Had an early dinner there and sat at the bar. All the dishes I ordered were wonderful, especially liked the mini blue fun tuna donburi.

+2

Exceptional cocktails and izakaya style dishes. The food was amazing and the atmosphere is really nice too with soft jazz. We had the maguro, chicken karage, sea bass, tempura string beans, and little gems salad dressed with wasabe. Everything was really exceptional! Can't wait to return!

Wonderful. The fried tofu was divine. My husband said his salmon was the best salmon he ever had. We enjoyed our meal here, thank you!

Very nice local Japanese tapas spot, with great drink selection. Duck tataki is a bit, as well as their unique, hand pulled chewy thin udon.

+4

Very fun experience. A5 wagyu melts in your mouth and the thickness of the meat was just right. Enjoyed all their other small dishes too.

Pure refinement, not a shade of pretence. Delightfully casual Sunday afternoon hangout, warm welcome from the crew & artfulness from the chef.

Olivia Konstam

The deluxe sashimi is amazing. Chef Aki Prepared a beautiful dish with incredible flavor and attention to detail. The sashimi melts in your mouth. Will definitely be back.

Alethea D

This was my second time at Fish and Bird. I love it each time I come. There’s a lovely, calm atmosphere, the food is delightfully unique, a playground for the pallet. We always order the house tofu and the Fried oysters, and this time got the sushimi platter. It took a little while to get the platter but it was worth the wait. The fish was delectable, high quality and fresh. We closed our dinner with the cold udon and that was refreshing as well.

Venus Zhang

We arrived on a rainy chilly Friday night, with most other places in Berkeley packed with at least 30mins waits. Luckily, we squeezed into the bar counter here, and it was worth it. The vibe was warm and inviting, perfect setting for a cozy izakaya experience. The menu didn’t disappoint. The wagyu beef was delicious, and Basque cheesecake was light yet creamy, and the fried chicken stole the show: juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor. To top it off, we were pleasantly surprised with complimentary drinks. All in all, a fantastic warm up before our trip to Japan 🇯🇵

R H

What a great find in the Berkeley / East Bay Area! Restaurant is spacious, and all food items we ordered (from small dish, appertizier, main to dessert) taste great. Particular highlight will be the Agedashi tofu (homemade!) and oden dishes.

V W

I usually come here for yummy chicken karaage, kaki fry (fried oysters) and other staple dishes. Their warm house sake is also a great pairing. Stayed for the new late night menu this time and I am glad we waited. Shrimp chips with draft Asahi beer was heavenly! Wagyu burger was juicy and flavorful. Would love to bring more friends next time to try other dishes on the late night menu. On top of that you know the food is going to be wonderful when the staff were having a good time serving you and enjoying their off time staying around after their shift ended. Updated 9/17/2024: Excellent fresh shrimps and albacore from west coast off California. The special sauce with olive oil was very tasty. Kaki fry (fried oysters) was great as usual. Always happy to be back to try the freshest dishes Fish and Bird offered for the seasonal catch. Update 6/12/2025: Amazing Taco Thursday with flavorful Wagyu beef belly taco Yucatán style. The sauce was so good! Chicken liver pate with crostinis - buttery texture with a hint of miso. Great with a glass draft beer. Saba Bozushi (mackerel boxes style sushi) so tender and savory umami Saba with a thin slice of marinated kombu on top. Absolutely delightful.

Damon Tighe

Food was incredible. Each plate was well thought out and executed. The soft tofu is not to be missed and the recently added black cod collars were a perfect balance of smokey, acid, and fish fats.

Anthony Pape

Just went for our son's birthday. 1st time eating here and we were not disappointed. They were short staffed and Cal just beat Stanford, Go Bears! Considering they were packed and only 4 servers they were able to handle it very well. We ordered the sea bean & corn tempura, anchovie stuffed olives, both great bar snack food. Next was the sashimi which was very high quality seared tuna, toro, kanpachi, kanpachi belly & sea trout. Our main was the tuna collar which was, as the menu states HUGE! Grilled nicely with rare & well done sections. It was very fatty and delicious! Between 4 of us, 2 adults & 2 children, we ate about 85%. Dessert we had the basque cheesecake & hojicha (roasted tea) ice cream. Needless to say we were stuffed and happy. We'll be back and look forward to trying more.

Bobby C.

Made reservation, and came here on a weekend during Berkeley restaurant week and had dinner, outdoor dining. All dishes are served family style. I really like the green beans fritters served with curry sansho salt. The sashimi was fresh and tasty. The salad and the smoked fish, a special dish that was not on the menu, was yummy. I will definitely go back and try other dishes.

juha lee

Great seafood, though it is rather expensive. The portion sizes are all small, so be prepared to order multiple dishes if you want a full meal. Everything was delicious, though, and our waiter was very helpful and friendly.

Fish & Bird opened during the lockdown of 2020. My first time here and it will not be my last. I was impressed with many aspects of my dinner at Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya. The beautiful clean industrial lines of the decor is relaxing. I enjoy seeing the latest in restaurant technology being used, order intake and final bill all paperless. The menu, quality of food, the flavors and variety was top-notch. The staff is professional and impeccable. I can’t wait to go back.

Great seafood, though it is rather expensive. The portion sizes are all small, so be prepared to order multiple dishes if you want a full meal. Everything was delicious, though, and our waiter was very helpful and friendly.

+5

Made reservation, and came here on a weekend during Berkeley restaurant week and had dinner, outdoor dining. All dishes are served family style. I really like the green beans fritters served with curry sansho salt. The sashimi was fresh and tasty. The salad and the smoked fish, a special dish that was not on the menu, was yummy. I will definitely go back and try other dishes.

Just went for our son's birthday. 1st time eating here and we were not disappointed. They were short staffed and Cal just beat Stanford, Go Bears! Considering they were packed and only 4 servers they were able to handle it very well. We ordered the sea bean & corn tempura, anchovie stuffed olives, both great bar snack food. Next was the sashimi which was very high quality seared tuna, toro, kanpachi, kanpachi belly & sea trout. Our main was the tuna collar which was, as the menu states HUGE! Grilled nicely with rare & well done sections. It was very fatty and delicious! Between 4 of us, 2 adults & 2 children, we ate about 85%. Dessert we had the basque cheesecake & hojicha (roasted tea) ice cream. Needless to say we were stuffed and happy. We'll be back and look forward to trying more.

Food was incredible. Each plate was well thought out and executed. The soft tofu is not to be missed and the recently added black cod collars were a perfect balance of smokey, acid, and fish fats.

+6

I usually come here for yummy chicken karaage, kaki fry (fried oysters) and other staple dishes. Their warm house sake is also a great pairing. Stayed for the new late night menu this time and I am glad we waited. Shrimp chips with draft Asahi beer was heavenly! Wagyu burger was juicy and flavorful. Would love to bring more friends next time to try other dishes on the late night menu. On top of that you know the food is going to be wonderful when the staff were having a good time serving you and enjoying their off time staying around after their shift ended. Updated 9/17/2024: Excellent fresh shrimps and albacore from west coast off California. The special sauce with olive oil was very tasty. Kaki fry (fried oysters) was great as usual. Always happy to be back to try the freshest dishes Fish and Bird offered for the seasonal catch. Update 6/12/2025: Amazing Taco Thursday with flavorful Wagyu beef belly taco Yucatán style. The sauce was so good! Chicken liver pate with crostinis - buttery texture with a hint of miso. Great with a glass draft beer. Saba Bozushi (mackerel boxes style sushi) so tender and savory umami Saba with a thin slice of marinated kombu on top. Absolutely delightful.

+3

What a great find in the Berkeley / East Bay Area! Restaurant is spacious, and all food items we ordered (from small dish, appertizier, main to dessert) taste great. Particular highlight will be the Agedashi tofu (homemade!) and oden dishes.

+2

We arrived on a rainy chilly Friday night, with most other places in Berkeley packed with at least 30mins waits. Luckily, we squeezed into the bar counter here, and it was worth it. The vibe was warm and inviting, perfect setting for a cozy izakaya experience. The menu didn’t disappoint. The wagyu beef was delicious, and Basque cheesecake was light yet creamy, and the fried chicken stole the show: juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor. To top it off, we were pleasantly surprised with complimentary drinks. All in all, a fantastic warm up before our trip to Japan 🇯🇵

The deluxe sashimi is amazing. Chef Aki Prepared a beautiful dish with incredible flavor and attention to detail. The sashimi melts in your mouth. Will definitely be back.

This was my second time at Fish and Bird. I love it each time I come. There’s a lovely, calm atmosphere, the food is delightfully unique, a playground for the pallet. We always order the house tofu and the Fried oysters, and this time got the sushimi platter. It took a little while to get the platter but it was worth the wait. The fish was delectable, high quality and fresh. We closed our dinner with the cold udon and that was refreshing as well.

+1

Yo Azama

This is by far the best Japanese restaurant I’ve been to in the U.S. Their homemade tofu was outstanding, and every dish struck a perfect balance of authenticity and refinement. The food is elevated without being pretentious. If you’re looking for exceptional Japanese cuisine served with honesty and care, this is the place for you.

The food is really great, good selection of sake too. may be a bit too small numer of staffs but otherwise really enjoyed my time here.

A lovely night out for the wife's birthday dinner. Reminded me of our honeymoon in Japan. The tofu agadashe (sp?), hot pot and anchovies were all fantastic . The waygu tendon was much better than I was expecting, we had something similar in Tokyo. Will be back

Went during Oakland's Restaurant Week. Liked the chicken karaage (one thing though, it's bone it and they've chopped it up before frying. Look out for splintered bones), duck tataki, hot pot and hojicha ice cream. Items that didn't really stand out to us were the potato salad, croquettes and the fish cake with cheese. The fish cake was recommended by the waitress so we tried it but we just thought it was a weird combo. Service was good, food came out pretty quickly. Not bad for the soft opening.

We decided to visit here on a Saturday night for dinner. Booking was easy and although we were a few minutes early we were seated immediately. We were provided with Menus and our choice of drinks. The waiter answered our questions on the menu. He the disappeared for a while and came back to take our order. We ordered Agedashi Tofu, Takoyaki, salmon skin roll and Salmon Nabe. They were prepared and presented family style. The food was delicious!! After we were done we lingered and wondered where the waiter was so we could settle the bill. He finally showed up and luckily the restaurant uses handheld devices to check out so this was quick and painless. Overall a great experience.

Dee S

Went here for my husband's birthday. We both had the pre-set menu. Food: The sea bean and corn tempurawith a side of matcha. They were tasty, but no different from the tempura I've had at other restaurants. The sashimi salad was also tasty, but nothing special. Just a salad with a few pieces of various raw fish. I had the Salmon Kasuzuki. I have to say this was actually delicious! A perfect blend of sake and miso with the salmon. It was a lovely cut of meat and perfectly cooked. Delicious! My husband has the Wagyu Bikini Hamburg steak. I would say it was nothing special. A big chunk of hamburger. Good quality hamburger and not too oily, but still just ground beef. The Matcha Tiramisu was tasty. Not too sweet. Overall, I'd say a little over priced for what you get. About half the dishes stood out as above average. Atmosphere. The atmosphere was pleasant, although the music was a bit loud. The high ceilings help with the noise. While we were there, the table next to us brought a DOG into the restaurant...not a service dog ..which I thought was against the health code, but no one said anything to them. Service. The service was attentive. She checked in with us after each dish was brought to make sure everything was good. Although my husband's main dish was brought to the table at least 5 minutes before my dish arrived. Not good for, but not the server's fault. That's the kitchen's fault. Overall a good experience, but a bit pricey. It was about $200 for two prix fix meals , drinks, tax and tip.

Angela

We were in the area looking online for where to eat. My friend was really craving Japanese food at that time so we decided to come here. The interiors had an upscale vibe - tall ceilings, open kitchen, and sleek decor. Staff were super nice too. I got the Chicken Katsu and it was really good! Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The ratio of breading to chicken was also just perfect. Portions are on the smaller side but izakaya food typically comes in small plates anyways.

Justin Snider

The food is definitely good. The sea bean tempura was a highlight and I'd highly recommend it. The basque cheesecake was great too The issues were more with timing of dishes and overall service. We ordered a bunch of stuff, and the whole fish, which takes 30-40 minutes. We got almost everything in like 8 minutes, to the point that we had to start combining dishes to make room for the newest dish (on a table for 2). Then we waited around for 30 minutes for the fish. Just poor planning. Coincidentally the dessert took much longer than any of the appy/entree dishes. We also got the sashimi platter but nobody told us what the fish was when it was dropped off. Which made for confusion when we wanted more of something we had eaten and nobody knew what it was. That said, the staff was very friendly and great to chat with, congrats to the guy we talked to who is getting married soon! Overall a really great place to go eat but would benefit from some service training.

Danny Tran

Went here on a Saturday around noon. It wasn’t too busy and we had a reservation. We ordered the fries with curry salt, sea bean, shrimp Sando and the Katsu curry. Each dish was good but I would skip the fries next time. Curry was more tangy than I’m used to but still good. Portion of rice was very small. The lunch menu is very limited which was disappointing

Went here on a Saturday around noon. It wasn’t too busy and we had a reservation. We ordered the fries with curry salt, sea bean, shrimp Sando and the Katsu curry. Each dish was good but I would skip the fries next time. Curry was more tangy than I’m used to but still good. Portion of rice was very small. The lunch menu is very limited which was disappointing

+3

The food is definitely good. The sea bean tempura was a highlight and I'd highly recommend it. The basque cheesecake was great too The issues were more with timing of dishes and overall service. We ordered a bunch of stuff, and the whole fish, which takes 30-40 minutes. We got almost everything in like 8 minutes, to the point that we had to start combining dishes to make room for the newest dish (on a table for 2). Then we waited around for 30 minutes for the fish. Just poor planning. Coincidentally the dessert took much longer than any of the appy/entree dishes. We also got the sashimi platter but nobody told us what the fish was when it was dropped off. Which made for confusion when we wanted more of something we had eaten and nobody knew what it was. That said, the staff was very friendly and great to chat with, congrats to the guy we talked to who is getting married soon! Overall a really great place to go eat but would benefit from some service training.

+6

We were in the area looking online for where to eat. My friend was really craving Japanese food at that time so we decided to come here. The interiors had an upscale vibe - tall ceilings, open kitchen, and sleek decor. Staff were super nice too. I got the Chicken Katsu and it was really good! Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The ratio of breading to chicken was also just perfect. Portions are on the smaller side but izakaya food typically comes in small plates anyways.

+2

Went here for my husband's birthday. We both had the pre-set menu. Food: The sea bean and corn tempurawith a side of matcha. They were tasty, but no different from the tempura I've had at other restaurants. The sashimi salad was also tasty, but nothing special. Just a salad with a few pieces of various raw fish. I had the Salmon Kasuzuki. I have to say this was actually delicious! A perfect blend of sake and miso with the salmon. It was a lovely cut of meat and perfectly cooked. Delicious! My husband has the Wagyu Bikini Hamburg steak. I would say it was nothing special. A big chunk of hamburger. Good quality hamburger and not too oily, but still just ground beef. The Matcha Tiramisu was tasty. Not too sweet. Overall, I'd say a little over priced for what you get. About half the dishes stood out as above average. Atmosphere. The atmosphere was pleasant, although the music was a bit loud. The high ceilings help with the noise. While we were there, the table next to us brought a DOG into the restaurant...not a service dog ..which I thought was against the health code, but no one said anything to them. Service. The service was attentive. She checked in with us after each dish was brought to make sure everything was good. Although my husband's main dish was brought to the table at least 5 minutes before my dish arrived. Not good for, but not the server's fault. That's the kitchen's fault. Overall a good experience, but a bit pricey. It was about $200 for two prix fix meals , drinks, tax and tip.

+3

Food is tasty but the service is below average. It took over 1h for our hot pot to arrive. On top of that, I had to go ask for spoons. With so many options in Berkeley, I don't think I'll be returning to this place.

A couple of great first violinists do not make an orchestra.. I really wanted to like Fish and Bird, really. Great press, shortage of good special occasion restaurants in Berkeley, highly recommended by a friend, good reviews. We made a reservation for a special occasion for the two of us. Early too, 5:30 PM to avoid the crowds. We got seated right away, the restaurant was almost empty. Had a couple of drinks (more on the drinks later) and an appetizer to start and told our waiter how excited we were to be there. Very friendly wait staff. We mentioned that we saw the beautiful pictures of whole fish dishes they had and asked about it. The waiter informed us that today they only had one whole fish, the dried and grilled Petrale Sole. Disappointment, but not the end of the world. We specifically asked if we should order all at once, or small plate style, one dish at the time. He informed us that we should order everything at once and not to worry, they will bring dishes in order. We asked for, to be brought out in order, the Chef’s Sashimi special (Moriawase), the Sole and ,at the recommendation of the waiter, the soup (Kurbuta Nabe) which he said and is noted on the menu, to be enjoyed last Wine decision time! We are both wine people, so when we heard there is Japanese wine to try out, we looked forward to trying it out. Disappointment again. No Japanese white wine by the glass. Only a bottle of Gris de Koshu for $60 and the two other by-the-glass whites are from Texas and a 2021 Toronettes from Argentina! A 6 months old wine that goes for $10 a bottle at BevMo? ! So much for ‘Local’. We settled on the Sparkling burgundy Rose. Might as well go French. While we were contemplating which wine to have with our food, out came the fish!!! First. The Solel was very good, however, moist and smokey. As the waiter came by to apologize for the delay in the Sashimi (supposed to be the first dish). While we waited, we saw another waiter delivering a couple of whole different fish dishes (not Sole) to another table. We motioned to our waiter and he apologized again .Turns out they had another type of fish (steamed trout?) but they reserved it to a VIP table. Hmm. Done with the fish, table cleaned and another food runner came by and setup Soup Spoons. Again, the waiter comes by and assures us that the soup will come last and Sashimi on it’s way. Before he is done speaking, the soup shows up (a third food runner). At this point we gave up and just went with the flow. Soup was very good, not sure it is worth $32. 10 minutes later, the dish we wanted first, the Sashimi, finally shows up. Very good sashimi. We ordered the Fukushima Sake flight to go with it. That was the highlight of the night. Since I was still hungry, we ordered the Chicken Katsu to close up the meal. Good Katsu. Unsolicited advice: the wine list is very showy but unfocused. Pair it down to a manageable list with more local or Japanese by the glass whites to go with the fish and Sashimis. All in all. 4 starts for the food, 2 for service orchestration. Total bill north of $250 including tax and tip. For that price, we wanted a great special occasion experience, not just good food in the wrong order.

+4

We were seated right away even though we didn't make a reservation. We decided to dine inside but it was still quite cold, kept my jacket on the whole time. It was good we didn't come hungry because you will need to pay a lot here to get full. We ordered the sea beans - very salty and the matcha powder dip was interesting. The saba miso only had 3 small pieces of fish - good flavor but for $19, I expected more. The whole thing was fist size and I have small hands. The sashimi moriawase was recommended by the waiter as "fresh fish from Japan" - 12 pieces at $40 is alright but nothing stood out. The waiters/servers were attentive and friendly but the food was not memorable. $90~ for 3 appetizer dishes....hmmm.

The waitresses just silently watched me tipping 20% on top of the included 20% for 5+ people. My bad that I didn’t look at the check? Maybe. Poor service? Maybe

Ordered dessert to go and had to wait over 25 minutes to get it. Takes forever to get an order

Food was good but not great. Highball is decent. Ambience was not the real izakaya that I’d expect. Two things I would like to comment are that the indoor temperature was quite cold (had to wear jacket throughout our dinner), and the food came really fast (the tempura & katsu were all cold very fast). TBH, I can get better ambience and food at restaurants in Malaysia.

Sam

This was my first time at Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya. It was very busy and I would recommend a reservation. The food was good, but somethings were a bit dry or tasted overcooked. I ordered the Sencha because it was cold. The Sean Bean & Corn Tempura was good, but oily. The Ika Karaage was okay. The Chicken Katsu was a bit dry. The Deluxe Sashimi Moriawase was good, but some of the cuts were tough or tasted weird. Over a good experience at this body establishment. Service was good.

Heike Woodward

Made reservations for New Year 's Eve Prix Fixe Menue ( $145 per person) of Shabu Shabu Three Ways. We came in, received no greeting, were just shown to our table. Food was just ok, pieces of tempura, consisted mainly of string beans, 2 slices of kombucha & one shrimp. The Wagyu beef striploin slices were too long, so was the berkshire pork belly slices, hard to handle & eat with just chopsticks. The broth was also almost unretrievable, due to the fact again, we didn't get/ have the right utensils.Our server was friendly, yet not knowledgable, about saki, food etc, but made an effort. The Owner, didn't even thank or wish us a Happy New Year ,when we left. We thought it wasn't worth it, especially at that price, quiete a disappointment. I / we, would not recommend this place to eat.

Made reservations for New Year 's Eve Prix Fixe Menue ( $145 per person) of Shabu Shabu Three Ways. We came in, received no greeting, were just shown to our table. Food was just ok, pieces of tempura, consisted mainly of string beans, 2 slices of kombucha & one shrimp. The Wagyu beef striploin slices were too long, so was the berkshire pork belly slices, hard to handle & eat with just chopsticks. The broth was also almost unretrievable, due to the fact again, we didn't get/ have the right utensils.Our server was friendly, yet not knowledgable, about saki, food etc, but made an effort. The Owner, didn't even thank or wish us a Happy New Year ,when we left. We thought it wasn't worth it, especially at that price, quiete a disappointment. I / we, would not recommend this place to eat.

+2

This was my first time at Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya. It was very busy and I would recommend a reservation. The food was good, but somethings were a bit dry or tasted overcooked. I ordered the Sencha because it was cold. The Sean Bean & Corn Tempura was good, but oily. The Ika Karaage was okay. The Chicken Katsu was a bit dry. The Deluxe Sashimi Moriawase was good, but some of the cuts were tough or tasted weird. Over a good experience at this body establishment. Service was good.

+6

The first time I went here I give 5 stars. I went back a second time, and it was unpleasant experience. The bartender was so loud that it was hurting my ears.

Food was alright -- maybe we could’ve ordered better. Wish there were better ‘raw’ options! The one we ordered had little to no flavor. Of the dishes we ordered I would recommend the fried sardines and soft tofu. The service was just ok. The food also came out WAY too fast to be able to enjoy. Hope others have a more enjoyable experience!

Wants to be a solid izakaya but lacks in complexity and depth to justify the prices. The quality, dynamism and excitement needs to be stepped up. For example $67 premium chirashi dish. Matches most $35-$45 chirashi from most decent Japanese restaurants, also didn’t include rice (which is a must for a true chirashi), and a bit small.

ayush kalani

My girlfriend and I decided to check out Fish and Bird for Berkeley Restaurant Week, and Fish & Bird initially charmed us. From the street, the classic Japanese izakaya vibe was undeniable with a big red neon sign. Stepping inside, however, it was a complete transformation. The modern, sleek decor with clean lines and an open kitchen created a cool, upscale atmosphere. The service was excellent - the staff was friendly and attentive throughout the night. But.... Here's where things went south. Initially, we had thought of trying their restaurant week menu, but after looking at it closely, we didn't really feel that it was worth the price. And so we decided to order from their regular menu. The Deluxe Sashimi Moriawase (not worth the price), at $59, was a big disappointment. The cuts of fish were uneven, some alarmingly thin. The star of the show, the uni, was a total miss. It wasn't fresh, had a somewhat fishy odor, and lacked any real flavor (not sweet and buttery at all). The chicken karaage was alright - crispy on the outside but not particularly juicy. The smoked saba shioyaki was probably the best dish of the night, with a nice smoky flavor. But it was riddled with bones, making it a bit of a struggle to eat. Overall, Fish & Bird felt like a place with a lot of potential but not quite hitting the mark. The upscale ambiance and attentive service were there, but the uneven execution of the food, particularly the sashimi, left me wanting more. For the price point, I expect a more consistent and impressive culinary experience.

My girlfriend and I decided to check out Fish and Bird for Berkeley Restaurant Week, and Fish & Bird initially charmed us. From the street, the classic Japanese izakaya vibe was undeniable with a big red neon sign. Stepping inside, however, it was a complete transformation. The modern, sleek decor with clean lines and an open kitchen created a cool, upscale atmosphere. The service was excellent - the staff was friendly and attentive throughout the night. But.... Here's where things went south. Initially, we had thought of trying their restaurant week menu, but after looking at it closely, we didn't really feel that it was worth the price. And so we decided to order from their regular menu. The Deluxe Sashimi Moriawase (not worth the price), at $59, was a big disappointment. The cuts of fish were uneven, some alarmingly thin. The star of the show, the uni, was a total miss. It wasn't fresh, had a somewhat fishy odor, and lacked any real flavor (not sweet and buttery at all). The chicken karaage was alright - crispy on the outside but not particularly juicy. The smoked saba shioyaki was probably the best dish of the night, with a nice smoky flavor. But it was riddled with bones, making it a bit of a struggle to eat. Overall, Fish & Bird felt like a place with a lot of potential but not quite hitting the mark. The upscale ambiance and attentive service were there, but the uneven execution of the food, particularly the sashimi, left me wanting more. For the price point, I expect a more consistent and impressive culinary experience.

+5

Crv Fanatic

Wants to be a solid izakaya but lacks in complexity and depth to justify the prices. The quality, dynamism and excitement needs to be stepped up. For example $67 premium chirashi dish. Matches most $35-$45 chirashi from most decent Japanese restaurants, also didn’t include rice (which is a must for a true chirashi), and a bit small.

Fish and Bird is an all around ripoff. Low quality fish (both frozen and stale) which the owner admits, though they charge more than the most expensive restaurants in the entire Bay Area (avg. $20-22 for two pieces). When I asked, Yoshika the owner admitted this, and arrogantly stated that "the customers are not that sophisticated and would never notice" . Unfortunately, after living in Japan for years, we did noticed this was anything but "authentic Japanese", including the Salmon Gindara which was the consistency of paste from being over-marinated for too long and was so salty we couldn’t eat it (we were charged for it anyway). Anyone from Japan would have been ashamed. We paid nearly $300 for an inedible meal served inexperienced waitstaff managed by an unapologetic owner that cares only about her profits. Don’t waste your time here - the experience will end badly. You’ll walk away, hungry, disappointed, and with a hole in your wallet.. Our advice - Stay away….

Hass Noeb

Came back last night when we used to love this place for sashimi, but it was soooo bad. It was clearly not fresh because when you touch it, the fish falls apart in flakes. The quality was clearly previously frozen sashimi and worst of all, I got sick!!!!! 🤢 😭 still in pain and hoping that I don’t need to see the doctor

Came back last night when we used to love this place for sashimi, but it was soooo bad. It was clearly not fresh because when you touch it, the fish falls apart in flakes. The quality was clearly previously frozen sashimi and worst of all, I got sick!!!!! 🤢 😭 still in pain and hoping that I don’t need to see the doctor

DO NOT COME HERE. TRUST ME. Staff is very friendly, but that’s all the positive I can say. Food is extremely over priced. $67 for sashimi that has literally 8 pieces. The salmon sashimi came was almost black. We asked the staff why this looks bad, she said it’s a completely different cut. But this is salmon sashimi, it shouldn’t be black lol. She kept saying this is how it’s served. SERIOUSLY. DO NOT COME HERE. Reserving this place was my biggest regret. These are Japanese people cooking Japanese dishes. They should be ashamed of themselves.

We went there for my son's birthday dinner. I brought a cake and they charged us for cake fee $5 each. I never had a restaurant charging me for cake fee per person before. The food was just ok. Over priced for sure. The charcoal grill menu i saw on the photos are not available anymore which was huge disappointment. Other Japanese restaurant near by had way better food. Never go back..

Andy Wang

DO NOT COME HERE. TRUST ME. Staff is very friendly, but that’s all the positive I can say. Food is extremely over priced. $67 for sashimi that has literally 8 pieces. The salmon sashimi came was almost black. We asked the staff why this looks bad, she said it’s a completely different cut. But this is salmon sashimi, it shouldn’t be black lol. She kept saying this is how it’s served. SERIOUSLY. DO NOT COME HERE. Reserving this place was my biggest regret. These are Japanese people cooking Japanese dishes. They should be ashamed of themselves.