Saga Kitchen

Mai Ho

I’ve been here several times. Each time the food was excellent and the service was friendly. It’s a food hall where from one counter you can order dim sum, sushi, Japanese street food or ramen. We’ve tried several options of everything except the ramen. The ingredients are fresh and high quality and the food is well prepared. Most of the food is delivered by a robot waiter - this experience was novel and cute for me but I can see others disagreeing. I’ll be back for sure!

Ken Eucker

I was visiting the Bay and decided to go to a 5 star rated sushi restaurant and that's how I found SAGA. It is worth 6 stars! Without a doubt the best sushi I've had in a decade. The restaurant experience was nice and even though they had one of those delivery robots the indoor exclusive was really nice and comfortable. I would go here all the time if I could!

The spicy ramen here is SO GOOD. The broth is lick-the-bowl good. They even torch the char siu which gives it a great char taste (pun intended). Open late, all your different Asian food cravings in one neat spot, and for me it scratched that spicy, hearty ramen itch hard for me. Looking forward to coming back.

Patricia

The spicy ramen here is SO GOOD. The broth is lick-the-bowl good. They even torch the char siu which gives it a great char taste (pun intended). Open late, all your different Asian food cravings in one neat spot, and for me it scratched that spicy, hearty ramen itch hard for me. Looking forward to coming back.

We had dinner here and ordered Tokyo Shoyu Ramen , House Tonkotsu, Soboro Don with Crab Cream Croquette, and Spicy Tuna Roll. The crab croquettes were fantastic and the other dishes were really good. We ordered our meals by scanning the QR Code and ordering online. You can then pay online or keep the tab open in case you want to order more. An employee brought us a bottle of water and drinking glasses. Eventually, a robot brought out our food. We had very little interaction with their employees due to all of the electronic systems in place. They don't have any professional sign posted outside the restaurant that says they are "SAGA Kitchen". Until you walk up, you can see the food department sign posted on their window. So, it was a bit difficult to find this place at night when we parked across the street. We mainly found it through GPS and walking around. I would have given this restaurant 5 stars if it was easier to find.

SAGA is a great little, family-run restaurant with an interesting concept - 4 restaurants in one. It’s got a solid ramen offering, deliciously fresh sushi bowls, and even dim sum. Best of all, they’ve got a robot delivery cart that certainly starts a conversation. They’ve got limited outdoor seating and 2 buildings side-by-side with indoor seating.

So, I live just a hop, skip, and a jump away from this sushi joint, and I've swung by a few times before. But today, man, I woke up with a serious sushi craving that just wouldn't quit. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I figured, why not treat myself? I decided to go all out and ordered the salmon and avocado roll, a spider roll (because who can resist that crispy soft-shell crab?), some miso soup, and a special sushi piece loaded with uni, ikura, and toro. Let me tell you, the sushi here is legit! The rolls were huge and packed with the freshest ingredients. Every bite was like a little party in my mouth. But the real showstopper was that special sushi piece. The uni, ikura, and toro combo was out of this world! It tasted like it was plucked straight from the ocean. The only thing that was a bit of a bummer was the miso soup. Don't get me wrong, it was still tasty, but I was kind of bummed that it didn't have the usual tofu and seaweed that I've come to love. Now, I placed my order through DoorDash, and even though the app said it was ready, I had to wait a few minutes when I got there. No biggie, though. I got to chill at the bar and watch the sushi chef do their thing. It was like watching an artist at work. Plus, the staff were super friendly and made me feel right at home. The vibe of this place is pretty sweet, too. They've got plenty of seating inside and out, and the interior is just so dang cute and cozy. It's definitely the kind of spot where you could hang out and enjoy your sushi without feeling rushed. All in all, even with the minor hiccup with the miso soup and the short wait, this sushi spot is a total gem. The quality is top-notch, the portions are generous, and the service is on point. I know I'll be coming back whenever that sushi craving hits again!

This spot is located in the corner of Lincoln and Grand. There’s limited parking outside the cafe/kitchen but it’s ok because right now they’re only doing take-outs/pick-ups and delivery. FYI, they do have three table settings outside the cafe.... My first time here. The place has different restaurants that are co-located that you can order from at the same spot. We got the bento box from Gokiyoi, it had a variety of protein inside like fish, meat ball, egg, I think it had chicken and spicy noodle. Loved it all, would’ve tasted better if it the food was hot. But still tasty. We also ordered Curry Rice w/Ebi, Fried Tofu w/Shrimp, Matcha and Hong Kong Style Tea. Love, love, love the fried tofu! Though I tasted mostly shrimp, I still loved it, love how it was crispy on the outside and meaty inside. For dessert we had 2 samples of the Artisan Macaron one of them was Cherry Blossom. It was ok, not too sweet, taste like a regular macaroon. We want to give a shout out to Harry where we “experienced tea!” He was a delight! Very funny! Very knowledgeable about the tea as well! Keep that motivation Harry!!!

Came here with two others on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. It is self-seating and has stations to get your own utensils and dump your leftovers after. This spot has outdoor and indoor seating and two entrances. You may order from your phone (after scanning QR), self order machine in the right building, or you can walk up to the counter in the main entrance. We tried a little bit of everything since there were different kinds of Asian cuisines all in one. I was the most skeptical about the dim sum, but it easily became my favorite. The shui mai is larger than most and was very meaty & tasty! I didn’t care much for the Shanghai dumplings but the har gao was good too - thin skin 👍🏻katsu sandwich was overpowered by the sauce but was a lot to eat so we took those home. Sushi was fresh and beautifully displayed. Ramen was underwhelming but the egg was deliciously cooked and flavored. Fried tofu skin was solid and definitely generous on the shrimps inside. Shanghai bao, karaage, and lava yolk buns were just ok. Definitely want to return because it is such a cute spot with lots of Supreme, Murakami, Kaws decor. Parking wasn’t hard to find and friendly service.

Excellent food. I've been to some subpar dim sum places, but the dim sum here was straight delish. I also ordered a katsu curry plate, and that was also very very yummy. Some establishments water down the curry and it becomes a bit soupy. Not SAGA! It paired perfectly with my rice and tonkatsu. The only downside is the online ordering experience. When I saw the kind of food SAGA was offering, I was so excited that I graciously volunteered to buy lunch for my entire family that day. We picked out the things we wanted and I went online to order it. Unfortunately, the online DoorDash portal only allowed delivery (no pickup), and I lived too far for delivery... So I had to drive there before ordering, and had to wait for 30 minutes outside for the food to be made :( Mina told me that they are working on their in-house online ordering system so this should not be a problem in the future. When that launches, I will certainly be ordering again and will likely update my rating to 5 stars ;D Looking forward to being back!!

My friends and I got together to try out SAGA today, and got into the discussion of what our star ratings actually mean. A 5 star means that it's a go-to, the first on top of our mind for food in a category, and hits all three of my "worth it" triangle perfectly (cost, value, and taste). A 4 star is a place that is good, not as great of a value, but worth at least one go. That's exactly what this place is. With the Pork Cutlet sandwich being $16 and the roll being $17, it definitely is Bay Area pricing. The two were good, but if they were something lower like $12 for the sandwich and maybe $14 for the roll, it would be a lot more worth it. However, I understand rent and paying people is high. The food was good, but I'd probably only go back if there was something new or new friends wanted to try it. The staff was super helpful! 5/5 there. The little robot-cat thing that drives around is kind of loud and we never personally used it, but I can see how it's helpful for them. A great place to try, but not worth going a second time (for myself).

I ordered through DoorDash and google said I'd have to wait 45 minutes but i got the "ready!" note within 20, which was greatly appreciated, still being on the clock. The first thing I saw was this adorable little red bow on my lotus wraps. Little touches, yknow? My Ramen was delicious and big and full of happy flavors, and the staff was pleasant and quick to attend to me when I showed up at the door. Nice place; I'd go with friends to get our slurps on.

Francisco Leung

We had dinner here and ordered Tokyo Shoyu Ramen , House Tonkotsu, Soboro Don with Crab Cream Croquette, and Spicy Tuna Roll. The crab croquettes were fantastic and the other dishes were really good. We ordered our meals by scanning the QR Code and ordering online. You can then pay online or keep the tab open in case you want to order more. An employee brought us a bottle of water and drinking glasses. Eventually, a robot brought out our food. We had very little interaction with their employees due to all of the electronic systems in place. They don't have any professional sign posted outside the restaurant that says they are "SAGA Kitchen". Until you walk up, you can see the food department sign posted on their window. So, it was a bit difficult to find this place at night when we parked across the street. We mainly found it through GPS and walking around. I would have given this restaurant 5 stars if it was easier to find.

George Dy

SAGA is a great little, family-run restaurant with an interesting concept - 4 restaurants in one. It’s got a solid ramen offering, deliciously fresh sushi bowls, and even dim sum. Best of all, they’ve got a robot delivery cart that certainly starts a conversation. They’ve got limited outdoor seating and 2 buildings side-by-side with indoor seating.

Geronimo C Ramos

So, I live just a hop, skip, and a jump away from this sushi joint, and I've swung by a few times before. But today, man, I woke up with a serious sushi craving that just wouldn't quit. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I figured, why not treat myself? I decided to go all out and ordered the salmon and avocado roll, a spider roll (because who can resist that crispy soft-shell crab?), some miso soup, and a special sushi piece loaded with uni, ikura, and toro. Let me tell you, the sushi here is legit! The rolls were huge and packed with the freshest ingredients. Every bite was like a little party in my mouth. But the real showstopper was that special sushi piece. The uni, ikura, and toro combo was out of this world! It tasted like it was plucked straight from the ocean. The only thing that was a bit of a bummer was the miso soup. Don't get me wrong, it was still tasty, but I was kind of bummed that it didn't have the usual tofu and seaweed that I've come to love. Now, I placed my order through DoorDash, and even though the app said it was ready, I had to wait a few minutes when I got there. No biggie, though. I got to chill at the bar and watch the sushi chef do their thing. It was like watching an artist at work. Plus, the staff were super friendly and made me feel right at home. The vibe of this place is pretty sweet, too. They've got plenty of seating inside and out, and the interior is just so dang cute and cozy. It's definitely the kind of spot where you could hang out and enjoy your sushi without feeling rushed. All in all, even with the minor hiccup with the miso soup and the short wait, this sushi spot is a total gem. The quality is top-notch, the portions are generous, and the service is on point. I know I'll be coming back whenever that sushi craving hits again!

Jemellee Manaoat

This spot is located in the corner of Lincoln and Grand. There’s limited parking outside the cafe/kitchen but it’s ok because right now they’re only doing take-outs/pick-ups and delivery. FYI, they do have three table settings outside the cafe.... My first time here. The place has different restaurants that are co-located that you can order from at the same spot. We got the bento box from Gokiyoi, it had a variety of protein inside like fish, meat ball, egg, I think it had chicken and spicy noodle. Loved it all, would’ve tasted better if it the food was hot. But still tasty. We also ordered Curry Rice w/Ebi, Fried Tofu w/Shrimp, Matcha and Hong Kong Style Tea. Love, love, love the fried tofu! Though I tasted mostly shrimp, I still loved it, love how it was crispy on the outside and meaty inside. For dessert we had 2 samples of the Artisan Macaron one of them was Cherry Blossom. It was ok, not too sweet, taste like a regular macaroon. We want to give a shout out to Harry where we “experienced tea!” He was a delight! Very funny! Very knowledgeable about the tea as well! Keep that motivation Harry!!!

Amanda C. Sun

Came here with two others on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. It is self-seating and has stations to get your own utensils and dump your leftovers after. This spot has outdoor and indoor seating and two entrances. You may order from your phone (after scanning QR), self order machine in the right building, or you can walk up to the counter in the main entrance. We tried a little bit of everything since there were different kinds of Asian cuisines all in one. I was the most skeptical about the dim sum, but it easily became my favorite. The shui mai is larger than most and was very meaty & tasty! I didn’t care much for the Shanghai dumplings but the har gao was good too - thin skin 👍🏻katsu sandwich was overpowered by the sauce but was a lot to eat so we took those home. Sushi was fresh and beautifully displayed. Ramen was underwhelming but the egg was deliciously cooked and flavored. Fried tofu skin was solid and definitely generous on the shrimps inside. Shanghai bao, karaage, and lava yolk buns were just ok. Definitely want to return because it is such a cute spot with lots of Supreme, Murakami, Kaws decor. Parking wasn’t hard to find and friendly service.

Luke L

Excellent food. I've been to some subpar dim sum places, but the dim sum here was straight delish. I also ordered a katsu curry plate, and that was also very very yummy. Some establishments water down the curry and it becomes a bit soupy. Not SAGA! It paired perfectly with my rice and tonkatsu. The only downside is the online ordering experience. When I saw the kind of food SAGA was offering, I was so excited that I graciously volunteered to buy lunch for my entire family that day. We picked out the things we wanted and I went online to order it. Unfortunately, the online DoorDash portal only allowed delivery (no pickup), and I lived too far for delivery... So I had to drive there before ordering, and had to wait for 30 minutes outside for the food to be made :( Mina told me that they are working on their in-house online ordering system so this should not be a problem in the future. When that launches, I will certainly be ordering again and will likely update my rating to 5 stars ;D Looking forward to being back!!

Andrew Pagan

My friends and I got together to try out SAGA today, and got into the discussion of what our star ratings actually mean. A 5 star means that it's a go-to, the first on top of our mind for food in a category, and hits all three of my "worth it" triangle perfectly (cost, value, and taste). A 4 star is a place that is good, not as great of a value, but worth at least one go. That's exactly what this place is. With the Pork Cutlet sandwich being $16 and the roll being $17, it definitely is Bay Area pricing. The two were good, but if they were something lower like $12 for the sandwich and maybe $14 for the roll, it would be a lot more worth it. However, I understand rent and paying people is high. The food was good, but I'd probably only go back if there was something new or new friends wanted to try it. The staff was super helpful! 5/5 there. The little robot-cat thing that drives around is kind of loud and we never personally used it, but I can see how it's helpful for them. A great place to try, but not worth going a second time (for myself).

Cassandra Brown

I ordered through DoorDash and google said I'd have to wait 45 minutes but i got the "ready!" note within 20, which was greatly appreciated, still being on the clock. The first thing I saw was this adorable little red bow on my lotus wraps. Little touches, yknow? My Ramen was delicious and big and full of happy flavors, and the staff was pleasant and quick to attend to me when I showed up at the door. Nice place; I'd go with friends to get our slurps on.

Jeremy Schmitz

Good food, good prices, great options. Fun robot server. The only thing that detracts for me was the restaurant itself. The tables at the back make you feel like a kid because they are high, and the padded chairs are actually kind of filthy. The floor also looked like it hadn’t been mopped recently. So a point off for the feeling not matching the food.

I waited a long time to try and finally made it. Wish I could say good things but overall, I was disappointed. Ebi Fry Bento had only one Ebi Fry instead of two as shown in the photo. Soboro and egg didn't have an authentic Japanese taste, kinda dry, buttery taste. I liked the raumen container which separated the broth, but the taste was so-so and the chashu was dry. Hamachi negi and Ikura sushi tasted good but fell apart. I think I liked the shumai the best but even that doesn't compare to other dimsum houses in Alameda. Maybe better if eaten at the restaurant and not take out.

Food was good but the portions were small. The amount of rice in the omakase sushi appeared to be less this time. Fried chicken wasn’t flavorful (maybe it wasn’t marinated). Ordered 3 items for 2 but still walked out hungry

T White

I waited a long time to try and finally made it. Wish I could say good things but overall, I was disappointed. Ebi Fry Bento had only one Ebi Fry instead of two as shown in the photo. Soboro and egg didn't have an authentic Japanese taste, kinda dry, buttery taste. I liked the raumen container which separated the broth, but the taste was so-so and the chashu was dry. Hamachi negi and Ikura sushi tasted good but fell apart. I think I liked the shumai the best but even that doesn't compare to other dimsum houses in Alameda. Maybe better if eaten at the restaurant and not take out.

Karen Liu

Food was good but the portions were small. The amount of rice in the omakase sushi appeared to be less this time. Fried chicken wasn’t flavorful (maybe it wasn’t marinated). Ordered 3 items for 2 but still walked out hungry

Supe disappointed with the sashimi and nigiri. Couldn't eat eat a good third of them because of poor filleting and cleaning, which resulted in extremely chewy and grisly parts of the fish. I was really excited to try it, but very disappointed. I dont recommend the sushi.

Would I come back? Maybe not. WAS THE FOOD GOOD? No. DonBuri and the Ramen was just not it fam. Katsu sando good though. The robot? Cool and cute lmao. LISTEN, the food we tried, the don buri and the ramen, was just not it. For nearly around $20+, go to a specialize ramen or Japanese restaurant for that in Berkeley or SF or something. The Katsu sando, however, was good tho. The DonBuri was more of a "Scrambled egg and ground beef over rice", barely seasoned, and 80% rice. The ramen didn't taste fresh for the price, and was just nahhh.

Wilbert

Would I come back? Maybe not. WAS THE FOOD GOOD? No. DonBuri and the Ramen was just not it fam. Katsu sando good though. The robot? Cool and cute lmao. LISTEN, the food we tried, the don buri and the ramen, was just not it. For nearly around $20+, go to a specialize ramen or Japanese restaurant for that in Berkeley or SF or something. The Katsu sando, however, was good tho. The DonBuri was more of a "Scrambled egg and ground beef over rice", barely seasoned, and 80% rice. The ramen didn't taste fresh for the price, and was just nahhh.

Andrew Park

Supe disappointed with the sashimi and nigiri. Couldn't eat eat a good third of them because of poor filleting and cleaning, which resulted in extremely chewy and grisly parts of the fish. I was really excited to try it, but very disappointed. I dont recommend the sushi.

Poor service and organization, dirty dishes, mediocre food, and an owner who won't take responsibility for mistakes. They need to shape up on basics before trying to be trendy with a robot server that doesn't work. Check out the other 1 star reviews and expect long wait times. --- My mom and I ordered the Negi Hama roll and White Tiger roll for lunch today, and they wouldn't take our order at the counter. Okay, no problem. We scanned the QR code at our table, but had to go back in to order anyways since there wasn't a cash option. Just ordering shouldn't have so much unnecessary struggle, but we were still in good spirits. That is, until we waited over 30 minutes with no word on our food. Not to mention how their food delivering robot was stuck at the door repeating "something's in my way!" for at least 15 minutes. I watched an adjacent table wait that entire time for their dim sum, which was trapped inside the robot. Staff and the owner were inside but no one did anything about it. We watched others who had come long after us get their food, so my mom decided to go in and ask about our order. When the owner finally brought our sushi out, there was no ginger, a sauce dish had an old piece of dried scallion stuck to it, and the White Tiger roll ($17!) was missing an entire ingredient (no avocado). My mom asked for chopsticks, and was understandably frustrated about the overall poor experience (she could have handled her temper better as well). The owner retaliated saying this is a no-service restaurant, and that we could either sit and eat our food or get a refund. We ate our incorrectly made food and watched him serve other tables at the "no-service" restaurant. I regret not opting for the refund. --- Advice for the owner: 1) Put up signs explaining how to order and what to expect. Have more patience for the elderly locals in Alameda. 2) If you make a mistake, apologize and try to make things better instead of blaming the customer. We understand how busy the lunch rush can get; we just want to be treated like human beings. 3) If you see your robot struggling, help it! It's not as cute when it's repeating its distress calls ad infinitum.