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Sushi California
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
2033 Martin Luther King Jr Way(between Addison St & University Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94704
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
(510) 548-0737
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Wendy H. said: "Who knew Nigiri in a take-out box could be so fresh and delicious? I'm glad I forked over the 12.75 to get the nigiri as opposed to the regular sushi rolls. They also had old (orange-dot) sushi for free with any purchase over $10.…" read more »
137 reviews for Sushi California
Review Highlights
"Intimate spot with live music on the weekends."
(in 25 reviews)
"Super White Tuna (oh my god) - YES."
(in 5 reviews)
"The Shiro Maguro (albacore) is like butter, almost too rich."
(in 8 reviews)
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137 reviews in English
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Review from Luigi C.
San Mateo, CA
1/26/2012
Went there couple days ago and place was not crowded but busy, which is perfect. I like the feeling of it being a small place because you get more attention and they were extremely nice. Had the spicy tuna roll, crazy roll, and then bc it was so good I asked them to surprise me and they brought out a special dish which was amazing. Definitely recommend and am going back when I am in the neighborhood.
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Review from Bill H.
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
The best thing Sushi California has going for it is ambiance -- it's an intimate room with live music on the weekends. It's a little loud, but that's kind of fun. The sushi is fair -- I'd say on par with Sushi Zone and Sushi Delight in San Francisco (and better than Edoko down the street).
The prices are a bit higher than I would have liked. My bill for two after drinks was almost $70!
Service was slow, too. The restaurant had chefs catering to the four or five people at the bar, but the rest of the patrons were served by a single person. -
Review from Carla F.
Pasadena, CA
1/6/2012
I am a fan of spicy tuna, and I have eaten it in many different restaurants, however I have never had it the way Sushi California does it. Seriously, the best spicy tuna that I have ever eaten! The tuna was so fresh and not at all chopped up like other spicy tunas. The sauce was spicy and not overwhelming. I also had their udon which was good as well. The pot stickers were yum. I loved this meal! Fantastic service too!
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Review from k s.
Sacramento, CA
12/31/2011
Worst sushi resturant I have ever been to. I only went because I was trying to use my groupon, should have known when no one was in the resturant as a sign it was going to be a bad night. Let me keep it short I ordered the spicy scallops, first off the scallops were on top of the rice with nothing else which made it all bad. Didn't have any taste and the rice was hard.
Than I ordered the sashimi combination plate. That was the worst of it all, all the fish was bad. Every fish tasted like old fish left out for to long. Not just giving me old fish they had the nerve to slice the smallest pieces in my life. (Picture to accompany what I am talking about) and not just it being two things wrong but they also had the nerve to give me white tuna covered in there so called brown sauce, hello I ordered sashimi not sushi it should have nothing on it but just fish. They probably did that to hide the fact that the fish was not white anymore. I literally only had three bites and spit out everything. I told them about it and that waitress only had to say was sorry and still charged me. I will never go back there and I called groupon and got my money back. Thank god for groupon or else I would have been even more mad. If I could have given them zero stars I would have. -
Review from Jean L.
4/4/2011
Solid sushi. Fair prices.
Note:
- Spicy Tuna Roll is interestingly made- tuna lays on top of the roll instead of inside
- I like the maguro nigiri, it comes with minced raw garlic on top
- Friendly chefs
- Great service
Did not know I lived so close to this place! Will definitely return. -
Review from T L.
Berkeley, CA
3/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not coming back! It's a very small restaurant and yes I did get the warning about the whole groupon thing and the huge wave of people that made the service slow. But seriously, I don't think thats really the reason. They just have sooo little people working here. I feel like waiting a long time to sit is one thing. But once you've sat, the waiting should mostly be over! Not the case.
Waited almost 30 minutes to get a table, which is fine, bc of the Groupon thing. But after sitting down, waited 15-20 minutes just to order. Then they lost our order. We had to reorder. Then had to wait longer for food.
We ordered an appetizer, Gyoza and Chicken Yakiniku Skewers. Warning: DO NOT ORDER EITHER OF THESE. Gyoza are potstickers. Shouldn't they be somewhat crispy? They were soft and squishy, like dumplings, the kind I'm pretty sure they bought frozen from Ranch99. The chicken skewers first came to us as chicken teriyaki (they got confused), so they took it back. Then, they basically took the same chicken teriyaki and put it on skewer sticks and called it Yakiniku. Super salty. Real skewers do not have unyummy teriyaki chicken on it. You put vegetables and it should actually be grilled! It was gross.
Also the sushi we got was really small. The fish was pretty fresh which was nice. But we ordered like 4 different kind of sushi dishes. It took 10-15 minutes for us to receive each order. In total our whole meal took lke 1.5 hours. Crazy long. I will not return!
I gave an extra star just because the people were really nice and had a pleasant demeanor. But seriously, superrrrr slow. -
Review from John Z.
Dublin, CA
4/16/2011
3 stars is probably a little bit too generous for Sushi California, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt because they appear to be a family owned/run business in one of my favorite cities.
Here goes - Sushi California is a quaint little hole in the wall place with reasonable prices. The sushi and sashimi aren't really all that memorable, but they are fresh. The rolls are a tad bit loose and some of the sashimi wasn't sliced all the way through so we had double-wide sashimi filets.
There's a roll on their menu with garlic named after a Dr. Somebody that probably teaches at UC Berkeley. That was pretty tasty and was really their signature roll during out visit.
The sushi chefs were sort of slow, but the service was friendly. I also like how they serve Tejava iced tea. If a restaurant can't make premium fresh brewed iced tea, then just serve Tejava. Don't try to make some weak-ass Lipton tea and charge me $2.50. Just serve the good stuff and accept the lower margins.
Sushi California is benefiting from Groupon traffic. I hope that they speed up the service and improve the roll making so that they can become a must visit spot in Berkeley. Although that area of Berkeley seems to be on the downside as many shops have closed up.... -
Review from Jon K.
Davis, CA
7/11/2011
4 stars for the sushi, overall. But with everything else, they deserve a 5.
Came here twice because of Groupon (not sure how I got two, but was thankful it happened). Sat at the sushi bar, and I loved watching the head chef. He knows what he's doing (e.g. it always seemed like he was 'in a zone'), and it shows by some of the creative rolls they have.
I absolutely loved the shiro maguro nigiri (white tuna), which is pretty darn fatty and yummy. The main reason for this is the tiny amount of that garlic stuff that's added on top. Been ordering this now at all the other sushi places since going here, but I can't seem to find a nigiri serving that compares... -
Review from Quang T.
4/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am beginning to think Groupon actually hurts a business instead of helping it. I understand the thinking behind it is to attract new customers and for the customers to tell their friends about it but in some cases some places just cant handle the new influx of people.
So again we did the Groupon deal and was disappointed !!!
Small portions. Not very good. Overall no deal at all. Total price equaled what we would normally pay for the portions given. Hard to get the actual "Taste" of food when the portions were very small.
They even had signs and pamphlets up advising Groupon customers as to tip on full price menu and what to order that may arrive promptly.
3 Stars for the Service being extremely good and the live guitar player.
2 Stars for the food assuming it was a direct result of being a Groupon customer.
Other places that I have tried through Groupon:
Lime in SF
Vo's in San Leandro
Village Market in Berkeley
Because of Groupon, I will not be coming back to any of these. -
Review from dan k.
Oakland, CA
5/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you aren't doing Groupon-- seriously, what are you doing? What is the purpose of your life? Why do you wake up every morning and decide to continue on with living? With LivingSocial, Google Offers, Facebook Deals now being developed and rising in popularity, how is it that you have avoided the daily-deals-websites?
Yea, places on Groupon can get packed on the weekends around the time the Groupon's start to get redeemed and the month when they are to expire, but my group went early on a weekday evening and got a couple rolls of sushi and seeing that Sushi tastes better when you're tipsy we ordered a couple of Sapporos. The beer was refreshing, the sushi decent, and the service good. Nothing spectacular by any mean, but still good and met our expectations. -
Review from Alan P.
Berkeley, CA
11/24/2011
We've been to every sushi joint in Berkeley and Sushi California is the best. Surprised? We know fresh and this is fresh. And the chef knows what he's doing with the preparation and his effort really shows. I still can't get over the quality of the mackerel, oyster and unagi nigiris we had. The spicy tuna and spicy scallop rolls are overflowing... I could go on but you should discover this place's sushi for yourself. The ambiance is simple and relaxed, sometimes with unobtrusive live music going. The waitress is friendly, attentive, and informative--ask her for her recommendations, she'll tell you what's the most fresh that day. The house sake is from a local Berkeley brewery. The prices are in the medium range for sushi, and worth every penny. Oh yeah, and free wifi. This place has it all. It should be everyone's go-to sushi restaurant around here, I'm surprised it's not more well known. But right now it's nice how undiscovered it is.
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Review from Anthony L.
Berkeley, CA
3/4/2011
Got the chef's choice sushi/sashimi plate ($22, including soup, rice, and salad) ...EXCEPT the rice, soup, salad NEVER came! The fish choice was extremely disappointing. (8pc of thin/small sashimi, 6 pc of roll, 5 pc nigiri.) It consisted of almost entirely cheap tuna. Entire roll was tuna/cucumber. Sashimi was thumb sized saba, and finger sized tuna, salmon, shiro maguro. Sushi included 1pc of : tuna(again), salmon, ebi, yellowtail, and unagi. Total value of a plate like this should not creep north of $15 at most. For a simple small sushi restaurant to charge this much is absolutely ridiculous!
Food takes FOREVER to come! The size of the restaurant could only fit around 30 people. Yet, the food takes more than 30 minutes to come. On multiple occasions, one of the sushi chefs was seen to be socializing with guests even though there are multiple tables waiting for their food.
Service is average to below average. Tea doesn't get refilled unless asked for, always hard to flag down waiter, doesn't come back to check on table.
To be fair, they did have a live cello & guitarist player in the small restaurant. The size of the restaurant made the music way too loud, bad for conversation.
The food itself is comparable to any average sushi place. Not worth your time to check out. -
Review from Gordy S.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 9/27/2011
I'm still finding this hard to believe, but they have wifi now.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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3/5/2011
You should know that this place was recently featured on Groupon, which means it's going to be… Read more »
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Review from Katrina A.
Manhattan, NY
4/27/2011
Came in around 8:40 for a late dinner with the boy. There were a couple of couples inside, but not too busy. Props for the live music!
I ordered the hamachi dinner plate... it came with a lot of pieces. Next time will order the appetizer portion...Wasn't sure if it was stated on the menu or if I just skimmed over it.... but if I didn't, they should specify the number of pieces... I thought the dinner plate was $12, but turned out to be $19 (though I should've known since sashimi is always expensive) Hamachi was pretty good, though I do like my sashimi sliced a bit thicker. The boy ordered a bunch of vegetarian rolls, and he seemed pretty satisfied. Service was also great!
For the both of us, we paid just under $50 including tip. -
Review from Kate F.
Berkeley, CA
3/5/2011
I really hate to do this because we have enjoyed Sushi California in the past and we really want to like it, but tonight was so bad we will never go back.
We have always know that service is slow here. Tonight not only were they exceedingly slow, but they were downright rude.
We had bought a Groupon for half off sushi, and evidently all of Berkeley had the same idea tonight. I had no problem waiting for a table, but it was waiting an hour after we had ordered and then being told that it would be another 20 minutes that really got to me.
After asking a different member of the staff again, the only answer we got was "Groupon's great." Well. I certainly hope Groupon is so wonderful that you can afford to piss off your returning customers, because at that point, we decided we'd had quite enough. We paid for our beer and left having never received our meal (2 sushi rolls and a sushi set), and saying that we will never be going again.
Having read all of this, if you still want to go to Sushi California, check out my Craigslist post below, where we are selling our Groupon at a loss.
http://sfbay.craigslis...
It was just that bad for us. I hope you have a better experience if you do decide to chance it. -
Review from Benjamin C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/31/2011
I just had dinner here with a good friend. It was empty when we walked in a little past 7 on a Monday night, with only one other customer. So I was hesitant about what to expect. But the sole waitress who was very friendly and courteous immediately made us comfortable. And once we had finally decided on what to order, the food came soon thereafter. I ordered the sushi dinner combo A, which is a mix of nigiri and california rolls; my buddy got this fat veggie roll stuffed with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, avocado... The food was quite decent. Not the freshest, and the unagi wasn't great, but overall the quality was nice. Better than most Berkeley sushi. And to top it all, awesome live blues music! Definitely embellished the atmosphere with his smooth plucking. And the waitress didn't mind us staying longer after the table had been cleared and we had paid. We're coming back for sure!
- Decent food, not overpriced
- Friendly and quick service
- Live music! -
Review from Katy O.
8/25/2010
I cannot believe this place has such good reviews. I've never felt so deceived by Yelp before!
When we get there, it takes them 10 minutes to clean a table (that is already open) for us. Another 10 minutes later, we get the menu. Another 15 minutes later, our order is taken. It's literally another 30 minutes before MOST of our order arrives, but they never actually brought me my main entree. They had COMPLETELY forgotten about it. It was only after we FINALLY managed to wave them down to bring us the bill did they realize and tried to get me to take it to go. Why the $%^& would I take Udon to go?!?!
I can understand problems with service when you have a packed restaurant, but there were only three other groups being serviced. A couple of groups that came after us received their meals (completed) before us.
The sushi was mediocre. My friend had tempura, which was apparently pretty good. But $12 for tempura is pretty steep. In fact, this whole place is way too expensive for what you get, not even considering the horrendous service. The menu is actually quite lacking in variety as well.
I have a feeling that there are some sanitation issues at this place as well. They're not very good about clearing off tables very quickly. The table next to us was occupied by a family with small kids that had finished eating about when we were seated. They left their table a DISASTER zone. It was only cleaned right before we left.
There was also an ant on the table! I have no problem with hole-in-the-wall restaurants. I've traveled to other continents and eaten at some very sketchy looking places. But an insect on my table is NOT acceptable, especially here in the states.
This restaurant was a waste of my life and taste buds. I highly discourage anyone from coming here.
*Edit: I just wanted to make a note that I visited this place PRIOR to the Groupon deal. The bad service here is not just a consequence of the increased traffic due to the coupon (although I'm sure it didn't help). This place really is just bad!Listed in: Student Eats
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Review from Jessica M.
San Francisco, CA
9/12/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Sushi California is quickly becoming my local go-to spot for modest, delicious, Japanese food. Recently moved to the neighborhood! Upon arriving for my second visit to this tiny sushi bar on MLK here in Berkeley for dinner, the staff greeted me and my boyfriend as if we'd been there a thousand times. Mimi, the main server, not only remembered our names, but also what we liked to drink (Nigori sake!) and my random request for sliced cucumber in my water. We were shocked and impressed! Mid-meal a guitarist stopped by and played some mellow electric blues and soft rock covers. Bonus! And needless to say, the fish is all very fresh and well prepared. Between the exceptional customer service, fresh fish, live music and laid back atmosphere, you can't go wrong here for dinner.
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Review from Ali A.
San Jose, CA
3/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here with a friend to make delicious use of a Groupon deal she bought which gave her a 30 dollar coupon at the restaurant. We got in at around 6:15 on Friday night and the 2 free tables we saw when we arrived soon got taken up and people had to wait at the front to get a table - so be warned, if you want to get seated quickly, show up a little early.
Anyway we got seated and we looked over the menu, deciding to order from the rolls menu and not get any dinner combinations. We started with the Rainbow roll, California roll (don't roll your eyes), and the Dragon roll. Service was kind of sluggish (the Dragon roll came out much later than the other two rolls), and they were all pretty good. After a while I kind of wanted water, but service hardly came by at all, let alone asked us if we needed anything else besides the initial drink order and later order for our food.
Eventually we rounded out our meal with a salmon skin roll - an interesting, crunchy roll which I wasn't a fan of, but my friend thought was really good (I just don't like crunch in my sushi!) - and we finally got the check. It was a little over 32 dollars, which isn't heart-stopping considering it's a Japanese restaurant (which tend to run a little pricey), but we only got 4 roll orders and (non-alcoholic) drinks, so there are definitely cheaper options in Berkeley if you just want reasonably good sushi for cheap.
Oh, and you may want to know that there's a musician there on Friday nights. I didn't really care for it. We came to the restaurant to chat and the music was a nice thought but a little too loud - probably because the dining area is so small to begin with - and his being there just highlighted the awkward use of space when people came in from the street and had to stand around in a little cramped crowd at the door as they waited for a table.
This place wasn't bad by any means, but it just seemed like any other sushi place. Decent sushi at a not so compelling (but reasonable) price. I'm glad I came here, but I don't know if or why I'll come back. It's not big enough for a group of friends and it's not really nice enough for a special friend ;)
Definitely a solid 3-star restaurant, worth popping in if you're passing by and you want sushi, but not worth going out of your way for. -
Review from Lisa W.
Cambridge, MA
3/2/2011 1 photo
Mmmmm sushi. Got the chef's choice sushi/sashimi plate ($22, including soup, rice, and salad) and it was delicious. The fish was fresh and melted in your mouth, and the flavors were subtle and delicate. I was watching the sushi chef carefully plate each piece and brush them with god-knows-what (but it tasted great!).
The service was meh. One lady was running the whole show on the floor while preparing take out as well, so it was rather slow. But the sushi is well worth it! -
Review from MelvinJohann P.
Berkeley, CA
3/21/2011
Boyfriend and I tried this place because of the Groupon.
We arrived right when they opened up; we were their very first customers of the day which makes this review very different from the rest in regards to the time factor. We did not wait for a table, and our server was nice. However, I do see how this place could suck one three more groups trickle in. There really is just one server and what seemed to be only 2 people preparing the food.
The quality of the food isn't bad but it's not amazing either. The portions given were disappointing and those portions did not reflect the price. Good thing we had a Groupon or else we would been pissed at spending that money for a morsel of food.
From our experience, it was an average place. We probably won't be back though. And given that we had that time advantage, I wouldn't want to experience what it's like coming in during a busy hour. Surely, this review would then drop to 2 or even 1 star. -
Review from Lolita D.
Oakland, CA
4/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not so great... just ok...
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Review from cheryll t.
Emeryville, CA
11/26/2010
3.5 (first time here)
Came here recently since my fav sushi place on Telegraph went bye bye! I was so sad!!!!! Anyhow- this is a nice joint, quiet small but if you come early you can get some seating. We sat at the bar and actually saw the chefs make the sushi which was cool and can actually see what you are going to order if you are particular about their "fresh catch"...the dude next to me who I assumed was a regular was "very particular of their fresh catch!"...anyhow i think for the first time here- service was decent, it was pretty packed- waited some 30 miin for our sushi, the rolls came in order, although they messed up one of the roll order (we had the opportununity to re-order but we didn't) and great beer! Come early for $1 beer!
I am definitely coming back because they have a nice selection of dinner options that look very enticing and affordable. We just did the rolls this time my fav- catepillar roll, other rolls with salmon and cream cheese, can't remember but all decently priced, good amount and tasty -
Review from Brian C.
Benicia, CA
5/21/2011
We checked it out late last Friday night. (Late for them was 9, I think they closed by 10). Picturesque location, sat at the window, subterranean view of street level, kitty corner to Trader Joes on University. The highlight probably was the band. Stand up bass and hollow body guitar playing easy listening jazz. Service was good. We ordered 4 pieces of Hamachi Nigiri. The fish itself was delicious. But why green onions on there? We found a fish bone in our last piece. Also tried the Dracula role. Cream cheese overpowered everything else. California role was decent. Eel role descent. Total cost was just under $30, before tip. Not bad but not great. Probably won't be back.
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Review from David H.
Berkeley, CA
7/4/2011
Good hamachi Kama
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Review from H Y.
Berkeley, CA
4/19/2008
FYI: 2/3/09 Yelp removed my updated review because I did not visit Sushi California a second time. This is what I wrote in 10/08.
10/08: I received a message today telling me I don't know jack about Japanese food. This person only had 2 reviews one of a bike shop and one for this business showing 5 stars. I'm pretty sure that only an owner, chef or someone related to this business would feel so strongly about my review to be so hostile. So instead of asking me to try the restaurant again and update my review they have convinced me that I will never dine here again or let anyone I know do so. Take a look at all the reviews from Oct 2008. They look pretty fake to me. There are much better restaurants to spend your money on. Dine here at your own risk.
4/19/08: This review is based on one visit. I came here last night for dinner with a couple of friends. They both ordered sushi combos. I had the sashimi and tonkatsu combo. The miso served with dinner was unusually dark and had bean sprouts floating in it. My sashimi included maguro, albacore and imitation crab. Yes that's right imititation crab. What kinda restaurant doesn't serve real fish for sashimi? I was shocked. The maguro had a very mushy texture. The albacore was good but I attribute that to the sauce on top. The tonkatsu was tough and dry. My friends said the sushi combo was just ok. They did not come back to refill our water. All in all Sushi California was a bust. I will not be back. -
Review from Jen S.
11/22/2008
It wasn't bad but it wasn't stellar either. I had the sushi dinner special that came with an assortment of nigiri sushi - tuna, mackerel, CA roll, halibut, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, and unagi. It just didn't have the fresh taste or have very good cuts of the fish.
The bento box with teriyaki chicken that my hubby ordered was good. There was nothing quite special about it.
It's a tiny place next to a tire/car shop. Live music was playing when we went on a Friday evening, a jazz, bluesy guitarist. It was pretty soft and mellow music to accompany dinner.
Not sure if I'd come back but it seems to be a place where people know your name. Still on the hunt for my go to sushi spot in the East Bay.... -
Review from Arela R.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/12/2009
Just when I thought it could never be better:
Hubby and I went here with some friends one night. It turns out that some patrons were having a huge party there and took up the entire restaurant.
The sushi chef that knows us by name saw us come in and gave us our usual warm greeting and we said hi but that it was too crowded and left.
After we had walked about a block away, the sushi chef came running after us down the street! He asked us to come back and he promised that we would get perfect service. There was four of us so trying to squeeze in was a bit though but it was done. And it was amazing service, really fun and as always perfect food.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/7/2006
At "Garden Level" and near the UC I had never thought to visit this tucked away sushi place but… Read more »
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Review from Mindy L.
San Gabriel, CA
Updated - 10/23/2008
Same as HY, I received messages from two users (Gordy and Kazuko) who've only written 2 reviews, and their reviews for this place give 5 stars. One user wrote to me saying I must have not know Japanese food, and the other invited me to try it again; saying I must have had bad luck with it that day, offering to pay for my return meal or reimburse me. I understand your loyalty, but I have had VERY good, fresh Japanese food; in fact Japanese food one of my top 3 favorite foods.
I'll concede- it is possible to have bad luck at a restaurant, but I believe the service can more than make up for it. Soggy raw meat is a big no no, rotten rice is a big no no. If I wrote a letter to the health department, which I just might, as a former restaurant owner I don't think this place would pass...
I'm entitled to my opinion, even it is based off one experience. At least 50% of Yelp reviews are based off of one experience. Would I give it another chance, possibly, but I'd rather not risk it or waste my money. Thank you, try this place out and write about it. The more reviews the closer we get to the truth. I wrote my review in hopes that this place will wake up and make improvements, not ask people to write biased reviews, then bully other Yelpers.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/9/2008
Only unknowing college kids who don't know any better would eat here after one time. The… Read more »
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Review from sandy t.
Monrovia, CA
10/8/2006
Great, and fairly inexpensive japanese food.
Love the atmosphere here...just very relaxed and always consistent in quality.
Service can get really slow when its crowded. There is usually just one waitress....and they dont make tempura udon on crowded nights. They've added the tempura to the 'plain udon' on the menu for me in the past but when there is only one cook, they dont make it at all =(
I went there on a friday night and they had a 3-man band playing in the corner. So very entertaining...not necessarily because they're good but because you cant beat watchinga nihonjin man rocking it on his guitar singing old Elvis songs. -
Review from Ayumi Y.
San Francisco, CA
10/4/2010
One evening I was craving sushi so I decided to walk over to Sushi California. I've passed by a lot, and it looks kind of janky but after reading reviews here I had to give it a try.
I got a Spicy Tuna roll, Hamachi and Tako.
The Spicy Tuna was overflowing but I didn't really like the sauce that it overflowed with -- it kind of reminded me of mayonnaise.
The hamachi and tako were top-notch, however, generous cuts and very fresh.
This was all to go.
All in all, tasty sushi and it's got promise. I will probably come back again. -
Review from Darwin D.
Berkeley, CA
12/8/2008
Sushi Cal is one of my favorite places in the East Bay and I have been here literally a hundred times since I moved here six years ago. I consider this my Japanese home-away-from-home. I love coming here and relax in a setting of great people with good food and drinks. When I go here I usually drink large Asahi beer (refreshing after work) and Sho Chiku Bai Ginjo Sake (good and local; made all from rice).
For eating I like shishamo (grilled sardine with roe), soft shell crab roll and for sushi either aji (horse mackerel) or kohada (spotted sardine). As well as whatever is one the today's special. This is not a fancy place as such, but the owner is japanese and often have specials you don't see other places. The grilled miso marinated black cod is really good as well.
Also, the unagi (eel): they really know how to grill it here. succulent and yet slightly broiled on the outside. I eat it as sushi or as unagi-kyu (in maki roll with cucumber), which adds a refreshing counter to the meatiness of the eel. The salads here are very good as well.
On Mondays and Fridays, Hideo Date, a very talented jazz/soul/blues guitarist is playing. On Fridays together with a upright bass player. He plays a lot of classic tunes adds a very nice and cosy touch to the ambience. Don't be surprised if the lady's next to you in the sushi bar starts singing along. In here we are all one big family! -
Review from Deb A.
Emeryville, CA
1/23/2009
Went in on a week night to try this place out, and found it to be a disappointing experience. The staff and the sushi chef were nice and were very friendly -- but this is not the kind of sushi place you go out of your way to visit.
The rice on my nigiri and rolls were slightly mushy. The sunomono / cucumber salad was overly vinegary/sour, altho there were some nice pieces of octopus in there, and the cucumber was fresh and crisp.
The fresh crab in the crab roll had too much mayo, which smothered the sweetness/texture of the crab. The roll was just sloppy -- the chef didn't seem to care about the presentation as the rolls were not even cylindrical -- the 6 slices were smushed together in an unsightly mess that oozed out here and there.
The tamago nigiri was served too cold, as if the egg was hiding way in the back of the fridge, and had a overly sweet flavor. Normally, tamago nigiri is served slightly colder than room temperature, atop warm rice -- so this was also disappointing.
The overall energy in the place was just lacking too. I know it was a weeknight, but it seemed like the staff was depressed that business was so slow. "It's the economy," the chef muttered. But when I go to eat sushi (and spend at least $25-$30 w/o drinks per person to do so) -- I like to be in an environment that feels lively, where I feel like I've taken an hour-long vacation in Japan. My visit here never let me forget that I was in downtown Berkeley.
I know it must be demoralizing to serve sushi to neighborhood regulars who don't seem to care /notice that you're not trying very hard anymore -- but I wish they had tried a little harder to be better than being just OK or aspiring to be just like supermarket sushi, but at twice the price. -
Review from Rico T.
Brooklyn, NY
7/2/2008
Great value for dependable fish. Not the best of the best fish by far, but the Sushi Chef/Owner does choose from multiple vendors depending on what is best in the market in his price range. That translates to decent prices and reasonable cuts of sashimi that are fresh and tasty. Not a traditional sushi house, as there are quite a few crazy rolls, etc. If you want hard core, traditional, best of the best you go to Sushi Sho on Solano. You leave as satisfied as is possible with the quality, but you leave much poorer and still hungry. Spicy Scalop is my favorite at California!
Intimate spot with live music on the weekends. Show up more than once and you are sure to get a complimentary bottle of low quality hot sake! It's the thought that counts! -
Review from Julie A.
Berkeley, CA
10/17/2007
I come here at least a couple of times per month, and it's so good I don't bother eating sushi anyplace else. It's small and cozy, with outstanding food and service -- and frequently, live guitar music. (The best kind of live music: soft enough that you can talk over it if you like, but good enough to sit and listen.) The quality of the food is consistently very high, and I've never had to wait to be seated. Shame on me for not being more adventurous, but I usually stick to some combination of my favorites:
Dr. Choi roll -- white and red tuna, eel, garlic sauce -- BEST ROLL EVER -- if you get one thing here, get this
spicy tuna roll -- yes, it's creamy, as someone noted
saba -- always super good, never fishy or too salty
hamachi, white tuna, salmon -- great, and usually they have toro of these three which are to die for
oysters -- always amazing, though last time I was there the chef told me he didn't think they were very good and advised against them: "you wouldn't get sick, but they don't taste as good as they should" -- I appreciate the honesty
cucumber/seaweed/squid salad -- fantastic
spider roll, caterpillar roll and dragon roll -- tasty and beautifully presented
The service is very good but on busy nights the *one* waitress can be a bit overworked. Usually, though, my friend likes to sit at the bar so he can socialize with the very chatty chefs, so we get speedier service that way. (You can't get much faster than your supper being handed over the counter to you.) -
Review from Ashkan S.
Washington, DC
11/3/2007
Mediocre sushi
Terrible presentation (bad knife skills)
Ok prices.
I say meh -
Review from Julia D.
5/3/2011
My friend got a Groupon here and it was the best thing ever! She's a vegan and I'm not and there was a ton of stuff for both of us. The server was helpful and very attentive. There was a man playing live music on his guitar. The quality was fresh. It was sort of hard to find parking, but other than that great sushi, great seaweed salad, fabulous service.
-
Review from Sarah L.
Albany, CA
4/5/2006
This is the best sushi spots in downtown Berkeley for sure! The Shiro Maguro (albacore) is like butter, almost too rich. I also enjoy the Seaweed Sonomono (yummy cucumber and seaweed salad), the Oshinko (pickled Radish) roll, and the Conch Clam when it's in season.
The atmosphere is nice. Weekend nights are especially cozy, as the tiny 'garden level' restaurant fills up and a guitarist strums quietly in the corner. He plays some awesome jazz standards, but will often throw in the MASH theme song or Rawhide to mix it up a bit. He's great. -
Review from Pat T.
Berkeley, CA
1/24/2006
This is one of my favorite Berkeley sushi spots. The sushi is good and the staff are friendly and will notice you if you come regularly. And speaking of regulars, there seem to be a number of them.
The restaurant doesn't have the sort of ambience where you'd take someone here on a first date (boxes of kirin stacked up in the dining area, a bathroom with a world map poster from what looks like the 1970s). But it is the place to go with your SO or family on a regular basis for a tasty, reasonably priced meal.
This restaurant is also family friendly.
The sushi quality is on a par with Sushi Banzai. -
Review from Aaron M.
10/21/2009
Decor be damned, I just want good fish, and CA Sushi delivers.
The three Nigiri we tried: Maguro, Shiro Maguro, and Hamachi, were all excellent. Super fresh, great flavor and texture, and nicely trimmed and presented.
Dinner for two was $50 including one large beer, tax, and tip. A little high judging by the look of the place, but totally worth it for some excellent fish.
Service was flawless, but to be fair, we were the only customers I saw all night.
Minus one star for the Tako Sunomono, the octopus was spongey, grayish, and fishy tasting.
Bonus Star: half priced beer and sake during happy hour.
