Jie Huang
After my brother and I had a terrible experience in Kiraku and still hungry, we came to Nippon Curry. Even though it a fast food restaurant, the cashier spoke fluent English and kept smiling. The space was big enough. There were no required seating rule, no several trash cans outside, no dark light. We could know the food clearly through pictures. The cashier told us what she personally liked and which dish was the most popular. Then, we place the order real quick within 2 mins including asking questions. $28 for two dishes including nice straightforward service and environment. That was all we needed, it was excellent.
… moreAlena Tam
A great spot for a quick bite—fast, easy, no drama. But listen, if they added a fried egg or even a little cabbage salad (I’d pay extra, I swear!), I’d be here every week like a loyal regular. Until then, the food sits at a solid 3*… not terrible, not amazing, just “okay, I guess.”
… moreDulguun Enkhzaya
Haven’t had japanese curry in so long and katsu curry was so good. I ordered regular size but for me it was kind of large portion. My husband ordered karaage curry and he really liked the way the chicken was cooked. 2pc creamy crab croquettes were really good but I didnt like the other croquettes. I’ll be coming back when I crave some katsu curry
… moreE D
Solid curry spot in the East Bay! I got the mixed seafood #1 and the shrimp, oyster and croquette paired perfectly with the beef based curry. The serving of rice was plentiful too. Service was very thorough and accommodating especially for a fast casual spot. The dining area is bare bones with a lot more to-go orders than sit down diners but it gets the job done. You will probably end up with more protein if you order chicken but the 3 piece seafood curry ($22 after tax) was filling nonetheless.
… moreGrace
IT WAS SO GOOD that we double ordered! A friend and I initially shared one dish because we weren’t that hungry, but we ended up ordering another. Genuinely amazing food – the best food I’ve had in Berkeley The worker was very polite 🙂 The prices are pretty reasonable, our food came out steaming hot, and the person working there directed us to a really nice self-serving water station. He also introduced us to some complimentary foods to go with our orders. The restaurant was also extremely clean and was an overall feel-good experience.
… moreCarolyn
This is the BEST restaurant in the area. The food is phenomenal, the best meal I’ve had in the area, and the people working here are the nicest you’ll ever find. The best curry I’ve ever had was at this restaurant, and I felt such immense joy. Also the water was nice and crisp.
The food was so good I got 2 servings! This restaurant is perfect in every possible way. So yummy. Both of the servings shown below!
… moreEli Kehler
The quality here has gone down so much and I hate it. The pork katsu used to be thick and delicious and cut into pieces that were easy to bite into. Now the porkchop is thin and tough and low quality, more breading than meat. The pork katsu is also now cut into pieces that are too large and it’s awkward to eat. From the kitchen you can hear people speaking spanish. Please don’t cut quality like this without cutting prices too!!!
… moreTetsuo I
Went here yesterday (Saturday) with my father whose friend suggested the restaurant to us! I got the Pork Katsu Curry and my father got the Fried Oyster Curry. The pork curry was immaculate, the curry had a very authentic taste to Japanese curry! The pork was fried to perfection and had a very crunchy texture. I also got the Moshi Yuzu White Peach soda which was very good. The location is perfect for Cal students and it’s very affordable. Also everything was compostable or recyclable! The staff was very friendly and really nice, probably the best staff I’ve seen in a long time! I would definitely consider this my new favorite restaurant and I will be coming back!
… moreTerry Lou (TL)
Overall ok experience with Nippon Curry.
Food: 4/5
The taste is decent, yet wish it can be more inspiring at this price range. Curry is on the sweet side, personally prefer more spicy as I’m not into desserts. The batter for the chicken karaage is better than the katsu, and the chicken thigh is as tender as they should be, yet the garlic marinade can be balanced out better.
Environment: 2/5
Overall it’s clean, and that’s all for the positive. The store is pathetically empty on one side, while the other side is like a long dining bench for prisoners with random people sitting very close to you. Some chairs are not stable and just waiting for a big guy to ruin their day.
Service: 1/5
Barely any, except a staff to take your order. You can also just serve yourself on the tablet. Like most businesses these days, they are shameless in asking for tips without proving any services. Utensils, napkins, and water, everything is self-served. Of course you are expected to clean after yourself. McDonald’s would at least pass you some napkins with your meal.
Overall value: 2.5/5
At this price range, Nippon Curry is underwhelming. While food is decent, pricing does not justify it. Feels like it’s taking advantage of the students next door who don’t have a good sense of money, or know nothing about dining. You can tell from other overly positive reviews…
… moreRachael Morton
Excited that it’s finally open!
The curry base is rich and flavorful. We got the katsu curry, and the katsu was well cooked and crunchy. They’re also generous with a reasonable amount of pickles on the side.
The curry is a bit tangier than the curry at their San Francisco, but I personally prefer more acidity.
There isn’t much seating at this location, seems like it will be more focused on takeout.
… more