Our last minute decision turned into our favorite meal of the month! My housemates and I hadn’t even realized that Musashi was only three blocks from our house so as soon as we saw that we booked it to the restaurant hoping there wasn’t a line. Thankfully we were seated immediately. Ive been to quite a few Japanese restaurants in the bay area but none of them, except this spot, have ever brought us side dishes before we ordered our food! It was simple boiled sweet potatoes but it was a great way to settle our stomachs before we took a look at the menu. The menu had a great variety of things but we didn’t want anything too big, so both of us ordered one mini set each. I had the Salmon and Ikura Don and my housemate had the Tuna Poke Don. Each set came with miso soup and traditional pickled items. The best part about the mini sets is that they’re only $19 each! I’ve had food from Musashi before, but only their premade rolls and nigiri that they sell at Yaoya-San in El Cerrito. Even those rolls are pretty good quality despite sitting in a fridge all day! But wow, we were super pleased when we tasted how smooth and buttery the salmon was. The tuna in the poke was also nice and firm, and not water-logged. I appreciate that Musashi takes pride in the quality and presentation of their food. Definitely a new go to spot since they’re so close by!

The Musashi Japanese restaurant is great. The wait, was not long at all. I did, the outdoor dining. There only 2 tables available outdoor. The waitor is very nice! I ordered mixed tempera and, my favorite sushi Ikura. Both were good. I did, get, rice first. Then miso soup came and, salad came last. I will be back for more. No problem with the waiting time. The place did get busy. However food was ready promptly! I am pleased when the tempera so delicious! Overall experience was nice!

Used to be a small mom and pop grocery and was so good they became a restaurant. The sushi is super fresh and made to order and they also have delicious Ramen, katsu, danburry (not sure how that's spelled lol). The tempura soft shell crab is amazing! Also had the steak, shitake and fresh tofu and wow! The tofu was like a cloud or a pillow. So good.

Very tasty food and good portions. Chicken karaage is delicious. They have a good variety of Japanese dishes. The place gets crowded, but we arrived shortly after they opened and were seated quickly. Very friendly and attentive staff.

Fantastic place for fresh sushi. Personally love the spider roll, the soft shell crab is amazing. Went there twice and loved it each time. I would highly recommend coming to this restaurant, food is superb and above all made to order so it is really fresh.

Wide variety of Japanese dishes including sushi, sashimi, robata yakitori, tempera, ramen, donburi... Everything I have tried is good or great. Japanese beers and sake. Happy hours. Japanese-American friends have been ordering take-out sushi platter for parties from here for decades.

Good experience. Very nice place and service. Hot matcha tea provided. The chirashi don has many sashimi and they are very fresh. Do not recommend the rolls, they are 1/3 price of the don but only contains 1/8 of the fish.

They have not raised prices forever. Ive been eating here since graduate days at Cal. Feel like family. The food is genuine, delicious and so fresh! One of the last Japanese restauarants run by Japanese. ❤️

Food was great! Very fresh good quality. Lots if menu choices. Id say its a good value if you want some good quality japanese food.

The sushi and rice bowls are highly recommended!!! The ramen is ok, not the best, ok?!?!? Anyways enjoy it :)

Isabelle Murphy

Went during their last week of dinner service. Food was beautifully presented, servers were excellent as was the food. The basketball game was a little distracting on the large screen, otherwise an enjoyable evening.

Tessa Eagle

This is a great spot! The service was great and very fast. The person serving us was very nice and attentive. We had the karage and sushi combo which came with more fish than we were expecting! Everything was very fresh and nicely presented. They had a lot of different seating areas -- it was two of us this time but would be suitable for bigger groups too. I always love getting an Andes mint after dinner too:) Definitely recommend and will be coming back!

Micaella Lumanlan

ate here with my family, loved the atmosphere, kind service, and delicious food! I ordered the tuna poke bowl and it tasted very fresh. Thinking of getting shoyu ramen next time. Definitely worth the visit! <3

Jeff T

Always great service and family has gone back here for years. High quality sushi, ramen, and other Japanese entrees. Chiraishi is great and they put great care into the quality of their menu. Highly recommend. Quaint quiet little spot and good for dates too.

Hannah Jin

Sashimi tastes fresh. Miso marinated cod meets my expectation (matching the quality of other high-end Japanese restaurants). Unagi wappa and chawanmushi are authentic. Service is attentive. Great ambience as well.

May Huang

This place is the real deal! Fresh fish and great tasting Japanese food. Beautiful plating. They are one of the only places around that serves steamed egg (chawanmushi). I will say dine in >>take out and if you go it’s best to get a seat in the inner side of the restaurant to avoid cold gusts of wind when someone opens the door!

Nicholas McNamara

Very reliable and simple Japanese restaurant right off of shaddock. We live nearby and frequent this place. It’s pretty simple Japanese dishes, but it’s all executed well with good ingredients at a reasonable price. The atmosphere depends a little on where you sit. The color temperature on their light fixtures are not consistent and you could get stuck under a colder (bluish hue) light, which isn’t ideal. There is sometimes an out door table or two, which is great if you have a dog. Overall - it is a passable ambiance. Service is solid with friendly staff. Overall - it’s a good spot. We keep coming back.

X

Ohitashi (spinach) is refreshing and comes in a fairly generous portion. Chirashi is so beautiful. 🥹Judging from other reviews, mini set seems to have the same selection but half the size. I am going back to England soon so… And it is a tall and huge bowl with almost two layers of fish in thick cut. Shrimp, scallop, octopus, albacore, hamachi, mackerel, akami, cute squid and shiso rolls, salmon and ikura, flounder(?)… literally everything on the menu and probably more. The fish is mostly plump and fresh, although the red meat fish especially the albacore, tuna, and tail part of mackerel is fishier than normal. Tamagoyaki is homely, eggy and not too sweet. Yes mini size should be more than enough for a normal human. Yes I ate too much. In summary, the chirashi don has great value, gorgeous presentation, and overall fair quality.

天

A delicious array of options! I wish i had seen the chalkboard of sushi available in the 2nd room before we left/ordered. It had the day's specials. The shochu list is great, and very yummy. The staff is attentive and thoughtful in many ways, even though we stashed ourselves away in a corner -- we were never forgotten!

Guan-Lun Liao

We have been to Japan so many times, and Musashi is our go to restaurant if we are craving for some authentic Japanese food. We like the Karaage, Shrimp Tempura, Agedashi Tofu, Chawan Mushi, and Chirashi. The price is very fair in Berkeley. If you want To come here with a group of friends, highly recommend to make reservation!

Rachel Cipkins

Great lunch special with delicious & fresh sushi

Sandra Ding

It’s such a nice place w authentic Japanese food!😻😻✨u can get mint chocolate after paying!

It’s such a nice place w authentic Japanese food!😻😻✨u can get mint chocolate after paying!

Great lunch special with delicious & fresh sushi

We have been to Japan so many times, and Musashi is our go to restaurant if we are craving for some authentic Japanese food. We like the Karaage, Shrimp Tempura, Agedashi Tofu, Chawan Mushi, and Chirashi. The price is very fair in Berkeley. If you want To come here with a group of friends, highly recommend to make reservation!

+1

A delicious array of options! I wish i had seen the chalkboard of sushi available in the 2nd room before we left/ordered. It had the day's specials. The shochu list is great, and very yummy. The staff is attentive and thoughtful in many ways, even though we stashed ourselves away in a corner -- we were never forgotten!

This place is the real deal! Fresh fish and great tasting Japanese food. Beautiful plating. They are one of the only places around that serves steamed egg (chawanmushi). I will say dine in >>take out and if you go it’s best to get a seat in the inner side of the restaurant to avoid cold gusts of wind when someone opens the door!

Ohitashi (spinach) is refreshing and comes in a fairly generous portion. Chirashi is so beautiful. 🥹Judging from other reviews, mini set seems to have the same selection but half the size. I am going back to England soon so… And it is a tall and huge bowl with almost two layers of fish in thick cut. Shrimp, scallop, octopus, albacore, hamachi, mackerel, akami, cute squid and shiso rolls, salmon and ikura, flounder(?)… literally everything on the menu and probably more. The fish is mostly plump and fresh, although the red meat fish especially the albacore, tuna, and tail part of mackerel is fishier than normal. Tamagoyaki is homely, eggy and not too sweet. Yes mini size should be more than enough for a normal human. Yes I ate too much. In summary, the chirashi don has great value, gorgeous presentation, and overall fair quality.

Very reliable and simple Japanese restaurant right off of shaddock. We live nearby and frequent this place. It’s pretty simple Japanese dishes, but it’s all executed well with good ingredients at a reasonable price. The atmosphere depends a little on where you sit. The color temperature on their light fixtures are not consistent and you could get stuck under a colder (bluish hue) light, which isn’t ideal. There is sometimes an out door table or two, which is great if you have a dog. Overall - it is a passable ambiance. Service is solid with friendly staff. Overall - it’s a good spot. We keep coming back.

+2

ate here with my family, loved the atmosphere, kind service, and delicious food! I ordered the tuna poke bowl and it tasted very fresh. Thinking of getting shoyu ramen next time. Definitely worth the visit! <3

Sashimi tastes fresh. Miso marinated cod meets my expectation (matching the quality of other high-end Japanese restaurants). Unagi wappa and chawanmushi are authentic. Service is attentive. Great ambience as well.

+1

Always great service and family has gone back here for years. High quality sushi, ramen, and other Japanese entrees. Chiraishi is great and they put great care into the quality of their menu. Highly recommend. Quaint quiet little spot and good for dates too.

+5

This is a great spot! The service was great and very fast. The person serving us was very nice and attentive. We had the karage and sushi combo which came with more fish than we were expecting! Everything was very fresh and nicely presented. They had a lot of different seating areas -- it was two of us this time but would be suitable for bigger groups too. I always love getting an Andes mint after dinner too:) Definitely recommend and will be coming back!

Went during their last week of dinner service. Food was beautifully presented, servers were excellent as was the food. The basketball game was a little distracting on the large screen, otherwise an enjoyable evening.

+1

Our new favorite Japanese restaurant in the East Bay. Outstanding service that accompanies the great dishes. The Seafood Sampler and Robata Sampler are both wonderful, the sushi is fresh, the Tori Karaage is perfectly done, and their signature dishes, the Wapa, are unique and tasty. We'll be back, again and again just like we have since we discovered this gem. So Oishi!

This place rocks. The staff is super friendly and makes you feel welcome right away. The food's excellent - tasty and hits the spot. The whole vibe is chill and cozy, perfect for hanging out. It's definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. I had a great time and left feeling pretty happy. It's a good spot for a meal with friends or family.

Good service and atmosphere. There were only a couple other people dining at the time of my visit. I was able to enjoy some ramen and a sushi roll in peace. I would definitely recommend this place for others to enjoy.

Alvin Cooper

Good service and atmosphere. There were only a couple other people dining at the time of my visit. I was able to enjoy some ramen and a sushi roll in peace. I would definitely recommend this place for others to enjoy.

Chris Pankey

Our new favorite Japanese restaurant in the East Bay. Outstanding service that accompanies the great dishes. The Seafood Sampler and Robata Sampler are both wonderful, the sushi is fresh, the Tori Karaage is perfectly done, and their signature dishes, the Wapa, are unique and tasty. We'll be back, again and again just like we have since we discovered this gem. So Oishi!

Su Tang

They have not raised prices forever. Ive been eating here since graduate days at Cal. Feel like family. The food is genuine, delicious and so fresh! One of the last Japanese restauarants run by Japanese. ❤️

Ingrid Xu

Good experience. Very nice place and service. Hot matcha tea provided. The chirashi don has many sashimi and they are very fresh. Do not recommend the rolls, they are 1/3 price of the don but only contains 1/8 of the fish.

Jon A.

This place rocks. The staff is super friendly and makes you feel welcome right away. The food's excellent - tasty and hits the spot. The whole vibe is chill and cozy, perfect for hanging out. It's definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. I had a great time and left feeling pretty happy. It's a good spot for a meal with friends or family.

Nice little sushi place, had a good selection, and everything was fresh.

+3

Got the mini chirashi, taste was quite good, but a bit on pricey side.

+1

The gyōza was quite tasty, and the sushi pretty standard but also quite good. The restaurant is pretty small but has decent seating to where we didn't have to wait long. The service was extremely fast, and although it is a bit pricey it was still a good experience.

This is a restaurant I would return to every few weeks if only I lived in the Oakland/Berkeley area. Of the two times I've been to Musashi, the first time there was practically no wait while the second time it was more than a half hour wait. Keep in mind that I've only ever been with reasonably large groups (5-8 people). Off the bat, I took one star away because the service here is soo slow, it appears that there are only 1-2 servers. If you aren't willing to wait, or you value quality of service, I wouldn't go here. Now for why this restaurant actually deserves five stars. Simply put, the food here is really good, and there is a large variety of dishes for reasonable prices. You can get ramen, japanese skewers, all manner of sashimi and nigiri a la carte, most varieties of sushi rolls and chirashi bowls. Highlights on the menu were the fish collars (more on these below), the chicken skin, thigh and heart skewers, and the bbq eel. I really enjoyed the izakaya ambience and the waiting staff were very courteous even though they are overworked. Pro tip: The absolute highest value item on the menu, by far, are the salmon and himachi (yellowtail tuna) collars at $5 for 2 salmon collars and $12 each himachi collar. The collars alone add a star to my rating. The chirashi bowl is also a fairly high value.

Sushi was good and just slightly above average price-wise. Food came out fast and was fresh. Good service. Took off a star for the wait to be seated - there's an entire side of the restaurant that wasn't be used and we had a 25+ minute wait.

Very good sashimi and rolls. A little slow to initially get service but overall a nice restaurant. We ate a lot and spent a lot. Could have ordered less and been very happy with the meal.

fairy

I ordered a Nabeyaki udon, the portion was very small for $22 and chicken tasted yucky/ a bit slimy I had to pick all the tiny pieces out. The broth was very delicious though, I wouldn’t recommend getting udon here there are way better places in Oakland. I didn’t order any sushi but everyones sushi looked delicious, maybe I’ll go back and try some rolls.

I ordered a Nabeyaki udon, the portion was very small for $22 and chicken tasted yucky/ a bit slimy I had to pick all the tiny pieces out. The broth was very delicious though, I wouldn’t recommend getting udon here there are way better places in Oakland. I didn’t order any sushi but everyones sushi looked delicious, maybe I’ll go back and try some rolls.

L W

Service was great however food was hit or miss. There chawanmushi was great salmon was good, but the yakitory was not, green tea came frozen, uni was really bad. Chicken skin was bland

Disappointing food at expensive prices. I ordered the Chirashi Dinner Bowl ($27), which comes with miso soup. I had high expectations because of the great reviews, but all of the fish was fishy and thinly cut, and the miso soup tasted watered down and bland. Sadly, this was my first poor chirashi bowl. I did eat at 9pm though, so their fish might have not been as fresh. Three stars to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Service was great however food was hit or miss. There chawanmushi was great salmon was good, but the yakitory was not, green tea came frozen, uni was really bad. Chicken skin was bland

+1

This review is strictly on Musashi's takeout offerings sold at Tokyo Fish Market. A few days ago we bought various nigiri and maki along with a couple of bentos and the common thread linking them was a lack of freshness. The worst was the tuna nigiri - the fish was borderline inedible and did not smell good at all. We had assumed that whatever was available at the supermarket must have been fresh but we were sorely mistaken. Japanese supermarkets in Japan print a date (and sometimes even a time) of production on their food items which would have prevented this from happening. It's such a shame to have your restaurant name featured prominently on the label only for the food to be mediocre and I hope Musashi will consider printing production times on their labels in the future. Thank you.

Jonathan

This review is strictly on Musashi's takeout offerings sold at Tokyo Fish Market. A few days ago we bought various nigiri and maki along with a couple of bentos and the common thread linking them was a lack of freshness. The worst was the tuna nigiri - the fish was borderline inedible and did not smell good at all. We had assumed that whatever was available at the supermarket must have been fresh but we were sorely mistaken. Japanese supermarkets in Japan print a date (and sometimes even a time) of production on their food items which would have prevented this from happening. It's such a shame to have your restaurant name featured prominently on the label only for the food to be mediocre and I hope Musashi will consider printing production times on their labels in the future. Thank you.

Very long wait time (1hr, weeknight) The servers were nice but clearly overworked. Food was ok for a weeknight, seems overpriced for comparable options elsewhere in Berkeley. This place seems either understaffed or poorly managed.

Don’t typically write reviews but for something rated so highly I expected so much more. Truly, one of the worst sushi places I’ve ever been to. Our avocado was browning, our rice mushy and overcooked, the fish was flavorless. Our ramen was overly salty with just 3 pieces of meat. We spent $65 for two people (two rolls and a ramen) and left hungry and dissatisfied. The service was horrible. We stood waiting for 20 minutes with our name on a list before anyone even acknowledged us, just to sit at the bar that was open the whole time we were there. Food took forever and was an overall expensive and unenjoyable experience.

We sat outside on a Tuesday early evening after a hike in the Berkeley hills. The slow arrival of our waitress foreshadowed the service pattern for our visit. We ordered an appetizer and sake wine when our water arrived, then waited more than one quarter hour for their arrival. I knew our visit was a failure when the wife reported she was feeling cold and preferred to take home the rest of our order. The waitress apologized for the delay in service, which was respectful, but it really wasn’t her fault. I believe she was the only server for two rooms and the two outdoor tables. I’ve worked as a busboy and a waiter. She was presented with an impossible task. Although the sashimi and seaweed appetizers were tasty and fresh, and despite residing only a few blocks away, we won’t return to Musashi. 11/1/21

Got the sushi combo and the fish quality was terrible. Many pieces smelled so bad I couldn’t eat it. Left about half of the pieces behind.

I went here when the restaurant just opened at 5pm and had to wait 45 min before receiving my food for a table of two. The salmon roll was okay, but the rice was kind of hard and the seaweed was hard to chew. I also ordered the weekly special that is served until 7pm but it was not great. I would not eat it again. So this restaurant is terrible at both OG dishes and their special dishes. I’m confused at the price point of this restaurant and the level of service I received. Ruined my Valentine’s Day and left me with a bad taste in my mouth.