Uzen Japanese Cuisine

4/22/2016

• 1 check-in

My first visit to Uzen was about a year ago. I had tickets to go to a screening for Spy (2015) and we wanted to grab dinner beforehand. Half way to Uzen I realized the screening was for a different day. Oops. We still decided to grab dinner since we were already out and about. I had been wanting to try Uzen since it reminded me of Sushi Ota in San Diego.

This cute little sushi restaurant is in north Oakland near a lot of the hustle and bustle of College Avenue! Fun fact: College Avenue is probably my favorite street in all of Oakland! Anyway, the restaurant wasn't very big. The big windows which allowed a ton of natural light made the place feel a lot bigger. We didn't have a reservation, but they were happy to seat us at the sushi bar. Dinning out as a pair/couple seems to always be much easier than in a group of 3+.

We mostly ordered nigiri which is typically what we would order at Ota (at the time we really wanted to find something in NorCal that is of the same caliber to Sushi Ota in SD). Uzen is good, but not nearly as good as Ota! The fish was fresh, but the uni was not. I did like their miso black cod!   I think I'll come back soon to give it another chance.

3/19/2016

• 1 check-in

Nice, friendly, great choices/prices.  Loved it. Will be back.  Thx

Nice, friendly, great choices/prices.  Loved it. Will be back.  Thx

Nice, friendly, great choices/prices.  Loved it. Will be back.  Thx

5/30/2016

• 1 check-in

This is a very cute place. We just had dinner here and the food was great! The selection is not massive, but the sushi was fresh and delicious. If you order a good amount of sushi, you get complimentary miso soup and side salad. We had a feast and our bill was under $100. Last night we went to a fancier place, ate much less and was charged more. If you like little whole in the wall authentic places, you should give this place a try! Oh, they also have an extensive sake selection, and our server was very knowledgable with suggestions.  We got a really nice bottle per her suggestion and by the time we drank it all and finished our meal we were in a really good mood. :) They have Tamari in case you are gluten-free, and some nice special rolls without without imitation crab.

11/19/2015

• 1 check-in

Order the raw stuff and forget anything cooked!  The highlights of our meal were definitely the sashimi. The toro was so well marbled that it looked like steak. The scallops from Japan (talk about excessive carbon footprint!) were fresh and delicious. We also had the hamachi nigiri which was also top notch.

The rolls were less impressive. I liked the rainbow roll but the spider roll and another roll with salmon and jalapeños didn't work for me. I found the flavours and textures a bit one dimensional.

Service was good so no complaints there. But beware of the fruit flies buzzing around. There are quite a few of them!

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  Hamachi nigiri

  Hamachi nigiri
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  Spider roll, scallop and toro sashimi

  Spider roll, scallop and toro sashimi
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  Salmon and jalapeño roll

  Salmon and jalapeño roll

7/27/2015

• 1 check-in

Wanted sushi on a whim and yelped uzen.  It's a small, quaint place with 2 servers and a couple of sushi chefs.

They have basic nigiri and rolls...not those crazy, overly sauced items you'd find at most restaurants nowadays.  The fish was fresh...probably some of the best I've had in the east bay so far.  The fish to rice ratio was great.  The rice was seasoned well.  We had everything from amaebi to albacore to fresh scallops.  You pencil in what you want on a piece of paper.  

For 2 of us, it cost around $80.  That also included one roll.

Street parking.  Service was decent.  They forgot our tea until mid meal.  I'd recommend this place to others.

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  Spicy toro, rock n roll, ika

  Spicy toro, rock n roll, ika
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  Sake

  Sake

6/11/2015

• 1 check-in

Cute, pint-sized restaurant (like every other one in this area) with very fresh fish and a nice atmosphere!

I came in a group of 8 without a reservation on a Wednesday night and the waiters graciously set up a table within 10 minutes upstairs in a hidden extra room! It even had the traditional floor seating, which we wholly enjoyed.

Dishes I would order again:
-- The SASHIMI SALAD with SALMON and SCALLOP was amazing! The fish was SO FRESH and paired well with the spring mix lettuce. The scallops were buttery and sweet (there were about 4 pieces total). The dressing was light but I didn't feel the need to dip the fish into soy sauce and wasabi. So so good.
-- The SOBA was packed with shrimp tempura, chicken, and noodles in what seemed like an unending bowl. Definitely a good option if you're extra hungry and you forgot to pre-eat but you don't want to spend an arm and a leg at a Japanese restaurant.

I'll be back after I stop salivating just thinking about that sashimi salad!

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  Sashimi salad with salmon and scallop

  Sashimi salad with salmon and scallop

4/1/2016

Stuck up and the quality of fish is only
Ok. Not a good experience and just "meh". There is way better sushi in Oakland.

3/2/2016

A place worth checking out.  It's small and almost hidden along College Ave, but the fish was very good.  Nice and fresh, and affordable!  The uni was excellent, and the service was great.  There were also grill foods for those not too sushi inclined, but really the fresh fish is the star of this place.  I'm probably going to be a regular.

4/23/2016

Hands down best spider roll I have ever had. I usually end up being disappointed when I order a spider roll, but there is something very genuine about the crab we were served.

For nigiri, I tried the salmon, raw scallop, toro, and tobiko with quail egg. Everything was incredibly fresh. I was especially impressed by the salmon and scallop.

6/9/2015

• 3 check-ins

Yesterday I was in pain. I couldn't digest anything but good healthy broth, juices, a one meal of diabetic, aplastic anemic friendly, plate. I've now got to follow a very strict diet of specific proteins, carbs, and fats. However yesterday was almost unbearable. Headache, body sores, etc...

today is a world of difference! At this joint I get to munch on msg free, salmon Kama! Nice fats, medium rare! Ginger on the side, and a kick of wasabi! I love their dragon roll, however I'm super careful to not overdo it with the white rice.

For udong lovers... U must try their aldente noodles! My fellow diners rave about the soup!

I give only four stars, because there's no brown rice rolls or the option of a brown rice bowl. Other than that, after feeling like a dead fish last night... I'm a live fish today! Dinner... Still searching. :)

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  I love their dish ware!

  I love their dish ware!
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  Medium rare! Unctuous ness!

  Medium rare! Unctuous ness!
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  Open sesame! And hot Japanese pepper comes out!

  Open sesame! And hot Japanese pepper comes out!
• See all photos from Hannah Y. for Uzen Japanese Cuisine

8/16/2015

• 1 check-in

I came here per a friend's recommendation of good Japanese food in the area, and was pleasantly surprised. Though it's farther from Berkeley, it's definitely a lot better than most of the Japanese restaurants in Berkeley. There's a few pay for parking lots in the area, but you can also try to find parking in the residential area. Upon entering the restaurant, my dad and I were greeted happily by a server and seated us right away. The restaurant is pretty small, but it has an extremely high ceiling, which prevents it from feeling too cramped. Like all sushi restaurants, there's a sushi bar area, where the fish is displayed. Although I didn't sit at the sushi bar, I could tell that the sushi chef was extremely friendly by the way he was interacting with those at the bar and engaging in conversation with the customers. This is always a nice sight.

My dad and I ordered the baked yellow tail collar, udon, and sashimi dinner. The yellowtail came out first, and it was served with radish and sauce. The yellowtail was good, but it was slightly burnt on some parts, and I wish they put more salt on it before baking it. It was average. The udon was also just average. The noodles were cooked perfectly and there were a lot of different toppings in the udon, such as spinach, chicken, and shrimp tempura. However, I was extremely disappointed with the shrimp tempura. I didn't eat the shrimp tempura first, and when I lifted it out of the soup, all of the breading came off, which was a lot, and there was amount of real shrimp was revealed. I definitely think that they should put less breading on the shrimp in the future. The sashimi dinner was my favorite part. It is by far the most fresh sashimi I've had in this area. All of the pieces were very fresh and were nicely cut. The sashimi just melted in your mouth and instantly put you in sashimi heaven.

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  Grilled yellow tail collar

  Grilled yellow tail collar
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  Uzen udon

  Uzen udon
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  Assorted sashimi dinner

  Assorted sashimi dinner

3/9/2016

I really enjoyed our sushi dinner at the bar. The neighborhood is fun to walk around too. Will definitely come back.

2/24/2015

Oh-MAH-Kahh_SAYY!

Pricey, but oh-so good sushi/sashimi/nigiri! We came here on a double date and all ordered the omakase!

I literally come here to satisfy my uni craving and I was extremely happy with the freshness of the fish. EVERYTHING was so good. I was pretty full after 12 pieces, but everyone else kept going.  They got tempura mushrooms which were REALLY REALLY good too.

Definitely recommend coming here for the simple, fresh sushi..not for the rolls!

Service is a bit on the slow side, but they didn't have that many people working on a Friday night..so that could be improved a bit. We sat at the sushi bar so i think there was a bit of a disconnect between who was helping us..the sushi chefs or the hostess/servers.

9/24/2015

FRESH, FRESH, FRESH! I came here with 3 of my friends earlier this week. We had no problem grabbing a table, but I imagine on weekends there could be a wait since this place has about 10 tables total and the bar. The sushi was super yummy and fresh! The prices are very reasonable and the service is awesome too. Would love to come back next time I am in town again.

8/2/2015

• 1 check-in

• Listed in Miso hungry

If you're an uni-lover, don't miss this place. We had the uni (japan) and it was refreshing. Don't forget to budget for it too, though, as it cost us $11.95 per uni. So for all four of us to try it, it cost $24. The sashimi was also very fresh with great texture. We had the sashimi sampler dinner plate at $21.
The black cod appetizer (special) had a great umami flavor and a nice charred crunchy edge to it.
The hamachi collar was cooked with a nice smoky flavor to it. Wished it was saltier, but I really have no idea how this dish is supposed to taste.
The fresh oysters for appetizer with ponzu sauce was excellent. Fresh, tender, flavorful but well-balanced starter.
The udon was good, pretty standard.
The soba noodles were delicate and mixed very well with the seasonings and sauce they provided. Loved this simple yet tasty dish.
The egg custard was good, but left something to be desired. Maybe it was overpowered by the mushrooms an underpowered by the fish/shrimp in it which came across as overcooked.

All in all a great meal. I am reliving it just by writing this review. I would be overjoyed to eat here again!

1/10/2015 Updated review

• 6 check-ins

The best of the best! I'm happy to take suggestions on where to have better sushi other than Uzen, if such a place exists. This place is simple and traditional, so if you're a rolls and cream cheese lover, this isn't the place for you.

A few highlights of their awesomeness:

UNI: I still will have not had better uni anywhere than that of Uzen's. Their different types include: Mendocino, top notch Santa Barbara, Maine, and Hokkaido uni. Fresh, vibrant in color, served generously.

SIMPLICITY at its finest: Tobiko-tama (flying fish roe topped w/ quail egg), avocado roll, futomaki, udon/soba (the broth!!!)

SAKE: um....have you seen that yellow sake menu?! Faves: Shochikubai Junmai (fragrant), Onikoroshi Daiginjo (silky smooth), Suigei & Karatamba (dry), house hot sake (default).

What holds it all together, other than the fresh fish? THEIR SUSHI RICE. In my years of exploring the world of sushi, I've learned that sushi rice matters. You might think duhhhh--sushi rice should be made to compliment the fish that it is paired with, not to offset or dull its taste but I'm surprised to learn that it's damn hard for sushi restaurants to get this right! I could sit here all day just to eat bowls after bowls of sushi rice!

Must try's:
APPETIZERS: shiitake tempura stuffed with ground fish/shrimp, hamachi kama, kumamoto oysters, baby tako.

SUSHI: omg...too many...here goes... uni, toro, spicy scallop & shiso handroll, amaebi w/ fried head, blue shrimp, herring roe, seared ingawa, hamachi, wild sockeye salmon, sashimi salad with halibut & tobiko, spicy crunchy roll.

Drooool.

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  Aji, tobiko-tama, ikura, uni

  Aji, tobiko-tama, ikura, uni
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  Kazunoko - herring roe topped with bonito. Unexpectedly crunchy, yummy, and trippy to look at!

  Kazunoko - herring roe topped with bonito. Unexpectedly crunchy, yummy, and trippy to look at!

10/3/2015

I've been here several times now, and I'm fairly confident in saying that this is the best sushi in Oakland! Last trip was for my birthday, so we did omakase for the first time. Everything was excellent, and it was the first time I've actually enjoyed the salmon roe.

Minus one star because previously when I've sat at the bar, I've been able to order directly from the chef. This time, the waitress came around and it seemed we had to order from her or get omakase. I'm so tired of Bay Area restaurants where they have a "decorative" sushi bar where you are supposed to order from the waitress. No! It's not like that in LA at all. I hate it!

Also, I enjoy all of their menu items, but I wish they'd take a stand and stop serving blue fin.

4/19/2016

• 1 check-in

Man oh man.  I've been on the search for good sushi ever since I moved here from LA and I gave this place a try because of the great reviews and for the pure fact that they didn't specialize in those overly sauced Fusiony type rolls.  I consider myself to be a sushi purist, and my tastebuds are on point with the quality of raw fish & sushi rice.  I ordered the lunch sushi combo to play it on the safe side which came with salmon, yellowtail, tuna, shrimp & 3 pieces of cali & cucumber roll.  Seriously, the fish was super chewy, stringy and tasted slightly fishy.  I had to drown it in soy sauce to mask the flavor.  Sushi rice was too cold and was not in good ratio to fish to rice, too much rice.  They also upcharge $2.50 to substitute the 3 pieces of Cali roll with spicy tuna roll.. Wtf?  Get off your high horse Uzen, please.  I then ordered some albacore because I feel like it's also one of those safer options, and it was also horrible too!  The pricing was ridiculous for what it is.  Also the waitress wasn't even nice OR attentive, she never checked on us to see how we liked our food, never refilled our water, and didn't give us new napkins when I accidentally spilled my miso soup all over the counter (and cleaned it up myself with my napkin).  I feel like I got ripped off and I left hungry with a bad taste in my mouth.  No one should have to pay for such a bad experience.

1/25/2016

Food was great. Interior was modern, clean and minimalist. Was here for lunch with a friend, we each paid $37, yeh, pretty darn pricey for lunch! It was very yummy but VERY pricey. We ordered all nigiri sushi including Scallop and Amaebi so those were pricier nigiri I know. The scallop was very fresh. Ika was very small. Amaebi was pretty good and the shrimp head was delicious. Not sure if I would go back again due to the high price. But if you are willing to pay for good sushi and a clean modern interior, then this place is for you. One star taken off for the pricey sushi esp for a lunch.

10/18/2015

Excellent sushi and friendly service. Will definitely go back.
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