Mamanoko was the perfect stop for a few bites after drinks at Bar Darling. I was so excited to see…read morethey had a cocktail called Spirited Away - as a huge Studio Ghibli fan, I had to order it! The real standout was the uni flight. You don't see that on many menus, and with caviar and wasabi on top, made it so special! If you enjoy sea urchin, get this. We also ordered the tartare, which was fresh, flavorful and light. If you're looking for something a different, check out this spot!

I've been here three times now, and I keep coming back for one reason: the food is genuinely…read moreoutstanding. It's definitely on the expensive side, and the portions are on the smaller side, but every dish is incredibly creative, fresh, and packed with flavor. If you're looking for a place that feels clean and healthy without sacrificing taste, this is one of my favorites. I find myself craving it, especially for dinner. One thing that can be a little confusing is the hours. They often leave the door open, and because there's so much foot traffic, it's hard to tell whether they're actually open. I've definitely been the person peeking in to ask. They serve lunch on certain days, but they seem to be primarily a dinner spot. The biggest downside is the service. Unfortunately, it's been consistently underwhelming across all three visits, even with different servers. I've found the staff to be pretty dismissive, which makes me think it's more of the standard experience than just a one off. Because of that, I don't really dine in anymore. Instead, I usually order takeout and enjoy it outside. The food is absolutely worth it, even if the service isn't. If the quality of the food weren't this exceptional, I probably wouldn't have returned after my first visit. But it's honestly that good, and that's why I keep coming back.

Miso soup is so good and flavorful. Ambiance is calm and clean. Chick katsu was flavorful. Staff is…read morefriendly and attentive.

Great experience with my family. We went shopping in Japan town and this was a great way to end our…read moretrip. Food was delicious!

We came right when it opened and good thing we did because there was a long line forming outside…read more We ordered at the kiosk, but it did take us a while because we didn't know where a physical menu was. But I had a good idea of the menu because it was so popular online. We ordered the salmon truffle oil bento, and also the strawberry Matcha latte. The drink came out first and it was so delicious. I would say it's one of the best Matcha I've ever had. The Matcha was very creamy. It was a really good and strong flavor. You definitely need to mix the drink first before you taste it. It didn't say how long the bento would take, but they said it usually takes about 20 minutes for them to make the bento. But the bento came with one corn rib, some cherry tomatoes, bean, sprouts, wasabi salmon, rice, potato salad, some pickled cucumbers, and then your main protein. I must say it was a very good bento. It was quite expensive, but I do want to try their duck next time. There is no seating inside. It's more of a waiting room for you to get your order. I'm not sure where most people eat, but I took it down near the boardwalk so it's a great place to just order and bring your food to somewhere else.

Best. strawberry. matcha. in SF!!!…read more Tip: order it ahead on Uber Eats for faster pickup. Amazing- easily one of my fav. Only thing is the shop is too small but that isn't a problem since it's mainly bento boxes

Dining out during these inflationary times ain't easy, especially in San Francisco! Thankfully…read moreNippon Curry offers a hearty, tasty, and hot meal for under $20...WOW! Ambience is non-descript, soulless, artless, modern, and clean. Service was efficient and robotic, I think the AI-Robots at Google Gemini and Grok have more personality. All good... $17 Tonkatsu Curry...the plate was huge! A thick, wide, juicy, tender, pork cutlet with that signature Japanese crispy crunchy batter embracing each other like a romantic couple on their 3rd date. The lovely fragrant hot, rich, mild brown curry sauce covers it all. Underneath it all is generous mound of steaming hot white rice. +3 Steamed Vegetables...get your vitamins and fiber, and let your bowel movements flow smoothly like Willy Wonka's chocolate waterfalls. The fresh veggies blend in nicely with all that flavorful curry sauce.

Heard really great things about Nippon Curry but ended up feeling meh about it, especially since we…read moredrove here from San Jose. I think it's because I've had better in the South Bay. I do see that the curry is prepared different from other curry restaurants and the curry itself is actually very good. Rice to curry ratio is like 80% rice, 20% curry. CHICKEN KATSU CURRY (3.5/5) - chicken is super thin and I wish there was more. EBI FRY CURRY (4/5) - decent, crispy ebi. I actually enjoyed the panko breading and it went well with the curry. Overall, nice casual spot. I can see why it's popular with locals but I wouldn't go out of my way for this place especially with the likes of Curry Hyuga.

I came here for a lowkey birthday dinner with my girlfriend. We'd been walking along the…read morewaterfront, and it being an uncharacteristically nice day, we decided to grab some sushi. The spot down the block had a wait over an hour and was honestly just kinda loud. However, Wago was perfect. We had to wait about 5-10 minutes to get seated, which was of no concern given it was a Friday night. The service overall was very nice, and a man who seemed to be the owner was very sweet and attentive to everyone in the restaurant. As for the food, we split a sushi role and a bento box. Everything was delicious, and the role was a generous size. Overall, just a lovely evening. It's always a treat to eat somewhere where the owners and employees seem as happy to have you in the restaurant as you are to be there. Highly recommend as a lovely sushi spot in the marina. Unpretentious and delicious.

Wow, just found our favorite sushi spot in SF!…read more Creative and super delicious rolls that are beautiful to look at and a flavor explosions. High quality fresh fish, generous portions, and very reasonably priced. Great place for a date or nice dinner out -- cool, stylish ambiance, friendly attentive service, and fun atmosphere! Wish I could give more than 5 stars!

We came right when they opened, which was perfect since there was a long line after we ordered…read more They sell Matcha, onigiris, spam musibis, and also Japanese sandwiches. For food got the Yuzu salmon onigiri, and the miso crab onigiri. Both of these came to a total of $12 which I thought was pretty expensive but it did taste pretty good. They are quite small like the palm of my hand, but it's good for a quick bite. For drinks, we got the hojicha latte. It's very good and it taste really authentic. It's nutty and creamy and overall a great drink place. This place is not meant for people to study. There's no Wi-Fi and there's a lot of people coming and going so it can get pretty distracting. They do have seating, but it gets taken up pretty fast by the amount of people that come to the shop.

Tadaima is such a cute spot for Japanese sandos, snacks, and matcha drinks. We tried the pistachio…read morematcha latte, ebi shrimp katsu sando, chicken karaage sando, onigiri, and peach cream sando. The sandos were so delicious and easy to share. I especially liked that there were both savory and sweet options, so you can get a little bit of everything. The ebi shrimp katsu sando and chicken karaage sando were both satisfying, and the peach cream sando was a nice sweet treat to end with. The pistachio matcha latte was also a yummy drink! You can really taste the matcha and the pistachio cream is not too sweet.

the reviews about the food brought me to Sanraku, But what…read moremade me love eating there was the service. A+

According to what I wrote on Yelp, I had a decent meal at their sister restaurant in the Metreon…read morewell before it shuttered, like over a decade ago. My meal apparently wasn't memorable enough to motivate me to visit this location, that is, until quite recently. I decided to have lunch here after a nearby medical appointment. It wasn't crowded at all. Only a couple of solo diners and a loud senior couple. I wasn't in a sushi mood and thought I'd go healthy with the saba shioyaki. However, at the last minute, I went with the $19 Ika Yaki, a whole BBQ squid sliced and saturated in teriyaki sauce with a dab of shichimi mayo (Photo 8). The portion was generous and the texture was firm with enough elasticity. Unfortunately the teriyaki sauce did nothing to enhance the dish, and I wished they served it on the side. I also ordered the $8 Agedashi Tofu, usually a foolproof appetizer for me. It certainly looked right (Photo 9), but I was unpleasantly surprised how tongue-burning hot it was. The cubes of tofu must've just come right out of the deep fryer. The dashi broth helped calm the heat down but a little too late. I'm sure glad I sprung for the $3 bowl of Rice (Photo 10). That calmed what was left of my tongue down. FOOD - 3 stars...execution errors mar the dishes here AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...spacious enough since it was empty, sushi bar seating was available SERVICE - 3.5 stars...attentive enough TOTAL - 3 stars...not my favorite Japanese spot RELATED - Exploring the Tenderloin? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/hu44dWMabs

I came in for a late lunch early dinner. I ordered the special for $25. Mini ramen -creamy and the…read morepork with rice dish. Ramen and the broth, delicious and flavorful. The pork with rice was tasty and flavorful too! You are welcome as soon as you walk in. Service and order taking was immediate, I ordered Matcha tea and that along with water was delivered within 5 minutes of putting in my order. The pork with rice was also delicious and filling: it was cooked and seasoned with a bit of sweetness and had a bit of a kick with the ginger! Great place for lunch and dinner. Ambiance reminds me of being in a Japanese restaurant in Japan or Honolulu.

Got the spicy karaage bowl at Hinodeya in SF. Food was good and the place looks nice -- ambiance is…read moresolid. Most of the staff were friendly. Our server was the weak spot though. Service felt spotty compared to the tables around us. Not rude, just uneven. Would still go back for the food and the vibe. Just hoping for more consistent service next time.

Arrived at 5pm on Saturday with a reservation but there were plenty of seats available…read more We were here for their Happy Hour specials and ordered 20pc sashimi set ($29!) and two spicy rolls, all incredibly fresh and tasty! What a good deal! If you're in the Marina and jonzing for good sushi, come to Ace for some rock n roll vibe. Service was on point and I also recommend the house sake!

Would come back for their happy hour for a chill afternoon and light bites…read more Good amount of outdoor seating and friendly staff

Marufuku Ramen was an absolute breath of fresh air. I put my name down on their waitlist and spent…read morethe wait browsing the mall instead of standing outside in the heat, such a simple, thoughtful system that makes the whole experience smoother and more enjoyable. When my table was ready, I walked right in with zero stress. The staff were warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming from the moment I sat down. The food was amazing. The ramen was rich and flavorful, the toppings were perfect, and everything came out beautifully prepared. The space itself is well put together: clean, stylish, and comfortable, making it a genuinely nice establishment to relax and enjoy a meal. Marufuku gets every detail right, and it shows. Five stars all the way.

So the day starts wrapped in a soft, silvery fog, locally called Karl, that blankets San Francisco…read moreas the night cools. The air is damp, temperatures are hovering in the 50s, and Karl the Fog clings to the Golden Gate Bridge and waterfront, creating a misty, almost ethereal scene...And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a SIGN FOR RAMEN. Where else? Marufuku Ramen - San Francisco in Japantown for some authentic Hakata-style Tonkotsu ramen. Because when San Francisco decides to turn a summer evening into a refrigerated fog chamber, you don't argue with Mother Nature. You order soup. And not just any soup. RAMEN. We ordered the Hakata Tonkotsu DX, and from the moment that bowl arrived, I knew the evening was going to end well. The broth was rich, deeply simmered, creamy, savory, and incredibly comforting...the kind of broth that seems to have one job in life...Make you forget that you're cold. Mission accomplished. Then came the supporting cast...Seasoned Soft-Boiled Egg, perfectly tender and adding another layer of richness. Green Onions bringing freshness and a little aromatic bite. Kikurage Mushrooms adding that wonderful chewy, slightly crunchy texture. Bean Sprouts providing a crisp counterpoint to all that luxurious broth. And then...Buta Kakuni aka braised thick pork belly. Now we're talking. Tender, succulent, deeply flavored pork belly that practically surrendered to the chopsticks. Rich without being overwhelming, it added that slow-braised goodness that makes you suddenly question why all pork belly isn't served this way. Then came corn for little bursts of sweetness and nori seaweed for that subtle oceanic umami. Everything had a purpose. Everything had a place. And everything somehow ended up in my belly. This wasn't simply ramen...this was soul-soothing culinary therapy. The kind of meal that melts away the evening San Francisco chill one slurp at a time. But apparently ramen wasn't enough...because we also ordered the Chicken Karaage. And OH BOY... That golden-brown, ultra-crispy exterior gives way to tender, juicy, deeply flavored chicken inside, creating that beautiful combination of crunch and tenderness that is both satisfying and dangerously addictive. One piece becomes another. Then another and suddenly you're negotiating with yourself. "I should probably save some for later", however, your hand reaches for another piece. Apparently, self-control was not invited to dinner. The combination was perfect. Hot ramen. Crispy chicken. Rich broth. Tender pork belly. Crunchy vegetables. And Karl the Fog doing his best impression of a giant refrigerator outside. This is where I started thinking about Japanese minimalism. It reflects ideas of discipline, respect, mindfulness, simplicity, and harmony, with a deep connection to nature and tradition. Marufuku Ramen hits on all points. The ingredients are thoughtfully composed. The textures have purpose. The flavors are balanced. Nothing feels unnecessary. Nothing feels like it's trying too hard. It's simply a beautiful bowl of ramen and some seriously good karaage doing exactly what they were meant to do. And perhaps that's the beauty of it. In a city where everything seems to move at 100 miles an hour, you sit down with a bowl of ramen, pick up your chopsticks, take that first sip of broth... And for a few minutes...You slow down. Karl can wait. The Golden Gate Bridge can wait. The rest of San Francisco can wait. Dinner comes first. Overall: 5 stars. The Hakata Tonkotsu DX was rich, savory, comforting, and loaded with wonderful textures. The Buta Kakuni was tender and deeply satisfying, while the seasoned egg, kikurage mushrooms, bean sprouts, green onions, corn, and nori created a beautifully balanced bowl. And the Chicken Karaage? Crispy. Juicy. Flavorful. Basically...fried chicken therapy with a Japanese passport. Come hungry...and Go Big!!!