Mujiri Hayward is now open, bringing quality sushi at affordable prices

Mujiri, the shoe box-sized sushi joint in Oakland known for quality fish and low prices, has opened a sister restaurant in Hayward.

While this a far cry from debuting an outpost at, say, San Francisco Airport, it’s a sign that word of this once-hidden gem has gone out far and wide.

Mujiri Hayward, located at 22530 Main St., serves lunch and dinner and is take-out only at the moment. The restaurant needs to do renovations to accommodate dining service, which could take a few months, a staffer said. It’s also not serving alcohol as yet, unlike the original Oakland spot with its sprawling sake list. There’s yuzu and ume soda, sparkling water, Coke and unsweetened green tea.

None of which will likely detract people from flocking here. The new restaurant is already posting notices on its website about selling out. It’s not hard to see why: The quality of the fish, sourced from Japan and elsewhere, is top notch. You probably will never look at ika (squid) nigiri the same way after eating it here; it’s crunchy, luscious and smoky from a quick torching. The hotate (Hokkaido scallop) is also a revelation – a jiggling puck of ocean freshness that cuts like butter – as is the ikura (salmon roe), properly cured to remove the overpowering salty-fishy taste of many other versions.

Owner Jane Sun, who’s worked in several Japanese restaurants around the Bay, has said she prioritizes acquiring the day’s freshest fish. So while the sushi might not look particularly fancy, the bites are usually eye-opening. (Looks are also deceiving: Some of the sushi is cured, sauced or frizzled under a blowtorch.) And somehow she keeps the price down. A choose-your-own nigiri assortment with seven pieces plus a roll is $25, no matter if you add that Hokkaido scallop or a deliciously fatty piece of bluefin.

So far the differences in the sushi menus between the two locations is slight. On a recent perusal, there were some interesting additions at Hayward, like hedai (silver sea bream) and tamagoyaki (rolled omelet). Both locations have the option to add Japanese sea urchin for $18 – it kind of defeats the purpose of Mujiri’s budget-friendly dining, but hey, sometimes you feel you just deserve a little treat.