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"Now that I have a supposedly "great shabu shabu" place to compare to (Mums in SF), I can say this is by far my favorite shabu shabu place…" read more »
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I have to review this place even though it has now closed!
How frickin sad is that! = (
This is the second place on university that has closed in the past year that I LOVED!! [the first one was Thai Garlic, which never had any customers but had the best Thai food in all of Berkeley! RIP Thai Garlic]
Ok- onto the Sushi!
TGI had great Sushi @ cheap prices. The waitstaff was ALWAYS awesome and never once did I have something I didn't like! The $10 pitcher of beer was a excellent and so were the fancy rolls!
Unfortunately- this place is closed and padlocked up (with a U-shaped bike lock) but if for some reason they come back- try it!
I don't think I would have gone in here if the people I was with hadn't reassured me of the quality. The blue neon light around the windows on the front make it look really, really cheap. Once inside it's not as bad. The waitresses are all look very young and wear school uniforms. I understand that is the pinnacle of sexiness in Japan.
But onto the sushi. What best describe the rolls here is "big". Maybe even "Big". Don't order more than one roll a person. Really. The fish is fresh and everything tastes nice. It's not the best in Berkeley, but it's pretty good. And it's not too expensive, considering you only need to order one roll.
Some people at the table ordered non-sushi dinners, which looked OK and also are huge.
Update: a dance club is not the right place for a meal. I don't understand why TGI's tries to combine these two things. It's really difficult having a conversation with the loud music and the ball game on the TVs. Rolls are still rather good and way too big.
This place is the Hooters of sushi. The sushi girls wear these sailor-moon schoolgirl outfits. Anyway our waitress comes over and is actually being super flirtatious which was cool, but then she got called into the back room and yelled at. I think she mighta been the owner's daugher. Well what does he expect dressing her up like that?
The food was moderate to bad, but I think that's cause I was trying to get into his daugher's pants... err schoolgirl outfit.
They gotta start servin sushi off of naked chicks. I read about that somewhere. Then I'd go there no matter how rancid their fried fish patty tasted.
I don't even know if my experience warrants a review as I'm just going to regurgitate what others have already said - no need to spend your time and money eating here. There are better, cheaper sushi joints elsewhere in Berkelely.
They do offer a lot of different rolls. And all seem to be named after the Top Ten Most Boring Baby Names of 2001. And like their namesakes, the rolls we had were pretty bland themselves.
Okay, their tempura udon deserves more than 2 stars. It came with shitake and enoki mushrooms, and a couple of slices of fishcake. But even decent udon won't lure me back again.
P.S. Maybe Sunday is the off day for all the Sailor Moon/School Girl attired waitresses but there was none of that going on last night. Just a couple of flannel wearing dudes making out. Which I guess should bump this up one more star.
The first time I went here, I was so amused with the cute waitresses in sailor outfits, Japanese pop music, and blue neon lights that I forget what I ordered. It probably wasn't too remarkable. The next time I went here, the sailor outfits were gone (and the waitresses were less cute, hmm), and the Japanese music had been replaced with your average radio junk. Good thing I'm not a hormonal male Japanophile, because that could have been devastating.
On a more serious note. This place is a toss-up; in general, the raw things are better than the cooked. The uni is pretty good and moderately priced. These days, I've been on an uni kick and it's usually all I think about when going to sushi restaurants.
This is the one sushi place where you don't have to worry about getting too little to eat because they give you A LOT of food. If quantity of food is what you want, have fun. Quality wise, they're okay. Not as great as Sushi California just down the block, but not awful either. The beef teriyaki was blah, but the saba shioyaki was actually pretty good. Their sashimi weren't too tender, but the rolls were good.
The decor screams non-authentic Japanese, but I didn't care as long as the place was clean. Service was great, very attentive, but they ought to lose the sailor suits. I felt bad for those girls.
This is the restaurant that caused my roommate to change his PIN. When the bill came for sushi, he decided to pay with his debit card and have everyone else pay him back. This led to a discussion on the difference between credit cards and ATM/debit cards, which my roommate quickly explained.
"It's simple, when I want to use my card as a credit card, I just have to sign my name on the receipt. When I want to use it as ATM, I just type 5536 on the keypad... Oh fuck."
My roommate just told 4 other people and possibly the waitress his PIN.
This place's quality varies a lot. Usually it's pretty mediocre but sometimes I've had some good meals.
Last time I went, I think I had a problem with the way they sliced their fish. I believe the fish was cut in a bad way, ruining perfectly mediocre pieces of fish.
I used to have a friend that worked here, that was pretty damn cool. I don't like how they got rid of them sailor outfits.
Wow this place got really crappy reviews from other people. I'm kind of surprised. It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible. I guess I didn't see the front of the building because we snuck in the back entrance since there is an abundance of free parking in the back (nights only) even though it's not the most well lighted parking lot.
We were seated in the back at a table because I didn't even notice that there was a sushi bar until my friend mentioned it to me, since it was elevated on this platform.
Ok can I say this, I'm not sure about all the comments about hot waitresses, but then again I guess my definition of hot for a woman isn't equivalent to a tiny Asian girl dressed like a student (they actually looked kind of nerdy to me), what I can vouch for is that my cup of tea was not empty for more than 2 mins max over the whole course of the meal.
We ordered 4 rolls for 2 people. That was a lot of rolls to eat. I had what I think was called the Hamachi Lovers and the California Boi or something like that. Hamachi Lovers was good, although weird because I generally like it when the fish is cool to the taste because then the texture is a little more crisp than mushy, which this partially suffered from. The California thing with tempura shrimp in the middle was perfect, crispy tempura in the center covered with a rainbow assortment of fish and unagi.
I left super full, feeling like I ate like 4 bowls of rice. Decent eats. It was a quiet night to be there. I miss the hot pot restaurant that used to be in that same location, my friends and I used to go there after big midterms. Now that was good times, with ice cream included in the hot pot meal.
Recommended Dish: (I think it's called) Jonny Luv Sushi Roll. I'm not really sure why there are so many negative, super negative...and even angry reviews on this restaurant. Granted their sashimi quality is far from being the best in the Bay, this restaurant makes up for it in a lot of other ways.
My client recommended this restaurant to me and I brought him, his wife, and their newborn here for lunch one day and I have to say our experience was absolutely wonderful! The exterior of this restaurant understates the interior, which is beautifully decorated and has a small town, cozy feel to say the least. The wait staff are sweet and courteous--giving us just enough time to look over the menu and was on top of our order and requests, among other positive qualities. One of the best parts I consider is that whether you are just one table in a packed restaurant or you're the last table lingering during a late afternoon, they don't rush you to wrap it up, pay the bill, and leave, which is always nice when in the middle of a business conversation.
On this visit we ordered the beef teriyaki, 2 bento boxes, 1 with california roll & salmon teriyaki, the other with sashimi & tonkatsu (me), and the Johnny Luv roll. I have to admit I would not order sashimi here again--it was lacking in flavor and had chewy tendons every inch of the slice, which we all know is a huge no no for sashimi. But everything else was delicious, especially the roll, which was a spicy, smooth delight I would devour any day.
So considering the price ($8.95) for all the food served in that bento box, which also included a bowl of miso soup, a bowl of rice, salad, a good 3 or 4 pieces of good tempura & gyoza, it's a GREAT value. The roll I tasted was absolutely fantastic and their tonkatsu wasn't bad! The tonkatsu crust was perfectly fried and the pork had just the right combination of meat with a little bit of fat to keep it juicy without bringing on a heart attack. To attest to my new found interest in this restaurant, I'm bringing another client next week!
I live in San Francisco. I can count the number of times I've eaten in Berkeley restaurants on one hand. I also have been known to call a significant portion of my income "sushi money."
I was so amazed by the sashimi at this place I can't even tell you. (But because this is Yelp, I will try.)
My family was in from out of town and met me for a late dinner after my extension class. They had decided on sushi, so when my dad saw TGI's Sushi he said, "I like the name, let's try here!"
I refused. The name was dorky. It was 9 pm on a Monday night and completely empty. And when forced to enter I noted that the decor just looked cheap.
But oh... the fish! The miso soup was over salty and the salad had too much dressing. But the sashimi and the rolls we ordered... at least twice as big an order as I have in most sushi places. And the fish was amazing!!! I've had better, but only at places in Japan, Hawaii, or where you need to spend over $75 each to feel full.
Giant pieces of sashimi, generous sized specialty (placemat) rolls and sushi, plus the free grilled hamachi. I may die of mercury poison, but I will go happy.
The quality of the fish knocked me head over heels. And the size of the pieces made it even more astounding. To be honest, I'm not sure if we just got lucky with the fish and that this quality experience will be repeated. But you can be sure I will return on the off chance that this bonanza of delights will happen again!
The first thing one might notice entering this University Avenue eatery is the wait staff: all hot, college-age Asian girls dressed in black. That in itself is reason enough for some guys to eat there.
For others, the price is average and the sushi menu is decent and varied, but the service is sometimes slow and forgetful (we ordered sake but had to remind the waitress about it after we got our food before the drinks). I've eaten there four times, ordering sushi, katsu, sukiyaki, and nothing has stood out that makes me want to return.
The atmosphere isn't much, sometimes feeling like a big rec hall with the giant TV screens showing soccer, Asian music videos or other channels that no one watches, and the photo montage of I'm guessing regulars. Since it's a huge place, I can see why every time I've been there there's been groups of at least 10 or more. Otherwise, unless you're in the neighborhood, I wouldn't make that great an effort to go since there are more than a fair share of decent sushi/Japanese places in Berkeley.
There were three of us who rolled in here at 9:00pm on a Monday night, and they were therefore quite quiet. The place is very large, with a beautiful bar in the middle, but I cannot tell if, when it its Saturday-night full-to-the-brim status (I only assume. It is downtown Berkeley) if it turns into a fun kind of crowded or a hectic, chaotic kind.
Prices were higher than some, but the portions are sized accordingly. I do not think I have ever seen such large rolls. Our usual order was too much for us- this is the first time I have taken leftovers home from sushi. (I ate them within 24 hours, don't worry!)
Very, very good quality of fish, so next time I may just be getting some sashimi. We all agreed the rolls were very salty, but could not tell exactly what that was from. Also, they only have (as far as I could tell) imitation crab, which is a bummer. We did recieve free edemome (I will never be able to spell that darn word!) while we waited, which makes me happy. It's the little things, really.
The other reviews seem quite diverse, so I reserve the right to amend this assessment accordingly, but for now- a nice alternative to cheap-cheap or Kirala-expensive in the Shattuck area.
Oh- they have a sign that says free delivery, which may be a selling point for some.
Not mind-blowing, but an E for effort. My lower quality Miso soup was lukewarm and service was at snail pace. The sailor uniforms on the staff were a cute touch making everyone look pulled together and adding congruity to the nautical aspect of Sushi. The restaurant design has a very expensive look to it, a "Tokyo" feel, if you will. I get the notion that TGI's is trying to compete heavily with Sushi Ko located around the corner, they both have quite a few similarities...but I think that TGI's somehow struggles to pull it all off.
I was really surprised by this place. This place is a great value. Fish is decent and the rolls are huge. With the size of the rolls, I don't know how you can find a better deal in the area. You get so much food it isn't even funny.
Not a great experience. The mackerel I ordered just didn't seem to have a lot of thought behind it. Kind of bland and oily (even for mackerel). I'm afraid to go back there because we saw roaches running around on the floor (we took pictures).
My favorite sushi place around the bay. I am in love with this place and try to come here as often as I can. The food is amazing and the prices are not bad, either. The place is kind of small, and you sometimes have to wait outside for a while before being able to be seated, but once you're seated, the food keeps coming and coming...They offer complementary small salads, miso soups as well as edamame. I like their rolls and have such a huge variety of every possible combination that you can imagine. The chef is very nice and although the restaurant is own by Korean people and not Japanese...they are doing an excellent job and I always recommend the place to all my friends. This place is not that good if you are looking for a luxury stay...this is good when you are hungry and want to easy quality food and then go on with your evening...I highly recommend this place!
I went there one evening for their sushi buffet. Most sushi buffets are scary, with fish that have been sitting there for a while (and one's not sure how long) and with cooked items that may not be much better. TGI Sushi was no exception.
This place is great if you want to fill up on sushi & rolls. You get large servings on everything. I usually order the sushi & sashimi combo and can barely finish it (and I'm a big guy). The tempura udon tastes good too. Service is excellent. I wish I came here before when the waitresses had the Sailor Moon outfits ;-)
Easily, the worst sushi experience I ever had. When, I feel like really spewing forth some venemous rants... maybe, I'll come back to this.
I recently visited this place for the first time after hearing so much about it. Two girl friends and I ordered three different kinds of special rolls and a Spicy Tuna Roll. Price turned out to be only 40 dollars and our stomaches were about to burst. We were playing rock-paper-scissor to force someone to eat the leftovers. (I lost and I'm not complaining.) The roll with baked scallop and red sauce over it was magnificent as were the other three rolls. They satisfied the sushi craving we were complaining of since the night before. We were even served a fresh baked fish that was on the house. So great service, I must say, though the server was a bit impatient. I like TGI's because they gave us free fish, and great tasting rolls for a cheap price.
I used to love this place, but for some reason, the last two meals at TGI made me go #3. I'm guessing it's the not so fresh sushi...
I guess I would recommend this place to my friends who are constipating.
PS their restroom smells SOOO bad.
i don't know why the ratings are so low. i've eaten here with a few seasoned sushi-eaters, and they were all quite satisfied.
the rolls are big and fat, with ridiculous names ("country girl" "sexy sexy roll"). they also make me look like a slob. when i take a bite, my sushi falls pretty much everywhere but in my mouth. i can't fit it in so i have to take my sushi apart =[
prices aren't bad. a special roll is about $10. TGI's happens to have 15% coupons in the "Guide to the Good Life in Berkeley" books, and in the Daily Cal every so often.
the atmosphere is quiet and somewhat desolate (in a good way) the times i've been here. there's always something random on their TVs, and a gong with a "hit me" tag, to greet you.
it's right around the corner from our apartment so when we're too lazy to cook we walk right over! rolls are 10 bucks each (our fave is the yellowtail), the owner is a super helpful and nice guy, and the waitresses are pleasant.
UPDATE: i think they're CLOSED! the chairs are still there but they haven't been open for the last few weeks w/ no sign on the door. *sigh*
Really, it's just not that good. I've only been here with group of school/labmates as I'd never go on my own accord. I don't think I could even stand to be dragged here again, period, though.
came here for lunch when it was empty- the sushi was delicous and the rolls were big. I had low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised.
Didn't like this place at all. The menu is full of different and interesting looking rolls, but they didn't taste very good. I got take out and for the amount of sushi I got it wasn't as expensive as some places but it wasn't cheap. The rice tasted way too sweet. The fish quality was decent but not good enough to make up for the crappy rice. The sunumono was dull. Sushi California is just down the block and so much better for about the same money.
A fine-but-not-great sushi place that I'd go to a lot when I lived right across the street. It's actually better than what I'm used to having back in Pittsburgh, but out here it's strictly middle-of-the-road among the lowish-end neighborhood sushi bars. I actually kind of like the atmosphere, the habit of the waitstaff to give out complimentary dishes like cooked salmon on the bone that the chef couldn't use for rolls, and the friendliness of everyone involved. Minuses include the ridiculous size of the rolls that will make a fool out of anyone who tries to eat them and the less-than-creative specialty rolls. The fish itself is sometimes good and sometimes mediocre but never truly bad.
This was my favorite place to get sashimi when I was still living in Berkeley. In addition to the really cute IKEA-ish decor, the portions and quality of food was very good. If you're a sashimi lover like me, then I'd recommend the sashimi dinner plate, but be warned, the portions are huge! ENJOY!
I don't understand all these haters. I am a purist when it comes to sushi I rarely order rolls. I worked on a fishing boat for over a year so I know fresh fish. TGI from my experiences has had top quality fish. All I order there is a Chirashi bowl and the occasional Uni. The reason they get 4 stars instead of 5 is because I caught the chef in a lie. I asked where the Uni was from an the said either Canada or Santa Barbara when he looked at me funny and he asked which was better then said "Santa Barbara." It was OK and fresh but is was definitely Canadian Uni you could tell by the color where as the Santa Barbara is bright orange and very mild in flavor.
Food-3
Value-3
Service-2
First off, let me start by saying I've never had the fish here (I don't trust a place that has actually has boats floating around the bar), just the cooked rolls, and they are always decent. I recommend the City Boy roll and the salmon skin roll, I can't be held accountable for anything past that. I used to come here when it was University Sushi way back when, and then it underwent management change which really just consisted of adding a karaoke bar and sailor girl outfits (which have sadly since been removed). They went through phases of serving miso soup by default to mussels (that tasted more like salsa) to salad and now finally to edamame that tastes like it has been left out all day. Service is usually cruddy (but I bet if the school girl uniforms were reinstated, the waitresses would be a little more enthused to work, I know I would). There are rumors that they are going to sell half the place to some other business and downsize which would probably be a smart move. Parking is easy as there is a lot behind the place, but be careful because the meters there run until ten and parking enforcement is at the peak of their game there.
UPDATE they are now closed and are being replaced by a 7 courses of beef
There are not the best sushi I have had. Why the 4 stars then? You get so much food. Free tea, miso and edimame with every order when you dine in. Waitstaff is friendly and welcoming. I'm not too psyched about the rolls although the agadashi tofu is great and their vegetable rolls, albeit limited, are good. Udon is pretty good also and is served in piping hot in a very beautiful presentation. Their terriyaki beef asparagus appetizer is really great as well. Worth going, but not strictly for their extremely large and often odd tasting rolls.
this is a great sushi place. the food is great and the price is just right. it would be a five star but due to one evening of the worst service i ever experienced anywhere, it gets a four
I dont kno why alot ppl didnt give them a good review. I personally think their foood is great. The tempura udon is certain the best i have had in many japanese restaurants (it comes in a huge clay pot); and their sushi menu on the laminated sheet is definitely overwhelming - i always have a hard time deciding. The wait staff are all very cute azn girls dressed in black uniforms. I thought they are very nice and sweet, never messed up my order for the past 5 - 6 times i was there. And the spicy oyster they give you as complementary is the best!
Berkeley, CA
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Rockridge
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
Category: Vietnamese
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