miso soup with that too. It was a really good meal for lunch. My waitress was friendly too. I'm new to this neighborhood and will definitely stop by on a regular basis. It's just a short bike ride away.
(4)J P.
This is my go-to place for sushi in Berkeley. The decor has a nice clean feel, and the sushi is consistently good and fairly priced. The fish isn't super high quality, so it may not satisfy really picky sushi eaters, but it is perfect for a casual dinner. The best part about this place is that you can get a substantial amount of sushi for not that much money. The bento box is a great deal and can usually be split amongst two people, maybe with another roll order or appetizer if you are feeling particularly hungry. The service is very friendly and fast, up until the time when you get all of your food, at which point they will leave you alone for an extended period of time. I often have to hunt them down for my check. Other than that, Nanayro is a great place to have a relaxing and tasty dinner.
(4)Kat S.
I consider this as one of my 'nice-little-finds' in Berkeley. Why? Well the place is tucked in a corner, for a start. No flashy sign or name to draw your attention when you driving past (at 50mph across Shattuck ... yeah, right ;p ... ). And it is nice because it IS good! Finally a good (& affordable) sushi place in Berkeley. The retaurant is clean, tasteful in its zen-like interior, yet gives a sense of warmth with their choice of soft lighting. *ehm* to put it simply: you walk in, you sit down, and you feel like 'oh yes, I wanna eat here!' To my delight, they got a good selection of weird sushi rolls ^^ Traditional nigiri sushi always heavenly in a purist sense, but you know once in a while the radical in you just craving for something that is pushing the edge of the plate. Better yet, it is not $$$$ more like $$ or $$ and a half, and for a good quality sushi, I'd say it's a fair value. I mean, this is not your pre-package sushi off of a convenience store, but also not a Matsuhisa. Will I come back here? Well of course! So, Laura, want to have lunch? :)
(4)Andrea G.
The prices are affordable and the staff is very friendly. The sushi quality is good, but not fabulous (the hamachi and maguro can be a real hit or miss sometimes which is why they get 4 stars) They offer a number of specialty rolls which are pretty good. I recommend the Berkeley roll. The spicy sauce that they top it with is a nice touch. I also really like their chicken teriyaki. It comes on a sizzling plate with grilled onions - very yummy.
(4)Amanda S.
I used to come here at least once a week while I lived/studied/worked/occasionally breathed in Berkeley, but now I live in Oakland and have only made it back over a couple of times. I really, really miss coming here. They offer fantastic sushi at really great prices (definitely kicks Joshua's ass!) and they have these great bento boxes and plenty of entrees to choose from. I love going there and getting the two item bento box with a spicy tuna roll (and it's actually spicy!) and their amazing chicken teriyaki. I usually don't like chicken teriyaki but the sauce they use is really light, not super thick and sticky like a lot of teriyaki, and the chicken is always very tender and grilled to perfection. They also hook it up with hot tea, miso soup, and a salad with the most delicious sweet, gingery salad dressing! I can tell it's becoming a little more popular because the last couple times I was there it was pretty packed (but this mostly occurs on friday and saturday nights). The service is good and the food comes out pretty quickly, and they love all their customers sooo much that they just don't want you to leave! (i.e. you will probably need to look a waitress straight in the face and ask for your bill or you may sit there until closing, well I exaggerate slightly...) Also great for take-out: call in and food is ready in 10 minutes, or walk in and order and you will be served some delightful hot tea while you wait!
(5)zoe w.
This place looks nice, very spacious and bright. I ordered Tempura Don for lunch. The size was Huge, but the actual shirmp inside is so tiny. The price is quite ok, I spend less than 10 bucks and still couldn't finsh my bowl. I think I will spend a bit more to order sushi or rolls so I won't be fed with a lot of fried flour...
(3)T D.
Best sushi place near campus
(4)Grey Wolf Y.
This is my favorite sushi place in Berkeley. Their specialty seafood salads are out of this world. Clean and contemporary interior. Great place to take a date.
(4)Janet K.
i've frequented this place for a while now...it's our staple "take-out" restaurant when we want to splurge and get sushi. the fish has consistently been good and fresh, which is why they get 2 stars. however, minus 3 (and i was tempted to subtract 4) because of the horrendous service we've had the past few times. it's consistently gotten worse, i feel the owners are the same but the waitresses are scattered and seem to have little to no training. having worked at a fairly busy thai restaurant, i know that it's not rocket science when you're figuring out to-go orders. a few times, they've gotten at least one roll incorrect, making us come back to exchange our order. as you can imagine, eating your sushi an hour after having ordered it is not delicious! but last night was the final straw. we ordered a few rolls and a dinner entree. i guess it was our fault for not checking both bags...but the first bag was correct and the waitress even made it a point to tediously say each roll we ordered, so i had no reason to suspect our bags would be so fu*ked up! when we got home, we realized that they had given us two bags of the exact same entree and no sushi! so we drive back to the restaurant, assuming it would be a quick transfer since our sushi, ideally, should have been waiting for us. but when we got there, they were totally confused...and had apparently give the sushi away to some other random person! they made us sit there for ~15 minutes while they made new rolls...and when we opened them up to check to make sure...they had switched up our order AGAIN!!! the whole ordeal, which took over an hour, definitely soured my opinion against this place. thanks for the memories nanayiro...you'll never see my money again!
(2)Allison B.
I am so disappointed in my dining experience with this place. We went there last night and although it was crowded, we were seated right away. I was really pleased at the diversity of the customers here; there were lots of families, college kids, and everyone else in between, which seemed like a really great sign. The fish that was brought to the tables around us made me drool and it really looked the way sushi is supposed to look: fresh, colorful, and beautiful. Between my girlfriend and I, we got 4 orders of nigiri Sake, 1 order of Himachi, and 1 order of Maguro. The soup and salad that came with the meal were delicious, especially the salad with its amazing dressing. We also ordered edamame for an appetizer, which was fantastic as well. Everything was great until we were served the sushi. 3 out of 4 of the salmon pieces had a shit load of skin on them as did the Himachi, which also looked like it had been cut with a bread knife. The salmon was completely inconsistent in temperature between the fish that had the skin and the one order that didn't, leading us to realize that they totally gave us the shittiest cuts of fish we had ever seen. The maguro was a complete disaster and you couldn't even bite through it, which defeats the whole purpose of sushi. I have never in my life been served sushi with skin on it, this also defeats the whole purpose of sushi, since skin makes the fish tough and doesn't allow you to make a clean bite. We ate the pieces without the skin and asked the waitress to please have the skin removed, which she more than graciously had taken care of for us. In fact, when she brought us back the fish, they were brand new pieces that were ice cold, unlike the original pieces we were given. Once we were given the high quality pieces, it was delicious, it was just so irritating that we were given the shit pieces first, presumably because we wouldn't know better. I'm torn, because it was really good, I just think the place is kind of shady. I used to sell sushi knives and it's not that difficult to skin fish before serving it!
(3)Tamara T.
We should have known when we ordered Sapporo beer in a Japanese restaurant and the waitress didn't know what we meant we were in the wrong place. Just don't go. Terrible service and bad tasting food.
(1)Corey I.
Not sure what's with the 1's or 2's. My wife and I have been coming here for years. This is our favorite Japanese/sushi restaurant in the Bay Area. The prices are a little high, but the food quality is extremely good. Plus the place is very clean. A+. Also, not sure why people are saying service is slow. I've literally been here 1-2 times per month for the last several years, and I can't ever remember service being slow.
(5)Vivian L.
My favorite japanese restaurant in Berkeley!!!! The food is amazing, I love the fire roll and the salmon. They have a lot of options in the menu, the fish is always fresh. The staff is friendly!! I recommend to all
(5)Nicole M.
I love this place! I have had the great opportunity of trying some great restaurants in Berkeley, but because I am an avid Sushi fan, this place deserves a review. Very good service, welcoming vibe, and the sushi is AWESOME no matter which roll I choose to order. Definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves good, quality sushi!
(4)Stephanie S.
My boyfriends and I had been craving good sushi lately and we walk by this place all the time, so we decided to give it a go. It's usually is pretty packed, but this day, it was slow so we figured it was a sign. Our host and waitress was a sweet Japanese girl, who didn't know a whole lot of english. Which we thought was a good sign. She got our drinks and miso out to us quite promptly. I orders the Samurai roll and i think my boyfriend ordered the bay bridge roll or something. They both had a good sashimi/rice ratio. Which is always my biggest concern. It was loaded with topping and sauce. Really, my only complaint was too much mayo based sauce. but other than that, we left quite satisfied and happy with our experience. Definitely going back.
(4)Lindsay H.
The service hasn't been that slow for me whenever I've come here. Very good sushi, fresh, flavorful. I like traditional sushi: salmon, tuna, yellowtail. They are all excellent and vey friendly.
(4)J. L.
This place USED to be just "OK" but has recently become incredible! I don't know what's changed over the last 6 mos. but the sushi has been absolutely phenomenal. It's become equal to Kirala but less expensive. The fish is now top-notch. Keep it coming!
(5)Wendy N.
I come to Nanayiro regularly for lunch since I work only two blocks from here. I would recommend the bento boxes- well-priced, good sized portions, with your choice of 2-3 items as your entree(s). The meals come with miso soup, rice, salad, a small serving of seaweed salad. All the food is really delicious and the waitresses are sweet and eager to please. They usually are not crowded at lunch, which is good since there seems to be only one waitress on lunch shift, with an older Japanese woman who appears to be the manager. The only bad experience I've had was when I went there by myself the day before Thanksgiving and the place was packed with only one waitress. I was brought a water immediately but no other type of service ever ensured. After waiting for over 15 minutes for the waitress to return to my table, I finally left. She called out, "Sorry! We are very busy. " but did not attempt to convince me to stay. Usually the service is very prompt so I would just recommend staying away near the holidays when more people are off work and they don't schedule extra staff to deal with it.
(4)Tim O.
This place was a real flop! The prices were below average as was the sushi. Some of the sushi we ordered was really fishy and my date ended up getting sick;/ nogo!
(1)David L.
2 star
(2)Albert L.
After getting lost on highway 101N, a group of friends and I decided to bust a b**** and grab some sushi in Berkeley. Nanayiro was the first restaurant that popped on our Apps so why not! Off the bat, this place is slightly over-priced. I dunno if Berkeley is just like this but damn. $9-$15 per roll.. Ouch! Ebi + Tako Sunomono ($8) [ s3-media4.px.yelpcdn.com… This might have just been an appetizer but damn, what a rip off.. Yeah, it's a seaweed salad and all but for $8, all you get is 2 slices of octopus and a measly half [cooked] piece of shrimp.. I can't elaborate further other than saying.. it's not worth it. Ankimo ($7) [ s3-media3.px.yelpcdn.com… Ankimo stands for Monkfish Liver, which if your not custom to, you'll probably pass on it. However, I enjoyed this (must be my Chinese chromosomes) and they were generous on the portions too! Comon, it isn't that bad. It's just like foie gras.. but fishy! Awesome Roll ($15) [ s3-media1.px.yelpcdn.com… This roll consisted of: stuffed deep prawns, avocado, fish roe, soft shell crab, crab meat, and spicy mayo. That being said, the crab was imitation.. (for $15, that's disappointing). Furthermore, it was TOPPED all over the rolls. I wasn't sure how we were supposed to eat it but it was messy. The rolls were definitely not awesome, decent at most, and for the price, not worth it.. Heart Attack ($10) [ s3-media2.px.yelpcdn.com… This roll consisted of: stuffed spicy tuna, jalapeno, avocado, topped with "crunch", and unagi sauce. WTF is "crunch"? I still dunno, but I believe it's just tempura crumbles, which was also topped off all over the rolls. It gave it the rolls a "crunch" to the bite but it didn't help the overall taste. The jalapenos were deseeded so that didn't give off any hot "heart attack" worthy spiciness too. In addition, there was no avocado.. The chef decided to substitute it with more cucumber instead, without notice. I don't want to go too in depth about this but it was just a "WTFreally" moment. So.. because of all the "toppings" on the rolls, each rolled crumbled. The quality of the ingredients and fish were sub-par and it was just not a nice depiction of what sushi Berkeley has to offer.. The waitress was very kind so I give em' that.
(2)Yesi P.
was this the only resturant opened after 2:30pm in Berkeley? MAYBE. we were trying to go to another resturant but they were closed and we tried 2 more but closed between 2:30 and 5 pm. (I hate when resturants do that) We entered Nanayiro and were seated right away. I had my family with me and we ordered Edemame and my husband had some sashimi and california rolls. by the way he was breathing them I will say they were good. I had a chicken teriyaki bento box and the portions were perfect. The gyozas were freshly made, nothing frozen (thank God!) I do feel that $15 was a bit much but cant really complain, the food was very tasty. One thing I didnt like was the bathroom, I took my baby with us and had to walk a long hall to realized they didnt have a changing table. Thats very incovinient and I will probably not visit the establisment if I have my daughter with me.
(4)Kadesh C.
I absolutely LOVE this place. It's my favorite sushi spot in Berkeley. Perfect location and great service. A nice place to go to for lunch, dinner, or a date. The sushi is always fresh, which is what you should always expect. Their full menu has a perfect assortment of rolls and complete meals. The setting is very comfortable and beautifully decorated.
(5)Akvile H.
Oh Nanayiro, why did you have to make my tummy hurt? I LOVE sushi and have a stomach made of steel, never get sick, and unfortunately, this place got me and my husband. :( The place seems usually somewhat busy so I would think that their fish has a good turn over rate. I always feel bad about giving reviews less than three stars but I'm not going to risk coming back in unfortunately. I never get sick from food and I guess it just didn't sit well...at all. We shared the Panic Roll, tempura roll, and Philly Roll. I think the Philly one got us. The service was good, quick, and the rolls looked appetizing (but look more like grocery store sushi than gourmet sushi), however they didn't taste very fresh. The Philly roll had raw fish in it, which I love, however it tasted a bit off and one piece had a weird cartilaginous crunch to it. I thought it was really odd so I just covered the rest in a lot of wasabi because I was hungry and thought maybe it was a fluke. I was also a little disappointed that the rolls had larger outside rice to inside ingredient ratio. Don't get me wrong, the two cooked rolls tasted alright, the Philly was mediocre however, and the overall experience was ok. I think for the price it could either taste fresher or the prices should just be a little lower. If you go, I'd recommend trying the cooked rolls.
(2)Pim D.
I ordered yakitori and hamachi roll. They were both awful. First of all, the yakitori, or grilled chicken, came with carrots and broccoli, and I immediately thought: this is weird. In my mind, I was still hoping that it might taste ok. However, at first bite, I regretted walking into this place. The chicken was too dried and burn from the grill. The hamachi roll wasn't any better. I have never seen any place serve hamachi with the red part of the fish. It is really dark red, which is kinda strange and scary. I should have gone to CU sushi instead. It's cheaper and the food is way better.
(1)Michelle N.
Oh my god...why is the service here so slow....you'd think I'd learn my lesson after going here time after time..each time I think that it's just that serving team that's particularly slow but no. For the handful of times I've been here for the past few years, the service is consistently slow. It's not even that it's a fully house. I've been one of three patrons in this restaurant before, and had the service been slow. It's not that the food takes a long time, the wait staff here just feels that their conversations with one another are more important than their conversations with you. Most recent experience was this past week. We came here for a friend's birthday since it was close to the apartment and someone didn't feel like walking too far. First, the waitress had to be reminded to provide the table with water. Then they gave us a lunch menu during dinner time. Rather than replace our menus or at least have the decency to say, "We've marked everything up $5 more for dinner than lunch," they just let us think the lunch prices were the same as dinner. We pointed that out when they gave us the bill (THE ONE THING THEY CAN GIVE TO YOU FAST) and the waitress basically goes, "That's your fault." The rolls here are decent, but for the wait time, go somewhere else, unless you have hours to spare and are in the area. CU Sushi is even better than this place, and that's saying a lot. Don't go here. I've learned my lesson. Nanayiro sucks.
(2)Jamie L.
My boyfriend and I were looking for sushi bars in Berkeley. We found Nanayiro via the Yelp app on the iPhone. When we walked in, I was surprised at the space of the restaurant. It was pretty spacious, especially for a sushi restaurant. We ordered the 911 Roll and Samurai Roll, which were delicious. With our order came garden salad and miso soup. The service was medicore, but the food was pretty delicious. My favorite by far of the two was the Samurai Roll which was just delicious with every bite. The 911 Roll was just as good, but I wanted to gobble up the entire roll of the Samurai before my man had a chance at it (LOL). At least we know where to go now for sushi the next time we're in Berkeley.
(3)Sam F.
Came on a sunday night for dinner and it was very slow, which makes sense. The food was really good, salmon nigiri was very fresh, and my friend had a shrimp tempura roll he really liked. Complementary miso soup. Here's the catch... service was bad, I mean really bad. And I work in a restaurant. We were completely ignored despite being some of the only people there. We had to ask for water, then flag someone down for sake, and after some 15 minutes flag them down again to order food. I just thought it was rude and I felt really unwelcome. Even when it's slow, its important to demonstrate care for your patrons, at least a little. I still tip 18%, never be one of those jerks :) Won't be back, though.
(3)Christopher J.
I ordered the Tekka Donburi (tuna over sushi rice). Portion size was great, but the quality of the sushi wasn't impressive. I would recommend Joshu-Ya or Musashi over it (haven't been to Kirala yet).
(2)Juana S.
Calamari Appetizer: Yummy this deserves a 5 star all the way it was my favorite of the night, was lightly battered fresh calamari, came with a side of wasabi dipping sauce which had cream texture. Alaska Roll: What's in it! Salmons skin and cucumber, it's fresh with a bit of a crunch to it. not the best salmon skin roll I have had, but it was good was drizzled with a dark sauce no wasabi needed or soy sauce. Drinks: Tea brewed tea, not fresh. Restaurant: Clean spacious. Bathroom: is located outside the restaurant you have to walk a long quiet hallway to get to the restroom which always freaks me out I'm thinking Freddy Krueger is coming out to get me run run run; obviously I watched too many horror flicks.LOL 8 siete once
(3)Jenny M.
This is my 100th Yelp post! I was waiting to save it for reviewing a good place :) Nanayiro is a great place for dinner dates. I came here with my boyfriend and got a bento box (great value and portions), and one of those fire rolls (ahhh I wish I remember what it was called, but they literally bring it to you ON FIRE.) Our food was delicious and came with miso soup and salad :) Service is kind of hit or miss - it was my second time coming to Nanayiro and our server was very attentive, but I remember that the first time I went, the service was much slower.
(4)Amer H.
Really good sushi, I had the Philadelphia roll, Shitake roll and the Golden Gate roll. All of them were amazing. i highly recommend the Golden Gate Roll as well as the Shitake Roll for those who are not a fan of raw sushi. the mushroom was super tasty thanks to the what it was marinated in. The Golden Gate was rolled with" Deep-fried shrimp, avocado, crab-meat, cream cheese, crab, spicy mayo, spicy sauce, eel sauce." super tasty and will order it again in the future and makes me hopeful about ordering other special rolls. Not only was the food great but so was the delivery! it came right on time if not sooner and i was concerned because the restaurant was far away from my home. This place is great for ordering in and I look forward to dining in the near future
(5)Sara C.
I like this place a lot - the sushi is maybe not the best I've had in my life, but it's fresh and tasty. They have a nice selection of fancy rolls, although they are on the pricey side. They do provide free miso soup if you eat in. The service was also quick and friendly. In comparison to Kirala down the street - I think the sushi at Kirala is tastier, but you won't have to wait an hour for a table at Nanayiro.
(4)Nina M.
I used to come here often and ordering spicy tuna on my way home. But, after they have increased their prices twice within a few months, i have chosen to not go. This is a student town and while the food is good, i dont understand why their prices have gone up. Twice.
(2)Helen L.
Highly recommend their Chirashi. Very fresh sashimi and generous portion for $18. Hamachi kama and salmon kama are very good, too. I also tried some of their rolls (fire, tempura, BBQ rolls). They are okay.
(4)Jenniffer G.
I was on the hunt for a place that served soba noodles (alternative to udon noodles, which I personally am not fond of - soba noodles are made primarily from buckwheat and are brown in color with a mild flavor - yum imo), and came across this place. Always passed by, but never considered eating here, until tonight of course. Came here with a friend. I ordered the sabe chicken soba, and my friend got the ton katsu curry (pork katsu with a strong curry-ish flavored sauce on the side). We also ordered a California roll and Alaska roll, to test out the quality of their sushi. I was personally impressed with their soba. The broth is not overly salty (which gets huge points in my book), and the amount of non-noodle items in the bowl are rather generous: several chunks of chicken breast, onions, an egg, cabbage, brocolli, mushroom, tofu, a few slices of fish cake, one shrimp tempura, and of course...soba noodles! I generally have quite the stomach, but could not get through my bowl because there was so much going on in there! I approve. The katsu on the otherhand, was not super amazing. Then again, I've never been a fan of katsu (breaded things make me feel queasy usually). My friend was expecting something more curry-like, since the name of his dish mentioned curry, but it was simply the sauce that had some sort of curry flavoring hinted throughout. We both found the taste of the sauce (which is served on the side) to be a bit strong. The pork katsu itself was not bad. It is served with a serving of rice, brocolli, a small side salad, and a serving of this seaweed thing (I think, I never got a chance to try it). Not presented in an amazing way either - the plate was plasticy and just the overall layout of the dish made it seem a bit cheap (of which, this place is not). As for the rolls - the California and Alaska rolls - my friend approves of the California roll, and while the Alaska roll wasn't bad, it wasn't the most amazing either. It seemed to lack much flavor all around. The quality of the rolls were okay, they didn't really fall apart when picked up for consumption. Service is lackluster as some yelpers mentioned, and I agree. However, the quality of the food wasn't bad, especially for a first try. I would come back again to take on another bowl of soba, and try a couple more rolls (lobster roll, anyone?). One downside is that some items on the menu are a little overpriced for what they are (probably the katsu, but I think the soba was worth the $12). Otherwise, good place, worth a try, and a possible return visit might be in order in the near future.
(4)Ellie O.
I am still new to sushi and so am not adventurous with my choices. I stick to either avocado rolls or California rolls and edamame. So far in the three times I have visited Nanayiro (once to sit down, twice for take out) the food and service was fantastic! The ladies who work there are always pleasant and attentive. The food has always been tasty and made perfectly. The prices are good and they have quick service, which for a working student is an absolute must when eating out. Definitely recommend Nanayiro.
(5)Teresa G.
I've been here several times. Great food, great service and reasonably priced!! Definitely will be returning soon!
(5)Kevin J.
Was seated quickly. Clean place, friendly staff. First was salad and the standard Miso soup. Iceberg lettuce should be outlawed for salads. The salad was very disappointing and Miso was the standard. Nothing special. I got the Bento with Gyoza, beef teriyaki and Cali roll...GREAT. Makes up for the salad and miso. I will be back!
(4)Esther Y.
I came here for lunch on a whim with some classmates today and was pleasantly surprised! There was nobody there so we were served quickly. I'm the kind that tends to stick my fork in other people's food...so based on that, I think that the best rolls out of what we ordered were the Caterpillar Roll and the Crunch Roll (slightly spicy, but not really noticeable). I thought the Berkeley Roll and the Dragon Roll were just okay. Salmon looked good but it's not really my favorite fish so I won't comment on it. I got the Crunch Roll and it was about $7 after tip and tax, which is not too bad. Prices seem to generally be on the higher side, but I think the quality and freshness matches up. I'd go here again! I like it better than Joshu-Ya. EDIT: GET THE FIRE ROLL!!! 141. Fire Roll $15.40 Stuffed with soft shell crab topped with crabmeat, avocado, eel, flying fish roe and unagi sauce. Served ON FIRE!
(4)Margaret I.
Had dinner here last night because my husband and I were meeting up with some friends at Thalassa. I thought it was decent sushi considering the location. We ordered way to much food. The miso soup was good, then again I love miso soup. We had seaweed salad, yum, best part of the meal if you ask me. We shared three rolls. We had a spicy tuna roll, it was so-so. We tried the champion roll because it sounded amazing, it was kind of ridiculously huge and didn't quite carry the flavor i wanted it to, but it wasn't bad, just hard to eat. The best thing by far was the special baby lobster roll. It was delicious,every bite was great and I would order this an only this if I were to go again. The girls who waited on us were very nice, and always made sure I had plenty of water. The pricing seemed to be pretty reasonable as well. If i were in Berkeley more often I'd probably go here again.
(3)Prescila B.
YUMM, YUM, YUM! This place is a gem! Great sushi, so fresh and delicious..great roll selection, certainly a great spot to eat great food. This place holds a special place in my heart, because my boyfriend and I eat there when we visit the Bay area..its "our spot". Its in a prime location (downtown Berkeley) and the prices are reasonable=)
(5)Elaine L.
SMH. I've come here a few times with family and once or twice whenever I was craving sushi. They recently updated their menu and added new rolls that I dont remember seeing before. Overall, the meal was good. We ordered the Berkeley roll, Sexy roll, caterpillar roll, 49er, and the green something (I forgot the name). All of them were pretty good although the green roll was my least favorite. The sexy roll was really big also came with a big pile of imitation crab meat in the center of the dish with the big fish eggs. We also ordered the teriyaki salmon, which had onions on the bottom which i found tasty with the sauce, and fish which I found a bit dry and hard to eat (although my sister says that it tasted better another time she ate it here). We also had free miso soup although a few looked only half full but I guess we couldnt complain seeing that it was "free". We had a party of 6 and they charged us gratuity AND 8 dollars for cake cutting fee. I really hate places that dont tell us before hand that they will be charging us to give us plates for the cake. If we knew, we would have cut the cake some other place. Hmph. I also heard that the tempura green tea is good here. I'll try it another time but probably to go.
(3)Amiee H.
I haven't been here in a LONG time and coming back today was a total let down. All I can say is the quality has totally decreased here. The fish didn't taste that fresh, and the rolls were not that impressive. Not only that but they skipped out on the hot tea and salad. Those used to be included in the meal!! Why are you skimping out on me nanayiro?!?!?! Rolls: 1) Ace roll: unagi and softshell crab. I normally really like unagi and soft shell crab but even with the combination of these two delicious sea animals, I still wasn't crazy about this roll. 2) Over the rainbow roll: softshell crab with an array of different types of fish on the top. Sounds good, but the fish didn't taste too fresh. 3) Jolly Salmon Roll: Spicy salmon roll...again, not crazy over this 4) Spicy Tuna roll: Didn't spark my interest. Service: Nice but just kinda slow. Ambiance: I've always liked the ambiance here. It's quiet and relaxing. A good escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are huge windows for you to look out into the busy street and people watch. It's pretty nice place to dine. Price: WAY over priced for the quality of food you get. Overall: WHAT Happened to you nanayiro?? I used to like coming here for the good quality sushi I got. Now it's just plain expensive. Today's dining experience was so bad that it may be the last I ever eat here.
(2)Anne L.
Nanayiro has decent sushi, but there are definitely way better places out there. On top of that, the rolls here are a bit overpriced. I liked their Lobster Roll, but I really didn't want to finish the Golden Gate. Their chirashi dinner is a good price compared to other places, but that's because the quality is just okay rather than top-notch. Next time I'll try the Fire Roll, which is actually served on fire. Their servers are always really nice and attentive so I always make sure to tip them.
(3)Kenny L.
Went here for dinner and it was not bad. Food was decent, had the salmon sashimi. Fish was fresh, solid but still melt in your mouth and super flavorful. The reason for the 3 stars is because it was a pretty empty night yet still took forever to ask us for drinks. Then after we ordered water it took another 10 minutes before they took our order (still no water.) The water ended up coming a few minutes before the food came, which took quite a bit of time itself. After we were done eating we sat there with empty water cups, empty plates and waited for someone to come by with the check and maybe a water refill. I finally had to flag someone down to get the check. Also one of the other tables had to have someone get up and walk to the counter in order to ask the waitress for some water and to take their orders.
(3)Stu S.
We stopped in yesterday about 4pm for a snack. Split the Sexy Roll, which had unagi, avocado, yellow tail and crab. We opted for the real crab for $2.00 more and wow! The crab was served in a mound in the middle of the round roll and it was delicious! The whole roll is deep fried and the crab is served warm. It was not greasy. Service was a little slow but friendly
(4)Jennifer L.
Decent sushi place with good service. I went for dinner and it wasn't too crowded. Ordered a couple rolls and some sashimi. The rolls were good, and the fish tasted fresh. The complimentary salad had a nice dressing. I would go again.
(4)Mariel F.
Definitely come here for their Baked Rolls (LOBSTER / Scallop / Salmon). The Lobster Roll is my Favorite roll here. Those baked rolls are definitely their specialty. Service is good. I recommend checking this place out.
(4)Jazmin Y.
Although the complete lack of service, they do provide bendy straws... Which distracted me from the 15 min wait for water and miso soup. On the plus side, the food was good. My usually dragon roll. But the shrimp tempura had ONE shrimp. Wtf? Probably won't come here again.
(2)Rachel S.
Pros: Really reasonably-priced bento boxes Tempura All ingredients seem really fresh Not too expensive Waitress comes around to check on you a lot Quick service Flower candies with your check Cons: No Ramune sodas! Music - a lot of the time it doesn't really fit the atmosphere Waitress comes around to check on you a lot Atmosphere can feel a little weird Bottom line: Come here with friends, try for a more romantic atmosphere if you're here for a formal date.
(3)Nadia S.
They get 5 stars only because this is the place my boyfriend took me for our first date oh so many years ago. Sentiments and ooey-gooeyness aside, I don't really remember much from the first time we went there since I was too nervous to really eat, let alone notice the food. Hm... Well I wasn't really nervous, I was just talking too much to really eat so boyfriend was the one who was shoveling the food in. (Ok, not shoveling, I'm sure we were more classy than that.) We walked by the restaurant the other day and decided to re-visit our old memories. I ordered a rose garden roll and my boyfriend got udon (I think chicken.) My roll was beautifully made, filling and delicious. Boyfriend loved the udon noodles. The restaurant is a small and a nice place for a date (I'm being so unbelievably biased here). Service was solid. Oh! And you should try to find the bathroom. It's down the world's longest corridor maze. I dunno. I'm easily amused.
(5)Irene C.
The service has always been decent and they have cool rolls.. AWESOME. My favorite choice for group birthday dinners. It's never too full to accommodate a table of 10. I crave the baked tuna roll.
(4)Eric F.
Been here a couple times for dinner and the sushi is very solid. Prices are about average and appropriate for the quality of the fish, rice, and overall composition & presentation. The inside is spacious, well-kept, and on the quieter side - a much appreciated quality when I'm trying to converse. Service is okay, food is served in a timely manner though they tend to lag on water and tea refills.
(3)D C.
This is a pretty solid place for sushi, stopped by last night with some friends for a bite to eat. The restaurant is pretty spacious for a place in downtown Berkeley and there is parking in the back which is great. I ordered the eel nigiri and the butterfly roll (salmon sashimi wrapped around crab meat topped with Sriracha). The pieces of eel were good but the rice could have been seasoned better. I definitely enjoyed the butterfly roll, it was nice eating a roll without all the rice and the salmon was fresh.
(3)Genessee K.
When I was still in school, this place was a fave, (one very rainy evening, while studying, v-day, I even asked a guy to bring back an order of spicy tuna for me). The floor-to-ceiling windows, turning your table into a display for hungry passers-by, are not for the shy, or self-conscious, but their red dragon roll is delish enough to bear it, and every guest is treated to salad with citrus-vinegar dressing, miso soup and green tea.
(4)Helen V.
2 times, not so charmed... If you're around the area, I would say head to Anzu or the other sushi joints along Shattuck. Nanayiro definitely would not be my 'go to'... I will give them a semi-redeeming quality, they have a long list of rolls, but HEY, so do a lot of other sushi joints around here! Most of the menu consists of what you would normally see. The service described by other yelpers is spot on. The waitress was horrible! Really not attentive and assumed our tip! In addition, she charged my credit card for more! I would have to say service counts just as much as the food. When you go to a restaurant, you go for the food, the atmosphere, and the hospitality....otherwise, you should just stay home. So thanks Nanayiro, I should have stayed home...
(2)Kim-van T.
I've passed by this place so many times and finally got the chance to try it. My sister frequents this spot during her lunch break so we decided to go one day. The menu is pretty expansive but what caught my eye right away was the 3 item bento box for $11.95! What a steal! I couldn't pass it up! I decided to get the california roll, tempura, and chicken teriyaki. Miso soup and salad are also served with all lunch orders. In the end the three item bento was too much food. All the bento box items are pretty big servings. Service is really quick! I'd say the only bad thing about this place is that when I had my leftovers packed to go they didn't throw any extra wasabi in. Oh well, will just have to request it next time. I'd come back. =)
(3)Kat C.
Consistantly good. No really, yummy. Trying to find the bathroom is like being in the Matrix. Once you step outside the restuaruant it's a series of hallways and doors. Weird.
(4)Frannie C.
Food is standard Americanized Japanese food. Nothing stands out. Prices are reasonable. Customer service is good.
(3)Roxy L.
Dinner and a show! The sushi was decent, I will get to that but the crazy bum and other guy fighting outside was down right scary. The normal?guy had some crowbar type tool in his hand and the bum was yelling and cussing him out. I dont know how it started and didnt see it actually go down but I'm glad no one busted out a gun. The guy with ghe weapon left with a ripped up shirt and the crazy bum say in front of the store squirming around and still yelling and cussing at the wind...some lady had to tell the restaurant people to call the cops because they were just watching the fight go on....anyways back to the food. The edamame was nice and warm. The mushroom roll, the house special was a delight, the jungle roll was not very good we didnt finish but ya gotta get the fire roll. It is served YES on fire. Tasty but the mushroon roll was better and about half the price of the fire roll.if i can upload my pics I will be posting. Service was just alright, with the chaos outside we didnt get refills and were not really checked on. Oh and the bathroom is a walk....u must use a key and walk thru a series of pathways. I didnt know where the heck i was actually going to end up. Restsurant and facilities seemed clean but i think for our next Berzerkely visit we will try Namaste Madras Cuisine down the street, it was our second choice.
(3)N N.
Food is mediocre and overpriced. Not to mention, they don't itemize the bill and we highly suspect that they double charged us. But since we had a large group and 3 people had left by the time we settled the bill, we had to cough up the $40 difference the restaurant was demanding from us. Not happy and not returning!
(1)Gnaz A.
Maybe I should have reviewed this place the first time that I came here, because I was so satisfied and so happy, it was the best sushi I had had till that night, but I came for a second time but this time it was a Saturday night as oppose to the first time that was a week night, and totally disappointed me... The first time(weeknight): 1)good service 2)great sushi Second time: 1)bad service 2)half full cup of misso soup!!!! I probably give them another try before I leave Berkeley, I loved them so much the first time. tips to remember: parking is not so easy on Shattuck or Channing, so plan to be there in time if you have a date! 2) the prices are acceptable, not student price but acceptable 3) the restrooms are a bit crappy, far, you have to actually walk in small halls to get to it!!! I'll try them one more time and update my review, hopefully for the better :)
(3)Holly P.
Once upon a time, I used to eat here once or twice a month. It was a nice, quiet spot that was perfect for a quick girls night out dinner. It's not too far from home and the location was convenient. But the last time I was there in mid-December 2009, the pretty little picture of Nanayiro that I held so dear in my heart was completely shattered! We were in a group of 10 or so and entered the restaurant around 7 p.m. The servers seemed confused and upset when they took our order. Our water was never refilled. It must have taken more than an hour to start getting our food. Sure, I enjoyed the item I always get, Baked Salmon Roll. But mind you, it is a cooked item. My friends were not satisfied with their meals, noting that the raw fish did not taste fresh and that most of it was imitation meat. When it came time to pay, everyone put their cash together. The servers looked confused again, taking forever at their register. Next thing you know, they say that we are missing $10! I'm not sure they can count. Afterward, a bunch of my friends went to Wendy's or Carls Jr. Yes, it was that serious! Needless to say, I'll endure a long drive for some quality sushi rather than stopping at Nanayiro ever again.
(1)Elizabeth C.
I live just a couple of blocks from Nanayiro, and boy do I love me some sushi, so I checked out this place when it opened, hoping that the change from its previous incarnation (Manga Sushi) would mean an improvement in the meh-quality but foofoo-priced sushi. Alas. Overpriced mediocrity. I went there again a few weeks ago, and had a really good dinner. In particular, the hamachi kama was awesome -- so perfectly grilled that it hardly needed the accompanying ponzu. It was so good that I was eager to go there again, just for this dish! Made that return visit tonight. Date night with my man. The place was nearly empty, so I can't blame the results on the kitchen being slammed. The hamachi kama was burned. Black, charcoal, burned. The waitress sweetly took it off our bill, but I can't believe the chef would let such a badly prepared dish leave the kitchen. The tobiko tasted less than fresh, and the saba was obviously frozen. The special rolls are HUGE -- the quality of the ingredients was okay, so if you feel like you've gotten your money's worth just because your $13 spider roll is bulked out to the size of a possum with rice, go for it. Altogether, an expensive lesson; we spent almost $50 (not including drinks!!!) to learn not to go back to this place.
(2)Reham S.
Love this place! Delicious sushi, very generous portions, and the staff is so nice and friendly! My favorite is the seafood noodle soup. Highly recommended overall!
(5)Anna P.
Great Sushi in a Central Location! Free miso soup with any special roll. Very filling and well made sushi for a reasonable price. Very attentive waiters/waitresses with very fast service. One weird thing is that they pour out all of their soy sauce through filters into a large vat system and then refill each soy sauce container individually (come near the end of the night to watch this strange event). Oh, and when you open their front door, the side glass window (that makes up the entire side wall) shivers a bit scarily.
(4)Nesta M.
Fresh, tasty raw fish - what else do you want? The orange blossom, 911, and rose garden rolls never disappoint. As others have pointed out, the free tea, salad, and miso soup are nice touches. Service is as attentive as you like, but never rushes. Another plus is the presence of parking behind the restaurant - this can be very helpful considering the downtown Berkeley parking situation in the evenings. Overall, a very good choice for sushi in the East Bay.
(4)Eat W.
I just came back from Nanayiro for a late night bite. All the rolls we ordered were delicious, large and very fresh tasting. This is now my favorite sushi place in Berkeley. The servers were super attentive and frequently came by with a jug of water in one hand and a jug of tea in the other hand. I don't know how their other items on the menu taste, but I will definitely come back for the sushi ;-)
(5)Josh S.
Nanayiro in my opinion is the best place to go for Sushi in Berkeley. Yes, even better Kirala. 1. They always have great service. Service is always very fast, you never wait long to order, or to receive your food. 2. The sashimi is always very high quality. I have been to Kirala several times and Nanayiro dozens of times and the Salmon is always better at Nanayiro, the tuna being about equal, and the mackerel is better here. Also the tempura is always great. 3. The prices are reasonable. Its not cheap but it is nowhere as expensive as Kirala. I think most Berkeleyites have a mental block to Nanayiro because the interior decorations in Nanayiro are not as exciting as Kirala. With whatever you order you get free tea, miso soup, and salad. Even if you just order a hand roll, Nanayiro will give this to you for free. I order a sashimi plate, a roll or two, along with a hand roll and nigori sake, and always come out paying around $50 for me and my girlfriend. This would cost more like $100 at Kirala. Add this with reason #2 and Nanayiro is the clear winner. Tips: Sit at the sushi bar and ask the sushi chef what fish is fresh and good. I find their recommendations to be good, and I always leave happy with my sashimi. Also I find the chefs to be creative, and they will make you custom rolls if you request it. Sometimes I ask for custom rolls with whatever the best fish of the day is, along with some tempura shrimp, and possibly avocado in the roll. Again, this usually leaves me pretty happy, and you know you are getting exactly what you want! I did want to add that Nanayiro does not have a grill where they grill seafood like Kirala does. For some this is important and I can see why some like that better. To me sushi is about the fish, the sashimi first and foremost; since that fish is used in all the rolls and nigiri. In this department Nanayiro wins.
(5)Rinky N.
Although I've only had the veggie stuff, I've come here with omnivores. We all have enjoyed their food. I love the veggie tempura rolls and the veggie gyoza. Lunch specials offer the best deals. Dinner prices are over $10. Waitstaff ranges from very pleasant to irritable. Bathroom is f-a-rrrrrr away. You literally have to make 6-7 turns in the hallway till you find it. Amazing since the building doesn't seem that big.
(4)Christina L.
This place is, hands down, my favorite Japanese restaurant in Berkeley and the reason for this is simple: good, fresh, melt-in-you-mouth sashimi. Honestly, when it comes down to it, food is only as good as the ingredients you put into it and the sashimi here is so fresh you can definitely taste it in the sushi rolls and when you just eat it plain. Although the rolls are not gigantic as seems to be the upcoming style a la Sushi House and Nude Sushi, they are delicious and how I believe true Japanese food should be. Also, the tuna salad is also very good and a surprise find for me that I definitely think you should try. It's seared tuna on salad with these little crunchies and amazing sauce all over - something I haven't found at other restaurants and I am a sucker for new things (hard to find at Japanese restaurants). For real Japanese food in Berkeley, trust me, give Nanayiro a try!
(4)Monica S.
What a find.. Thanks to my brother for introducing us to this place. They have a wide selection of very fun maki rolls. The lobster roll was by far my fav. My second fav was the baked sushi topped with scallops.. I ate every last bite of everything.. can't wait to head back to Berkley for the delish sushi..
(4)Tyler B.
Sushi is pretty good. nothing to freak out about. good facility service is meh. The general overtone is pretty OK on all levels nothing too awful and nothing too great.
(3)Audrey B.
Yuckville. Seriously. Why can't I find good sushi in Berkeley when I could get so much of it in SF? This was bad sushi. The raw fish wasn't fresh. The fish that was supposed to be cooked wasn't. The rice was dry. There was a crazy high cucumber to fish ratio. Just all around ick. It would be one thing if the great service made up for it, but no such luck. We didn't get a water refill in the hour we were there and the place was empty. When we complained about the food (something both of us rarely do) nothing was done. No manager apology, no discount, nada. I guess my search continues.
(1)Lizi F.
This place is totally underrated, I think because it's a tad far from where everyone goes for dinner, and it's pretty easy to miss. But the interior of the restaurent is very quiet and classy, and the menu is actually really creative. I tried the Fire Roll, which is served on fire, and it makes the sushi has such flavor that it might as well be the best sushi roll i've ever had. We also ordered Over the Rainbow Roll, which an assortment of fish and it was so fresh and tender. The price is on the pricer side, but i think it's worth it for the freshness and the creativity of the menu. They always have new stuff coming out! (:
(4)Alexis V.
The atmosphere was lovely and the presentation was also beautiful. I liked the variety of appetizer options. However when it comes to sushi, freshness and taste are what count the most. The Salmon was so so and the Tuna was downright fishy. If the waitress had warned us that the fish wasn't fresh I could have forgiven it, but there no such warning, no recommendations for what was fresh... my friend got the sashimi and I got a stomach ache. Too many good sushi places to give this a second chance.
(2)Kayla M.
I ate here 2-3 times a week for the whole school year. I get the bento box with spicy tuna rolls and sashimi.... sometimes gyoza. Delish! Always fresh. In my experience, this place has the best sashimi on Shattuck.
(4)Ivan B.
Very good restaurant. Service is great, sushi are awesome in this place.
(5)Seong P.
3.5 stars. i have a habit of getting wildly obsessed with something and then completely losing interest. i get people all in a frenzy about whatever i'm into and then, poof, no thank you. it takes a lot of energy maintaining that level of enthusiasm and i may be incapable of it for more than few months. it's happened with: my favorite authors, designers, cabbage patch dolls, making my own clothes, hula hooping, tetris, collecting matchbox cars, refinishing furniture and making sparkly ladybug shells for halloween. the latest victim of my disaffection may be pub trivia. i didn't think it would happen but it may be time for me to retire from the circuit. so, prior to one of my last forays into pub trivia, i met up with my stage momma for dinner. i was on a very tight budget so he accommodated me by limiting our order. it was very sweet but when he wouldn't let the waitress take the plate because he had to eat every piece of tobiko and ginger on it, i felt bad. i was starving him (i buy you dinner next time, k?). the restaurant is very long and somewhat narrow, clean and they have cute dishes. i heard the bathroom was very far away, like on the other end of shattuck. we had 3 rolls with hamachi, spicy tuna and softshell crab and everything tasted fine. (don't try to tell me i'm not useful, van.) hmm, i just realized i have been pretty into yelp for more than a few months. and korean fried chicken. maybe i'm changing. we'll see.
(3)Joyce D.
Giving this 5 stars because it was the last meal I had with my boyfriend before he left for Seattle and they didn't mess up. I had the Rainbow Roll and he had the humongous bento box which he actually finished... Everything was pretty tasty and things weren't overly salty or bland. Service was quite attentive and authentic? Also, the restaurant is one of the cleanest on Shattuck and also very modern. They have a nice selection of sake and plum wine. pros didn't get food poisoning from a berkeley sushi place speedy service good price cons bathroom was kind of hidden It is a nice place for a casual date if you want to show you're interested but not seem like you're trying too hard, not too pricey, don't have to dress up, pretty close to campus... funny how this place was always around but i never went because for a long time i didn't trust sushi places on/near shattuck (after having been to CU fusion sushi).
(5)Katie H.
This place is pretty bad. Got the Berkeley roll and the 911 roll. Some of the worst I've ever had, including that dry grocery store stuff. The rice was old, the fish was flavorless and not fresh. The ginger on my plate was dried out and hard. The spicy tuna in my roll was gray and flavorless. My friend and I were one of two groups in the whole place during lunch, and we didn't get our waters refilled once. Average sushi is okay if it's cheap, but these are $10-12 rolls that are terrible. NOT recommended.
(1)A B.
I love this place--it's a pretty modest place, but for me the sushi is better than anything else I have had in the Bay Area. I know, big call. And great value too. I've eaten dozens of times times here over the years, and the food is consistently great. Also consistently good service. If I ever venture to another sushi restaurant (whether locally, or travelling), it makes me hanker for Nanayiro.
(4)Stephanie A.
-----Preface My boyfriend is a vegetarian and I am a peskatarian (I eat fish but not meat). -----Number of Visits 5 -----Service Nearly the best service I've had in Berkeley, and THE best for a Japanese restaurant. The waitresses are extremely attentive a
(4)Kate M.
Best inexpensive sushi in Berkeley. I've been going here for years, and while I liked the old chef a bit better this place is still great. The salmon in amazing and I love the Crunch Roll. If you order two rolls you get complimentary salad (with the best dressing I've ever had) and miso soup. The staff is sweet and usually pretty fast. The chefs wave good bye as you leave. The only thing I don't like is the smooth jazz they play - but I am willing to plug my ears for their yummy fish.
(5)Ted R.
I'm sure I'll go back to this place because the prices are so righteous and the location is close to the movie theaters. But the sushi I had on my first visit wasn't anywhere near great. Maybe it's because I've been hitting up some badass places across the Bay lately, and my most recent experience at Hama-Ko in Cole Valley was absolutely mind-blowing. Don't get me wrong Nanayiro doesn't suck. Like I said, I'll go back. The decor was pretty nice and the service fast and friendly. And you can do some serious damage for 20 bucks. So I'm really hoping it's better next time. At these prices, the food wouldn't even have to be too amazing to make this a legit 4 star joint.
(3)Randy S.
This restaurant has great sushi! Although I most often opt for the maki rolls--can you say spicy crunch, spicy tuna, and yellowtail rolls--I've also had the bento box (with varying options), the sashimi, and more... Always great to get the complimentary green tea, small salad, and miso soup as a starter to the meal as well... The fresh sushi, fast service, and simple atmosphere (which, though simple, is a definite step up--or several--from the other fast-foodesque sushi joints in the area), will keep me coming back for more. Whether by myself or with a friend (or friends) this is a great place to go... I'll second the comments re: the bathroom hike...I practically thought I was walking to campus in that hallway...but the quality of food and the reasonable prices easily outweighs that very minor inconvenience... Mmmm...sushi!
(4)Veggie J.
UPDATE!! the vegetarian deep fried gyozas still frickin' rock like no other!!! GD it! go get some now!! my sisters and i had to order TWO orders of it (7 pcs. each) and still it wasn't enough. the sushi lunch special i had last time was not on the menu. but i tried the avocado roll and the oshitashi (spinach) roll, both which were super yummy. we all got salads with our menu and that salad has got to be one of the best salads i have ever eaten. there's something about the dressing...i don't know what it is but i think i need to have it everyday. 1 star up for a second taste of pure goodness and absolutely loving it. --------------------------------------------------Â--------------------------------------- vegetarian deep fried gyozas!!!! i almost gave this place 5 stars just for those super yummy gyozas. but then i don't really know how the rest of the food is. i've only been here once. we tried coming back for the gyozas again, but they're closed on sundays. when i went, i had this lunch special sushi combo thing that had asparagus, cucumber and shiitake rolls. all very good. but i would like to come back here again for those oh-so-yummy gyozas. it's not everyday you come across delicious vegetarian potstickers ever since vegetarian gourmet in san mateo closed. but this place is really nice...very very very nice decor. and when i went to use the ladies' room, i felt like i walked all the way to oregon until i got there. nice.
(5)Mortiche W.
it's alway best to go in to a place without preconcieved notions. I didn't read the reviews for this place but saw the rating guide, and had driven past it for years and always saw it quite busy so I had no idea what this place was like. Not busy like Kirala busy, but busy enough to alleviate any *'old fish' fears. We just wanted a place that had sushi for my still -no-quite-over-the-cold tummy. We opted to sit at the bar and I decided I didn't want anything cooked like teriyaki unless they had a robata. They didn't, so it was all sushi. We ordered: For JR: Sashimi dinner For me: Amaebi Unagi Maguro Tamago Uni Hotate Sake (yes I like food babies!) After having a good chuckle at the typo where the Aladdin sake was spelled "Araddin"- the ultimate Engrish translation- we actually decided to order it looking at the cool bottle. The sake was actually pretty good. We also ordered the oshitashi, which was cooked spinach in a ground sesame dressing. The dish was great but it lacked salt in a big way- no worries! Nothing a little soy sauce couldn't change! The soup was unremarkable but the salad came topped with a garlic dressing so I had to give mine up. The sushi arrived and JR's sashimi combo dinner looked great- large, healthy slices of Sake, Maguro, Hamachi and something else that looked like it could have been Tai (not really fond of it so I didn't try). I heard no complaints on his end. The Amaebi were presented very nicely with the shell of another shrimp on the front of the body like some sea-cyborg army. My sushi was also cut in healthy portions, and had a little bit of trouble sitting/staying wasabi-glued on their rice but it tasted fresh and flavorful, and the rice wasn't a terrible, hard ball of starch. The uni stole the show here- each piece came literally overflowing with briny sea urchin. I think they used twice as much uni here as they do at other restaurants, and the sushi chef won my heart. Next thing you know, we're pouring sake for the man. What? A seared tuna special dish just for us? Why THANK YOU! *gobble gobble gobble* Needless to say, we have found another delicious, slightly less expensive and more accessible place for sushi in Berkeley.
(4)Paula R.
Musk soup with a roll which is cool, also piping hot edamame, the fish wasn't the freshest but still good...
(3)Leily P.
They have your standard fancy sushi rolls which come with free miso soup. I would recommend this place if you don't have a car or the time to go to Sushi House in Alameda. The prices are comparable but the rolls are obviously smaller. However it's still not bad compared to the sushi places in Berkeley.
(3)Betty H.
Too pricey for what they serve, even though service is good. we got the baked salmon roll which was 12 dollars and a two-item bento with tempura and salmon: paltry, paltry. Not a good deal at all! The roll was good, but not fantastic and the bento - well, it ought to be ashamed to call itself a bento. Their tempura is a joke! Anyway, definitely not coming back.
(2)regina k.
Surprisingly, for being on the corner of two busy streets in a college town, the sushi was really good. It's very fresh, melts in your mouth, and the menu has a good variety. I usually order the sashimi and it's always buttery and comes out quickly. The service is good and each plate is beautiful. The rolls are fantastically huge. Ambiance was ok... more like a sit-down pizza restaurant, I thought. Overall, the food was really good, so 4 stars.
(4)france d.
Although I've lived in front of Nanayiro for the last two years, I went there two weeks ago for the first time. I'm not a big fan of sushi, and the idea of going there mainly came to our mind because my friend had to rush to go back to study after the gym, and claimed he only had "20 minutes at most for dinner" that night. The place is not bad, pretty clean and spacious: in addition to the sitting spots in the front, they also have a bar area where people can eat in front of sushi makers. With all orders, they first bring you a miso soup, which is not my favourite (I don't like tofu) but my friend likes quite a lot: he had the whole of it, tofu included, in less than a minute! Our sushi dishes were not bad: I got the california roll plate, which was eight abundant pieces of sushi served with ginger and sauce. The fish really tasted fresh and I was happy with it. My friend ordered a bento box with sashimi and salmon: for the price they charged, the latter was definitely a deal. The salmon tasted good, and the sashimi was really fresh. To drink, I had a Asahi beer, and convinced my friend to have one too, ince it's quite a light one and wouldn't have interfered too much with his studying. Overall, I think Nanayiro is a good option if you really want sushi and do not want to pay too much.
(3)Mark O.
This is my favorite sushi spot in Berkeley. A large group grad school friends made this our "regular spot" for sushi every couple of weeks and it still is just as good as then! The miso soup is included when ordering rolls and is some of the best ever. I really like the prices...very reasonable. The ambiance isn't special, but the place is clean, the service good, the people friendly. A very good neighborhood sushi r restaurant!
(4)L B.
Pretty good. I come here if I'm not in the mood to walk to Tako Sushi on Telegraph. The fish is higher quality, although they don't have as many options and they're pricier. They're picky about the bento boxes... C'mon people let me pick what I actually want. Tempura is a bento box choice, but not veggie tempura? I can't pair a roll with sashimi in a bento? Charge me another dollar, I don't care. Overall a decent mid-priced sushi place. Better than the rest of the places in the immediate vicinity.
(4)Victor G.
sake, suzuki, hamachi, hirame, and maguro, all for 3.95. only the sake was close to being fresh. the portions was large but mostly tasteless. service was good here. free miso, tea, and salad(iceberg) accompanied the meal. the agedashi(5.95) was average and consisted of four squares of tofu in a sea of soybased solution. bento boxes are pricey at 2 choices(11.95) and 3 choices(14.95) you may think you get your monies worth here. you are actually getting what you paid for. the regular japanese food. is actually overpriced.
(2)Lauren J.
My craving for sushi in Berkeley last night took me to Nanayiro, which I have walked by so many times. The dining room looks inviting, so we dropped in. We were greeted and immediately brought complimentary tea. The service was fast and the miso soup and salad enjoyable and complimentary. The edamame was extremely disappointing, and was very mushy. The rolls were creative and very tasty, but the whole experience didn't excite me. The service should get an extra star because I spilled my tea ALL OVER THE FLOOR and they cleaned it up with a smile and brought me more right away. I felt so horrible. Don't worry, I left a ridiculous tip. Unfortunately, this restaurant doesn't have that special something that warrants a second visit. Still looking for a great sushi experience in Berkeley.
(3)Linsey S.
This is my go-to Japanese restaurant in Berkeley. The food here is consistently good and the prices are great. Their seaweed salad is bomb-dot-com as well.
(3)Ami Y.
This place is pretty darn good for its price. Love their spicy tuna hand rolls......! They make the freshest quail egg on fish roe...recommended only if you can handle it
(5)Tito Y.
I figure you have two choices to get authentic Japanese food, one jump on JAL airlines and fly to Tokyo or show up at Nanayiro Restaurant located in downtown Berkeley. Simply wonderful, I just ate my fill and I am about to stand back up and go back for some more. I figured that I wanted the Bento box, stuffed with Kobe Steak, Saba and Tempura and in these guy's even get crunchy piece of lettuces when so many of these places fail. Bring an empty tummy, bottle of Saki and your pile of Samurai's.
(4)Becca M.
My favorite sushi place in Berkeley
(4)Carrie A.
FOOD IS GOOD! Boo - no free refills for soda Boo - Expensive Boo - Customer service just okay. YAY - THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS HERE!!! All of those bad things are outweighed by how good the food is here. Bento Box - salad, soup, and your choice of 2 options. I got the teriyaki salmon and california roll. Let me just say that the first salad came out and the dressing on it was INSANELY GOOD. Miso soup - BEST I EVER HAD. On my big plate of food came another salad with some kind of peanut sauce - OH MY GOSH DELICIOUS. Salmon was great, sushi is great (I have gotten a few other rolls at other occasions and they were always delicious). But I am telling you all - get this meal deal and eat these salads and miso soup, you will thank me later.
(5)John V.
Great cuts of sashimi. Lovin' the Jalapeno appetizer and the entertaining rolls. The place could use some character, definitely. The waitstaff are nice enough, the place is clean, and the service is perfectly serviceable but... but it ain't 5 stars, ya know? What's GREAT are the creative rolls and flaming entrees, all for a good price. And what I keep coming back for is the Sashimi Dinner B: 15 fat slices of succulent sashimi for $25 bucks. Word!
(4)Kevin O.
So every experience I've had with Nanayiro has been mediocre at best. Food isn't high quality, it's over priced, customer service is terrible. The reason why I'm finally leaving a review is due to my latest experience: I order takeout at 7:45pm, two rolls. After struggling with the order because the employee can hardly understand English and has to put me on hold to give me the price, she finally quotes me $15.62 and estimates it will be ready in 15-20 minutes. I leave my house at 8pm exactly and arrive a few minutes later. What looks to be the manager tells me my order will be another 5 minutes. I sit patiently and watch as other people are delivered their rolls. Another 15 minutes go by, it is now 8:20 and the manager finally comes up to me with the check. I tell him that there's no way I'm paying full price. I ask for a discount and he refuses, his only response "I'm sorry". I tell him that I won't pay full price for the food that was supposed to be ready 20 minutes ago. His response: "I'm sorry, I make good food here". Yeah alright, so I left without my food and without paying. Great way to make a customer happy. When I worked at a restaurant as a server/takeout, my first priority was always making the customer feel welcome--even if that involved comping/discounting their food whether it was the restaurants fault or their own. The fact that the manager seemed to care about nothing other than charging me full price after it was the restaurant's fault...yeah, I am NEVER going to this restaurant again. Plus, there's honestly no reason to go to this horrible fake Japanese food anyway because most of the people working there are Korean. If you are looking for good Japanese food, go to KIRALA, it's literally a couple blocks south on Shattuck right when it splits into Adeline. Much higher quality food, better customer service, actual Japanese chefs that take their work seriously, and the wait is always worth it. P.S. I created this Yelp account to share my experience and warn others that this restaurant is seriously not worth their time.
(1)Quincy Q.
I went here for a club dinner. The place and the waitresses are nice. I ordered the bento with teriyaki chicken and avocado rolls. It was good but for $13, it was quite expensive for the amount they give you. Their tempura ice cream is also good, though I was having a hard time cutting through the ice cream.
(4)David O.
We've come here (seemingly) a thousand times. I went through a sushi phase and decided this was THE place. I haven't been in a while, though - maybe 6 months. I've had pretty much everything at this place. It's really not necessary to go into bloated detail about the rolls or dishes. Suffice it to say, the quality is consistently excellent, and the service meritorious. I would recommend the Baked Salmon Roll or the Spicy Tuna Roll - favorite past times of mine. As one would expect, there's a good selection of vegetarian options, and they're a little more vegan friendly than most sushi places.
(4)Joshua W.
Good sushi, friendly chefs, good service. Too expensive (for me) but it's probably worth it if you have the money.
(4)Kimberly S.
Quite possibly my favorite sushi place of all time... or at the very least, it has my favorite roll of all time: the Berkeley Roll. I used to come here a lot when I lived on channing and shattuck and now I'll make a trip over to berkeley just to eat here. Dinner (and possibly lunch) comes with hot tea, miso soup, and salad [there might be a certain amount you're supposed to spend... like $5-$10 but I'm not really sure, my sister and I always eat over excessively when we're here.] To be content and satisfied, a meal is as little as $12 (berkeley roll, tea, soup, salad, tax, tip) but like I said, I eat to excess sometimes and tax, tip, and everything usually cost $40. Notes: - the berkeley roll is fantastic... it's something like a shrimp tempura roll topped with salmon and imitation roll ($10) - the snow roll is also amazing... its topped with snapper(?) and a green wasabi sauce... they blowtorch it a bit so it has this incredible flavor (reminds me of the sushi I had when in tokyo) - had the toro once... $6 a bite; not really worth it - had my birthday party here: strictly no sake bombing :/ (this might be the only downside I can think of to nanayiro..)
(5)Lydia W.
Nanayiro is a 2 minute walk from my apartment and I am so happy to share how yummy it is! I came here a few times before but it was never too memorable. Not bad at all but not too special. However tonight it was great and I am definitely coming back whenever I want Japanese food. The free salad has this sweet, garlicky dressing that is quite refreshing. The free miso soup is slightly salty but it's free so whatever. Tuna salad = amazing. Especially the seared tuna part! It's a very unique appetizer with sweet fried onions, lettuce, tuna, some shreds of other veggies... and really good sauce. It took forever to find the baked scallop roll on the menu, but we found it and it was good. Kind of heavy and the sauce on top was reminiscent of cheddar cheese but it tasted spicy. The scallop was goooood. I think we got about 8 pieces for 10 dollars which is alright. I would probably not come here for rolls but they are made well. Ton Katsu dinner was really great too. Breaded pork topped with curry, sides of broccoli, japanese coleslaw with a mayo-rice wine dressing, a froyo sample cup of wakame salad, and a bowl of rice. I loved the meat. Even though half of it was covered in curry, the dry side still had a crunch and it wasn't greasy at all! I really wanted to go to the bathroom after reading the reviews but I didn't drink enough tea. I shall save that adventure for next time!
(4)Ernie F.
The Short: I have eaten here on multiple occasions (reunion dinner with my floormates, with my older brother after a session of tennis, etc.). The sushi is good, but nothing too spectacular. The fish is relatively fresh, the sushi rice has the right amount of vinegar, and a decent selection for your run-of-the-mill $11-13 rolls (Dragon, Cherry Blossom, etc.). Service could use a little bit of work because they've taken quite long to come by to refill water and tea. I've had to raise my arms for quite a while to catch the attention of the waitresses. Lastly, the salad and miso soup could both be less watery. Recommendations: - Chirashi Bowl. Pros: + Quiet interior. Cons: - Slow service.
(3)Andrew D.
I came here with a friend for an evening bite. We were seated promptly by the waitress. The prices on the regular menu were fairly high for rolls, and the specials menu had lower prices but were still a little high. I happen to have a crustacean allergy so it can be difficult to order sushi. Luckily they had rolls on both menus that contained no shrimp/lobster. I got a fried salmon roll that was delicious. We each also got the miso soup which was tasty. Their hot sake was great. Something I saw the was kind of funny was a sign over the bar that read "No Sake Bombs". I guess it must get pretty annoying for Japanese restaurants in a college districts, when every place that serves sake is associated with people chanting "Sake bomb, sake bomb", while banging on tables! Over all, even with the high prices, the place is very nice and the rolls were quite good. I'll more than likely be returning at some point.
(4)Abban L.
With sushi, I can be very distracted by pretty, shiny objects. i.e. if the rows are topped with elaborate looking sauces, toppings etc. or have unexpected presentation (such as open fire), I happily ignore/forgive if most of the roll is rice. That being said, the proportions of seafood to rice at Nanyiro on certain rolls was slightly ill-balanced, but overall flavor was mild and pleasant. Not necessarily a place for True Sushi Fans, but definitely a spacious and relaxed environment to have some good ol' Californian style rolls. Service was friendly and efficient.
(3)Marie S.
I'm fairly picky about sushi and I'd have to say that this place is underrated as another user stated. The only thing is that it definitely can be slightly awkward is that it is usually not very busy and it can feel a bit strange to dine here when it's only your table and say one or two other customers dining. When people complain about ambiance I believe this has a lot to do with the lighting. Everything is clean and cute, but the lighting can be off putting. Bottom line is- the food is good, fresh, and comparable to any other sushi restaurant. I'd much rateher have quality food over quanity.
(4)Sean B.
This is the best sushi place I've been to since I moved to the Bay Area. Reasonably priced lunch specials, big portions, very fresh sushi, and the beef teriyaki in the bento box was superb! Lost one star for somewhat slow service for the lunch rush, I almost had to run back to work because I was going to be late. The order was taken prompty, the time to get the food was reasonable, but we had to wait quite a long time to get the check. Actually gave up on waiting for it and just walked up to the counter, eventually, to pay and then rush back to work.
(4)Jesse L.
Love love love! Favorite sushi place in Berkeley. It's a very simple place, pleasant ambiance, great service, and way above average sushi for the money. Especially like the 49er roll with sliced lemon and the sashimi plates are fresh and delicious.
(5)Joyce B.
Having passed by this place many times, but never stepped foot in here until today. Sushi = so-so, nothing special. They had some new roll special, for $7. Decided to get Hawaii Roll. I was expecting something more extravagant, but it was simply california roll with pieces of salmon and tuna on top. Sushi was that special either. Another thing, so our waitress asked us if we wanted miso soup, and we all said yes. However, when the bill came, we realized that they actually charged $1.50 for the miso soup!! Without letting us know! Honestly, it wasn't even that great and they only filled the bowl half the way. For sushi around that price, I am expecting something a little better. Quite disappointed. The restaurant was pretty nice and the people were very friendly, but I would rather go to Tako sushi to get better quality sushi for the same amount of money.
(3)Rocky S.
Came across this place when the sushi place we normally go to was closed. Not a bad place. Nice ambiance and super friendly staff. Sushi was decent and prices were pretty good. I would come back here.
(3)Briana W.
Really like this place. Tried it a couple years ago and have been back multiple times since. Their baked salmon roll is equal to the lion king... so yummy! They actually upgraded their menu and I think added a few more selections not too long ago. Try it! Order soup, salad and tea... then all the sushi you can afford! Going back again soon.
(4)Ashley O.
Tummy-a-grumbling from not having eaten lunch, we were on a mission to find a mid-day meal. I was craving Japanese, so we ventured all around town, hitting up all of the local Japanese restaurants I could think of off the top of my head. But it was one of those awkward times of the day when restaurants are closed in between lunch and dinner. (This is when a smartphone + yelp would have been handy). Two hours later, starving and fed up with driving around, we finally settled on Nanayiro. Service: We were only one of four tables eating there at the time, but service was good regardless. Our water and tea was refilled whenever it fell below half. The waitresses greeted us with a smile when we entered and were very friendly and courteous. It's too bad the service couldn't make up for what lacked in our meal. Food: We ordered the tempura, red dragon roll, and rose garden roll to share between two people. The tempura arrived fresh out of the fryer and was pretty tasty. The batter was a bit on the heavy side, but it was still a nice starter to relieve the hunger pangs. The two rolls came out shortly after and were the big disappointment of the meal. The red dragon roll looked nothing like the photo in the menu and was a meager excuse for a sushi roll. The spicy tuna and the raw fish that topped these two rolls did not look, nor taste, fresh - tasteless and rubbery. A few slices still had their silvery scales. Yuck. Bottom line: I would not recommend this place to anybody searching for solid Japanese fare. Besides serving up sub-par sushi rolls, this place is pricey! We were in the mood for udon, but passed due to the unappetizing $12 price tag. Our rolls were $10 each and the total bill (including tip and tax) was $32 for two people. We should have kept driving.
(2)Maggie L.
AVERAGE SUSHI FOR ABOVE AVERAGE PRICES. The boy and I shared 3 rolls- the baked salmon, spicy salmon and samurai. (We both love salmon maybe just a teeeeny bit too much. XD) The baked salmon was pretty good. One of the really nice things were that the pieces weren't falling apart like some *other* places are known for. Spicy salmon had a barely noticeable spiciness to it. I thought it could have been better. The samurai was just alright. The wasabi sauce on top of the roll gave it a little kick if you like that. Originally we had tried to go to another sushi place close by, but when we got there, we saw that the place was closed so we just walked around until we found this place. What I like about this place is their specials. They gave us a menu that had their current specials at pretty decent prices. We also received complimentary miso soup, which is always nice. Our waitress was very friendly and easy going so another plus for having nice staff. Overall, this was just, like the yelp rating says, A-OK.
(3)V. C.
Bento box 3 item lunch you get a lot for your money. Everything was good except the mere smell of the Miso soup it is not something that I like, so no bueno.
(4)Oscia W.
Sushi is fine. Service is fine. Price is way too high for the quality. For one 9-piece nigiri meal and a 7-piece tempura appetizer: $30 after tax and tip. Overall quality and quantity vs price was a tad too high. Last time for us.
(2)FUPS F.
The sushi here was pretty good - not the best i've ever had, but definitely worth what you pay for it. Certainly fresh. I also had the saba shioyaki, and was definitely pleased. The portions are fair, but not giant. True-to-Japan sort of fare. The ambiance is nice for those of you who like a spare and open environment. In restaurants, i can tend to be a tad agoraphobic, but that's not the architect's fault. The acoustics were fine, anyhow.. Servicepeople here were super professional and VERY polite by Japanese standards. We were welcomed at the door, seated promptly, and checked-up on. We actually had two waitresses bringing us food and drinks at the same time. My tea was always full, and i was asked if i would like water as well. All the food came at the exact same time, and with great presentation. Immaculate. I would only ask that they excise Kenny G from their soundtrack........
(4)Chris W.
I usually come here for sake, but enjoy their sushi too. Their rolls are definitely delicious and filled, over the top. Every time I've gone, they've served me tea, miso soup and a small (but very refreshing) salad. The staff is generally polite and quick with the orders. My favorite here is the Ace roll (Fried soft shelled crab with avocado, cucumber, and unagi). The baked scallop roll is great here too, topped with a spicy mayonnaise house sauce and tobiko. I'm a big sashimi fan, so only gripe I have is that I wish they had more sashimi options (a la carte).
(4)Daniel L.
This place was my initial gateway to eating sashimi. After years of hiatus I was able to return for lunch and was surprised at how well the place has been maintained with the same spacious layout and serene ambiance. The extensive menu has shifted to feature sushi rolls but I kept it simple with an order of their all-salmon bento combination. The miso was light and tasty but the complimentary salad and another from the bento was redundant at best. The side of seaweed salad provided a nice accent but it could have been more generous to go with a very good four-piece set of salmon sashimi that did a good job at overwhelming a lackluster salmon teriyaki. The experience confirms my perception of this place as a solid gateway restaurant for developing a palate for Japanese cuisine. 3 stars for the solid experience.
(3)Mari C.
I've had some great sushi in my day, and I must say, this place isn't at all bad. Given that it was pretty good, the miso, tea, and salad (whose dressing was vastly superior to the 1000 Island served at most sushi joints) were complimentary, the service polite and very fast, and its only 2 blocks away from my apartment, it gets a top rating. We definitely liked this place better than any other sushi places in Berkeley. For the last few months my boyfriend and I have been searching for "our" sushi spot and kept on being disappointed by Berkeley sushi choices. Some other places had ok food, but the service just wasn't anything near as good as Nanayiro's. The value and quality of the food was the best combo I've found thus far. So Nanayiro has earned the spot! The rundown on our meal: 1. Tempura Roll - typical tempura roll but very tasty. Low price and healthy portions 2. Rose Garden (salmon, tuna, avocado) 3. Red Dragon (tuna, roe, tasty sauce). A very different flavor than I was used to, but I really liked it. Included: Miso Soup. Salad with tasty dressing. Unlimited hot tea. Price: $30. Result: we left full and very satisfied with our meal. Oh yeah, and they give you orange slices when you leave so you don't walk out with sushi breath. How considerate.
(5)Scott B.
So this place has your standard sushi items, but the service is always very prompt with friendly staff. I love their Berkeley and Heart Attack roll. Also I have found very few other places in the east bay with such fresh sushi with affordable prices. You should come here for relatively inexpensive sushi in Berkeley.
(4)Mei C.
food 3.5 stars ambiance 5 stars service 4.5 stars drinks (didn't have any) not much to say other than that its a good place. absolutely yummy.
(3)Maureen M.
I haven't been dissapointed yet! They have a traditional Japanese menu. There Chicken Teriyaki is one of the best I've tried not rubbery and boiled like some places. There sushi is always fresh and a bit on the big side (I kinda hate sushi that is too big for mouth but thats just me but you'll get your money worth here), Vegetable Tempura and shrimp is excellent the sauce is perfect. The Bento is reasonably priced with good selections for a two or three item Bento box. They have a nice and modern decor, It doesn't make you question about cleanliness. But like a previous yelper said the hike to the bathroom blows, what is this Labyrinth???
(5)Seth F.
since they chancged ownership sometime back, the quality fell off. hope they recover.
(2)charlotte c.
Revised 12/27/2007: I tried Nanayiro again for dinner with some friends and I was SO disappointed with the gyoza I have to knock a star off my original review. Why should you care? Because those dumplings were terrible. The filling was mushy and flavorless, not to mention dangerously hot. I like warm food and all, but not hot and oily direct from the deep frier, ouch! But we still like the red dragon roll, the baked salmon roll, and the free tea, miso soup, and salad.
(3)Alexei B.
The nigiri was soggy, tendony, and tasteless. One even had a bit of garlic sauce on it, which totally ruined the taste for me. I'm sure this place will suit most people, but if you're looking for nigiri or sashimi - beware.
(3)Nuri K.
I must have inherited the masochist gene from my dad-- we are both weirdly attached to certain restaurants that never leave us satisfied. For Pop, Nanayiro is definitely one of these. Every time he comes to Berkeley to visit, we will invariably face a situation in which we're on the south side of campus, pressed for time, and hungry. Rather than walk to Pie in the Sky or even Top Dog, he hastily suggests we go to "that nice-looking Japanese place we went to last time." And every time we walk into the door of the cute blue-tiled structure, we will invariably face food that looks like the typical fare that every Japanese restaurant carries, but executed and presented poorly. My father isn't the type of person to EVER complain about food or service, except the one time we were at La Creperie and it took literally an hour and a half for them to remember our order and dish it out to us. But every time we set foot into Nanayiro, the seemingly neat and cute arrangement starts to go-- and fast. Inspect the bowls and even some teacups and you'll see chips and cracks on the edges. This is a very tough thing for my very anal, neat-freak Asian dad to swallow. If you don't go for that crap in your own home, why take it outside? The last time we ate there my tea glass was chipped, as was my salad bowl, and my dad promptly requested that they replace them. But something makes me think that they didn't throw them away; they just pushed them toward the back of their inconsistent, eclectic inventory. Now to the food. This is the place that has single-handedly ruined soba for me. Usually one expects to be at least mildly disappointed as good soba is incredibly difficult to come by in the States, but Nanayiro kills their noodles, leaves the carcass in an unsavory heap atop a shallow bamboo basket/platterette type of thing and actually expects the customer to add insult to injury by dunking it into an overly sweet concoction that they shamelessly call tsuyu. The soba did not get finished, and it takes something really awful for a table of eaters that include me to leave food untouched. Their tempura is unspectacular, their donburi forgettable. Nanayiro also suffers from a problem that admittedly most Japanese joints around here share: a tendency to overstuff their sushi. I guess we as poor students are supposed to be grateful to have more bang for the buck, but if you can't get your mouth around it, it generally isn't good sushi. It ruins the delicate balance and sometimes just tastes foul. Plus, the rice here is extremely gluey and unpleasant to eat, by itself or in sushi. Surprisingly, however, for a place that is so incredibly disappointing in two crucial aspects-- flavor and quality-- the fish isn't too bad, and the waitstaff is usually very nice. I would still go somewhere else, though. Sure, I haven't tried a lot of stuff here; I only come here when my dad's in town. But even if they have incredible this-and-that, it'll take a lot for me to come back to Nanayiro.
(1)V T.
Though it looks nice, and a bunch of people were inside, the food was god awful. We had teriyaki beef and teriyaki salmon. Maybe those aren't their strong points, but the teriyaki beef was like boiled beef with sauce poured on it. I've had better from a takeout stand on the street for $4, not $13!!! Miso soup was good. Rice was mushy and over cooked. For the same price, Isobune on College is way better.
(2)Sha V.
The food overall is good, the only reason why i only give this place 3 stars is for one, it's pricey. The food is good, but there are other Japanese restaurants who have specialty baked rolls and fire rolls that won't fall apart on you that taste just the same if not better and are at a more reasonable price. 2. the service, it's basically hit or miss with he servers. I went here for lunch with my boyfriend, and it was just us and one other table being served at the time, no other people in the restaurant, and it took them over 20 mins to get a refill on a glass of water and we basically had to yell across the restaurant to get a server to our table in the front. Don't get me wrong, it could have been "one of those days" there and just our luck that we had to experience it. The place is nice, restrooms are far lol.. but overall, i think we'll come back here again, not as much as we would like, but we'd most definitely come back!
(3)Jeremy W.
The service is lightning fast, the miso soup/salad are tasty, the portions aren't tiny, the tea is free, but the price is a little too much and the tuna is a little too crummy. The rolls, salads, and other miscellaneous dishes are interesting-looking, but the sashimi bento I picked up wasn't too hot. The salmon sashimi and sunomono were schweet, though. Oh, and the sukiyaki my friend got looked great as well. The pattern here? Stick to ordering dishes that start with 's' and you'll be safe. Oh, also of noteworthiness: the trek to the bathroom was a dining experience all on its own. First I'm told to pick up a bathroom key. Then I must traverse through an intricate network of doors and hallways to find the bathroom, following arrows as my guide. Once I found the final, unlabeled door, I tried the key. But my journey was all for naught. The key that I picked up at my adventure's beginning failed to unlock the secret end door. I retraced my footsteps back to the restaurant and returned to my table -- still with a belly full of tea.
(3)Alejandro H.
When I'm in Berkeley I usually frequent two sushi places: Nanayiro and Joshuya. Both places pretty much offer the same with slight differences, just different locations. Pro's Baked Salmon Roll Rainbow Roll Spider Roll Fresh Cuts of Sashimi Free Miso Soup and Ginger-dressed Salad Good Service Con's Food Coma freeeeeeeeeeeeeealz
(4)Christine N.
Now, this isn't even close to the best sushi I've had (which was in NYC btw), but the sushi has a few things going for it: decent price, decently good sushi, great service, and convenient location. Last week I went here for the sushi boat for two. It was about $50 and includes a variety of sashimi, nigiri, CA rolls, spider roll plus salad, miso soup, and mochi ice cream for each person. The sashimi and nagiri seemed fresh with a nice texture. The rolls weren't memorable, but of course, since when did anyone remember spider and CA rolls? I'll be back here when I feel like some affordable, fresh sushi with a nicer atmosphere than Manpuku.
(3)Ben P.
All reviews say, good sushi at fair price. It's true. But, Nanayiro is even better than that. I am a white kid so I don't know anything about authenticity for Japanese. I don't even know what "maki" means and I don't eat eel because of toxins. But I think with my white kid judgement this was really great! Waitress was enthusiastic and happy like a singer from J-pop videos. The food came so fast! First came free things, Strong miso and fresh salad with tang. Green tea also. Not like trendy SF "small plates" where you pay for each asparagus. Tempura was perfect. Except for the bell pepper. Bad idea. Who thought of that? Special Berkeley roll had lots of fish and good sauce -- what does this have to do with Berkeley!? I don't know but, Jungle roll spicy tuna with seaweed salad on top and Spider roll with so much crab-- both were also so yummy. Under $6 each -- take that, expensive crap holes! The prices here are the best! The fish was fresh and full of taste. And also a woman came in and sat across from us. Her t-shirt said --big letters over her chest!-- I -HEART- VAGINAS She and a lady friend ordered so many rolls. Maybe 40 pieces each? I don't know. They ate and ate. I asked a friend who is a lesbian if she thought this woman was one also or just a sorority girl who had low self-esteem and wanted attention from frat guys and she asked me if her nails were long or short. So now I know, some lesbians don't like fingernails!
(4)Angela H.
I used to go here all the time (or at least get take out). This is the only place I know of that serves OREGON ROLLS--california rolls with a piece of raw salmon on top. IT IS MY FAVORITE SUSHI EVERR. Their raw salmon is usually fresh to me and very yummy. The chicken teryaki is not good here. The miso soup is decent and pretty good. I've tried a lot of things on the menu (the bento boxes), but nothing really stands out. It's an average tasting Japanese place. Btw, the service is HORRIBLE. It used to take about 25 minutes for them to make your food when ordering for take out. When you dine in, the waiters are really bad too. Though, I haven't been here for at least two years, so maybe they're better now.
(3)Jason R.
What's the day you're not supposed to eat sushi?
(3)Emme K.
This used to be one of my go to Japanese restaurants in Berkeley, but I dropped by for dinner on Christmas Day and had the worst food. I understand that it's probably not a busy day for them and for that reason, they might not want to take out their best stuff. But I'm not a moron, I know bad food when I see it. The sashimi was not good and most of the hamachi was bloodline - I was not impressed. The rolls were bad too. I'm so disappointed and offended by my most recent experience there, I'm never going back.
(1)Ed L.
Solid Japanese place with good selection of rolls and sashimi. Not the best but its is definitely good enough for Berkeley. I really enjoy the complimentary salad, has a sweet garlic dressing. Thye offer lots of cooked dishes for those afraid to experience rawness. Make your own Bento boxes are also a plus.
(4)Thomas C.
I have eyed this place several times when I walked through downtown Berkeley and finally had the opportunity to sit down and dine tonight. While the decor is very nice the food is not on par. I ordered the hamachi, tekka, sake and spicy tekka roll. The spicy tekka roll was decent and the sake (salmon) roll had more flavor than the hamachi or tekka roll, but I was disappointed with the tekka and hamachi roll. I've had better hamachi roll at CU Sushi where I could actually taste the tuna and green onion flavors, but this one was very plain. I don't know if the fish was fresh or if the sushi lacked seasoning, but it didn't impress me to make a return visit. The waitstaff had trouble understanding my order and they didn't bring out water, but tea. It was still warm at 7 when I went in for dinner and I think they should have known better than to only serve hot tea and water on request. But I will say that the water with lemon slice did go nicely with the sushi over the sake I ordered. This was my first time ordering sake and the waitstaff were limited in help with my selection so don't expect any miracle pairings here. However I'm not deterred from trying more sakes. In summary, while this place is acceptable you can get a better price-to-quality experience at some other places in Berkeley.
(3)Jay M.
My gf and I used to come here soon after work for an early light dinner. We were a fan when it first opened, but somehow just got tired of it. The place is clean and sushi chefs are friendly. They provide free miso soup and a light salad...and sometimes edamame. In the beginning, they used to give us free fried fish or other surprises. The bathroom is out in the boondocks. I felt like a mouse in a maze trying to find it.
(4)Ed W.
i discovered this place only because my apartment is a block away from channing/shattuck. this is the japanese restaurant i frequent the most. i tend to go for the rolls (and sometimes sashimi) at these japanese joints, so my review is mostly based off of that preference. they have new rolls every month or two so you dont eat the same thing over and over again... sashimi for the most part has been well cut, fresh. (had a gripe with the salmon one time...) rolls are well-made pluses: - not bad selection of rolls - udon, generous portions - good/speedy service gripes: - recently, i've noticed their "orange blossom roll" has been downsized, such that it has more rice, less salmon... - baked salmon/scallop roll (know as "lion king" at joshu-ya) is not well-made here. ive ordered it twice, each time it was half-baked, the fish was still half raw which is not how the roll is supposed to be. and they never cut the roll well - also. not a fan of the bathroom. it's a shared unit for the whole business complex, so it's quite a long walk down a hallway...i rather hold it. - still a bit pricey though... but the staff is very nice. makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. or that could be the complimentary miso soup.
(3)Adam D.
The menu at Nanayiro is typical of most japanese/sushi restaurants that I have been to. The food here is excellent especially the sashimi. The atmosphere is nice and the staff is friendly. My only complaint would be the long hike you have to take to get to the restrooms.
(4)Karen W.
Note: Get the Ace roll! Deep-fried softshell crab, unagi, cucumber, and imitation crab=YUMMINESS. (there's avocado too, i poke it out) I ate here for a late Valentine's dinner. We walked in semi-confused because there was no one in the front. When we were seated, a waitress immediately brought us steaming green tea. My bf and I decided on a 3-item bento box ($15) with vegetable tempura, spicy tuna maki, and saba shioyaki, and a Rainbow Roll ($9). Much to our delight, they brought us both miso soup and salad even though these not come with the Rainbow Roll. The miso soup was quite typical except it was lacking in nori. The salad dressing was sweet and tangy--I prefer the creamy sauces but this was pretty good. Our food came promptly, and at the same time, which was nice. There were little extras in the bento which I enjoyed. A sort of coleslaw in a creamy Japanese-style dressing, a little seaweed salad (loved it), and rice, of course. The saba was quite delicious, but the tempura was mediocre, too bready. It's very hard to find a place with delicately-fried tempura. Now, the Rainbow Roll consisted of 7 different types of fish, over rice and a filling of avocado and imitation crab. Very exciting. A slightly spicy creamy orange sauce was lightly drizzled over it. I normally don't really like sashimi--I must say this is the first time I've actually enjoyed it. There was also this one piece with unagi and shrimp, which I happily snatched up. So, come here for the special rolls. They're great value-wise, quite filling. I didn't try the Spicy Tuna maki, but my bf said the roll was better. The bento, overall, was just adequate. Some Japanese monks (?) sat at the table beside us, adding to the "authenticity" of the restaurant. It was sort of cool. Nanayiro isn't a particularly romantic place to dine, but it is tasteful and clean. The waitstaff is quite attentive, especially with the green tea refills, once you get seated.
(4)Sun K.
People need to understand that almost all the places you go for "sushi" is in reality going for "rolls". Sushi is what you see on those pictures placed on each table where it's labeled by each fish. You know when you see rice wrapped in nori with a fish on top. That is sushi and I usually don't eat sushi unless the place screams authentic Japanese. This place seems to be Korean owned like most joints in California hence the selection of rolls found on their menu. Their rolls are pretty decent and around 8.95 a roll which is usually a dollar cheaper than most other places. However some of their sauces on their rolls can break the taste of it because it doesn't seem to match, but most of the time their rolls are good so try them all. I once ordered a roll that had three different fishes packed inside and it was really good. The fish was fresh since it melted in my mouth. I'm still on my katsu donburi search and this place was actually better than most places I've tried. I applaud them. They serve you miso soup and a salad with hot tea. The service is good and for a Berkeley place I think it's one of the better ones. The only bad thing about this place is that every time someone enters or leaves the gigantic window walls shake. But that just keeps you on your toes during dinner.
(4)Sara M.
Sushi is good, not fabulous. Nanayiro is a good place to stop for a quick meal before going to the movies down the street on Shattuck. The interior is nice, not one of those grungy Berkeley restaurants.
(3)noey v.
The Tuna salad was good... totally fooled me with the battered and fried onions and the tuna was fresh. The Baked Scallops and Berkeley roll was good although the Sauce over powers the taste of the Salmon, Crab meat and Shrimp on each rolls. The place is nice and decent with friendly looking staff.
(3)NAEL K.
very okay place, service is always great and food comes fast , nothing super special to talk about but you will never be disappointed :)
(3)Gabriel A.
I tried tempura squash! My favorite part!
(5)C J.
If you're a die-hard sushi lover, and love Toro ... don't come here expecting a 5 star meal. This is one of my favorite restaurants because of the combination of excellent service & a decent meal. I know that if I'm craving sushi and can't make it to the best/pricey joints, I can count on Nanayiro. The waitresses have always been very attentive and super nice. Upon leaving and despite the staff being down for lunch, everyone would always chime in together and thank me for coming (again). I've tried the sushi (nigiri rolls), the sashimi, and the grilled Mackerel. And all have been good. I did try the Tuna sashimi, but it doesn't have much flavor ... so now I just stick to the Salmon sashimi. Regarding service time: I've always been acknowledged right away and I've never had to wait long for my lunch/dinner.
(3)Kevin S.
I visit this place about twice a month, and generally, it is hit or miss... more often than not, it is good... My general complaint would have to be the inconsistency of their food. For example, one of the rolls I usually order is a spider roll. At times the crab is hot, crisp, and fresh... but there have been times when it has been mushy and filled with water. This last time however, I found a bug in my salad. This bug was an earwig (also known as a pincher bug), swimming happily in the salad dressing, only to be discovered as I lifted up the next to last piece of lettuce. It wasn't a roach, and it wasn't a fly, and some people do eat bugs, but I didn't go to a restaurant to eat a bug. It was no big deal, but it was no little thing either, as I'm sure most people would have reacted more than I did. I alerted the waitress of the bug, and they had a conference between the other waitresses and their boss. Standing behind me, I could clearly hear that they were grossed-out and traumatized by the bug. Now, here's the disappointing part. It took them quite a bit of time to apologize (our sushi was delivered, and so was an udon before they said sorry for the bug in your salad). I also wasn't expecting anything to compensate for the bug, but I would have imagined that if I go often enough to get recognized by the waitstaff (they have been trained to bring me and my friend extra bowls for the udon without asking) an extra gesture as a free appetizer, or a few dollars off the bill would go a long way to show good faith. At least, if I owned a business, that's what I would do for a recognized customer. What's a few dollars for a bill that's going to be around $50? So, if it weren't for the fact that the place is generally acceptable, I would have given it 1 star for trying to add extra protein to my salad. As for my return to the place, all I know is it won't be anytime soon. If you do go, just remember to inspect underneath the lettuce in the salad before digging in.
(2)Reuben D.
I like Nanayiro for sushi. As a college student, I would prefer this place over Joshu-Ya Sushi Boat. It's a little more expensive but i feel the quality of sushi is much better and im always willing to pay extra for the extra mile. The atmosphere is nice and the service is friendly. They have a good selection of sushi and a decent selection of Sake as well to go along with your dinner.
(4)terra d.
try the baked salmon roll. mmm.
(4)James K.
This is a good sushi restaurant. I ordered a dragon roll and was happy to find that it included soup and salad. It's not very expensive and well-staffed. I'll probably go here again.
(4)Rochelle N.
I haven't had anything here I haven't liked. My favorite is the rainbow roll, and I appreciate that they automatically serve you miso soup and salad. I also like to trick myself into feeling healthy by ordering tempura stringbeans.
(4)Jack G.
Without a doubt the best chicken teriyaki I have ever had. It came on a sizzling hot fajita-style plate complete with grilled red onions and plenty of sauce, a side of rice and a salad. The whole meal was only $11, and included green tea and miso soup. Fantastic! The location is great and the decor is clean and simple - slightly over lit but comfortable and airy. Definitely comes highly recommended, but be sure to ask for the chicken teriyaki "dinner" and not the "plate" or "bento-box".... delicious!
(4)Angela N.
This is actually a fantastic sushi place by Berkeley standards. It sits at the corner of Shattuck and Channing, a couple stores down from La Note. Nanayiro has soft lighting, good music and wide-open spaces. You can choose between platform seating, sushi bar seating or seating in the general area (near the gigantor windows). For a little more than you'd pay at Tako (dirt-cheap sushi near campus), and for significantly less than you'd pay at an SF restaurant on a similar par, Nanayiro provides relatively fast service and quality sushi. The best part, though, are the freebies - stuff you get even before your meal comes out: green tea, miso soup, a salad (sometimes), edamame, and a house special (depending on the night) - usually a small fried dish or some dumplings. Two sides of the restaurant are entirely window-panelled, so people tend to gawk at your plate as they walk by. Fantastic advertising if you ask me, but avoid sitting near the windows if you're a self-conscious eater. You'll find the attention unbearable.
(4)Benjamin L.
This is probably my go-to Japanese restaurant in the area. I wouldn't say it's the best Japanese food I've had, but it's never disappointed me. In particular, I like the Katsu Curry (either kind), as well as most of the rolls (esp. the sexy roll, which is aptly named); I haven't tried the nigiri/sashimi, so I can't comment on those. The noodles are also pretty good. A personal favorite of mine is the wakame, which is done quite well. Generally speaking, the service has been pretty good, with the food being served fairly quickly and still pretty warm. Also, for some reason or other, there tend to be free seats, so there usually isn't too long of a wait (maybe it's the times I choose? Who knows?).
(4)Jass M. B.
OK so....first off...some random dude on the corner suggested this place when my friend asked where the closest [good] Japanese/Sushi spot was from where we were (Shattuck Down Low - Show started in 45 minutes..so we needed something close and fast) Anyway...back to the review... The place was nice enough (i.e. the reason for the 2 stars) the ambiance/lighting nice - not too dark, not too light, and I liked the layout of the place. Very cute. The server was nice enough...she didn't go above and beyond, but she wasn't brusque. I ordered the 2 item Bento Box with Beef Teriyaki and California rolls - light avocado *sidebar* (I'm not a lawer but I frequent the use of sidebars extensively in my life - cause sometimes you gotta get some ISH off your chest...so this will be a highly frequented staple of my conversations/reviews) I tried to get real crab - they don't "do that"...What is THAT about?!...I'm so mad that some places "don't do" real crab..I mean I will eat the imitation stuff...but why? when you can pay a couple dollars more for real crab?? - and TO ME a place that "dont do that" is not *REAL* haha.. so what? I digress....My friend orderded the 3 item Bento with Salmon Teriyaki, Sashimi somethin' or another (basically some raw stuff) whatever. (cause I "don't do that" haha) The bento boxes arrived ..and I don't EVEN know what to say...I'm lookin' at my "meat" like what is that?? it was some light brownish gray opaque looking mystery meat...I'm like what part of the cow is that? *sidebar* If you ain't usin' Ribeye (or to a lesser extent NY strip) in your Beef Teriyaki then you're INFERIOR!!) So anyway....I'm speculating it's like the cow's knee or somethin'...he says...it looks boiled...I'm like yeaahhhhh hunh. (After tasting the knee meat...yeah...it tasted like they boiled it...then "colored on" some grill lines? or did they actually put it on the grill press down for 2 seconds to get the "lines" and put it in my tray?) Did I mention the terriyaki sauce on top looked like some gelatinous blob sitting on the "knee meat" which let me know right then that it was warm at best. Needless to say...I'm cool! I tasted his salmon (did they boil that too?? and "color on" char lines) which was mediocre at best. I'm sorry... and I see so many good reviews for this place? Whaaaa?? Now you can take this review with a grain of salt cause I don't profess to be a sushi connoisseur - hell, I'll be the first to say I go for the cooked stuff - Teriyaki, Yakitori, Donburi, Tempura...California Roll Dynamite...you get it... so I'm quick to correct myself and say I want Japanese...instead of I want sushi... *sidebar* I did taste a very small piece of his sashimi? - raw salmon basically - for the first time (EVER!! :: shocked face ::) I might add, [he also got me to try calamari in the same week WTF?!?] anyway...it was soft and mushy and nasty in my mouth...which is WHY I don't eat sushi...I have an issue with textures in my mouth and that's not one that I would like (assesed from touching and handling fish/salmon I tactile-y deduced what that texture would be - and it was EXACTLY THAT) he did inform me that usually sushi grade fish is of a firmer variety so maybe they need to improve on that too...but Yuggh! Would I go back...probably not. But this isn't my neighborhood anyway...so why would I?
(2)Arun C.
The quality of the fish, the good service, and the variety of the special rolls make Nanayiro worth while. The prices are good. Standard nori-maki are about $5 and the special rolls are about $9. My favorite is the 49ers roll, the paper thin slices of lemon on top of the salmon give each piece of the roll a refreshing finish. Look for the funky purple tiles at the corner of Shattuck and Channing.
(4)rocky c.
pretty good sushi, awesome seaweed salad, and tonight- i had the heartattack roll. wow!! the tuna in the center melts in your mouth while the crunch topping on the outside explodes creating the best combination of textures and tastes. yummy! and save room for the tempura green tea ice cream!!
(4)Jeffrey P.
Sometimes I like sushi, and sometimes I'm not so sure, but I'm always satisfied at Nanayiro. Their sushi is good, their tempura is light and crisp, with fresh ingredients, and their teriyaki is made with lean, beautifully cooked meat. I really like teriyaki, and theirs is the best I've had in the east bay. A lot of places give you over-cooked, fatty meat, but here, it's delicious. I'm going to whisper this part, because I want to give them ample credit, but I don't want everyone and their uncle hogging this place up so I can't get a table. You get free soup, salad, and tea with your meal. Free. And it's tasty. And the service is good (I've had my bill messed up a few times, so check the math before you pay). Everybody is very nice. To top it off, clean restrooms. It's tough to find that on Shattuck. Any time I want Sushi in Berkeley(or more often, a bento box of teriyaki and tempura), I pick Nanayiro. Please don't fill it up when I'm hungry, but go all the time when I'm not there so they stay in business.
(4)Jennifer W.
solid japanese restaurant serving your standard fare of rolls, bentos, and udon. the quality has gone a bit downhill and is up to 2x more expensive than anzu which is just a block away.
(3)Cinny C.
Free tea refills! A lot of the dishes include miso soup and a salad. Sushi was fresh. I came with a group and enjoyed myself. I'll definitely be back!
(4)Jeremy S.
Nanayiro consistently has the best sushi in Berkeley, and possibly the Bay Area. The fish is always of the best quality, there is a large variety of rolls, and everything tastes great. The prices are affordable, and the service is good. I always take out of town guests to eat here, and they are impressed.
(5)Mia D.
I had a sashimi combo (dinner). I was disappointed to see my dinner mostly consisted of fatty white tuna and a few other pieces of sashimi. Before I touched anything, I asked our waitress if I could get something else instead of white tuna. She just ignored me and stepped away from our table. When the same thing happened at another Japanese restaurant, also in Berkeley, our waiter was able to accommodate my request with a smile! There are other places you can go if you're craving for Japanese food in Berkeley.
(2)Melody L.
Edit: I take back my poor review of the place. After visiting that poor excuse for a sushi place on Center? (C.U. Sushi) and then taking another visit to Tako Sushi a few days later. And then having a REALLY bad experience at Manpuku (on College). I have come to realize how underappreciative I was of my beloved Nanayiro. Out of these four sushi places in the Berkeley Campus area, I would have to say Nanayiro is the CLEAAAAAAAAR winner. Its price points are similar to C.U. but Nanayiro BLOWS C.U. out of the water in EVERY POSSIBLE way (although I have to give credit to C.U.'s cool wet napkins they give you to wash your hands). C.U.'s rice had WAY too much rice vinegar in it (Dear Chef, Do you taste the food you're serving?) Tako Sushi and Manpuku are both cheaper than Nanayiro, but both of their sushi can't even be called sushi. I don't know how people regularly go there! I used to go to Manpuku as often as I went to Nanyiro, but my last visit was a real turn off. One of Nanayiro's waitresses once told us that the rainbow roll got its name because there are seven types of fish in it. But when you go to Manpuku, one of the types of "fish" is a slice of avocado! And throughout the roll they repeat types of fish! Also, I noticed the sushi is prepared differently depending on the sushi chef and the Chicken Teriyaki is suspiciously oily for something that comes on a sizzling plate. Maybe they're taking precautions so the meat won't stick to the plate. I have long hypothesized that the restaurant just heats up a chicken breast and places it on top of the red onions and then slathers up the teriyaki sauce. (I have already noted that the sauce is the clear reason this place is as tasty as it is. But sauce is important! Then again so is the meat) Basically: I don't think the grill marks are very authentic, but that's just my opinion! Anyway I love the ambience. Very low key and never very crowded or loud. Another plus: it's usually open until 9:30 or 10:30 (very uncommon with Berkeley area restaurants). This place is tasty, I'll say that much. The fish is fresh and I really like their charbroiled plates, but I'm a little weary about everything else. My bf and I have come to this restaurant fairly frequently over the past six months, and I'm pretty sure the waitress that has served us each and every time now recognizes us. The service has been nice. Maybe a couple times she's forgotten my bf's coke, but really apologetic everytime. What really upsets me is that this past dinner, there was a miscommunication with our order, and rather than the owner just suck up the costs, he stuck us with an extra sushi roll and the bill too. I've seen more gracious service and better customer policies. Because of this mishap, I can honestly say that we won't be coming by this establishment as often, which is a shame because I seriously doubt that the cost of that roll was more than the cost of our loyalty to the restaurant. Note to Sunim: This restaurant is actually run by Mongolians. Not that it matters. Edit: Rainbow is pretty solid though. But if you like sushi for the taste of fresh fish, I'd direct you to Kirala. Because with all the sauce they put on the roll, the fish really plays second fiddle. But I still think the rainbow roll is pretty tasty, just not very classy. Also, I think I notice a poorly cut piece of salmon on my rainbow roll- referencing the review with the lady unhappy with the skin on her salmon. Anyway I come here because it's the best choice for the compromise between wait (never any wait, unlike Kirala), price, ambience, and taste around here.
(4)Lisa B.
I went here for the first time tonight. I was planning on going to Joshu-ya's because I always have a good experience there and I crave it like what. However, my roommate is a hypochondriac and claims that Joshu-ya's makes her sick (she's eaten there many times and she got sick once.. and it could defintely have been attributed to something else..). Anyway, we went to Nanayiro. I must say that I did enjoy the decor of the restaurant. It's clean and elegant, though the rattle-y windows are a bit disturbing when you sit right next to them. Since it was a cold night, being served hot tea right after being seated was amazing. I liked the free miso and salad--the dressing was good but too oily and the miso kind of left a weird after taste in my mouth. I ordered the baked salmon roll and the spicy tuna roll. I did not like the baked salmon roll.. I'm used to the Joshu-ya lion king roll. The sauce on top was unpleasantly spicy and had a sort of cheese-like taste. The salmon was mushy and there was so little avocado that I didn't think they put any in until I ate my leftovers and saw the tiniest speck of green in my roll. I would not get this roll again. On the other hand, the spicy tuna roll was good.. pretty standard. My roommate's dragon roll was very tasty and I would probably get that if I had to go again. The service was very good and they didn't make a fuss or get confused when we paid with three different debit cards. Overall, I enjoyed my first experience here, and probably would go back, but I would definitely order something different. I prefer Joshu-ya's and Alameda's Sushi House, but Nanayiro is fine if my roommate continues to be a hypochondirac.
(3)ZEEBRA W.
Went there today for a quick bite to go... but ended up eating there with their to go boxes. I order their Crazy roll which is a combination of Salmon, Tuna, Hamachi (i think) and cucumber. It was only six rolls and I was charged around 7$ for that. They were pretty big and thin and tasted fresh. I also ordered miso soup for 1.50$ and my total was 9.19$ Go figure. Anyways my friend ordered some Wakame and it was probably half the size of the container of my miso soup all for 6$. It didn't look well worth it. Yes, they're expensive. But they were also courteous to us since we didn't plan on eating in.. they still brought us some green tea and complementary oranges. How thoughtful. This place is friendly. Food might be priced up a bit for what you're asking. But people who intended to dine inside seemed to enjoy themselves.
(3)Aromy X.
Very good sushi! Not the best I'd ever had or would die for... but when you feel like sitting down and having a good meal of raw fish, they have a very nice selection. There are also a lot of vegetarian choices as well. I also enjoy the free miso soup and salad when you have a sit down dinner. I don't know why they don't have it all sushi restaurants! The service is always very sweet and attentive; they make sure your tea cup is never ever empty.
(4)K K.
After reading Yelp reviews for Nanayiro, my wife and I decided to give it a try. Like other reviewers, I thought the service was very good. We were shouted at as soon as we walked in and served tea promptly. I like that they provide soup and salad for any order over $8 and not just for dinner combinations. The miso soup was good--it was hot and had little tofu pieces, but the salad--a very sweet sesame dressing over iceberg lettuce was "eh." A few pieces were wilted and brown (I think they should've gone with greens instead). My wife doesn't eat raw fish and I tend to go with combination nigiri plates when I try a place out. I opted for the Rainbow Roll and Unagi Roll while she ordered the Tempura California Roll and the Shrimp Avocado Roll. I can't review the fish because my Rainbow Roll was covered with Unagi sauce and a spicy mayo. The roll was okay and worth the $9.95 price. Nanayiro isn't for sushi aficionados, but good for those looking for a filling maki rolls. The Unagi Roll is a safe bet. The eel wasn't too mealy and the roll had the right portions of cucumber, eel and sauce. I was very impressed with the bright green color of the avocado on my wife's Shrimp Avocado Roll (a long shrimp tempura roll covered with cooked shrimp and avocado). Unlike the lettuce, there was not a hint a brown anywhere. The tempura batter on the Tempura California Roll was soggy and had a oily taste to it (my wife peeled it off). I suspect that their deep fryer isn't hot enough. Overall, the food was decent, the service was good and the atmosphere was pleasant. I like the dark, contemporary interior. It's a bit sophisticated and good for a casual date. The large windows looking out onto Shattuck was for good people watching, striking up a conversation about the modern building across the street, or commenting on the people walking by. There's enough choices on the menu to satisfy different tastes and, if the date is going south, there's a full sake menu. I'm planning to go back to Nanayiro to try the fish again but will avoid any tempura dishes. Nanayiro is good and worth the money when you want big maki rolls and don't feel like waiting at Kirala.
(3)jane f.
Sushi and rolls definitely a 3 to possibly a 3 1/2 stars for this Chinese Japanese food restaurant. Entrees are not as good... probably a 2....but the tempura is dense and soaked in oil ZERO stars. My husband did not finish it (now we know why) on our first visit... I thought he was stuffed with all the sushi we ordered... nope...each piece soak the entire napkin. My son orders it on our second visit and he also leaves it piled on his plate. The sashimi salad was generous with lots of fish but it was fishy. Why did we return? b/c Kirala was closed and we had no choice close by... Vegetarians should be warned... Japanese miso soup and stock (for soups, udon, etc) is made with a fish dashi base. We asked the waitress for our vegan friend... She did not know what dashi was... or bonito flakes...
(3)Alli B.
the fish was fresh but not smooth and buttery tasting, like angelfish in alameda. so while it satisfied a 'sushi' craving it didn't fully in that kind of perfect sorta way. the miso soup and the seaweed salad tasted store bought- i think the seaweed salad definitely came from the korean market on telegraph that i go to, which was kind of weird. we went an hour before closing so the service was super fast and all the bases there were covered. it's much better than a lot of the other east bay sushi places available, simply because it is fresh and relatively inexpensive.
(4)