Lo-brow Japanese
Written: Apr 01 '08 (Updated Apr 01 '08)
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Pros: authentic, cheap Japanese food at Suruki's in Oakland.
Cons: You get what you pay for...
The Bottom Line: Suruki's is a great place for cheap Japanese comfort food.
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| megugrrrl's Full Review: Suruki's |
No nonsense, no hype - authentic Japanese lunch time food from this restaurant/take-out place.
It's in the historic Swan's Marketplace conveniently located in downtown Oakland, in an area that has some established restaurants like Le Cheval and Breads of India. While the food is good, Suruki's is not quite in the same category of those restaurants, but is the place to be if you've got the hankering for cheap and honest Japanese food, without having to worry about whether or not it'll taste like Japanese food.
Suruki's is kind of like the Japanese equivalent of a diner, except for the fact that you can't get a Japanese breakfast - maybe Suruki's is more like that friend who wears a lot of courdroy - dependable, casual, not really fashionable.
The food from the tiny kitchen (partially hidden by the tall counter) is pretty darn good - it produces down home food like ramen (egg noodles), donburi (rice bowls), grilled fish, gyoza (pot stickers), onigiri/musubi (rice balls) and fried rice - yeah, in Japan, a mound of fried rice alone is a meal - a pretty tasty meal at that. There are around 50 or so appetizers and entrees ranging between $5-8, and combination plates where you pick 3-4 items from a standard list are around $12.
Sometimes it's about the little things. One of the nicest things about Suruki's is the authenticity - you can taste it in the way they prepare everything. They serve grated daikon (radish) with grilled saba (mackarel), and red strips of pickled ginger with donburi. The rice is always cooked right.
At the time this review was written, Suruki's supplies the East Bay's Japanese supermarkets with packaged hot foods (donburis, teriyaki) and little sushi packs.) Suruki's also does a pretty decent amount of sushi catering, supplying many Japanese and Japanese Americans with giant platters of sushi for parties and funerals.
Speaking of sushi, I wouldn't recommend Suruki's as a sushi place. It's cheap and because it's cheap, not that exciting. There's really no sushi chef, so fish selection, slicing and presentation are merely basic.
Everything's really pretty affordable, but because of that, the quality of food (and service) is mediocre. The service is very friendly but not very well-trained and they spend a lot of time looking lost and acting clueless.
They also have a great "grab & go" section for hot and cold foods, yummy Japanese drinks and fun snacks, and after the offices around downtown Oakland close up at 6PM, all the food is 50% off which is a deal since their prices are already so low. Think 50% off $3.95 for a chicken katsu (breaded cutlet) plate. Not only is the "grab & go" section great for stocking up on ridiculously cheap Japanese food for the next few days, but they also offer Japanese favorites that are difficult to find at other restaurants like bento boxes with deep fried hard boiled eggs (yes, you read that right), oden (boiled stuff), and Japanese potato salad.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
megugrrrl
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: Oakland
Reviews written: 151
Trusted by: 317 members
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