Iyasare

Normally, I wouldn’t judge a restaurant if I didn’t go there for their specialty items, but in this case I just have to.
Iyasare is an izakaya but since I was low on money, I came in for lunch to try their ramen. My friend and I were seated promptly and the hostess was kind enough to seat us and give us water and the menus.
However, it went downhill after that. The waiter took forever to take our order and then our order took forever to come out, roughly fifteen minutes without contact from a waiter or another worker. No one came by to tell us our food was delayed or if the kitchen was having problems or that they were sorry for the long wait.
Instead, since my friend and I were seated on the patio and behind the heat lamp, it seemed that the waiters forgot that we were there at all. They seemed to remember everyone else on the patio except us. It even took a long time to get the check out.
The ramen was only okay– the pork belly ramen with minced chicken. It had flavourful and fatty pork char siu and the broth was tasty with soy sauce. But the broth was slightly too salty and the toppings weren’t plentiful. Portion wise, it was quite big and I had plenty for dinner.
However, Iyasare was just depressing with neglectful service and only decent ramen for 16 bucks. I saw a picture of their Tokyo parfait which looks amazing, but I’m not sure if it’s worth it to come back to this place with bad service. If I want to go to an izakaya, Kiraku or Ippuku are better choices with better service.

Have eaten here twice, and had a perfect experience both times. One of my favorite sushi places in East Bay. Very fresh and also original/​fushiony. A little pricey but worth it. My husband and I were fighting over appetizers :)

Our friends invited us to a spontaneous night out for dinner. They had walked by this place the other day and thought it was a Ramen spot. However, that was only for lunch. We came for dinner and they had Japanese style tapas, which was all awesome!
We called last minute and were able to make a reservation for 6 of us on Saturday evening! We came and got seated right away. Our hostess, server, and everyone else that tended to us were all great! They have outstanding service! All of their recommendations were on point! Everything we ordered was tasty, delicious and flavorful.
We started out with some appetizers. The Mochi wrapped in bacon was the first to come out, and we immediately ordered 3 more plates! This was one of our favorite dishes! It’s not something we are able to get at other places. It’s simple and it tastes good! We also ordered the eggplant appetizer and the squid. The women all enjoyed the eggplant, but the men weren’t fans of eggplant to begin with. Personally, I love eggplant and would order that again. The squid was a little spicy, but the men enjoyed that! We also ordered the Sunumono salad. It’s not your typical Sunumono that you would find at other Japanese restaurants. Their version has less cucumber and more salad type leaves. It still had the elements and taste that make up a classic Sunumono salad.
We ordered the scallops! They melt in your mouth! They’re paired with sides of tamago! This was one of my favorite dishes, and I definitely recommend it! We also ordered the pork Kubota and clams, which was really flavorful and tender. Also delicious!
There wasn’t anything that I was disappointed with. Everything came out in a timely manner. The dishes were hot! The food just kept flowing. Again, service was good! Our servers were really helpful and pleasant!
Our friends orders some alcohol. They offered sake, wine, and cocktails. I had a sip of one of the cocktails and it was refreshing. They also have some non-​alcoholic drinks, along with sparkling water.
For parties of 6 or more, gratuity of 18% is automatically tacked on. For 6 of us the bill came out to almost $ 275 total.
Definitely make a reservation as the space is a little tight. The food here is tasty, quality, and they have great presentation. Good service is important to me, and this place had all of the elements that influenced me to give them 5 stars! I had such a pleasant experience, and even my friends thought it was great! We will definitely be back!

We stumbled upon Iyasare, the newish Japanese restaurant in Berkeley’s upscale Fourth Street shopping district, and fell in love. Looking around at some of the tables being served, some of the dishes looked almost too pretty to eat. The post-​modern, trendy décor of the restaurant complements the beauty of the dishes.
From reading up on the restaurant, the chef-​owner Shotaro Kamio isn’t just interested in putting out a pretty plate. He layers the various components of each dish mostly in the service of flavor. The results speak for themselves: Iyasare serves some of the most delicious, memorable, and — yes — strikingly beautiful Japanese food I’ve eaten in the past year.
I came to learn that Kamio comes from the Tohoku region of Japan, where Kamio’s parents ran a noodle shop when he was growing up, serving as Kamio’s inspiration. Because of the area’s harsh winters, the local cuisine features a lot of cured, pickled, and fermented items — preservation techniques that are all highlighted at Iyasare. Where Kamio departs from tradition is in presentation and his seamless integration of modern, Western techniques like sous-​vide cooking. And he’s particularly obsessed with imbuing his dishes with a heavy dose of umami, that elusive «fifth taste» that the Japanese define as a kind of savory quality — the taste of dehydrated shiitake mushrooms, dried konbu (seaweed), and miso. So what winds up on the plate feels like an exciting hybrid of old and new.
The name, Iyasare, translates to «to be healed,» which is a nod to the ongoing tsunami recovery efforts in Kamio’s hometown, as well as to his desire for the restaurant to be a comfortable «second house» for regular customers — granted, one with a modern, minimalist aesthetic. It’s a casual restaurant that feels fancy enough to impress a date.
My wife and I were there for lunch where we each had a ramen dish. She had the sendai miso ramen and I had the duck confit ramen. Both were excellent.
Looking forward to returning.

Oh my god this place was so good. My boyfriend and I both had the Sendai Miso Ramen. It was so good!!! The only thing that was a bummer was the we got sat right by the door and every time the door opened– it was the coldest air ever. But that won’t stop me from not going back. That place is freakin delicious!

Pricy and small protion but food is amazing.
Must order KAKIAGE TEMPURA with shrimp!

Apparently one dish here isn’t enough to satisfy your hunger. I, personally, am happy with smaller meal portions but man those prices were ridiculous! I was eager to try their uni and from the looks of Unilocal’s photos, it seemed as though it was a nice size chunk on their Ocean Umami but when I was given the plate… it was super small.
My husband ordered their grilled/​fried calamari and he loved it. I had some was liked the flavors of their dipping sauce but I still had hunger and just couldn’t bring myself in ordering a $ 20+ plate.
Meh. maybe I’m missing something?

My weekly ramen fix! Intriguing bowl full of noodles, not seen east of Tokyo. Yes, a $ 16 experience, but well worth it. Tender noodles from San Jose’s Japantown, tender and fatty Pork cha-​su, simmer in house made chicken broth, bamboo shoots bean sprouts, and a bit of dried nori. Finally, the service is the finest! Fernando and his little brother, Rubin, keep you well marinated at the bar and server, Heidi, will always bring you a smile.

West coast ramen was on the top of our itinerary during our recent trip to SF/​Berkeley and Iyasare did not disappoint!
THEY ONLY SERVE RAMEN AT LUNCH. Sorry for the caps but that warranted your attention.
Anyway
Great location and ambience with plenty of outdoor people watching seats available. Nice little neighborhood in west Berkeley that is a stark contrast to its adjacent neighborhood. Fantastic service with spot on recommendations.
Last note before we talk noodles. The iwate kura oyster stout is perfect! Hope by the time you read this they still have it. Bottle only. Just a nice smooth stout with a touch of salt water and no oyster or fishiness. Do it!
Ah the noodles. The curly chewy al dente ramen is perfect. Soup is hearty but not too oily. A lot of toppings including spinach, sprouts and ground chicken. Generous heaping of pork if you desire. Sorry did not try the vegetarian.
We were sold on NoRthern California ramen. Can’t wait to try the rest!

Loved it
We went with my mom who is from Japan and my son who attends CAL (his 2^nd time)
The sauces were incredible. We had the sashimi salad, bowl and a fe of their appetizers.
My son loves their ramen as well
Prices were reasonable
Reservations without credit card was not a great option. we didn’t have one but the wait was not bad

I’m not going to sugarcoat it – It just wasn’t good.
Iyasare carries itself like a top-​tier restaurant, but it can’t hang with that crowd. There was only 1 dish of the 6 that we ordered that I enjoyed: the kakiage tempura. It was delicious. It’s essentially a Japanese latke, so not much to argue with there.
Some notable disappointments:
The roasted/​fried squid was almost inedible. It was some of the toughest, most rubbery squid I’ve had.
The salmon was just bad. Bad piece of fish, over-​cooked, over-​sauced, underwhelming. If I hadn’t been so hungry, I wouldn’t have eaten it.
The duck was rubbery. Getting past the texture, the taste was just okay.
I won’t complain about the price — I knew what I was getting myself into. That being said, we spent about $ 60/​person, and we didn’t even order drinks. Like I said, I knew that the meal would be expensive, but that’s just far too much to spend for what we experienced.
Bottom line: I can’t recommend it, and I won’t be going back anytime soon.

The veggie tempura is soooo good! Very crunchy! I went for lunch so no dessert served… But would definitely like to try for the matcha dessert! Looks so good.

Came here with high recommendations from a friend. The restaurant is on the smaller side but they do have a big patio space. Its getting cold in the bay area so inside seating is the best. When I first walked this, the hostess greeted us right away and brought us to our table. The décor is modern Asian with cool light fixtures, textured wall designs with a sleek bar/​kitchen area. I really liked the space.
Our waitress came and got our order. The price point is a bit high, even for lunch. I noticed that everyone there was a happa family with a white dad and Asian mom. All looked wealthy… or at least they had $ 100 to leisurely drop on lunch. Though my boyfriend works, I’m still on a students budget and did not think the food was worth what I paid for.
We got the sashimi salad and the charshu miso ramen (not spicy). Food took a while for it to come. The kitchen is an open space with a huge window overlooking the dining area. I was facing the kitchen and would see all this food come out but none of it was for our table. After maybe 15 minutes of waiting. and starving… we finally got our sashimi salad. The portion kind of small… a handful of greens with maybe 9 small pieces of salmon, yellowtail and tuna. It wasn’t that spicy. The microgreens were fresh and the fish as well but I wanted more! Usually, salmon is my favorite fish but it wasn’t that good here. I think the tuna was my favorite. Salmon wasn’t buttery. it was a little chewy actually.
The ramen was good… Definitely NOT the best that I’ve had and for $ 16, which is the most I’ve ever paid for ramen… I was disappointed. I’ve had some pretty awesome ramen before and this didn’t measure up. I think it was because of the black garlic oil in the broth? It didn’t have the rich, creamy, boiled for 16 hours feel. The soup was a little greasy and salty. There was no sweet or creamy taste from the pork bones.
On a side note. my boyfriend’s sister requested a sashimi salad and ramen to go. Our first waitress told us we can order the sashimi salad but can’t get ramen to go because the noodles will expand in the broth and will ruin what the chef intended it to be… fair I guess. But she said that if we order it for the table then she can just give us a togo container we can put it in… I thought that was a little weird she told us to do that. Anyhow when we checked on the togo order for our sashimi salad, our second waiter told us we can’t order anything raw to go. I just wished communication was better at this restaurant. ALSO… when we left… we saw a ramen TOGO order separated in 3 containers… broth, meat and noodles. WTF???
Will NOT come back again not only for price, but for lack of communication, and underwhelming flavor and quality of food. Sorry restaurant but you will still have a lot of middle aged rich people who will come visit your establishment.

30%
Very average ramen and a bit overpriced.
***
Came here for lunch Nov ‘15
Iyasere seems to be a moderately priced Japanese eatery. Although the menu is not notably large, its hard to tell if they focus on anything in particular. In the menu I read there was ramen, sashimi, eel bowls, tempura, and karage fried chicken, among some other items. To me, this is generally not a promising sign, as some of the better Japanese restaurants Ive visited, tend to specialize in a very few number of things, but strive to do it well.
There may be some fusion elements as other reviewers mentioned, but I get the impression its a more ingredient driven restaurant with preparations that deviate slightly and conservatively to more traditional Japanese cooking.
Ive read their dinner menu is more adventurous, and it might possibly be a more rewarding time to go instead of lunch. For my experience, I am reviewing the bowl of ramen I had there. I’ll get right to the food.
Pork ramen with miso broth, ground chicken, green onion, nori seaweed. Approx $ 16. Dish rating 37%
Overall this wasnt terrible but not something I could say I enjoyed very much. There were some positives, like the quality and quantity of the pork slices used. However the broth and noodles were a let down. I’ll focus on different components of the dish. I get the impression that approach might be toned down for local palates with less aggressive flavors and a broth thats not too hot in temperature.
Temperature was deeply problematic and my least favorite. The broth was served just mildly hotter than warm with very little visible steam on the surface. Trying to pull some of the broth from the bottom did not get the broth significantly warmer. It was not hot enough by a considerable degree. I would have returned it if not for the fact that I was with company. It reminded me of the temperature you might find in Tsukemen broth, but this clearly wasnt that.
Flavor of the broth was slightly more subtle than Id care for. Its a moderately sweet flavor and a little salty that comes mostly from miso, but I could taste the presence of Nori seaweed as well. The fermented flavor of miso is more muted, and I struggled to discern the flavor of pork in the broth. The consistency of the broth is lighter for ramen in general and not too heavy. I found it to be the equivalent of healthy food as far as ramen goes. The broth was by no means offensive but neither was it exceptional.
The pork is done well although not quite my favorite. I like that portion size is more generous. They are thicker, tender slices that are a joy to chew through. The meat is moderately porky in flavor and seems to be of a better quality. I did find it a bit too lean and not as fatty as Id like. By itself, its solid, but I think the ramen needed a more aggressive component to bring up the otherwise tepid broth. I did not understand the need to add ground chicken. However it is also my rigid belief that any other meat other than pork does not belong in ramen period.
The noodles were not that great when it came to texture. These are medium thickness noodles. They seemed more soft and almost had a mushy quality than Id prefer. It lacked the more chewy texture of noodles Id usually prefer.
Value is not a strong point considering the execution overall was not so much to my liking, and the price point is significantly higher than average at $ 16 before tax. Portion sizes are reasonably large, and I do appreciate the larger slices of pork however.
Service is okay. The servers seem slow to initiate things in the beginning, but it was more attentive afterwards.
I dont recommend ordering the ramen here and might suggest trying other items instead. Seldom have I had good ramen from an establishment where thats not the main focus, and in this case it’s no different.

In needing a quick trip out of the city and in search for some delicious Japanese food, we ended up at Iyasare on a Sunday night. While we had a reservation, it didn’t seem to really matter since it was relatively quiet when we walked in around 7pm. After taking a quick scan through the menu and asking our server what was recommended, here is what we went with:
Crispy Brussels Sprouts: The shrimp crisps in this is really what made this surprisingly delicious. I loved the smoked bacon and black vinegar soy glaze that came with it too! I didn’t get too much of the charred apple purée, but I did notice it being on the sweeter side than your traditional bacon + brussels combo. I also loved the togarashi powder that was served alongside!
Smoked Hamachi Sashimi: SUPER fresh hamachi served with some DELICIOUS pickled mushrooms and beets. The fish cuts were a little bit for sashimi, but when eaten with all those delicious garnishments, it was a surprisingly filling dish.
Kakiage Tempura: Easily THE BEST thing I had all night. I’m usually partial to shrimp tempura, but after having this, I may convert myself over to kakiage for awhile. The addition of the shrimp was also a game changer, and the entire thing was fried to perfection. The dish itself is sort of on the larger side, so sharing this is highly recommended. And, don’t forget about the dipping sauce and side powder garnishments when you eat these — it definitely completes the entire experience!
Okonomi Pancake: When I was growing up, I was too afraid to try okonomiyaki. Part of it was that it had far too many ingredients that I didn’t like, and the mayo and bonito flakes were always the most off-​putting parts of it. That being said, with our trip to Japan coming up, I thought this would a great time to break out of my mold and go for something new. I couldn’t be more happier in trying this. The pancake is definitely a hearty item, and comes with some presentation flair on a piping hot cast iron skillet with ponzu poured in at tableside. The shrimp and scallops in the pancake are plentiful and the whole thing definitely has a lot of weight to it. I would recommend this if you’ve had okonomiyaki before — you won’t be disappointed!
Midori Dessert: I love tea cake, especially Japanese tea cakes. Light, fluffy, and not overly sweet, this dessert was a perfect way to end our night. The sweet miso cream and kinako crumble were definitely highlights for me. I love kinako on mochi, so to see it on a dessert made my heart smile. Not only that, but the dish itself was presented beautifully. The addition of the dill was sort of strange since we weren’t sure if we were supposed to eat it or not, but we finished everything.
Service wise, everything came out in a very even tempo, and we never felt rushed throughout dinner. Our server was on point in her recommendations for food and the number of dishes we should order. It was such a nice experience to come across a Japanese place that highlights some of the more uncommon Japanese dishes like kakiage and okonomiyaki and not the stereotypical sushi rolls or yakitori. I would definitely like to come back to Iyasare and try a few more other things, but namely for that Kakiage Tempura!

A little pricey, small portions, but if you can afford a splurge, your tongue and tummy will be in for a treat.
Each dish is presented at the table with an explanation of the ingredients and where each ingredient came from, what they eat each day (and whether their food is organic or locally grown), their family background going back four generations, personal testimonials and recommendations from friends, and at the end of the presentation I feel like I’ve gotten to know the food so well I can’t really bring myself to eat it.
The kitchen is open, and from where we were seated, we could see the team working with nuanced precision to prepare each dish. I especially liked watching each dish being garnished before it is brought out for formal introductions.
I had mentioned that the portions are small — this works out well in your favor if you are in for an absolutely delightful sensory experience for your mouth. We overheard the staff recommending 3 entrees for a party of 2, and the portion sizes do support that recommendation.
I won’t bore you with describing each individual dish, except that I will mention the hamachi sashimi melted in my mouth, and the wintermelon ponzu in the maguro was a very pleasant surprise.
Oh, and by the time we got home from dinner an hour later, both kids were hungry.

It pains me to give this place a 3-​star review since almost everyone else is raving about it. Let me start with the positives: 1) this place is definitely date-​place worthy. Dim lighting, exotic meant-​to-​be-​shared dishes (I wouldn’t necessarily call them tapas) and crafted cocktails to wet your whistle; and 2) the service is on point. Everyone who served us and bussed our table was nice and helpful.
Now on to the food part of this review.
I wasn’t overwhelmingly impressed by anything we ate here. Our server recommended 4 – 5 plates to share between my husband and me. The plates are slightly larger than what you would traditionally get at a tapas restaurant. Here’s what we tried.
–Brussels off the Daily Osusume menu: cooked with bacon and served with what was essentially fried shrimp shells. These were OK… they came with a dipping sauce, but overall just bacon and brussel sprouts pan roasted and seasoned.
–Maguro Dake off the Sashimi (Raw/​Salad) Menu: four huge pieces of big eyed tuna with crispy quinoa, seaweed and chili ponzu. This was also OK… the fish was fresh and melted in your mouth and the crunch of the quinoa gave it a nice texture. The seaweed was too fishy for my liking, so it was not really consumed. I didn’t really taste much chili ponzu on this. Not what I was expecting.
–Kakiage Tempura: THE BEST ITEM WE ORDERED. These shredded vegetable tempura treats were so delicious. It was recommended by our server and by many other Unilocal reviewers… lives up to the hype.
–Two dishes off the Grilled menu: Scallops served with bacon-​wrapped tomatoes and tempura mochi (a very odd combination…) and the Miso Cod. I found the Cod to be too fishy and lacked a whole lot of flavor. The Scallops were better but still not impressed.
For a place of high date night potential, I honestly expected more.

Iyasare was a nice change of pace from our usual SF outings, coming here to Berkeley with a group of friends on the evening of the Fourth of July. The fog had certainly rolled in by then, but by golly, you absolutely could hear each and every firework crystal clear!
On with the show — our group shared the following items:
–Okonomi Pancake: Savoy cabbage /​black tiger shrimp /​scallop /​bonito flakes /​mentaiko aioli /​chili ponzu
–Fried Brussels Sprouts: Bacon /​cauliflower purée /​shiichimi /​bonito /​citrus
–Spicy Mentaiko Spaghetti: Reef squid /​jidori egg /​yuzu kosho /​shiso /​garlic-​ginger butter
–Maguro Tartare: Big-​eye tuna /​avocado /​fermented mizuna and cucumber /​spicy miso /​chili oil /​rice chip
–Grilled Portobello: Confit portobello /​edamame /​romano bean /​haricot vert /​garlic chip /​balsamic teriyaki (did not taste this)
–Agedashi Tofu: Silken tofu /​wakame seaweek /​bamboo shoot /​lotus root /​bonito soy broth
–Softshell Crab
–Shioyaki Branzino
–Kakiage Tempura
I enjoyed just about everything, particularly the okonomi pancake and the maguro tartare, each exquisite dishes. I’m always a fan of okonomiyaki! The softshell crab was also quite good, and the fried brussel sprouts with bacon surprised me how tasty they were.
Another big surprise — which in part is associated with SF life — was a relief at how «inexpensive» our final bill seemed, comparatively speaking. That alone is influential for city folk to return here!

All I do is eat eat eat! How am I suppose to ever loose weight? (Kanye shrug)
Found out Berkeley has a new Japanese restaurant open. Where have I been? Established in 2014? Tardy for the party…
Of course another Birthday dinner in effect! how else would I get to eat everything on the menu? HA!
Reservations for 7 please.
Easy to find on Fourth street, as the restaurant itself stands out shining bright like a diamond.
Intimate setting, but also can be a casual set but dressed to impress. Menu is impressive but portions seemed small. Not sure if the chef’s idea is to serve tapas style? but using big plates with small portions doesn’t work well in my opinion. Too much space on the table, and of course $$$. Anyhoot what did we order?
2 of each please
**MAGURO & FOIE GRAS big-​eye tuna /​shaved foie gras /​avocado purée /​lemon-​tamari oil
**HAMACHI CRUDO blood orange /​fresno curl /​endive /​satsuma kosho /​onion ponzu
**SEASONAL CITRUS & KALE SALAD mizuna /​mandarin /​cara cara /​kale chip /​chamomile /​meyer lemon
**ROASTED * TEMPURA * STEAMED
AGEDASHI TOFU silken tofu /​wakame seaweed /​bamboo shoot /​bonito soy broth
**SUMI GRILLED * SAUTE * PAN ROASTED
HERB OIL POACHED ALASKAN BLACK COD nameko mushroom /​savoy cabbage /​umami duxelle
**SCALLOP marble potato /​scallion /​potato purée /​bottarga /​bacon-​miso cream
**OKONOMI PANCAKE savoy cabbage /​black tiger shrimp /​scallop /​bonito flakes /​mentaiko aioli /​chili ponzu
**BUTA CHARCHU tamari braised pork belly /​asari clam /​pea tendril /​pork bone broth
**SPICY MENTAIKO SPAGHETTI reef squid /​jidori egg /​bottarga /​kaiware /​shiso /​garlic-​ginger butter
Everything was Amazing, so I will spare you my (boring) details of how I ate good, and I will be back! Thanks again Iyasare!

The service was such a shame. Seriously, it was enough to drop my review down to 2 stars.
Here’s the scenario. We walk in after calling first to ensure there was a table available for 2. The manager sat us at a table outside on the patio. For over 10 minutes, we watched all of the servers pass by without ever acknowledging us. The busser was the saving grace here. He brought us water, turned on the heating lamps, and was the one who approached us later on concerned we still had our menus. He went to the hostess as they all looked ridiculously confused. Finally, a guy whose name I won’t mention to save him from embarrassment ran up to us and did not even bother to tell us the specials or go over the menu like he did with other tables. It’s not our fault that you got stuck with another table or had no idea we were a part of your section. No apologies offered whatsoever.
Anyhoo, our water was never refilled by him. He refilled his other tables but left ours dwindling to the bottom. The busser, once again, did that for us. When we received our check after paying, the server who swiped our card asked if we wanted more water. Um, too little too late?
The servers who dropped off our food explained the items with such little care. It was like a game show with who could speak the fastest while walking away. Wow. I hate to drop the «I used to be a server card» but seriously… this was beyond ridiculous.
Onto the positives…2 stars belong to the food. The food was excellent. We ordered 4 items which were beyond delicious. I wanted to hate it… but my tastebuds couldn’t help it.
Things we ordered:
Maguro and foie gras — what a combo… perfection.
Ocean umami
Uni risotto — probably my least favorite dish
Buta charshu
For dessert, we ordered a marshmallow, Fuji apple, caramel corn dish which was also delish.
Even though the food was great, I won’t ever find myself back here or referring this restaurant to any of my fellow Unilocalers. Thanks but no thanks.