When a longtime college-town restaurant known for sushi boats and sake bombs transforms itself into a Japanese brasserie, it raises a few eyebrows. But upon closer inspection of Joshu-ya's new menu and concept, the "brasserie" moniker begins to make more sense.
"Brasserie" is the old-school, Frenchie term for a relaxed but sophisticated gastro pub. And Joshu-ya has swapped out its worn carpet, red vinyl tablecloths and Japanese knickknacks for dark floors, sleek wood finishes and rotating art displays.
The restaurant is still located in the downstairs portion of a big house, but the flattering lighting and fresh look have made the space, with its low ceilings and quirky layout, a little less incommodious and
a little more endearing. The two-week remodeling marathon also spiffed up the outdoor garden, which has heatlamps for chilly Berkeley evenings.
In line with the brasserie concept, the new Joshu-ya has bumped up its drinks list and now offers six types of beer and two dozen other tipply options, including sochu, wine and cocktails. Notably, they have stopped serving sake bombs -- to the disappointment of some and the relief of others.
A Japanese eatery with a focus on drinks may suggest small-plate, izakaya-style dining, but Joshu-ya's September menu leaned heavily toward sushi, sashimi and full entrees.
"Our food is based on using local, seasonal products to redefine traditional Japanese food," owner Jason Kwon says. Kwon,
a Bay Area native, worked at restaurants in New York and Washington, D.C., before returning home to head up his first restaurant.
"It's not necessarily going to be all Japanese food," he says, "given that it's a brasserie."
Besides udon and teriyaki, the restaurant also serves grass-fed Angus rib-eye, for example, with mushroom-potato puree and spinach ($15). Similarly, rather than steam or smoke its ankimo (a monkfish liver dish, $9) in the traditional Japanese manner, Joshu-ya sears it like foie gras, and serves it with lemon vinaigrette and matcha salt. Future menu items will include shareable plates, such as duck fat fries and ahi tacos.
But perhaps the most notable aspect of Joshu-ya's menu makeover is the fact that the restaurant now rotates its bill of fare according to the season, and procures most of its meats from local or sustainable sources, including Clean Fish and Monterey Fish Market.
This was a natural decision for Kwon, who, before taking over at Joshu-ya, started Couteaux Review, an organization that promotes sustainable agriculture in the culinary industry. Sad to say, careful sourcing is more the exception than the rule at sushi restaurants, and Joshu-ya's sustainable fish makes it stand out from a crowded field of East Bay competitors.
We ordered the combination sashimi ($25), which on this particular evening featured 15 generous slices of pristine fish draped over nests of daikon: salmon, big-eye tuna (maguro), amberjack (kampachi), yellowtail (hamachi) and albacore tuna (shiro maguro). The albacore was garnished with a wee dab of garlic paste and scallion, imparting a lovely savory note.
The restaurant also offers omakase sushi. You indicate how much you want to pay ($35 minimum) and let the chef choose the best selections in the case.
Customers, mostly high-spirited Cal students, still gravitate toward sushi rolls, with the Joshu-ya roll ($10.50 for shrimp, vegetable tempura, unagi and avocado) leading the pack in popularity. Other rolls include the Zoolander, a crab and cream cheese roll gratuitously covered with two layers of fish ($14.95), and the vegetarian-friendly Cinderella roll ($9, vegetable tempura, avocado, wakame seaweed).
But the biggest hit of the night came from the entree side of the menu. The kitchen turned out a jalapeño pork belly soba ($9) that was simple but crave-worthy. Tender, moist and smoky strands of pulled kurobuta (Berkshire) pork arrived atop a tangle of cool soba noodles, creating a delightful contrast in temperatures. The soba noodles were more silky than grainy, and paper-thin slices of jalapeño added just the right amount of heat to complement the acidity and depth of the ponzu sauce. We'd come back for that dish any day.
But there were some misses as well. The tempura mix starter ($6.50) featured a generous selection of vegetables, from kabocha squash to eggplant. It was a massive portion, but unfortunately most of it was batter. One improbable piece of shrimp was as long as our chopsticks. At the end of the meal, the plate was heaped with castoff, batter-y detritus.
There were also some problems with service and product inventory. Our servers were friendly enough, but our food came out in a bizarre sequence, with appetizers bookending the meal. The pacing mishap may have been due to the fact that after we put in our order, our waitress announced they had no more oyster katsu ($8).
Running short of one appetizer could have been chalked up to bad luck, but they also ran out of the Coedo Hefeweisen, a Japanese craft beer. And the Brasserie Salad ($6.50) was missing the burrata cheese, which could have been the highlight of a fresh but otherwise forgettable arugula salad.
All in all, Joshu-ya still has a few kinks to work out, but its transformation has been a welcome change that seems designed to attract foodies from outside the UC Berkeley orbit. Given the enduring popularity of its rolls, it seems that the restaurant can't get away from its sushi boat past -- and arguably it shouldn't, as quality sushi is still a strong suit.
But more important than the interior and menu makeovers is Joshu-ya's making a commitment to sustainable sourcing and quality ingredients without introducing a big price hike. And that is definitely worth celebrating.
FOOD: * * AMBIENCE: * * SERVICE: * * WHERE: 2441 Dwight Way, Berkeley.CONTACT: 510-848-5260, www.joshu-ya.com.HOURS: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 4-10 p.m. Sundays.CUISINE: Japanese. PRICES: $$. VEGETARIAN: A few options, including vegetable pot stickers, sushi roll and pan-seared tofu and vegetables. BEVERAGES: A selection of beer, sake, wine, sochu, cocktails, soft drinks and juices.RESERVATIONS: Accepted but not required.NOISE LEVEL: Medium-loud.PARKING: Parking lot next door.KIDS: No children's menu, but kid-friendly items such as pot stickers and teriyaki are available.PLUSES: This makeover of an old sushi-boat mainstay has turned Berkeley's Joshu-ya into a fresh Japanese brasserie, offering seasonal fare and sustainably-sourced sushi at affordable prices. MINUSES: Uneven service mars an otherwise appealing experience.DATE REOPENED: August.
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Restaurants are rated on a scale of one to four, with four representing a truly extraordinary experience for that type of restaurant.
$ Most entrees under $10$$ Most entrees under $20$$$ Most entrees under $30$$$$ Most entrees under $40
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