Ding Japanese - Oakland

After the previous establishment that occupied this location, the redesign of the Claremont Diner is really impressive. The atmosphere is beautiful. We visited on Saturday for lunch when they first opened, and it was quite calm. Thankfully, the quality of the food was excellent and provided good value for a Japanese restaurant. The service was attentive and friendly. We enjoyed the calamari katsu and soft shell crab appetizers, which were both delicious. Our main dishes were fresh and served in generous portions. For dessert, we had the tempura bananas with ice cream, which was delightful. Although the fried cheesecake looked tempting, we were too full to try it this time. We will definitely be coming back!

Rumi was outstanding! Speaking Japanese was a significant advantage. They even treated us to a complimentary appetizer!

The experience was nothing memorable. The food was average and lacked inspiration. When the host says, “feel free to sit wherever you like,” it’s usually not a good sign. The ambiance was dim and uninviting. I won’t be returning, as there are better Japanese restaurants out there.

My seafood rays were bland and uninteresting. my two companions had grilled chicken Udon, in which nicely proved to be carrot chips and the broth was tasteless. we cost the sushi lunch there, but this evening meal was not good.

Tempura very nice but found sushi disappointing. There are better sushi restaurants in town.