It's been a million years since I've been back!…read more We had a girls night and decided to do izakaya. It used to be really hard to get a table and the waits were crazy! But now, it's much easier and not as crowded. Yay for us but sad for them. Also the clientele has vastly changed. They have more families coming in with kids. Guess that just means I can bring mine next time! All the things we ordered were just as I remembered! Tasty and hit the spot! Tuna tartare and the hamachi carpaccio were very tasty. We had a couple skewers, tried the uni scallop udon which was good. The pork belly curry special was fun to eat! A deconstructed banh mi. The pickled veggies were a nice touch. Service was wonderful and food came out quick. We did get a bowl of ramen to share at the end of the meal. Broth was a tad bit too salty but I like their springy noodles. Get the kikusui sake if you go! Easy and smooth to go with the food. I'll be back with the kids! Satisfied!

Been here many years ago before our visit last week. The place was dead on a Saturday evening but…read morethat's okay. Ordered several yakitori dishes and a daikon salad. A few Japanese bottled beers too. Chicken skin is my favorite with beer but not here. The chicken skin was crispy on the outside but chewy and rubbery on the middle. Bacon wrapped Enoki and bacon wrapped mochi were tasty. Pork jowl good. Daikon salad was tasty. Overall not bad. The price was a bit too steep honestly.

Amazing! I came here to celebrate my 6 year anniversary and immediately felt very welcome. The…read morehostess was very kind and even offered champagne to us which was very kind. We both got the pre fixed menu which was $90 a person and we added the $15 addition for more sashimi and uni. I also added separately the silken tofu. Everything on the pre-set menu was amazing and such high quality and thoughtfully put together. I especially appreciated a description of each dish when delivered and what best way it was to eat. My favorite of the night was definitely the sashimi and uni. Such incredible quality of the fish, some of the best I ever had. I will say that my only mistake was ordering the silken tofu as I was not a fan of this one much at all. I normally really like tofu but I do think this one was not for me. Overall amazing food, service, and ambiance. I especially appreciate what they have curated in the space at Rintaro.

Came here for an anniversary dinner and got the set course menu since it was our first time here…read more We made a reservation so did not have to wait. We were sat at the back of the restaurant which had a nice wood aesthetic and mood lighting. The service was great. They gave us some mock aperol spritz to start since neither of us drank. We went with the prefix which had an item from almost every section. The standouts of the course were the cod with pickled cucumbers, the chicken katsu, and the panna cotta. Definitely the juiciest chicken breast katsu I ever had and the cheese was good addition. The hojicha panna cotta was also yummy with a nice bold flavor and syrup on the side to adjust the sweetness. The sashimi and oden soup were also very good and refreshing to balance out the more greasy items on the menu. The skewer, udon and mapo tofu don did not standout as much in flavor and heaviness. But overall, glad I got to try them! The tasting menu was good overall and definitely interested to try some of the à la carte items next time.

Came again since they had an all-day happy hour this Wednesday! Great advertising on Instagram!…read more Love coming here since the food is fresh and the restaurant ambiance is cute and well decorated. On a Wednesday at 6:30, there was a short 5-minute wait outside and the restaurant was full. We ordered the following from the HH menu: - Goma Asparagus (3/5) - dish was tiny and the asparagus just tasted steamed with sauce on top - crispy salmon bites (4/5) - good portion and kinda tasted like the salmon skin chips from the store - corn ribs (6/5?) these are delicious and must get - brussel yakitori (4/5) good Brussels and way better than the balsamic Brussels that are too saucy - oysters (5/5) fresh and well seasoned with fresh wasabi - choo choo toro (5/5) - hamachi tataki (5/5) - sashimi sampler (5/5) Winners are the fresh fish, whcih comes with fresh wasabi! Yum!

We were in the mood for an izakaya and Chome seemed like the perfect spot to try near us. We loved…read morethe ambiance and atmosphere, but unfortunately the food was just okay.. especially for the steeper prices. The complimentary potato salad was honestly my favorite dish. Everything had great presentation and looked great aesthetically. They were just somewhat lacking flavor I was hoping for.

Yona is the best server and the food was so yummy! Great service and great vibes. Loved the wagyu…read moreskewer and miso cod!

Stephanie was very attentive and kind. My son and I not only enjoyed their yakitori but also their…read moregreat service!

So glad this neighborhood finally has an AYCE sushi spot, and at a price that actually makes sense…read more For $40 a person you are getting a serious deal. One tip: get there early. The place fills up around 6pm so arriving ahead of that will save you a wait. They don't take reservations, so first come first served. The ordering experience is really smooth. Everything is done through an iPad at your table and the food comes out to you. They won't let you place a new order until your previous one has been delivered, which honestly is a smart system and helps with pacing so you don't over order right out of the gate. What sets this place apart from other AYCE spots is the variety. It's not just sushi. You can also order appetizers, salmon, teriyaki chicken and more, so there's something for people who want to mix it up beyond rolls. Delicious, easy, affordable and in the neighborhood. Highly recommend!

Mom wanted Japanese food within walking distance from where we are staying and this place was the…read moreclosest to us. So we walked down two of the steepest hills ever and arrived at this little joint. Needless to say, my initial impression was not great as the space around the front of the restaurant is under construction and you have to walk over a makeshift bridge to access the underwhelming entrance. I kind of wanted to keep on walking when I saw this situation, but my ma said to give it a chance, so we did. We were seated by a window and had a lovely view of the construction. One of the waiters said that it is going to be a garden, but it has been under construction for three months and nothing has happened. I really hope it looks beautiful when it is completed! We did not opt for AYCE sushi but instead got agedashi tofu, yellowtail collar, udon w/tempura & katsu curry. We also shared some refreshing sake. The food came out quickly and honestly it was all really tasty. While the food was not sophisticated per se, it was comforting and kind of tasted like homemade we enjoyed it. Service was friendly and very efficient. Arigato!

Taniku Izakaya might be one of the best Japanese spots I've tried in the US. Full stop. My friend…read morewas in town and had heard about this place so naturally we go check them out. They allegedly have a few limited reservation slots but a majority of their service is first come first serve. You stand in line and wait. I would not recommend coming in large groups. In fact, I'd go as far as to say groups larger than 4 are basically contraindicated. The space inside is quite tight, think narrow, barstool-height seating and tiny tables. When my friend and I were seated after about a 40 min wait, we had spent so much time perusing the menu that we basically knew what we were going to get. Service was really kind and quick. My thoughts on the food below: Kabocha croquet: these were freshly fried and served PIPING hot. The perfectly crisp exterior and soft, non mushy interior were just the perfect textures contrasted against each other. The sweetness of the pumpkin meant that the vinegar heavy house dipping sauce was a requirement not a suggestion. The side salad also provided some freshness with each bite, not that the croquets were too greasy at all! They were well drained so just the crunch remained without the oil. Tori Tsukune: these Japanese chicken meatball skewers were HUGE and DELICIOUS. Perfectly grilled with a charred taste, relentlessly tender inside. Dipped in the accompanying soy sauce and egg yolk mixture it was simply heavenly. The yolk added a mild richness to each bite. Hotate carpaccio: this was the most unique take on scallops I've had in a while. The flavors seem strange at first glance (and first taste, if I'm being totally honest), but it took no more than two chews for me to change my tune. First off, the scallops are plump, crisply sweet, and buttery soft in the way that high quality scallops are. Next, the onion and yuzu provide a sharp yet floral aroma to each bite. The floral taste was initially jarring but became addictive. The drizzle of cream sauce on top tempered the sharpness and gave the dish a smooth finish. Truly a memorable scallop dish!! Midori udon: a scallop and pesto stir fry udon dish. This was unexpected combo when I read the menu, but it was so good! The briny and sweet little scallops were cooked to a perfect tender texture and they paired well with the mild, herbaceous pesto. The udon provided the perfect slurp. While I'm more of a soup noodle girl myself, this was an addictive and unique Japanese-Italian fusion! Niku Ramen: Taniku has a lot of inventive ramen offerings but the niku ramen stood out to me. I've had and enjoyed niku udon before, though I usually find the broth to be too sweet. This dish took all the best parts of niku udon - the mountains of tender, marinated beef, the soft boiled egg, the tender onions - and put them into a richer, heartier broth with thin ramen noodles and the outcome was fantastic. One of the most memorable bowls of ramen I've had in a while. The broth was seriously delicious. I'm such a big soup person so I keep coming back to that. It wasn't too sweet or too salty in the way that a lot of noodle soup broths are, but still managed to impart a ton of flavor. The meaty, fishy flavor was so drinkable. For the quality and quantity of food vs the price you pay, I was incredibly impressed by Taniku Izakaya!!!! Just banger after banger after banger. I saw that they have some good happy hour deals as well so I will definitely be coming back for more of their delightful apps and skewers. I cannot recommend this spot enough, there's a reason people queue for it.

We've been here maybe a handful of times at this point - the food is really good, cute cozy spot…read more However now that there is a soy allergy to account for - I can't easily neccessarily revisit my favorite spots. I've been to plenty of Japanese/Ramen spots and I've been running into the issue where I say I have a soy allegry and there is an assumption that I have a gluten issue (I do not have a gluten issue). I noticed yelp said they have soy-free options and thus called on Friday thinking it might be a bad idea as they're usually busy.. It was defintely hard for the person to hear a bit when they picked up. The staff did relay something about gluten free noodles.. Anyways, they said they could swap out any of the soy soups for salt (but soy can encompass a lot of things so I still wasn't feeling super confident but we're going to give it a go). We go and I asked which 4 of the soups I was eyeballing don't have soy - the staff said they can accomodate and replace any of the soy soups with a salt broth. After we ordered, the staff came back and checked in to make sure that my partner also didn't have an allergy. And my dish came out, they told me there was no egg as its marinated in soy - perfect to me. I'm glad that was caught as not every establishments can account for everything. - Now I have a spot to (more safely) eat ramen! - I advise that if you do have an food allergy, do talk to the staff, and address your concerns such as cross contamination etc. I had a great experience, but I do find that because its not so regulated or understood and there is lack of education amongst the food/resturant industry - you always need to advocate for yourself and there is always a risk. I'm very apperciative of the staff here.

We got a reservation on a Saturday night at dinnertime and were really glad to visit Noren during…read moreout trip to SF. They have a simple menu that has a selection of small bites, yakitori, and other dishes to enjoy and you basically circle the ones you want and hand it back. Service was fairly quick and attentive, friendly, and helpful with figuring out the ordering. We enjoyed each item, especially the short rib and chicken thighs. ----TL;DR---- Pros: easy to get to location-wise, fast and friendly staff, good selection on menu, fresh and flavorful meats Cons: none Bottom Lind: if you are craving Japanese pub food like Yakitori, come here, it was great. We'd like to go back again

I cane with my wife for a high protein dinner. We came at 4 and there was no wait…read more The inside feels a bit like a bar. The center literally was a bar and I could tell it was meant as a nighttime eatery. Their menu is composed pretty much of some izakaya type items and yakitori. I ordered only yakitori. The skewers were a bit pricey- 5-9$ each. But the quality was really good. Chicken heart and thigh were ultra juicy. Beef tongue was so soft and tender. Meat ball was ultra soft. Loved everything- no misses. Really surprised me. I highly recommend folks stop by for the skewers. Other than price I have no gripes at all! Just be prepared for the wait- with an empty restauraunt I waited 30 minutes.

Delicious rolls around here! Sushi is fresh and I think their wasabi is fresh made as well. Price…read morerange is similar to what you'd find at any decent sushi restaurant around the area. My favorite was surprisingly the cod though, SO delicious and buttery. The marinade on tha was incredible, highly recommend. We went in pretty late, close to closing, but they were super nice and helpful still. Nice local spot !

One of my absolute favorite Japanese comfort food neighborhood spots in the city. Whether ordering…read moreto go or dining in, this place never misses. FOOD: 8/10 Every roll I've ordered has been good. I love getting their nigiri or sashimi combo and enoki mushroom skewers. I believe the nigiri combo with spicy tuna roll is only for takeout orders. SERVICE: 10/10 The staff is always kind, attentive, and welcoming. I appreciate how, for the most part, service is always quick here as well. AMBIANCE: 9/10 The atmosphere is cozy, calm, and inviting. It has that relaxed neighborhood feel that makes it easy to settle in and enjoy your meal without feeling rushed. It's perfect for a casual dinner or even a low-key solo meal. My only small note is that I wish the tables were slightly bigger, especially for a table for two. Overall, I absolutely love dining here or even grabbing it to go. Shokudou is one of those places I'll keep coming back to whenever I want comforting Japanese food done reliably well.