Good food, good service, fair prices, it's what to expect for a Japanese restaurant. I'll come back

A great, no frills sushi spot in inner sunset. Reasonable prices, friendly staff, and good sushi all make for a wonderful experience! They have some of the best tamago I've had outside of Japan, which is great because I've found almost all of it disappointing since having the real deal. The rolls were delicious and artfully crafted. The Rock & Roll is a classic, hard to go wrong with that for me personally. I love the sweetness of the eel sauce lathered all over the rich & creamy eel, with a bit of creamy yet refreshing cucumber to top it all off. The Best Roll was quite good, and it was the only roll with Salmon on it so it became an easy choice. The asparagus tempura & avocado topped with salmon & super thinly sliced lemon all worked very well together, as the asparagus provided a crunch & dark earthy flavor, the avocado provided a rich creaminess, the salmon added the fatty & buttery smooth flavor, all topped with a small bite of lemon-y zing at the end. Great flavor combo. One of the catches of the day was some marinated white fish that I hadn't ever had, but it was quite good! I'll have to go back & ask the waiter what exactly that was, but all in all this is one of my local neighborhood favorites & a place I go to more regularly than most! Definitely worth a stop read more

Koo - Best Roll & Rock & Roll - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I came here with a group of Yelp Elite friends claiming Koo as one of the best sushi spots in town. We had reservations for 5 and were immediately seated and served hot tea and water. We mainly came for the Happy Hour menu which contains a selected number of appetizers, handrolls, and drinks for $5. I went for two handrolls --Salmon and California. Per recommendation, I also got the Spoonfuls of Happiness ($14). To start off, we shared the Stuffed Jalapenos ($5 for 4 pieces) and Godzilla Tofu ($5 for 8 pieces). I liked that the jalapenos were stuffed with chopped hamachi and nicely roasted, which was a great starter. As for the tofu, it had good flavor on the outside, but not so much on the inside. Now comes the star of the show at Koo: Spoonfuls of Happiness. It comes in a shot of chilled sake and two spoonfuls --one with uni and quail egg in ponzu sauce, and another with ankimo (monkfish liver) wrapped with white fish. You start with half the shot of sake followed by the lighter spoon with the uni and quail egg. Then back to the sake to finish the second spoon. This entire dish was quite the presentation and experience in itself. The flavor profiles truly balances the flavors and enhances your tastebuds --so creamy and melt in your mouth! Trust me, you can't come here without trying this. As for the handrolls, they were quite standard. I'm not usually a big handroll fan except for Kazunori in LA, so these were decent. The fish was fresh and rice was warm and soft, but the nori was a bit chewy to bite into. It's a good item choice for happy hour though. Overall, pretty delicious sushi here. The menu is quite reasonable in pricing and I am much more excited to come back and try their omakase. I also appreciated that the waitresses continued refilling our waters and hot tea even after we finished our meal as we continued chatting for another half an hour or so. read more

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I've been hearing so much about Koo for the past few years. And from the yelp ratings this place looks promising! Well, there is also a phrase that says promises don't come easy. My friends and I made reservations for a Friday and were seating promptly. This place has air conditioning, so dress comfortably. The waiter came with our drinks pretty quick and we already studied the menu the night before and already know what we were going to order. We got the omakase, 1 was the nigiri and sashimi omakase, and the other the Koo Omakase. We did get a few appetizers to start out. We ordered the Hamachi Carpaccio, the Santa Barbara Uni, Hokkaido Uni and the scallops two way. The Hamachi Carpaccioi was ok, it was cut a little too thick, so it didn't have the melt in your mouth taste. The second thing that came out was the Spinach salad. You had to mix it well with the sesame dressing, which i liked. The Spoonful of Happiness came out next. One spoon had the uni with the egg, the other i think was hamachi. The Uni and the egg spoon was my least favorite. The egg was a little over powering. You couldn't really taste the uni that well. The other spoon had the hamachi and that was better, because you can taste the freshness. For each spoon, they recommend you take a sip of your sake first before each bite. I thought the sake was ok, it was a light sake to me, and was a little smooth, not as smooth as i normally like it to be. Next came the Santa Barbara and Hokkaido Uni. Both of the uni's were fresh, but the Hokkaido one, won by a mile. It was more fresh, like fresh from the sea fresh. You can also taste the sweetness more compared to the Santa Barbara one. I don't know what sauce they added to it, but it made it really good. The sashimi came out next and i was disappointed with portion of the slices. They were really small. The tuna didn't taste that fresh to me, i liked the scallop and the butterfish one more. The scallop tasted super sweet, which was good. The butterfish did taste more fresh compared to the tuna. The Nigiri was ok, I felt there were two out of the 7 that didn't taste as fresh. We told the waiter in the beginning , that one of the omakase needs the wasabi omitted, but he forgot. He also forgot our scallop two way. We actually asked about the miso soup after our appetizers but he said it comes last. Miso soup comes out last? hmm, ok, maybe it's a new modern. He did feel bad that he forgot our scallop and the wasabi dish, so he did give us some mochi ice cream. Overall, i understand that some people have the off days, but we were the first customers and there wasn't any customers for a while, so i was a little disappointed with the service. The food was ok to me, i have to say that i like Saru a lot more. If i wanted Omakase, i would recommend Wako or Saru, sorry Koo, you ain't cool enough for me. read more

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Excellent sushi and shrimp dumplings. Friendly service and local atmosphere. We have been back five times.

I came here for my boyfriend's birthday last week and I had a great experience here! It was a Sunday night, and I made reservations online ahead of time so that we can ensure that we get bar seating. Very similar to Sushi Sam's in San Mateo, Koo offers a authentic Japanese experience at an affordable and casual setting. We opted to both get the nigiri omakase, priced at $60 starting. We also decided to get one order of spoonfuls of happiness because it seemed popular and we wanted to try it. At the end, our bill was almost $100, which is less than the estimated $60 each + the spoonfuls! What happened was that our chef decided to bill us individually (al le carte) for each sushi order, which ended up cheaper than the estimated $60. I am extremely happy with their customer service because it shows to me that they are respectful and charging the customers accurately, rather than making as much money as you can get off them. They even gave us a complimentary fried tempura ice cream for my boyfriend's birthday, thank you for making the effort! The quality of the fish here was great. Everything was fresh and it seemed like they exclusively get most of their fish shipped directly from Japan. The chef makes sure to ask if you have any dietary restriction and even asked if there are any fish you don't like. Everything seemed to be thought out and planned correctly, with the spinach + asparagus salad and miso soup came at the end to soothe our stomachs. (Rather in the beginning to fill you up). read more

Koo - Spoonfuls of Happiness - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Koo is a cozy neighborhood sushi spot in a quiet area. I stopped in for dinner with a friend one weekday evening and the restaurant filled up quickly. We split the veggie tempura appetizer, which was perfectly crispy and a great start to the meal. We also split a bottle of crisp and refreshing chilled sake. This place is known for their starter called Spoonfuls of Happiness, which the gentlemen next to us ordered and explained. We didn't end up getting it, but I definitely would try it next time. It was something really unique that I'd never seen before. I ordered the sashimi combo, with 3 pieces each maguro, hamachi, salmon, and albacore. The combo also comes with miso soup and a house salad or wakame (seaweed salad). The fish seemed very fresh and each piece was perfectly cut. Hamachi and salmon are my favorite - they're so buttery! It was a lot of food for $29 so I was happy. Service was good and we had no complaints there. If I lived in this area I would frequent this place often. I don't think I'd necessarily seek it out or drive a long way to get there, but if you're area and craving sushi give it try. read more

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I had a lovely meal at Koo last night. I was in the city to meet N for dinner. We decided on Koo. It was a close call because parking was a ___, but patience pays off and we found a space just a few blocks away. We ordered: Hamachi Carpaccio- very good, but I would have preferred it to be sliced a bit thinner. Shrimp Dumplings- delicate and sweet, a nice warm course. Toro- this was fantastic. I will return for this. Dragon Roll- well prepared and fresh Tekka maki- a classic tuna roll. They make it the way it should be made. Hot sake- not as hot as I like. This was nearly a 5 star visit, in addition to the minor food/drink issues, the party seated next to us was disruptive and became extremely distracting. I really don't feel is was the fault of Koo, these things sometimes happen, but it did, however, affect our overall experience. There are so many dishes that we missed, I plan to return soon. read more

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Okay super delayed review. Sorry everyone! We had a reservation on Valentine's Day and thank you to everyone who talked about parking issues. Thank god we left the house early because we circled around for a good 20-30 minutes before finding a spot. When we got there, we had to wait a few minutes to get our table. One small thing I had noticed was that not all the tables had roses. I know it's a small thing but kinda sucks when you have a two person table and someone else has a two person table but you don't get a rose. After seeing all the reviews and photos, we opted for the Koo omakase because we had trouble deciding but really wanted that spoonful of happiness. I think that was the most unique part of the meal. The goma ae was meh and probably my lowest rated dish of all omakase dishes I ever had thus far. It's not that bad, but definitely isn't something I intend to order. Some of the fishes we had were: amberjack, Hokkaido scallops, ocean trout, hamachi toro, bluefin tuna, etc. My highlights are the scallops and the toro, I just love how much fat the toro has and how it coats your mouth. read more

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We almost don't want to write about this hidden gem tucked in between bustling Irvine & Judah shops and UCSF, because we want to selfishly keep the sushi bar accessible to us! Okay, fineeee, we'll tell you about Koo. This neighborhood sushi spot has a casual and calm atmosphere. The restaurant itself is pretty small but the sushi bar is even smaller with only 6 seats and 3 sushi chefs for the whole restaurant. We sat with chef Toshi for our first experience, and since we met him, we've been back three times! There are lots of choices for people new to sushi (rolls, hot appetizers, etc.), but also for more seasoned fans. We ordered sashimi right away: Hamachi Belly, Chu Toro, Toro and Salmon Belly seared (Toshi added garlic ponzu for a treat!). The fish is fresh and melty tasting, and the rice is flavorful - sweet with a hint of vinegar. Our tummies were off to a good start. In the hand roll department, we are notoriously difficult to please. It's just that it's very easy to mess up a hand roll! They can have soggy seaweed, inappropriate rice to fish ratio, over or under-seasoned, etc. etc. Toshi, however, blew our minds. His salmon skin hand roll is EXCELLENT: chewy and crispy salmon skin topped with a sweet unagi sauce (we asked for this addition) made for the flavor explosion we love to experience in this dish. The final homerun was the spicy scallops hand roll. Unapologetic fans of Izakaya by Katsuya in LA, it's been near impossible to find hand rolls even close to them in the Bay. We asked Toshi if he would try to make a spicy scallops hand roll with sesame oil, tobiko, spicy mayo and sriracha and he humored us. The results were INCREDIBLE: sweet, savory and delicious hand roll. We asked him to try the same recipe with albacore and our mouths are watering even remembering how good it was. If you can score a seat at the sushi bar, definitely give Toshi a shot at making you a few dishes. You won't be disappointed! read more

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What a culinary experience! Felt like I was transported to Japan savoring fresh and delectable nigiri and sashimi. Spent the day at Golden Gate Park and when it came time for dinner, I was craving nigiri and sashimi. Searched on Yelp and decided to give Koo a try. What a lucky find! Since this was impromptu, I didn't have reservation but was still able to get seated at the sushi bar. I chose the Koo Omakase which started off with Spoonful of Happiness, Sake, Goma Ae , Assorted Sashimi, Nigiri - 7 pcs and finished off with Miso Soup. The sushi chef asked if there's anything I don't eat or if I had any preference. Told him I eat everything but preferred white fish. The chef really tailored to my preference and almost every piece of nigiri I got was white fish. Every single piece of nigiri was exceptional. Same goes for the Assorted Sashimi. My favorite was the Uni, which was sweet and rich(think sea butter!). It was so awesome that I added on another piece. The Spoonful of Happiness consisting of Uni and Ankimo was definitely the highlight of the meal. True to its name, the two spoons were simply an explosion of happiness and favors. The Goma Ae was also impressive. Even though it might seem simple with just spinach & asparagus with sesame sauce, you could distinctively taste the freshness & uniqueness of each component. The asparagus was just WOW. Everything worked in perfect harmony. The Koo Omakase at $75 was a steal! This is definitely on the lower price range when it comes to omakase in the city. I have had more expensive omakase elsewhere in the city and my experience at Koo was comparable, if not better. Everyone from the wait staff to the sushi chef was exceptionally hospitable and professional, further enhancing the overall dining experience. Even with adding an additional Uni nigiri and Kinmedai nigiri, my bill only came to around $100. This price is extremely reasonable, given the memorable and stellar experience. I'll surely be returning for more! read more

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This place is really nice, with an upscale vibe. Service is great and the overall atmosphere is very high class. We got some hand rolls and appetizers off the happy hour menu and I would highly recommend eating off the happy hour menu if you get there in time because the rest of their menu otherwise is quite pricey. Overall very nice place, conveniently located next to golden gate park and a good date spot. Definitely worth it if you get there in time for happy hour. read more

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I am writing to update my review of Koo, from 2012. The reason is of course everything changed with the pandemic. Our lives are demarcated by the pandemic: the past; the prolonged anxiety of COVID-19, a fever dream experienced by everyone; and now the uncertain future, in a world divided and fraught, between the optimism of rebuilding for the better and the realities of climate change and war. So a respite for dinner, a place to dine with family and friends, to enjoy the food and the conversation, is all the more vital and to be appreciated. But anyone with an opinion should confirm the facts which form the foundation for that impression remain true enough. I can do that from a recent visit with my wife. The waiter even recognized from before. It must have been a good two years since the last time he saw us. The main point of my original review is the unostentatious decor belies the outstanding fare. That remains true. The interior is plain and simple. The food is excellent. The chef is playing with Japanese themes. S/he is skilled. Too many fanciful rolls have debased sushi elsewhere. The changes are subtle here. We have tried most dishes. Our regulars among the small plates include the godzilla tofu, which is crispy tofu; eggplant dengaku, which is traditional; baked mussels, agedashi tofu, green beans, tempura, and deep fried whole smelt, all of which are all more conventional (and superb). The goma ae vegetables, stuffed jalapenos, fried calamari, and black cod are worthwhile as well. Among the main dishes, the handrolls are all tastefully creative: the dynamite with scallop; the crawfish; and the king crab. My wife has enjoyed several other rolls. They are not "my thing." I would say they have higher quality ingredients than at the Japanese restaurants that have earned the ire of the would-be guardians of washoku standards. We usually sit at a table. They have a funny little one in an awkward space, for two. The bar is off to the side. It offers the convivial feel of sushi bars around the world. The service is obliging. They are welcoming to families, and if you show up early the crowd includes youngsters. There are multiple Japanese restaurants in the Inner Sunset, probably a higher ratio of superlative choices than any other neighborhood, even Japantown. They are all in the middle bracket of prices, not the bargain deals that might make you anxious about the risk noted on menus, of consuming raw fish, nor the asking prices so dear only those with more money than judgment would pay the rate. We live within walking distance (uphill afterward from Koo, so we typically drive). That makes us lucky. The Inner Sunset itself is in vogue. That is not as fortunate for anyone looking for parking. Koo is worth a drive. Bring a date who will value the evening. read more

The best is when one requests for it and it comes personalized from the chef's heart! Do get their omakase and make reservations because one can only sit at the limited sushi bar by making reservations. Once there at the sushi bar, I got to interact with Chef Wayne while he presented the many distinctive nigiri of his choosing! The talking with the Chef helped with what one was in the mood for. Their signature Spoonfuls of Happiness was the highlight as an opener, surely! It was served up with sake as well! The delicacy of uni, quail egg, ponzu sauce, ankimo with whitefish and amazing truffle oil, was to savor over! Once we were warmed up with some hot sake shots, Chef Wayne was quite a softie. He tossed in a few tidbits, based on our conversation with him. I got to understand the difference in texture on scallop that has been sitting in water compared to fresh scallop that hasn't been in water for the longest time. The texture was more thorough or shall I say meaty instead of soft, it's thinner in comparison and tinted in darker shade of color. The seared Wagyu and Hokkaido uni nigiri stood out as specialities. Most of all, when we asked Chef Wayne to make us something that truly came from him as a form of expression to his craft, he served up what I deemed the Chef's Heart. My ultimate favorite was just that. The difference between something ordinary and extraordinary, is just that little extra. I got the Chef's Heart and that made all the difference! read more

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Fresh sashimi combo plate, good salmon tuna tartar, lion king could be warmer as it was barely warm when served without foil. read more

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I love Koo. Really fresh fish, with large pieces. Appetizers are all really nicely prepared. All waitstaff are friendly and kind. We either sit at the sushi bar or a table. read more

Koo - Spicy Tuna Tacos - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Second time here and I'm still a fan. Lost sushi bar seats because we were late by 15 minutes. So sad. Pros: + Quality nigiri + Friendly service + Deadly sake Cons: - None so far Can't remember what we ordered aside from nigiri and sake, but the dinner was delicious! Our server was also really nice. read more

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Food and service was great. Bill came out pricier than expected but everything was yummy. read more

Koo - California roll, tekka maki ( tuna roll), and toro roll - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here for my partner's birthday and it did not disappoint! We did the nigiri and sashimi omakase, a good value for the price. The nigiri consisted of a number of different pieces, all different in texture and flavor. But what struck us the most was the wasabi - it was so good we ate all of the mound of wasabi that came with each fish dish. I could eat their wasabi all day. Even though the nigiri course was more of a "showstopper," I really liked the cuts of fish in the sashimi course. We got scallop, tuna, and kampachi. The kampachi was so good, and the scallop so fresh and tender. Thank you Koo for a great birthday meal! read more

Our experience sampling their happy Hour was FANTASTIC! Attentive service, fair prices, a large menu, and above average quality make this a standout choice for Japanese cuisine near Golden Gate Park! Devour (strongly recommended dishes in CAPS): + Any/all of the TEMAKI/HANDROLLS ($4 each): Spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, dynamite, hamachi/maguro/or salmon & avocado. + All of the $5 appetizers: GOMA AE (spinach) salad, wakame salad, stuffed jalapenos, GODZILLA TOFU, MARINATED ARTICHOKE, + BEEF TATAKI ($15) + UNAGI nigiri ($6 for pair) + Two-way scallop ($13) + Spicy & sour green beans ($6) + Duck breast salad ($10) + Tempura Combo ($10) + 12pc Sashimi combo ($27) - nice cuts and clean flavors + Cheap alcohol: $4 14oz Asahi draft, $5 large saporo, kirin, house hot sake, or wine + DEEP FRIED ICE CREAM ($4) and big mochi covered ice cream pieces ($4 for 2) The only downside (keeping it from 5 stars) is that they don't state anywhere that their fish is certifiably sustainably harvested. Given the worldwide crisis of overfishing and crashing fish stocks, it's critical that customers and restaurants make efforts to ensure we are not contributing to this problem. I hope more sushi restaurants follow the lead of Bamboo Sushi in Portland that is a worldwide leader in sustainable practices. read more

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Wow! We sat at the counter tonight and we had omakase with a spoonful of happiness (which comes with 2 spoons and a shot of sake)! They were delicious! I'm overall so impressed with this spot. Everything was great! Koo has been around for a long time, however the owner changed when the chef opened Sushi An in Japantown. I haven't been to the old Koo, but I'm really glad we tried this place! The selection of fish were diverse and good quality. We even had Hokkaido uni, which a lot of places don't offer. I loved every piece of nigiri and the rice was perfect. I would prefer Koo over some of the more expensive and well known places in the city.. (ju-ni, pabu, omakase). I may love this place now more than Daigo! And I loveeee Daigo!! They have a great selection of sakes and the service was great. read more

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This place is koo. Lame joke but this place is really delicious for its given price point. My boyfriend and I ordered a la cartel so we could get a feel for their dishes. Koo sushi roll It's very rare that I find a complex sushi roll that I like. This one is superb. You have snow crab with tempura topped with avocado and spicy tuna. The flavors intertwine very well. It's a very basic roll but it is well put together. The roll is huge too! Spoonful of happiness Two spoonful of happiness in an order of one? Yes please. On one spoon you get a super creamy uni with a quail egg and ponzu sauce. It goes down so smooth. The other spoon is ankimo (monk liver) with ponzu sauce. This is chunkier and more solid but it liquidates in your mouth. Two spoons of happiness indeed! Hamachi Kama I'm not too much a fan of this dish but for what it was, it was good. My boyfriend was head over heels for this dish. It was very flaky and tender. The sauce had the right touch of acidity to balance out the sweetness of the fish. Oysters This was meh for me also. I am a big fan of oysters but there was a lack of oyster in this. The sauces over powered the over all texture and taste of the oyster and the oyster meat was relatively small. Uni spoon Uni(you need) one spoon and you just fall in love. The vibrant orange color. The impact the taste has on me. I didn't think you can fall in love over and over again in a period of seconds, but I was proven wrong. I think Uni is my real true sole mate. This place is amazing and I cannot wait to come back for Omakase! read more

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TL;DR: Thoroughly disappointing, over priced for the quality, menu and menu selection are a bit outdated, and honestly expected more. Let's start with drinks... we sat and ordered a couple beers--my wife ordered a 12oz Sapporo ($4) and I ordered what I thought was a 17oz Koshihikari Echigo ($8). When the beers came out mine ended up being 11oz's. When I asked if there were 2 sizes (and potentially a mix up) I was informed there was not and that there may have been a mistake on the menu...(no, really?). The area they redeemed themselves here is that they gave me 50% off on the mislabeled beer. ***Pro Tip on drinks: if you order two 12oz Sapporo's @ $4 each you'll get more than the 20oz Sapporo for $8.*** Next, Appetizers. Apps came out--we order miso and edamame... their Miso Soup is pretty good tbh but the edamame arrived cold. It was almost like they just defrosted Trader Joe's edamame and served it (no offense to Trader Joe's). Lastly, because honestly at this point we were not going to order anything else, the mains... we ordered Blue Fin sashimi, Salmon sashimi (a bit on the oily side and had a fish bone in a couple of the pieces), Yellowtail sashimi, a Spider roll, Spicy tuna roll (because the selection is limited), and a U2 roll. Completely transparency, their sashimi wasn't bad. The best thing I feel they have here is the Blue Fin Maguro sashimi--the fish is rich, robust, and looks the most healthy in terms of he cut. The rolls were meh, and the rest of the sashimi was average. Overview?... Koo Sushi is koo koo. If you're going to spend $120-$150 for sushi go elsewhere. This place could be something special if they reassess their menu pricing, redo/expand their menu, and honestly care a bit more about their product and brand perception. Although the sashimi/rolls were average, I still have to leave the review at 1-star. read more

Koo - 11oz (not 17oz) Koshihikari Echiko - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was here for Christmas Eve dinner (omakase #3) which is $75 per person. The course included a few starters and about 8-10 sushi (nigiri). The quality of fish was fine however the service was great. The chefs were engaging when my boyfriend and I sat at the sushi bar. The sake I posted below was amazing. We really enjoyed the time and would like to go back when we are around the area. read more

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Food: 1/5 We ordered the Koo Omakase ($85 per person) - a multi-course meal served by the waiter rather than a true omakase experience. Although the variety was good, as a whole, the fish was not fresh and left an unpleasant lingering aftertaste, which was especially the case for the scallops. Frankly, the quality was disappointing. Service: 5/5 Waiters were all friendly and attentive. With each course we received, we received detailed descriptions. Very attentive with refilling our green tea. Ambiance: 2/5 Average interior decor. Given the relatively small size, on a busier night, it makes for a fairly loud environments. Conversation was difficult, but perhaps that can be attributed to the two large parties with children. read more

Koo = one of the best sushi experiences I've had in the States (and that's saying a lot). If you've heard of Koo, then you've undoubtedly heard of the restaurant's "Spoonful of Happiness." If you haven't, then let me explain. The Spoonful of Happiness ($12) consists of: - One spoonful of uni (sea urchin), quail egg, tobiko (flying fish roe), and ponzu sauce - One spoonful of ankimo (monk fish liver) wrapped in whitefish with white truffle oil and ponzu sauce - One shot of chilled sake Photo: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/koo-san-francisco?select=nUvNLeb85G0xCLRrGZ0umw#nUvNLeb85G0xCLRrGZ0umw So yes, it's technically two spoonfuls of happiness plus a shot of sake, but the restaurant brands the concoction as the Spoonful of Happiness. Heck, they even have Spoonful of Happiness t-shirts you can buy. Is it worth it? Yes. Our table enjoyed the Spoonful of Happiness so much we ordered two sets for each of us: one to begin our meal and one to end our meal. It was that good. Koo is a small Japanese restaurant tucked away in Inner Sunset. Sit at the sushi bar if you want to see the chefs work their magic or sit in the dining area. Either way, the food is spectacular. Koo is headed by chef-owner Kiyoshi Hayakawa. I'm from Atlanta where the best sushi restaurant is Sushi House Hayakawa (chef-owner: Art Hayakawa). This leads me to believe that in Japan, the Hayakawa clan has produced a long line of outstanding sushi chefs. While Westerners tend to enjoy rolls, I'd forgo them and go with a more traditional and purist approach: nigiri. The regular menu is very nice -- it contains the Spoonful of Happiness after all -- but the Catch of the Day menu is where it's at. It has the freshest and most unique nigiri selections with almost 20 different kinds to choose from. These are separate from the regular nigiri (15+) menu. Here's what we tried, nigiri-wise: Uni - sea urchin Hirame - halibut, with shiso leaf and ponzu Kamasu - barracuda Wild tombo - wild albacore tuna Kanpachi - amber jack Wild hamachi - wild yellowtail Oh-Toro (or "otoro") - blue fin tuna, very fat belly Kasugo Tai - spring baby sea bream Blue shrimp Expect to spend anywhere from $4-9 for every two pieces of nigiri. Otoro is the exception. It's the fattiest, most expensive cut of the tuna belly. One order of otoro nigiri will set you back $16. Expensive? Yes. Overpriced? No. Order it. You won't be disappointed. I was happy to try some fish I've never had at a sushi restaurant before, including the kamasu and tombo. Over half of the Catch of the Day menu is sourced from Japan. Other fish come from places like Hawaii (tombo), Spain (otoro), and New Caledonia (blue shrimp). If you like sushi, especially nigiri, you'll be in heaven. Every piece of fish, seafood, and other ingredients are extremely fresh. It's noticeable in each piece in terms of taste, texture, and quality. Most of the sushi is soft, delicate, and buttery. They simply melt in your mouth. After 1,200+ reviews, I rarely, if ever, have used the word "orgasm" to describe food. I think the Spoonful of Happiness and the nigiri at Koo are worthy of that. If you visit the restaurant before 7:00pm, you can take advantage of their Happy Hour menu. You can find good deals on hand rolls, appetizers, and alcoholic beverages (Japanese beer, sake, etc.). We also took advantage of some of these Happy Hour deals and tried the following: Wakame salad - seaweed salad Hamachi and avocado hand roll Spicy tuna hand roll Marinated artichoke with shichimi soy mayo Happy Hour food menu items are only $4-5 per, so take note. Great stuff all-around. As with the seafood, the seaweed salad and artichoke were fresh and savory. The hand rolls, fish, rice, and other ingredients wrapped in seaweed, were simple, nicely executed, and beautifully presented (as were the other items). If you're wondering what shichimi is, it's seven-flavor chili pepper. I love putting it in my ramen, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it used with the artichoke here. The artichoke was grilled. I didn't even get into the restaurant's salads (e.g. grilled baby octopus salad), other grilled items (e.g. eggplant dengaku), and multitude of shareable plates (e.g. tartare, tataki, tempura). The sushi is just too good to pass up. Keiko was our server and she did a marvelous job. Service was on par with the food. Polite, attentive, and informative. Hayakawa-san's wife also works at the restaurant is very friendly. Cognizant of my enthusiasm of his work, she offered to introduce me to and take a photo with him. Awesome. In summary, Koo offers some of the best sushi not only in the Bay Area, but in the country. Enjoy! read more

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Based on my famous foodie friend HungryHungryHeejin's recommendations, we ended up at Koo and it was as good as advertised! I got the Nigri omakase ($60) while my fiance got the Koo omakase ($75). I also got a glass of hot green tea ($1) and a bottle of Oze sake ($30). Customer service was amazing! According to my receipt, we were served by waitress Mao who was super friendly, nice, fast, and very helpful! She was hustling all day and its really refreshing to see hard working people who seems to be enjoying their jobs! The sushi was very good! The quality was very nice, especially for the price! The sushi/rice ratio was pretty good and the rice had its own unique flavor. The ginger here is extra good, its got a nice kick to it. However, their wasabi was just ok. I personally perfer a wasabi that has a bit more of a kick. Their miso soup was on the bland side but that would really be my only complaint about this place. read more

STILL MY FAVORITE SUSHI RESTAURANT IN SF! After nearly two and a half years of trying to avoid Koo, I'm FINALLY back! You see, Koo brings back memories I rather not remember. For a year and a half, my ex and I use to go to Koo almost every Friday for dinner because we were boring creatures of habit. Though we tried other sushi restaurants, the quality of Koo's fish had us coming back time and time again. And, well after the breakup, I refused to go back. But I missed those Spoonfuls of Happiness so darn much that I couldn't resist anymore. Yesterday, 8.30.11, my friends and I came to Koo for dinner at 6:30 PM with reservations. Just to note, Koo can be stringent about reservations so I highly recommend making them. The sushi bar is mainly reserved for Omakase (Chef's Tasting Menu) and you will not be seated there without having reservations. There's a $10 minimum charge per a person. I also suggest not coming here after "happy hour" like we did last night because we ended up spending $92/person. *sigh* After dining here over 40 times, I've tried just about everything on the menu but I recommend sticking with the sashimi and sushi. The Chef/Owner use to part of the highly acclaimed Sushi Ran team so you know everything is top-notch! The sashimi is always extremely fresh and there are varieties from overseas that you won't be able to find at other sushi restaurants. Also, all their rolls are flawlessly made and extremely clean which is perfect for sushi purists. FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS (Note: There's Happy Hour Specials Sunday - Thursday from 5 PM-7 PM with $4 handrolls and $5 appetizers. However, it's only about $1 off which isn't really worth it.) *SPOONFULS OF HAPPINESS - A spoonful of uni, quail egg, tobiko ponzu & a spoonful of ankimo wrapped with whitefish, white truffle-oil ponzu & a shot of chilled sake ($11) ORGASMIC! The uni is silky smooth with a creamy decadence from the quail egg. Like foie gras of the sea, the akimo was luxuriously buttery especially when paired with the soft whitefish sashimi. A MUST GET! *SALMON & TUNA TARTAR - Served with spicy guacamole and shrimp chips ($14) Small soft tender chunks of silky salmon and tuna layered with buttery guacamole makes for a deliciously savory combo with a kick. The shrimp chips are thicker than your typical bagged shrimp chips and have a hearty crunch which is a nice texture contrast to the soft tartar. *U2 ROLL - Tempura shrimp, avocado topped w/spicy tuna & tobiko ($13) Warm crunchy shrimp tempura with buttery avocado with a spicy soft tenderness from the spicy tuna. A sure taste bud tickler! *BEST ROLL - Tempura asparagus, avocado, wrapped in fresh salmon & lemon thin slice ($9) Al-dente, crisp tempura asparagus with buttery fresh salmon with a lemon slice make for a rich yet refreshingly light roll. *FLYING KAMIKAZE - Spicy tuna and asparagus wrapped w/albacore and topped with garlic ponzu and scallions ($13.50) The spicy tuna is softened by the mild albacore and the garlic ponzu gives it a tangy garlicky kick. SERVICE Depending on who's working that night, service can sometimes be spotty and unfortunately curt which was the case last night. However, the owner's wife who's normally there on weekends is very sweet and accommodating. Nonetheless, the food is always consistently good so I plan to become a regular again. AMBIANCE/DÉCOR Very clean and zen like but very dark. It's good for small parties no more than 4 people. PARKING Easy street parking before 6 PM. Koo and I finally reunited again and it FEELS SO GOOD.... read more

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Had dinner on Wednesday night at Koo at 7 pm. I was told that Parking was going to be terrible and it was. I circled a 6 block area for about 20 minutes until I found some leaving. The restaurant was half empty probably because they were looking for a place to park. Koo offers 3 levels of Omakase, $50 level with just Sushi and Sashimi. The $60 level includes appetizer and the spoonfuls of happiness. Then $70 level with tastes from the Kitchen along with the items on the $60 level. We ordered the $70. For the extra ten dollars you get two small grilled pieces of egg plant, 1 small wrap of mango and fish, and a small portion of Japanese pickled veggies. So not worth the extra $10. The sushi, sashimi, and the spoonfuls of happiness were excellent. 7 pcs of sushi and 6 pcs of sashimi. Service was good. Reservations were easy. However, I wouldn't roll the dice and try my luck for the night time parking situation at Koo again. Unless there is Valet parking, a trek from the East Bay is an issue. read more

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This is my favourite sushi spot in San Francisco, and I've tried quite a few. Their quality of fish actually matches the price that they're asking for! I love the Azteca roll. If you're looking for a little bit of spice and an interesting roll, I definitely recommend it! Their individual nigiri is also very good. I believe you can ask for certain pieces of fish seared and they can accommodate that. They also have a good variety of alcoholic drinks, and good happy hour specials. I have yet to try the omakase, but I believe that it will be amazing! This is definitely worth a try if you're looking for quality sushi in San Francisco. I have found that a lot of sushi meals that you can get under $50 are not the best quality. I'm glad to have found Koo. read more

I'm not a sushi guy. I'm not. As far as I'm concerned I can munch on a slim jim and get more protein than I would get from the average sushi place. After going to the DeYoung on a Friday night our friends recommended we go to Koo. I'll admit that I was very hesitant, but I've never been one to make the whole group go somewhere else because I dislike a particular type of food. The sushi here was AMAZING. This is probably the 4th sushi place I have ever been to in my life. I had been to two other expensive sushi places on dates, and this place was far better. Being a sushi-phobe I started with the California roll and thought it was pretty amazing. My friends convinced me to step away from the safe choice and I progressed to the shrimp tempura. I'm not one for shrimp, but since it was breaded it was very tasty. My favorite roll had to be "The best" roll. It was aptly named. The ambiance was very clean and modern. It seemed like a quiet place which we disturbed with our antics, but so is life. The service was good and the food was affordable. I will definitely be coming back. read more

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3.5*** Koo is one of the older Japanese restaurants in my hood. I've been here multiple times as a child, but haven't been back since. I was craving some omakase and heard they have a decent one here for a reasonable price. I called to make reservations at the bar so I could get the best experience. To start, we had the Spoonful of Happiness - a spoon with Uni and Ankimo with a shot of sake. This was my favorite part of the night. If a spoon of uni doesn't make you happy.. I don't think we can be friends haha. I believe we opted for the ~$60-70 omakase. The fish was decent but nothing really stood out. My favorite piece was the uni. The toro was also pretty good as well. Koo is a simple and quaint neighborhood Japanese restaurant. Service was excellent and the sushi chefs were interactive. Their omakase is aight tho. I do believe that their rolls are way better. read more

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Last time I came here was over 3 years ago. Thought I would come back and give it another chance. Nothing. Has. Changed. I ordered a roll and it tasted like mall food (it's the rice...the rice here is just terrible). The 12 piece sashimi combo was quite good (especially the hamachi and maguro), but like I said 3 years ago, I've had thicker cuts for half the price. If it weren't for the good maguro (which I shouldn't be eating because it's probably radioactive), I'd give this place 1 star, But I will give credit where it's due: it's hard to find places with good maguro (a few restaurants in LA come to mind). The prices, though...the prices! I live less than a block away and will not be coming back...unless someone else foots the bill. read more

Koo has the potential to be 4 star but isn't there because of service and food lacking four star elements. It serves predominately American clientale, i.e. more modern fusion food than traditional Asian style, or traditional Japanese style. Think of it as tapa style neo Japanese food. You will find seaweed salad here, but not the normal tempura, some American rolls, and a few random combos. It is hard to predict, and somewhat innovative but without consistency. The service is sub par with long waiting time, and a receptionist that doesn't smile, who would also come over and ask us to turn off our smart phones when we are watching youtube videos in a decently noisy restaurant. Sashimi selection is wider than average Japanese restaurants including Kanpachi, Tai (Red Snapper), but not too fresh or high quality. Rolls are decent but pricey for the quality. Though there's one highlight $12 spoonful of happiness: one bite of marinated monkfish liver (spoon), one bite of uni sea urchin + raw quail egg (spoon), plus one shot of sake. That's one special value menu item. Happy hour hand rolls are worthwhile, as they are cheap and filling. Service definitely needs to improve for a restaurant with such price tag. This is a downgrade from my previous review of 4. I dont think I am coming back soon. read more

Whatchu gonna do? Eat at Koo. Yup you heard it. Come eat sushi at Koo. It's got a mildly classy vibe that's backed up by premier fish. Quality is the name of the game here. It's true, eat Koo. read more

Koo - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got the Koo Omakase and was deliciously surprised by some really great flavors! We had reservations and was the first party seated, but we got forgotten about and didn't end up ordering until three other tables had received food first, so that was a little frustrating. Spoonful of happiness was absolutely delicious! The spoonful with the quail egg/uni was a little too soft for me - texture wise. The spoonful that contained ankimo was my favorite! Fantastic flavors and great texture! Goma Ae-rather plain but something good to get the meal started. Consisted of asparagus and spinach balled up. Sashimi-very fresh and good variety. Miso soup-steaming hot and full of flavor! Delicious :) Nigiri-some really great flavors! I loved the pieces that had ponzu on them. Also very fresh! Added on the Hamachi Carpaccio - not the best I've had, but love ponzu sauce. Also added the lion king roll-delicious and full of flavor. Rice tasted so soft and fresh! The salmon and the snow crab was a great combo! read more

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While Koo has a good happy hour, and one that lasts until 7pm, I wasn't blown away by their handrolls... When they're wrapped ice cream cone style, the fish just falls out of it and it's all clumped together at the top with the rice all at the bottom. Other than my issues with hand rolls, their J&L roll was good, with a good fish to rice ratio. And their Spoonful of Happiness is just that - a definite must-order and one of their specialities. As for service, very good. We paid our bill and staff were still coming around to fill our tea and waters. I'll have to come back for their omakase as their prices were very reasonable! read more

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Being highly recommended by Owen M., this past Saturday I took my girl and her parents to Koo. I made reservations for 7:30 but arrived around 7:15. Koo had a full house so they weren't able to take us till about 7:35 or so. But while I waited, I never really paid much attention before to the chefs preparing the sushi. Watching them was like watching a potter sculpting clay. Not only is it important that it tastes good but I appreciate how important the appearance of each piece of sushi is to the chefs. It really is an art form. Even better an art form I can eat. When we were seated the waitress took our drink orders. After bringing the tea and other drinks, here's what we ordered: Spoonful full of Happiness: (Uni, Quail Egg, Tobiko Ponzu and Ankimo Wrapped with Whitefish, White Truffle Oil Ponzu and a Shot of Chilled Sugei Sake.). I know other yelpers really like this item at Koo. I probably don't know what im talking about but this was one item I could pass on here. Hamachi Kama: this is one of my favorite dishes of all time now. So simple but so good. I've had Hamachi Kama at three restaurants in the past couple weeks. Koo makes the best one I've had. A nice portion, tender and smooth like butter. We got quite a few rolls: King Crab Roll, Azteca, Tokyo Crunch, U2, Spider, Dragon Rolls. All were great but I think my favorite two was the Dragon Roll and the King Crab Hand Rolls. Along with that we tried the Fuji Apple Sake. Service was good, reservations a must, and parking wasn't bad in the Corolla but if you're driving a Cadillac, Forget-About-It.. Sushi is ranked #4 in CNN's top 50 most delicious foods. Koo is "representing" #4 well. read more

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I adore Koo! Back in April of 2012, I dragged the roommate here since I was craving sushi. We came after he picked me up from work, so luckily, we made it for happy hour! We ordered from both the HH and regular menu Happy hour: *Temaki Handrolls: Spicy tuna (spicy tuna, cucumber and lettuce) & Hamachi and avocado *Wakame Salad: japanese seaweed salad *Stuffed Jalapeno: with hamachi, with lime aioli Regular menu: *Kumamoto Oysters on the half shell 2pc: served with spicy Daikon radish, green onion and ponzu sauce Beef Tataki: chilled, sliced shoulder tender loin with apple-ginger soy *A Spoonful of Happiness: spoonful of uni, quail egg, tobiko ponzu & spoonful of ankimo, wrapped with whitefish, truffle-oil ponzu & a shot of chilled sake *Hamachi Kama: broiled hamachi with ponzu and grated daikon radish *Flying Kamikaze Roll: spicy tuna and asparagus wrapped w/albacore and topped with garlic ponzu and scallions *Nigiri: Hamachi (yellowtail) & Amaebi (sweet shrimp w/fried head) Spoonfuls of happiness? How can I say no to that?! Most definitely, my favorite item! I love uni and ankimo so each spoonful was like heaven! The uni and quail egg went so well with the ponzu. And the ankimo with a truffle oil ponzu? Yum! Just writing about this makes me want to go there now! Delicious! Parking can be difficult at times in this area, but we got there around 6pm so finding parking wasn't too bad at that time. It's been a while since I've been to Koo. I think I'm long overdue for a return visit! Spoonfuls of happiness, get in my mouth! read more

First time at Koo after my friend has asked me to go a dozen times. I called last minute for a res with ease and chose to sit at the sushi bar for the omakase. Nigiri and Sashimi Omakase - I went in thinking this would come out to around $70 but it only came out to $56.50! They calculate based off the individual piece of fish they give you. It was very worth given that I had 6 pieces of sashimi in addition to the 10 pieces of nigiri. However, I'm not a fan of their rice nor the way they made the nigiri. All the fishes were decorated with tons of sauce and I felt that overpowered the fish. One thing that stood out in particular was the Hokkaido scallop; it was the sweetest I had ever had! The other courses weren't that memorable nor special though. Hamachi Kama - Don't get this! It was one of the worst ones I've had...super tough and dry :( it wasn't cheap either. The chef was kind of awkward and didn't really converse with us at all, but at the end he split the last piece of nigiri into two pieces for us (we shared the omakase) and I thought that was super nice! The server gave us the wrong check originally that was almost twice as much as what we had ordered, but they corrected it after. I would say this place is cheap if you just want to try omakase, but given the price you won't get the freshest/best fish. Since it's mediocre fish for the price I'm paying, I'd prefer to go to somewhere that costs more or considerably cheaper. read more

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