Kyle Itani of Yonsei Handrolls and Itani Ramen fame now has another restaurant to tend to: Itani Sushi Oakland, a pop-up serving lunch to the downtown crowd into the summer.
Itani Sushi Oakland opened this month at 326 23rd St., on the same block as Low Bar and the Mexican eatery Todos. It’s open weekdays until 3 p.m. and specializes in grab-and-go fare like rolls, nigiri combos, salads, soba noodles and Japanese fried chicken.
The pop-up is an offshoot of yet another of the chef’s restaurants, Itani Sushi, which debuted in North Berkeley last fall. The pop-up’s chef is the same as that restaurant — Jeremias Jimenez, who cut his teeth as head cook at Oakland’s Mujiri. Diners can expect a similar menu of standard-but-upscaled sushi items.
Itani has leased the space through June, according to his publicist. After that, it will either go back to the building’s owner or, if it’s going well, he might extend the lease.
Itani’s restaurants have seen some shake-ups lately. Last year saw the closure of his Japanese cantina, Good Luck Gato, and the neighboring bar, Ninth Life, in Oakland. And he’s planning a new private-dining and event space — the Annex — at the former Ninth Life address.
Details: Open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday at 326 23rd St., Oakland; itanisushi.com/oakland and instagram.com/itanisushi.