Rikyu

A very formula «Japanese» restaurant that is just acceptable, barely. The formula is stuck in the ’70’s, the upgrades are no iceberg lettuce with 1000 island dressing– it took 40 years to serve spring mix with miso dressing– don’t stop here. I’m sure my dinner is available year round no matter the season. Fish tasted old and was over cooked — I would not eat raw fish here or at any of the formula Japanese. What really kills are the packaged «baby «carrots that were on my plate. I am giving this poor restaurant a hard time — you could be something– you’re not so sorry.
Don’t worry I won’t be back.

Location: Stuck in a small little plaza on College — Spent 10 minutes circling around before finding a tight space three blocks away. and spent another 10 minutes walking back to the restaurant.
Service: Sooo bad. The servers are definitely not present. At one point, I only saw customers and no employees for about 5 minutes, and everybody was looking for a server.
Food: Decent; definitely not the best I’ve had. Spicy tuna roll was decent but not spectacular (like Geta or Shimizu) but the tempura udon was really good. Super light broth, a ton of noodles, and perfectly fried tempura. If I were to come back, I would probably get the noodles again.

This restaurant is a horrible place. The owners are assholes. They don’t give waitresses the tips and the owners keep all the tips which is illegal. They can get sued for keeping waitresses tips. I used to work there that’s why I know that they keep the server’s tips. So don’t tip when you go there!!! The husband is Japanese and the wife is Chinese bitch!!!

Went here with some friends over the weekend, expecting a relaxing night out. It was, until my wife sent back one of her sushi rolls that she just didn’t like. At any normal restaurant, this is a no-​brainer… take the plate off the table and the item off the bill. Did this happen? No. The owner came over and refused to take the item off the bill, thereby adding an awkward stress to an otherwise pleasant night. No bueno.

I’m not a big soup guy, but Rikyu’s chicken soba soup was on point. Simple in its ingredients, the assortment of mushrooms and broth really brought out the flavor of the chicken which was fresh and not at all gamey.
The rolls were fairly common to most sushi restaurants– but a good side order to the soup and made with fresh tasting fish.
Our server was also very friendly and prompt. In all, a great and affordable sushi and soup/​soba/​ramen option in the College area.

Nigiri Salmon and Tuna were SO good. The roll I chose (eel) and the gyoza not so much. But this just makes me think I should stick with the classics.

Love their tempura! The batter is so light. It’s a little expensive but the quality is there. The young man who waited on our table was especially nice. Since my wife and I both ordered vegetable tempura, he was nice to inform us that the dipping sauce was made with bonito in case we were vegetarians (we’re not). Nice gesture.

I got the tempura udon because I was craving something hot on a cold day. The vegetable tempura was AMAZINGLY, but the udon was just okay. They did not give a lot of noodles for the $ 14 that I ended up paying.

Really surprised at the great reviews, the food is average at best. Had maguro sashimi, dragon roll and steak teriyaki. Dragon roll tasted like it had really old eel, steak was cold and bland. Maguro was fine. The service gets zero stars because it was sooooo slow. She even brought the appetizer garden roll AFTER everything else. I’m not going to judge them on this night because I think they were under staffed, the one waitress was every where. But there was no excuse for the bad food.

Don’t come here if you’re hungry. I ordered the sashimi lunch combo for $ 16 + $ 3 tip (because I’m nice) which comes with rice, salad, soup, and the sashimi (albacore, tuna, salmon). Even though the sashimi was delicious in taste and texture, the portion is not worth it at all and I left unsatisfied. You’re better off buying a can of tuna from Safeway. They give very small portions and they are also overpriced. I don’t think I will be back… :(

Fish was fresh but small portion. We ordered $ 130 food for 3 people, but mainly only 2 people eating it and we didnt feel full. We didnt order any alcohol. Just sushi combo, couple nigiri including Amaebi, ankimo appetizer, Grill squid was SUPER DRY. DONT ORDER IT.
Servers were not so good. We need to keep asking them for tea. We ordered couple different fish nigiri and the server just left the plate on our table without telling us what kind of fish it was. Servers didnt know what fish it was, the chef had to come out to tell us what it was.
First time visit and it will be last time visit.
2 cars window got broken, so be careful people. Dont leave your valuable stuff in the car. I felt bad for the them

Felt misguided by Unilocal this time.
Quite night for a weekday dinner. Sushi was just regular sushi, nothing amazing. Nothing really stood out, was hoping it’d be a potential place I’d be able to go to satisfy my sushi craving, but I don’t think it will be.
I got the spicy crab asparagus roll and the asparagus was old and stringy, hard to chew through.
Service was nice. However, the other people dining there were quite clumsy. One table spilled hot tea and the other manage to spill cherrios everywhere on the floor. I felt bad for the waiter and waitress.

This was supposed to be Review #510 but I confused Rikyu from Mitama and accidentally posted on the wrong restaurant T. T Possibly my biggest Unilocal fail… anyways, copying and pasting my review in its proper place. (This interesting shows how identical Japanese restaurants can be).
(Supposed to be) REVIEW #510 – not necessarily my favorite restaurant in the 510, but because I happened to arrive at 510 and I believe this is the only restaurant in the 510 that I have yet to review (I went through a mad Unilocal phase last summer and completely caught up reviewing all the places in Berkeley/​Oakland that I stuffed my face with during undergrad).
Rikyu is one of the better sushi places in the Berkeley area. The fish quality is decent, and presentation is crisp, simple, and beautiful. I got the chirashi ($ 20) because I felt like splurging. It satisfied my chirashi craving but was nothing mind-​blowing. I have the same thoughts with the ambiance: cozy and clean, but not something like the much ambiancey Kiraku that would blow you away (insert Spirited Away pun).
Tip: there’s a gated parking lot shared with other businesses in the back. Finding street parking at the Elmwood area during dinnertime is no easy task. Thankfully I had noticed via Unilocal that there is private parking, and I just had to ask the server to open and close the gate. Paying it forward in useful Unilocal tips!

Deliscious fresh fish! Go for the specials on the board, wild salmon and toro! Tempura was light and yummy. Futomaki was HUGE! Miso and Udon soups were tasty. Will definitely go again!

Easy parking, great location, very good sashimi. The rolls (ordered by OTHER PEOPLE in my party) were a little skimpy on the fish, but that’s OK because if you’re eating sushi, JUST GET SASHIMI! People: rolls are fine, but the only way to each raw fish is just sashimi. Don’t mess around with rice and seaweed. I think the OTHER PEOPLE in my party need to woman up.
Service is friendly and fast.

Rikyu has made it onto my short list of go to places in the East Bay for quality sushi. In an area with many options, they are one of the better establishments. The chef offers a list of daily specials (I had the wild caught Coho nigiri) listed on a chalkboard. I ordered the sushi lunch special this particular Saturday afternoon. The spicy tuna roll had good heat, with chunk chopped tuna pieces not the mushy paste you get in some places, in other words you can taste the fish as well as the seasoning. The nigiri selections were all optimally fresh, with a nice portion of fish to rice. Rice was also seasoned correctly which other some places seem to ignore, but it’s an important aspect. Tamago was silky smooth and fresh. The starter salad had a nice assortment of greens, radicchio, onion, cucumber, and a creamy ginger dressing. The miso soup also had a deep layered richness indicating a homemade dashi stock.
The interior is bright and cheery, and the hostess/​waitress friendly and prompt.
Give it a try if you are in the area it is worth a stop!

While the service is pretty slow, the good is great and the prices are reasonable. We got:
–Shrimp Tempura App
–Nabeyaki Udon
–Maguro Nigiri
–Tako Nigiri
–Uni Nigiri
–Spicy Scallop Roll
–Grilled Mushrooms in Sake and Butter
The mushrooms were awesomely amazing and one of the best dishes I’ve had in a month. The sushi was fresh and not overly expensive and the portions were large. The Udon had a great broth and noodles and a big prawn, several pieces of salmon, chicken and a perfectly poached egg.
We also had a hot tea which was really good.
The bathroom is outside, the whole complex seems to share two. You need to get a key before you go. This place doesn’t have a lot of seating and was really busy on a Sunday so I can only imagine what a weekend looks like.

Rikyu is still my favorite Japanese restaurant.
It’s an oasis of tranquility, beautiful food set to a classic jazz soundtrack.

This place is so ridiculously simple that it is exactly what I am looking for when I want a sushi experience. It is tranquil, clean and homey. It is not boisterous, happenin’ or incredibly stylish. It’s the kind of place where I’ll bring someone who I actually enjoy conversing with.
I can also tell that it is right up my alley just by glancing at the menu. There are just 2 – 3 pages to it and no glamourous, marketing photos of rolls that resemble animals ie catepillars, spiders and dragons.
On a recent visit for about $ 83, I ordered a multiple of dishes to sample. Some cooked, most raw, kind of like a do it yourself omakase. A very nice flow of eating, which keeps things very interesting.
Shichiken Sake– A very good, dryish sake to sip with the legit fare here. Love the tiny glazed porcelain cups they use. ½ bottle $ 19
Mixed Mushroom $ 6– Enoki, Shitake and Beech shrooms are cooked in a foil pouch with butter and sake. The sauce that exudes and literally bathes the shrooms are out of this world good.
Nigiri of Kanpachi ($ 6), Katsuo/​Bonito ($ 5) and Amaebi ($ 7) Very nice cuts and perfect size. Fish was of definite quality. The crispy fried heads of the amaebi were a dynamite crunch factor that added immensely to the coursing of the meal.
Aji/​Horsemackrel Sashimi ($ 14) Probably one of best I’ve ever had. It was so supple, it was like eating heaven in fish form. All it needed was a micro dip in the soy/​wasabi mixture and a sip of the crisp sake. Wrapped some of the final pieces with the garnishing Shisho leaf and definitely added a brand new dimension.
Miso Grilled Hamachi ($ 8) Super nice char but after having Iroriya’s marinade in San Jose, this just seemed suffice, not over the top. But solid nonetheless.
Nigiri of Wild Sockeye Salmon ($ 6) and Toro ($ 12) Both were of divine quality and was a perfect capper to the tasting menu. The Salmon, outside of the vivid color had a great firm, lean texture. A great contrast to the meltingly buttery texture of the toro.
I’m gonna be reg here in no time, believe you-​me!

Gee, I didn’t know chef Tatsuya Koyake came from Kirala. I love Kirala. Had I known, I would have bellied up to the sushi bar and tried the result of his artistry. But I came to Rikyu quite by accident when I was looking to try the Ramen Shop up the street and found out it wasn’t open until 4PM. Ah well, maybe next time. In the meantime, I waltzed into Rikyu, which early on a Saturday afternoon, was quite empty except for a small party in the middle of the restaurant. I sat at a small table toward the side where I was still hankering for ramen, so I decided to order the $ 8.95 bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen (photo:
).
What was interesting was that ramen was not part of their main menu. I just saw it on a chalk signboard on the sidewalk (photo:
), so I was a bit nervous this was going to be a pilot experiment for them. It turned out to be quite good with a broth that was surprisingly rich in its infusion of pork and chicken. A tad sparse on ingredients, I think a couple more slices of pork would have made it even more satisfying. As a chaser, I treated myself to the $ 8 Chawan-​Mushi because I can never seem to pass up a steamed egg custard when I see it on the menu. Since I assume it’s a pain to make and it requires at least twenty minutes to prepare, not that many Japanese restaurants offer it.
So after finishing up the ramen, it came out steaming in a traditional ceramic cup with a cover (photo:
). It was molded to a water-​based flan-​like consistency mixed with organic chicken, gingko (really?), fish (unspecified) and fish cake. Maybe the more accurate way of describing it is as a Japanese version of aspic. I think it’s an acquired taste for some, but I like it. I’ve always liked it when I could get it even if $ 8 does strike me as a bit steep for the portion. I assume that was Koyake-​san behind the then-​unpatronized sushi bar (photo:
). Service was OK, nothing more, with the waiter a bit spaced in his manner, but that didn’t distract me from the quality of the food. Definitely need to come back for the sushi when I’m in the East Bay again.
FOOD — 4 stars… ramen quite rich and tasty, chawan-​mushi up to par
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… clean, quiet, not much to say beyond that on a Saturday afternoon
SERVICE — 3 stars… a bit asynchronous
TOTAL — 4 stars… worth trying again if just for the sushi next time