Iyasare — Restaurant in Berkeley

They have outdoor dining, which is nice. When I placed my reservation, I opted for the "heated patio" (which isn't covered, so if it's raining, that probably won't be an option). The seat I was in didn't have any heaters nearby, and had a plant taking up a lot of my personal space, which was annoying. Also the music was too loud where I was sitting; but the patio is VERY cute aesthetically.

This was a Friday night, so they were fairly busy, and so food and drink was somewhat slow to come out. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The cocktail I ordered wasn't well balanced, and left something to be desired; but requesting and adding some simple syrup improved it. I'd suggest sticking to sake based on that.

I tried the ramen and the omakase ($75). The ramen tasted good, and the hot sauce provided on request really took it up a notch.

The omakase is only 12 pieces (which the server informs you of, it's not a surprise), which was less food than I'd expect for that price. The quality of the fish was great, but I'd have expected more for that price point; I'd be fine paying more to get more with omakase. It also came with some pickled fish that I'd have preferred to do without, and have more nigiri instead. My partner felt like they used more wasabi than she preferred, but I enjoyed that part :)

There was plenty of street parking available near this restaurant, so that was nice. Overall, I'd say this place has a lot of potential, and is very cute, but I'd personally prefer to...

We went when they opened (at 5:30) on a Saturday. While many people reserved, there were a few walk-ins (like us). If you are going to arrive any later than 5:30 on a weekend, I woud recomment reservations. So for the appetizer, we orered the Iyasure Kaklage Tempura. It seemed mostly of sweet potato, but it as fine with a nice presenation. Our family went with ramen. I went with the vegetable shoyu ramen and the rest had the chashu miso ramen. The vegatable was good but I wish they had a vegan version. It is always disappointing when you are in the bay area and the menu doesn't offer a vegan option. The chashu was salty for my wife and my kids thought it was "too many vegetables" in it. It would be nice if they offered to serve the vegetables on the side for children. Other than that, the serving size is rather large so go hungry or be prepared to throw a lot of food away or take it home with you. We ordered a roll but it never came (though we were charged for it). The service was good though as the waiters were always quick to fill the water and the drinks came quickly. Costs will run you about $30-$40/person + drinks so it may be spendy for some. Not sure if we will return and if we do, we'll likely try the rolls as they looked good as the waiters were brinking it out. My kids said they will not eat ramen in a place that doesn't...

I absolutely LOVE this place! It's a place I meet with my mother a few times a year as she also loves this place. The food has always been amazing. Some items do change but there are staple items that remain in the menu that I order each time I visit. It may sound simple but I do love these miso Cesar salad. I also love and have to get the Kakiage Tempura with black tiger shrimp. This is a must get item. Get it without the shrimp if you cannot eat shellfish, it is still amazing. It comes with togarashi, seaweed and match to flavor it up more if wanted. The poppo yaki is another item I always order. The marinated squid is tender and delicious! Another item I like that is very simple but tasty is the agadashi tofu. From there many other items get ordered. Ikura rolls, uni, and tuna belly. They offer different ramen bowls and each is flavorful and filling. The Suzuki yaki (sea bass) is very moist. My wife tends to get the donburi bowls which are beautifully out together and fresh seafood. I usually end the meal with an order of the unagi but the desert change and are also delicious. This is a must visit restaurant. It is pricey but the quality and service is worth it. The atmosphere is vibrant and ambiance is electric. They offer bar seating, indoor and outdoor seating....