Yonsei
With locations in Oakland & Albany, Yonsei serves open-faced Japanese sushi handrolls made of crisp nori, seasoned sushi rice, and top-notch fish.
Sip on sake and Japanese-inspired cocktails, set to a soundtrack of 90s hip hop, and get lit by a neon sign that spells “Yonsei” in English and kanji characters — a nod to Chef Kyle Itani’s Japanese and American heritage.
Kyle brought his passion for Japanese cuisine and culture to Uptown Oakland in 2012, when he opened Hopscotch, a classic American diner with a Japanese twist. He was among Oakland’s early culinary pioneers who helped establish a destination restaurant scene and earned himself a San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star Chef Award and a spot on the Chronicle’s Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants list.
The team’s second restaurant, Itani Ramen, opened in 2016 across from The Fox Theater in Oakland and was inspired by Kyle’s extensive travels and a brief residence in Japan. Known as a place where all are welcome, this “izakaya for everyone” offers homemade gyoza, donburi bowls, cocktails, and plenty of ramen.
The team opened Yonsei Handrolls in 2022 next door to Itani Ramen with a menu of made-to-order sushi handrolls that rely on crisp nori, seasoned sushi rice, and top-notch seafood, served alongside sake and Japanese-inspired cocktails. In May 2025 the team opened the second Yonsei location in Albany.
More sushi dreams came true in 2024 when Chef Kyle partnered with talented sushi chef, Jeremias Jimenez, to open Itani Sushi in Berkeley and an Oakland pop-up of the concept in early 2025.
To learn more about Chef Kyle Itani’s current restaurants, click here.