Consistently good. Usually get the sushi set but have ordered the karaage and a soup- always huge portions!! Great sake selection, too.
As a native Japanese, I highly recommend B-dama. If you are looking for non-authentic "value" Japanese food, then this is not the place for you. If you want the real taste of Japan, then wait in the line if you have to for their real flavors of Japan. Sushi I tried were great, as well as Yakitori, but what I really loved was the ability to take the traditional flavors and meld it with local ingredients, and take it a step further. It's not fusion. This is a true evolving Japanese cuisine.
The casual version of Delage with creative Chef Chikara-San who is from Oita prefecture originally. Regular menu is all stable and good with reasonable price, but if you do special order well in advance you would enjoy variety of Wagyu dish, tuna head grill as we as Nakaochi scraping from huge tuna bones. Great combination of Hokkaido Uni and fresh Nakaochi, and you can make a hand role.
I love B-Dama with all my heart, been a customer of theirs since their restaurant on Piedmont Ave opened. If I could have them cook for me everyday, I'd be in heaven. The set lunches/dinners are some of the best deals around, with a generous portion of fish or other protein, a little salad, a bowl of soup, a nice serving of steamed rice, and another little side of veggies. If you manage to eat the whole thing like me, congratulations on joining the glutton's club!
I'm also a big fan of their tofu salad, with a creamy miso sesame dressing, seaweed, and a brighy hued, spicy oil that brings out a nice contrast to the coolness of the tofu and salad. Their hand rolls are made to order so everything arrives fresh, delicious, and beautiful to boot. Their udon or nabe hits the spot on a chilly day. My husband rotates his meal choice whe we come to Swan's Market, but I'm always in the mood for B-Dama!
Teriyaki chicken to go but I ate at the market. The chicken and rice was great, the miso soup, salad and beans were not so good-the miso soup is always amazing, just not this time. Plus so many sauces between my plate and my coworkers that we didn’t know what sauce went with what dish lol She ordered (FYI) veggie tempura lunch, well rang up as shrimp but no shrimp add extra veggies (wish I had a pic) because barely any veggies and still charged the same price. I’ve definitely had better experiences from this spot. Maybe it was an off day or just too busy.
I always enjoy eating at B-Dama for lunch. The food is light, fresh and so full of flavor. Everything I ordered has been delicious.
Tried the vegetable udon for dinner. Was really tasty with the dashi broth. Very mildly flavored and hearty. Would get this again.
I just became a fan of chicken wings!!! Not usually my favorite dish but they had me sucking the meat off the bone. Everything else was excellent also. Dining is in a shared seating area with three other restaurants so it does have a market feel. Although their sushi menu is not huge it is always a pleasure to eat.
For me this is the most authentic Japanese food in Oakland. Inside Swan's Market, the B-Dama counter serves up quality dishes at affordable prices: fish collars, nabe pots, sashimi platters, chicken karaage, fish and meats grilled over traditional charcoal hibachis, and an ever-changing menu of daily special menu items, as well as a wide selection of Japanese sakes and a couple beer and wine choices. They also have several very nice bento lunch sets. If you want a more upscale setting and an intimate and amazing 7- or 8-course omakase-style meal, check out their Delage around the corner from B-Dama.
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