Kushido Yakitori

Sadly, this delicious restaurant is no longer open.
My boyfriend and I finally decided to try Burma Superstar, but guess what? Super long wait + being starving is not a good mix. We decided to walk to see what else was in the neighborhood. We decided on Kushido since we have never been. This place was PACKED, but I could tell something was up since half for the things were crossed off of the menu and staff seemed to not be in the best of moods. Finally our server, sadly explained to us that that was their last night and that the owner was opening a different «asian fusion» place in the same spot, but she didn’t go into much detail.
When we found out that it was their last night, we obviously ordered one of everything on the menu and it was all delicious. From the calamari, to shrimp salad, to agadashi tofu, to the yakitori everything. I would go back if I could, but instead I’ll just eat this stuff in my dreams.

Overdue review: I’ve now been here twice, once after giving up on the line at Burma Superstar and the second time to explore more of their menu (we were drawn back by the bacon wrapped scallops. Amazing!). Everything we had was fantastic and, since it is tapas style, you can control your portions and budget pretty easily. Their skewers, across the board, are amazing and the one ramen we had (black ramen, it was a special so may not always be on the menu) was the best I’ve had in the east bay. A great date spot with a mellow vibe.
Note: As one reviewer notes, the restaurant is currently closed for remodeling (as of 10÷9÷15) but plans to reopen. The note on the door does not give a firm date.

CLOSED!!!
I am pretty sure this place is out of business!!!
I’ve been past it 2 or 3 times in the past 2 months and the Door and Gate is locked and there is some kind of note on the door but I didn’t read it.
No one knows the status because the owner is too stupid to even run a business. First, he has NEVER even had a proper web site for this place. (It should be a law that any restaurant has a proper website — AND NOT FACECRAP!!!)
Secondly, if the place is closed (Which it is) The owner has a responsibility to update all these rating sites like Unilocal to inform them (And the public) That he is out of business because he’s too stupid to run a business.
Unilocal itself has some responsibility in this — Unilocal should have to periodically monitor these listing to keep them up to date — so when a place goes out of business it says so on Unilocal.That way people don’t waste their time to go there and when they show up they find out it is closed.

A hidden gem on Telegraph! I highly recommend getting the salmon and hamachi carpaccio, tonkatsu ramen, croquettes, and as many skewers as you can. The food is very delicious and the staff is incredibly friendly.
Surprisingly, there is absolutely no wait (even during prime hours) and there were many seats available even though the food is on par with other popular izakaya spots around town.
The best part about Kushido is that it’s very affordable. My friend and I only spent around $ 40 total together for at least 6 – 7 dishes! Just remember that these are very high quality dishes that I’d say would’ve cost more than $ 80 at other locations.

I’m having a tough time deciding how I want to rate this place. It’s probably more like a 3.5 but I’m actually going to have to round down on this one. The service was ok and the food came out timely which is great. But the flavors and texture were just ok. Nothing really blew us away and we tried many items on and off the menu. We tried grilled items, menu items and specials on the board. The atmosphere is definitely cute and there wasn’t a wait so those are bonuses. We probably won’t be back but it was nice to try at least once.

I came here with a couple of friends a month or two ago.
Very nice décor, nice and welcome. Server greeted us right away with a friendly smile.
First time here, but my buddy was a regular. He had saved a half bottle of sake from the turn before and we make really short work of it. Yakitori here is pretty awesome, for those who don’t know, it just like tapas on a stick. We had a assorted bunch from beef tongue, beef, chicken, chicken heart, skin and different items I really can’t remember after three bottles of sake. Overall a great time, really good food, a large selection of sake. Be warn, it’s not cheap. The party of four we had walked outta there $ 400 less. So can’t say it was crazy expensive, we ordered everything and a lot of sake. But it’s certainly not cheap eats.
Can’t wait to return and drink all their sake supplies out.

Awesome traditional izakaya and yakitori experience. Value could be a little better, as most their skewers range from 3 dollars and up. Their daily specials are in the money. Great ambiance and great service. Everything on the menu was executed really well and seasoned to perfection. Pairing with an extensive import beer and sake list results in perfection. I was really impressed with the chicken skin, the chicken liver, the okonomiyaki, and the clams in sake broth.
The only drawback was that there wasn’t a dry-​salt option available for the skewers. The single option available was for soy based sauce. Most places will give you the option of either or. However, since the execution was so good, I still thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience here.

Great place for some izayaki and beer and sake! Has a fairly authentic Japanese feel, and food is decent enough. Enjoyed the squid, rice ball, yakitoris. Great ambience. Will be back.

Good Izakaya with good mood.
On a Friday night, it wasn’t too packed, so it wasn’t too noisy. I loved the quiet and cool ambiance.
One tip before I get into the review — they sauce all their skewers in a sweet soy based sauce. Personally, it’s a bit too sweet for me and it makes certain things soggy. I’m also a firm believer of meat tasting best when it’s seasoned with just salt and pepper. Sauced is the default, unless you ask «shio only». For things like chicken skin, I like it to be crispy, so the sauce not only overpowered the flavor, but made it soggy.
Their meat is top notch. The prices are a bit steep ($ 3 and up per ONE skewer) especially for the beef which is $ 5 for one skewer, but I’m glad we ordered it because it was melt in your mouth delicious. Honest to god, soooo good. Another standout was the beef tongue and the pork belly with salt only.
If you order enoki mushrooms or scallop, they come bacon wrapped. They don’t tell you on the menu (or maybe I missed it) but keep that in mind.
Inevitably, their were some disappointments. We ordered a tuna poke ($ 10), which comes in a small martini glass. For the price, I expected either more or better taste. The quail egg was nothing spectacular and not particularly hot. I would skip those items.
We filled up with salmon ochazuke (rice in hot dashi) at the end. The bill was about $ 70 with a bottle of sake. Not too bad, but might be a bit steep for heavier eaters.
Overall, very good and I would definitely return.

Nice little trendy place in Oakland. The setting was inviting and they had specials written on the walls. I can’t remember any of them for the life of me but they were named after something you’d question whether or not they were eatable. Lol!
We came on a weekend and service was quick, seated right away and the waitress answered our questions right away. The food itself was delicious. We ordered ramen and some appetizers. The prices were affordable.

Skewers and small plates make for a delicious date night.
Dishes on the menu included skewers, cold, hot, grilled, fried, and noodle dishes. Yakitori come with one skewer per order and the small dishes contained enough for about two bites for each of us. We ordered 9 skewers and 5 small dishes and that seemed to be enough for the two of us.
Each skewer ranged from $ 2.50−3.50 each. The bf thought that some of the skewers were a bit bland, but I felt it had a nice, slightly marinated taste to them. Favorites of ours were the chicken skin and the bacon wrapped enoki mushrooms skewers. Chicken meatball skewers are usually a favorite of mine, but I found theirs to taste too closely to a breakfast sausage.
Other small dishes were ordered were:
*Buta Kakuni ($ 8) — Served with half a soft cooked egg and a bed of greens, the pork belly was tender and delicious in a slightly sweet sauce.
*Chicken Karage ($ 4.50) — Moist, tender, with a slight crisp on the outside.
*Mussel in Garlic Butter ($ 5) — Though it wasn’t what we were expecting, it was delicious. The mussels were deshelled and in a delicious garlic butter sauce. It was served with bread slices for spreading.
*Deep Fried Oysters ($ 7) — Good. Served with a side of aioli sauce.
Service was nice and friendly. We were greeted when we walked in and seated at a small table. The bf doesn’t like to be seated at small tables so they were nice enough to move us. Service was friendly and they made sure our sake glasses were filled.
WHAT TO KNOW:
*No wait a little after 5:30pm on a Friday
*Table, bar or communal table seatings
*Prices are a bit more than other yakitori/​izakaya restaurants. Our bill was $ 95 pre tip which included a $ 30 bottle of sake.
*Check out the specials on the large wall chalkboard. I think they change on a monthly basis.
*Street parking which was a bit challenging to find

Kushido definitely puts the «yak» in yakitori. Their skewers lacked flavor, the proportions were small and underwhelming, even for tapas. Very overpriced for the quantity and quality of food, unfortunately. Pretty inconsistent, some plates were winners and some should have never left the kitchen.
The bad:
Don’t try the chicken meatball skewer, it tastes like a breakfast sausage, no lie. The chicken breast skewer wasn’t anything special. (If you’re expecting two skewers, it’s one tiny skewer per serving) The tempura calamari was on their special menu, concept sounds pretty cool, but the result was soggy and stale. Their serving size were ridiculously small, even the ramen.
The good:
Their bacon wrapped skewer and their agedashi tofu were both pretty tasty. Waitresses are a bit awkward, but friendly. The décor is nice, it’s a bit dark, but I get it.
There’s definitely better places in Oakland for yakitori.

Four months old. Serves things just like the local izakaya place by Park Hyatt in Tokyo, which I had returned from a week ago. Imagine how ecstatic I was to discover this place. I was hoping that it might catch on Ippuku craze, just north of here. Kushido does a very interesting offering that is completely, exactly mimicking the real Japanese Izakaya joints I had been to rcently. Yakitori on one side, small plates on the other. To satisfy American taste, it also has ramen. It’s basically heaven.
To show N what I had eaten in Tokyo, I attempted to replicate what I had ordered: chicken skin, chicken liver, pepper, pork belly and other weird but great tasting things on stick.
We also ordered the soft tofu and spinach, as well as the black cod and squid.
And yes the rice ball. It is exactly as I had remembered.
Beer in a bottle seemed delicate and delicious. Japanese knows their beer like they know their whisky.
Staff members were fantastic. The owner came over to chat. Bringing a bottle of warm sake to boot. It was just perfect. In Japan, nearly every night I ordered sake because it was delicious and the weather was cold outside.
It felt so much like an authentic, non pretentious izakaya place one would find in Tokyo. I’s hard to really describe it other than me saying to N, «Less than 10 days ago I was in Tokyo eating exactly the same thing.»
With a great deal of yummies, you think you might want to skip on trying new things, but don’t. The price is reasonable, just like Japan.
N and I often eat in San Francisco after work, coming here on a weekend just reaffirms my belief system. People in Oakland are friendlier and more earnest. It offers better food. And in return, it’s hard to not love Oakland after a while. It’s not that second cousin any more, it has long arrived at its own main stage, and now talented chefs are just busy honing their crafts and cooking up delicious treats.
Anyone who’s still doing the Oakland to San Francisco comparison clearly has not gotten the «that’s very 2013» memo.
Stop that. Now go and get your Tokyo fix in.

I was reallllyyy in the mood for ramen, so after searching Unilocal for a new place to try, I was drawn here with it’s high reviews.
We came around 5:45 so seating was easy to find. We ordered the chicken karage, squid legs, and tonkotsu ramen each. The karage and squid came out first. The karage was juicy, but I do wish there was a sauce that came with it. The squid was ok, a tad on the chewy side.
Now for the ramen. It was average. The broth wasn’t too rich, and the noodles were fine. But overall, I found the bowl of noodles to be lacking.
Service was friendly and the atmosphere was nice.

Wow! This fairly new Yakidori place is a must try. Me and my friends decided to try this restaurant as we craved Yakidori and Japanese beer.
And guess what. We are definitely coming back for more. Their beer and sake selection was excellent. They even have the rare Hitachino Red Rice beer. Calamari steak goes perfect with Hitachino. Unlike other restaurants, their Calamari was not overcooked but so plump and juicy. Braised pork belly with spinach was my second favorite. We also ordered various Yakidori and appetizers and they all had well balanced and wonderful flavors. We wanted to try their famous Donkatsu ramen but it was sold out. We are definitely coming back. Hopefully, they will have Donkatsu ramen left for us next time.
Overall, I am very happy to find this restaurant. I would definitely recommend this hidden gem to everyone!

Yakitori is seemingly simple but so hard to master. I feel like I haven’t had it as good as in Japan (well, duh) and not because I want to be an I-​went-​Japan snob but because there is some technique, resource, something that is lacking when people try to recreate it here.
Aside from that, the skewers need more salt, especially because there’s no additional (charcoal?) taste that adds to it. Most of the meats were cooked nicely at least and weren’t overly chewy. My favorite was the sausages.
Other things I tried were the beef tendon, chicken udon, eggplant agedashi, and onigiri (salmon and plum). I wish I had the onigiri with my skewers instead of after since there was so much rice. The beef tendon was cooked PERFECTLY and tasted like it was in a Chinese stew.
Service needs a little work. It seems like multiple people service multiple tables. We had to flag our waitress a couple times to get things we needed and the udon came out a little late (we thought they forgot but they didn’t). I do like the intimate, darkish décor and the chalkboard painted walls with the specials written on two sides for people to clearly see.
The restaurant was busy because there were two group reservations but other than that, it wasn’t too hard to get a table for two of us. I imagine it getting busier like many of the restaurants on Telegraph.

I am a staunch supporter of Ippuku in Berkeley but it was time that I put them to the test against the new kids in town. I heard about Kushido a couple months ago from a nice preview write up in the Chronicle so I was looking forward to going here for a while. I was hoping to be able to add to my mental roster of Yakitori places I could go to. Sadly it did not live up to much. If anything it cemented Ippuku’s place at the top of my Yakitori list and restaurants in general.
We were greeted warmly to a nice looking room. I loved the huge chalk board with the nightly specials written clearly. It was a cold room and they had a number of small heaters along the floorboards. It didn’t really help but luckily we were all dressed warmly. The server was pleasant enough though she did forget a portion of the order which worked out because in the end none of us were pleased with the food. 2 of the three of us had been to Ippuku so we had a bar set whereas our 3^rd had never had yakitori.
We ordered a number of sticks. I did like you could get 1 stick per order rather than the typical 2 but the pricing was a dollar more per 2 sticks than most other places. So it was surprisingly more expensive than I thought it would be. They do have a nice selection of Japanese beers. You’ll need them to wash down the flavors that get brought to your table.
The specials were good that we ordered. Poke and a black cod dish. The poke was clean and had a nice spicy finish to it. The black cod was simmered or steamed. It was rich flavorful and buttery. Very well made in my opinion. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there. They really go heavy with a teriyaki glaze on everything which was a disappointment. It really ruined it for all of us with the wings, skin, and thighs we ordered. They did make a really nice rolled chicken breast with shizo. It was juicy and the shizo worked really well. The things where the glaze would have helped were the hearts and liver which came unseasoned. I had ordered the shrimp which never arrived and the server admitted she did not write it down. At that point it was fine and I passed on it even though she nicely tried to correct her error.
In the end all of us agreed that we weren’t planning on coming back but it did help us know where the bar is set for yakitori in the future. Ippuku is still high on my list obviously and Nojo is my go to in SF. Izakaya Sozai you are next on my hit list don’t let me down.

I stopped by a couple weeks after they opened in early November.
Nice to have another yakitori spot after B-​dama dropped their skewers. They have a variety of hot and cold dishes from the kitchen in addition to their grilled items (

) as well as a decent selection of sake and shochu.
I got a handful of skewers (
) They were out of chicken skin the night I stopped by.
— Tsukune (chicken meatball) was one long meatball vs. other pictures that have several smaller balls on the skewer. This was moist and flavorful. My favorite of the night
— Momo (thigh) a bit dry
— Gyutan (tongue) nicely seasoned, but tough
— Nankotsu (cartilage) nice crunch. I wished I’d ordered it with sauce
Karaage (soy and ginger marinated fried chicken
) was juicy, but a little bland.
Stewed Beef Tendon off of the chalkboard specials (
). This was tasty, but it was like a gelatinous soup with not much texture and seemed overcooked to me. Maybe a different style, but definitely cooked down more than other stewed tendon dishes I’ve had (e.g. B-​dama).
Service was very friendly and they brought some marinated sprouts as a freebie (
)
I’ll be back to see how their food is progressing and to try their ramen.

I was Chilling at the Pad and wanted to eat something a little Different so I checked my Trusty Unilocal App and up popped Kushido.
I jumped into my Whip Black Beauty and rolled to Uptown Oaktown and Kushido. I parked across the Street. No Parking lot. Just Street Parking and rolled in .
I was greeted by My Server Genevieve she was really nice, attentive and a wealth of information. She really knows Kushidos Menu.
Kushido is a Izakaya –which is Basically a Japanese Tavern –with a menu of Small Dishs for Munching on while Drinking. Basically a Japanese Tapas place.
Which is cool to me. I like my meals to be a bunch of different tastes and textures.
Kushidos décor is Wonderful its a lot of Dark Hardwoods and has a very Upscale feel to it.
I think it would be a Great Date joint.
I asked my Attractive Server Genevieve if I could sit at the Yakitori Bar. No problem .
I like to sit at the Bar because that is where most of the Magic Happens .
Yakitori loosely translates to Skewered Food.
Genevieve left a few Menus for me to Peruse .
When she returned I ordered — Assorted Tempura Plate
Kushi Katsu

Skewers– Pork Belly
Asparagus Wrapped with Bacon.
Shrimp
Corn on the Cobb
Shitake Mushroom
Japanese Sausage.

My Tempura and My Katsu came first, They were cooked perfectly. Packed full of flavor.
My Skewers were delivered to me by the Authentic Japanese Chefs. They were quite friendly.
My Favorite Skewers were the Asparagus Wrapped Bacon, Japanese Sausage and the Pork Belly of course .
My Server Genevieve Proved to be a Valuable Resource. I had arrived later in the evening so they had run out of some Menu Items .
Genevieve suggested Ochazuke with Salmon and Buta Kakuni. So I took her up on her recommendation’s .
Those 2 Plates Genevieve recommended were the Bomb. She Can be my Menu Tour guide anytime. I really enjoyed talking to her. She has a nice outlook on life.
I also got to meet the Other Server on Duty Sean. He was also very nice.
I also had a great Conversation with one of the Yakitori Chefs. He was quite entertaining .
I will definitely return and let Genevieve be my Menu Tour. I’m confident I would be in good hands .
FYI –Kushido is still in their Soft Opening Phase.
I paid by Visa and Rolled out.

Ok so… wow! This place did not disappoint. Very chill atmosphere, sat at the bar ordered various yakitori: cartilage, gizzard, thigh (chicken), bacon wrapped scallop, bacon wrapped asparagus, and Wagyu! seriously… all amazing! Ordered also the assorted tempura, batter was perfect. I cant wait to come back and try the ramen and some of the sashimi offerings.

I’ve never been to Japan but when I walked in and experienced this place I felt like I was there. Sake, beer and wine only. Thank you Kushido!