NorCal Japanese food
You might be surprised that our number 1 choice for sushi omakase (set meal) is located in El Cerrito, CA–on an unimpressive block with neighbors like an auto repair place and an adult bookstore. However, the flavors, preparation, and service are superb and can compete with the best of SF or Japan. Reservations must be made in advance, through Yelp. We have pretty good luck if we plan 3 months in advance, and occasionally openings a week in advance.
Very creative preparations–not with fanfare on every dish but the seasoning is very very precise. And items which are commonly screwed up at most regular sushi joints (and some fancy ones too) are models here of what should be: squid should be delicate not tough and chewy; tamago should be moist, not dry and over sweet; shrimp should melt and be sweet, not dry and rubbery.
The chef will talk to you a lot and teach: if you do not like the idea of this don’t go here. We find connecting with the chef makes our meal more enjoyable. Aki-san is a master. He wants people to taste his food the way it was meant to taste. Because sushi requires some finishing by the eater he needs to instruct in what each dish requires. If this is too picky for you or you don’t care about the subtlety of taste then this is not the right restaurant for you. Neither, by the way, is French Laundry where they also tell you how to eat.
This is a husband and wife team. They are getting on in years and retirement is looming, so get here ASAP and if the tea refill takes a little longer than you’d like, have more sake to chill out.
If you are in the East Bay, getting here is easier than driving to the city and cheaper than comparable sf kaiseki. But if you are in SF, it’s still worth coming here! $90 minimum fills most folks. Additions entirely possible.
Sushi Aoba (PERMANENTLY CLOSED as of October 2022)
Chef Sachio-San is a long-time SF celebrated sushi chef. The newish restaurant location for this chef is intimate and pretty, located in Japantown, SF.
Every item in this multi-course dining experience was delicious. Some memorable items: smoking a fish in front of us; tender octopus and abalone; wagyu beef with 24k gold; chawanmushi chock full of crab; anago with miso yuzu sauce; buttery otoro tuna; uni; non-dairy dessert with lovely textures and redbean sorbet, green tea Panna cotta, strawberries in a generous amount.
Service is attentive. We were at the chef’s counter with one other diner. There are 2 tables as well– empty on a Thursday night. Chef was pleasant and as chatty as you want him to be.
This is a traditional kaiseki experience, meaning there are particular types of dishes (e.g. steamed, fried, etc)served in a prescribed order. The food here is superior and the service is excellent. It is a husband and wife team. Special dietary needs are attended to with care. Though it is located in a strip mall in the middle of nowhere on the Penninsula, the inside of the restaurant has plenty of relaxing ambiance.
You will need to call for reservations one month in advance at a minute past midnight PST in order to secure a spot here. If you can come on a weeknight, you might have better luck getting a spot.
Advertised as washoku, or home cooking, but really I’d say it’s elevated Japanese cuisine. Maybe they say washoku to let folks know it’s not kaiseki or sushi. It is, however, omakase–a set menu for a set price. Aside from parking being tough, this was an entirely lovely dinner. There were 11 dishes and all were winners, with everything beautifully presented. Service friendly and attentive. Lots of extra attention for special oc
casions. The optional add-ons did not impress us (so we did not order). The sake menu was interesting and the sake pairing good; though we did not like all the choices we thought it was well done.
For our other omakase/kaiseki recommendations see
For more casual Japanese food recommendations in the Bay, see