berkeley sushi

Peter H. wrote:

>I know this has been asked and answered many times....but what's the
>best place for sushi in Berkeley?  Not necessarily the most gourmet,
>etc., but the place that hits the price/quality/quantity sweet spot...
>

Perhaps I'm not the best person to answer your question because I have no tolerance fro mediocre sushi. I will gladly pay a little more or wait a little longer for first class sushi.

That said, both places I will suggest are reasonable in price, though not cheap.

The first is Kirala at Shattuck and Ward. This is a large,friendly place with many tables and a large bar. The main problem is that the wait can easily be an hour or more at busy times.

The other great place is Sushi Banzai on Camelia. This is much smaller than Kirala, very friendly with first class sushi and no need to wait in line. Run by a friendly chef who likes (and plays) reggae music. The clincher is that it's really close to the Pyramid. It's just too tempting to wash the meal down with a pint of DPA.

I ended up going to Genki, and was not disappointed!  I thought the prices were reasonable and the quality excellent.

Jonathan K. wrote:

>Definite preference here for Genki, even over Kirala, even with the
>television on (which has never bothered me--though we usually sit at a
>table, out of TV range). Certainly a different vibe than Kirala--like,
>barely any vibe at all--but superlative sushi/sashimi. Had terrific
>mirugai (giant clam) there recently, something I've never much liked
>before. Great ama ebi too. We've never had a problem getting in--compare
>that with Kirala for a laugh--and have seen it full up maybe once. Good
>place to drop in, therefore, on a whim--though it's pretty pricey. Very
>high marks indeed.