Washoku Guide
Cities/San Francisco/Izakaya/Kiraku
San Francisco · Izakaya · a la carte

Kiraku

JapaneseIzakayaSakeSmall PlatesBerkeleyAuthentic

Opened in July 2011, Kiraku is Berkeley's most celebrated authentic izakaya, where Japan-trained chef-owner Daiki Saito delivers a genuine Japanese pub experience with seasonal small plates, imported Asahi draft beer, and a traditional sake bottle-keep system.

Price
¥¥¥
Area
Berkeley
Since
2011
Chef
Daiki Saito
Owner
Daiki Saito and Sanae Saito
Kiraku — authentic japanese restaurant in San Francisco, Berkeley
Plate № 27
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About
Kiraku, which means 'to relax' in Japanese, was born from chef-owner Daiki Saito's desire to bring the true spirit of the modern Japanese izakaya to Berkeley. Saito began his culinary education in Japan at age 18 — trained in both French and Japanese techniques — and moved to the Bay Area in 2007, working in sushi and yakitori restaurants before opening Kiraku with his wife Sanae in 2011. The restaurant faithfully replicates the hallmarks of a contemporary Tokyo izakaya: warm oshibori towels on arrival, Asahi draft beer served from a Japanese machine producing the signature creamy foam, a bottle-keep system for sake and shochu that regulars use to impress guests, and handmade ceramics by Saito himself at each table setting. Corn tempura, beef tongue, wagyu beef tataki, and pork belly skewers are perennial standouts on a menu that changes with the seasons. Japanese community forums consistently cite Kiraku as the closest authentic izakaya experience in the entire Bay Area.
Why it's on Washoku Guide
  • Widely recognized by the Bay Area Japanese community as the most authentic izakaya experience in the region — a benchmark for the genre in Northern California.
  • Chef Saito's traditional bottle-keep sake and shochu system lets guests store unfinished bottles by name, exactly as regular customers do at Japanese izakayas in Tokyo.
  • Asahi draft beer imported from Japan and served through a Japanese serving machine produces the distinctively creamy foam that is a hallmark of drinking culture in Japan.
  • Many of the stoneware pieces used to serve food are handcrafted by Saito himself, giving every dish an artisanal presentation rooted in Japanese craft tradition.

Reservations available via Yelp. The restaurant fills up quickly on weekends — book in advance. The late Friday and Saturday hours (until 11pm) make Kiraku a rare destination for late izakaya dining in the East Bay. — Format: Izakaya. Authenticity: Chef-owner Daiki Saito began culinary training in Japan at age 18 (French and Japanese technique); moved to the US in 2007; holds a kikizake-shi (sake sommelier) license; widely cited by Bay Area's Japanese community as the most authentic izakaya experience in the region.

Links
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