Utzutzu - Alameda

We booked through Google, restaurant saidThey only book through “resy”. Turned us away. Then charged us $400 for not showing up to a res we did not have. Clown shoes.

Solid omakase at a small 8 seater hole-in-the-wall befitting the $140pp (pre tax, tips, drinks, extras) bill.Overall we enjoyed the food and experience.Now the constructive criticism: two pieces of nigiri had way too much wasabi, and the other non-nigiri courses could have more flair and distinctive flavors.

I would like to share my unique experience with this restaurant:I was thrilled to see this restaurant suddenly availability 2 weeks again for 2/5 at 8pm so I quickly took it since it's my husband’s bday weekend.It was only on the day of that I realized that I had actually only got one seat (yeah I know, it was my fault that I didn't recheck my reservation again for details . Since the restaurant had 48 hour cancellation policy, we knew it was too late to cancel/alter my reservation. We decided to call them to see if they could accommodate 2 people instead of 1. Unfortunately, no one answered the call for the entire day. We ended up deciding to drive up to the restaurant from south bay a little before 7pm, hoping ? there's bit chance that the chef could still accomdenate us.We got to the restaurant promptly at 8pm. I told the waiter about the situation and below is whole conversation:Waiter: “let me check with chef to see if there's anything we can do. Normally we wouldn't be able to accommodate you if you have reservation for one.”Me: “ thank you!”2 min later:Waiter: “sorry we might have enough fish, but not enough appetizers”Me: “thats completely fine! I can just skip appetizer”Another 2 min laterWaiter: “sorry we still can't do that.”Me: “i understand. Can I then pack my food to go?”Waiter: “sorry we don't have to go containers”Me: “oh I can go get some containers”Waiter: “sorry we just can‘t pack your food to go”Me: “i will be just having it downstairs in the car”Waiter: “No.”Me: “Alright. Then can I have my food at the table and share it with my husband?” (pointing to their cozy little dining table by the window Waiter: “no you can’t”At this point, I am clueless. It started pouring outside but we seemed to have ruled out all the options.The nice waiter finally said: “ I am really sorry this happened. What I can do for you is to cancel your entire reservation tonight and NOT charge you for the penalty (aka the entire meal’s .”He paused for a moment and continued: “but you are BANNED from our restaurant for the rest of your life. You will not be able to make any reservation with us.”I was so humbled and grateful by the generous offer. How dare I, someone so careless in making reservations in the first place, dine at such prestigious Japanese restaurant!We left. In the rain. My husband got me some pickled fish for dinner. It was not raw fish, but I think it was a good bday dinner anywayz.

A nondescript door and an unimpressive stairwell lead you up to a surprisingly swanky room with a sushi counter. The $145 prix fixe menu gave a lot of nigiris, a lot more than I expected and I felt very full by the end, I think we were served about 15-20 pieces. It was very high quality and each one was unique and delicious. I highly recommend this!Wheelchair accessibility: No wheelchair access, stairs need to be climbed.

WHEN: Thursday @5:30pm This was the first slot available when I made reservations 3 weeks prior. This was Dec 1, and starting Dec 2 they set menu will increase from $125 to $145. This hole in the wall is won't have a sign out side since it located upstairs where residency usually is. Just look for the house number to stairs that lead you to the second floor where the restaurant is. This waiting area has a very blast from the past feel, furnished with worn down vintage seating and newspapers from decades ago. We arrived early around 5:15pm and they don't seat you until exactly 5:30pm There are only 2 seating time per night: 5:30pm 8:00pm Dining experience lasts 2 hours so we were done at 7:30pm. Each time seats only 6 at the bar where the chef will serve you food. It looks like a glass window was built between the chef and customers for Covid reasons. Because of the distance and number of people, I was okay dining indoors. Every item is imported and the chef will tell you from where (mostly Japan). When you are done with the set menu, you are given the opportunity to order more of any item a là cart. Chef Hiroto was wonderful and has been doing this for 35 years, and 1.5 years at this location. I counted 15 nigiri pieces in total (including the tamago). There was also a 2 item appetizer, another appetizer, an octopus salad, an uni custard dish, and soup in between them. At the end there was dessert, which was a non-dairy sorbet. 22 items in total for $125. After tonight the cost will increase to $145. I ordered a glass of the sake of the day which cost $13. The service was stellar and I appreciate how halfway through the experience they clean our sashimi board. I had a wonderful experience.