kiraku

husband-and-wife daiki and sanae saito opened kiraku more than four years ago, bringing the izakaya (or japanese gastropub)experienceto berkeley. the location was attractive because of the cheap rent, but the food they deliver offers a refined touch to the traditional izakaya. i was doing some research on izakaya in the east bay, and kiraku has been on my list to try. being closed two nights of the week didn’t help in my schedule, and their notorious waits on the weekends scared me off. but recently i finally dropped by on a weeknight soon after it opened at 5:30 p.m. to check it out.

i can not stress strongly enough that kiraku is a must visit in berkeley, california. this has been the best diningexperienceof my life. arguably the best japanese place in town. we started the meal with some jellyfish and squid, which were all refreshing and healthy. i have never tried jellyfish before and was squeamish to take a bite, but thanks to kiraku's robust marinade, i found myself finishing the entire bowl. the uni took me by surprise upon my first mouthful. the flavors were amazing! the uni here is as good as the ones you can get in japan. the grilled squid has just the right balance of flavor and tenderness. the grilled beef intestines were truly an unforgettable experience. other recommendations are the roasted beef tongue that melts in your mouth and the incredibly tasty pork skewers. the croquettes, pork with egg and the rice with the delicious broth were all superb. everything on our table was inexplicably delicious. i'd travel back to berkeley just to dine in kiraku once more, that's for sure.

although kiraku gets busy, there's an efficient serving system that keeps diners moving through, which is very helpful since the line can reach up to 2 blocks.