A Japanese meal in Oakland, California, can ask for close attention to a succession of small preparations or concentrate an entire kitchen’s work in one bowl. Delage in Old Oakland and MENSHO on Piedmont Avenue make that distinction especially clear. One centers its current proposal on sushi and an eight-course omakase; the other makes fresh noodles and layered broths the basis of a ramen dinner. Choosing between them starts with the experience you want at the table.
Delage has entered a new chapter. Founded by Chikara Ono in 2016, it reopened on September 16, 2026, under Kyle Itani, with Jeremias Jimenez leading the sushi program. The current official website describes a nine-seat counter and three tables, a scale that keeps the kitchen’s work close to the diner. Its omakase —a sequence chosen by the chef— sits alongside an à la carte menu, and lunch now offers dedicated sets as well. Those are meaningful changes for anyone who remembers the older arrangement of fixed evening seatings.
The sample omakase shows the meal’s architecture through dashi, groups of nigiri, sashimi, small donburi and a handroll before dessert. The species change with deliveries, so the promise is a guided progression rather than a permanent list of fish. Diners who prefer to determine the shape of their meal can choose individual sushi or a small chirashi bowl. Sake, Japanese whisky and cocktails support a visit whose focus is the sequence, the preparation and the chef’s selection.
MENSHO concentrates that attention differently. Tomoharu Shono’s Oakland flagship has a dedicated noodle room and prepares fresh noodles each day. Signature Smoked Toripaitan layers chicken broth with shio koji and mushroom-and-kombu dashi, then builds around smoked toppings and house-made noodles. The Oakland menu also moves toward Spicy Lamb Miso Cumin and Duck Matcha. A separate group of vegan bowls includes miso, shoyu, yuzu and tantan options, giving a mixed group several distinct broth styles to consider. This is a restaurant where the bowl itself is the main subject: the noodle’s role, the soup’s composition and the way the toppings complete it.
Delage is a natural choice when a sushi meal deserves the evening’s full attention, with the added flexibility of ordering à la carte. MENSHO makes sense when a carefully developed bowl of ramen is the destination, especially for diners interested in comparing meat-based and vegan styles. The difference becomes clear at the table: a succession of small sushi preparations invites one kind of attention, while a layered broth and fresh noodles invite another.
Explore the profiles: Delage · MENSHO — Oakland
Recommended restaurants
The profiles below explain each restaurant’s cooking and give practical details for planning a visit.
Reopened under Kyle Itani and Jeremias Jimenez in 2026, this small Old Oakland sushi room offers an eight-course omakase alongside individually ordered sushi.
Sushi and eight-course omakase; nigiri, sashimi, handrolls and small chirashi bowls, with fish selections changing daily.
On Piedmont Avenue, Tomoharu Shono’s ramen concept makes its own noodles and builds an extensive menu around layered chicken broths and distinct vegan bowls.
House-made ramen; Signature Smoked Toripaitan, Spicy Lamb Miso Cumin, Duck Matcha and multiple vegan broths.
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
- Delage: current service and hours ↗ Primary source www.delagesushi.com · Accessed September 28, 2026
- Delage: 2026 transition and team ↗ Primary source www.delagesushi.com · Accessed September 28, 2026
- Delage: sample omakase and dinner menus ↗ Primary source www.delagesushi.com · Accessed September 28, 2026
- Delage: lunch sets ↗ Primary source www.delagesushi.com · Accessed September 28, 2026
- Delage: Google Maps listing ↗ Primary source www.google.com · Accessed September 28, 2026
- MENSHO: Oakland restaurant, noodles and menu ↗ Primary source mensho.com · Accessed September 28, 2026
- MENSHO: Tomoharu Shono and culinary philosophy ↗ Primary source mensho.com · Accessed September 28, 2026
- MENSHO: Signature Smoked Toripaitan ingredients ↗ Primary source mensho.com · Accessed September 28, 2026
- MENSHO — Oakland: Google Maps listing ↗ Primary source www.google.com · Accessed September 28, 2026
- Nosh: Delage's September 2026 reopening ↗ Secondary source richmondside.org · Accessed September 28, 2026