Utzutzu, Alameda CA

Solid omakase at a small 8 seater hole-in-the-wall befitting the $140pp (pre tax, tips, drinks, extras) bill.
Overall we enjoyed the food and experience.
Now the constructive criticism: two pieces of nigiri had way too much wasabi, and the other non-nigiri courses could have more flair and distinctive flavors.

I would like to share my unique experience with this restaurant:
I was thrilled to see this restaurant suddenly availability 2 weeks again for 2/5 at 8pm so I quickly took it since it's my husband’s bday weekend.
It was only on the day of that I realized that I had actually only got one seat (yeah I know, it was my fault that I didn't recheck my reservation again for details). Since the restaurant had 48 hour cancellation policy, we knew it was too late to cancel/alter my reservation. We decided to call them to see if they could accommodate 2 people instead of 1. Unfortunately, no one answered the call for the entire day. We ended up deciding to drive up to the restaurant from south bay a little before 7pm, hoping there's bit chance that the chef could still accomdenate us.
We got to the restaurant promptly at 8pm. I told the waiter about the situation and below is whole conversation:

Waiter: “let me check with chef to see if there's anything we can do. Normally we wouldn't be able to accommodate you if you have reservation for one. ”
Me: “ thank you! ”

2 min later:
Waiter: “sorry we might have enough fish, but not enough appetizers”
Me: “thats completely fine! I can just skip appetizer”

Another 2 min later
Waiter: “sorry we still can't do that. ”
Me: “i understand. Can I then pack my food to go? ”
Waiter: “sorry we don't have to go containers”
Me: “oh I can go get some containers”
Waiter: “sorry we just can‘t pack your food to go”
Me: “i will be just having it downstairs in the car”
Waiter: “No. ”
Me: “Alright. Then can I have my food at the table and share it with my husband? ” (pointing to their cozy little dining table by the window)
Waiter: “no you can’t”

At this point, I am clueless. It started pouring outside but we seemed to have ruled out all the options.

The nice waiter finally said: “ I am really sorry this happened. What I can do for you is to cancel your entire reservation tonight and NOT charge you for the penalty (aka the entire meal’s $$$$). ”

He paused for a moment and continued: “but you are BANNED from our restaurant for the rest of your life. You will not be able to make any reservation with us. ”

I was so humbled and grateful by the generous offer. How dare I, someone so careless in making reservations in the first place, dine at such prestigious Japanese restaurant!

We left. In the rain. My husband got me some pickled fish for dinner. It was not raw fish, but I think it was a good bday dinner anywayz.

A nondescript door and an unimpressive stairwell lead you up to a surprisingly swanky room with a sushi counter. The $145 prix fixe menu gave a lot of nigiris, a lot more than I expected and I felt very full by the end, I think we were served about 15-20 pieces. It was very high quality and each one was unique and delicious. I highly recommend this!

The food was fresh and with high quality ingredient But I didn't enjoy the mango ice cream dessert. The place is a little bit hard to find. Also the price went up to $145 since this Dec. But overall I recommend this place If you want to try authentic omakase with reasonable price.

It was a really amazing meal. Thank you Chef and everyone. All together there was about 20 or 21 items handed to us to eat. About 14 nigiri + 7 other dishes. The first an impressive Oyster Shooter had real gold leaf in it. My personal favorites were the Scallop, Wagyu, and Shrimp Nigiri. Chef uses unique flavors like yuzu, lime, garlic chip, flavored salts, to really make this a 5 star meal. The value for the cost is amazing. I don't usually eat so much fish so I was struggling to finish it all. But it was really an amazing dinner. Uni has never appealed to me, until my time a Utzutzu. To finish we were given a Mango Sorbet with maple, coconut and shisho leaf. It was unique and refreshing and a wonderful finish to the meal. The "Happy Anniversary" signs in the sorbet were nice as I had forgotten I put it on the reservation. But they remembered.

The menu changes often, monthly or even daily. Don't be picky here. Just sit back and try new things. If you have allergies let them know 2 days in advance ideally. But it was very nice that chef asked us if we had any allergies or items we didn't want to eat as we were seated.

There is only 6 seats total (at the sushi bar). It is very intimate and you feel like you are dining as a group. Seatings are at 5: 30 and 8pm and reservations book up 6 weeks in advance. Because of the small space it felt almost inappropriate to take photos. We just enjoyed the moment but here is 1 photo for memories sake. I always keep the Menu information.

Had the pleasure of enjoying a great dinner prepared by Chef Hiroto and really enjoyed the food. Everything was well prepared with immaculate presentation. I appreciated that alongside some staples of the omakase experience, there were complimentary dishes and nigiri which venture into the more obscure types- it truly made each bite its own adventure and everything was interesting to taste. The service was great as well! Thank you for the wonderful dining experience and look forward to coming back sooner than later.

Best omakase around. Highly recommended if you appreciate seafood. Well worth the waiting list. I would happy eat here again.

The food was good and high quality! For this price point, I wouldn't say it was outstanding or particularly memorable compared to other higher end sushi places though.

Had a great Omakase dining experience with Chef Joji. I was surprised this little hidden gem is in Alameda bc we always drive past it but never noticed it.

PROS
-Incredibly fresh & melt in your mouth sushi
-simple but beautiful presentation
-enjoyed the menu and chef’s selection of fish
-This is probably one of my favorite spots for Omakase
-I liked the limited seating arrangement
-great location
-everything was perfectly balanced and didn’t feel heavy/rich tasting. It was just the right amount of food and I was content.:)

I love Utzutzu. The food is delicious the atmosphere is great. Employees are happy. Fun place to eat. We started our celebration for my daughters birthday having breakfast and they helped us celebrate by bringing a pancake with candle and the staff sang happy birthday without us asking for it, a complete and awesome surprise. What a wonderful way to begin the day. They made her feel very special.

The food is always fresh and tastes delicious. It's our go-to Mediterranean restaurant. One of the best in the valley! I recently found out they have been providing free meals to the elderly during COVID too. Love this place!

They are currently available for delivery via Postmates only. Tuesday - Saturday, 11AM - 7PM. Considering that their line can get really long, this is somewhat of a blessing but that's if you are able to place the order.if it's too busy, they stop taking orders. Thus, you have to find the right moment. We actually drove there (as we were outside of the delivery range) and parked across the street. The app said it was "too busy" so we went over and asked if they were going to open it up again. They said they would, in a few minutes. So we managed to place the order and had the Postmates delivery driver just bring it to the car (Postmates allows you to use your "current location" to order). Victory!

Great place to have lunch
I'm going there once or twice a week very clean and yummy with great menu and prices highly recommend.

Delightful experience! Coffee amazing.food delicious and our server was friendly! We will be back.

There are not enough words to describe this place. I love coming here for breakfast. The food is amazing and their prices are not bad. I love their coffee! Whenever I go, I always order their french toast with scrambled eggs and bacon OR their huevos a la Mexicana. You won't regret coming here for breakfast. If you're ever in Glendale, check this place out!

Beautiful decor that matches the exquisite neighborhood. The food was traditional which I hadn't had much of but met friends of ours who reside in Miami and they helped with the recommendations. The plantains were by far my favorite part of the meal, caramelized and not overly sweet. Their menu is extensive and I will definitely try something different when the next opportunity arises.

I probably go here once a week. The staff are so nice and the ramen is so delicious. I love having a local place that you can just hang out at and eat good food or order takeout and feed the whole family. Oh and the egg rolls and to die for.

I found the fountain of great Cuban cuisine. Versailles has something for everyone.from the Cuban sandwich and coffee to the snapper that I had. The flan is the bomb!

Service and ambiance is great. For delicious food you have to put on your list.

Came here for lunch with the work crew and I fell in love! Their nachos are done with plantain chips and pulled pork. The seasoning was on point. I had the octopus bowl. The octopus was very tender and the portion was generous.