COUNTER SEATING FOR 2! 4.8…read more Make a reservation and grab that counter seat, as this wonderful Japanese restaurant is well worth a visit. Okaeri is a traditional Japanese restaurant, with some dishes offering a subtle contemporary twist. Parking can be a bit challenging, as neighborhood street parking is very limited. We reserved a spot in the lot of the El Capitan Hotel, on Mission between 19th & 20th Streets. There is a manned booth with a parking attendant nearby. The area can look a bit sketchy, but we've parked there a few times and have never had any issues. Okaeri is located on 20th Street, between Mission & San Carlos Streets, putting the aforementioned parking lot about a block away. The Mission District can be quite bustling, with cars and people from all walks of life. Stepping into Okaeri feels like a welcoming reprieve, with its warm and inviting atmosphere enhanced by clean, light wood and understated décor. For a party of two, counter seating is the way to go. It's cozy, offers an up-close view of the sushi preparation, and provides the opportunity to interact with the sushi chefs. Everything on the menu looked enticing, but what particularly caught our attention was the Omakase. Oftentimes, if it is our first visit and a restaurant offers a "sampling" of their food, we'll go with that. In this case, it was the Omakase--"respectfully leaving another to decide what is best." Chef, we respectfully place our palates in your hands. It is essential (for me) that a Japanese meal be accompanied by delicate and refined sake, so we ordered a bottle. We were offered a tray of beautifully decorated sake glasses from which to choose. This charming touch made the experience of enjoying our sake even more delightful and distinctive. The menu we enjoyed consisted of: * Petite Plates ~ assorted small bites & sashimi * Nigiri ~ chef's choice of 10 pieces of signature nigiri * Mushi ~ chawanmushi We also added the Scallop King Roll, featuring snow crab and avocado, topped with baked scallops. For dessert, we shared the Panna Cotta, which was silky smooth and not overly sweet. We had some sake remaining in the bottle, which our gracious server placed in a clear, sealed bag for us to take home. This thoughtful touch added an extra bit of hospitality to an already enjoyable dining experience. Every dish was consistently flavorful, with artful presentation throughout. On a subsequent visit, we would love to explore more of their menu and experience dishes that reflect their fusion and contemporary side.

Let's start off with the most important part of this review and it's the food. Amazing quality, and…read morethe cuts were very pristine. I got the tuna donburi which definitely hit the spot while my friends got the sake donburi, and some specialty rolls. They really enjoyed it! 5/5 for food quality and taste. Now for the reason of 4/5 which I may even opted for 3.5/5 if it were available. We were the first group of 9 to come in right at opening and were told that because we had a large group everyone was required to spend $70. That's not hard to hit considering you're eating out at a sushi restaurant, but the fact that we were told to spend at least $70 a person in order to be seated is crazy! We even asked what was recommended and the seasonal donburi or sake was the most popular. So now we went for those options, but still had to make up the remaining $32 per person that went for the sake donburi. Some people that didn't even want to drink opted for beer because they already got matcha next door. Service charge was already included yet the requirement to spend $70 a person just to dine here is ridiculous. I would come back, but not with a group of more than 4. Anyone that has friends or colleagues of more than 4 go elsewhere!

Wonderful experience. The lunch omakase has a delectable menu of exquisite fish from all over the…read moreworld. The chef was very good--watching him prepare the sushi was very enjoyable! They have a classic and beautiful sushi bar with incredible dish ware. The service was excellent. Very authentic Japanese sushi restaurant. It's a bit off the beaten path a couple blocks down from mission st in a non-descript location. You can easily walk past it without noticing. Big mistake if you do!

Fish was fresh, rice was aight…read more We made a reservation for 4 for a weekday evening and there were plenty of seatings around. We had 2 omakase sets and ordered a bunch of a la carte. Fish was fresh and good but I didn't like how the rice was seasoned or cooked. The rice was a bit hard and it tasted a mix of vinegar and soy sauce. I liked the tataki and ceviche appetizers. Overall it was ok. I just don't like the rice.

Overall: 4 stars…read more Well presented, upscale Japanese tavern style food that is a more casual take on the Omakase restaurant next door. I found the menu to be inspiring and innovative with new takes I wouldn't expect that taste reasonable with some areas for possible fine tuning. Shiso Ika - I love the bold flavors of this dish which is what something as textural as squid really needs; the acidity brings the dish to life and the shiso adds a complementarily pleasant mintiness. Asparagus Nikumaki Skewer - Smart combination of ingredients that pair well together; I love the glaze that covers the exterior, and wished that seasoning persisted through the entire interior bite. Crispy Rice - This is the crispiest rendition of crispy rice I've had, and I think I would've toned down on the thickness as it came off very hard. The toppings of spicy tuna and mayo and all the fix ins gave a comforting bite otherwise though. Otoro Nigiri - Great fattiness with impressive knife work on the fish. Very pleasant as expected. Beef Sukiyaki - Perhaps it was an issue of waiting too long before eating it, but I think using a fattier cut of the beef could help in such a dish. The other flavors of the sukiyaki are bold and comforting in saline and sweetness. Food: E Presentation: +1 Price: E Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: +1 Insta/Yelp/Beli: @amei_eats Insta/TikTok: @ameizing.race

My friend and I came on a Friday night at 8:30 pm and made a reservation in case it was busy. The…read morerestaurant was very modern and vibey with the lighting and the dark wooden fixtures. They had a range of items on their menu from Japanese small plates to oysters to fresh sashimi and sushi. Gindara Misoyaki (Miso Cod) - The main item we came for, this is my friend's favorite miso cod in the city and it was made very well. Everything was balanced from the light cod with a richer umami miso sauce and the sides of mushroom and radish that cut through the richness. Beef Sukiyaki - I expected the dish to be a little bigger but it was sweet and had a comforting flavor. Everything had the best textures from the meat to mushroom and noodles. It had a lot of flavor depth that paired well with the sushi rice we got on the side. Mochi Trio - This came with an assortment of 3 traditional Japanese mochis. There was a flat one that had a cinnamon flavor with red bean filling, warabi mochi that was nicely chewy and nutty and a classic strawberry with red bean flavor. All were a good amount of sweetness and the best textures. The dishes were a little on the pricier side but the quality and flavors really showed through each one. A very nice place to get dinner with a friend or have a date night.

Wako is one of my favorite omakase places in the city. I've dined in twice and ordered their sets…read morefor takeout during Covid 2021. They're consistent, ambiance is simple yet welcoming, and the chefs and waitstaff/host are very friendly. Omakase itself it can get quite expensive and is a luxury, and I believe Wako is one of the more reasonably-priced ones in SF. The menu rotates, but generally you get starters/appetizers, a warm dish, sashimi, a variety of sushi served individually, miso soup, and a dessert. Everything's always presented beautifully and thoroughly explained to diners once served. I believe since Covid, Wako started offering some affordable sushi to-go options, which can satisfy your sushi cravings without costing you too much.

Fun omakase experience…read more Casual, yet intimate - focused squarely on the food. I greatly enjoyed most the dishes. I appreciated the variety in terms of presentation, textures, and preparations. Best maguro I've had in a while. I also like when they offer the opportunity to add a bit more if you are still hungry. The add-on uni and handroll made sure I left fully satisfied. Wait staff service could have been a little bit warmer. It felt harsh and rough at times. Great place for a date. Try to sit at the bar!

I loved this place. I took my partner here for their birthday and we had an amazing experience. The…read morevegan options are incredible and the service was top notch. Each dish had me awe-struck with how delicious it was. The servers were very understanding for us when we showed up 30 minutes late to our reservation due to big delays on the bart. They allowed us to still continue with our reservation regardless and we tried to be quick to clear up the table in time for their next reservation. Would highly recommend showing up on time to fully absorb the experience, but was very nice of them to let us continue. Overall, excellent upscale sushi spot for a range of dietary needs. We will be back - hopefully on time next time :D

this place is AMAZING!! my two best friends took me out for my birthday and i had the absolute best…read moretime. the servers were so kind and attentive to our table. one of my friends is vegan so i especially love that they offer a vegan omakase set. my other friend and i went for the oki set which was super fresh and delicious. the restaurant is small, but it feels very cozy and clean. i've only been to one other omakase spot in SF, although it doesn't compare to this at all. the last spot i went to really rushed you with the timing of each plate. i felt like you had to hurry. At Chisai, it was quite the opposite. They gave us a good amount of time between each course to digest a little and enjoy what we just ate. This is absolutely a one of a kind restaurant and i definitely will be back!

Service is fast and good! Their nigiri was amazing! A bit pricey but worth every bite! Was very…read moreimpressed by everything!

Saru sushi is a cozy, intimate vibe good for a date night or small group (4 or less I'd say). They…read moredon't seem to take reservations and we lined up before opening at 5:30pm (with a line already forming on the street) and got seated outdoors in the first wave. No problem if you get seated outdoors though, because they have overheat heaters that are super sufficient. We got the seasonal appetizer, the KATSUO TATAKI, and that was 10/10 best bite with bright ponzu flavor and onion pairings. We also got the 8 piece nigiri omakase as well as the TEKKA MAKI tuna roll. Overall, it's god quality fish but if you're looking for flavor/sauce variations between the omakase pieces/experimental flavors this isn't the place. I would say the omakase is good but standard. The Tekka Maki was disappointing with hardly any fish included. I would recommend this spot but I will also say I've had better omakase in San Francisco. Also, I'd like to acknowledge the service is top tier, very attentive!

Hands down best Japanese bento place and really nicely presented for to go orders. Their restaurant…read moreis tiny and I would recommend ordering as take out. They give you more options during take out, however it takes awhile for the food. We first wanted to eat in, but it was tiny and intimate and we have 2 as$hole toddlers. So we decided to spare everyone and order takeout instead. We got the makunouchi bento gozen, sashimi bento gozen and the wash beef steak bento gozen, about $50 ish and the deluxe chirashi. I can tell you it's worth it. Even the to go containers they put it in is worth it. It's so pretty! And yes the food tastes just as beautiful and delicious as it looks. So much food with so much side dishes. Fresh sashimi and lots of variety. We loved it and cannot wait until we come back to visit my sister in SF to eat here again!

I was excited to try the set meals at Akari after hearing great reviews and came by for Saturday…read morelunch. We walked in around 1:30pm but were able to get seated quickly and opted to share the Sukiyaki (hot pot only) and Makunouchi Bento. Since we got the bento as well, for the sukiyaki we just got the hot pot without the apps and sashimi. Overall it was a solid meal and the family running the restaurant is so kind. We did think the sukiyaki was a bit sweet for our taste and the bento while a great portion didn't feel that special. I love Japanese food as its homey and comforting but it did feel like it was a meal I could have made myself and it is quite pricey. It is very similar to the meals you can get in Japan and nice enough for a special occasion but I'd probably opt for other places for something that feels more unique for the price point.

Creative omakase experience. The restaurant is named after the chef. It's a pretty intimate setting…read morewhere he only serves 6-7 people per time block. He caters the experience to maximize your flavor and carefully balances the flavors to give you a one-of-kind experience. For example, one of his Uni pieces was a combination of two pieces of Uni - one directly from Japan that had more of a fresh and rich taste and another from Canada that had more of a briny flavor. The two complimented each other well. He also takes time to consider the balance of temperatures between his dishes. You may get a series of cold dishes, so he will have an intervening warm dish to rejuvenate your palate and revitalize your senses. This is one of the more creative omakase experiences that I've had. Also one of the more humorous and educational ones.

On a whim, I booked an 8pm reservation for the omakase menu. It was an intimate dinner and one of…read morethe most memorable sushi meals that I've had to this day. Ken is also an incredible chef and personality. He was engaging, talked to us throughout the meal and was in great spirits - sharing his story. His passion shone through, and he even poked a few jokes/was light hearted. I tried to not be on my phone too much throughout the meal, but captured a few photos. I would highly recommend!