The best sushi in Berkeley for a lunch, group dinner or celebration is on 4th St - at Iyasare. Mention Iyasare to anyone who knows it to hear their reaction. You've never seen vegetable tempura like theirs (check out the photo). The sushi rolls are incredible - here you see a yellowtail / hamachi and snow crab roll. The sushi fish is so fresh and expertly prepared. The teas are so interesting and calming. The ambiance elevating. However it's the team-based, attentive, 5 star quality service that will transport you to another time and place.

It’s best to make a reservation, but after shopping on 4th Street, showing up at 11:30 for lunch secured me a sweet corner table on the patio. They have 8 Donburi choices. I ordered unagi don, grilled eel. It was a thing of beauty. There are a variety of beautiful vegetables, seaweeds, tamago-yaki and sushi rice arranged around the perfectly grilled eel in a lovely bowl. Although this was filling, the waiter told me that the coffee was from Peet’s and was served French pressed. They had two dessert choices, the waiter recommended the cheesecake. It was unlike any cheesecake I had ever had. Light and airy, and ever so slightly sweet served with macerated blueberries. How they managed to create such a welcoming green space on the small patio is a testimony of this restaurant’s attention to details. Even the delicate flower arrangement was beautiful.

I consider Iyasare as one of my top restaurants of all time and I think that’s saying a lot. On 4th St in Berkeley, where the bar is high, I think this Japanese restaurant delivers on high quality food, at a good price, with amazing service, and plenty of available spaces. I’ve been a stickler about highly rating restaurants that are inaccessible to everyday people and often require months of advance notice or booking to get in. We go here for celebratory occasions or just everyday dining. We normally get the kakiage, an amazing tempura yakitori-style dish that serves veggies in addition to huge prawns. We’ve ordered the ramen, many of their fresh salads, sushi/chirashi, and unagi donburi. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.

+6

Excellent restaurant. The service was amazing. Very in tune with the flow of the dinner. I took my teens and they were even impressed. The food was spectacular and abundant. I was truly impressed by the quantity recieved with each dish. Very high quality. Bar was excellent. We will most definitely be back.

+6

Stopped by for lunch on Labor Day and they were able to easily accommodate us as a group of 3. The restaurant is classy and inviting with a great outdoor area. Every single thing we ate was wonderful save for the miso Caesar salad being good but unexciting. I didn’t see a la carte sushi but the rolls were top notch. It’s a place I would easily return to.

+5

Had lunch here, overall good! ORGANIC ICHIBA SALAD, really good salad, usually I don’t eat salad, but the sauce of this one is really good, just right amount of saltiness, no MSG, sauce is flavorful not too sour. Vegetable is fresh. SAKE AND IKURA DONBURI, salmon and seaweed and salmon roe balanced so well! Rice is also good. ‘KARA-AGE’ JAPANESE FRIED CHICKEN, sadly this is chicken is over fried, meat is a little dry, but really like the idea that this plate provide few choices of spices and sauce

The food is different from your usual Japanese place, and is excellent. I saw that almost e everyone recommended the kakiage tempura, and there's food rain for that. It's like they took a bunch of ingredients and made a pie, then tempura fried it and finally cut into slices. It's a must order. Everything else we ordered was great, too. Being an okonomiyaki lover, I'd order theirs again. The bacon mochi is unique but delicious. It's a bit more expensive than other places, but it's well worth trying.

+2

Delicious vegetarian dish, the presentation was beautiful and the food was great. Mixing in the spicy mustard was key! Started with the Brussels, cooked right with a subtle and addictive flavor. Evidence presented is the empty plate, if I wasn’t full I would have licked it!

Love the food and the service is great! We started with the seaweed salad. The crunchy cooked seaweed and squishy tofu paired really well together. The warm sake is very smooth. The volcano ramen with pork belly was really good. I will skip the minced chicken in it next time. The veg shoyu was very flavorful and the tofu in it was soft.

Enjoy the food here! I’m not a big fan of Ramen, but the one I had was so good. The Empire was also very tasty. We asked them to add prawns in it. The server was very nice and the aura was calm. I believe it was Michelin star rated a few years ago.

Iyasare has been my gastronomical 'happy place' on Fourth Street in Berkeley for years now. The staff embody authentic hospitality from the moment you arrive. When it comes to consummate customer service, elevated and artful Japanese food and specialty cocktails, Iyasare are at the top of their game!

Everything we’ve tried has been excellent high quality, full of flavor, and beautifully presented. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend if you’re looking for great food in a pleasant setting.

Amazing Asian Restaurant in Berkeley I celebrated my birthday at this fantastic Asian restaurant in Berkeley, and it was an unforgettable experience. Of all the dishes we ordered, the shrimp kakiage tempura was my absolute favorite—perfectly crispy and packed with flavor! Every dish was incredibly flavorful, and the drinks were refreshing and tasted amazing. The atmosphere was lively and inviting, and the staff was friendly and attentive. A perfect spot for a special occasion or any day you’re craving exceptional food!

Minea Herwitz

This place is winning. Creative and traditional, quality dishes. Excellent service. We are quite the foodies with a lot of experience in Japanese cuisine, both here in the Bay Area and in Japan. We will return to Iyasare again and again! Their miso soup was a delicious start. We had the Hana roll, which was not only tasty and complex but beautifully served, literally like a flower (with crispy onion over the top). The gindara (black cod) was perfectly cooked, elevating its delicate flavor of the fish while hitting you with an umami punch. The bacon wrapped mochi was a total winner. Unique, crispy, chewy, hot, salty yum!! But the service was what made it all worth it. Each server was top notch in their customer service. Friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and respectful. Winning! Cocktails and whiskey options also were winning. It’s about as good as it gets!

Nick Banes

This place was phenomenal. Unfortunately I was traveling and by myself, so I didn’t get to sample as much as I would’ve liked! My bartender was great, and I enjoyed a few Fortaleza cocktails. The tuna appetizer was excellent, Yakisoba noodles were phenomenal.

Bay Walker

Solid 5! Delicious food. Great service. Lovely decor. We shared a salad and tempura for lunch and both items were delicious with wonderful flavors. They have a large bar selection and personable staff. Reservations recommended. It was a bit loud indoors.

Chia-Chun Lee

Did’t make a reservation but still got a table on Saturday. Vegetable tempura is their signature dish. Went there twice everything tastes good. Saw people ordered Ramen and would like to try next time

Olivia Yates

We stopped in for lunch on a sunny Friday in November and sat on the patio. The service was impeccable and the food delicious. Our table had a breaded chicken dish, the grilled salmon, a roll, and the tataki appetizer. Everything was fresh and served quickly. I would return!

Jay Sun

Great service and nice ambience. Food was pretty good! Very fresh, but perhaps could use some more attention to detail. Wasabi was not hand ground. Soy sauce was rather generic. Tempura was over-fried. Scallops were also a bit over done. Wagyu skewers were perfect though! Quality of sashimi was also very good. Overall not a bad choice for Japanese in this area.

Nil

Everything we’ve tried has been excellent high quality, full of flavor, and beautifully presented. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend if you’re looking for great food in a pleasant setting.

Candy Nakajima

I absolutely LOVE this place! It's a place I meet with my mother a few times a year as she also loves this place. The food has always been amazing. Some items do change but there are staple items that remain in the menu that I order each time I visit. It may sound simple but I do love these miso Cesar salad. I also love and have to get the Kakiage Tempura with black tiger shrimp. This is a must get item. Get it without the shrimp if you cannot eat shellfish, it is still amazing. It comes with togarashi, seaweed and match to flavor it up more if wanted. The poppo yaki is another item I always order. The marinated squid is tender and delicious! Another item I like that is very simple but tasty is the agadashi tofu. From there many other items get ordered. Ikura rolls, uni, and tuna belly. They offer different ramen bowls and each is flavorful and filling. The Suzuki yaki (sea bass) is very moist. My wife tends to get the donburi bowls which are beautifully out together and fresh seafood. I usually end the meal with an order of the unagi but the desert change and are also delicious. This is a must visit restaurant. It is pricey but the quality and service is worth it. The atmosphere is vibrant and ambiance is electric. They offer bar seating, indoor and outdoor seating. Reservations are needed.

Katrina Mariano

Enjoy the food here! I’m not a big fan of Ramen, but the one I had was so good. The Empire was also very tasty. We asked them to add prawns in it. The server was very nice and the aura was calm. I believe it was Michelin star rated a few years ago.

Anya Cipa

Iyasare has been my gastronomical 'happy place' on Fourth Street in Berkeley for years now. The staff embody authentic hospitality from the moment you arrive. When it comes to consummate customer service, elevated and artful Japanese food and specialty cocktails, Iyasare are at the top of their game!

Leticia Queiroz Carvalho

Amazing Asian Restaurant in Berkeley I celebrated my birthday at this fantastic Asian restaurant in Berkeley, and it was an unforgettable experience. Of all the dishes we ordered, the shrimp kakiage tempura was my absolute favorite—perfectly crispy and packed with flavor! Every dish was incredibly flavorful, and the drinks were refreshing and tasted amazing. The atmosphere was lively and inviting, and the staff was friendly and attentive. A perfect spot for a special occasion or any day you’re craving exceptional food!

steph barrett

Exquisite menu. Perfect portions. The fruit salad is outstanding, and the persimmon pudding cake is sublime. The wait staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and unobtrusive. The heated patio with the festive streetlights overhead creates a wonderful atmosphere.

I absolutely LOVE this place! It's a place I meet with my mother a few times a year as she also loves this place. The food has always been amazing. Some items do change but there are staple items that remain in the menu that I order each time I visit. It may sound simple but I do love these miso Cesar salad. I also love and have to get the Kakiage Tempura with black tiger shrimp. This is a must get item. Get it without the shrimp if you cannot eat shellfish, it is still amazing. It comes with togarashi, seaweed and match to flavor it up more if wanted. The poppo yaki is another item I always order. The marinated squid is tender and delicious! Another item I like that is very simple but tasty is the agadashi tofu. From there many other items get ordered. Ikura rolls, uni, and tuna belly. They offer different ramen bowls and each is flavorful and filling. The Suzuki yaki (sea bass) is very moist. My wife tends to get the donburi bowls which are beautifully out together and fresh seafood. I usually end the meal with an order of the unagi but the desert change and are also delicious. This is a must visit restaurant. It is pricey but the quality and service is worth it. The atmosphere is vibrant and ambiance is electric. They offer bar seating, indoor and outdoor seating. Reservations are needed.

+6

Great service and nice ambience. Food was pretty good! Very fresh, but perhaps could use some more attention to detail. Wasabi was not hand ground. Soy sauce was rather generic. Tempura was over-fried. Scallops were also a bit over done. Wagyu skewers were perfect though! Quality of sashimi was also very good. Overall not a bad choice for Japanese in this area.

+1

Did’t make a reservation but still got a table on Saturday. Vegetable tempura is their signature dish. Went there twice everything tastes good. Saw people ordered Ramen and would like to try next time

We stopped in for lunch on a sunny Friday in November and sat on the patio. The service was impeccable and the food delicious. Our table had a breaded chicken dish, the grilled salmon, a roll, and the tataki appetizer. Everything was fresh and served quickly. I would return!

Great experience. Food delicious and fresh with impeccable service. A bit pricey, as we spent $110/person. I only gave atmosphere a 4 because noise level was a little high and tables a bit close together.

This place was phenomenal. Unfortunately I was traveling and by myself, so I didn’t get to sample as much as I would’ve liked! My bartender was great, and I enjoyed a few Fortaleza cocktails. The tuna appetizer was excellent, Yakisoba noodles were phenomenal.

Solid 5! Delicious food. Great service. Lovely decor. We shared a salad and tempura for lunch and both items were delicious with wonderful flavors. They have a large bar selection and personable staff. Reservations recommended. It was a bit loud indoors.

This restaurant is recommended by Michelin in 225. The food is good and creative. The tempura crispy chips tartare is very unique. Business is booming. Reservation is highly recommended.

+6

This place is winning. Creative and traditional, quality dishes. Excellent service. We are quite the foodies with a lot of experience in Japanese cuisine, both here in the Bay Area and in Japan. We will return to Iyasare again and again! Their miso soup was a delicious start. We had the Hana roll, which was not only tasty and complex but beautifully served, literally like a flower (with crispy onion over the top). The gindara (black cod) was perfectly cooked, elevating its delicate flavor of the fish while hitting you with an umami punch. The bacon wrapped mochi was a total winner. Unique, crispy, chewy, hot, salty yum!! But the service was what made it all worth it. Each server was top notch in their customer service. Friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and respectful. Winning! Cocktails and whiskey options also were winning. It’s about as good as it gets!

Came here on a Wednesday night with a friend. We had a reservation, but seems like there were a couple empty tables outside to accommodate walk-ins. Service was great, and everything we ordered was delicious. I particularly liked the tempura and the pasta dish. Recommend and will come back again.

Tiger shrimp tempura: both the taste and the portion are great Unagi don: also great; better than pieces of unagi in the sashimi menu Bara niku: highly recommend! Sushi rolls: I like how the menu specifies what is inside and on top. Ramen and miso soup: too salty, would not recommend Seafood pancake: a little too heavy and dominated by ginger, would not recommend. Came twice in a week. Can usually only sit outside (chilly) with no reservation.

Abby Pledger

What a gem of a Japanese restaurant on fourth Street in Berkeley. We had an outstanding meal and I was surprised at the creativity, quality and excellence of all the dishes we ordered. Kakiage Tempura a real highlight. Great and friendly service and perfectly sized dining room.

Grace O'Brien

Creative, fresh, good atmospheric beats, nice patio - able to bring the pup. Seafood Pancake was very tasty, and bluefin tuna fish good. Miso soup had depth and salad a nice dressing. The ramen was solid, but maybe not standout

The ambiance is fantastic, and the service is very attentive! The staff is exceptionally kind and checks in frequently. However, the food is average and didn't particularly impress me.

A little pricey for what it was tbh. But the standout dish was the bacon wrapped mochi. Id go back for that. The sashimi was pretty good, and tempura super crispy. The vegan pavlova was not bad. The food is overall quite good.

They serve good Japanese food. Open kitchen. All looks really clean. Service start with the hostess and service to the table was top. I got a chicken ramen that was excellent. It was also really big. My wife got the tempura veggies, looks and taste excellent, although bit too many potatoes/fries in it. Overall recommend the place and will go back again to try some other dishes that looks excellent too.

We went when they opened (at 5:30) on a Saturday. While many people reserved, there were a few walk-ins (like us). If you are going to arrive any later than 5:30 on a weekend, I woud recomment reservations. So for the appetizer, we orered the Iyasure Kaklage Tempura. It seemed mostly of sweet potato, but it as fine with a nice presenation. Our family went with ramen. I went with the vegetable shoyu ramen and the rest had the chashu miso ramen. The vegatable was good but I wish they had a vegan version. It is always disappointing when you are in the bay area and the menu doesn't offer a vegan option. The chashu was salty for my wife and my kids thought it was "too many vegetables" in it. It would be nice if they offered to serve the vegetables on the side for children. Other than that, the serving size is rather large so go hungry or be prepared to throw a lot of food away or take it home with you. We ordered a roll but it never came (though we were charged for it). The service was good though as the waiters were always quick to fill the water and the drinks came quickly. Costs will run you about $30-$40/person + drinks so it may be spendy for some. Not sure if we will return and if we do, we'll likely try the rolls as they looked good as the waiters were brinking it out. My kids said they will not eat ramen in a place that doesn't offer tonkatsu.

+1

A Japanese restaurant with vibrant and variety menu items from ramen, sushi, sashimi, to Japanese salads, and veggie options. Food is fresh and delicious. Location is great for hangouts and shopping. Service might be a bit slow but responsive. Indoor and outdoor patio seating. Good for kids, seniors, meetup and couples. There are free parking and paid street parking available but still may be difficult depending on timing.

+6

Love this place! First time here but the dishes we ordered were really good. The food and drink menus have a lot of great options and good place to go out with friends. I recommend to rsvp if you’re come with a big group or if you want to sit inside. My fav dish that was ordered was the tempura pancake! All of the dishes were generously portioned so we got really full. Will come back again when I get a chance to try more dishes.

Ariel A

They serve good Japanese food. Open kitchen. All looks really clean. Service start with the hostess and service to the table was top. I got a chicken ramen that was excellent. It was also really big. My wife got the tempura veggies, looks and taste excellent, although bit too many potatoes/fries in it. Overall recommend the place and will go back again to try some other dishes that looks excellent too.

I had dinner here for the first time and it was great! I ordered a few items, but I cannot add some pictures to the app for some reason. My favorite dishes were the Kakiage Tempura with Black Tiger Shrimp and Gindara. The other dishes I ordered were the Branzino and Wagyu Curry Rice and those feel flat for me. They definitely have a big menu and service was great. The atmosphere was quiet, calming, and inviting. I would HIGHLY recommend the dishes listed, especially the Gindara!

+4

It’s one of the few—if not the only—places that does luxury Japanese cuisine on the south side of Berkeley. They serve delicious, creative dishes as well as more traditional Japanese options like ramen. However, I think the prices are too high, even considering the quality of the food.

Sam Son

It’s one of the few—if not the only—places that does luxury Japanese cuisine on the south side of Berkeley. They serve delicious, creative dishes as well as more traditional Japanese options like ramen. However, I think the prices are too high, even considering the quality of the food.

It's modern Japanese style food, so if you are trying to find authentic Japanese food, this is not the right place. The food quality is good, price is on the higher end accordingly. For the dish we ordered, the squid is average, fish is not bad, pasta is very American style (too many cheese), pancake are too salty, if you ever tried authentic okonomiyaki, you would know this is far far far from it. Dessert is … may I say a rip off… very pretty on the presentation, but not worth it. Overall is average modern restaurant, so the 3 star, average.

+3

The staff were great and super nice! Let’s just get that out of the way. Food was average. Expected more for the price. If there is a next time, I’ll try the rolls and update. The shrimp kakiage tempura was over-spiced. They provide more of the three spices in case you want to add more but there was already too much. The tonkatsu curry was surprisingly all over the place. I think the dish I liked the most was the Chashu Miso Ramen.

Unsure how this place made it on the michelin guide?! Went as a group and ordered 2/3 of the menu—there are a top tier dishes but the majority of the items, especially their salads and all their sushi rolls, are items you can find at any “Japanese” style restaurant. I might return for the solid dishes, like their curry, donburis, and tempuras, though for the price there are many other superior options in the bay..

They have outdoor dining, which is nice. When I placed my reservation, I opted for the "heated patio" (which isn't covered, so if it's raining, that probably won't be an option). The seat I was in didn't have any heaters nearby, and had a plant taking up a lot of my personal space, which was annoying. Also the music was too loud where I was sitting; but the patio is VERY cute aesthetically. This was a Friday night, so they were fairly busy, and so food and drink was somewhat slow to come out. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The cocktail I ordered wasn't well balanced, and left something to be desired; but requesting and adding some simple syrup improved it. I'd suggest sticking to sake based on that. I tried the ramen and the omakase ($75). The ramen tasted good, and the hot sauce provided on request really took it up a notch. The omakase is only 12 pieces (which the server informs you of, it's not a surprise), which was less food than I'd expect for that price. The quality of the fish was great, but I'd have expected more for that price point; I'd be fine paying more to get more with omakase. It also came with some pickled fish that I'd have preferred to do without, and have more nigiri instead. My partner felt like they used more wasabi than she preferred, but I enjoyed that part :) There was plenty of street parking available near this restaurant, so that was nice. Overall, I'd say this place has a lot of potential, and is very cute, but I'd personally prefer to dine elsewhere.

Sometimes things that cost more are worse. Service was good. The roll was good but not spectacular enough to be 26 dollars. For $26 you expect fresh wasabi. The $36 French fry shrimp pizza thing, which is the most ordered item on the menu, was meh.

Jesse Rubin

Sometimes things that cost more are worse. Service was good. The roll was good but not spectacular enough to be 26 dollars. For $26 you expect fresh wasabi. The $36 French fry shrimp pizza thing, which is the most ordered item on the menu, was meh.

The vegetable tempura was inedible. The waitress suggested it. Maybe because it was a to go order. First time I’ve been this disappointed. Whatever oil they used seemed off and/or left in too long. Soggy. It was over salty and could barely see a veggie. Mostly batter. 🙁. This tempura looks nothing like the picture on website which is filled with of veggies! Hoping for a better meal next time to go or it in restaurant.

Yiwen Zhang

Ordered two bowls of ramen, the food was decent, but definitely overpriced. And since we seated outside, the atmosphere was not the best. They charged extra for egg in ramen. We ended up spending $89 for just the two bowls of ramen with some extra noodle. While we understand inflation is a thing, this is over the top.

Franny Faye

The vegetable tempura was inedible. The waitress suggested it. Maybe because it was a to go order. First time I’ve been this disappointed. Whatever oil they used seemed off and/or left in too long. Soggy. It was over salty and could barely see a veggie. Mostly batter. 🙁. This tempura looks nothing like the picture on website which is filled with of veggies! Hoping for a better meal next time to go or it in restaurant.

Ordered two bowls of ramen, the food was decent, but definitely overpriced. And since we seated outside, the atmosphere was not the best. They charged extra for egg in ramen. We ended up spending $89 for just the two bowls of ramen with some extra noodle. While we understand inflation is a thing, this is over the top.

I called Iyasare at 1:56pm. I asked what time they stopped taking walk-ins. They stated 2:30pm. I asked for a table at 2:06pm. I was turned away. I showed them my call log, the host admitted that he had provided me that information but was mistaken. The best they could do was a takeout order. I had came here once before for my birthday and enjoyed the Chirashi Don. I passed on the take out order. It left me wondering why a place that made a mistake did not make an attempt to accommodate me. Glad I found Monk Fish nearby. It was my first time. Delicious!

Rene Garcia

I called Iyasare at 1:56pm. I asked what time they stopped taking walk-ins. They stated 2:30pm. I asked for a table at 2:06pm. I was turned away. I showed them my call log, the host admitted that he had provided me that information but was mistaken. The best they could do was a takeout order. I had came here once before for my birthday and enjoyed the Chirashi Don. I passed on the take out order. It left me wondering why a place that made a mistake did not make an attempt to accommodate me. Glad I found Monk Fish nearby. It was my first time. Delicious!