Minimal decor, but the food and service make this place truly special. This Shabu restaurant is a hidden gem that consistently gives great service with personable staff that makes every visit enjoyable. The self-cook experience is fun, interactive, relaxing, and the broths are simple but comforting. Truly heartwarming, soul-satisfying food. What was ordered: AYCE with tonkatsu broth. The AYCE comes with thinly sliced beef, lamb, tofu, mushrooms, spinach, cabbage, udon noodles and glass noodles. Price: Very affordable for an AYCE place. Did not break the bank and you walk out with your stomach full for 2 days. Parking: Great! This restaurant is in a residential area. No meter parking at all. They also have a parking lot for customers but it's always full on the weekends. Service: Spectacular: friendly, personable and very inviting. Side note: There is only one type of sauce that's in between a tangy or vinegary taste. There are a few condiments that you can add: garlic, chili pepper, grated daikon and green onions. Also, you can only pick one broth because the pot is not divided into 2 like other places. Either the tonkatsu or miso broth is delicious (can't go wrong with either). Refill on meat, veggies and noodles comes out fast so let them know ahead of time that you don't want the refill. Moreover, this place gets very busy and loud on Fri and Sat night. If you're planning to eat there on those nights, come when it opens at 5pm so you can get a seat. read more

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I recently visited this place for a work dinner and it was a pleasant experience! We came here on a Friday around 6pm and it was empty! FOOD & SERVICE: My group ordered the AYCE hot pot and it kept us superrr full! Our server was super friendly and attentive as well. I felt like we never had to ask for refills for our meats, toppings and sauce. This place does not have a sauce bar, but they have a premade sauce that tastes soo yummy! AMBIANCE: This place is very cozy :) It is small inside but it's what made the experience that much more enjoyable. This place gives mom & pop / hole in the wall vibes! PARKING: There is a small parking lot located on the side of the building which is super helpful but fits about 8 cars. You can always find parking around the neighborhood though. I will definitely be visiting this place again, especially since I live so close by :) read more

After a pleasant walk from the Sutro baths through the last ends park, we wanted a sushi place to eat. This was close by after an afternoon walk session. We enter in to a vibrant restaurant with a chill atmosphere. Our service for sushi was really quick and the sushi was delicious. They also serve hot pot, but that wasn't our vibe of the night food wise. But I love that it was an option if we were that hungry. The staff were super friendly and tentative. Definitely recommend after a walk through the park. We will definitely come back! read more

My bestie and I wanted to celebrate our friendship anniversary and to catch up since we haven't been able to, but also we work in different departments now so it's been hard to find a moment together. She wanted to take me to her favorite hot pot place and I've never been here, so I was excited to try! Immediately when we got here, it was super empty but I appreciate that! We had such great and quick service, and the staff here were super nice. My bestie asked what broth I wanted and we settled for the Spicy Tonkotsu flavor. We did the AYCE option with lamb and next thing you know, all the food started coming out. We were given a ton of vegetables, noodles, meat, etc. Each time we were finished with a plate, we were greeted with more meat LOL I got so full at the end of the meal, but it was great catching up and enjoying a meal with her. Kafu Ya reminds me of the old hot pot spots where you had a burner, a set of vegetables and a plate of meat. It reminded me of Shabu House who had a similar method (rip to them), but I really enjoyed how comforting it felt and how the food was delicious. The meats were great and the sauce was delicious too! I really enjoyed what they brought out and it complimented the meat well. Hopefully I'll be able to come back again with her or other friends! Definitely a great, comforting hot pot place that has great food. I hope to try their sushi soon enough! read more

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Anyone who knows me knows that I will never shut up about this place because it's sooo delicious, nourishing, high quality, and did I mention delicious? I've been to this restaurant since I was in a stroller, and the food has been consistent for 20+ years. I love the shabu shabu because of the high quality meat slices as well as the quality of their soup bases. The sesame vinegar house sauce is soo good for dipping the veggies, noodles, tofu, and beef. You can also add garnishes to your sauce like chili peppers, green onion, daikon, or garlic for an extra kick. The wait staff and owners are super attentive and kind, so don't be afraid to strike up conversation with them bc they're so fun. The restaurant is always clean and so is the bathroom they also do complimentary ice cream at the end too :) read more

Kufu Ya - Shabu Shabu with beef and tonkatsu broth - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Saturday night dinner. Called ahead to make sure we had a reservation because they get super busy and packed parking lot. My favorite is the all you can eat with spicy miso, beef and rice for the hubs and lamb and veggies for me. The kiddos like the beef and udon noodles. They have a private parking lot which really helps and you must make sure you move your car if you are blocking someone in. They have 2 tvs and always have the current game on, always sports! I did not go on NBA finals night because I know they will have a fully booked out reservation, even if we are regulars! I love this spot and Jackie is awesome. The servers are amazing and attentive. This is a family ambiance and they want to treat you as family! read more

high quality meat with great selection of sashimi, sushi and rolls, very tasty and reasonable price service was very nice! the restaurant is clean and easy to find parking spots too read more

Kufu Ya - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Was visiting from out of town and my friend who is a local kept raving about this spot so we decided to come by! As an LA & Vegas native, I am very used to all the flashy and trendy restaurants. I was surprised to find that this spot was a small family owned establishment. It was definitely a nice change of pace and the vibes were quaint yet cozy. We opted for AYCE shabu shabu. The menu is very simple which honestly made it easy to order. It wasn't very busy as we went on a Sunday night, and the service was great. Whenever we finished a plate of meat or veggies, they were exceptionally quick with the refills. They also have a special sauce which we all loved, but might not be everyone's cup of tea if you are averse to more vinegary flavors. Overall, we had a great experience. It was nice to be able to walk into a restaurant with no wait, have amazing service, and still leave full! read more

Kufu Ya - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Excellent fresh fish with even better service! An excellent spot for dinner. Staff were extremely friendly and attentive. A nice warm spot for a weary traveler. read more

I have been a regular here for a couple of years and the food and service has always been great and consistent. Meat and seafood are fresh and the restaurant itself feels cozy. read more

The quick and friendly service and private parking lot made my visit to Kufu Ya THAT much better. I made a reservation on Valentine's Day and was seated immediately. The restaurant inside wasn't very big, but I did appreciate that they didn't try to cram more tables in for more business. The spicy tonkotsu wasn't spicy at all, and their homemade sauce was more on the tart side, somehow it works really well with the cooked items. The meat was presented nicely and came out super thin so you would get through the plate within seconds if you tried. Although the meat wasn't marbled, the thin cuts reduces any toughness. Thankfully the staff was very attentive and kept restock our items instantaneously. The shabu option at Kufu Ya is very basic, one broth for your party, choice of beef or lamb and a bowl of udon, glass noodle, a variety of mushrooms, tofu, lettuce and spinach for $35. I do like the sauce, variety, broth, and complimentary ice cream towards the end at Shabu Club, but the extremely quick and friendly service at Kufu Ya beats them by a landslide! read more

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The service is honestly top tier imo. This place is good with kids. Restaurant is clean and interior is cozy. We always come here for hotpot and it's so good. The broth is 10/10. The meat will keep coming. Water is constantly refilled. Recommend this place. Bonus that the place has parking in the back even if it's in the city. If you haven't tried this spot, go visit! read more

Love love love Kufu ya! Honestly, what's not to love about Shabu especially on a cold winter night. We come here for dinner with our friends quite often & a good time is always had! Lisa & her team are so friendly and inviting and always on top of it. As soon as our plates are empty, they bring another right over. Food is delicious & we always leave with our bellies full. And the parking lot in the back is such a perk with limited parking around the area. Highly recommend if you're looking to have a nice hot meal with friends at a really homey neighborhood staple! read more

Haven't been to Kufuya for over 10 years as there lots of other Shabu and Hot Pot options closer to home. A birthday brought me back and despite the many years away, Kufuya has stayed consistently good. We decided on All you can eat that included, choice of miso or tonkotsu soup with unlimited Rib Eye Steak, Lamb, Udon, Glass noodle, Tofu, Napa cabbage, Spinach and Mushroom. Their secret sauce that causes my friends to return every year comes with garlic, daikon, green onions and chili. Service was attentive and quick. Not once did we have request refills. The quality of meat was really good. I loved the thinly sliced meat. Even when accidentally forgotten and overcooked, the meat was still tender. Although there isn't a large variety, this allows them to keep the high quality in their small selection. Many plates of meat later, we all left stuffed and satisfied. read more

Kufu Ya - All You Can Eat - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I'm so happy to give really great place with Japanese food right next to my house! The personal was amazing and welcoming, it's really cozy and quiet place, which is perfect! I'll recommend this place to everyone who loves delicious food and nice service read more

Kufu Ya - Roll combo - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Perfect post workout for a high dose of protein! Came here hungry and the food came within 60 sec of sitting down. AYCE of 2 meats (beef + lamb) with a special sauce; veggie bowl and noodles to even it out. They were out of oysters but the uni shooters were bomb. Super quick and friendly service, plates of meat were replenished immediately after clearing them, never really had to go out of the way ask for anything. Granted, we were just one of 4 parties there and it's chill for a date or group of friends to catch up. The broth isn't as flavorful as other places, and everything (meat, veggies, sauce) is brought to you, so once you sit down, just focus on eating. Overall a 4.5/5 experience with a neighborhood bias of living closeby; wouldn't travel far for it but if you're closeby, definitely worth a shot. read more

Kufu Ya - Uni shooters - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friend and her boyfriend took us to this spot. While the food was decent, I would say it's pricey for the amount of food. It was a very limited AYCE menu. I thought it was $32 by looking at the other Yelp reviews, but it was actually about $35 because of the 1 bowl of rice they charge for $3. The broth was flavorful and had just the right amount of spicy. I just wish they had the option of 2 broths instead of just 1 in a pot. I was disappointed at the lack of meat and vegetables included in the AYCE, but the ribeye and lamb were very soft. My boyfriend and I were not really impressed with the "famous crack sauce." I liked that you could add stuff into the sauce, but we thought the sauce was vinegary. I would taste the peanut sauce for a second and a vinegar taste followed after. The service is really good here because they kept the AYCE meat and vegetables coming one plate after another, so that was nice. However, my boyfriend and I would probably choose another place with more AYCE options. read more

Kufu Ya - Spicy miso - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My second time here and they did not disappoint. Really great service with TVs in the background. We got there early and obtained great seats. read more

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Can't go wrong with some ayce shabu at this spot. Service was excellent, even though one plate came out at once, it was always replaced before we had a chance to finish everything in the pot. Really loved that there were thai chilis here as I love my dipping sauce spicy ! Downside was the lack of options. There was no divider for the pot so it was just one broth throughout the entire meal. Missing enoki mushrooms and pork but hey, it is slightly cheaper here for ayce. read more

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We weren't super hungry but were in the area and had been wanting to go to this spot. We got 2 special roles and honestly we did not like them... def would not get again- the texture and flavors were off. We got 1 plate beef and lamb combo to share and I did like the beef and the base! Would maybe come back here to do AYCE but not for the sushi:( Service was good but it was super empty when we went and ambience was average read more

Kufu Ya - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here on a Thursday night, there was no wait. Our servers, Lisa (I believe this was her name) and I forget the other, were on top of getting our AYCE plates of meat to us. Once they saw our plate finished, they immediately went back into the kitchen to get another one out to us. Their meat quality is consistent and delicious. You only get to choose from Beef and Lamb, there is no Pork. There is a private parking lot that you can park in. And yes, you can block the other cars. They will make an announcement in the restaurant when they need a car moved. The restaurant and the bathroom were clean and they had the Warrior's game playing on the TVs with the audio. Lastly, their sauce they have is CRACK. Don't sleep on this. I've tried asking what was in it but they would not tell me. Enjoy! read more

I love Kufuya! The food is always fresh and delicious, and the service is excellent. I typically lean towards their Sushi and the AYCE hot pot which is both very filling & more affordable than most other shabu spots, making it a great value for the money. This was the first place I can remember that offered both Japanese cuisine and AYCE hot pot under one roof so they are an early trailblazer in this genre. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, making it a great place to go with friends or family since they are one of the more spacious restaurants in the area to handle groups. I've also ordered catered sushi platters and have gotten many compliments for them at parties. Overall, I highly recommend Kufuya Japanese Restaurant to anyone looking for a delicious and affordable Japanese meal or AYCE hot pot. read more

Kufu Ya - Shabu shabu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Friends and I love coming here for Shabu! The restaurant is not that big but will be able to accommodate large parties as long as you reserve well in advance. It does get a bit noisy as your meal progresses because liquid courage and a good time does that so it's never a dole moment dining here. I believe you can order single plates but I've only ever came for AYCE. The beef quality has been continuously buttery smooth with fresh veggies on the side. Sushi rolls and Hand rolls are a solid change in palate from land to sea. It gets busy on certain nights so service may fall off just a tad; however, if you are one of the earlier parties of the night, service is impeccable with plates of meat rolling out nonstop. Highly recommend coming here SUPER hungry for AYCE, you will not leave disappointed!! read more

Beautiful New MENU design! Still PHENOMENAL Shabu Shabu and still same awesome family/staff who work here. Lalalalove it!!! read more

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Food was fine - some of the rolls were well done and the other dishes were fine. Prices seemed a little off-balanced, with rolls being overpriced for what they were and other dishes appropriately priced. What was a bummer though was the service. We arrived soon after opening so there was no one else there. The welcome to the restaurant was very brusque with the guy tossing menus on a table when we weren't sure about the set up of AYCE Shabu vs not. The same guy was heavy handed throughout the meal - with him trying to be funny but in an aggressive way, over pouring our sake twice to the point of spilling out of the cups onto the table, making comments about our choices, making bad jokes on what was a mother's day outing, etc. We live in the neighborhood and was trying this out for the first time - we don't eat out often - and his demeanor soured our experience. Not sure we'll be back. read more

Kufuya crack sauce keep me coming back. Julia and her staff treat every single table as family. Service is quick and always excellent. Julia will accommodate every requests. Ayce lamb or beef with veggie and noodles. They also serve sashimi and sushi. Beer and sake only. Parking lot behind restaurant. Text for reservation. read more

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We all really liked it. We got both broths, spicy, and all five us got the all you can eat. Service is outstanding. They kept bringing refills of everything and always asking if we wanted more. The quality of the meat and veggies was excellent. The only negative is there isnt a lot of variety. I would have liked fish, for example. It's pretty much, beef or lamb, some spinach, cabbage, mushrooms and tofu Noodles It averages about $50 per person with tax and tip, read more

So good! Definitely support this family owned local business! We keep coming back because that's how good it is. We do the all you can eat and also the sushi menu is amazing. Very fresh ingredients and OH YEAH they have a good selection of sake! It's a local hot spot for a reason! read more

My wife and I have been coming here for years!! We celebrate our birthdays, anniversaries, and any other excuse to come here. Julie and Lisa are the kindest and they make us feel at home every time we come. The sauce is so addicting!! Thanks so much guys! Miguel and Stephanie read more

3.7 stars (rating only the sushi/ non hot pot /non shabu) The food is pretty good. Niku udon was good except the meat was over-cooked. Dragon roll was ok, not mind blowing It's a nice spot, great staff. I'll have to come try their other stuff next time and will be able to rate it more accurately read more

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Kufu Ya is easily the best hotpot/shabu place in the city! They dont have all the crazy stuff the hotpot places around have. They're much simpler, in a very good way. High quality meat. Great sauce. Fast service. I'll take it over any other place in the whole Bay Area. To top it all off, their sushi is incredibly fresh and amazing! They're my go-to sushi bar! read more

I have been wanting to go here for awhile since I heard so many great things from my friends but I never got a chance to before covid 19. They are still open for to go, so we picked up some to go, to do hot pot at home . We got 2 beef and an extra side of lamb meat for to go shabu. They give plenty of meat, and also a container full of veggies, udon, and vermicelli. You also get a small container of the sauce and chopped radish, chili, green onion, and garlic. The shabu was really yummy and fresh, I hope to come back after this is all over and enjoy their ayce. Please support these small family owned businesses during this time. read more

This place is definitely slept on! Thanks to my coworker for introducing this spot to me. It has been one of my go-to hot pot spots! The owners are so nice and welcoming! The service is so fast even when there's a party going on. The 2 times I've been there's a party. One of the things I was so impressed that they had was the noodle strainer. I really don't know why not all Shabu/hot pot places have that--- such a convenience!! The place is not too big, not too small. They have a small parking area in the back that is monitored. Other than that, it's game for street parking since it's near a residential area. Their toppings and sauces are really good. I usually put more chili in my broth to kick it up a notch. Overall, I always have a great experience coming here for dinner with my friends and family. read more

Kufu Ya - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Looking for something warm and trying to ball out on a budget? Kufuya is an amazing place to get full of food and drinks at a really reasonable price. A friend had recommended this place because they do an AYCE shabu and AYCD of beer, hot and cold sake for what came out to less than $50 after tax and tip. Really amazing value here! For Shabu you get one soup broth option, and we went with the spicy miso. You'll have to choices of meat which are beef and lamb. Both meats were really good, and they come out with a quickness. That's paired with a giant bowl of veggies and noodles. Their signature brown sauce was hella good. You can add chili peppers, garlic, radish, green onions and really make it your own. I'd drink that brown sauce it was so good. For the beer, you'll get big bottles of Sapporo, and the house cold sake was so easy to drink. Definitely recommend grabbing a ride share here, no need for drinking and driving, it's just not worth it! The service here is top notch! They are attentive, quick to refill drinks, food, and broth for you pot. The owner yells at you if you block or park in the wrong place, and it's pretty hilarious and amusing. This spot feels like a neighborhood joint with all the home style vibes. I'll Definitely will be back again! read more

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I had to leave before foods were ordered. We live close by and wanted to have Shabu without driving too far. Wrong decision! You can only order either the AYCE at around $32/person or the individual plate of choices of beef, pork, veggie and one more (I forget what it's). BUT the rule of ordering individual plates is to order a minimum of TWO plates which add up $30 at least. So basically there's not much different between AYCE or "individual" plates. I don't mind spending $30 for a Shabu dinner which is pretty much the price anywhere else. However i saw the beef being served on the other tables near us. Those AREN'T Kobe beef for sure as they are not marble-y at all!! So no, I don't wanna spend $30 for regular beef. We ended up leaving and driving a bit farther away to Shabu Club that night. It's also $30 for a large (they've regular or large) order of real marble-y Kobe beef dinner! I won't come back for Shabu at all. It's a rip-off! read more

First, open of in person dining. Two, my go to hotpot. Third, I go heavy on the sauce. The place brings comfort of home, its clean, you move your car out of the parking stall if you're blocking someone just like you would if your whole family is in the city, and they take care of you. Can't ask for more. read more

Kufu Ya - Meat - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've heard really good things about the shabu shabu here, so I wanted to give it a try. You can order all-you-can-eat for $32 a person, or order items separately. It's definitely better value to get the all-you-can-eat option. There are four broth options -- you can only choose one so we went with the spicy miso. The broth was very tasty -- not oily or salty at all. The spice level was just perfect. The restaurant provided sides of garlic and green onion that were great additions to add to the broth. We only tried the beef and were really happy with it -- it was super fresh. Veggies included two kinds of mushrooms, spinach, and cabbage. There is also tofu, and two kinds of noodle -- glass and udon. This was the best glass noodle I've had. I took off one star because of limited options for the all-you-can-eat. It would be great if there were more veggies to choose from. I was also surprised that it didn't include any rice, egg, or ice cream. You are also limited to only broth option. This felt like a more homey hot pot experience and we really enjoyed it. Service was really excellent, with our food being replenished quite quickly (including our broth at mid-point). read more

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Best sushi ever! So fresh and flavorful. I definitely recommend eating here! They also do a very good shabu. Amazing!

I've driven past this blue banner on the corner sooo many times on Geary. Actually, it's totally a Geary blvd staple...you've probably past it yourself! AYCE shabu and sushi sounded so good, but we had some self control this day. We'll have to dig in next time. We did indulge in some udon soup, chirashi bowl, lion king with salmon and one with scallops, and the rainbow roll. All of it was good! It's the service for me though. I have my go to shabu and sushi spots for sure, but since this was the first time we ate indoors with our son in what seems like forever, it was so important that this be safe and perfect. The staff was amazing, the place was clean, and there was one other family inside but they were sat allllll the way on the other side of the restaurant from us. When they took our orders, they stood 6ft away, wore masks and still made us feel so welcomed here. read more

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This place has definitely become my favorite AYCE Shabu place in the city. We came in around 5:30 with a large group and were able to get seated right away. It feels like you're eating hot pot at home with a very cozy ambiance inside. The price is super worth it for what you get: quality meat, fresh vegetables, INCREDIBLE sauce (they give you garnishes to put in the sauce too like garlic, radish, scallion, and red chili), glass noodles, udon noodles, and rice. We got spicy miso broth which was very flavorful. The employees were extremely attentive and gave us refills on whatever we needed as soon as they saw an empty plate, and we didn't even have to ask. We also ordered sushi, which was very fresh and delicious!! What more could you ask for? read more