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Joshu-ya Brasserie Reviews List
Joshu-ya Brasserie
Joshu-ya Brasserie was launched in 2011 by Rising Star Executive Chef Jason Kwon from NYC. Drawing from his diverse culinary background at Eat Savory and Couteaux Review, Kwon brings an interesting take on his seasonal menu based on Asian inspired California cuisine.
The brasserie offers a seasonally driven menu, featuring the freshest sustainable seafood products available in the market. Notable dishes include our fluke crudo, day boat scallop carpaccio, provincial tartar of ahi, braised rabbit, black mussels with chorizo, crab and lobster porridge.
In addition to our seasonal brasserie menu, we also offer a bar menu, which features maki, tempura, gyoza and other traditional japanese sharing dishes.
See more Joshu-ya Brasserie details
The brasserie offers a seasonally driven menu, featuring the freshest sustainable seafood products available in the market. Notable dishes include our fluke crudo, day boat scallop carpaccio, provincial tartar of ahi, braised rabbit, black mussels with chorizo, crab and lobster porridge.
In addition to our seasonal brasserie menu, we also offer a bar menu, which features maki, tempura, gyoza and other traditional japanese sharing dishes.
64 Current Reviews
Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews
Overall
(Very Good)
3.7
/
5
Rating Breakdown 64 reviews
5 stars
(12)
4 stars
(31)
3 stars
(16)
2 stars
(2)
1 star
(3)
Food
(Very Good)
3.9
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
3.6
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
3.4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
Filter Reviews By:
Diners classify this restaurant as:
- fit for foodies(32)
- neighborhood gem(31)
- great for outdoor dining(30)
- special occasion(19)
- good for groups(15)
- romantic(10)
Joshu-ya Brasserie Reviews List
Review 1 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
I am generally very forgiving...but
Food
(Poor)
1
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"This was a genuinely awful dining experience. In fact, after trying 4 of the tapas plates (none of which we continued to eat past the first few bites); we canceled the rest of our order and left. Everything tasted like old fish-and none of the items we ordered had any sort of seafood in them. In fact, when we approached the restaurant through the tiny courtyard, the smell of fish was already present; and inside the restaurant even more so. I believe that is a sushi restaurant no-no. I'm a firm believer that good, fresh fish should not smell; and even if it does a bit, any establishment should work to control that with great cleaning and cooling of the product: Sushi 101! Again, I am generally forgiving and rarely write a bad review."
Dined on 6/09/2013
2004
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Review 2 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Fresh High Quailty Fish
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Fish is flown in from Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market! The sashimi was top notch! Notably amongst the best I've had. The staff was attentive and friendly. This is an oasis in the South Campus area of Berkeley. A real neighborhood gem."
Dined on 6/12/2013
2002
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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Review 3 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
Food
(Poor)
1
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"The food was disappointing. For example, the sukiyaki was a bowl of soup with uninteresting vegetables such as an overabundance of carrots, very few mushroom slices, a piece of broccoli, etc. The mussels with chorizo were in a bowl of very oily sauce with the chorizo emulsified and pasty in the oil, The saba (Japanese mackerel) was poorly pickled and tough. Need I say more. I will not return."
Dined on 5/25/2013
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Review 4 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Great dinner
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"We were greeted and seated right away. The food was great as always, the scallops with risotto were superb!! The sweet fries and the pommels frites were as good as we remembered them, they are a must!! The chirashi was fresh, and the seared trout was cooked to perfection: crispy skin,edium rare inside, I loved it!
Service could be more attentive: I had to get up to ask for a serving spoon, had to ask for water refills...
But we will come back!!"
Service could be more attentive: I had to get up to ask for a serving spoon, had to ask for water refills...
But we will come back!!"
Dined on 5/22/2013
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Review 5 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Almost Good
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"This restaurant serves good food despite itself. The chef obviously knows what he's doing but the mechanics of running a restaurant might be more than this establishment can handle. The service was uneven, they were out of more than one of our wine choices and they were out of two of our food choices. Each time the server seemed surprised to find out that items were not available."
Dined on 5/22/2013
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Review 6 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Good food, a bit pricey
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Food was well-portioned, and the service was excellent. But then again it was 2:30 PM and there weren't that many people there at the time. Definitely more on the fancy side since it's in the $10-20 range."
Dined on 5/16/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 7 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"New items on menu made for an interesting meal."
Dined on 5/16/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies
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Review 8 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Confused
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"The few times I've been here, I've been confused by the menu. The French/American/Japanese menu doesn't have a lot of focus and it suffers in the food. I'd rather have high quality French or high quality Californian/American but not mediocre everything.
My friend ordered the chicken teriyaki which was oddly paired with a hash of onions and cubed potatoes, on top of rice.
We both shared the Lion King roll which had parmesan. I thought we all knew that fish and cheese don't go together? Well, it doesn't.
Sorry, won't be going back here for sushi, or other."
Dined on 5/10/2013
Special Features: good for groups
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Review 9 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Fresh, creative, and delicious
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"The hamachi tartare with seared ankimo foie gras was inventive, creative and absolutely delicious. It was pricey at $20, but worth every bite. I will be back for that dish alone. Aslo had Joshuya roll and the Marilyn Monroe. Also very tasty. Service was fast and attentive. Disappointed that they were out of all ice creams (green tea and black bean), but they substituted moshi balls and made them complimentary. I really liked this place!"
Dined on 5/11/2013
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Review 10 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"The food was OMG great! I had the pork belly tacos and moaned after every bite. My friend had the octopus salad which she said was out of this world as well. Our waitress was knowledgeable and you could tell she enjoyed the food there as much as we did (always a good sign)."
Dined on 5/10/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem
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Review 11 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"I love Joshu-ya, we'll definately be back."
Dined on 5/07/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem
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Review 12 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"LOVED the Hamachi tower super well balanced and great flavors. Outside of that didnt love the pasta with the scalops or the meatballs. Maybe this place is more for sushi. The pasta was too just bland and odd tasting and the scalops overcooked. Great outdoor space but overwhelemed service. Not sure will be back."
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: great for outdoor dining
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Review 13 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Quite good sushi
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"I made reservations for 5:45 PM on a Saturday, but the drive from Davis took me a little longer than expected. I called ahead to tell them that I would be late, to which they said that would not be a problem, and we arrived around 6:10. There seemed to be a few big party groups, and we weren't able to get seated until 10 or 15 minutes later, but besides that, our experience was quite nice. The servers were attentive, not overly intrusive, and I felt like we got our food at a reasonable time.
We went for the sushi omakase, and the fish overall, minus a few items, was quite good. I was disappointed by the scallops, uni, and ikura, but for the rest of the fish and its good quality, $40 for 10 nigiri and 4 sashimi is a pretty good deal."
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: romantic
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Review 14 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Sushi, at it's best. Memorable
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Sushi, at it's best. Memorable and very vibrant way of enjoying food, as an experience. As it should be."
Dined on 04/18/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, late-night find, notable wine list, special occasion, great for lunch
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Review 15 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Food was good. Service mediocre.
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Food was good. Service mediocre. My Wife's meal, a kobe steak, was brought a good 5 minutes before my sushi."
Dined on 04/13/2013
2006
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Review 16 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
great food but slooooow service
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"great food but slooooow service"
Dined on 04/06/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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Review 17 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Staff was awesome and accomodating.
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Staff was awesome and accomodating."
Dined on 03/31/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, great for lunch
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Review 18 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Undercooked pasta. Sent back
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Poor)
1
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Undercooked pasta. Sent back two dishes. On the last dish, I had cut a ravioli in half and it was undercooked. I sent it back. They brought it back, "fixed." They hadn't cooked another plate, they just recooked the cut up ravioli, slopped a bunch of sauce on it and sent it back to our table. What are they thinking? We got the dish "comped," and they threw in the saki for free...but still, we didn't want free food or to have to complain about it; we just wanted a quiet dinner out."
Dined on 03/29/2013
2006
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Review 19 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
This was my second time and
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"This was my second time and I was just as impressed this time by the food and service. Great great great great spot! My new favorite Japanese, and in my top 10 Bay Area restaurants. You gotta try this place!"
Dined on 03/22/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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Review 20 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Outstanding Japanese style
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Outstanding Japanese style dining at Joshu-ya. The sashimi was incredible, fresh and perfect. Also had the scallops which were equally good, although a bit cooler than intended due to slow service. Not much of a setting and service was intermittent, but the food is worth the trip!"
Dined on 03/17/2013
2002
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem
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Review 21 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Food was tasty,though not
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Food was tasty,though not what I expected. I ordered 12 piece sashimi dinner and it came with miso soup and the fish; no rice or other side dish. Was going to order hot tea with dinner but didn't see it on menu. Menu was interesting with both Japanese and special dishes. Would probably go back but would be careful to ask what each entree included. Good vibe in restaurant with lots of college kids. Relatively small dining room inside and outside so if you want to sit at a certain time it is important to make a reservation"
Dined on 03/16/2013
2007
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem
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Review 22 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Great new menu. Love the redesign
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Great new menu. Love the redesign of the space. Great quality."
Dined on 03/14/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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Review 23 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
I was expecting more from
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Poor)
1
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"I was expecting more from this place, as I had a good experience before, but not this time around."
Dined on 03/08/2013
2005
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Review 24 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Real price performer. Interesting
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Real price performer. Interesting and diverse menu. Not always easy to execute two differnt styles (Tapas and Japenese) but they pull it off nicely. Pretty place. Fills up quickly."
Dined on 03/06/2013
2004
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Review 25 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Although a bit more on the
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Although a bit more on the pricey side, this restaurant still guarantees satisfaction. The waiters are friendly. Water is constantly refilled. The food is delicious, and they have a variety of dishes to choose from, so there are alternatives for people who do not like sushi.
The restaurant itself is a bit compact, but I was able to cope with it."
The restaurant itself is a bit compact, but I was able to cope with it."
Dined on 03/03/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, kid-friendly, late-night find
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Review 26 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Quite a find in the midst
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Quite a find in the midst of the UC Berkeley - Telegraph St. area restaurants. Don't let the outside fool you. It is pretty good. They just changed the menu and I am not sure what will happen because when I asked about one of the new items, they did not have an answer. So needless to say I did not order it.
The sushi/sashimi/chirashi is good for the area but it is not the most carefully prepared or highest quality fish. Choose carefully."
Dined on 03/01/2013
2005
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Review 27 for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
The food and service was very
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"The food and service was very good. I will definitely be taking my girlfriend back to this place....I totally got laid."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Joshu-ya Brasserie
Based on the average of (37) ratings-only reviews
Overall
(Very Good)
3.9
/
5
6 out of 7 recommend this product
Food
(Outstanding)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
3.7
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
3.5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic