Uzen Japanese Cuisine
5415 College Ave
(between Hudson St & Kales Ave)
Oakland, CA 94618 (510) 654-7753
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
126 reviews
Alameda, CA
"I'm sorry, I can't give you any other details of this place except for one thing and one dish only. I absolutely love their Tuna Salad. It…" read more »
83 Reviews for Uzen Japanese Cuisine
I am a super fan of hikarimono (silver skin fishes) and the shimesaba (vinegared mackerel) at Uzen (pronounced Yuuzen) is the best shimesaba I have ever eaten. Ever. The difference was in the level of vinegaring. Uzen's is oh so slightly vinegared. I was blown away.
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As Cal's campus got noisy as finals approached, me and some friends decided to come here for a friend's early birthday dinner after a recommendation from a friend. After all, the neighborhood is more peaceful further down College Ave. so it was very pleasant to walk into this nice restaurant.
With a very simple modern decor, Uzen was a great contrast to the sushi places around the Berkeley campus. Eager to try the sushi, I ordered the assorted sushi(9 nigiri sushi) and Uni(sea urchin). The sushi was very well prepared as I could see the chefs behind the sushi bar. The presentation of the assorted nigiri was very nice and the sushi tasted very fresh. Even the Uni, which sometimes might taste "fishy", had no such fishiness at all.
The menu at Uzen is quite simple but has dishes, like Tonkatsu (pork cutlet), that will satisfy most groups including people who don't like sushi. The service was impeccable. The waiters were very helpful in explaining the daily specials and quickly refilled our water glasses whenever they were empty(and being a big water drinker this is a definite plus!). I very much appreciated their patience with us as we split the bill over three credit cards.
Uzen is by no means the high-end sushi restaurant where the menu will be full of expensive delicacies. But for those who enjoy a meal with solid Japanese food, Uzen is definitely the place to go to.
Cliff Notes version:
I give this place 4+ stars for the fish and -1 star for the service and the "egg confusion" (read the long winded version for details on that).
So 3.5 stars rounded down to the Yelp mandated whole star 3.
To the reviewers complaining about their minimalist rolls selection, please see Nobu K's review of Jive-Ass Rolls ;-) http://www.yelp.com/bi... (though I take issue with him saying it's a Korean invention!?!)
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Long winded version:
My g/f and I have started our Oakland/Berkeley sushi hunt starting with Uzen. A somewhat minimalistly decorated, small sushi joint just blocks from the Rockridge BART station. Apparently there's a small upstairs seating area as we saw a party led up there and could see them through an odd cathedral style window above the sushi bar.
We ordered the grilled smelt with roe and deep-fried soft-shell crab appetizers, albacore, amaebi (raw shrimp), hirame (halibut) and hotate (scallops) from their regular nigiri selection, and wild sockeye salmon, blue-fin toro (fatty tuna) and aji (Spanish mackerel) off their specials list. Ordering the sushi was like some dim-sum places where they had the sushi list and boxes to check off what you wanted to get. Based on this review http://www.yelp.com/bi... we ordered the halibut with quail eggs
A plate of nigiri arrived first with everything but the amaebi . . . wait . . . didn't we order "appetizers"? And what about the quail eggs? That hirame looks like the egg-beaters version . . .
So we called over the waitress who we ordered from and asked about the quail eggs. She said that the eggs could only be ordered with sushi items that had a ring of seaweed around them like tobiko, salmon roe, uni, etc. but that it would come with the amaebi heads? I put a confused look on my face and said "The amaebi heads?" "Yes" she replied . . . OK . . .
While we started on the nigiri the appetizers arrived. The soft-shell crab was great with a ponzu dipping sauce. It was not breaded at all which made it lighter than what you find in most spider rolls. The grilled smelt . . . well I have to say it was tasty, but we've been spoiled by the deep fried smelt appetizer at Kokkari so this did not meet our expectations. I think it was a texture thing. Maybe grilling them a bit more would have helped some in that regard . . . or some kind of Jedi mind-trick to forget our Kokkari dining experiences. The roe inside the smelts were a yummy treat though; when I ordered I expected a side or topping of roe, not some roe inside the fish.
I have to say that most all of the nigiri tasted great. The halibut had a parilla (?) leaf cutting under it which added a nice flavor to it, but the toro was the highlight of that plate; it just melted in my mouth. Only disappointment was the wild sockeye salmon special which was dry and a tad rubbery. It had a nice deep reddish orange color though! :)
The amaebi and heads came out while we were nibbling the nigiri and I noticed no quail eggs still. I inquired about that and the waitress clarified that she meant the $0.75 quail egg charge would be put toward the amaebi heads which are $0.75 extra . . .WTF? I've never been charged extra for the heads?!? To their credit the amaebi was excellent. I've had way too many slimey, gross amaebi in my day and this was just divine. A bit of perilla and some tobiko were part of this sushi presentation.
There were 3 waitresses working the space and it was not clear whether we had a specific one or if it generally is a tag-team effort as all of them took turns either bringing things to our table or ignoring us when we needed them! (Another round of drinks please!) The cute half Asian looking one with pig-tails was the most attentive which I guess in and of itself wasn't a *bad* thing, but too many waves went unanswered.
And it's still not clear to me what the deal with the quail eggs is. It makes sense what the waitress said about the ring of seaweed to hold the raw egg, but what about the reviewer who recommended the halibut w/ quail egg? They must have done the Jedi mind trick in the other direction . . . but wait . . . I didn't find the slices of fish to be as voluminous as that reviewer also says they are. Different chef that night?
Conclusion. I give this place 4+ stars for the fish and -1 star for the service and the "egg confusion" So 3.5 stars rounded down to the Yelp mandated whole star 3 (Get with it Yelp! IT Team!).
We'll be back demanding more quail eggs in the future with our fingers crossed the service improves to match the quality of the food.
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Unbelievable. Seriously, unbelievable.
Anagi, Sockeye salmon, sweet shrimp, monkfish liver pate, amazing blue fin.
The sushi was all fantastic, the price was perfect, and food was amazing.
Seriously - great meal. Truly awesome meal.
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I like this place. The chef is honest. And he care about people like us who cannot afford expensive staff. He is honest. Ask him for recommendation. He will tell you what is not good this season, what is not good value today. Very casual place that makes you feel at home.
It's nice to be able to roll out with a friend, walk 3 blocks and end up at a good sushi joint. ROCKridge never ceases to amaze.
As several other Yelpers have hinted, the fish is FRESH here. I haven't had this good of sushi anywhere in the East Bay (granted I've only been here for 2 months, but still....).
They have a great sake list. Sake, sake, sake. Mmmmm, mmmm good.
I wasn't wowed by the variety of the menu, but it was typical Japanese and I'll definitely be going back to sample more of the goods.
Service was quick and everyone was friendly. And the space is very open, light and modern feeling. Very different from the kitschy decor of other restaurants I've been to.
I'm picky about my sushi. This is a VERY solid place & well located on College Ave. I'm going back soon, if for nothing else than SAKE!
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Best sushi on East Bay. Beautiful, peaceful atmosphere. Fresh, I mean fresh, well prepared sushi. No gimmicky rolls. Good prices.
Yelpers!! You let me down!!! So many rave reviews gave me hope on this place..... BUT IT WAS HORRIBLE....!!!
We walked in , and requested the sushi bar to sit. (All we wanted was sushi) They told us it was reserved for a group , and so we were directed to a corner table next to the front door. Not exactly the warmest customer service I might add.
The Tekka Maki was good, but the yellowtail roll was gross... didn't finish it. Even the california roll was NOT too impressive.... HOW CAN YOU MESS UP A CALIF ROLL? Ok...yes... their rice is good.
They have no selection of rolls.... just basic sushi... BOOOORING! If I had been at the bar, I could have picked my sushi better.
******THE TOPPER OF THE EVENING****** their 'group' that was reserved at the sushi bar was only 5 people. They walked in right behind us. So several extra seats became available at the bar.
3 College age kids walked in a short time after we did, and requested the sushi bar. Since we were sitting by the door, we could hear that they were not with the 'group'. However they were granted the privilege to sit there.
(why them? why not me? I'm cute, I shower, I don't mutter to myself out loud or twitch.)
I will give them a extra star for the chilled soy sauce. That was nice.
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FRESH FRESH FRESH!!! My new favorite sushi place. The kampachi was a little slice of heaven. Had the sashimi appetizer and ended the meal with it as well. Yes, it was THAT good to get 2 orders!!!
Go try it ..... you'll thank me later. ;)
It's the little things that make this place great. Chilled soy sauce, house sake that would be served as a premium sake in other places, fresh fish and great tasting sushi rice.
However, nothing really wowed me. And because of that, there is no fifth star.
Perhaps this is because I stayed with the stuff I considered safe, the nigiri I order everywhere else. I will be back and I will try other things. Perhaps there is a fifth star just yet.
O I S H I I !!!
My good friend R took me out for a long promised sushi outing last night since he had a break and I was more than willing to brave the nasty East Bay traffic over the equally bad Bay Bridge traffic.
Uzen is located on the somewhat slightly trendy strip in Rockridge where the variety of cute eateries and cafes work extremely well in their favor for the passing car. Since parking is usually packed here, I'd recommend parking on any of the side streets and huffing it in.
Uzen is a small block resembling a modern space replete with tracked lighting with the sushi counter angled sharply towards the wall. However, the seating is typical Japanese with small futons lining the wooden bench. They do not carry rolls here other than traditional rolls that I don't really like as much (cucumber, kampachi....I call them boring) and instead, we elected the following, over much discussion:
1. Hirame Salad : Halibut sliced thinly and presented over greens and wakame (seaweed) garnish.
2. Sashimi Plate (Appetizer size)
3. Maguro Nigiri
4. Hamachi Nigiri
5. Unagi Nigiri
6. Aji Nigiri
In addition, I ordered the special that was pretty mediocre, so I'm not even going to mention it since it was pretty bad and deserved to be served at a peasant gathering and not the dinner table (I grew up on a farm so I can say that ;o)
The fish was fantastically fresh and tender, with clearly no sinews within the flesh (they make it chewy and is a less desirable cut) and the Hamachi was clearly worth the price. The Unagi did not fail either, bearing a very moist and tender gift to our palate, but I would have preferred a slightly more sweeter take on the sauce. I'm guessing this was Tokyo style as opposed to Osaka style (where most of my kin are based).
The surprise dish was the Hirame Salad. First, I'm not one to enjoy raw slices of fish on a salad, but this was a treat. The thin slices of the delicately flavored Hirame (Halibut) were lightly salted and then sprinkled with bits of pepper and savory little red roe. Tossed with a ginger/vinegarette, the dish was perfection and a melding of various textures. The results, to say the very least, was an implosion of the taste buds.
Despite my forthright stance on cutting down the carbs, I failed miserably as I dipped into R's bowl of rice. Even the plain rice was very good.
Great staff as well as the waitress that kept laughing at my antics as I spoke broken Nihongo. I better perfect this for my trip there ;o)
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Tough call with 3.5 to 4; I will round up though.
This is where the sexy people eat sushi. And let's face it, because Mario and I are sexy people, we fit in. Well, almost. We were unknowingly underdressed. This place is pretty fancy; peacock yourself accordingly. And by fancy, I mean small and minimalist to the point of approaching asylum/Cuckoo's nest. I almost asked for a straight jacket because it was so white and sparse. If they would throw a few things on the walls and dim the lights down a bit, this would be one hell of a sexy joint. Nonetheless, it fits well with the Rockridge scene.
You know what I really liked about this place though? It is a purist sushi place. You will not find an obnoxious list of rolls with dumb names such as "Me Love You Long Time Roll" or "Profane Gesture in my Mouth Roll." No no. You will see nigiri sushi and sashimi. This place is not going to make stupid rolls in order to disguise the mediocrity of their fish. No no, they will serve it up and challenge your sushi prowess. And they will not disappoint. Best ever? That is probably a stretch. Pretty good? Pretty damn good actually. If they have it, try the sockeye salmon special. Both sushi and sake are priced competitively. A plate of sashimi is a good heplping of a variety of fish. (Mario actually had to help me eat all of it after he finished his dinner).
Other notes: The salad is actually mixed baby greens instead of stupid BS iceberg lettuce. I would actually recommend the sashimi over the sushi because their rice is not sticky enough to keep the nigiris together. The sushi chef places your nigiris on a giant leaf in front of you--never seen that before. The sake is served in these glittery cups that reminded me of going to a Barbie princess party in Kindergarten. They don't take American Express.
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Coming for dinner and especially on a Thurs-Sat evening expect a wait. The place is not the biggest, but offers about 10 seats at the sushi bar and a few tables surrounding. Luckily we had a short wait because seats at the sushi bar were freed up and we came early on in the evening. Uzen offers some of the freshest sushi in the Oakland/Berkeley area. I would not hesitate to say this is within my top 3 sushi places (Oakland/Berkeley) to eat along with Sushi Sho and Tachibana. If you are one of those people who are wowed at the neat little rolls other places come up with then this place is not for you. Although, they do offer a spider roll (soft shell crab) that isn't to shabby.
Their fish is always VERY fresh. This is one of my favorite sushi restaurant around SF. Definitely worth my drive from SF. =)
P.S. Don't seat at the sushi bar if you plan to have a light dinner, because for sure, the sushi chef will give you a dirty look. That's what happen to my gf and I a few months ago. LOL But the fish is so fresh that we keep coming back.
The sushi here is topnotch. The service is a little bit less than warm, but really, are you there to be smiled at or to eat some delicious raw seafood? The only cooked thing that I've had here is the rice, but hopefully one day I will venture away from the raw fish and try some of the other options (it's so hard to do when you can have as much fresh fish as your wallet allows for!). This place and Kirala are my favorite sushi restaurants in the East Bay. Come here when you're not in a hurry though. Sometimes it can get pretty crowded and your meal might take a bit of time to come out (but it's worth it!)
Worth my drive from SF to here. There's usually a wait here when I come so I like to call for reservations ahead of time. I tend to stick with the young yellowtail, giant clam, sweet freshwater eel, and buttery bluefin tuna. Their fish is always so fresh and service is always nice. The only thing I hate is the parking! It takes way too long for me to look for parking..
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Well, I thought there were no great (although some good enough to get a fix) so I decided to Yelp closer to Oakland.
I'm a student, have no car, and am lazy so this was a big thing for me.
I was mostly interested in Uzen because I have never had chawan-mushi (a hot egg custard) before and was interested. I was expecting the actual fish to be a hit or miss.
When I started eating, that chawan-mushi was the last thing on my mind.
Although at around $4 for two pieces of nigiri sushi, you get cuts of fish that are at least 4 pieces at other restaurants. The tuna and yellowtail were especially awesome as well as the halibut (orderable with two raw quail eggs) and Spanish mackerel (orderable with the crunchy bone for free!). Also, the eel is a must try since, literally, an order of two pieces is like half of the whole eel. It's falling off it's little rice cushion, dripping with not-too-sweet eel sauce, unlike most places that just lather on the sauce so you don't notice what the hell the actual eel tastes like. Finally, I had the sweet shrimp (or amaebi) which was also one of my favorites that can be hard to come by. It's like what shrimp should taste like at a sushi restaurant, try it if you haven't before (fried heads optional).
Many things are not on the menu so look around a lot at what other people are ordering.
Definitely a 5-star sushi find, for the pure fish. Not a roll restaurant per se.
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Uzen has some very nice, fresh sushi. The quality and freshness is much better than almost anything else in the area. The dinners and hot items are ok, not really spectacular though. I've always had pretty good/friendly service here, both for lunch and dinner, so not sure what the issue is with some of the others. Parking is a pain, so be warned. And though they do take reservations, they don't take them once open for dinner so plan ahead.
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Came in at the later end of the lunch "hour," so to speak. Not a very busy place, but has an upscale decor that shouts "expensive!!!" in your face.
To the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the food was not terribly expensive. For about $10, you can get a nice dish with 4 different kinds of sashimi. It comes with a bowl of rice, salad, miso soup and tea.
The fish was fresh and delicious. Temperature-wise, the fish might have been a little bit on the cold side, which just gives the impression of it having been refrigerated. It doesn't help with taste, but lets me know that they're not going to let anything spoil.
The Yellowtail was probably the best part, second being the Salmon. Everything else was great and well worth the money (and the College Ave. parking cost).
Service was quick and friendly. I'll be going back.
Good, fresh fish but if i'm in the oakland/berkeley area and want sushi, it's hard for me to not go to kirala especially since i don't live there anymore.
nice offering of fresh nigiri sushi and sake at chi chi prices for the upscale Rockridge crowd in Oakland. the chawan mushi custard was tasty too. very light and savory at the same time. another winner was the miso black cod (although very tiny portions) the sake this evening was the onikorishi daiginjo extra dry. very smooth and good flavor. i may become a regular here very soon.
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Some of the freshest fish in the East Bay. The service wasnt bad but wish they were frendlier. If you go for lunch skip the tonkatsu donburi. Stick with the sushi and sashimi
Stopped in for lunch on Thursday, March 27th.
Service was very friendly.
The 2 different plum wines I had were good.
The 2 different sakes my husband tried were very good.
My husband liked his assorted sushi. It came with salad and miso soup. I had the tempura which also included soup and salad.
The tempura was fine.
The prices were good.
There were a couple of items that caused the 3 stars.
One issue was that we received both the soup and salad and within a minute or two, our other dishes arrived. Maybe they thought lunch people are in a hurry.
Second, the bathroom and route to the bathroom is a bit disconcerting. You go out the back door of the restaurant and find yourself in an unsightly area surrounded by 5 gallon buckets and stuff. You will find a door to a coed bathroom, the decor of which is very lacking to say the least. What a surprise that was. The inside of Uzen is quite nice and uncluttered.
Oh well, obviously they haven't invested any money into the restroom.
We would probably go back again, for lunch, if we were in the area.
Ok - there already are a lot of reviews, but I was in the area earlier this week and ate a lovely lunch. However, I did take some nice photographs - so check them out!
The previous time I was there was maybe 10 years ago!
We ordered a katsu don with very tender pork, but some katsu sauce would have livened up the dish. I also didn't care for the carrots in the dish, but the onions were perfect.
All the nigiri we ordered was fantastic, from the uni to the scallops to the amberjack. Somewhat pricey, but high quality. Next time we will try for one of the lunch specials instead of ala carte.
Service was efficient and friendly.
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my mouth waters thinking of their sushi, sashimi salad, chawan mushi... ack!
save your pennies, order your sake cold and do a little omakase.
...and please stop eating your dinner plates at the SUSHI BAR... those seats are for sushi eaters... anyone else does not belong there.
five spatulas for you uzen... I'd cross two bridges and miles more if I had to...
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Very cute, authentic date place. Do you ever associate a place with the vibe that you felt that day -- this is definitely one of those places. I had a great day and the food complemented it so I liked the restaurant.
This place is on the smaller side, but that ok since the food is awesome. It's a great date place since the atmosphere is on the more intimate side.
uzen = best sushi this side of the pacific.
i haven't actually had anything besides sushi here, so i can't speak for the entrees, but beautiful beautiful sushi. how do i love thee? let me count the ways.*
1. omakase. if you are unfamiliar, this is asking the chef to choose sushi for you. i mean, who's more familiar with the sushi today, you or the chef? trust him. be nice to him. when i went, my dinner partner and i gushed over the food and were rewarded with delicious morsels. oysters with a yuzu mignonette, spicy marinated octopus, uni, amaebi with fried shrimp heads, kanpachi...i drool a little thinking about it. let the chef choose! especially if you're feeling adventurous, give yourself over and you will be joyed. AND, when the bill came, twice it was around $25. !!! what a deal!!
2. beautiful details--you get your sushi on two leaves with fresh wasabi and yummy ginger. the salad is NOT chunks of iceberg lettuce. i believe its a spring salad mix with a sesame dressing. the miso soup is delicious. the sake is served in beautiful little glasses.
3. sit at the sushi bar--there's usually space there, and even if you have to wait it moves pretty quickly and uzen is in a nice neighborhood. take a walk to energize your appetite. and if you sit at the sushi bar, the chef comes over every so often to check on your progress--there's usually at least one sushi left and he'll come and put some more on your plate. also, if you're getting omakase, i'm pretty sure he rates what he's going to give you on your reaction to the food and how much you enjoy it.
hm, maybe i should stop. i don't want this place getting too full. i also sat next to an older couple once who were obviously regulars to the place. they got some extra dish from the chef, something new, they got the last fruit of the evening for their dessert (even though we finished first :( boo ) and damn. i want to be a regular where sushi is delicious AND affordable. love it.
*by the way, this is from a poem by elizabeth barrett browning. i think it comes up a lot but no one either knows or cares. as my friend would say, knowledge bomb!
Uzen has ruined all other sushi for me. And for that reason, I kind of hate it. I mean, I LOVE IT, but hate it for the fact that now I'm judging all other Oakland sushi restaurants against it.
Rockridge suffers a bit in the sushi department. It has a few other places (Isobune and Tachibana), but neither of those seems to deliver the quality and flavor of Uzen.
The restaurant sits about 30 (including the sushi bar) and is usually quite full, so call ahead for a reservation. We principally order the sashimi, so I can't vouch for the salmon teriyaki (etc) plates. The fish is delicate, buttery and fresh, and even thinking about it makes me want some RIGHT NOW.
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I've been coming here for over 10 years. Eventhough I have moved down to the Peninsula, I still try to frequent Uzen as often as I can.
Kazu is straightforward and watches over the sushi service like a hawk. His knife skills are excellent and the fish he carries is extremely fresh.
I would say that Uzen is more a traditional sushi restaurant so if you are looking for wild combinations of differing fish smashed up together, this place is not for you. However, if you want a reasonable selection of fresh fish, good service and some non-sushi, this is a place for you.
Fish was good, but too expensive for what we received. They need to knock $2-3 off everthing.
People were borderline mean, subtracting one star.
Definitely 3 1/2 stars. I went there after reading the reviews and honestly was worried about the grime described by one of the yelpers BUT it was clean. It was uncomfortably stark and clean. Did they remodel in the 2 wks between the reviews? I don't know... the decor probably sits well with many but I kind of like a warmer, friendlier feel. Aside from the regular menu of basics, there was a list of specials for the evening without any prices. The sushi was pretty good but not the slightly bigger size or tender, melt in your mouth sushi I love and usual get at Kirala. The miso soup was a little weak tonight. It's OK. I might try it for lunch but not in a hurry to return.
Best sushi in the East Bay, hands down!!! SO much better than a certain overrated Berkeley establishment ( **cough cough*** Kirala).
The menu is simple- all nigiri rolls except for a few specials, which really let the quality of the fish shine through. I've had some bad experiences with rubbery hamachi at other restaurants, but here it was buttery- smooth. They also have some unusual items like tempura-fried shrimp heads, which my friend greatly enjoyed. Be prepared to spend a decent amount because each order of sush is only two small nigiri pieces. The plus side is, you can try a little of everything!
If you have a bigger party I recommend the private room upstairs. It's decorated minimalistically in a Japanese style, with a table on the floor- but with a space underneath for flexibility-challenged Americans.
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I didn't like the cuts of the sashimi. The texture was a bit rough, which distracted from the flavor. And green onion atop the sake sashimi?
The best stuff to order is from the daily specials menu.
Food was fresh, and yummy. Not many options for rolls, but the sashimi and nigiri rocked. So did the soba noodles. Very authentic.
Great food. But my pal and I call this place "mean people sushi."
We've gotten some attitude here and a dash of "snark."
But, we go back -- on occasion, anyway.
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This just might end up being our new local sushi place. Well, it IS our new local sushi place: we just went there for the first time, it's damn close to our abode and they serve sushi. Ta da!
Unless I am mistaken and there is some hidden room in the back, this place is tiny. And for some reason, that's just how I like my sushi spots. The decor is simple (love the tables with the random metal line going through it). It's great for College Ave. people watching (which I am personally amused by, thanks to all the 30-somethings with babies and dogs -- that WILL be me someday but for now I mock).
The sushi was very fresh and the chef's selection was a very nice assortment. The Husband got the salmon terriyaki. It was a little small but very good and came with this great "slaw" of cooked veg.
There is nothing that stands out about this place, really. But everything seems good, the prices aren't bad and ... well, that's all I need. Why you so picky?!
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Pros: The best sushi in the East Bay. I dont know squat about raw fish, but to me, it tastes fresh and there's no fishiness to it. I always try to order agedashi tofu even though it's not on the menu. I think it's the best agedashi tofu I've ever had. Their dinner entrees are also spectacular.
Cons: A little pricey. You can end up spending a lot for yourself and your date, so if you're a Berkeley student and ridiculously poor, this isn't the place for you.
Overall, Uzen is #1
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I love fresh oysters and I was amazed at the quality and presentation of the oysters I ordered for lunch.
This was the order:
2 orders of oysters- served in maki form and were super fresh minus the nasty bits (shell pieces,etc.)
2 orders of hamachi- melts in the mouth not in your hands
2 orders of scallop- again like the hamachi melts in the mouth but is also sweet and delicate
2 order of unagi
2 orders of tobiko with quail egg- one of my personal favorites
1 order of hamachi maki
1 order of spicy tuna maki
1 tempura appetizer
3 bottles of sake (Aoki Kakurei Junmai Ginjo, Kinshihai Yukikage [Snow Shadow] Tokubetsu Jun Mai, and Kirinzan Honjuzo)
I had read past reviews on Yelp and believe the sushi is amazing here. Also, the sakes that I presented to my client went really well with their sushi. Kazu, the owner of Uzen, was very nice and the staff was great about negociating a reasonable corkage fee since I left the sakes with them. My favorite was the Snow Shadow sake. I plan to come here again!
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Has NOBODY noticed how dirty this place is? I don't think the place has been cleaned since it opened - which, based on the decor, was smack in the middle of the 80's. Pastels and neon lights, anyone? The walls are all coated with grime and they have the access cabinets to fuse boxes or something scotch taped onto the walls. The tables are consistently sticky and the overall vibe of the place is grungy. Add the grime to the fact that the servers are uninterested in their customers' well-being, the sushi chef is arrogant and mean to his staff, and they are unabashedly NON-child friendly, I wouldn't care if they made the best sushi in the world - I still don't go there anymore. We live in the neighborhood and have really wanted to like this place, but, now avoid it like the plague.
