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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhoods: UC Campus Area, Downtown BerkeleyMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 4:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 4:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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I'm shocked that this place doesn't have higher reviews... And I'm a cynic - just read my reviews... ok... maybe cynic is a bit extreme. I'm a realist with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
Regardless - I'm STILL shocked at the reviews here. I've been here three times and I've been happy each and every one of them. Yes, prices are not cheap (which is why I'm docking a star...). But I've had great service (it was only busy once) and the sushi is really fresh. We did both nigri and a few of their special rolls... YUM YUM. But I'm not a purist - I actually love mango in a sushi roll.
*GASP* Yes, I said it. MANGO in my sushi. (My husband is cringing as I type...).
I've yet to find a better sushi place in Berkeley. After 9 months of pregnancy (read: no fun stuff; e.g., sushi, alchohol, imported cheese, etc. etc. etc.), I'm definitely looking.
Although this place might be a little overpriced, the sushi is really good. I especially like the special rolls that they have (Sushi Ko special, yum!) They also have a respectable selection of sake, though we usually settle on one of the unfiltered ones.
One bad thing is that you have to use the bathroom that is upstairs, and is a little dingy.
My boyfriend and I came here after the yelp prom for a quick bite to eat. Kudos for them for staying open late on a friday night.
We got here right before they were doing last call on the sushi rolls. I forgot the name of the rolls we had, but I loved the ones that had mango in it, yum!
Also, serivice was really friendly and polite, and I was pleased to say they had clean bathrooms (even though you had to walk upstairs to get to them!).
They had a few very special rolls that I haven't seen or tasted anywhere else. They were also pretty good - you could taste each of the ingredients. I mainly go back for these same rolls.
However, the majority of their rolls and entrees were pretty typical and nothing special. Also not cheap (but expected). Hard to find parking too...
Not worth the money, even after the http://restaurant.com coupon! I was disappointed with my experience at Sushi Ko, even after reading the mixed reviews on http://yelp.com. It's pricey for what you get, especially considering neighboring Japanese restaurants that give you much more value for your money (Nanajiro, Anzu). Plus, one of the waittresses here was really unhelpful. I asked her what was in the Yosenabe and she said "I think there's fish cakes and...yeah, I'm not sure, but it's assorted seafood." She could have easily asked someone else or went into the kitchen but she had that "i could care less" attitude. The other waitstaff seem friendly, though, so i don't think bad service is characteristic of the whole restaurant.
We ordered a 2-item bento ($10.95) with beef teriyaki and mixed tempura, a toro heaven roll ($14.50), golden gate roll ($9.95), and a chicken sukiyaki ($13.95).
The beef teriyaki was very average; the only differing factor is that the beef is sliced in much thinner slices. Tempura was average as well. Go to Anzu a few blocks south on Shattuck. It's only $6.95 and you get just as good (if not better), and larger amounts, of food.
I was so excited to try the toro heaven roll (blue fin toro and avocado topped with hamachi and sashimi) but was SORELY disappointed. The roll smelled funky, like the fish had gone bad, so we stopped eating it. It was TINY too! 6 pieces of mostly rice (barely any sashimi). I can't believe they charge $14.50!
The Golden Gate Roll was better, but still, at $9.95 for 6 pieces of mostly rice and dismal amounts of sashimi, I'd go to Nanajiro or Anzu over Sushi Ko any day of the week.
My chicken sukiyaki was the only good dish of the meal. Hearty soup on a cold day with chunks of chicken thigh meat, spinach, glass noodles - you just can't go wrong!
The total bill came out to be ~$66; after the coupon it was only $42, but that's still expensive considering the rolls we ordered were mostly rice.
I came here after the Cal USC game this year and I found the place PACKED. But none the less, the service was amazing and the wait was minimal. Other times when I am here with a large group tho, they are always able to take my reservation. I have to say that there are not may good Sushi places in Berkeley that has the space to fit a large group.
Though I have to confess that I have been coming here since I lived in Berkeley a few years ago. I have found myself sometimes driving across the bay bridge just to come here. The staff here is very friendly and always notices if I ever am in need of anything - they are always very good about their service no matter how busy the place is. The prices are very reasonable for what you get, so I really don't mind the occasional drive. I usually get the Spider Roll and it does not come out all greasy like some other places that I have been to in the Berkeley Area, and the bento boxes are very reasonably priced. When I was living in the area the convenience of this place is also very nice, right on Shattuck Square and right next to Bart on my way home.
So far this is the best sushi I've found in Berkeley. The presentation isn't as beautiful as some, but the food has always been good. The sushi is fresh and specials are usually nicely balanced. They also have non-sushi Japanese cuisine options available, so if you're dining with people who don't like "raw fish" they will have many cooked options.
The Salmon teriyaki was especially delicious.
We saw them pour Kern's from a carton into a drinking glass that only held less than 1 cup of liquid and charged us $3 for it.
Sushi- mediocre
Udon- bland
Rolls- same sh*t, different order
ALL IN ALL: over priced american style japanese sushi in a horrible parking situation ... no thanks.
Decided to try this place with friends because we had a certificate from http://restaurant.com and I must say, it's not worth it. Perhaps it was because of the discount that the pieces were small, but the fish didn't look fresh. Don't think I'll be going back.
I have not been to Sushi Ko, I've only ordered from them, so I cannot speak to the ambiance or service quality...
The sushi I've had is pretty decent. They always have escolar sashimi, which I like - as I really like escolar - yum! (I clearly don't have the digestive problems some people do with this fish...)
They are absolutely pricier than I want for delivery -- but, sometimes you have to feed the fish goddess within you regardless of the cost.
I think if I were going solely on the quality of the food and the price I'd give them three stars -- but, I did have a situation with the manager of Sushi Ko that bumps their overall rating up one star.
Firstly: they fucked up my order -- happens, shouldn't lose sleep over it - it's what they do to rectify this which should be the judging point.
The manager called me personally to apologize and then sent their delivery person back out with my corrected order, in which he included a free order of edamame and miso soup. He also emailed me a $10 gift certificate for use with my next order.
Clearly this shows that the management of Sushi Ko is interested in retaining customers. Which is what has happened with me - they are reliable enough that I'll continue to order from them - despite the fact that they are about $10 per order more expensive than I'd like.
We also had the http://Restaurant.com certificate. It's nice to try out new places, and we were intrigued by some of the unique items on the menu. But unfortunately, it just wasn't that good. The major issue was that the oil they used for deep frying was old and bad. We tried the deep fried oyster roll - could have been good, but bad. The Spider Roll, also ruined by the bad oil. The atmosphere is nice, I liked staring at the "sky" ceiling...but thought it was weird that they had TVs playing sports. I also got really sick the next day. I am not going to point fingers at Sushi Ko because I did drink sake, beer and tequila that night. However, my "hangover" was NOT typical, so I am pretty sure that the bad oil didn't help matters at all. Disappointed. I won't be going back.
Last night we had a craving for sushi but didn't want to shell out $20+ per person. We ended up in Sushi Ko, and I had very low expectations with my previous experience with their teriyaki dish. Although it wasn't the best quality of fish we've had, we were pleasantly surprised with the quantity of sushi for under $15. I got the sushi combo with spicy tuna, which included 6 pieces of spicy tuna, and 5 pieces of chef's choice nigiri. This also came with a miso soup and salad. The service was not bad (better than Ichiban across the street); the waiter quickly brought out water and a bowl of edamame. Good value for money.
I was expecting more from this place. It looked really enticing from the outside, but I thought the… Read more »
On Valentine's Day, I took my gf here for a early quick dinner before her MCAT class on Shattuck. We both love sushi; She loves fusion rolls whereas I prefer traditional rolls and sashimi (simplicity brings out the fresh flavors the best!)
The quasi modern/traditional japanese interior decor and ambiance was well-suited for a quiet casual date. Service was good (no one else was there that early, so servicing one table wasn't that hard). The restaurant actually showed me up that day =( . On V-day they give out long-stem roses to all female customers...and let's just say..I had forgotten to get her flowers earlier...fml haha
She ordered the Golden Train roll (unagi & mango inside, topped w/ fresh salmon & mango sauce). She loved this fusion roll. I however thought the tastes were a little too muddled. The unagi and sweet mango complemented each other very well, the salmon was an awkward third wheel.
I ordered the Rainbow roll. The California roll-base was pretty good. The standard assortment of sashimi on top was much fresher than Tako Sushi, Berkeley Sushi House, and the new karaoke sushi place; it was on par with Joshuya, but it was not as fresh as Ichiban (on certain days) and Kirala.
PS: I didn't take stars off b/c they showed me up =P
"They should have a special where they give you a small piece of everything that's on the menu."
This place may seem unassuming at first with its dark, serious, straight laced wooden decor but sophistication soon jumps out at you with their diverse menu of bento boxes, nigiri, and a host of sushi rolls that I have never tried before. Tonight's dinner was a wonderful experience. The prompt service and complimentary edamame were an instant charm, and their extended list of exquisite, eye pleasing appetizers and dinner options can seem overwhelming. With names like "poki shiro maguro sashimi", "yosenabe", "sweet potato tempura", and "vegetarian dragon roll" to name just a few, I literally wanted try a little bit of everything on the menu.
I eventually settled for cherry blossom roll (spicy tuna topped with salmon and ikura), oyster roll (fried oyster with avocado), and the purist side of me kept it real with an order of ikura. I thought the freshness was decent and visual presentation was thoughtfully arranged, but the small portion size made it difficult for the spicy tuna and fried oyster to stand out. The pair of ikura was also small comparing to most restaurants, but the price ($4.25) is still a tad higher than what I usually pay. All together, it was the perfect light meal I was looking for, and taste wise it was definitely delicious and better than I expected.
Vegetarian friendly. I will definitely go back soon to try the sweet potato tempura along with a host of other intriguing options.
We ordered the shrimp tempura and it was probably the best I've ever had. Really light and not overly greasy. My caterpillar roll was too cute to eat (yes, they made it look like a real one). Baked mussels were bomb and the dragon roll wasn't soggy.
Tobikos were on everything and made our food fun to eat. Service was really attentive. Only gripe was the dirty dish towel smell, but hey my friend with a nose like a beagle sensed that, LOL!
Definitely a place we will visit again.
Very good sushi. Had foie gras sushi on the menu for the day -- dammit, I forgot to order it. Had a very good size sushi lunch with a California roll (real crab was $2 extra), unagi and a roll. Plus salad & miso soup. Very reasonable prices and good sushi. I'm willing to go back to try more...especially after I saw the huge, beautiful piece of tuna that the chef had just received....
I've had take-out here a handful of times. The food has always been fresh. I like their Philadelphia, Spicy Tuna and Spicy Girl. The lunch bento and sushi combo lunches aren't bad, but their prices do seem a tad high, but then again what do you expect in the heart of downtown.
The service is terrible though they are nice- just clueless. We wound up here after seeing the 2 hour wait at Kirala....
Everything was decent (make sure you order the real crab CA Roll if it makes a difference to you- they do offer both fakie crab and real) What I really liked about this meal is that the pieces are not too big. I'm not a fan of two bite sushi that falls apart or is chokingly large. The Sunomono is odd, with many loose items in a simple vinegar, and great. Fresh water eel- not good, but unagi was fine. Hamachi was very good.
It was Valentine's Day and they gave all the women a long stem red rose with the check. Very sweet, maybe they will read these reviews and perk up the service.
Been walking by this place for months and thinking about checking it out, but the lunch specials and dinner specials posted on the board seemed a dollar or two more than the other sushi places on that same block, so I never bothered. Today I decided it was worth a shot, so we went in to get two lunch Bentos.
Two words: Nothing special. The salmon teriyaki was mediocre, the fish not particularly fresh and the sauce not particularly inventive. Tasted just like what you can buy in a bottle in the supermarket. The piece of fish was a bit small too, come to think of it. The sushi was mediocre as well. It really wasn't BAD, it just wasn't at all impressive either. Expected more from this neighborhood. It's my least favorite sushi place in Berkeley thus far... Just... Meh. I've experienced better.
Great place for lunch. It fills up quickly at noon, so I try to come in a half-hour earlier or after the rush dies down. Really, I don't know why more people don't dig this place. I've eaten at a lot of Japanese joints, both Japanese owned and non-Japanese owned, and this place serves up some good eats.
Okay. So it isn't Kirala. This place is cheaper, and you'll get a table before your appetite adjusts to famine-mode.
I haven't had many of the rolls at Sushi Ko because I usually go for the bento. Last time I had a roll, it was decent. And excellent by Berkeley standards. I include Cha-Ya. I won't write a separate review for Cha-Ya, so I'll write my one-sentence review here: Blando Calrissian eats there. (Lando, on the other hand, only goes to Yoshi's).
Back to Sushi Ko. I wonder if it's those coupons that the other reviewers are using to eat at Sushi Ko. Reading those reviews, I was kinda bummed that I was paying full price. But if my experience has been really good while others saved money on a lesser experience, I would stick with the former.
I've had really good sashimi, here. I order it as one of my selections in my bento and the pieces rest in their compartment looking like Hello Kitty erasers. The corners are precise and the sides are smooth. To me, it says nice knifework on fresh fish. Those frayed edges at other restaurants are a sign to order the udon.
Speaking of knifework, Sushi Ko serves miso with the tiniest tofu cubes that retain their cubic shape. How do they do that? Usually its huge cubes of tofu or cubes of tofu that get all chipped in the cup/bowl. Aesthetically, it's a nice touch.
Sushi Ko also has a teriyaki sauce that's not too sweet and not too bland. Perhaps, it's just my particular preference. A lot of Japanese places (owned by non-Japanese mostly) will make a cloyingly sweet teriyaki. Some places (the more authentic ones, I noticed) go the other way so that the charred taste of the grilled meat comes on stronger than the sweetness of the sauce.
Come to think of it, the waiters and waitresses wouldn't know that you were going to use the coupon when they take your order. I was starting to put together a theory that full-price customers received better cuts from the fish, but I suppose that's not true. How does that coupon thing work by the way? And are the coupon redeemers the reason Sushi Ko raised the bento prices a couple bucks? That totally sucked when that happened.
Here's another nice thing about the place. On weekends, they're open until 11:00PM. That's a nice thing when you didn't grab a bite before the movie/performance.
I, like many reviewers, only came here as a result of the http://restaurant.com coupons, and was pleasantly surprised. The food is moderately priced, but the coupon helps out a lot.
I came with 3 other people and we decided to share rolls. We got beef tongue as an appetizer. It was pretty good, but I think it could've came out a little hotter. We ordered 5 rolls: the fried oyster roll, dragon roll, super dynamite roll, the golden train, and a special, the Obama-hama (spicy hamachi with hamachi, avocado and black tobiko). All of the rolls were quite good, and Obama-hama, and super dynamite were well-liked by everybody. All of the rolls were also well-made.
The service was very prompt and personal. We also got our food fairly quickly. Overall, with the coupons, I would definitely come back, but without the coupon, the price might deter me from eating here.
Sushi Ko was a huge disappointment (1.5 stars). I was looking forward to trying this place since we had a $25 gift card from http://restaurant.com and hadn't heard anything too negative about it from friends.
For appetizers we had: spinach w/ sesame sauce, tofu steak, gyoza and enoki mushroom beef. I def recommend the enoki mushroom beef (it was my fav) but would suggest passing on the gyoza; it was mushy. The spinach and tofu steak dishes had sweet flavors to them if you are into that. I'm not sure what the prep time is for some of these apps but the tofu steak and enoki beef came out after our entrees.
For sushi we had: cherry blossom, super dynamite, Alaska and spicy tuna roll. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT order the cherry blossom roll. There was hardly any spicy tuna inside, the salmon on top was mushy (maybe not fresh) and the portion was incredibly small. The roll came in 6 pieces and at $10.95, it's almost $2 for a piece no bigger than a half dollar. What a rip! The other rolls were also small with not much inside; all you taste is cucumber and avocado. And they really love tobiko here, like, REALLY. Everything was covered in the stuff; it's ok but only in moderation.
The restaurant is not too hard to find and is nicely decorated. Love the changing star light ceiling! The service was good; our waters and tea were refilled w/out asking and both waitresses were incredibly nice. However...
Our bill came out to $75 for TWO people and that's with NO alcohol. Dizzam... Granted 18% gratuity was automatically included on our bill but 4 appetizers, 4 rolls and 2 teas shouldn't cost $75!
Even tho I liked their appetizers, I don't come to sushi restaurants to eat just appetizers ya know? For the price and quality, this place was not worth it and I will not be back.
Sadness, their bento is now 10.95. 9.95 just sounded so much better. When you break $10, you enter a whole new realm of expectation.
Firstly, their sushi is bad. So...that leaves cooked bento-ish things.
The chicken quality is not too good. Their california roll is just imitation crab inside rice (not really a california roll). Their salad seems like lettuce out of a fridge doused with some untasty sauce. Katsu is aite. Tempura is ok. Overall experience worth 8.95, 9.95 if you're dying to eat teriyaki sauce (I get those strange cravings).
But not 10.95!
Why'd I go back? http://Restaurant.com has $10 off $20+. But meh, still not really worth it.
As I recall, the sushi kinda sucks here (as it does at a lot of these joints).
Fresh delicious high…
Read more »
I read the Yelp reviews before I bought a http://restaurant.com gift certificate and I headed to Sushi Ko. With the experience I had, I believe Sushi Ko deserves another positive review.
My experience was great! My date and I arrived at 9pm on a Friday night and were seated immediately. We had a seat by the window. I thought the tv screens flashing food shows were a bit distracting, and detracted from the intimacy of the otherwise great decor. Our edamame came soon after our menus. We were given plenty of opportunity to check out all the rolls and didn't wait long until our order was taken. Our waitress checked up on us often and made sure we had all we needed.
The rolls came in an acceptable amount of time. Overall, the sushi was above average, but not the greatest I've ever had (think: Tako Sushi less than Sushi Ko less than Mitama) (side note: WTF Yelp and your lazy developers, why won't you let me use pointy brackets?!):
*Sweet Potato Tempura*: When I ordered this, I thought it was an appetizer of sweet potato fries. Surprise!!! It's actually a roll. Original roll, average taste.
*Jade Roll*: I don't know what kind of leaf is in this roll, but it was wonderfully refreshing. A lighter choice.
*Dragon Rol*l: mmm...BBQ eel. Tastiest roll. However, the eel and avocado were sliced very thinly. I would have liked more eel taste with the smokey BBQ.
*Spider Roll*: Crunchy. Smaller roll than the others, and seemed to have more rice than anything else.
*Rainbow Roll*: Wanted to know how fresh their fish was. My date and I like tuna and salmon the most, but both of those turned out to be the duds of the roll, no flavor. The white slices of fish (I don't know what kind of fish) were great.
After the http://restaurant.com gift certificate, our total was just under $30. $15 a person? That's a DEAL for an above-average sushi dinner.
So, in summary:
Pros:
**Fast, attentive service
**http://restaurant.com gift certificate
**Above-average tasting rolls
**Fresh fish
**Full stomach!
Cons:
**Distracting TV screens
That's all!
This place is a sponsor so I assume this will just get pulled but maybe not...
I just got off the phone with a manager at Sushi Ko and I am really upset and dismayed.
Last week my husband and I ate at Sushi Ko and it was great, wonderful, delicious, etc. We've eaten there a few times before and always enjoyed it. Then we both woke up around 5am feeling not right.
What followed was an explosion of our guts from both ends. All day. I spent the day sobbing and carrying a bucket from the couch to the bathroom. My husband was finally able to contain himself long enough to borrow a neighbor's car and get us some pedialyte. Almost a week later and I'm still not better. I get a terrible stomach ache whenever I eat. There's no question that it was Sushi Ko that gave us our first ever case of food poisoning. We didn't share any meals previously that day and everything we ate together on Sunday was with a group of friends, none of whom were sick in the slightest.
I figured this would be easy. I call, explain that I love the restaurant and I understand these things happen, but I'd like my money back. I had to call three times before I got a manager then the manager argued with me. He said he didn't mind taking care of customers but he didn't think they did anything wrong and asked if he should refund everyone who made a simple phone call saying they were sick. When I asked if that had ever happened before he said no... So I don't really know what he's hoping to gain. Even if by some freak chance we got the same sickness from a spiteful god and not THE ONLY MEAL WE ATE TOGETHER THAT DAY, how hard is it to be a good business owner and refund me? He also asked over and over for evidence but couldn't tell me what evidence would satisfy him.
This was a horrible experience and now I have to deal with my first ever credit card dispute.
I've been back once or twice now and the service has improved, hence, I'll add a star.
The food was ok, but the service was severely lacking.
I like the service, there but the portion aren't all that great. It's located in kind of a weird location below a housing complex. In addition, it's hard to find parking in the nearby vicinity and the prices are pretty high.
They have some pretty creative rolls that have exotic tastes. Menus are pretty clear cut and straight forward, and the food arrives relatively fast.
Yes, four stars. I can only think of pros and no cons save the slightly steep price -- and hey, they served us lightning-quick then let us sit at a primo table and gab for another hour! Break-i'-down (format inspired by a fellow Yelper!):
PROS: super-speedy service, even at 12:30pm on a weekday; piping hot miso soup and nice iced lemon water served immediately upon ordering; bento box lunch special ($8.50 for choice of two items, $10.75 for three); appropriate serving size (not huge, but substantial -- considering you're basically having rice for lunch); fresh and tasty fish (nigiri is YUM) and avocado (none of that hard or bland slimy stuff here!); impressively courteous and efficient, and fairly professional, staff.
CONS: honestly, only the price, and only a little bit. If I were a sushi stickler, I might deride the less-than-perfectly-rolled sushi -- but hey, I'm ordering *California rolls* for gosh sakes: it's not even a canonical species of sushi!
Go and enjoy! You'll feel light and refreshed and in-n-out in 15 min if you so desire (though we stayed for 1.5hrs, with staff remaining patient and even refilling our water all the while).
Tried this place out last week and boy was it busy. The server was really nice about making us wait for making an order. They had a large group that night and it looked like there were only 2 servers on the floor. However, that excuse is no reason they should serve the other customers less! We consistently had to ask for water refills. They were nice enough to give us some edamame for the wait. It didn't make us feel better, but it was a nice gesture.
The sushi rolls were smaller than other places and a few dollars more than what I would pay for it normally. (we got the oyster roll (only 5 pieces), raider roll, and mango roll) The rolls tasted pretty good. They even had a black version of roe! All I can say, I have definitely had better sushi for the price and service in Berkeley!
We ended up canceling dessert so we could get out of there and went to the sushi place on University with the half-off menu to fill up the rest of my stomach with 2 more rolls.
Their rolls are smaller than I'm used to, but still good. I thought my spider roll was going to attack me. They have my favorite sake, Nigori=)
You must, must try the fried banana desert with mango ice cream. But they only had 2 flavors when they advertise 6. Hummm, odd and green tea ice cream, no one wants to eat tea!
Good price for the 3 of us eating a lot!
Weird bathrooms upstairs. Humm not sure what that was about.
But beautiful ceilings in the restaurant with stars, I want to do that too!
NOH.
(Oh, OK.... the sushi was small, misshapen, non-succulent.)
Shazaaam ... http://restaurant.com coupons are seriously a gift from the all-mighty heavens above.
Friend to waitress: "uhh....can you tell us if that comes out to $100?"
Waitress: *giggles*...(silence)...........................
Friend: "........Is that $100?"
Waitress: *repeats our order* .... but doesn't answer our question.
Note: communication may be slighty difficult and repetition might be required.
Food is pretty good for the price (3 item bento dinner box for $14.50 that included miso soup, salad, rice, 3 California rolls...in addition to the 3 items of choice...I got Tempura/Chicken Katsu/Gyoza)
meh....definately have had better gyoza...it was kinda salty and hellza fried...def better at Sushi Hunter. Miso soup was soothing for my itchy pre-cold throat (can you really mess up on Miso soup, tho??) I wonder how the udon soup is...
JP had the seafood yakisoba, that was kinda bland but he ended up finishing it. I did enjoy my meal and left very full and sleepy. Also, the service was very friendly and attentative considering they were low on man/woman power (1 waitress, 2 chefs?? or so I could see...) Hm...I'll have to come back and try the udon.....
Sushi Ko, you . used to have only a 2 star rating
No haikus could be written about you.
Now, all that is changed.
I passed you by Friday,
Lunchtime, hoping I may see some Code Pink vs US Marine
Action.
Nada. But I thought
And my taste buds thought
And I was in a Pacific mood
And I harked back to Iwo Jima
And Clint Eastwood
And I partook of your food\
The Lunch Special
And it was plentiful, tho it did not multiply
And the staff was friendly
And wrap
Ed up what I could not
Eat of...
I cannot go on writing like this
Try it
Here's a foodie recession tip - go to http://restaurant.com and buy gift certificates FOR OVER HALF PRICE to restaurants in your area that you would otherwise think twice about going to! Sushi Ko is a prime example of this - my friend and I walked past here couple months ago and it caught our eye but we never stopped in. Lo-and-behold, we pull up tonight with our http://restaurant.com certificate in hand and it's the same restaurant!
Service here is good, they seat you immediately and bring out menus followed by water and complimentary edamame. They're attentive (they cleared out our dirty plates soon after we were done) and don't hesitate in making sure you're comfortable. When I asked for a tiny plate of ginger, they brought out a generous amount for us. There was also absolutely NO ATTITUDE from our waitress when I pulled out my gift certificate (you know how some waitresses gets all snotty after their initial excitement that you ordered a whole bunch of food and they're going to get tipped tons?). 5 stars for service!
I thought the sushi was pretty good for the price we paid (~$33 after everything for 2 people). We got Sushi Combo C (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and this was a good deal considering the spider roll is ~$8 and the combo itself is ~$13; the spider roll is a bit small but the nigiri was fresh and real good. In addition we also got the Cherry Blossom Roll (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), Fried Oyster Roll (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), and Dragon Roll (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). While the sushi was good and fulfilling, nothing really stood out to me, unfortunately.
In conclusion, service is great but I don't know if I would come here in the future without a http://restaurant.com $25 certificate.
BAD service. BAD sushi.
This has got to be the worst sushi I've had thus far. It took forever and a day to get our order, which consisted of three sushi rolls, veggie tempura and inari. The place wasn't even crowded. Patrons who sat at the bar and were seated after us got their food before us. When we asked what the hold up was, the waiter quickly brushed us aside and said it was coming soon. They also brought the wrong order to our table and had to take it back when they realized they gave us someone's food.
The broccoli tempura was rotten yet they served it anyway? Frying bad veggies doesn't magically make it fresh again! The Dynamite Roll was probably the worst. It was unlike any other Dynamite Roll I've had - hard and flavorless. Spicy Scallop Roll was bearable. The Caterpillar Roll wasn't as bad as the other two rolls, but it wasn't great either.
After waiting a ridiculously long time for our food, it was a huge disappointment. I wouldn't eat here if I had a massive sushi craving and it was the ONLY sushi restaurant in sight. As we were leaving, I saw the Yelp sticker on the door. Who'd they steal that from???
My Bento Box was pretty solid, standard fare, Japanese. I had a combo teriaki salmon, tuna sashimi, and a CA roll. I thought it was all on point. I could have used more pickled ginger. The pace of service was about right. It was good stuff.
Note: Would be a 4 in DC, but I had to recalibrate.
I was sold on Sushi Ko the moment I bit into the Bacon Scallops. The rolls that followed were icing on the cake:
Jade Roll: white tuna topped w/ white fish & shiso
Sushi Ko Special Roll: ebi, avocado, fish cake roll, topped w/ baked smoked salmon & spicy garlic sauce
I'd pass on the mochi ice cream next time
After learning we might have to pay Uncle Same this year, we decided to venture out and blow some $$. (Uncle Same ain't getting poo from us!)
We have a few http://restaurant.com gift certificates we need to us up and we decided to head here. Usually I like to be part of the solution and not part of the problem and BART it, but we have our 85 grandmother with us, so I decided to drive. I think we would have walked less if we took BART. We parked on a parking garage on Center St, a couple blocks to the west.
It was almost full when we got in. I sat at a table by the door to the bathrooms, the shitty table if you will. My biggest complaint of the night was it took them a few minutes to get to us and get the water. After that, the couple people who helped us were nice and I wasn't too mad at the server, as there was a table of ladies who were asking a million questions about rolls. "What's that have in it?" "What does that look like?" --- all the while holding menus with descriptions of the rolls.
We ordered a plate of pork cutlet curry (grandma), a sashimi salad, fried oyster roll, caterpillar roll and some other roll the wife ordered. The sashimi salad was spicy. The dressing was very spicy. I liked it, the wife not soo much. The sashimi was very fresh and the lettuce was a lot better than last time.
The fried oyster roll was very good. The ass-end piece had a lot of oyster goodness in it and it was extremely tasty. The caterpillar roll had a nice taste. I found myself wanting more of the sweet sauce they put on it, only to dip it into my little bowl of soy sauce and wasabi. The two flavors came together very well. Plus the avocado on top was ripe and soft.
The last roll was very good too. I can't remember the name of it or what was on/in it. It was good. Sometimes I don't ask questions about what I'm going to stick in my mouth-- it's my superpower.
We walked out paying about $27 out of pocket. Not bad for 3 people's dinner. Grandma boxed up some of the curry for her lunch and I was very happy with the meal.
A special .5 star (bringing the yelp to 4.5 stars) for the huge pile of ginger on the plate. Fantasgreat. It was a nice dessert. My wife wants me to knock off .5 stars (bringing this yelp to 4 stars) for the lack of low sodium soy sauce on the tables.
If someone has never been here and wants to try it, I would say go to http://restaurant.com, get a $10 gift certificate and save a few bucks. It's a solid 4 star place!
Went on a quiet Tuesday night. Server enjoyed his job, which made our dining experience serving… Read more »
I had a http://restaurant.com gift certificate and so I took my business here. I was pretty happy with the food here, although there is the possibility of your bill getting a bit high if you are not careful.
My boyfriend and I ordered the Double Hamachi Roll ($9.95), which I thought was fantastic. I also had my first ever Poki. Some friends had been talking about it for ages and I saw it on the menu and decided it was time to try it. I had the Tuna Poki Sashimi ($10.85). It was really good. A bit on the spicy side, but then again, I guess that that's what Poki is about. I will definitely be ordering that one again! My boyfriend also ordered the Tuna Sashimi ($16). Can you tell we had a gift certificate? I think that the Tuna was an 8 out of 10. Don't get me wrong, it was very good quality tuna. But I have had better.
The winner of the night was the Poki though.
For dessert we had the green tea tempura ice cream ($5). It was a nice combination of hot and cold, sweet and tea-y. Good, not great.
All in all, I was really happy with this place and I will be back. Probably for the many less expensive items on the menu :)
NASTY.
TERRIBLE.
BAD.
SALT/SODIUM OVERDOSE.
CHINESE NOT JAPANESE (for a Sushi joint, NO!).
SMELLY FISH.
PUKE.
THROW-UP.
HARD TO FIND.
Enough???
I can't express how bad the food was... the sushi was nasty; the raw fish was all sorts of colors and tasted real, real fishy. My main dish was Chicken curry and it looked more like starchy dark brown saucy with a few slices of chicken and overcooked rice. I ate literally THREE bites and took the rest TO GO...
While driving on Telegraph, I stopped by a homeless man and gave him my leftovers... KNOWING that he too, would probably have stomach problems and/or give it away to someone else...
THE WORST JAPANESE FOOD I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE. AND YES, I AM SERIOUS.
Berkeley, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Banks & Credit Unions
Berkeley, CA
Category: Indian
El Cerrito, CA
Category: Japanese
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