Kaoru Sushi

Was planning going out to there sister store for dinner tonight but they where closed and after doing more research I found there sister store and had to try it out.Was pleasantly surprised by my deluxe nigiri it had many different kinds of fish choices on it. As well as the meals my group had and the lady that served us was very nice. Definitely will come back again.

I really enjoyed the fresh sushi and the vibe of the restaurant! Nigiri was fresh and delicious. The jack roll with the black rice was insane. Loved the probiotic drink at the end of our meal!

Great service, delicious food and amazing ambiance! The staff is very kind, love that they stay open late perfect for a night run with friends and family 😊 highly recommend!

Located inside the Pacific East Mall opposite side of Ranch99. I like this sushi house. They have all sorts of sushi rolls and many other types of Japanese food. The place is small yet it's cozy to dine in with you and your guest or a party of your friends and family. Right after, there's the convenience of shopping around the neighboring shops. If your undecided on what to get, I would recommend the Jack Roll. Every time we visit, we always have a Jack Roll amongst the bunch of other dishes they offer. My wife says it's her all time favorite.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kauro Sushi is an absolute gem! The moment you walk in, you’re greeted with a warm atmosphere that instantly makes you feel at home. The sushi is top-notch—each piece is fresh and bursting with flavor. I especially loved the salmon nigiri; it practically melted in my mouth! The staff is friendly and attentive, making the dining experience even better. If you're looking for a place that serves amazing sushi with a soulful vibe, Kauro Sushi is a must-visit!

I didn’t wanna make this , I hope prices don’t jump , it’s a lil secret DOBIN MUSHI $12 ( still pre covid prices ):)

Inside of Pacific Mall in El Cerrito is this little gem. Staff is always courteous and fast to seat you and help you. Food is always fresh!!! Just look at the photos!

I usually don't gravitate towards eating sushi but Kaoru sushi made me change my mind for sure. Although, I wasn't a fan of the White Tiger Roll I would recommend their California Maki Roll, especially the Tuna Avocado Roll which was my favorite. My order was ready in less than 20 minutes. The lady greeted me and helped me find my order once I arrived which was ready for me to grab and go. Their sushi is so flavorful and neatly made, I will totally order from them again. Thank you for the great sushi.

Gel Owen (Red88Miner)

Was planning going out to there sister store for dinner tonight but they where closed and after doing more research I found there sister store and had to try it out.Was pleasantly surprised by my deluxe nigiri it had many different kinds of fish choices on it. As well as the meals my group had and the lady that served us was very nice. Definitely will come back again.

Candace Anne

I really enjoyed the fresh sushi and the vibe of the restaurant! Nigiri was fresh and delicious. The jack roll with the black rice was insane. Loved the probiotic drink at the end of our meal!

Alpha Q Up

Located inside the Pacific East Mall opposite side of Ranch99. I like this sushi house. They have all sorts of sushi rolls and many other types of Japanese food. The place is small yet it's cozy to dine in with you and your guest or a party of your friends and family. Right after, there's the convenience of shopping around the neighboring shops. If your undecided on what to get, I would recommend the Jack Roll. Every time we visit, we always have a Jack Roll amongst the bunch of other dishes they offer. My wife says it's her all time favorite.

bijay Gurung

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kauro Sushi is an absolute gem! The moment you walk in, you’re greeted with a warm atmosphere that instantly makes you feel at home. The sushi is top-notch—each piece is fresh and bursting with flavor. I especially loved the salmon nigiri; it practically melted in my mouth! The staff is friendly and attentive, making the dining experience even better. If you're looking for a place that serves amazing sushi with a soulful vibe, Kauro Sushi is a must-visit!

Karime Cipres

Inside of Pacific Mall in El Cerrito is this little gem. Staff is always courteous and fast to seat you and help you. Food is always fresh!!! Just look at the photos!

Lesli D

I usually don't gravitate towards eating sushi but Kaoru sushi made me change my mind for sure. Although, I wasn't a fan of the White Tiger Roll I would recommend their California Maki Roll, especially the Tuna Avocado Roll which was my favorite. My order was ready in less than 20 minutes. The lady greeted me and helped me find my order once I arrived which was ready for me to grab and go. Their sushi is so flavorful and neatly made, I will totally order from them again. Thank you for the great sushi.

Gilberto Siles

Good prices, great portions, fast service and delicious sushi! Highly recommended it!

We were a group of 6 and we ordered 5,6 items which was pretty enough for all us. Alex was really kind and helpful. Happy with both the food and service. Will be back for sure.

God-sent staff, lovely people! They are so nice and welcoming and have a sense of community too. Will visit again; love Kaoru!

Sachina Panthi

We were a group of 6 and we ordered 5,6 items which was pretty enough for all us. Alex was really kind and helpful. Happy with both the food and service. Will be back for sure.

Wendy C

God-sent staff, lovely people! They are so nice and welcoming and have a sense of community too. Will visit again; love Kaoru!

Sarah Cole

Love this place! The service was great and my order came out quickly. I got the chirasi bowl and it was fantastic. Rice was flavored nicely and large pieces of fish. This is a great place to go when you are craving sushi.

It was very good. The only thing was the waiting. There were only 2 customers and I waited 30 mins just for my food.

I usually don't order sukiyaki but when i tried it here, it was really just the right taste so this is the only place i would eat it. The seafood fried rice is also delicioso 👌👍. The pricing also is good or average.

Great service. The Uni was really fresh, big portions. I haven't found any really tastey Hamachi anywhere recently, not sure why. I got the tiger roll which was pretty but too sweet for me. Nice place with popping beat music.

Three of us shared 4 rolls - Rainbow, Philly, Mango and Pink - all were very good. We were almost done with 3 rolls before the 4th one came out. Staff was friendly and attentive. Just FYI, they add 18% gratuity on every check.

Sushi was good, and the fish tasted fresh. Miso soup was sweeter than what we are used to, but it was good. No complaints really. Great find not far from the highway.

I popped in again for a late lunch. Got my new regular, salmon Sashimi, among other things. It was delicious, as always. I really love the decor, and the service was right on it. Not the cheapest sushi in the area, but well worth it!

The food is good, the place is small, but cozy, a little more customer service is needed. to give it A+ I would give it C, suggestion, they should leave the path free for people who use wheelchairs. It is not my case but I saw that some people could not pass and we had to get up so they could go to the bathroom.

Great rolls but they increased the price and reduced the size of the rolls lately. Very friendly and efficient staff. Probably the best sushi place of the SF Bay Area. Give it a try!

Catalina Del Grosso

I popped in again for a late lunch. Got my new regular, salmon Sashimi, among other things. It was delicious, as always. I really love the decor, and the service was right on it. Not the cheapest sushi in the area, but well worth it!

Elizabeth RoSi

The food is good, the place is small, but cozy, a little more customer service is needed. to give it A+ I would give it C, suggestion, they should leave the path free for people who use wheelchairs. It is not my case but I saw that some people could not pass and we had to get up so they could go to the bathroom.

Jose Luis Cebrian Marquez (jlcmes)

Great rolls but they increased the price and reduced the size of the rolls lately. Very friendly and efficient staff. Probably the best sushi place of the SF Bay Area. Give it a try!

Located inside the Pacific East Mall opposite side of Ranch99. I like this sushi house. They have all sorts of sushi rolls and many other types of Japanese food. The place is small yet it's cozy to dine in with you and your guest

sale export

Located inside the Pacific East Mall opposite side of Ranch99. I like this sushi house. They have all sorts of sushi rolls and many other types of Japanese food. The place is small yet it's cozy to dine in with you and your guest

Went here for lunch after a visit to Point Isabel. It’s inside a mall with a 99 Ranch and other shops. Got the miso soup, vegetable rolls, and spicy tuna rolls. The vegetable rolls were very good; the spicy tuna rolls were good but not the best I’ve had. Service was attentive and the ambiance was nice. Main reason for the lower rating was the non-transparent pricing; the menu prices were confusing, and they add an 18% service charge to all bills (that is not a tip.) While the food was good, I like to be able to estimate what a meal will cost without extra fees to consider.

EDIT 2: Started charging a mandatory 18% service fee EDIT: Well, that quality went mediocre fast. Got takeout for lunch, the nigiri and sashimi set. The quantity and quality are both excellent for the price! The wasabi is plentiful. The fish is plenty fresh and absurdly thick. Will come often!

My 1st time here was an amazing experience. Awesome food, great atmosphere. My 2nd time here was mediocre at best. Food was still great. But, service was lacking. They didn't have hot green tea.... and they never brought me my miso soup.. But, I'll probably come again when passing through. And they automatically add an 18% service charge on all meals, not just large parties.... maybe I won't be coming back.

C M

My 1st time here was an amazing experience. Awesome food, great atmosphere. My 2nd time here was mediocre at best. Food was still great. But, service was lacking. They didn't have hot green tea.... and they never brought me my miso soup.. But, I'll probably come again when passing through. And they automatically add an 18% service charge on all meals, not just large parties.... maybe I won't be coming back.

The food was good but pricey (understandable with inflation). 4/5 based on food. The service was poor and the kicker was they added an 18% service charge for lunch for 2 people. They also don’t tell you about the Service charge unless you carefully look through the receipt. The front page has “additional tip” listed and you end up paying 33-38% tip for mediocre service. I’m interested to see what ownership will do. This is shady practice.

Doesn't taste like authentic Japanese food. I ordered the chicken katsu curry. The chef can cook chicken katsu decently, but the curry itself was odd. It had an acidic taste that was overpowering and made it hard to finish. Toward the end of eating it where it was mostly rice, instead of curry rice it just tasted unusual. Usually that final stage of eating curry is one of my favorites, but it wasn't satisfying at all. Before eating, I also noticed burnt flakes in it so I had to spend about 5 minutes picking them all out. The miso soup tasted bland and had sliced mushrooms instead of tofu. The salad (which was so small I finished it in 2 bites) was probably my favorite part of the whole meal because of the iconic dressing I grew up with.

I recently visited restaurant, and I was left disappointed by the poor food quality and service. The sashimi fish had ice inside it, and even the edamame had ice particles. The servers seemed more interested in their smartphones and personal activities than attending to customers, they are just missing order, ignoring their customer…. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this place based on my experience.

Bar and atmosphere looked inviting but we were hoodwinked. Waitstaff avoided us for the most part. No napkins at the table or offered. No plates for serving or little dishes for soy sauce. Annoyed about the automatic 17% service charge when there was no service really, and it was just myself and my sister. Chirashi was fine, no complaints. They had uni nigiri which was fresh, and I was happy it was offered on the menu. Amaebi came at the very end of the meal when we were ready to leave. She ordered the katsu donburi, oh my god it was disgusting. Just looking at it, it was like goopy gooey soup. The katsu was not crispy or crunchy hidden beneath what I am assuming is supposed to be egg, but it was so gross looking. It was more like a chinese congee, but without cooking down the rice? Terrible. Would not be back again. Do not recommend.

They already charge an 18% service fee which is basically their gratuity/tip fee. Doesn't matter how much you spend, the fee is applied. I was unaware of this and almost double tipped them. They didn't inform us, just pointed to the first page of their menu and said it's posted there. Who looks at the page that doesn't have menu items? I suppose that was an error on my part for not reading the introduction of their menu? Their food is either really good or a disappointment, particularly the freshness of their sashimi/nigiri. They gave us extremely dried out albacore nigiri tonight and that's unacceptable.

I've been ordering takeout here for a year. The quality has gone down a lot in the last two months. This last sashimi order had very small pieces and my salmon had bones in it. Probably not going to be giving this place anymore business.

I have been going here for over 6years now, not exactly this same location but the other one called “Yoshio” right by DMV El Cerrito. I have see them grow and their price as well, which is totally understandable considering the economy, however that doesn’t give the the right to put automatic 18% service charge for 2 people and still have tipping option their receipt, the shocker is, they will not tell you about it until you’re set to pay and you are in a situation you can’t get out from. Don’t get me wrong, I personally enjoy their food and always go there for the ambiance and spend time with friends, but since what they do now is scam people with expensive food and 18% service fee and still asking for tip, making you pay more than you eat, all I do now is order take out and avoid the whole drama. Note: 18% service fee isn’t included when you order take out. Enjoy 😉

We ordered takeout online, service was good and food was ready on time. Food was tasty overall: 3 sushi rolls and the tempura combo. The basic California roll was better than the specialty rolls. Weird thing about the tempura combo- the menu stated 2 shrimp and vegetables, but 2 tempura pieces were unrecognizable as vegetables. They appeared to be fishcakes used in traditional Japanese oden but were undercooked and pretty inedible. It was an unpleasant surprise. You expect shrimp, green beans, kabocha, broccoli, etc. but not rubbery fishcakes. Not sure if we will come back... Edit: we haven't gone back. We tried Yoshio Sushi on San Pablo Ave which I would recommend instead- roughly the same price but better overall flavor/quality and better service/attention to detail. I appreciate the business responding to my review, but it sounds like a non-answer because we DID order takeout, not delivery.

Holly Cain

We ordered takeout online, service was good and food was ready on time. Food was tasty overall: 3 sushi rolls and the tempura combo. The basic California roll was better than the specialty rolls. Weird thing about the tempura combo- the menu stated 2 shrimp and vegetables, but 2 tempura pieces were unrecognizable as vegetables. They appeared to be fishcakes used in traditional Japanese oden but were undercooked and pretty inedible. It was an unpleasant surprise. You expect shrimp, green beans, kabocha, broccoli, etc. but not rubbery fishcakes. Not sure if we will come back... Edit: we haven't gone back. We tried Yoshio Sushi on San Pablo Ave which I would recommend instead- roughly the same price but better overall flavor/quality and better service/attention to detail. I appreciate the business responding to my review, but it sounds like a non-answer because we DID order takeout, not delivery.

The sukiyaki was so bad that I’m compelled to write a review. It was overly sweet, kind of milky, and not very hot that the egg didn’t cook at all. Not how sukiyaki should taste at all. Also reading the reviews now it seems like they added a gratuity and then still asked for tip, which we regret not having noticed.

Haoxing Du

The sukiyaki was so bad that I’m compelled to write a review. It was overly sweet, kind of milky, and not very hot that the egg didn’t cook at all. Not how sukiyaki should taste at all. Also reading the reviews now it seems like they added a gratuity and then still asked for tip, which we regret not having noticed.

My elderly parents and I sat down and were given menus. As we started to order, the phone rang and the waiter ran to take a phone order. When he finally came back, approximately 4 minutes later, I literally opened my mouth to order and he ran off to answer another phone order. When the waiter came back, approximately 7 minutes later, he said ‘No Sushi’, even thought there were two sushi chefs making sushi behind the counter. We walked out. My parents experienced a similar incident several months back, and we thought it was a fluke, but apparently it is a common occurrence here. Never.coming.back.

I went to try it out for the first time, and the service was awful. As we tried to attract their attention to collect the receipt, they didn't bother to check on us or even look at us. Quickly depart as the lady drops off the receipt. Our wait time was almost 15 minutes, and they never bothered to pick up the receipt. We had to approach them to grab their attention, and the lady didn't even offer an apology or anything. I watched them grab the salad and chicken with their barhands, so if you don't want people touching your food with theirs, don't come here. Sincerely, I've never had a worse service than this. Given that they charge 18% for service, I anticipated receiving a fantastic service. But I definitely did not.

I was just about to order online but thanks Mari R for posting a roach in your food! I don’t think I will ever try this place that is totally disgusting! Read the reviews y’all!!

Went to try it for the first time and it was super bad service. They were mixing up our order. Didn’t bother to check up on us or bother to look at us when we try to get there attention to get the receipt. As the lady drop off the receipt and walk away quickly. They made us wait over 18mins and never bother to pick up the receipt. The lady didn’t even say sorry or anything as we had to walk up to get their attention. Oh if you’re not okay with people touching your food with their bar hand, don’t come here because I saw them grab the salad ingredients with their bar hands. This was honestly the worst service I ever had. I expected to give a good service since they are charging 18% for service.

Tee had the worst service ever. The female hostess was extremely rude to us. She did not check vaccinations cards and snatched our menus. After ordering at 7pm, she told us that they ran out of sushi. Yes…she said that this Japanese restaurant RAN OUT OF SUSHI!! As she told us this, we watched another server take 3 rolls to another table. We were only 1 of 4 parties present. We paid for our drinks and left. I am not sure what the motive was, but I will say that we were the only black family there. All other tables had sushi… I am very frustrated!

We ordered several items to go... teriyaki chicken rice bowl, california roll sushi, spicy tuna and cucumber sushi, teriyaki short ribs.... came with salad and miso soup..... it was like $60 and it was all HORRIBLE.... the only thing out of it all that was reasonably descent was the miso soup... not only will I never go back but would not recomend to anyone.... TRUTH!!

Misleading Rewards Policy - Beware‼️ I’ve been a loyal customer at Kaoru Sushi and have been collecting stamps on their rewards card (10 stamps = 1 free house specialty roll). The card clearly states it’s redeemable for a free roll with no mention that a purchase is required. When I finally completed my card and went to redeem it, I was told by a staff member named Johnathan that I couldn’t get the free roll unless I bought something. They told me that the owner Yoyo and co-owner John are not good at english so that could be the case why it wasn’t mentioned on the stamp card. When I received the stamp card this condition was never mentioned by the server who gave it to me and anywhere on the card. It feels misleading and unfair. I asked about it but instead of honoring the card, they insisted on the extra purchase. It’s disappointing, especially when customers spend time and money to earn rewards in good faith. If you’re collecting stamps here, be aware that the “free roll” apparently isn’t really free. It’s a bait.

THEY HAVE ROACHES. Our order that day: Tiger Roll, Miso Soup, & Sake Avocado Roll I've been a customer for a while & have been here several times with family/friends. Customer service has always been minimal but we enjoyed the food in the past so continued to return. However, during my last visit on 08/23/2024 there was a roach on our food, which was dismissed by all employees who I made aware. This happened as soon as the waiter dropped off our food. As we poured soy sauce a roach jumped from the soy sauce bottle onto the plate then the table. My friend and I tried to get the attention of waiters as we took pictures of the roach to try to alert them. Nobody other than the sushi chef behind the bar acknowledged us. The roach was freely crawling all over the table and eventually jumped onto the soy sauce bottle and a waiter came over & picked it up and took it to the kitchen without saying a word to us. I was expecting him to return and offer to remake our food or at least offer an apology, but nobody ever came back to address the situation. That same waiter continued to attend the tables around us, but did not come back to ours. We waited for a few minutes and tried to get the attention of waiters but they all pretended not to be aware? I don't know if they just expected us to eat the food that the roach had just crawled over?? I finally decided to walk up to the register and spoke to another employee who came out from the back. I tried to quietly explain the situation to her and apologized myself saying - "Would it be possible to cancel the tab? We don't feel comfortable eating the food since there was a bug crawling on our plates." She completely ignored what I said and walked behind the register and started canceling the tab. I began to speak again to apologize for the hassle but she interrupted me and only said, "Okay get out." Which I found to be rude. I'm pretty sure their goal was just to hush the situation, but I think a simple sorry could've been said. I find it disturbing that the situation was handled this way & it made me wonder how often it happens.

M G

Misleading Rewards Policy - Beware‼️ I’ve been a loyal customer at Kaoru Sushi and have been collecting stamps on their rewards card (10 stamps = 1 free house specialty roll). The card clearly states it’s redeemable for a free roll with no mention that a purchase is required. When I finally completed my card and went to redeem it, I was told by a staff member named Johnathan that I couldn’t get the free roll unless I bought something. They told me that the owner Yoyo and co-owner John are not good at english so that could be the case why it wasn’t mentioned on the stamp card. When I received the stamp card this condition was never mentioned by the server who gave it to me and anywhere on the card. It feels misleading and unfair. I asked about it but instead of honoring the card, they insisted on the extra purchase. It’s disappointing, especially when customers spend time and money to earn rewards in good faith. If you’re collecting stamps here, be aware that the “free roll” apparently isn’t really free. It’s a bait.

Angel R

THEY HAVE ROACHES. Our order that day: Tiger Roll, Miso Soup, & Sake Avocado Roll I've been a customer for a while & have been here several times with family/friends. Customer service has always been minimal but we enjoyed the food in the past so continued to return. However, during my last visit on 08/23/2024 there was a roach on our food, which was dismissed by all employees who I made aware. This happened as soon as the waiter dropped off our food. As we poured soy sauce a roach jumped from the soy sauce bottle onto the plate then the table. My friend and I tried to get the attention of waiters as we took pictures of the roach to try to alert them. Nobody other than the sushi chef behind the bar acknowledged us. The roach was freely crawling all over the table and eventually jumped onto the soy sauce bottle and a waiter came over & picked it up and took it to the kitchen without saying a word to us. I was expecting him to return and offer to remake our food or at least offer an apology, but nobody ever came back to address the situation. That same waiter continued to attend the tables around us, but did not come back to ours. We waited for a few minutes and tried to get the attention of waiters but they all pretended not to be aware? I don't know if they just expected us to eat the food that the roach had just crawled over?? I finally decided to walk up to the register and spoke to another employee who came out from the back. I tried to quietly explain the situation to her and apologized myself saying - "Would it be possible to cancel the tab? We don't feel comfortable eating the food since there was a bug crawling on our plates." She completely ignored what I said and walked behind the register and started canceling the tab. I began to speak again to apologize for the hassle but she interrupted me and only said, "Okay get out." Which I found to be rude. I'm pretty sure their goal was just to hush the situation, but I think a simple sorry could've been said. I find it disturbing that the situation was handled this way & it made me wonder how often it happens.

I've always come to this restaurant for business Dinners and it's always the same, but today I'm going to say something. The waitress served us with her usual bad attitude and took forever to take our order. I won't be going back to this place. The food was very good, but the service was terrible. The waitress brought everyone else their bill and a drink called Yakult, which they give at the end of the meal, but she didn't give us anything. When I asked for it, they only gave me one, and my guests didn't get anything. I think there's discrimination because we're Latino. This just happened right now.

Violeta Horta

I've always come to this restaurant for business Dinners and it's always the same, but today I'm going to say something. The waitress served us with her usual bad attitude and took forever to take our order. I won't be going back to this place. The food was very good, but the service was terrible. The waitress brought everyone else their bill and a drink called Yakult, which they give at the end of the meal, but she didn't give us anything. When I asked for it, they only gave me one, and my guests didn't get anything. I think there's discrimination because we're Latino. This just happened right now.