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

See all

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

See all

Got their Omakase and it definitely left us leaving full! Fish was fresh and presented bestifully! I'm personally starting to learn how to eat sushi and as a starter I was surely satisfied! The hamachi is always a must get! Not as soft as other places I got it from but still good! Servers were super sweet and very attentive, love them and this place! read more

See all

Super fresh fish! The maguro tuna was delicious. Fresh and not fishy at all. The sashimi combo is so worth it. The cuts are huge and fresh. It also comes with real wasabi. Highlight of the night was their wakame (seaweed) salad, it was not sweet but rather savory. You can really taste the crunch in each bite. Best seaweed salad I've ever had. I've had it from other places where it felt too sweet and gooey. The hamachi Kama was huge! Really worth it! Charred on the corners. The Koo roll was just okay, but worth a try. Skip the poki salad and nasu eggplant. The poki was quite fishy. Wish they added sesame oil. The eggplant was perfectly charred and flavored but it was drenched in oil. Not delicious at all... read more

See all

Has to be some of the best sushi I've had in quite a while. We shared the $75 Koo Omakase for our first time going. I've been dying to go head for quite some time and finally said screw it and me and my friend treated ourselves properly. We had cold sake but had few servings of the regular hot sake Not one piece of this beautifully presented meal I could say you wouldn't like. I also ordered hamachi nigiri because that's just what I always got to have no matter what lol I wanted to sit at the bar but the bar was reserved (crap they know!!). Next time I'm going to reserve specifically for the sushi bar :) read more

See all

Each sushi has its own soul. The role model of all sushi restaurant. I got the koo omakase. I think it is great value at around 70 dollars. The highlight for me is the spoonful of happiness and the Nigiri platter. Each sushi has its new identity. There's so much beyond soy sauce and Wasabi! Truly eye opening experience! Fish is top quality and fresh. Rice is extremely nice. There is no sloppiness here, unlike most Japanese restaurant in town. Must try. Cannot recommend enough. read more

Koo - Nigiri for koo omakase. Each sushi has its new identity. There's so much beyond soy sauce and Wasabi! Truly eye opening experience! - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I haven't been here in years. I remember liking it the first time, and took a friend here yesterday night. We walked in at 9p and got a table. My friend and I ordered my favorite dish - tuna and salmon tartare with guacamole and shrimp chips ($14). She also got the baked king crab hand roll ($8.50 per roll). We skipped the spoonful of happiness since that was a disappointment during my first visit. I was planning on getting the baked scallop roll ($6) that I liked, but since our server recommended the two way scallops, we decided to try that instead. At $12, the two way scallops ended up being a waste of money. You get 1) two raw scallop topped with daikon with lemon ginger and 2) two raw scallop on top of beets with yuzu miso. The lemon-ginger daikon was tastier than the beets (which tasted like canned beets), but the scallops themselves weren't flavorful other than being slightly fishy. I regret not ordering the scallop hand roll instead. Since we were still hungry, we added another king crab handroll, as well as the kamikaze roll ($13.50) which consisted of spicy tuna and asparagus with albacore, garlic ponzu and scallions on top. Both were good. We told the server that we were disappointed by the scallop two ways, but she just shrugged off our comment. 3.5 stars - overall Koo was decent but pricey ($70 for two people). Koo might be better during happy hour. For dinner, I would rather go to my favorite sushi place in the Richmond for consistently better food at the same price. read more

Koo - Two way Scallop on left (skip this); Tuna and Salmon Tartar on right - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

The spoonful of happiness. Go try it yourself. They do make you happy. They always made ME happy! I moved from SF to OC a few years ago,and every time I visit SF now I have to get my spoonful of happiness. It's so delicious that it is beyond words. You have to try it to believe it. The other items on the menu are good, but overpriced from my book. I often get the spoonful of happiness as a happy hour item and then go for dinner later. read more

Koo - The spoonful of happiness. Come with a shot of sake. - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

The Man on the Moon enters into Koo. He sits by the sushi bar and quietly splits the pair of wooden chopsticks. He tabs them softly on his plate, making a series of individual beats. The man begins humming, linking the beats into a song... (sing along to the tune of The Pursuit of Happiness) Ratatat... Dip a bit, little bit Roll it up, 'sabi hit, Feeling lit, tasting right 6pm, Sushi night. I don't care, hand on the beer Eating drunk I'm doing my thang Sensei knife be on the deck Feelin' himself, living his dream Mayonnaise on the sushi roll, im screaming out - eff that Omakase if I want Paying ahead no turning back. If I fall if I die Know I ate it to the fullest If I fall if I die Koo will always be the illest I'm on the Spoonful of Happiness and I know Uni in one bite is always gonna be goldd I'll be fine once I hit ittt I'll be goo-oood Tell me what you know about shrimpin' (shrimpin) Ama-ebi fry the head is crackin' (crackin) Tell me what you know about them night Tako everynight Suction cups, chewy stuff, finish that, then the Tai. Tell me what you know about Tuna (tuna) Tell me what you know about night Maki -tekka Do you really care about the types of Maguro Gonna lay awake in a bed full of Toro I'm on the pursuit of fattiness and I know Butterfish is good but the O-Toro is goldd I'll be fine once I hit ittt I'll be goo-oood I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know Koo comes with the fish then Kid Cudi is solddd I'll be fine once I get itt I'll be goo-oood -- read more

Favorite local sushi restaurant. Quality is wonderful and staff have excellent customer service. I prefer the more simple rolls when ordering sushi. Given that the fish isn't being overwhelmed by other strong flavors like cream cheese, barbecue sauce, spicy mayo, quality fish is a must. This place is well priced for quality rolls. read more

Great Local spot. Omakase at the restaurant is one of the best in the city, toro and blue fin tuna were great. Now it's take out only, still quite good and they use really good quality fish. Just wish we could eat there again in person :) read more

See all

Great service, that was warm and friendly. The food was good too! The grilled octopus salad was especially great. Best for groups of six or less. The space was a bit run down and dingy, could really use a good cleaning and fresh coat of paint. That said, I'd eat there again! read more

Fresh sashimi but small portions. I'd definitely recommend sharing many plates with a group so you can try everything! If you like uni, I'd recommend the spoonful of happiness. The Koo Omasake sashimi slices are a lot smaller than that of the Sashimi 12pc Order. read more

See all

I have never eaten so much sushi in one sitting, which is absolutely a testament to Koo. Not only is their name amazing (disclosure- that's my last name) but the stellar sushi and service creates a super supper situation. Following early drinks at Bourbon and Branch, we brought a visiting friend, who loves all things Japanese and sushi, to Koo. It was a bit risky since I'd never been myself and would've been horribly embarrassed if I wasted a meal outing. Given all the happy reviews here I felt pretty confident but all it takes is one bad night or dish to ruin the fun ya know? We got a perfect corner table w/out reservations on a Friday night, ordered promptly from the two page menu and were soon on our way to enjoying sake, Yebisu, and freakin fantastic sushi. The experience at Koo is very SF. Warm, friendly, casual, low key, no 'tude. Fresh, delicious and well portioned servings. See photos I posted of our lip smackingly awesome spoonful of happiness, sashimi, sushi and rolls. Yes, my friend was impressed! I have been all over Sushi Yasuda, Nobu, Blue Ribbon, Sushi of Garu etc etc but none have lingered in my mind so long after the experience. I'm officially an addict and can't wait to go back! read more

See all

On the hunt for great sushi and I don't regret trying Koo but don't think the visits will stick. Get me another +'s: + Spoonfuls of Happiness. They were DAMN GOOD mouthfuls of HAPPY. The journey with first a sip of sake. Next down spoonful of white fish with truffle oil. Sip sake. Down the spoon of uni and raw quail egg. Savor. Finish sake. It's $13 and bit pricey but I don't regret it. + Rolls were decent. Got the standard spicy tuna and the Crunchy Roll which had great texture with each bite. + Saturday night wait was just 20' Going to pass -'s: - Green tea is not complimentary. It's $1 per patron. Geez. - The fresh catches of the day just weren't up to par. We had barracuda and halibut. It was not memorable and the slices were somewhat stingy at $7 for two pieces of nigiri sushi. - Took a while for us to order. Think they were short on staff. TIP: You may not like uni but the Spoonful of Happiness will make you forget the funny snot like texture. The wonderful mixture and balance disrupts any fear you have of uni or raw eggs. It's that good. read more

Koo - Spoonfuls of Happiness $13 - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Been meaning to try this place many times Two of us and we ordered: Spoon Full of Happiness = As the name says it is tasty, definitely get it! You also get a side of sake. I normally don't like sake but this sake was great. Beef Tataki = I wouldn't suggest ordering it, it was dry Rolls (Koo Roll, UCSF Roll): they were on point, get them. Nigiri (Kurodai, Shima ji Japan, Iwana): Apparently they're known for these. The kurodai so was really good. The service was great and friendly! Parking was a bit hard to find, we had to circle for a while before we parked up the hill. would come back again! read more

Koo - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Food: 5/5 Price: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambience: 3.5/5 The Yum: Sit at the bar! Especially during Omakase. Friendly and funny sushi chef/staff! Very fresh fish! The Yuck: The ambiance isn't great for date nights. I came here with a friend to celebrate my birthday and it was definitely one of my better experiences at a restaurant. We were thinking of sitting at a table for dinner but the waitress advised us to sit at the bar if we wanted omakase. The sushi chef also said the same thing when we sat there and during the whole dinner he happily served us and joked around a lot with us. The dishes that really popped out to us were the spoonful of happiness, scallops, red snapper, toro, negi toro. All of the fishes were really fresh but these were the dishes that stood out the most. Our meal started with the spoonful of happiness and our palate was wowed. The combination of the ingredients of each spoon complimented one amother so well. Another dish I have to talk about are their scallops. The scallops were extremely fresh and tasted a little sweet and buttery. Overall great experience and definitely will come back to try out their different seasonal catches. Our sushi chef also treated us a tamago nigiri which was really nice of him. I think we were pretty lucky with the customer service because they were having a slow day so we practically had that one sushi serve us the whole time. read more

See all

Showed up for a 6:15 reservation and was sat promptly. After placing our orders, we watched as take out order after take out order was taken out the front door leaving a gust of wind to chill us. Understandable as that is a big part of how businesses survive these days. But, After over an hour of sitting with no food, our waiter offered an apology stating that they had a lot of take out orders. It became very clear that this restaurant prioritizes its take out orders over the people sitting in their dining room. Other tables were baffled as well by the sheer volume of food leaving the establishment while we all sat hungry. Koo, it would be nice if you gave some priority to the customers sitting in front of you. read more

This is a fantastic little neighbourhood sushi spot. My favourite sushi place in San Francisco. The nigiri is fresh, the prices are reasonable (and they have a happy hour), the service is friendly and fast, and the atmosphere is cozy and quiet. I also really like the Azteca roll. So flavourful with the perfect amount of spice! I hope to come back often and to try the omakase one day! read more

Spoonful of happiness. At Koo, this is a must! You get 2 spoons...one of ankimo, one of uni. The flavor profiles are amazing and absolutely delicious!!! As far as everything else, we went ahead and ordered a bunch of nigiri and a few rolls. Everything was fresh with great sushi rice to fish ratio. Prices were pretty much in line with the quality you get. Sake and beer list is extensive and we definitely took advantage of it. We were able to make a same day reservation by contacting the restaurant through email. Got a confirmation in less than an hour! Woot woot. Service was attentive. Too still remains one of my favorite spots in the city. 5 stars. read more

Solid 5 stars all around! Came here to do omakase and try out this spoonful of happiness that everyone talks about. Totally worth it!! When we first arrived, there was a mixup with the reservations. However, it was quickly resolved and that was already the first sign of great service. We had omakase at the bar and it was very enjoyable. Wang (Wayne?) perfectly seared our nigiri pieces and his attention to detail for presentation was well appreciated by us and even the guy next to us! (Turns out, the guy next to us comes twice a week for omakase - what a nice life!). Every piece for omakase was so delicious. Can't wait to come back!!! read more

Always always sit at the bar! Luckily we were able to snag last minute reservations and ample seating at the bar. It's so cool to see the sushi chefs do their thang and also get the pleasure of chatting with them! If you're super nice, they always give you a little something extra extra. This time, they gave us green tea ice cream in between shrimp crackers. It was genius! A little salty, a little sweet! Thanks for the dessert, sushi chefs! As for the meal itself, we ordered the nigiri combo, sushi + sashimi combo, mango hamachi roll, godzilla tofu, hot sake, two beers and unagi handroll. What's interesting about the combos is that the price isn't displayed bec it's according to whatever is in season/they choose to give you. So expect to pay $10-15 more than the bare minimum price on the menu. Anyway, I thought my combo was well worth the value, Bf thought his was a bit pricey given the only difference was the sashimi added. We also ordered a mango hamachi roll and that was definitely not worth it. Only 4 pieces and nothing stood out so I made Bf eat it all. Godzilla tofu sounded like a good idea, but overall very heavy and not as fried as I would have liked. I would have much rather stuck with the usual agedashi tofu. Also try to go for happy hour (even on weekends)! They provide $5 appetizers and handrolls, beer, wine and hot sake. What a steal! I will definitely be back read more

My favorite sushi spot in the USA! The best roll and the spider roll are excellent! I can't recommend this place enough. I also quite enjoyed their appetizer sushi tacos. read more

Serious fish of the day selection. Creative dishes. Love the atmosphere. Consistent quality.

Went to dinner last night here and had a great time. Reservation for 6 and got seated right away. The sushi and share plates were great! To name a few notable ones - Tokyo crunch roll, shrimp dumplings, baked mussels, butter lettuce wraps, yellowtail collar, poki salad. Really can't go wrong with any of the items on the menu. Can't wait to come back again soon! read more

I loved Koo. Very comfortable setting and amazing food. Sarah hooked us up with recommendations. We tried the sockeye salmon(fantastic) , halibut (yes) crab roll ( delightful) quail egg and sake (ok) seared toro (OmFG) and eel (no rice please ) and ice cream. She understood what we wanted and came through. Loved it !!!! read more

Koo - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Four star mainly for reasonably-priced Omakase with good amount of food. Service is attentive. Quality is decent, but not the best I had. They use tuna in a couple of their Omakase dishes (tuna is not my favorite). The spoonful of happiness was interesting but did not wow me. I felt the soy sauce in it overpowered the fish. I really enjoyed the uni and scallop. It was sweet and creamy. read more

Koo - $75 koo omakase. It's worth it. - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

This sushi is on the pricier end but you get what you pay for. Exceptional food. The hamachi carpaccio was delicious. Exquisite flavors. The sashimi was fresh and melts in your mouth. The baked mussels were a little overcooked but was still very tasty especially with that unagi sauce. I need to come back! read more

Koo - Melt in your mouth happiness! - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of my favorite sushi spots in the city. It has such a cozy mom and pop shop ambiance, with delicious rolls to beat. We've gotten both takeout and eaten in here, and both experiences were terrific. My two favorite rolls are the Tokyo crunch and the Koo roll. Definitely try this one out! read more

An amazing omakase isn't just about the food, it's the interactions with the chefs and learning more about the fish that make the overall experience amazing. Our omakase experience at Koo was that. Amazing food and great conversations with our chef, Yoshi, as well as the other chefs that night - Wade and Mike. Yoshi also poured out some of his beer to us since he wanted to cheers but we already finished our beers. Yoshi's a homie! Koo's omakase is an eat-until-you're-not-hungry type. We set our initial budget, but then ended up ordering more. We started off with the Spoonfuls of Happiness which were amazing. Then we moved onto the 13 pieces of nigiri for the night. Standouts were: - Saba: the best mackerel I've ever had in my life. Prepared in salt, sugar and kelp, then torched until the fishy smell is gone. Seriously a game changer. - Hokkaido scallop: straight from Japan, it was tender and amazing - Uni: I don't usually like uni, so the fact that I loved this one means it was reallllllly good - Kamasu/Barracuda Overall, it was a great variety of fish and a good mix of unique preparations and more traditional nigiri. Total came out to $207 for two people with two beers and sake which is not bad considering we were stuffedddd. Highly recommend making a reservation request online as the sushi bar seating is pretty limited and an omakase is just not the same unless you're at the bar. Another great omakase for the books! read more

See all

Fresh sashimi, excellent sushi selection with optional bar seating. Slightly off the beaten path, not a hectic place, excellent wait staff.

My boyfriend and I came here for our Valentine's Day dinner. We had a reservation for 8:15, but had to wait half an hour before we got seated. By this time, it was 8:45 and our late dinner was made even later... We ordered the agedashi tofu, omakase #2, and green tea tempura ice cream. The tofu was covered and deep fried with mochi, which was delightfully crisp and chewy at the same time. The omakase came with two sashimi dishes and 10 pieces of nigiri. We eventually realized how much food this was, because we were beginning to feel full even before we had the main dish! It was amazing that the omakase was only $60 for such high quality fish. The omakase had a great diversity of fish and flavors, for a great price. Lastly, we ended our meal with tempura ice cream ($4)! It was a single scoop, but just enough for me and my boyfriend to add a sweet treat to our already full bellies. Overall, a very good meal in a restaurant with a quiet, romantic ambiance. However, -1 star for the wait on top of our reservation.. read more

See all

Sushi delivery is the best. There is something so satisfying about eating carefully crafted rolls while being makeup free, donning old sweats, and listening to Van Morrison in the comfort of your own kitchen. It's just the best. Koo is my new favorite Japanese/sushi spot as of late. Their rolls are insanely fresh and the quality of the fish is wonderful. Koo has been serving authentic sushi in the Inner Sunset since 2004 and you can taste it in their entire menu. Some of their most popular and acclaimed dishes are their Spoonful of Happiness, their Salmon and Tuna Tartar, their Miso Black Cod, and their Azteca Roll. If you still have room for dessert - their Mt Fuji - a freshly made chocolate cake stuffed with chocolate mousse and paired with either ginger or green tea gelato is a worthwhile indulgent treat. My usual delivery order here is the California Roll and the Dragon Roll. Normally I steer clear of California Rolls - since it's often imitation crab - but not at Koo. Their crab is real and absolutely divine. Their Dragon Roll is plump with lightly battered tempura shrimp and I appreciate that it's topped with heavy handed portions of eel. Swoon. If you're looking for a fantastic dinner - come to Koo. It's truly an Inner Sunset neighborhood gem. Or better yet - do like me - rinse off the day's grime from your face, throw on something comfortable, put on some sweet tunes, and then let it come to you. Trust. read more

Updated (12 Jan 07) We just came back from the best Omakse course in SF! Thanks Dan V., we had an amazing meal with great sake. Credit to their excellent food, we finished an entire bottle of sake (& another glass) in no time . The meal was a nice balanced mixture of 'nama-mono' (raw fish dishes) and cooked dishes. What really separates places like Koo from 'the pretenders' is the details. From wasabi to goma-sauce, they put in an extra effort to make it the best. Quality of gyu-tan (beef tongue) was the quality you get at a nice restaurant in Tokyo. You can count on 'professional' quality dishes at Koo. For what you are getting, their prices are amazingly great value. Having the kind of omakase course meal in Japan for less than 10,000 Yen ($100) is unthinkable. With sake and desserts, it was about $90/person, but if you don't drink alcohol or order dessert, you could enjoy their course for around $60/person. Original Review (01 Apr 06) Living in SOMA near financial district, I normally avoid driving to Sunset district for dinner, but after seeing some good reviews about Koo by Yelpers --- including #3 Best SF Japanese Restaurant according to Dan V. --- we decided to go for a hike. As predicted, Friday night traffic from Harrison to 9th , to Hayes, to Gough, to Fell, and finally to Irving was painful, but I quickly discovered that it was all worth it. Wow! Great find! Restaurant is not so big (max capacity sign read 48) so calling 30 minutes ahead for a table was a smart move. As you walk in, there is a nice well lit sushi counter area to the left, sort of separated from the more dim lighting dining area to the right. FOOD: Awesome authentic Japanese food --- so far best I've had in SF. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share along with sushi and sashimi. Some of the highlights include: * Tuna and salmon tartar: If California roll is good with avocado and tuna, why not tuna with spicy guacamole with shrimp chips? It was a very nice creative dish. * Eggplant dengaku: Nice miso sauce! Excellent. * Grilled Asparagus: Such a simple dish, but the flavoring was tasty. * Tempura wakasagi (smelt fish) curry-salt: Never had smelt prepared this way. Great with beer. * Miso marinated black cod: By keeping the sauce flavor just right so that you can taste the fish. Very good. Sushi and sashimi was also very good, but I was more impressed with their prepared Japanese dishes. We had a load to eat (knowing we didn't have to pickup the check), drank beer and sake, yet it came out to $40/person, which was very reasonable. We could have easily kept it under $30/person and still could have had a good meal. In other part of the country, a place like Koo targeted Japanese businessmen, but that wasn't the case with Koo. Most of the customers we saw were non-Japanese, yet most of the wait staff were Japanese and as earlier stated, they serve solid authentic Japanese food. What I'm trying to say is that I'm quite happy that restaurant like Koo could survive and stay popular without Americanizing their taste and service. Hats off to customers that support restaurants like this. read more

Koo - Tuna and salmon tartar - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Koo, I've been looking for you- solid sushi restaurant in Sf. If you're looking for authentic, delicious, and fresh nigiri and sashimi, this will be your jam! Koo is pretty solid, like I said. Came here with a coworker a couple days ago and we started off with pretty every nigiri they had on the menu. Yum! The toro and barracuda were my favorite. Piece after piece we thanked the chef that kept filling our plates and ate to our hearts content. The spoonful of happiness was delish! I bet the omakase here is awesome! Next time. On a side note, the other items were ordered were stuffed jalapeno, shrimp dumplings, and Tokyo crunch which were not as good as the fresh fish and wasn't a huge fan of. I'll be back sometime, probably! read more

See all

In brief: A solid neighborhood sushi joint, good for a casual date, favor the rolls, go light on the nigiris. I was back last night and yes I can confirm it's still a very nice sushi restaurant in the Inner Sunset. The rolls were par excellence, particularly the Tokyo Crunch. The nigiris however, were a disappointment. I had the toro ($14) and while it was generally the right color the texture was neither fatty nor soft enough. I also had red snapper which was ok, but not remarkable. Service was great, our water glasses stayed full and our waitress frequently checked in. read more

I wanted to grab some dinner after my PRK/Lasik surgery, so Lester W. did some Yelping and found something new to try. We had reservations at 6:30, but got there at 6:00. No reservations needed because nobody was there yet! The restaurant is very cute. When you walk in, the sushi bar is to the left and general seating to the right. I couldn't really see much, but Lester W. said there was some interesting Japanese artwork on the walls. The service is great. They're very attentive and check up on you to make sure everything's ok. I had to leave the ordering to Lester since I couldn't get my eyes to focus yet. Here's what we got: -A Spoonful of Happiness( http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/QmRJupXOKW90T7z5wq8GtA/l ) - spoonful of uni, quail egg, tobiko, ponzu and ankimo wrapped with whitefish, truffle-oil and a shot of chilled sake. -Best Roll - tempura asparagus, avocado, wrapped in fresh salmon & thin slice of lemon -Azteca - crab, avocado, gobo and cucumber wrapped in white fish, topped w/ a thin slice of jalapeno, spicy mayo, tobiko and ponzu then lightly baked -Flying Kamikaze - spicy tuna and asparagus wrapped with albacore and topped with garlic ponzu and scallions -Tokyo Crunch - spicy tenkasu, hamachi, unagi, cucumber and tobiko ( http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/nPyxydN4JaZ6vdfrVu1EYw/l ) My favorites were the Spoonful of Happiness, Azteca and Best Roll. The jalapeno on the Azteca gave it an extra little crunch which I liked. The Tokyo Crunch was good, but the sauce was too salty. I'm starting to like Uni alot more now, so the Spoonful of Happiness was just what the doctor ordered. The quail egg gives the uni a sweeter taste, and the sauce gave it an extra burst of flavor! I'll definitely have to come back when I'm not feeling so miserable, so I can fully enjoy the food! read more

See all

Like Kazu, this place doesn't serve bento boxes. So If you're looking for bento boxes or expecting HUGE portions, I suggest you go elsewhere. No seriously. If you want cheap and big portions, go to Kiki's or something...You're paying for quality here, my friend. We (bf and I) came here on a Friday night hoping to take advantage of their "5th anniversary happy hour" special. ($4 Handroll, $5 Appetizers, $5 Alcoholic beverages. Sunday through Thursday. between open-7pm.) Unfortunately, they don't have it Friday OR Saturday nights. Bummer. But that didn't stop us from enjoying their yummy food..... We stuffed our faces with: *Tuna and Salmon Tartar (served with spicy guacamole and shrimp chips. $13)http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4GAsfSjaB1XewzS3TKOtTg?select=4jkhTwQx0MKiaUdKOy_6Og - This is your Asian version of chips and salsa. Instead of tortilla chips, you get shrimp chips. Instead of guacamole and tomatoes; you get guac, salmon, and tuna. It was good. I really liked it. Makes a great appetizer to share. *3 orders of hosomaki and an order of aji nigiri http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4GAsfSjaB1XewzS3TKOtTg?select=Na1Xn_O80-1HCYePJmSkLw - -Negi hama ($5.50)-One of my favorite rolls to order. It was sooo good I had to order another one! Probably one of the best I've had in a while. Its all about the sushi rice and their fresh hamachi. Delish! -Saba shiso-Eh..I thought it was okay. Don't think I would order it again. Bf wanted to try it. -Ika shiso ($5)-First time I've seen Ika shiso on the menu so we had to try it. Very tasty! *1 order of Aji Nigiri- Fish was sooo fresh! Bf wanted to order another one! *Tokyo Crunch (Spicy tenkasu, hamachi, unagi, cucumber and wasabi tobiko. $8.50)http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4GAsfSjaB1XewzS3TKOtTg?select=-zu385Zj6JlbHQTEX-DPKg - Eh, you don't need to dip this in shoyu. Just dab some fresh wasabi and you're good to go! I don't really like those "Jive ass rolls" but this one was quite tasty. With the sauce, the size and everything, I don't think I would order it again. It was just too intense for me. Nobu K., you were right. They did a good job on their "J.A.R." =P *Tempura Wakasagi Curry-Salt (Smelt-fish. $6)http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4GAsfSjaB1XewzS3TKOtTg?select=pZnjuXqJTpewe6GoLxGpPg - Omg, I LOVED this! If you like smelt, then you will probably like this. You get a nice portion of deep fried smelt sprinkled with curry powder and salt. Not too much batter and it definitely had a great flavor. It might be a little too salty for some people but I enjoyed it. Very addicting. Would probably taste good with beer. *Stuffed Jalapeno (stuffed jalapeno with hamachi, with lime aioli $6)http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4GAsfSjaB1XewzS3TKOtTg?select=x4aybkfDAykDsQ-Ggl5FAw - Very interesting dish. I was expecting it to be stuffed with raw hamachi. But instead, it was cooked. I liked it. Their lemon aioli was good! Oh and FYI, it only came with 4 pieces. Did I mention they have FRESH wasabi here? However, they charge you $1 for it. Taste sooo much better than the powdered stuff! This is the second Japanese restaurant I found that carries fresh wasabi. Kappa is the other one. Our total was around $98 (including tip). Yes, I know, kinda expensive for 2 people (plus my bf ordered 2 drinks). But when you go to a GOOD Japanese restaurant, I expect to drop $50 a head regardless. I mean, c'mon, you're paying for quality over here. Not like those non-Japanese owned restaurants that REALLY overcharge you. Just sayin. Oh and the interior/ambiance is very romantic. Great place to take a date. I'm TOTALLY coming back for happy hour! Next time I'm ordering their spoonful of happiness! Don't forget to make a reservation! This place got really crowded around 6:45pm. Parking around 5th and Irving was not as bad. Like Sonny, I think I'm going koko for KooKoo puffs! Get it? Think hard! Okay, that was pretty dumb. haha. Sorry, I was just trying to make a funny. =P read more

Koo - Stuffed jalapeno w/hamachi. Sorry so blurry - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Giving this a four because it is one of the only decent sushi restaurants I've found in the Bay Area. It's not as good as some of the restaurants in LA, but it was a pleasant surprise. The sushi seems somewhat decent quality for the price. Also, they have blue shrimp and crawfish hand roll, which I haven't had anywhere else before. Sat at the bar. Friendly and attentive. read more

Koo - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Spoonful of Happiness Spoon of uni and quail eggs, Powerful and creamy, leading to Orgasm from eating a dish worthy of 8 out of 10 points. Oh such fresh gomae, Nicely shaped as a bamboo, Flavorful yet cleans the pallet before eating the next dish. Umami after eating the blue fin tuna nigiri, Lusting for another piece. OMG where is my tamagoyaki? Frustrated for the wait. Happy to have finally gotten the dish, Apologies from the sushi chef for forgetting about the order, Place the sake flavored egg into the mouth, Puzzled by the fact that it tasted frozen. I enjoyed the miso soup, even though it is Not red miso as I expected. Excited for the hot green tea, Surprised by the waitress who accidentally gave me green tea ice cream, Sipping the watery tea that she finally gave to me in the end. read more

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