Isobune Sushi

Isobune may be gone, but Takara (in its place) is really good!
Go there.

Um, I hardly ever post reviews but, I feel absolutely obligated when a place makes me sick for the SECOND time! We went out to eat with some friends and our kids. We live in the neighborhood. They suggested Isobune because it’s great for the kids. I cringed because the last time I went there I spent the entire next morning on the toilet. They told me it was under new ownership, so I figured it was worth another shot. THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED this time! I have eaten a lot of sushi in my time and have never, ever been sick before. I spent the first half of my mother’s day in the bathroom while my husband took our soon to the park. Luckily, my mother’s day was resolved by a lovely bbq at our place with some friends. However, I will NEVER GO TO ISOBUNE AGAIN!

I lost my raw-​fish virginity here. Once when my dad and grandmother visited me in Berkeley, we came here, and my grandmother (may she rest in peace) insisted that I try a piece of hamachi. Prior to that evening, I’d dreaded the thought of raw fish. But to appease her, I took a bite — and I’ve been a sucker for sashimi ever since.
Isobune is also where I took three girl friends (not girlfriend, but girl friend) out for Valentine’s Day dinner one year (also in college). Another time, I went with a friend and his girlfriend, and sat at the bar eating off the boats. I ended up with a stack of plates higher than their two stacks combined!
I haven’t gone there as often since graduating — the one time I took my wife and kids about a year or two ago, service was slow, but food was still good.
I don’t know how the food and service is nowadays, but you know… you never forget your first time.

Read the reviews about sushi floating around out to sea for days and health. Yeah I agree. If it looks dry — don’t eat it!
So — why do I love this place? Simple. I can go here starving and sit down and start chowing down on some of the best damn sushi around. How? Simple. Make friends with the chef — he (they) are right there and willing to make anything you want fresh! Just ask!
All you need to do is ask, in fact, they are willing to make experimental sushi for you if you want — be creative with your rolls. I sorta enjoy going on off hours and have the ability to talk and ask questions and get «samples» and «tastings». One time the chef served me maguro and it was a bit stringy — he noticed and took it back! Literally grabbed it from me and gave me several better slices! Now that is care and service.
This isn’t a great place when it is crowded — it is a bit small and people bring snot nosed kids (no offense about kids) but parents who allow their kids to touch everything because they think they experience life that way… come ON! This is a sushi bar! Touch it and you eat it.

When they first opened (in the early nineties) the conveyor belt sushi craze was still pretty new — and IsoBune was a hip, happenin’ hot spot.
We loved it back then. It sounds as though there is a name change — and maybe a management change, too.
Back in the day they also had a private tatami room which was great for a large party.

I’ve been here many times. The service is prompt and curteous, but I wouldn’t say friendly and genuinely warm. They have a sushi boat thing that they keep well-​stocked. There are two or three sushi chefs in the middle working away.
I recommend the odd-​looking mussels. I have no idea what they are called, but they are large, and warm, and cheesy and creamy, which is not that common for Japanese food.
My dp likes the sushi, and I think he knows his stuff. I like it too, but in this regard, his opinion carries more weight.
We like the dragon rolls, california rolls, ebi, maguro and pretty much everything we’ve had here. The edamame isn’t overly steamed or overly salted. You can order lots of rolls. I’ve had two or three, and they were all good.
I would like better signage. Not all of us have an innate knowledge of what that brown shiny thing on the blue plate is. Spell it out for me like I’m three, please.
Also, I like the tea, and they are great about keeping you refilled, but often it’s just TOO HOT to drink.
The parking is horrible, as is most everything on College Avenue in that area. I just hate that, though. When you’re hungry, you just want to park and eat. Grr.

Isobune’s clean, has a wide range of go-​to Japanese fare and in a great location with a minimal wait-​time…
Isobune’s also overpriced, kind of bland in its taste, and did I mention overpriced? They’re consistent, and when you’re craving chicken teriyaki in Rockridge, they’re not a half bad place to go… But, they certainly don’t come to mind when I’m meeting up with friends for Japanese…
Tip: If you’re going to order the bento box, try not to do so when you’re getting it to go… They definitely skimp when you’re getting it to go…

I used to love this place… now I fear it.
It slowly and sneakily went from good and cheap to bad and expensive. How sad.
We ONLY go here when there are lots of people (which isn’t too often anymore). We figure the sushi gets «refreshened» more often. Gross huh? Anyhow, we’ve also learned that if we drink enough it kills the E. Coli on the way down…

Middling, middling, middling.
(see also: Zachary’s Pizza)
You won’t find me here.

I always call this place Lisa Bonet. Say it aloud — it sounds just like it.
So, the husband and I went here once and got teriyaki. Yes, I know that this place is known for sushi and I ordered completely wrong. But still I have to judge it based on what we got, and that wasn’t so good. We never went back the rest of the 6 years we lived in Rockridge either. On the plus side, their floating sushi set-​up looked nicer than most.

We came here at the insistence of my four year old. Once the novelty of the boats wore off for the kids (after the first couple of minutes), we were just left with a lot of below average to inedible «sushi» items in front of us and a hefty bill (considering we didn’t eat most of the items that were pulled off the boats).
What a waste. But what did I really expect? High quality sushi on little colored plates floating around on boats? Even if the Chinese «sushi masters» were wearing head bands with the rising sun on it …

Isobune was my first introduction to sushi. Yes, I thought fish crept out of the water onto boats to be layered with rice, stale avocado, and crabmitation meat.
Fortunately my palate expanded proprotionately with my income (and sadly my waistline) to experience the joys of Kirala, Ebisu, Akino, and Koo.
Seriously, this place will do fine if you live in Des Moines (HEY, YOU LIVE in DESMOINES, WHY ARE YOU EATING FISH?), or have a two-​year old who will be captivated by the boats cruising around.

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Made-​to-​order sushi’s excellent,
But on boats it’s often green.

OH NO, I DIDN’T. Coming here was wasting an opportunity for good food.
Never do we just hang out in this neighborhood. Coming to Berkeley, much less out to Rockridge is usually a special trip.
When there is Zachary’s, Tachibana, that burger place I can’t remember but smells wonderful, there is no need to suffer the worst sushi ever.
The salmon was ridiculously salty, the beef teriyaki smelled funny, the tempura was triple breaded, the avocado in the temaki was brown.
Wow, this place is really bad.
2 stars for not getting stomach flu. I thought for sure it would happen.

I didn’t want to believe the other Unilocalers but when we took my grandma here for her 82^nd birthday… I felt like a bad grand daughter! We were seated right in the front, the sitting/​waiting area! Thank goodness it wasn’t packed (I’d be damn if it was) else everybody in the waiting area will hear and see what we eat and stuff.
It was just weird over all. The service was ok… food…I liked KATSU way better and also the prices… eh…
Oh did I mention our food came with flies? My bro said it was because it was hot… I don’t think so!
In the end… if you like cheap, weird and it comes with flies as your entertaiment… this is the place to be!

We actually meant to go to Uzen but the wait was about an hour so we went to Kirala where there was another long wait so we just drove around until we found an uncrowded Japanese restaurant. I wasn’t expecting much because I normally like to go to places that friends/​people recommend. I’ve been to the Isobune in SF’s Japantown and I just looked online and this one is part of the same chain although my cousin claims that the prices are different. Toro at the SF location was about $ 5 – 6 and here the chef said it was $ 9.95! Eeeek!
Their selection of rolls is fairly small but the fish taste much better than the ones on the revolving boats. We had the poki roll which is spicy tuna topped with poki which they were very generous with. We then had the Lion King which fell apart very easily but was still creamy and delicious. We also had the shrek roll which had some raw fish in it but covered with avocado sauce — a little weird.
This was a decent Japanese restaurant… obviously not the best but enough to satisfy a craving.

During a conversation about sushi with a co-​worker who grew up in Japan (and frequently visits his homeland), the topic of revolving-​boat sushi came up. I asked him if it was popular there.
His reply was, «Naaaah, that’s played out… Now it’s all about sushi served by robots.»

So does that make boat-​served sushi seem pleasantly quaint? Or painfully outdated? I’ll tell you one thing: make sure you pick that Unagi up within the first two go-​a-​rounds of the boat-​train, or your answer will surely be the later.
Oh, and anyone interested in funding a robot-​served sushi bar startup– let’s do this thang!

I went there for dinner the other night. I was greeted promptly by one of the waitresses and invited to sit at their sushi bar.
After settling down to a warn towel, I was not too appealed by the sushi roaming around on the boats. I guess the Sushi chef saw me and asked if I wanted anything. I ordered a Spicy Tuna handroll, which was «okay.» One thing that was disturbing, however, was that the tuna seemed a little brown on the inside… not red… whatever
I ordered a salad from the kitchen. While I was eating that… I overheard the waitresses speaking to themselves in Chinese… which isn’t very appealing in a «Japanese restaurant».
I finished the meal off with a 3^rd plate before asking for the bill and leaving. Total damage done at the restaurant: $ 14.75 after tax and tip.
…won’t be back though

gag me.

It’s been hit or miss at Isobune. Sometimes I go and the sushi bar is interesting and tasty. Other times, I sit for 20 minutes with nothing going by that is appealing.
I recommend requesting what you want as the chefs are very accomodating and other hungry customers have the tendency to grab what you want before you can get to it.