Definitely coming back for their happy hour menu. I don't usually drink beer but that pineapple beer was to die for. The chu toro sizzler was delicious as well. we loves the flavor on the wings and mushroom. The chicken could be a little less dry but very good. Everything we ordered was from the happy hour menu besides the calamari and chu toro sizzler. read more

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Came here for dinner on a Friday night and there was a little bit of a wait since the restaurant isn't huge inside. We got sat about 10 minutes after waiting which wasn't bad at all. We ordered the chu toro sizzler, nyc big mac, duck carbonara, and combo 7 skewers. My favorite item definitely has to be the toro sizzler, this is a must get here! Super tender and fatty which pairs so well with the crispy rice at the bottom. I had really high hopes for the big Mac but honestly it fell short for me. The wagyu, fatty tuna, uni, and truffle was a bit too much. I love all the items individually but I think stacked into one is way too fatty. The drinks here are pretty good and the potato salad is also a great way to start the meal. Overall though this place is a bit pricey and I'm not sure if it was worth it for this meal. I might check it out again during happy hour since they seem to have better deals. read more

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Chome is a contemporary Japanese gastropub. In fact, the establishment resembles an izakaya. The Japanese word izakaya is made up of three kanji with the meaning being "stay-drink-place." This place offers a charming oasis in the city for locals and visitors to come in to grab a drink, eat, and get comfortable. It is located in a busy intersection, tucked in a near corner on 18th St. and Mission St. This restaurant is incognito, so you'll have to keep your eyes peeled when on Mission St. This place takes no reservations and no takeout. Inside is small and eccentric, yet it feels like a cozy Japanese pub. What took me by surprise was the eclectic selection of music that ranged from Japanese ballads, I think anime music, and some random Chinese songs. There was a 30 minute wait time around 8:00 P.M. on a Thursday, but the wait was so worth it. This place is vegan friendly and I had no problem ordering. I love the clear markings on the menu showing vegan. The menu seems fun and offbeat. The complimentary potato salad side dish was not vegan and staff quickly gave me a salad slide upon hearing my dietary restriction. I tried the millionaire's green bacon which were tender vegetable strips of some green bean variety and also tried the "bunny" ramen. The ramen broth was so rich and smooth with a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and Earthy. The ingredients were delicate together and I especially liked the crispy broccoli and curly carrots. I will come back for more bunny-less, bunny ramen. read more

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Came here right at opening time on a Friday during Outside Lands weekend and the small place filled up super quickly. The vibes are cute and it's adorably decorated with Japanese trinkets and art inside. We came specifically for the happy hour deals - I preferred the nigiri over the hand rolls. The toro and hamachi samplers were the best (also the most expensive lol). The skewers were cooked well and the pineapple beer was quite good considering I don't really like beer. The highballs just tasted like sprite but their lychee sake (comes from a bottle) was yummy. This place is probably slammed during the weekend nights so come early or super late if you don't want to wait too long! read more

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semi long waittimes to get seated and get food but really good, friendly and attentive service ans delicious food. big favorites were the pork belly skewers. can be a bit loud but still an enjoyable social time to eat and drink read more

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I would give it five stars but the price point + wait time deducts a point. The food itself really is amazing- I haven't had much authentic izakayas in the city and Chome is definitely a great find. I went with two other friends and we ordered mainly skewers as well as the duck carbonara when we were still hungry after only having yakitori. Came out to about $70/person but we were fairly full by the end. Because the restaurant has limited space, the wait was very long even for small tables so I'd recommend coming at 5-6pm to avoid a 1-hour wait. read more

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I really enjoyed my meal at Chome. Went at opening on a Wednesday and were seated immediately. They have a number of good happy hour deals so we took advantage. The pineapple beer was interesting but I'll pass next time and just get the cold sake. The food was all delicious, from the amuse buche potato salad to the fruit and whip cream dessert. The Big Mac was good but pricey. We also ordered the salmon toro nigiri, pork belly skewers, udon carbonara with tofu (vs. duck), and tempura kicker, which were all delicious. The restaurant is a very small space so a decent wait should be expected during busier hours/days. read more

Chome - Tempura kicker - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The staff here is super nice and efficient and ambiance was cute and cozy! However I think for the price point the food fell pretty short We ordered only a couple of things and it was about $90 per person with 2 people, crying still thinking about it. Portions are very small and nothing was done particularly unique except for the yakitori combo ($37), which was the star of the table. We also got: - calamari (~$15) super tough, had to send back - truffle mushroom poppers (~$9) banchan sized dish that just tasted like fried batter :/ - big mac ($20 each) - decadent but flavorless, hoped to have more truffle in the bite - oxtail omurice ($32) - oxtail was good but it was just 1pc and rest was ketchup rice and egg was not silky - taikyaki dessert ($20) - tiny taiyaki in which the batter tasted like the mushrooms but yummy ice cream and mochi The one saving grace was the amazing pineapple beer-- could CHUG that for days. Overall I wish Chome the best but unfortunately it is super pricey and not worth the 2 hours we waited for a table read more

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The food here is TO DIE for. The prices are a bit up there but they use such high quality ingredients I totally get it. The service was super nice and felt like a family run establishment. Our food came out quickly. There was a wait when we went there at 9pm on Friday. I wish they had a larger waiting area. The ambiance feels like the movie Spirited Away and it feels like they put a lot of thought into decorating. If you want to go to a place where someone poured their heart and soul into, this is the one. I kind of want to gatekeep it but I also want to share the love because they were the sweetest! read more

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Wow! Chome was awesome! Service was so fast and polite - they're definitely working hard with all the demand they're serving. My friends and I arrived around 4:50pm and stood outside before the opening at 5pm, and by 5pm there was already a complete line waiting outside. Luckily we were able to get a seat but I'd say there's only room for ~15 people in the restaurant, so if you're not within the first crowd I can assume the wait is 30-45 minutes or more. They started by offering everyone complementary potato salad. I'm not a big fan of mayonnaise but it was still delicious and I ended up eating the whole thing! We ordered a variety of dishes during the happy hour from 5-5:30pm and afterwards, just to get a taste of as many things as possible. They ended with complementary grape and papaya. The papaya was so good my friend and I bought papayas after! The chotoro sizzler was a table favorite. The fish was so fresh and tender, and the ingredients in the "sizzle" were delightfully crunchy. The calamari was chewy and lightly breaded, different from the typical oil-heavy fried calamari I'm used to getting. The gizzard skewer was a bit too tough for my liking. I would HIGHLY recommend the Momo duck, which was the highlight for me. The duck was delicious and the orange plum glaze was just the right balance of sweet and tart. Overall I would definitely come back again but I would again arrive before they open to get a spot without a long wait! The food was delightful, but because their menu (or at least the items I ordered) is more fried, I wouldn't wait in a long line for it. read more

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Spontaneously looked up dinner spots in Mission District and stumbled upon Chome- a tiny, cute, eccentric Japanese Izakaya! Had a group of 6 so we tried to call to make res; which they don't take lol. So first come, first serve style and the waiting begins. We went a little late, but since we had a large group. Was about 30 mins or so. Tbh, after this experience I probably would wait over an hour. SO WORTH IT. Everything we ordered was chefs kiss and flawless. Soo flavorful and everything was perfectly balanced and aesthetically pleasing. Everything we ordered was so tasty. If I had to pick the top 5 dishes, I'd have to say: Kim Chee Creamy Udon, tonkatsu ramen, dumplings, chicken karaage w the sweet potato fries, and the star of the fricken show: drum roll for the BIG MAC!! The most luxurious bite of our SF trip so far. The trifecta: wagyu, otoro, uni, and topped w a bit of caviar. Low key not the biggest fan of uni bc sometimes it's too fishy but this bite was absolute PERFECTION. The Big Macs of all sushi found here at Chome! The service was very exceptional! She was efficient, friendly, and so kind to us. We had the most memorable experience and I highly recommend giving this restaurant a shot. Small spot with bold flavors! read more

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We arrived @ 11pm, slightly hungry after our earlier dinner at 5pm. Had to wait about 45min to get seated though. After being allowed inside, I was surprised to see that the restaurant itself was just as small as that door--there were only about 5-6 tables in a very vertically oriented, rectangular room.I didn't mind this as it reminded me of those tiny mom&pop restaurants in Japan. The intimate ambiance and setting was emphasized by the drapes and lights that lit up the red room. It was a maximalist's dream (and minimalist's nightmare)--so many small knick knacks lined up on the walls and cute drawings! The music choice was also really interesting , they played bangers from Indian, Spanish, Korean, and even Cantonese music! Now, onto the food! Since we had an earlier dinner, we decided to order a few dishes: the duck meat yakitori, the scallop shots, toro sampler, and Mount Fuji dessert. I forget the actual names of the dishes. I will say that all of the items on the menu are at a higher price point for a really tiny portion so do be ready for your wallet to hurt and leave slightly hungry haha. However, I thoroughly enjoyed every single dish to the max. I cannot stress this enough--everything was thought out so well and made with intention. As someone who is usually not a big fan of thick cuts of meat, I kept my expectations for the duck meat yakitori low. However I was blown away by how well cooked it was, the light taste of a tiny char on the meat was delicious and it was juicy and a mouthful! It also came with this sort of yuzu? Marmalade dipping sauce and it was paired SO well with the meat. It cut out the gaminess for me which is a big factor of why I usually dislike / get tired of eating meat. My only complaint is that the soy glaze was a bit saltier than I would have liked but due to everything else being amazing, I'd still give this 5/5. The scallop shots were so amazing as well. It came with some tobiko, ponzu, and yuzu. Two spoons of this was NOT enough for me! I would eat 20 spoons if I could. I kid you not the flavors were so fresh and complimented each other so so well. Again, I delineate that I feel what Chome does so well is having flavor balance and different textures, acidities, and tastes to compliment each other, creating a final delicious dish. It's almost a crime that everything is in such tiny portions! 5/5 The toro sampler was also delicious, it came sizzling hot in a small cast iron pan. The meat was high quality and marbled nicely, and I loved the edition of the krispy rice in the slightly sweet and sour soy sauce which added a unique texture to the dish. Again, I appreciated the layers to this dish because sometimes with sashimi and other mushier foods , I get consistency issues. But the addition of this crispy rice and the sweet acidity of the sauce paired so well with the soft, buttery mouthfeel of the toro! This was the first dish I received and me and my bf both took a bite and widened our eyes at each other so you know it's good. Actually scratch that because we did that for every dish here so everything was really good!! 5/5 Now on to the dessert..the Mount Fuji dessert was the perfect ending to my night. This is downright ridiculously good to me because I hate overly sweet desserts. If you are someone who enjoys light, refreshing desserts, this is for you. The matcha panna cotta was silky and unsweetened which I loved. The matcha ice cream was perfectly sweet and also came with matcha ice cream Mochi cubes--I had no idea how they made this because it was like ice cream on the outside and Mochi on the inside. Again with the complexity that I adored! It also came with some fresh berries and other fruits and the highlight-- candies beans. Yes, candied beans!! They looked like mung bean or red beans and they had a lightly dusted sugary coating over it. The beans were an interesting texture--not hard but not mushy. I loved it with everything else. I would get this dessert every day if I could. 5/5 Okay so clearly this place has captured my heart and stomach and I would give it a 6/5 if that were possible. Do remember though that this place has tiny tiny microscopic portions with a heftier price tag so if you're looking for somewhere to grub, this is NOT the place for you (unless of course your wallet is willing!). Do come to Chome if you want to experience fresh ingredients, have your tastebuds be teased by complex, yet clean and simple flavors, and leave satisfied, but also wanting more. I really appreciated how Chome highlights the main ingredient with other flavors but it never doesn't make sense or take away from the dish. It never steals the spotlight of the main ingredient; it only accentuates it. All in all, if you've read this far on my rambles, tdlr: Chome is truly amazing and is now my favorite Japanese spot in the city! P.S. Excuse the lack of pictures of the actual foods; I was too busy stuffing it in my mouth to remember to snap a pic before! read more

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Tldr: cute tiny izakaya shop in the mission, slightly pricey but delicious! This little hidden izakaya shop really gets lost in the midst of the mission but solid choice of izakaya! The interior decoration gives off Japanese street food vibes! The cocktails are delicious and very cute looking! All the small eats were delicious, the skewers were great too! Overall, love the size of the menu; would come back to try different items! Service was wonderful and speedy~ read more

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A really special dining experience in SF! Chome has a really small, cozy interior with limited seating. My party of 3 showed up at 8 and joined the paper waitlist. We ended up waiting a little over an hour. Despite the long wait, I was really impressed with how the staff handled the waitlist. She was very good at communicating wait times and let us know we could leave and come back if we wanted to. We felt very taken care of! The food was worth the wait. Spicy miso ramen: 5/5, yummy veggie broth and great assortment of veggies. A solid vegetarian ramen. Truffle poppers: 5/5, such a great appetizer! The mushrooms are fried so well that they basically had the texture of fries. Millionaire's bacon: 3/5, I wasn't very impressed by this one. The flavor was good, it was basically roasted green bean. But the presentation as "faux bacon" was off-putting. Instead of long thick strips, I think this dish should be presented as smaller bites. Chome is truly a special place. It's one of the few restaurants here that is actually open late (11:30pm) so great for late night eats and drinks. The ambience is wonderful and the food is memorable. read more

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Chome is a diamond in the rough of SF's Mission District, and one that any local should (read: must) try at least once. With a little planning and patience, you can craft an unforgettable evening here in tandem with one of the many nearby bars. Since Chome does not accept reservations, we arrived earlier than when we wanted to eat to put our name on the list. We were quoted a 30-45min wait, but they do not call or text by phone to be seated--you must be physically present when your table opens up or you risk losing it (there are less than 10 tables inside total). After a quick pre-drink at a nearby bar, we were seated by the window and jumped right into their extensive menu. Our group of four chose to dine family style and shared nearly ten plates of food. Every single one was incredible! The attention to detail in these dishes and the rich, complex flavor profiles made each bite a borderline-religious experience. We washed the food down with Chome's speciality pineapple beer (imagine a slightly ale-y Dole Whip from Disneyland) and left feeling just full enough to grab one last drink next door. read more

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We ordered the big mac (minimum order of 2), north sea dumplings, 7 skewer sampler, udon carbonara, momo duck skewer, and trumpet mushroom skewer. I highly recommend ordering the skewers of your choice. Our favorites are the Momo Duck, Lamb, Wagyu, Shiitake and Trumpet Mushroom. Definitely try the mushroom!!! The momo duck skewer is juicy, tender, and packed with so much flavor. The delicious north sea dumplings covered in chili oil and a creamy sesame peanut sauce (filled with scallops) is so unique! I would recommend ordering the NYC big mac nigiri (A-5 wagyu, caviar, uni, o-toro) if you have never had it before. Unfortunately the chu toro sizzler was sold out by the time of ordering, so we suggest coming as early as you can. Chome starts the night with a complimentary potato salad which I enjoyed. Chome is an izakaya (small plates + drinks) with only about 6 tables. We came 10 minutes after opening and had to wait an hour to be seated on a Sunday night. Service was excellent! read more

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Ambience - my favorite part about the restaurant is the cozy intimate ambience. There were less than 10 tables and you're all seated pretty closely together. But the decor is so cute and very Japanese. Perfect for date night or with catch up with a close friend. Wait - they don't do reservations.got there 5:05 on Wednesday and was able to seat at the last table for 2 which was lucky. I've been here a few times where there was too long of a line to wait. They have a waitlist sign up sheet on paper and you can say the estimated time you'll come back. Happy hour - take advantage of the happy hour! On weekdays it's 5-5:30pm and they have skewers for good prices and some drinks available including pineapple beer with real pineapple. Food - Incredibly creative menu and very fun to experiment with ingredients that you wouldn't imagine to go together. For example, the ocean creme brûlée has the sweet crust that you get from the dessert creme brûlée but it's consisted of mostly eggs and fish roes. The udon was also delicious and so fulfilling the udon kimchi bacon and duck were great combination. Price - depending on what you order it can be expensive but I believe it's worth the splurge. However you can probably get full by ordering a lot of items from the happy hour menu like skewers. read more

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Little restaurant, big flavor! Chome is a hole-in-the-wall with about 6 tables and a mouth watering, and always changing, menu of Japanese inspired small plates. There are no reservations, so plan to wait for a table -- better yet, I recommend adding your name to the list and grabbing a drink at a nearby bar. The food is truly spectacular. Each dish is carefully crafted, beautifully plated, and incredibly flavorful. Various skewers including chicken thighs, Wagyu beef, and pork belly are standing menu items and are sure to please. For the more adventurous foodie, Chome has options such as chicken hearts and beef tongue. The sushi rolls are unique and very fresh. The ramen is also delicious, although not as good for sharing. I don't think that there are any "wrong" options here -- Chome gets it right on every dish. I love the small, quirky, ambiance. The space and the people are very approachable. The waitstaff are very knowledgeable about the menu and give fantastic recommendations. The price point is for "date night" in my opinion -- a slight splurge (~$50-$70/per person for a full dinner and a drink) but absolutely worth it. read more

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Delicious food, great service, fun menu - don't miss it! Happy hour is great for the cost conscious

I love Chome! I was there when they initially opened, with a much smaller location-- very intimate, but very hard to get a seat. I'm so glad they moved to a bigger place now! The service was friendly - we got a free dessert from the owner - she seems so warm. The food - what can I say? Every bite we had was delicious, they really bring uniqueness in every bite. Each dish has a beautiful presentation, and I'm always saying "aww" every time. I love this cute restaurant, such a gem. read more

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Walk in only, place your name on the list and wait outside. Super small place inside but cute and charming! Service was actually quite fast! Everything I ordered was delicious, well balanced flavors, and great portions. I ordered my friend a mixture of skewers to go and the Brussel sprouts and she loved all of it! I do not eat pork and love Ramen so was super excited that I was able to sub the pork chashu for chicken! The dish was delicious! The one thing I wished was that it had more broth as I always order extra broth. Overall great experience, great food, and highly recommend. read more

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Was invited for my birthday The food is amazing The atmosphere is cozy and the service excellent. read more

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Came on a Thursday night and waited almost 45 minutes for a seat. We were eventually seated in the back for 4 people, honestly the best seats in the restaurant as it's semi-private and secluded. Excellent service, they continuously checked up on us for more orders. potato salad starter - something quick to curb the appetite black sesame tofu - interesting pairing of flavors tako wasa - spicy appetizer to start, nice palette cleanser menetaiko aji-tama - an amazing egg karaage and fries - fried foods. what's not to like? baby amaebi - came with 30 mini shrimps, nice mini bites fresh oysters - Kusshi this time around. 6 pieces. giant tiger prawn - missed the prawn heads but the body is still excellent chicken cartilage skewer - really crunchy. almost like the top of a chicken drumstick king trumpet mushroom - one of my favorite dishes of the night chu-toro sizzler - can never go wrong with these. slightly cooked chu-toro hokkaido jumbo scallop - jumbo indeed, perfectly cooked japanese beef tongue - surprisingly thick, i prefer it thinner usually melon green eyes - fresh fruit with mint and melon ice cream, refreshing fun fun fuji mountain - couldn't get enough of this. matcha ice cream, panna cotta, fresh fruit read more

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Very long wait for mediocre food. We went with a friend visiting from LA. We were all very excited to try out Chome as it's been on all our lists to try. We were pretty disappointed by the taste of the food. The service was decent though and the food came out at an okay pace. We just didn't like any of the food. Maybe it was an off night or maybe we ordered the wrong things, but I wouldn't bother trying this restaurant again if I had to wait for a table. read more

I came in for a late-night dinner and was pleasantly surprised to find out that it happened to be happy hour (10-11pm). Chome is a quaint spot for some izakaya-style food. The workers are friendly and attentive, and all the decor added to the coziness of the establishment. I felt as though I had just walked in from a cold night into the familiar warmth of a home. In terms of the food, I particularly liked the chicken thigh skewers with a dollop of mayo on each chunk. The uni udon was interesting to try but since I'm personally not a big fan of the uni/salmon egg taste, I probably wouldn't get it again. I'll definitely come back to try the other skewers paired with some cold beer or one of the cocktails. read more

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We had another great night here at ChoMe. Delicious food and wonderful service! Warm atmosphere and the decor always changing. There is something awesome to see in every corner. read more

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I love this business and the family that runs it! It is very small so it can only hold 10-12 people at once. You can't reserve a table so you need to be patient and willing to wait outside for a good 40 minutes to an hour. Once you get seated, they don't rush you. You can take time to enjoy your meal. We love all food items we tried. Their interior decor and their music choice are super interesting as well. It is an overall great experience. I fully support local owned businesses and hard working families! read more

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Heard great things about this spot so we came by at 4:58 right before they opened on a Friday :) we got in without waiting but within 5 or so minutes the restaurant was closed! So if you are trying to make it for happy hour (5-5:30) make sure you come on time. The interior is very lively and they play very loud music. The happy hour menu limited but we did try some delicious chicken skewers at a nice discount. The alcohol deals are amazing though! We got some grapefruit soju carafes and they tasted soooo fresh and fruity. We also got a pineapple beer which was also delicious and garnished with a fat hunk of pineapple :) We also ordered some ramen (very garlicky, yummy but too expensive for the portion) and the seared tuna (which came with delicious garlic sauce but the fish itself was ~average quality). The food here is very expensive to be prepared to shell out some dime:) we spent around $120 for two people. Overall really enjoyed the experience; prices are on the higher end but I understand the hype! Definitely want to come back for happy hour again :-) read more

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I can't stop thinking about and talking about the Mango Paradise drink.... I'm OBSESSED!!!! I live in So Cal... and I can't wait to go back to SF just for this drink!! If I lived nearby, I would probably get it multiple times a week. It's soooo good. We also loved the oxtail egg thing and the vegan spicy ramen.. read more

A literal hole in the wall. They have about five tables so definitely recommend keeping your party small. Usually there's a line but I got lucky on a weekday for dinner. The skewers are so on point and I loved almost everything. The only thing lacking was the ox tail omelette. Their cocktails are unique and will definitely be back to try the other things on the menu. read more

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Would recommend going on a weeknight or lining up early if on the weekend as there is not a ton of seating inside. My favorite dishes were the okonomiyaki and the Chu toro sizzler plate. The pork belly and chicken thigh skewers were solid as well but have had better elsewhere. The ox tail omurice was a bit too sweet for my personal preference. read more

Chome - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Reservations would be great because they do get busy! The food was very tasty. My favorite had to be the asparagus and spicy shrimp. Everything was super tasty! read more

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Living in the area and walking on mission street often, I clocked this place because there was always a group of people outside that seemed to be excited. So I finally got to visit and this is the cutest hole in the wall Japanese spot! It's teeny tiny inside but rich with character in the decor and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. On a Sunday night it was bustling- but for a table for 2 we only waited ~20 minutes. It feels very intimate and whimsical. Even the menu was fun and had a lot of care put into it. :) The food did not disappoint either: First they serve all their guests with a complimentary house potato salad that was delicious. The bonito fish shavings really elevated the taste! We also had the Ankimo(monkfish liver) and I was a little weary of it being pungent but they mixed the flavors extremely well- was not overpowering and got me super excited for the rest of the meal. The tonkatsu ramen was surprisingly sweet, with a classic savory taste. The pork belly was very tender and tasty and the chunks of garlic were a nice touch. Was happy with it. We also had the Wasabi Walu(butterfish sashimi). Melt in your mouth delicious. Fresh and flavorful. And the plating? I do wish the portions were larger but for a quality sushi spot in San Francisco the pricing is decent! I'd absolutely come back again to try their skewers and of course more sushi. read more

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finally got to try this place out and it was such a cool experience! it's a tiny restaurant and they seat people in "waves" -- i.e. they let people in to fill tables right when they open, and they generally expect people to take the same amount of time to eat before opening up their tables to the next folks in line. I appreciated that the server let me know she could seat our table in the next "wave", which was about a 20 minute wait at 6pm on a weekday. the food itself was innovative and luscious; the flavors were rich, interesting, and unique. we did get the big mac, which I personally found way too overwhelming, but it was worth the try. the servers were super attentive & kind. would love to come back here again. read more

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So good!! The three of us decided to go to Chome on a weekday around 6:30 and didn't have to wait. It's a very small place, so I would anticipate it getting really busy on weekends. What we ordered: Truffle poppers Karaage and fries Run run nonkatsu Combo 7 skewers 2 chicken tail meat 2 beef tongue 1 tonkatsu ramen Beverages: small hot sake, pineapple beer Dessert: hojicha pana cotta We were able to finish everything between the three of us! We were full! The truffle poppers and karaage were good appetizers. GET THE RUN RUN NANKOTSU (fried chicken cartilage) -- it came with this Sriracha aioli that was so good together. Crispy, flavorful, light, crunchy. All their deep fried items were great and not too oily. Ramen was okay! I think I would stick with the skewers. Beef tongue was so good (always a fave), and the combination plates of skewers are shareable among friends no problem. Worked great for our party of 3. Would pass on the hojicha dessert if you are looking for a sweet dessert (lacked sweetness). Friend got the pineapple beer and was wowed by it! Sweet from the pineapple. Would come again!! Think we found a favorite izakaya place. :) read more

Chome - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

I could not recommend them more - pretty easy to get a seat right when they open but this place is tiny and not welcoming for large groups! 4, max, and even then you may wait a bit. You get a complimentary potato salad when you arrive. The binchotan grilled skewers are amazing. As an Izakaya, it'll quickly add up. We easily spent over $250 between two people and we finished all of our food. I loved all the chicken skin/cartilage, the Big Mac was "fine", and my most memorable loved item? The deep fried durian - IT WAS SO GOOD. Apologies to everyone around me. I also got a pineapple beer and loved it. There's a 5-5:30 happy hour and late night happy hour, just FYI. read more

I've been dying to try this place ever since I saw a picture of the big mac here. I came on a sunday night around 9pm and was not seated until 10pm, which is perfect because that is when the happy hour starts. However, in the future, i'd probably come closer to 10pm as there was no one in line by that time and you could have been seated immediately. The restaurant is super tiny. I think only 6 tables? and 5 tables are two people tables. The vibes are also kind of weird not in a bad way, but also not in a good way? The music they play is very loud and just asian? There wasn't a particular category they were playing jumped from japanese, korean, chinese, even taiwanese songs lol. When you are seated you immediately get served a potato salad. The potato salad was pretty good and a good starter while you are browsing the menu. We ordered the Chu Toro Sizzler a 2/5 dish for me as i don't believe the fish we got was chu toro. Looked like regular tuna. The only good part about this dish was the crispy rice on the bottom that is soaked in their sauce. Next we got the ankimo, an amazing deal imo for $5. I'm not the biggest fan of ankimo but my boyfriend that orders it everywhere was a big fan of this one and gives it 5/5. Next, we got the chicken skewers that we ordered. We were going to get the sampler but decided that there were more items we wanted to try and the happy hour made it cheaper to just order what we wanted rather than having a sampler. We got the chicken thigh, cartilage, and skin, All 5/5. Really good skewers really good price. We also ordered the Salmon Skin salted egg yolk skewer. 3/5 for me. I don't know what I was expecting but it was just mediocre. Next was the ox tail omurice 2/5 pretty disappointing. tasted like ketchup with egg and rice basically and a cooked oxtail in ketchup. I would not get this again but it definitely filled us up. The next dish that came was the beef tongue. I love beef tongue and will get it anywhere that serves it. It was just okay here though, not bad but also not amazing 4/5. Next was the dish i came here for, the big mac. It was pretty disappointing to me. Not sure if it was because of my high expectations or what but the more I think about it the more it was just ok.... from the pictures it looks like the beef would be a thicker cooked piece but what we got was a raw thin piece of wagyu. The truffle on top really overpowered the flavors of everything else in the bite and there is already so much going on. Overall a 2/5 for me and I would not get it again. Definitely worth a try if it's your first time but I would not be getting it again. Next was the sweet corn. I think it was grilled perfectly with the right amount of seasoning and no complaints about it 5/5. The next dish was the ocean crème brûlée. OMG. This was the underdog of it all. I was not expecting this dish to taste like this but it is my absolute favorite dish from here and it would be the reason that I come back to this restaurant. All you can see from the top is ikura and caviar, and as you move down, there's uni with a crispy shell of sugar like they have on crème brûlée and then there's sweet crab meet right under, all paired with a plain creamy egg custard. The textures from this dish is phenomenal and the crispy sugar really brings out the sweetness of the uni. when you eat this dish i would suggest going straight down so every bite has an even distribution of the toppings since the egg itself doesn't have much flavor. A 6/5 for me. THIS is their must get item instead of the big mac. Next we got the oyesters trifecta. Tasted pretty similar to the big mac. Flavors overpowered by the presence of truffle, would not get again 2/5 for me. Last, we the american wagyu came. It was pretty average, not bad, not good couldn't even tell it's wagyu. 3/5 for me. Overall, I would come back. The chicken skewers were surprisingly better than the beef skewers and there's a discount during happy hour. Definitely definitely get the ocean creme brûlée i think it was the star of the show. read more

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I really enjoyed my lychee drink and dining here felt so cozy and local. Love the decor.

Chome is a hole in the wall and tiny spot so come here early if u wanna be seated immediately. I enjoyed the chu toro sizzler (this is meant to be shared, but I'd rather have my own lol), the "big mac" which is wagyu + toro + uni that one is super decadent I think one is enough per person. The pineapple beer is super refreshing and sweet (it's basically beer that they combine with pineapple's juice since I asked what brand it was, but it's basically one of their own concoctions). The oysters with uni were decent and u should definitely get the okonomiyaki it's a good dish as well. The only downside sometimes is there's only one lady working so it's hard to keep up with the restaurants demands in a timely manner. I liked the north sea dumplings but ours were cold when we got it. read more

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Sooo hole-in-the-wall (the exterior is unassuming and the interior probably aggregates to the size of my small apartment) but such a gem, especially for unconventional Japanese small plates. They have happy hour from 5 to 5:30 p.m. and later at night at around 10 p.m., which I'd highly recommend! For two, we ordered: Small hot sake and small cold sake ($5 each, HH price), pineapple beer-tail ($5/pint, HH price, tasted like a piña colada) Ankimo ($5, HH price): braised monkfish liver--DELICIOUS, please get this! So creamy and umami. Mentaiko Aji-Tama ($5, HH price): eggs with fish paste! Tasted good but kind of like a regular soft-boiled egg to me. Chu-Toro Sizzler ($20): pieces of tender toro with crispy rice. I wish they added a bit more ponzu, but this was still so good--loved how it was lightly seared. Oxtail Omurice ($30): pretty large portion! The oxtail was marinated flavorfully and the egg was soft. Probably my least favorite dish though. I'll definitely be back for happy hour! I want to try all of their izakaya flight bites. read more

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