Ichiro

Ichiro is the kind of place you dream about stumbling upon. Nestled on 15th Street just off Broadway sits this small shop. When you walk in you see Ichiro behind the counter making his delicious sushi. His infectious enthusiasm is, well, infectious and I ended up chatting with him about Japan for the better part of an hour. What started as me trying to find a place for a quick cheap bite turned into discovering a wonderful shop hidden away in downtown Oakland. For the food, let's start by saying I ordered the chefs nigiri special and got so much more than I expected for the price. The meal began with a remarkably good miso soup with thin noodles. The dashi was rich and the miso had a good flavor. A short wait later and I was presented with this gorgeous nigiri plate. The pictures may not do it justice, but these were some large nigiri. When I saw the size, I was worried as sometimes large cuts aren't as good. But here, the fish was great and the size just helped fill me up. To top it off, they gave me a delicious cooked salmon dish that was the perfect foil to the raw sushi. I have rarely had such a good experience in terms of cost, friendliness, and quality as I had tonight at Ichiro. I know I'll be returning to Ichiro on a regular basis. I suggest you give it a shot. Oh also the wasabi, while it wasn't fresh because... affordable sushi, was still a cut above the normal homogeneous wasabi flavored horseradish paste you find all over. This wasabi had that texture to it that makes it feel a little better and taste much better.

Ordered the Nabeyaki Udon noodle soup here and it was DELICIOUS-- very flavorful broth, lots of noodles, vegetables, and chicken and fish cakes. Veggie tempura is light and crispy. Fried chicken (karaage) was also delicious. Love that they're open for lunch as well as dinner. I also love that this is a small family establishment! Definitely worth supporting.

One of the most underrated food joints in Oakland. When i first came here i was skeptical given its location and all, but boy was I pleasantly surprised. Food taste amazing decent sized portions 10/10, I usually go for the veggie stuff but the co-workers who come with me always have good things to say. Service 10/10, Very clean, friendly & polite staff, got to love the Japanese cultured when it comes to customer service. Location & Atmosphere 7/10, not in a friendly looking street, but nothing to worry about, very good casual place to get food, not a romantic place for sure, more casual friends, family and co-worker situation. P.S: Go for the green tea, tastes amazing and it comes in cool looking cups!

I try to make it over here at least once a week and wish I had the time to go more often. They are super friendly and every roll I've had has been excellent. The nigiri is consistently flavorful and filling. All-around one of my absolute favorite places to eat not just in Oakland, but in the entire bay area.

We have been coming to Ichiro's for over ten years. It's reasonable and convenient to downtown, on a pleasant side street. The chirashi has gone up in price, but is still great, with lots of thick sashimi slices, and some of the best sushi rice around. we also love the combo options, especially fried oysters, if they are available... ask for them... so crisp and tasty.