If you don’t know good hamachi, for example, you might think that it is supposed to be a dull white and brown color from what you see in just about every restaurant that sells it. At Kirala, it is bright white and pink. For that alone the place is worth a long trip, and I know of only one other place in the entire Bay Area that has such a strict ethic about freshness. For those of you who think you don’t like raw fish, you might find it an entirely different experience if you try it really fresh the way it is served at Kirala.

But you don’t get any sense of the atmosphere and what it is like to sit at the robata grill from the show or the reviews. That robata is one of the main attractions. If you sit at the counter there, you can watch the cook grilling right in front of you a number of creative, appetizer-type items like aspara beef (asparagus wrapped in a thin sheet of beef and cooked to order from rare to well done), lamb chops, small or giant calamari, stuffed mushrooms, corn on the cob, atsu age, a delicious, chewy kind of tofu that satisfies a meat-eater’s cravings, and a number or other very tempting items. I often just sit there and order what looks good as I watch it cook right from the guy grilling it.

There is also a traditional Japanese menu for items like sukiyaki, tempura, nabeyaki udon, and many others. If you are on a tight budget you can get a full meal for less than $15.00, and if you want to splurge, items bought ala carte from the grill, the sushi bar, or the kitchen can make you feel like a king. No matter what you want to eat, the bar around the robata is definitely the best real estate in the restaurant—you get to see all the action and you can order anything the restaurant serves.

There is also an interesting multicultural flavor in the atmosphere. The first time I went there I was listening to all the Japanese being spoken around me by a couple of customers and the staff, and then, all of sudden, I started hearing Spanish being spoken among some of the staff. About the same time, I noticed that I kept feeling like getting up and dancing and realized that the music playing in the background was salsa.

The place is an example of cultural fusion that can happen just about only in Berkeley. But having gone to Japan several times I can tell you that you cannot find more authentic Japanese food anywhere, although here you will find it mixed with items that have some interesting cultural twists. The other thing that stands out is that they really know how to cook, no matter what it is they are making.

I have to concede that the service is not as consistently warm and solicitous as it could be. That is partly a reflection of the culture of the place. If you want attention, you do have to ask for it. You say “Sumimasen” to a waiter or waitress walking by if you want to try out your Japanese, or just “excuse me” and they will come to you immediately to see what you want. That is what they expect and that is what gets you good and prompt service.

P.S. Since Ms. Sbrocco fancies herself a linguist, I thought I should mention that Kirala does not mean “mother nature,” as she seemed to announce on her show, and I’d sure like to try whatever alcoholic concoction brought her to that conclusion. The word doesn’t exist in Japanese—it appears to be a creative play on the word kirakira, which means sparkle.