Bookmark and Share Email this page Email Print this page Print

Critics’ Reviews

Ippuku

Categories
  • Grill, Japanese

Essential Information

Address 2130 Center St.
Berkeley, CA
Phone510-665-1969
Website URL www.ippukuberkeley.com

Additional Information

Diablo Review:


Ippuku feels like it was plucked out of a hip, secluded corner of Tokyo and dropped in downtown Berkeley. Unfinished wood booths with blue pillows line one concrete wall, with traditional kotatsu tables along the other. Color comes from rows of upside-down hanging shochu bottles. Ippuku offers nearly 50 varieties of the Japanese liquor, distilled from rice, barley, or potatoes, served on the rocks. Enjoy yours with one of the many small plates hailing from the charcoal grill. Bacon-wrapped mochi are already a cult hit, with the salty crisp bacon offsetting the chewy rice dough. Yakitori—grilled chicken—comes in many forms, including heart and gizzard. We tried the sasami ume: breast seared on the outside, rare on the inside. Yes, rare—and delicious. Vegetable plates, such as cucumber in vinaigrette, avocado sashimi, and raw cabbage, are accented with simple yet nuanced sauces. Dinner Mon–Sat.

Price: $$

Additional Info:
Full Bar
Late-night dining (service after 10p.m.)

This site is a member of the City & Regional Magazine Association Online Network
Alabama
British Columbia
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
North Carolina
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Washington
Washington DC
Wisconsin