Kirala, September 16, 2007

If you haven't been to this Berkeley sushi institution, you're missing out. My meal there this past Sunday evening was delicious and perfect. Molly and I arrived at 5:35 and it was already packed and had a short waiting list. We were seated shortly and immediately ordered two orders of maguro to start, which was fresh, sweet and buttery. We then ordered oshitashi w/ bonito flakes, grilled sardine with spicy cod roe, seafood yakiudon and an order of sake (salmon, not the drink) to finish off the meal. The oshitashi was the least exciting thing we ordered, but is always a good standard and the bonito flakes were especially smoky which added good flavor to the vinegar-y spinach. The grilled sardine was delicious-- fresh and briny, although I didn't find the cod roe to be especially spicy. The main event, the seafood yakiudon, was phenomenal. I rarely order big noodle-y entrees at sushi restaurants, but I'm so glad I took the chance and did something different. A huge steaming hot bowl was served to us and I felt like a kid being served a birthday cake. The noodles were so fresh and chewy and tender. There were scallops, shrimp, clams and squid-- all cooked perfectly. Everything was tossed with fresh veggies; carrots, onions, bok choy, scallions. I couldn't tell exactly what the seasoning was, but it was light with a hint of cinnamon and sweetness. This was a great dish and a great value. It was definitely big enough to share and cost $12.95. This was one of the best meals I had had in a while and that's saying a lot! I will definitely frequent Karala whenever possible and will try to stick to off hours.