cant really mess up soba! no complaints here. i finished it all! service was a little lackluster. pretty casual spot for a lunch or dinner. read more

Kushi Tsuru - soba - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

So, after attending a friend's mom's birthday event in San Francisco, I decided to grab Japanese food for dinner. What I wasn't decisive on was whether to go between staying in the City, pivoting to Oakland or getting food near home. So, after a race to 3 points, San Francisco won. That typed, I originally decided to go to a different place, but it closed early because they ran out of food. Then, I decided to go to the mall and try a place I haven't been to before. Kushi Tsuru decided to be it. Well, it's good that Kushi had a table set for me already. Otherwise, I would have moved to another spot. It wasn't that I was impatient. It was that I had not much of a charge left, and I needed enough because I for the life of me can't memorize how to get home from Frisco's Japan Town, making me utilize every second to the fullest. What makes Kushi a noteworthy spot is the batch of manekineko (beckoning cats). I wanted to give the place a higher score. There are parts they have done right like the base. There are also minor flaws that kept piling up to the point the place went from being amazing to just okay. Well, the place has a good amount of items that I look for. There are comfort items a plenty like good old sushi and ramen. There are also items like what I got in zaru soba (cold dipping soba). Not only that, there are kid friendly drinks as I see juices along with the Ramune soda bottles. Then, the minor flaws piled up. I didn't worry so much about the lack of desserts because I can go to places like Belly and Sophie's (the latter I ended up with). I'll only type up two here so that I don't drag the review. The service is lackluster. I know the place is in a busy part of S.F. now, but I still need to point out that the service is lackluster. The other flaw I will type up is this. Take away the cats display, and the place lacks the magnetic pull the place needs. Kushi Tsuru is a mixed bag. While it has a base that I look for (being able to take a nephew or niece with its drinks), it piled up more minor flaws than I'd want. If I had to type a lasting statement, it's this. Keep this place at the bottom of your list if you plan on eating at the mall. +/The place does a killer job at actually providing multiple drinks, and the soba's solid. -/The place tumbles also because multiple flaws like lackluster service and the lack of a really good secondary "I don't know what" subject keep piling up. read more

Kushi Tsuru - Zaru Soba - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ambiance: Kushi Tsuru is one of the Japanese restaurants located within the Japantown mall. It has both booth and table seating available without being too crowded. There is no bathroom located in the restaurant but one close by in the mall that can be used. Service: The service was okay with the waiters filling the drinks once through the service but did not check munch in on how the food was upon serving it at the table. Wait time. Hardly any wait time to get into the restaurant and to be seated. After ordering food it didn't take long for it to arrive, though there were some people around us who seemed to have to wait longer for the same food despite ordering before us. Food: Croquette Curry was good with a decent serving of rice to curry ratio with a croquette served on top. Despite the food tasting good, the food is extremely overpriced for what is being provided likely because it is a touristy location. read more

Kushi Tsuru - Croquette Curry - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Kushi Tsuru is a staple of the Japantown mall, and it usually hits the spot for a quick, no-fuss lunch. However, my most recent visit was a bit of a mixed bag, mostly due to the temperature of the beverages and the "middle-of-the-road" sushi. The Drink Situation The biggest letdown was the Sapporo draft. There is nothing quite like a crisp, ice-cold beer to cut through fried food or fish, but this pint was noticeably lacking that "frosty" edge. It wasn't quite room temperature, but it certainly wasn't the refreshing, chilled experience you expect from a professional tap system. When the beer is "just okay" in temperature, it makes the whole meal feel a bit flat. The Food As for the food, we stuck to the sushi rolls. They were perfectly fine--fresh enough and presented well--but they didn't exactly stand out in a neighborhood that is packed with high-tier sushi options. The rice was decent and the fish-to-rice ratio was fair, but they lacked that "wow" factor or signature flair that makes you want to recommend them to a friend. They are "safe" rolls--satisfying if you're already there, but not something to go out of your way for. The Vibe The service remains friendly and the classic, wood-heavy interior still provides that cozy, authentic Japantown aesthetic. It's a comfortable spot to rest your feet after walking the mall, but they might need to check the calibration on their keg chiller. The Verdict Go for the katsu or the atmosphere, but maybe skip the draft beer until they get the cooling system sorted. If you're a sushi purist, you might find the rolls a bit underwhelming, but they'll get the job done for a casual meal. read more

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The katsu curry is nostalgic and so yummy. Although it came in a donburi rather than a large plate like it is done in traditional Japanese restaurants, the flavors were just like a home cooked meal with big soft chunks of meat, carrots and potatoes. The tonkatsu was perfectly crunchy breading around juicy and an almost sweet and tender pork cutlet. I asked for some fukujinzuke, a red pickled vegetable which I was informed was. Underneath the tonkatsu that almost covered the whole bowl. When I got there, a little before noon, the place was empty but by the time I was leaving, there were a couple of customers also enjoying the curry rice and a couple of tourist families had come in. I noticed the katsu curry took about 10-15 minutes to serve whereas the curry by itself was almost instantaneous so I'm guessing they have it heating in a huge pot ready to plate up if you're in a hurry and can't wait for them to freshly fry up some katsu. read more

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Had to get a Japanese curry fix, so ordered the katsu curry for lunch at Kushi Tsuru. It was really tasty and delicious. Mr B ordered a bento of shrimp tempura, California rolls and gyoza. Meh... The gyoza had no flavor, probably store bought frozen. The shrimp tempura were a joke. Measly dried up shrimp. It looked nothing like the food display in the window. The California rolls were OK, but the salad didn't have any dressing. Ambiance is fine, service OK, but the food needs improvement. I did see a sign asking for an experienced chef, so maybe that's the problem? read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Kushi Tsuru is one of those places I keep coming back to whenever I'm in Japantown and simply want something reliable, comforting, and quietly competent. It's not trying to be trendy, and that's exactly why it works. This visit, the order stayed close to my usual rotation: Cold soba with tempura - The soba is properly rinsed and chilled, which matters more than people realize. Clean finish, no residual starch, and a firm but not brittle bite. The accompanying tempura is light and well-controlled - no excess oil, no soggy batter. This is textbook execution. Pork katsu curry - The curry base carries a gentle sweetness with a noticeable spicy edge, not just a lazy sweetness masked by chili powder. The katsu itself is juicy inside with a clean crust, showing good temperature control during frying. This is comfort food done with discipline. Monkey Brain - This dish deserves specific credit. The outer crust is extremely crisp, while the interior remains soft and structurally intact, not collapsed or greasy. When it arrives, it's hot inside and crisp outside, which only happens when oil temperature, timing, and moisture control are dialed in. This must be eaten immediately - wait too long and you lose the contrast. Properly executed, it's a strong example of Japanese-American frying technique done right. Sushi rolls - Solid, consistent, and predictable in a good way. Rice texture is stable, fillings are balanced, and nothing feels rushed or sloppy. This isn't a place chasing novelty - it's about execution. What I appreciate most is the overall reliability. Service is friendly and efficient, food comes out quickly, and the kitchen clearly understands its limits and strengths. In Japantown, this matters. When you're hungry and don't want to gamble, Kushi Tsuru is a safe and satisfying choice. It's not a destination restaurant - and it doesn't need to be. It's a place you return to, again and again, because it delivers. Dr. C Consistency over gimmicks. Execution over noise. read more

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No raw tuna (poke). 0/5. There are varies options to pick but no poke. Service is standard. Order brings your food, no small talk. 3/5. Menu was weird. All the sushi rice was blue color. I'm guessing printer ran out of ink. One person at our table asked why were all the sushi blue and we all concluded the printer was the concern and we would not be eating blue rice as we looked around the place. Quality of food was standard. Price was too high for the items on the menu. 2/5. Croquette was $10 for 2. Insane. Seating is too snug--the booth seat we got for a large party was so packed, the table is literally up on your body for all the guest around the zone. Guy sitting behind us was too close in my personal space that it made me uncomfortable. Seating was 1/5. Should not have designed such a packed space with two table booths. read more

Took my daughter and her friends here today for lunch. They sat our party fast. The prices aren't bad, and portion sizes are nice too. My only gripe is my beef teriyaki was super, super fatty. Like 60% of my portion was fat. The deep fried California roll was really good, and the curry fish my daughter got was very good as well. Staff was friendly and attentive read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Ordered the curry and the spicy ramen and both were really good, flavorful and comforting. The service was a little slow, but the staff was friendly and welcoming, which made up for it. Overall, a solid spot for Japanese comfort food. read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was very disappointed with this restaurant, especially considering that this area used to be known for consistently good Japanese food. Unfortunately, that standard no longer seems to be the case. The atmosphere felt far from a Japanese dining experience. Staff members spoke very loudly across the restaurant, creating a chaotic environment that was more reminiscent of a busy non-Japanese eatery than a place serving Japanese cuisine. Service also lacked professionalism and attentiveness. As for the food, it was the biggest letdown. Nothing tasted fresh, and several dishes were overly salty and soggy, lacking the clean and delicate flavors expected from Japanese food. We barely ate and ended up having to get another meal afterward. It appears that ownership may have changed, as not only this restaurant but others on the same side seem to have declined significantly in quality. Overall, this was not an authentic or enjoyable experience, and I'm leaving this review mainly as a reminder to myself not to return. read more

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no line at 12pm on a sunday and was seated in the back dining area. it gets more ambiance points since it feels like you're in a nicer establishment and not in a strip of restaurants. was echo-y though, especially with multiple large groups in this small area. servers were fine, but nothing special stood out. fried gyoza: 7/10. good crunch, wrapper not too thick, good pork flavor. just wish there were veggies or greens to add flavor contrast and color. dipping sauce was good and complimented the gyoza flavors well. tonkotsu ramen: 4/10. broth not overly (but still) salty and oily; i like that it isn't too heavy slightly lacking in flavor (compared to marufuku, my gold standard). the pork was very thin and fatty, nearly no meat. tbh just suck up the line and go to marufuku bc the extra $2 makes a huge difference. would only go here IF your party is split on what they want to eat and you all want the convenience of going to one place together (hence what happened at this meal). read more

Kushi Tsuru - tonkotsu ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is in Japan Center mall, and was a cozy little nook. We had no trouble getting seated, and orders were taken promptly. It took a while to get water. I was with Blondie and The Wife, and together we ordered veggie tempura, a couple house salads and miso soup, one salmon lover roll, one CA roll, and an avocado roll, with a large hot sake and a Sprite. It seemed pretty expensive for not much food. The tempura was a small plate. $20.95 for the salmon lover, which is basically a salmon roll with an extra piece of fish on top with some sauce, seemed excessive. At least everything was tasty. read more

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Japanese curry is woefully under represented in the American Japanese restaurants -- but KT is working hard to be the exception. The katsu curry is delicious and hearty and I highly recommend it read more

Kushi Tsuru - Katsu curry - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

This small Japanese spot is located in Japantown's food hall. We were seated right away for a party of 7. Our food did take a while to come but it was expected since we had a big party. They have lots of dishes to choose from and great lunch deals too! read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Walked in and was greeted immediately and asked how many in our party. The hostess disappeared and reappeared to seat us. We were given a pretty good table considering wr had a double stroller waging with us and we were able to tuck it away at a corner. We were given some menus and ample time to decide what we'd like before the waitress appeared to take our orders patiently. We were always greeted with a smile and patience. The music playing was catchy but way too loud for my liking. You have to pretty much yell at your companions to be heard. Everyone was yelling at each other to be heard. The food came out quickly and was delicious. We finished fairly fast because it was pretty good. Soon after we finished, the bill came out. Overall a great place to eat. My only gripe is that its pretty expensive, but it is what it is given the location and all clouds definitely eat here again. read more

The service was horrible!!!!! We Sat at 2::50 and when they acknowledged that we are ready to order it was 3:06 and been told that we cant order the lunch special because its past the 3:00 o clock cut off. But I told the server that we were waiting for her to take our order. Its a new establishment and if you want to have a REGULAR clientele ITS NOT THE BEST TREATMENT. We do always eat at Maru sushi and some establishments in the Japan Town restaurants. Good luck on this new establishment with such BAD SERVICE and EXPERIENCE!!!!!! Never again to try a new establishment. read more

Kushi Tsuru - The restaurant name!!!!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

How an entire experience can completely fall apart! We arrived at the place and it was quite clean. They had good music. Everything seemed fine at the beginning. It was our first time at the restaurant, and when we ordered a glass with ice, they told us the ice machine was broken. That's understandable, that's fine. The good part is that at least my Coke wasn't warm! Our food arrived on time, and I was able to try everything we ordered--it honestly had good flavor. I even mentioned that I could see myself coming back; we were having a good time. But when we went to pay, one of my friends took a sip of water from her glass and suddenly started making strange choking sounds. We asked her what was wrong, and she spit out a piece of glass. Then she said she felt another small one in her mouth--and she pulled that one out too. We notified the waitresses, and all they said was: "sorry." WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE IS THAT?! This is about the safety of your customers! This is food and drinks we are consuming! No one came to check if we were okay, no sincere apology, no expression of real concern... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! If you're going to run a restaurant, customer safety must come first, and here it clearly did not. read more

Kushi Tsuru - Spicy Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

We came here in a pinch to order an Avocado Roll for my daughter since the Market had sold out. Overall the service was attentive and kind. Our order was to go as we were meeting the rest of my family at the tables by the fountain. The location is small, but beautifully decorated. I was surprised that the Avocado Roll was 11.99 as I am used to it not being more than 7. I was disappointed when we got the roll and each piece was so small. The roll had 8 pieces, but imagine the rolls with the very small sushi bites. For the price I was definitely expecting more than what we got. We were grateful that they did to-go orders but for the price and quality I don't know if I would go back. read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I haven't been to Japantown for a while and we were looking for a place that would also be good for a non-sushi eater as well. They have a solid special with lots of choices. The tempura vegetables were my favorite and I also had some salmon sashimi. They specialize in curries but that is not my thing - looked like others were enjoying them. Service was quick and it was quick to find seating on a Saturday evening. read more

The food was great and service was fast, the atmosphere of this restaurant was cozy, the lighting makes for a great date spot:) read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Fried Gyoza was so delicious. We had California rolls which were as expected. Not a lot of variety of sushi rolls but makes you narrow it down easily. read more

Quite pricey for the quality, but standard SF Japantown prices. We ordered the chicken karage, California roll, and the zaru udon with tempura. Their tempura was the best of all the items: lightly fried, although would say the veggies were a bit thin, but still well executed. Place has the old school japan vibes still and service is attentive. read more

This place was just ok. My daughter and I went to Japantown for dinner on a Saturday evening around 7:30. Of course it was so busy, so we saw this place and the wait was more like 10-20 minutes in comparison to the 90+ minutes for other popular spots. We ordered gyoza (it was fine -crispy, good flavor), tonkatsu (it was ok), and nabeyaki (good flavor, though it looked like everything sunk to the bottom). Service was fine -not great, but fine. Increments of check-ins were ok, though at the beginning it felt a little rushed. It died down once as our dinner went on... it wasn't as busy at the end compared to when we first sat down. This spot is in the row of Japan Center Mall eateries and restaurants. I feel like you can't go wrong with most of these places, including this one. Decent food, decent service. Solid three stars. read more

the service and ambience are really nice. we were seated almost immediately and the food is spectacular, i would return! read more

Kushi Tsuru - pork catsu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love the ambiance and service of the place. My lover took me here and this might be one of my new go to spots here at Japantown. The prices are pretty decent and reasonable too, so you don't have to spend too much. read more

BE CAREFUL WITH CHOPPED GLASS!! Worst night ever, my friend almost got choked with a chopped glass from the water cup. I did mention the server and she just said sorry nothing I could do! What they will have done if she swallowed it! The server remove the chopped glass and not allowing me to take a picture. She said that no manager was in site. Right now I'm more concerned about my friend safety than taking to someone that won't help us. Not recommending this place ever! read more

Kushi Tsuru - Business information - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

3/21/26 Experience was ok. Friendly staff. We each ordered a bento box. 2 Tonkatsu and 1 Chicken Katsu. 20 minutes from order to serve food. The chicken katsu seemed a bit sad compared to tonkatsu portion. If I were to tell others to come here, I would tell them to get tonkatsu instead of chicken katsu. read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Unfortunately, Marafuku and Udon Munoz had long waits. So decided to try Kushi Tsuru. The restaurant was fairly crowded but no wait on a Wednesday night around 7:15 pm. The service was very slow as they only had 1 staff taking and giving orders. The tempura came out first and it was very oily and the rice was mushy. My spicy ramen didn't come out for another 10 minutes. This was just red and was not really spicy. Decent amount of noodles at least. Will not be back. Prices about $20 per dish read more

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The food good was great and the service is spectacular :) The perfect balance between hot plates and sushi. read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

This spot is in the row of restaurants in japantown mall. I've walked by and wanted to try it so many times because they had the typical Japanese thing of having models of all their menu items on display on the window as you walk by. The menu variety is kind of insane--there are the meat options, the fried katsus, the ramens, the udons and sobas, the sushi, the whole works. The service was super quick and the food also came out really quickly, which is what we needed. Would recommend if you have a large variety of tastes to cater to in your group and want a quick bite in the japantown area. Out of everything we ordered, we all kind of came to the conclusion that their sushi was just alright. The fish wasn't super fresh and the textures were all weird. (Espcially with items that had tuna). The zaru udon was solid. I think for the same price as udon mugizo which is just right around the corner, the quality is a bit lacking. They barely gave any dipping tsuyu and they also gave less noodles. read more

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Japantown in San Francisco is unfortunately filled with overpriced restaurants, but that doesn't mean that every restaurant can be justified for the price. Kushi Tsuru has decent food and a very average run of the mill Japanese restaurant you'd expect to find in America (but not in Japantown) Pros: Very nice interior design and ambiance Good service Cons: Price is way too high for quality and volume of food Their dinner combo costs $30 and you can find similar or better quality elsewhere at around $20. They also offer oddly low volume of sauces and dips? read more

Kushi Tsuru - Tempura - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Tonkatsu bento- thin meat, warm salad with some pieces were wilted, I was mad. I even told the waitress, she didn't do anything. Spicy ramen looked good until I tasted the somen noodles, the texture is totally off. Anyways it's the wrong noodle type. Below average, did not meet my expectations. read more

We visited Kushi Tsuru while we were shopping at the Japantown mall. It's my boyfriend favorite childhood restaurant. The location is great with easy parking and an elevator. It also has clean public restrooms. I really enjoyed the music in the restaurant, which added a nice vibe to the experience. Peak mid-2010s music. The customer service was good. We ordered tempura udon and the spicy ramen. They gave us complimentary miso soup. It was a perfect warm-up to our meal. The tempura was tasty, but the udon noodles and broth were just okay. As for the ramen, the broth lacked flavor, and the noodles and egg were overcooked. We did enjoy the Charshu and corn. There was a lot of food, but considering the quality, I felt it was a bit on the expensive side. I'd probably come back if there wasn't a long line, and if other places had a long wait. It's not a place I'd return to otherwise. read more

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3.5 but I bumped it up for great smiling service. It goes a long way when I feel welcomed like a guest. Dinner has combo for 3 items 29.99. I got all the meat: chicken teriyaki (nicely seasoned not slathered with sauce), chicken katsu and tonkatsu (crunchy but not oily). You kind of can't tell which is which. The dipping sauce was good. Salad was not overly dressed. I got to take home for lunch tomorrow. Actually they do deserve 4 stars! Good atmosphere to talk, i actually get to visit and hear conversations. read more

Kushi Tsuru - 3 item dinner combo: chicken teriyaki, chicken katsu, tonkatsu with miso soup and salad. - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Perfect little sushi spot to hit after shopping for anime figures nearby. The fish was fresh, the presentation was beautiful, and everything tasted super clean and balanced. Cozy atmosphere and quick service made it an easy, satisfying stop before heading home. read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came during happy hour but just to have some spicy tuna roll, unagi lover roll, agedashi that fu, and curry chicken cutlet with rice. The curry was nicely spicy but needs more salt. Overall, very good food! In the restaurant area of Japan center, it's cozy warm and welcoming inside. Service is efficient and professional. read more

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The servers were amazing they were fast and very efficient this place always amazing. read more

Kushi Tsuru - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food was yummy, I had the soba noodles. Service was good, and I liked the ambiance. I had the noodles with tempura, it was alright I think the soba noodles were a little bit plain even with the dipping sauce read more

Kushi Tsuru - Soba noodles - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

No lines, no long waits. Price is reasonable. Service is really good. Food looks and tastes good as well. Will definitely recommend.