This is such a nice spot to grab a quick snack or a light lunch…read more The onigiri are solid. I tried the sweet soy salmon and the snow crab ($4.99 each). They were very well made, fresh, and had a great protien-to-rice ratio. Order on the tablet, and they call your number out. It's mostly a grab and go spot but there are a few outside tables.

Good take out lunch spot in FiDi! I got the edamame set w/ the spam and sweet soy salmon poke…read moreonigiri. The salmon tasted fresh and I really like the flavor. Both had the right amount of sauce and 2 onigiris was perfect for lunch. I also like that you could remove things and get money back. My edamame was cold which I did see other reviews mention, but it wasn't the end of the world. It would also be nice if napkins and soy sauce were in the bag, but you can grab them yourself.

Kusakabe creates the kind of dining experience that feels carefully designed from the moment you…read moresit down. We walked into a refined but welcoming space where the sushi counter is the main focus, and the meal unfolds course by course in front of us. There is a sense of calm throughout the room, allowing the attention to stay on the chefs, the ingredients, and the details behind each dish without the distraction of a busy dining room. The omakase experience balances traditional sushi with more creative touches. Each course brings something different, from fresh sashimi and nigiri to warmer dishes like chawan mushi that add depth to the progression of the meal. The sushi highlights the quality of the fish while incorporating thoughtful flavor combinations, with dishes like scallop and the dry-aged fish courses standing out for their texture and seasoning. The sake pairing fits naturally into the experience, adding another layer without overpowering the food, and the sommelier's selections complement the progression of flavors across the meal. What makes Kusakabe memorable is the craftsmanship and pacing of the meal. The chefs take time to explain each course, making the experience feel personal rather than rushed. Sitting at the counter adds to the atmosphere because you get to see the precision and care that goes into every piece, from the way the rice is formed to the final brush of sauce on the fish. The pacing of the meal allows you to appreciate each course without feeling rushed, and the team's attention to detail creates a rhythm that keeps the meal engaging from start to finish. Kusakabe feels like a place made for special occasions, celebrations, or anyone looking for a more elevated Japanese dining experience. It combines technique, hospitality, and creativity in a way that makes the entire meal feel like an event rather than just a dinner. The balance of traditional and modern elements, along with the warmth of the service, leaves you with the sense of having experienced something complete and thoughtfully composed.

What an experience! We were celebrating an anniversary and planned a bit last minute, but were able…read moreto snag a reservation here pretty easily. Immediately, the ambiance and service was quite nice. We were seated at the table, but typically I enjoy sitting at the bar to watch the chefs make our food. The service was amazing and they were very attentive. They also offered to take photos and gave us a little gift of hojicha tea since we were celebrating. We got the omakase, which was massive and had 18 courses. They gave us a menu so we knew what to expect for each course, and we ordered some sake. The omakase was delicious and more traditional than other places, each course was so beautiful and delicately made. This is definitely a lot of food, I would recommend the petite omakase in the future as I was stuffed, but it was a great experience if you come hungry! Courses: - Chawan-mushi - super tasty and every bite was delicious and umami forward! - Otsumami - 7 seasonal appetizers presented in a beautiful box, there was a stuffed crab claw in there that was delicious - 4 kinds of sushi - each piece came out one at a time, the first piece was my absolute favorite and blew me away, it was a seared chutoro that immediately melts in your mouth and tastes smokey - Hamachi soup - very tasty and warming soup with hamachi inside, was perfect in between the sushi course - 4 kinds of sushi - A5 Waguyu shabu - this course was extra $10 pp but was so delicious, the wagyu was melt in your mouth and had some grated daikon on top in a ponzu dashi, the toppings help balance the meat so it's overwhelming since it does melt in your mouth, one of my favorite bites! - 4 kind of sushi - they brought out some really great sushis, including more chutoro and an unagi handroll, but I was so stuffed at this point that I felt I couldn't enjoy it as much - miso soup - this soup was so tasty and kind of revived me after all that food, it felt comforting and a great way to end - dessert- I got the hojicha ice cream in a waffle like cookie and it was delicious!

Honestly quite impressed with the food! I wish they served their matcha drinks in the evening since…read moreI wasn't able to try them, but being able to try the food was also worth it. My friend and I didn't have a reservation since we thought a Thursday early dinner wouldn't be busy! We arrived just in time - there was a little wait when we arrived around 5pm, but there was a cancellation so we were able to get seated at the bar instead of the outdoor patio :) Everything we ordered was amazingggggg! I was quite impressed since it seemed more of a cocktail bar bite vibes. It is a bit pricy though, but I can't say my money spent was not worth it. I definitely want to come back and try their matcha drinks though. The only downside is the location since there's not much parking during the day.

Absolutely stunning speakeasy style bar attached to the cafe. Get your coffee and head on over for…read moresome cozy and intimate settings. The decor is dark, moody and heavy Asian inspired. Do your meeting or work from this location. The back has a restaurant or private party setting. The coffee is good but the milk need to be swap out. Not the optimal combo. The staff are very respectful and quick to service.

Hiroshi really hits the spot on a rainy SF afternoon. I came in at noon and was surprised to see I…read morecould be seated immediately. Why the surprise? Because they serve bowls of deliciousness! I ordered the shio ramen which was served hot and fresh. The pork belly fell apart in my chopsticks and filled the broth with its rich, fatty goodness. The chopsticks are legit too. Extra long and ready to handle some perfectly cooked noodles. The service is friendly and prompt. My only kind of gripe was that people kept leaving the door open. Overall, it was an awesome experience and will be back. Yummy Certified!

Service was not great. Waitress is rude. My wife's fish took 15 minutes to cook but my ramen came…read moreout right away. Not great to sit there and eat in front of my hungry wife or watch my food get cold. When we asked for cutlery she gave us excuses and attitude. Ramen was good. Fish want worth it.

I love Sushirrito! I come here for lunch breaks and I like their hand rolls bc it's just enough for…read moreme and I don't wanna save the rest anyways. They have really good sauces to pair with their rolls and many options. Definitely has become a go to spot! You order from the counter and they can bring it over to you for to-go or dining in. Not a huge place with a lot of seating but it's cozy inside.

I got the Latin Ninja and it was pretty good but def not the best I have ever had. The presentation…read morein the box is super cute and is easy to eat if you add on the go. For the price, I def wish there was more salmon and I would want to try the Sumo Crunch for next time. Would def recommend giving this a try if you are on the go

Very good Japanese food right in the heart of downtown San Francisco! We stopped in for lunch on a…read moreTuesday and hit the jackpot with their lunch box special. For $18, you get an incredible spread: * your choice of gyoza, shumai, or tofu * a California roll or avocado roll * a protein of your choice Plus it all comes with edamame, miso soup, and seaweed salad. Honestly? That's my kind of deal. Everything we tried was delicious. In addition to the lunch box, we ordered a dragon roll and a dynamite roll, both of which were fresh, flavorful, and beautifully done. My husband went with the Una Ten Donburi. It was tasty, but at $30, it did feel a bit steep compared to the rest of the menu. The restaurant looked like your typical Japanese style space with the sushi rollers at the entrance and simple tables and decor. I do have two minor negatives worth mentioning. First, the edamame was cold and unsalted. I'm an edamame lover, and nothing beats it hot, freshly steamed, and generously showered in salt. So that was a little disappointing. Second, our server (I believe his name was Kayz) seemed visibly annoyed when we asked to split the check. As a server myself, I know this isn't rocket science, and guests should never be made to feel uncomfortable for something so standard, especially after there had already been a small mix-up with our roll order (we received two dynamite rolls instead of one dynamite and one dragon). We didn't make a fuss at the time because mistakes happen, but the attitude at the end definitely stood out. That said, the food itself was solid, the lunch special is a fantastic value, and overall we still had a good experience. I would absolutely return and would recommend this spot, just hoping for a smoother service experience next time.

According to what I wrote on Yelp, I had a decent meal at their sister restaurant in the Metreon…read morewell before it shuttered, like over a decade ago. My meal apparently wasn't memorable enough to motivate me to visit this location, that is, until quite recently. I decided to have lunch here after a nearby medical appointment. It wasn't crowded at all. Only a couple of solo diners and a loud senior couple. I wasn't in a sushi mood and thought I'd go healthy with the saba shioyaki. However, at the last minute, I went with the $19 Ika Yaki, a whole BBQ squid sliced and saturated in teriyaki sauce with a dab of shichimi mayo (Photo 8). The portion was generous and the texture was firm with enough elasticity. Unfortunately the teriyaki sauce did nothing to enhance the dish, and I wished they served it on the side. I also ordered the $8 Agedashi Tofu, usually a foolproof appetizer for me. It certainly looked right (Photo 9), but I was unpleasantly surprised how tongue-burning hot it was. The cubes of tofu must've just come right out of the deep fryer. The dashi broth helped calm the heat down but a little too late. I'm sure glad I sprung for the $3 bowl of Rice (Photo 10). That calmed what was left of my tongue down. FOOD - 3 stars...execution errors mar the dishes here AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...spacious enough since it was empty, sushi bar seating was available SERVICE - 3.5 stars...attentive enough TOTAL - 3 stars...not my favorite Japanese spot RELATED - Exploring the Tenderloin? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/hu44dWMabs

"Inexpensive Japanese in downtown San Francisco financial district"…read more My son and I stopped here for dinner randomly on a Friday night just before 6pm. He just visited Japan a few months ago and had a hankering for some chicken katsu. It's a small, narrow establishment, not far from the See's Candy store, but well-lit. One orders on a set of tablets at the front of the restaurant and then sits down. I ordered the chicken katsu don, which has the chicken katsu above vegetables, rice, and egg. My son wanted the chicken katsu curry rice, and also was eager for the Takoyaki (which has octopus). There was a complementary water station in the back (which we didn't notice before ordering bottles). I was impressed the entrees were all under $20 before tax and tip-- great for downtown SF. We didn't anticipate complementary miso soup, but we got it, and it was tasty. The takooyaki arrived next-- maybe 6 pieces and quite good. When you pop it in your mouth and bite, you get a burst of milk-like flavor in you mouth. I frankly couldn't taste the octopus, but that's OK... it was still yummy. I really liked my chicken katsu don-- I wanted some veggies, and the cabbage underneath was good, as was the seasoning. The chicken itself was excellent. My son said it wasn't quite as good as in Japan but agreed it was still good. The portion size was big-- I wasn't quite able to finish all the rice in mine. Service was fine-- I don't remember them checking on us after we got food, but we really didn't need anything since we'd already paid, water was available, etc. The restaurant itself was clean, too. I did stop at the washroom upstairs, and it had nice wooden floors, a large plant, etc., and clean overall. Overall, a solid choice at an amazing price for the area, so I'm happy to give 5 stars.

Stopped by on a Monday afternoon and there was no wait in line. I got the hire katsu (tenderloin)…read morewhile my friend got the regular tonkatsu. Food came out quickly and service was fine. The tables and floors were a bit sticky and dirty which is why I knocked off a star. Overall this is not a bad spot though and the katsu was good, not dry.

Such a cute pop-up! I hope that it stays around for a while. This time I tried the kinako Matcha. I…read morethought that it was pretty strong in the kinako with a very neutral, roasty flavor. There's some simple syrup available if you want to make it seeeter There is a bunch of seating indoors and it seems like there are a few outlets as well. It's a fairly small place so it might be hard to expect seating. It also seems to be quite busy anytime I go. Service is really nice and knowledgeable about the drinks. Can't wait to go again to try the espresso!

Cute little cafe in the Fidi area but quite expensive and fairly average tasting. I tried the…read moreichigo matcha which was $9 and my friend got the mango matcha. Both drinks were good and sweetness wasn't adjustable. However $9 is pretty expensive and I wasn't quite blown away. The drinks are very aesthetically pleasing.