Riceful - Berkeley

It’s enjoyable. However, 1 doesn’t make you full and it’s a bit overpriced.

Delicious Japanese rice sandwiches , perfect for a quick lunch or hangover recovery. My favorite is the one with with spam, eggs, and shrimp cake. Their gyudon is actually surprisingly great too. I don 't know what they do, but the rice is extra flavorful (and fatty in a good rich way.. but that could be in all my head).

Riceful onigiri is one of those places in berkeley that i wholeheartedly believe gets as much business as it does for two reasons: 1. cal dining halls suck and 2. riceful is conveniently located right across the street from one of said dining halls. that is not to say that riceful is bad... it's not. but i do believe that if we took away its gullible and desperate for edible food clientele, well... let's just say they would not have the audacity to price an onigiri at $10. ok food review time. b-tier: soft shell crab onigiri: i definitely enjoy the varying textures and flavors from this one. the crunchiness of the soft shell crab contrasts very well with the softness of the rice and other toppings, and there's a mixture of sweetness and savoriness. however, i found that it was pretty messy to eat, and towards the end, the crab got a bit soggy from the sauce and wasn't that great. c-tier: classic okinawa onigiri: definitely less complex in flavor and texture than the soft shell crab onigiri. everything felt kind of mushy and boring (could be my fault for picking up my snackpass order late, though . overall, while riceful definitely has some interesting flavors and a cool concept, i think it's pretty overhyped and overpriced. there are lots of great restaurants to try in berkeley, and i hope uc berkeley's students start giving those places a shot as well, rather than just sticking with something that's convenient.

Unagi Nigiri was pretty good! It's a nice snack especially if you don't want a full meal. That being said, it is a bit overpriced given what the same dollar value can get you at other restaurants in the area. As a Cal student it is very convenient to order through snack pass so I'm very happy it's an option when I'm craving it, however it is not my everyday choice.

Riceful used to be my stop almost every time I was in Berkeley to visit my cousin. They are near UC Berkeley, but more off to the side, which I prefer because it gets kind of hectic down the street where all the other food places are. Parking is either street or garage parking. Each onigiri used to be about $6, but now it is almost $10 for one and I usually like getting both the Go Cal Onigiri and the Go Bears Onigiri. I must say they are filling though, but it is on the pricier side. They also do not have the hot pressed boba toasts which were unique and pretty good.