We got a reservation on a Saturday night at dinnertime and were really glad to visit Noren during out trip to SF. They have a simple menu that has a selection of small bites, yakitori, and other dishes to enjoy and you basically circle the ones you want and hand it back. Service was fairly quick and attentive, friendly, and helpful with figuring out the ordering. We enjoyed each item, especially the short rib and chicken thighs. ----TL;DR---- Pros: easy to get to location-wise, fast and friendly staff, good selection on menu, fresh and flavorful meats Cons: none Bottom Lind: if you are craving Japanese pub food like Yakitori, come here, it was great. We'd like to go back again read more

Noren Izakaya - Yakitori - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I cane with my wife for a high protein dinner. We came at 4 and there was no wait. The inside feels a bit like a bar. The center literally was a bar and I could tell it was meant as a nighttime eatery. Their menu is composed pretty much of some izakaya type items and yakitori. I ordered only yakitori. The skewers were a bit pricey- 5-9$ each. But the quality was really good. Chicken heart and thigh were ultra juicy. Beef tongue was so soft and tender. Meat ball was ultra soft. Loved everything- no misses. Really surprised me. I highly recommend folks stop by for the skewers. Other than price I have no gripes at all! Just be prepared for the wait- with an empty restauraunt I waited 30 minutes. read more

Let me get this out of the way first: the food is actually ok. It's the service and price that's so frustrating. The staff were passive and didn't seem to care when they were servicing the different tables. Especially in the beginning of our night, they took their time and didn't check in with us but instead took a shot with what looked like a friend. I used to work in food service and was shocked how unaware they were. It's not an authentic Japanese place at all and the prices are steep. To top it off, 18% tip is included in the tip and they'll ask if you want to tip more. This is probably why the service is sub-par because they know they'll get 18% anyways. read more

I'm sad to leave a bad review, especially since I've been excited to try this place but honestly was disappointed by this experience. The food is decent but pretty overpriced. The portion sizes are small too so you won't be full unless you order a ton Warning: they will automatically charge you a "Dine In Service Charge" of 18%. On the receipt, it still asks you for a tip as if there wasn't a service charge already. To me that feels a bit shady/dishonest when it should call out "Additional Tip". Wish I knew and had more transparency before tipping extra on top of it If you do go, I liked their Yuzu Soda, Chicken Oyster, Hiyashi Wakame best. I didnt like their Trumpet mushroom - was a bit too soggy/wet (get the Shiitake instead). read more

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Had passed by this spot so many times but finally got a chance to dine here. It was pretty quiet on Friday night when I went, and the vibes were peaceful with some nice mood lighting / decor. We got a few small dishes to share, including skewers (which were juicy, especially the chicken oyster pieces) and fried chicken (which was a little too heavily breaded / dry) and agedashi tofu (silky with a nice crisp on outside). Service was a bit slow given there was barely anyone there, but is a solid choice if you're in the area and want to come with a date or enjoy the vibes of a chill izakaya spot. read more

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Chicken Heart: good nit gamey. Lovely chewiness. Chicken Gizzard: definitely a tough section of the bird. A touch gamey. Trumpet Mushroom: easy to enjoy and buttery. Berkshire Pork Belly: great! And a perfect fail safe. Suntory Draft: classic Can eat again but it's pricey. This is small eats treat territory. read more

Noren Izakaya - Pork belly, gizzard, heart, trumpet - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Neren Izakaya was a cute little Japanese style izakaya located in North Beach that my bf and I decided to check out after attending the Yelp torreni flavored syrup event. The izakaya is on the smaller side inside but is very cozy and dimly lit with tons of dark wood tones. The servers are very friendly and nice and were also able to accommodate my sesame allergy and let me know which skewers and sauces to avoid. We decided to get the beef tongue, the wagu beef, the pork and the shiitake mushroom. All of the skewers were absolutely delicious and buttery but definitely are on the pricy side. My bf and I paid roughy $55 per person for the skewers and still left feeling a bit hungry afterwards so definitely keep that in mind if you are coming are expecting large portions that this is more of tapas style small platters. That being said it is definitely worth checking out and the quality is great! read more

Noren Izakaya - Beef, shitake and pork skewers - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came on a Saturday night after 9:30 p.m. with a friend and there were two seats available at the bar so we sat there to interact with the bartender. My friend is a regular and I had heard a lot of good things about this place so I decided to join him after attending an event at Burlingame. Since he knows the menu well, I let him do the ordering. We started off with a beer to celebrate a good Saturday. We ordered the garlic edamame, which was tasty. It had a good balance of garlic and soy sauce flavors and wasn't overly salty. Next, we had the fried oysters, which were delicious. They were crispy, flaky, and creamy. We also ordered an assortment of skewers to share since I had already eaten dinner. The staff were super friendly. Kristy was very generous and treated us to some sake. The place was welcoming and clean. If I remember correctly, there are about 7-8 seats at the bar, along with several tables. A party of 6-8 came in after us and the restaurant was able to accommodate them. Because of that, I think it's a good option for larger groups who want to sit together rather than be split between multiple tables. As a female, I take bathrooms seriously and I can say that their bathroom passed my inspection. Parking can be a challenge since the restaurant is located in a residential area but if you drive around the block, you should be able to find a space. I was lucky enough to find parking right in front of the restaurant. I will definitely come back if I'm in the area to try other items on the menu. read more

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My gf and I came here to try it out since we had seen it promoted online and were curious to see what the buzz was about. We came here early in the evening with a reservation, so we were able to be seated right away without any wait. The interior is nicely decorated while also minimalistic, with a good amount of seating inside. For the food we decided to order their skewers, since that was what they were known for. We tried out the beef short rib, the pork belly, and the trumpet mushroom, as well as the crispy chicken skin. The flavors of the skewers were nice and I liked the crispiness of the chicken skin, although I do think the food is pricy for the amount you get. Overall, if you're looking for nice Japanese Izakaya fare then this place is pretty solid. read more

Noren Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

2 years later, and this place is still my favorite skewer place in the city! You cannot beat the charcoal flavor. I've been to tons of places & I still love this place the most. It gets busy, so service can be slow at times, but overall it's pretty fast. Staff is friendly, and the vibes are cute with lanterns, and old sake labels on the walls. My favorite lately has been the ceviche, bacon wrapped scallop skewers, curry stew over rice, and the wagyu skewers. read more

Noren Izakaya - Ready for our machakorada! - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great place and atmosphere! Had a large variety of skewer options as well as appetizers. Relaxed vibe that reminds me of the yakitori/ izakaya places in Japan. Staff is friendly and was very patient with our large party that just dropped in unannounced. Wish I had taken pictures but we're having such a good time, I completely forgot to! I'll def come back when I'm in the area read more

I've been to Noren a few times for drinks after dinner, but it was my first time trying the skewers. Superb! I had a reservation for Saturday evening, but the store was empty and we were seated right away. Interior has quite a few tables, bar seating, bathroom in the back, and has vibes on the darker intimate side. Staff was friendly and gave us recommendations and introduced the various skewers we got when they arrived. Ordering is done by drawing/circling on the paper menus you're given. We got a wagyu gyutan curry which was delicious and rich, though on the smaller side. The mapo tofu udon was just alright, with it just vaguely being spicy and I would likely choose a different side dish when I'm back as so many other things on the menu are good. The real stars of the dinner were the skewers which were all fantastically prepared and flavorful. The bacon mochi was really great in particular, with the crispy bacon and soft mochi contrasting each other while having a sweet savory kick to it. My dining partner got the Nihon Mikerada, which she mentioned was great for the first 75% as it went well with the skewers, but quickly turned undrinkable for the last 25% as all the salt had settled at the bottom. Noren is one of the better locations in SF for Japanese style skewers. I'll definitely be back for more skewers and drinks. read more

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A great place for Japanese skewers any day of the week! Ended up getting my food to-go but I noticed the nice sit down seating along with a bar area. While their menu choice is quite wide, I opted to try solely their skewers. Berkshire Pork Belly: I appreciate how the pork was not too fatty and was well-cut and had the perfect thickness. Chicken Gizzard: chewy and delicious Chicken Heart: slightly less flavor than I had hoped for Beef Short Rib: this was the most refreshing and distinct out of all the skewers I tried. I loved the juiciness of the short rib! Scallop: salty but a strong delicious scallop taste Chicken Tail: flavorful and a good start to all my skewers Excited to try their other dishes in the future, and hopefully some of them will be on the less salty side! read more

Noren Izakaya - Top to Bottom: Berkshire Pork Belly skewer, Chicken Heart skewer, Chicken Tail skewer, Beef Short Rib skewer - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here for late night happy hour with a group of friends on a Friday, we made a reservation and got seated right away! We probably could've gone without a reservation too, there were a few tables empty. Late night happy hour on Fri and sat are from 10-11pm. Great stop for your night out, if you're craving skewer and small tapas. We ordered a variety of skewers and tried a few cocktails as well! They were all delicious but our favorite skewers were the Wagyu, scallop and mushrooms. The Wagyu was super soft and tender and seasoned well. The scallops were so sweet and juicy! And the mushrooms were seasoned well and had a nice charred flavor. The cocktails are pretty and well priced during and not during happy hour, they weren't as strong for me though. 10/10 would recommend coming here with a group of friends to try more things. read more

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Came here to catch up with a friend and it was so good. It's basically a bunch of skewers and small plates. The second you step inside, you don't even feel like you're in San Francisco anymore. The place was packed the entire night, which isn't surprising. It's right in the North Beach area and super close to a ton of other bars and restaurants, so it's perfect for a night out or hopping around the city. Definitely a spot I'd come back to. read more

Noren Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

On a Saturday night, we got there right before it got packed (around 6:45-7:00P). Corner neighborhood Japanese in North Beach SF. We ordered a bunch of items, but our favorite was the pork belly skewers! Soooo flavorful and succulent! We ordered a 2nd order! I also did love the crunchy chicken skin! Also ordered Agadashi (fried tofu), waygu & meatball, beef short rib, mushroom. Service is pretty fast and friendly enough. Would come back! read more

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This is a great spot for a small meal or a big one! The skewers are all delicious but my personal favorite was either the Wagyu or the pork belly. The shishito peppers and the tomatoes were also great! I love the flexibility of the menu and will be back to try the things I didn't get to this time around. read more

Noren Izakaya - Menu - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

My second time back and I'm still happy to recommend a trip here. Heat wave in the city means happy hour for a cold drink and skewers at Noreen Izakaya. $9 drink specials and $3-6 skewers were a good deal. Meat was tender and has the beautiful flavor I expect. Service was polite. Not busy on a Thursday at 1730. read more

I had a really bad experience here. First we made reservations for 7pm and the hostess ignored up for 20 minutes and was very rude whenever we tried to get her attention. When we were seated we weren't attended to for another 20 minutes. I will say they they comped a noodle dish to apologize but ultimately, the food wasn't impressive. It took a long time for the final dish to come out and again, the wait staff wasn't attentive. I understand being full and busy but I literally saw the waitress jumping and dancing at another table. Several people in line behind us ended up leaving even though there were open tables. Thats how long they took to seat everyone. It makes no sense. Also the bathroom was really disgusting. read more

Everybody have a great time, the food and the cocktails was awesome, Great sake selection, we all loved to the binchotan grill skewer ! read more

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Had a nice dinner here before catching a show at Cobb's. We had a reservation and were seated right away. After they explained the order process we started with some drinks and selected our skewers. We went with the pork belly, the short rib, the chicken oysters, the eel, the fried chicken and also ordered a seaweed salad and the chicken dumplings. We really liked the chicken dumplings which comes in form of a pancake. The seaweed salad was good as well. The skewers were delicious, our favorite was the pork belly. Just the right amount of fat and just delicious. We ordered another one of those. Also enjoyed the chicken oysters. The unagi was good, short rib was only ok. The fried chicken was somehow a bit too spicy and I didn't enjoy it that much. I liked the overall vibe of the restaurant and the small privacy dividers they have between some of the tables. Staff were friendly and attentive. Would definitely come back. read more

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Everything is so good! Service was excellent. We love the ambiance! we will surely come back here. read more

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Truly delicious experience at Noren! Service was quick (order on a piece of paper and the waitstaff bring out the skewers per order), and it definitely reminded me of a Japanese izakaya style vibe (dim, moody lighting). Although some of the dishes were on the saltier side, the overall char and flavor on the skewers was perfect. My personal favorite was the scallops. Super succulent and juicy, with the perfect grilled flavor. I would skip out on the curry if I come back, and would just opt for more skewers. That being said, I got full quicker than it thought I would and I would love to come back for some more skewers in the future! read more

Noren Izakaya - Cocktails - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

My go to spot when I'm craving Japanese skewers in SF. Decided to walk in as a party of two while in the area. Had a dinner reservation elsewhere but was craving a pre-dinner drink and a little appetizer. Warmly greeted by hostess upon entry and opted for a seat at the bar since it was going to be a quick drop in. One of my go to drinks is the gureihaundo with shiro, shochu, dry sake, fresh grapefruit, and yuzu soda. It's refreshing and tart and a nice contrast to the savory meats. Opted for an agedashi tofu, which consists of fried tofu with bonito flakes. Really solid and one of the better I've had in the city. read more

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Dangerous environment and passive staff/owner. It's definitely been a long time coming to finally post this review I've had written for years. My partner and I came here in 2023 where we had amazing service at the time. Food was great, juicy, worth the high price point since it was a special occasion. The service was outstanding with our older female server (the owner) even lighting a candle for my partner's birthday dessert she brought out. She asked us how we heard about the place and we said TikTok. It seems like the fame caught up to her with how our next visit unfolded. A little over a year later, we booked a reservation for our anniversary dinner. We understand the establishment is small but we were made to wait in a cramped line next to the bar for almost an hour for a table to open up. The long wait would have been fine if it wasn't for the drunk man at the bar who continuously harassed me as we were forced to wait for a table to open up. It started around 15-20 minutes into our wait. The owner, same older woman from the last time we came in, apologized for the wait about 30 minutes in after seeing how uncomfortable our interaction was getting. When I and my partner directed her to the man that was making me uneasy with his commentary as well as coming very close/touching me, she told me he was a regular and to not mind him. We wanted a nice anniversary dinner and instead the owner handled the situation poorly. We had reserved a spot plenty of time in advance, were made to wait an hour, and were told to basically suck it up when we felt uncomfortable with how the environment presented itself. For the rest of the time, we did our best to ignore him with my partner having to act as a physical barrier between me and him. Again, another apology for the wait, and we were seated that long while later. I started to cry from how stressful the situation was to which one of the servers brought me a complimentary dessert with no explanation. No apology from the owner. The man still at the bar, gawking at us. We paid our tab and left early. Since this experience, we haven't been back at all. It's truly a shame that a business we admired in its hospitality, professionalism, and service became memorable for all the wrong reasons. Their definition of a "regular" is up to their discretion. If you aren't considered such, you won't be treated as equal. Please be cautious coming to this establishment with terrifying customers in supposedly high attendance and service workers irresponsible with how they handle these situations. They clearly don't care about the wellbeing of all their customers when it is in comparison to whoever is making them the most money. To them, it does not matter if they're adding hostility and distress to the environment. Attached is our receipt from 2023 with our then server and future neglectful owner, Kristy Le. Again, would never come back here. read more

Noren Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

Solid izakaya spot with an intimate and cozy vibe in North Beach, but staffing and service is hit or miss. There is also an automatic 18% gratuity for all parties without being disclosed, hence the 3 stars. Overall, all of the dishes were very tasty and high quality, especially the short rib skewers and truffle hamachi. read more

Noren Izakaya - Truffle hamachi, Spicy Cracker, variety of skewers - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

Servers were all really nice and the food was also all really good. They decorated the place well with izakaya themed lanterns and posters, and even a street fighter game! My only complaint is that they were a bit overpriced and they included in a 'Dine-In Fee'. The 'Dine-In Fee (18%)' was mixed in the receipt with the food items, and there was a tip field at the bottom separately. It was just me and my husband so it's not like we had a big party... If I did not look closely, I would have given a 20-25% tip on top of the 18%. Just seemed a bit shady to do that and not let the customer know. read more

Noren Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

Stopped here for a flight of sake & their Japanese Roasted Rice Green Tea. We got the unique flight that was $20 for 4 sake & the green tea was super earthy. Ambiance is very intimate & decorative. Service was great! Will definitely have to be back for the food. read more

Noren Izakaya - Unique sake flight - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is my go to izakaya spot in the city! All the meat is cooked so well and it's fun to try a little bit of everything! I was also very impressed by their mushrooms. Definitely a great place for date night or even large parties! read more

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Really good. All the meats were juicy and flavorful. My fave was the wagyu and the meatball. Dipping in the yolk took me by surprise--so goood. Filet also good and chicken breast came with other veggies. There wasn't a single thing I didn't like. Food came out fast even though it was busy. Felt satisfied but not full. High quality, not a lot of quantity for the price which makes sense :) Left smelling like smoke lol so girlies, go on wash day. read more

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the food is really good, the drinks are really good friday happy hour is very fun recommend getting shishito peppers! read more

Came here for their happy hour. Sunday through Friday 5-7pm, then 10-11pm. Great selection and no wait on a Thursday evening. read more

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Our family had an enjoyable dinner at Noren Izakaya in Russian Hill / North Beach. My sister found this place on Yelp. The reviews were generally spot-on. The food was pretty solid and service was great. I also loved the vibe. We parked for free nearby on Powell Street, next to Washington Square (yes, we found a space on that tiny strip). There was almost no wait for our party of five on an ordinary Sunday around 6:20pm. We didn't have a reservation. However, I recommend making one. You can book reservations for Noren Izayaka via Yelp. We got lucky and arrived as soon as a similarly-sized group was leaving. We just had to wait for their table to be cleaned and set up for us. The restaurant and bar were moderately busy during our visit. Noren Izakaya has a more limited menu than I'm used to when it comes to izakayas. For example, they don't serve any sushi or ramen. Here, the emphasis is on skewers and small plates. The menus we received had 20 different kinds of skewers ($2.50-9.50 each), like Berkshire Pork Belly and Kurobuta Sausage (pork), and a dozen small plates ($3.00-12.00 each), like Kani Sunomono (red crab cucumber salad with ponzu jelly) and Crispy Chicken Skin. Here's what we got: Yakitori (Japanese chicken skewers) * Thigh x2 ($4.75 each) * Meatball x2 ($6.25 each) - served with Jidori egg dipping sauce Vegetables * Cherry Tomato ($3.00) Meat & Seafood * Beef Short Rib x2 ($4.75) * Wagyu x2 ($9.50) - with wasabi * Bacon Scallop x2 ($6.50) * Bacon Mochi x2 ($5.00 each) Small Plates * Miso Soup x2 ($3.00 each) * Edamame ($5.00) * Agedashi Tofu x2 ($8.00 each) - fried tofu with bonito flakes * Tori Karaage ($10.00) - "old school style" fried chicken with tartar sauce * Gyutan Curry x2 ($12.00) - slow-cooked beef tongue with daikon in curry (available on weekends only) * Yaki Onigiri ($4.50) - grilled seasoned rice ball with tare sauce In general, everything was tasty. There wasn't a single thing we were disappointed with. The skewers tasted hot and fresh off the grill. Since the individual portions are small, you have to order several dishes per person to get full; part of the nature of kushiyaki (Japanese skewers). According to the menu, Noren Izakaya grills their kushiyaki over bincho-tan, which is traditional Japanese white charcoal. Also as the menu points out, you should season your skewers with shichi-mi togarashi (Japanese seven-flavor chili pepper spice mix) and sansho (Japanese pepper similar to Sichuan pepper). Small bottles of both are available at every table. My favorites and recommendations are the Chicken Meatball, Beef Short Rib, Bacon Scallop, and Bacon Mochi skewers and the Tori Karaage, Gyutan Curry, and Yaki Onigiri small plates. The Chicken Thigh skewers and Agedashi Tofu are good too. I think the Chicken Meatball skewers are one of Noren Izakaya's signature items. Not only are the meatballs plump and flavorful with wonderful texture, but they're served with a Jidori egg dipping sauce. Jidori eggs are eggs from Japanese free-range chickens that are fed a vegetarian diet. Noren Izakaya serves the eggs with yolks intact. You beat and mix the egg(s) into a sauce yourself. The yolks we received were bold yellow-orange in color and tasted delectably rich. The meatballs had an appetizing char on the outside too. The Beef Short Rib and Bacon Scallop skewers were terrific. The Bacon Mochi skewers were interesting, in a good way. I wasn't sure bacon and mochi would work together, but they did in a more savory, less sweet way than I was expecting. If you're familiar with tteokbokki (Korean rice cakes), this reminded me of bacon-wrapped tteokbokki, except the rice cake here was a lot softer and suppler. While the Wagyu skewers were fine, the other skewers were better, especially for the price. The Wagyu was tougher than I expected. The wasabi they served with it was "real" wasabi, not the paste that's typically served with sushi. It's hard to go wrong with the Tori Karaage. It's an ideal app to share. We liked the Gyutan Curry so much, we ordered a second bowl. It's a hearty, filling curry with high-quality ingredients. The beef tongue was tender and succulent. The Yaki Onigiri really hit the spot for me. The rice ball was nicely grilled and seasoned. Noren Izakaya serves their onigiri unwrapped, which makes for a unique presentation. It was served with a few small yummy pieces of tsukemono (pickles) on the side. Service was fantastic. Our server was friendly and on top of everything. My niece accidentally spilled some miso soup. A young worker was quick to come and help us clean it up. The restroom was clean. I really dig the restaurant's "retro Kyoto" atmosphere. It's an izakaya with a hip ambiance. At the bar, they were playing interesting adult (but not explicit) anime. On the speakers, they were playing city pop -- Japanese pop music from the 70s/80s. I love city pop so I approve. Noren Izakaya opened in March 2019. It replaced Sushi Hunter. read more

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Came here with my dad on a Sunday evening around 6pm and it wasn't too busy. It's located in North Beach so it's a super cute area. We ordered a few meat skewers. The beef was the best and chicken I found a little on the dryer side. The pork belly was delicious though! The rice balls could have been a little more flavorful and tasted rather plain. Overall, the food was decent but nothing spectacular. The service was good though and they were all very kind. A good experience and seemed like a nice place for drinks with friends as well! read more

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Had this place bookmarked and finally had a chance to try it! We came at around 5:30 on a Sunday because we saw on Yelp that they did HH from 5-6, but when we got there they said it's only Monday - Saturday so that was a bit of a bummer but we still had a great time! We opted to sit at the bar and all the workers and the owner were incredibly nice and engaging throughout our entire meal. We ended up getting a bunch of drinks and skewers :) I started off with the sake flight and they were all so good! (We ended up getting a bottle of the junmai daiginjo) for food, we ordered the spicy cracker, Tori karaage, gyoza, tail skewer, gizzard, meatball, short rib, tongue, scallop, wagyu and pork belly. Everything was really tasty but our favorite was definitely the tongue and the wagyu! As with most izakaya places, we ended up spending a pretty penny, but I would definitely come back especially to try their happy hour! read more

Noren Izakaya - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We came here as a group of 7 to celebrate a birthday. As such, we got to order basically everything from the menu. Service was friendly and attentive. We even got to drink with the owner who is super cool. I liked pretty much every dish we had but really loved the following: - gizzard: perfectly cooked with middle portion removed - meatballs: juicy, tasty and likely the best meatballs I've had. Yes...even compared to the Wagyu meatballs from other steakhouses. It's THAT good...With the yolk sauce. I also had what is now my favorite cocktail made of yuzu goodness. This is a fun spot with good drinks and great food. Will definitely be back! read more

Noren Izakaya - Meatball - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

Noren is a hidden gem in North Beach and a must-try for those seeking affordable yet high quality izakaya. The restaurant has a cozy/chill atmosphere perfect for small to medium parties. Not a single item we ordered disappointed. All the meats were tender and dishes were well seasoned. We didn't expect much from the bacon mochi skewer but found ourselves mind blown by the flavors and textures. Another dark horse was the yaki onigiri, a grilled onigiri drizzled with a sweet soy glaze. We had an enjoyable first experience at Noren and see ourselves coming back time and time again with friends and family. I can't wait for my next visit! read more

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Was very excited to come here to celebrate a birthday dinner - and was almost most excited to experience happy hour - but the waitress said they no longer do happy hour on Sundays. (So if you're looking at the same menu picture I looked at from a month ago, it's wrong!) Nonetheless we came right when they opened, and it took a while for us to get approached to order. I could also see how it could become lively at night - the privacy curtains, although not needed when we were there, were the perfect touch! Our favorite were the bacon mochi***(a must), the scallops, chicken thigh, and trumpet mushrooms! Other than that, they tasted basic and some were under cooked. Overall, we felt a little disappointed. From a social media standpoint and reviews in the past, we were expecting a different experience but they fell short that day. Tip is included with the bill! read more

Noren Izakaya - Chicken Thigh, Chicken Breast, Bacon Mochi - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

So pleasantly surprised and happy about the find in north beach neighborhood. Cute place and it was easy enough to get reservations on Friday night. They do have a Yelp waitlist too if you're not a planner. Skewers were all great especially the short rib and wagyu. The chicken thigh was the most disappointing and needed more seasoning. The onigiri was a stunner and a definite again next time. Don't skip on the chicken karaage as it was nicely seasoned and perfectly fried. The dessert was yuzu or matcha tiramisu. Unfortunately that was a skip for next time at $9 and mostly just cream. Price was reasonable. Service was warm. Location is great for going out afterwards too. read more

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Food is fantastic! Try as many skewers as possible, but you have to order the meatballs, pork belly and the bean sprout dish. Every item is extremely flavorful and perfectly cooked! Space is on the smaller side so come in smaller groups! Service is great and the food comes out very quickly! read more

Noren Izakaya - Meatball - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California