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Angel Fish Japanese Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
883 Island DrSte C-2
Alameda, CA 94502
(510) 749-0460
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
361 reviews for Angel Fish Japanese Restaurant
Review Highlights
"I highly recommend the tuna salad."
(in 78 reviews)
"The spicy lobster roll and the seared tuna was devine."
(in 13 reviews)
"The sashimi is pure buttery goodness."
(in 88 reviews)
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361 reviews in English
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Review from Andrew P.
Alameda, CA
Wow this is my favorite sushi place in the Bay Area. People boast about Sushi
House, but now that I've discovered Angel Fish don't know if I would head back there.
If you want sashimi and nigiri this is the spot in the Bay Area. For the price and
quality can't beat it! I've been trying sushi places in the Bay Area that are decent, but this place is a different story. This was some of the freshest sushi I've ever had in a sushi restaurant.
For 2 people shared a "sashimi appetizer for 2" appetizer with 20 pieces of fresh sashimi: maguro x4, white hawaiian tuna x4, sakex4, hamachi x4, and red snapper x4 and a variety of nigiri: white hawaiian tuna, shiro maguro, hamachi, and toro.
Everything is so fresh it just melts in your mouth with this really soft buttery texture as you eat each piece of sushi. Toro was $9 for two pieces, while the other nigiri was $5.90 for 2 pieces. Total price came out to $45/person with tax and tip. This is my regular spot every other week. I'll be coming back again! -
Review from Sharon B.
Alameda, CA
2/6/2012
Quality Ingredients 4 stars
Value 2.5 stars
Small Menu, Seemingly uninspired and trying to cater to more american tastes. Steamed broccoli and mash potatoes? Fish was fresh, but will keep looking for our sushi haunt. -
Review from Stefi C.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Sushi House was my spot for sushi in Alameda, but now that I've discovered Angel Fish I don't know if I'll be heading back anytime soon.
The fish is ridiculously fresh and the sushi is very reasonably priced for the quality. My BF and I went for dinner and ordered the harajuku, spicy lobster, and rainbow roll with a side order to butterfish. All that and a miso soup came out to $37! What a steal.
We like to sit at the bar vs. at a table--it seems like your order comes out faster and it's always fun to watch them make your food! The bar has this weird always stick surface though...
Definitely go! -
Review from Rachelle R.
Hercules, CA
2/7/2012
This is my go-to sushi restaurant in the East Bay. You'll find the freshest fish as well as some harder to find selections such as toro, engawa (halibut fin) and escolar. Not only is the quality of the fish top-grade, but the sushi rice is delicate and balanced as well. The owner Taka is always hospitable and friendly. He even serves up a unique version of miso soup with somen noodles that his mother made when he was growing up! Other yummy favorites are the monkfish liver appetizer and fresh oysters on the half shell with ponzu sauce.
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Review from Jesse G.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 1/23/2012
The update is for the hostess. The blonde one. Chatting it up rather than doing her job. She is expecting you to serve her.
Food is still good if you can get the staff to bring it to you.
VERY poor customer service.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/9/2008
The food is great. Fish is amazingly fresh, location is nice (water nearby). To piggyback on… Read more »
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Review from Albie F.
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wow, just found my new favorite sushi place in the East Bay, maybe even the whole Bay Area. There aren't a ton of sushi places that I enjoy going over and over just because I like trying a lot of different places, but with Angel Fish, it's going to be a different story. This was some of the freshest sushi I've had for a Tier 2 priced sushi restaurant.
Two of us shared a "sashimi for 2" appetizer platter and a variety of nigiri: hamachi, sake, maguro, white tuna x 2, shiro maguro, and toro. I can't really say any one thing that really was exceptional over everything else because everything was just so equally fresh and seemed to just melt in your mouth with a buttery texture as you'd take down sushi piece by piece. The most expensive of all the nigiri was the toro which was $9 for two pieces which is a good price for toro compared to what other toro pricing I've seen. Total price came out to $45/person, and we were just probably a couple pieces of nigiri over our eating capacity but that's what happens when you come to Angel Fish. See you guys again soon! -
Review from Yvette M.
East Bay, CA
1/16/2012
CHIRASHI! I've heard good things about this restaurant and one evening while in the area, we decided to check it out for dinner. IMHO, not a huge dinner menu - does not have a 'combo' selection, something I like to do when going to a restaurant for the first time. Served a la carte, but will charge extra for dinner to include salad, soup and rice. Hate that part because the prices are already 'dinner' rates. Their selection for salads and appetizers is bigger than their dinner selection. Service wasn't that great. We really weren't sure if they wanted us there.
We ordered the hamachi kama as an appetizer. There were two different sizes/prices and we ordered the large. This was excellent. Nicely cooked and very tasty.
My three family members all decided they wanted udon and they said it was good. My husband liked the taste of the broth and the kids thought it was fine. We noticed the items in the udon were not consistent.
I ordered chirashi and was not disappointed. I order chirashi quite often and I have to say this is probably in my top 3. Quite an assortment and very fresh. The only small complaint I have is the piece of seared tuna. My piece was seared too much and there was a heavy burnt garlic taste on the edge. It was only one piece but it was quite powerful. Oh well.
I forgot to write down the prices but I want to say the chirashi was ~$3 more than most places. As mentioned, the dinnner prices were slightly higher and again, did not like the upcharge to include salad, soup and RICE.
I'll give four stars for the quality of food we enjoyed for dinner. I'll give 2 1/2 stars for the higher prices and smaller menu. I would go back because of the FRESHNESS. -
Review from Felicia C.
Berkeley, CA
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
I decided to try Angel Fish, because I miss the Sushi House days of yore (so overrated now). We ordered a couple rolls, the tuna salad, and a lot of sashimi. The quality of fish is really good. The price is a little steep, but you're paying for yummy, fresh sushi. Well worth it.
Note: We went on a Sunday night at 7:30 and it was pretty dead - only a couple other tables occupied. I wonder why this place isn't teeming with people a la Sushi House? Oh well, more fish for me! -
Review from Matt C.
Palo Alto, CA
1/24/2012
Came here for a dinner date. Miso glazed black cod was the sole reason why I chose Angel Fish over the plethora of Japanese restaurants in the area (Kamakura, Yojimbo, etc.). Fish was good and the sauce was very yummy.
Also ordered the Tuna Tataki salad (decent quality), as well as their Spider Roll (soft shell crab - crab seemed sort of scrawny) and Alaska Roll (avo +sake - good avocado, but salmon wasn't as fresh as I would like, a lil mushy and didn't have too much flavor).
tl;dr: $38
Tuna Tataki - so-so, decent amount of tuna
Miso Black Cod - excellent flavor, would order again
Spider Roll - so-so, crab seemed a lil small
Avo+Sake Roll - good avocado, salmon was meh -
Review from Hilda Gee G.
Alameda, CA
1/1/2012
Chose this place for take out as Kamkura's wait time was 35 minutes. I should have taken this as a cue that a quality sushi restaurant is worth the wait.
As I enter the establishment, I am hit with extreme heat. The wait staff are sweating and the females wearing makeup appear as if it's melting off their face. Next, the smell of fish, not in a good way. I have never gone to a great sushi house and smelled this odor. The main dining room was occupied with less than 5 patrons and at least 4 waiters. As I approach the front desk, no one stops, instead keeps whisking by, but not to wait on a table or refill a glass, but to stand behind another cashier and type away feverishly. I finally catch the eye of one and she yells out. I peer to the vicinity and see the hostess yapping away. I wait so long, I grab a stool to sit down. When the hostess finally comes out from the back, she asks me to look at the various tickets strewn on the counter and asks which one is mine. WTH! Why did someone take my name and phone number when I placed my order if you weren't going look for it. I locate it and she hands me two bags. Nice, my food was sitting out all this time and do you think they had sense to separate the hot food from the sushi? NO! The hostess was obviously the owner. She was standoffish and cold. It's odd to see a 50 something Asian women with blond hair and blue contacts. I wish she worked harder on keeping the business of patrons because my friend I will not go back.
Food review: My rib eye (Beef) teriyaki was extremely tough and gristly although the center was still slightly pink. The sauce was one of the best I've ever had though.
California roll: The rice was not tightly rolled and the roll came apart in my hand. it was also unevenly cut.
Salad: Not dressed but tossed with Parmesan cheese with no tomatoes, carrots, celery, etc. Very dry romaine.
Tuna salad: Heavily dressed and salty with roe. Jagged tuna slices used. The smell of the fish made me weary. Large order placed, but it was disappointing,
Miso soup: No seaweed, instead has a few noodles, scallions and tofu. It has a weird taste, maybe there wasn't enough miso used. I've had better.
Their menu is extremely small and they do not have a variety of fresh fish selections or sushi rolls to select from. -
Review from Kiko N.
Oakland, CA
12/12/2011
I am Japanese I am very very picky especially Japanese Restrant! I found this place that own by Japanese. Yes this is it!!! in East bay! Only found everyday fresh fish . fish melt in your mouth. I did introduced many American people in this Restrant Everyone of said "excelent"!!!! owener does not bow shit ! He bring to you most freshest fish in east bay.. In SF easy but In Oakland area rally hard to find Japanese owen Japanese Restrant .Since I found Angel fish I don't go to other Japanese Restrants because I know I will disappointed. if someone love sushi Please try this place "taka" is owener and also chieff! Trust Akiko!
!11/29/11 I went lunch for treat my friend 2people I spent $100- for lunch but waitress was rush go home wanted clean our plates so rush!!! Even we were out by 2;30pm I was not happy how she was acting I understand want go home but that was Rude. I introduced many many customers and they love Angel fish but I am really not happy about few waiter and waitress in Angel fish They maybe looking me down... . it was before christmas I wanted give her $30-tip instead I just gave $18- tips.because of her Rush out service.I was really not happy that service!!! -
Review from Matthew A.
San Leandro, CA
11/14/2011 2 Check-ins Here
One of the top two sushi restaurants I've experienced in the SF Bay area. Wide variety and exotic. Nice setup at the bar.
I'd give it 4 stars but only if it is experienced from the sushi bar. If your unlucky and have to sit at a table, well, it loses a lot. I mean a lot. First it's removed from the bar and you can't see the chefs at work. More important the service is not that good. The server we had didn't have a handle on the menu. Oh and forget about Omakase. The server didn't even know what that was. Once she returned 10 minutes later after being educated by the chefs, she announced they don't serve it if you're sitting at a table. Jeez, Sushi Sam's does everything no matter where you sit...
Last service was slow and impacted our experience. There were four of us including my wife and two daughters. My daughters had both been with me on separate occassions where we sat at the bar. They loved it! This is impressive since one is not a huge sushi fan.
They convinced me for all of us to go including my wife to try it out. We left underwhelmed and my wife wondering what all the hype was about.
Again 4 stars at the bar. 2 stars at the tables. Average: 3 -
Review from Uland W.
9/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Just going to give you the basic break down of my favorites here. You can read all the reviews but I'm sum it up quick and easy to order.
The tuna salad is delicious, for a party of 2-3 a small order will do saving room for other goodies.
The spicy lobster roll was good, unfortunately its wrapped in big portions, so open up or take small bites
I like the sour plum roll, a unique twist to a sushi roll.
Seasonal, but try the Clam Ramen, generous portions if you like clams. And taste the broth you might drink it all up.
And lastly, if you have been to a sushi house before, this place serves up decent sashmi, you won't go wrong ordering anything off the list. -
Review from Dan O.
San Jose, CA
7/12/2011
Have had mixed experiences here. Last time the fish was great. Very fresh. And the sushi man was attentive.
Maybe this time we went on a bad night. Service was incredibly poor. Sat at the bar and were ignored. Sushi man looked at us multiple times and did not say a thing.
So last time, 4 stars. This time 3. -
Review from Eugene L.
What a day I had planned on going to Ruggys Superstar YEE . I got a 911 call from my Weekend Boss that he pulled me off On call to Active and I needed to report in. So I had to regrettably cancel out on the YEE. Then I also got a Text from my Bro that we were having a last minute Birthday Dinner Meeting for another Bro at Angel Fish.
So I rolled to Angel Fish in my Weekend Whip cranking Chaka Khan and parked in the lot . I rolled in and the Brothers already had a Posse table setup. I was brought Green Tea and a glass of Ice Water. I ordered Chicken Karage, Lobster Hand Roll and a Sashsimi Combo.
I was brought a Green Salad , Miso Soup, first. I munched on those then they brought me a Bowl of Rice ,Chicken Karage and My Sashsimi Combo. The Chicken was Yummy and the Sashsimi was nice big cuts of fresh fish Super Yummy.. The Lobster Hand Roll was off the Hook .
It was also nice to see my Bro Big Mike down from Reno ,Happy Birthday Bro.
And off to work I go another all nighter.Listed in: Asian food, Sushi
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/28/2010
I was out running errands today . I have a rare day off from work ,so I thought I would hit one of… Read more »
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Review from C W.
San Leandro, CA
12/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Came here towards the end of the lunch shift, there was only 1 person at the bar and another table filled.
Ordered:
tamago
toro
smoked salmon
tuna
mackerel
spicy lobster roll
and a glass of lychee sake
The nigiri were all very fresh, the toro very delicious and worth the price. The tamago is not as sweet or moist as I expected, but it's obviously not some factory manufactured, so that's a plus.
I LOVE the lychee sake. There was only the sweetness of lychee in that drink. If someone else had ordered it for me, I wouldn't suspect it was an alcohol drink! Those who love lychee, do try it out. But watch out before you overindulge~
Overall I had a very pleasant dining experience here. The waitress was friendly and checked up on me often, the chefs at the sushi bar made some small talk. The food was fresh and delicious, and pricing is normal for a Sushi place.
I would definitely be back. -
Review from Chip D.
Moreno Valley, CA
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
After seeing the positive reviews I had to stop hee for lunch before flying back home. The food was fantastic! Just what I needed!
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Review from Cindy E.
Oakland, CA
10/29/2011
Friendly, affordable, charming and some of the best sushi I've had in the entire bay area. The tuna poke can beat out the same dish at Catch or Luna Park in SF. And - we over ordered but didn't spend all that much and it ended up being enough food for dinner the next night. AND it still tasted amazing and fresh the next night. How crazy is that? Hella Five Stars.
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Review from Matt M.
Alameda, CA
10/28/2011
Two for lunch was $40 bucks, without drinks. Quality and taste was good. Service was good. Portions were small, and the price was high. Thus, three stars. Next time we'll go to Sushi House on the beach.
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Review from Rachel P.
Union City, CA
11/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here with my Fiance after church and we were hungry. We decided to try this place out because I have been craving sushi for about a week and saw the 4 star rating on YELP.
When we walked in, I noticed that there were about 3 tables that were sat, there were about 4 waiters, and their was about 4 people at the bar.
We were greeted in a decent amount of time and was given hot tea. We ordered 3 rolls: spider roll, rock N roll, and salmon with Philly cheese.
Before we got our food, the waitress brought out the little soy sauce plate to us. When she was giving my Fiance his plate, she noticed that there was still some food let over from the washing so she used Her thumb to try and remove it. It didn't work and so she tried again as we both looked at each other slightly disgusted. Strike 1!
So we got our order in about 15 minutes all on one plate and as the waitress was explaining what everything was, she got confused what one of the sushi order was and excused herself to the kitchen with our plate. she returned about 2 minutes later and said that the Rock n roll will be out shortly.
The rolls didn't have much flavor, the rolls fell apart as we picked them up and the prices did not match the quality of the rolls. Strike 2!
We thought about ordering more food because we were hungry so I asked for the menu again. She gave it to us and went to check on the food.
We waited for the Rock n Roll for some time, we just wanted to cancel it because the food just wasn't that great. Tell me why she gave us another menu after 2 minutes? I told her she gave us one already and she was confused.
Strike 3!
I had to wave someone over to cancel the rock n roll and just asked for the check. The lady brought it over, said thank you and walked away. No sorry, no apology, nothing!! I never leave without tipping. Even if I didnt like something or they just horrible service, i still tip jusy I just feel bad, but this time, I had the guts to.
Sorry Angel Fish, but we will not be returning. -
Review from Shannon W.
Issaquah, WA
6/26/2011
I live in Seattle and make at least one visit to Angel Fish while I am in town. The tuna salad is Devine, and I have not found a salad that compares anywhere in a 10-state region.
They are sparse with Ginger and wasabi. I notice I have to ask for more each visit. Wait staff is very friendly, but I agree they could be a little more attentive.
Ambiance is nice and it is a true Japanese restaurant run by Japanese people. Excellent food! -
Review from Mr. C.
Oakland, CA
11/27/2011
Angel fish serves authentic mom and pop Japanese food. The star of the restaurant is the sushi and I'm not talking about the rolls. The prices for the sushi is quite low relative to other Japanese restaurants. We love the toro- quality is always superb and the price about $9 which in other places can be double that price. They have good appetizers, altho' I would avoid the tuna poke (a tad sweet and too much onion). It is very much a local joint where Taka, the owner, knows his usual customers. I much prefer eating at the sushi bar then at the regular table to check out the sushi action. Yes the service can be uneven at times but the food is always quite consistent.
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Review from Lorrayne L.
Oakland, CA
4/11/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I tried to post a review in Japanese, but unfortunately Yelp doesn't accept non-Latin-based languages at the moment. El suckage! So let's try this again.
I used to come here with the X quite often in previous years. It was easily our most favourite Japanese restaurant. A co-worker and really good friend of ours has a wife that used to work with Taka-san (the woner) when he first opened up and was only a small little sushi bar. He's expanded into a dining area since then. I miss them.
A few words about Taka-san. He is full Japanese, native-born, and comes from a long line of fishermen. As such, his knowledge about fish is unbelievable, and it shows in his food and creations. One of our favourite things to do was the challenge him to make the spiciest but tastiest sushi roll he could for the X's consumption (he loved popping roasted habaneros). Taka-san always came through with the best creations imaginable. Too bad I wasn't Yelping at the time, or I could've posted pics of these rare rolls.
There was one time that the Surachuan bottle ended up exploding all over the roll, to Taka-san's horror, but the X ate it all up anyway. I think everyone around the bar gasped and stopped breathing when the bottle exploded. The waitress, lovely lass that she was, came over immediately to offer more water. Apparently, the whole staff and patrons were alerted to the incident. The X ate every last bite as everyone watched and refused the extra water, he was that hard-core. We all ended up laughing about it after he was done.
Since the break-up, I haven't gone back. I miss Taka-san's cooking. And Jack's good humour. Maybe I'll go back sometime soon. Come with me? -
Review from Lolita D.
Oakland, CA
4/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
A great find in Alameda! Angel fish is on the authentic side of things, they have a great selection of fish and nothing too crazy in the roll selection.
The service is fast and friendly.
Try the seared tuna salad, the dressing is so good that they bottle it up so you can buy it and enjoy at home.
I had monk fish liver for the first time here and it was really tasty, not too fishy.
The nigiri all tasted fresh, and the spicy scallop/spicy lobster hand rolls still make me drool a little bit... in good way...
I am definitely making this place a regular for sushi nights. -
Review from Jennifer L.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2011
Why can't I find any sushi places in Alameda that deliver?!
The food at Angel Fish was decent, though someone mistakenly took my order just as I arrived, so I had to sit and wait for them to remake it, which took much longer than one might imagine because they ran out of sushi rice.
The staff and owner were very apologetic and threw in an extra order of nigiri, plus the edamame they gave me to munch on while I waited. They certainly tried make the situation better, which was appreciated.
We'll try them out again, but maybe we'll dine in next time.Listed in: Island Living
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Review from Mariel F.
Alameda, CA
6/30/2011
When I come here, I usually order Lychee Sake and the Japanese Bagel Roll with Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese.
Angel Fish is a couple minutes away from where I reside, so this place is pretty convenient. -
Review from Chris F.
Alameda, CA
9/29/2011
Food always perfect (freshest I have had in Alameda)
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Review from Jamie L.
Oakland, CA
7/17/2011
Angelfish is the overall package. Good sushi, good prices and great service. If you go enough you'll have the pleasure of getting to know Taka, the owner. He is as jovial and hospitable as sushi chefs come.
Bar seats are the best seats.
Spicy Lobster Handroll is amazing. The tuna salad is amazing. Nigiri/sashimi always super fresh. -
Review from James M.
San Leandro, CA
8/17/2011
I have been dining at Angel Fish for over ten years. I will not return, nor recommend Angel Fish to anyone else. The food is still good, but I cannot abide arrogance. I have been a small business owner for over 40 years, and I bring that perspective to my experience. My son wanted to go to Angel Fish; I agreed, provided we were in time for their "Early Bird" menu. I dropped him off in front, instructing him to inquire whether we were in time. He waved my in, mumbling something about ordering a California Roll. When we were seated, I asked for the Early Bird menu. The waitress came back, saying that it was too late. I asked to speak to the manager. He confirmed that an Early Bird item had to be ordered before 6:00--no matter that he told my son we were in time. He said that my son had ordered a California Roll before 6:00, but I had not ordered in time. I admire strict adherence to quality; but this immutable deadline seems silly. I can only hope that they are consistent, and that someone who arrives at 5:55 and spends 6 minutes dithering over his choice also loses his opportunity to order off the "Early Bird" menu.
The manager was certainly stylish; unfortunately his rudeness matched his sartorial splendor. His insistence on holding a hard line on such an inconsequential matter bewilders me--I often bend much further to accomodate customers who missed a deadline or misunderstood a stated policy. Apparantly the jovial and hospitable Taka has not conveyed a sense of service to his younger manager.
Sometimes success breeds arrogance. Hopefully for Angel Fish this incident was an aberration. Yet I cannot forgive the restaurant for ruining an evening with my son. -
Review from Echo L.
Los Angeles, CA
10/27/2011
i love my sushi rice and sashimi so i got the chirashi. delicious.
i forgot the rolls that i ordered but i remember the selection wasn't very big... but it was fine. the sushi was fresh and it wasn't stuffed with tons of rice.
i also ordered dessert... the green tea creme brulee. asdkjalsd!! that was good too. if i'm close by and need a sushi fix i would definitely come back here. :) -
Review from kara S.
Updated - 4/14/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This is by far my favorite sushi place in alameda! Hamachi is so fresh negihama roll is delicious. Oh lobster roll yummy. Tuna salad is huge and tasty as could be. I had the miso cod one time cause that's my favorite dish at nobu sushi.... And may I just say it really held it's own compared to it.
Take out is super convienent too!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/2/2010
I would almost give them 5 stars except the service sometimes can be a little shity. I love the… Read more »
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Review from Matthew L.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
I came here yesterday after wanting to get sushi at quick and local place. Well, my experiences here weren't as good as I had remembered last. The last time I came here was 2 years ago for dinner with my sister. We had fresh nigiri, which was tasty and delicious (the amaebi and hotate were excellent), and since that experience 2 years ago, I haven't had fresh sashimi at any other place like Angel Fish.
Speed forward 2 years, and well...either the quality went down or I just ordered the wrong things. We had ordered:
- the spicy lobster roll (messily made, not tightly rolled as a sushi roll should be...the cucumber pieces that were part of the roll just fell out! Not impressed at all)
- spicy tuna maki - standard tasting and stardard look
- spicy scallop maki - standard tasting and stardard look
- negihama maki (yellowtail with green onion) - standard tasting and stardard look
- ebi-avo maki (avocado with crab) - DO NOT ORDER!!!!!!!!! "crab" means imitation crab here... I had expected we'd be getting real crab since most of the times, restaurants specify imitation versus the real thing... and well, the ebi-avo maki essentially is a smaller version of the California roll! Disappointing.
- ika-geso (friend squid legs) - tasty and savoury, but a little on the salty side.
Based on my experience yesterday and my experience 2 years ago...I have come to the conclusion-- do not order the "rolls" for that is not what this place is known for. Instead stick to the MAKI and NIGIRI (since these are traditional items that won't be hard to mess up on, and require FRESH sashimi/fish, which this place does deliver).
I'm also glad this place is run by Japanese people and the sushi chefs are Japanese...which makes it all the more authentic!
Overall, I had originally given this restaurant a 4 stars*, but due to my somewhat disappointing experience yesterday with the ebi-avo and the spicy lobster roll, they get a 3.5* in my books. -
Review from Brandon K.
Oakland, CA
10/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love this place!!!!!! So good, fresh, creative, authentic....
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Review from Christine L.
Alameda, CA
8/12/2011 1 photo
There are so many great sushi places in Alameda, it's pretty amazing how each one is able to stand out from the other. For Angel FIsh, I think what draws my husband and I back each time is: 1) The really fresh fish and seafood, and 2) The asari (clam) ramen. We first came here after hearing so much about how good the sushi was here, and we were impressed. It's really delicious - one of my favorite rolls here is their Rainbow Roll. And to be honest, everything we've had here has been really good (try their bento boxes, and ahi tuna salad).
Of our favorite Alameda Japanese restaurants: Angel Fish, Kamakura, Sushi King, Yojimbo (for chirashi bowl), and Sushi House, I would say that Angel Fish, Kamakura, and Sushi King have the freshest fish, but price wise, Sushi King wins. So what would bring us to go to Angel Fish instead of Sushi King or Kamakura (besides it's convenient location close to our house, and better sit-down area)? That's where the Asari Ramen comes in...
Where do I even begin with this ramen? It's not on their regular menu (unfortunately), but as I am writing this review, has been located on their "Specials" board for I'd say almost a year (if not longer). I honestly don't know when they started putting it on their specials board, but I thank the day my husband noticed it there on one of our trips to the restaurant. Usually I'm really bad about reading a restaurant's daily specials (my eyes start glazing once the list is over 3 items long), but this one is especially noteworthy, folks!
As the name implies, it's ramen... but not just any average ramen. It's AMAZING-OMG-DELICIOUS clam ramen. When the dish arrives, it looks generic enough - lots of noodles in a cloudy broth... but then you see that there are lots of clams in there (they don't skimp on the clams, yo!). And it's no ordinary broth, but one completely full of flavor, and clammy goodness. The ramen noodles are really great, too. Slightly chewy, and none of that instant-ramen type noodle you can get at Yojimbo, but more authentic (comparable, yet different from what they have at Sushi King and Kamakura). It's so hard to explain, but there really is nothing like it, especially on a cool day. I can't say how many times I've craved this ramen during the winter months. The waiters say that as it's seasonal, there's no guarantee that this ramen will still be available the next time you stop by, but here's to holding out that it will still be there for at least another year... or at least the next time I go :) At the very least, come here for their delicious Japanese food - you can't go wrong! -
Review from Bill D.
Alameda, CA
12/15/2011
This place used to be wonderful, but the quality has slipped. The Tuna salad is hit-and-miss now, and the Unagi is small and a bit dry. It was the best in the Bay Area for many years, but is now good, but not great.
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Review from Todd F.
San Diego, CA
2/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Overall good sushi experience. The head sushi chef is japanese, which I think is important... especially if classically trained, which in this case is true based on the conversation I had with him. As with most good sushi shops, it's always good to make nice with the sushi chef and to ask "what's good today" to ensure you're getting the most fresh and tasitest fish selection. It's always a good idea to offer your beer and saki to the chef to get the best overall sushi experience possible.
The service was pretty good (waitress was a bit forgetful, but very friendly). The overall atmosphere was comfortable yet energenic and jovial. The one thing that kinda bugged me was the big ass coconut tree plant that is placed on the corner of the sushi bar...don't get me wrong, it's a cool plant, but it blocks your view from seeing the chefs prepare your sushi and totally gets in the way of communicating with the chefs...
enjoy! -
Review from Agent schmully L.
Brooklyn, NY
11/10/2010
One of the best sushi restaurants I've been to in a while..Came in last night and sat at the bar, thank god my friend was into sushi, he knew exactly what to get.
I've been craving so long, this place hit the spot! We had so much, I can hardly remember all of it. I tried the butter fish for the first time, and it was love... So I thought... Albacore, YUM, melt in your mouth yum. Yeah that kind. It was delicious!
Also, tried monk fish liver. I was feeling brave last night, and it was surprisingly delicious. I would say the texture and flavor was unusual but I really enjoyed it. Definitely an acquired taste.
Yoshi the sushi chef, was awesome! He was so friendly and funny. He gave us some deep fried fish bones to munch on too. haha! I will be coming back soon! -
Review from Sharisse H.
Alameda, CA
5/19/2011
I'm not sure if there was an owner change about six months ago, but the service here has seemed to have declined. I've been back twice with subtle but noticeable decor changes. They don't check on you after they serve your food and I had to keep asking for things - kind of annoying.
The food hasn't changed, which has been the constant. Although there is no longer any potato salad with the black cod. boo.
I will return, knowingly that I will have to put up with mediocre service. -
Review from anicca x.
Oakland, CA
5/16/2011
Rare to find a sushi place that's open 7 days a week. Usually if it's a Sunday or Monday, you better go eat Korean (lol).
I love the sushi here. The ankimo, uni, and hotate (the scallops) were super fresh and delicious. Their tuna salad is also very good. You think it would taste weird with the cheese but it's actually very good. I find there prices to be pretty reasonable too, especially if you go during their happy hour, between 5-6 for dinner.
I will be back. -
Review from Pat L.
Albany, CA
Updated - 10/2/2011
Unfortunately over the years, the quality of the fish has become unpredictable. Now, at best acceptable (hard to find really good sashimi at a restaurant with no wait, especially in the East Bay) and others - freezer burn.
We would still go back but fully aware of what to expect - acceptable at best. Nothing to write home about.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/17/2008
Finally we've found a good sushi place in the East Bay. (there is a must Sushi bar in SF - which… Read more »
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