Sushi California

Nice quiet spot, service was terrific. Sushi was amazing, with generous portions, Yum.Thanks!

Unfortunately I have to update my 5 star review to 2. Before the new management this was our go to sushi place. But our last visit will be our last. They made the rolls smaller and kept the price the same. As well as substitute a lot of the fresh large pieces of fish for imitation crab filling. The rolls we ordered in the pics i posted a year ago look nothing like this.49er roll had no salmon on it at all and no lemon. When called and complained said they ran out of lemon... we picked our order up 30 mins after opening.

The definition of a hole in the wall. Or maybe hole in the ground is more apt. Half-embedded in concrete, flush with the sidewalk, Sushi Cal might be mistaken as an abandoned lot-- nope, this humble restaurant is fully open and has been for the past 30+ years!After visiting both pre- and post-pandemic, I still think this is the best spot for budget sushi. Prices have somehow stayed low without undermining quality. Their cooked dishes tend to run a little bland; the sushi is what you should be coming here for. I've had a variety of rolls and nigiri here with no complaints-- Fish is good quality, veg is fresh, portions are good. And the service is excellent, their staff are always welcoming and highly attentive. Every so often, they have live musicians playing to add to the cozy atmosphere. Very pleased that this local favorite is still going strong.

Sushi California never disappoints !! The nigiri sushi we ordered were all fresh as always!! The fish were cut at the right thickness, right level of moist. The sushi rice for the nigiri is plumped and balanced with the right amount of sweet and vinegar, thus bringing out the natural umami in the fresh fish. Every bite is to die for. My most favorite (my husband's too) is the Hokkaido nigiri, and amaebi and then hamachi, saba, hotate, in that order, but we love everything here. The Hokkaido is salmon sake on Shiso leave topped with a mountain of Ikura--it's their special. The amaebi is big and sweet; comes with the head fried tempura style and you can eat the whole thing. When you bite into the shrimp's head covered in the fried tempura batter, you get hit with all the shrimps yummy insides (which maybe isn't for everyone, but for those looking for that, come here now!) My two kids love the fresh dungeoness crab California roll and purple potato croquette the most, but they love everything! The service is just awesome! You'll always be greeted by the chefs and everyone working there when you walk in. The ambiance is perfect with the lights dimmed and relaxing beautiful live music, even my three year old boy was relaxed and happy to sit through dinner! My seven year old daughter loved the food. She was eating and humming to the music. It was a great night!!

Excellent very fresh sushi. Their hamachi is great. The California roll was made with real crab. Service was attentive. Ambiance is casual. Prices are reasonable. They have a good selection of sake. I would definitely recommend it.

This is a wonderful local sushi spot. I especially love the shiro maguro with the garlic under the tuna. So delicious! It's fun to visit on the nights with live music.

Great hidden gem in Berkeley with authentic Japanese food. Great sushi bar and friendly owner

Overall a solid sushi place! For the most part, the sushi rolls were delicious. However, there were moments where the chefs literally just stared at us as we ate, which was uncomfortable. And one of the two chefs sat down and hung out with some guests. I wouldn't mind this if there wasn't a 30-minute wait between when we got our third and fourth rolls (I checked the time stamps of the photos).So, here's my take on each roll:- Una Avo (6 pieces, eel + avo, $10.25) - pretty good. Just a little messy rolling.- Uni (1 piece, $8) - hard to go wrong. It was incredible as uni is.- 49ers roll (8 pieces, shrimp tempura, avocado, salmon, fish roe, lemon, $16) - I really liked the addition of lemon. It was unique, refreshing, and not too sour. Also had an ample amount of salmon on the exterior. Highly recommend this roll.- Dragon (8 pieces, ebi tempura roll wrap, eel-avo-fish roe, $17) - I was disappointed by how the eel was laid on the roll in small pieces. I'm used to the outer seafood pieces completely covering the roll.- Crab (8 pieces, crab, avocado, mayo, fish roe, $16) - They use real crab. Maybe a little heavy on the mayo, but the crab was very fresh and good.Generally, all of the rolls had great flavoring but not the best presentation. The rolls didn't seem tightly wrapped.TIP: Sushi California doesn't appear in the right place on Google Maps. If you're walking down University Avenue away from the university, make sure to keep walking and go around the corner. You will see the restaurant across from the Valero gas station. What's interesting is that the restaurant is a little sunken into the ground..EDIT: I fixed the location on Google Maps!

The omakase in this restaurant is very delicious. The chef's workmanship is superb, and each dish is not only fresh, but also beautifully presented. Both the choice of fish and the combination of textures are amazing. If you're a sushi lover, it's definitely worth a try. The environment is elegant, the service is attentive, and it is a very pleasant dining experience. I highly recommend this omakase.

This place has gone downhill badly under new management. To put it mildly, food is not prepared with love, more like haste and cheapness, If you want a quiet Japanese vibe don't bother coming here.