INCREDIBLE! My boyfriend and I went for their "Summer Love Part II" menu in July and everything was…read moreperfect. Chef EJ and his crew gave the best service and the ambiance was very cozy and relaxed. Reservations are really hard to get as there are only about 8 seats; but for a good reason! It's such an intimate experience watching them do their magic all while being very attentive to their guests. Every dish was filling and was packed with so much flavor. Definitely a must try experience!! Will definitely come here again at our next visit to SF!

Have you ever experienced something that while it was happening, you already wish it could be for…read morethe first time again? Filipino-Japanese fusion has been a tried and true combination, including my boyfriend and I's relationship (ba dum tss). However, Ox and Tiger have MASTERED the fusion aspect. Ox and Tiger is an intimate dining experience, with 8 seats, and gorgeous plating, menu, and cute chopstick rests! Comes with 3 courses with an additional 4th add-on. They also have a drinking menu, and they noted that the menu changes every 2 months (every even month!) EJ is such a wonderful story teller, and Hitomi (who created the menu for the month of May) had a great twist on everyday classics in Japanese cuisine. As the dishes were prepared and presented, EJ would tell the backstory on the dish(es), a personal note about each, and Hitomi's take on it to sweeten the deal. As soon as the experience starts, EJ tells us that the doors will be locked to prevent any distractions from outside (aka if you're late, you're outta luck), but we were encouraged to go outside for air if necessary. (I tried taking these notes on the food while EJ was talking about each dish so bear with me). ESL lunch The backstory was that Hitomi loved caesar salad while going to school in America, so she created a "perfect bite" with a Japanese twist to it. The word "gomoku" literally translates to "5 ingredients," to which I was only able to remember 2 of 5 of the vegetables, which were snappeas and roasted beets, with quinoa and tinapa (smoked fish). The fish that was used wae a cured Spanish makerel. T.A.M.M.Y I wish I remembered the words for this, but this is actually Hitomi's English name when she moved to the states. The acronym aspect was for the class at the time to think of ways to learn to like their name (each letter was a positive attribute and I can't remember what EJ said). The backstory to this was that Hitomi, being born and raised in Japan, was actually the biggest fan of California roll - did not like traditional sushi (or raw fish for that matter). - T.A.M.M.Y. is Hitomi's take on that. This was monk fish, with the fish scraps dipped into dashi sauce and kyuri (Japanese cucumber). In other words, no part of the fish was wasted in the making of this dish (in true Japanese AND Filipino fashion). This also had pinipig (granola-like topping glazed in shoyu) [Shoyu = soy sauce] Omiotsuke Now this is where I was blown away. First of all, I did not know what the hell this word was in English, but I watched every part of this dish being prepared and was even more confused when it was presented as dessert. When EJ started explaining, it made all the sense in the world. There is a tofu skin roll, vanilla ice cream, a mushroom topping, cherry miso compote concoction (this is where I butchered the exact creation - this is where the flavor was distracting me from what it actually was). Did you notice the ingredients? What is one thing one will eat at any Japanese restaurant, almost as a courtesy/complimentary item? Omiotsuke is, as polite as one could possibly say, is miso soup. This is Hitomi's take on miso soup, the flavor was spot on. I never thought to pair dashi-like flavors with ice cream (there is already shoyu with vanilla ice cream, but this was a flavor sensation). EJ was so kind when my boyfriend and I admitted we came for an anniversary, and we even got to see his reaction when we said we were also Japanese/Filipino (I'm also an Ox, but no Tigers here). They took this lovely photo of us to commemorate the evening, which sits on our fridge to this day. Again, gochiso-salamat :) to EJ and staff! We hope to come back soon.

I usually don't repeat restaurants that soon, but I had Do Re Mi three times in one week!…read more Do Re Mi was inspired by the three kids of the sweet owners, Judy and Ivan. I first visited their Mission location and ordered the sushi bake + chicken rice. The sushi bake was flavorful. Then I happened to be back in the area midweek, so I returned for the beef rice dish and a few onigiris. During the Chinatown Night Market, I stopped by their Chinatown location, which just opened this month Safe to say this spot will be added to my regular rotation.

Very cute little snack shop off of Valencia! They mainly have onigiri, rice bowls, snacks & teas…read more You order at the kiosk & then your food is freshly made. I just grabbed a tuna onigiri and I asked for spicy mayo. It was ready momentarily & it was warm & contained a generous portion of tuna. Such a yummy snack! They have indoor seating and a few pastel chairs outside. Reasonable prices, fast service & kind people - a great combo! Arigato!

What a gem amongst all the restaurants in Japan Town! It's in the outside center near the…read morestationary store Paper Tree for reference. Been here a couple of times already and the service never failed. Even came here during the Cherry Blossom Festival and the staff were still friendly / accommodating. They even put a spicy sauce on the side of one of the katsu plates when we mentioned that my dad couldn't handle all that haha. This cozy spot mainly focuses on katsu plates, but I like how they had off menu or specials to choose from if you'd like another option. I will say though them katsu plates were just chef's kiss. The meat is pounded thin enough where it's still juicy and tender, but doesn't affect the exterior from being crunchy and a bit flaky. Nothing was dry here yallll! I also like how it already comes with miso soup and salad. Huge fan of that Hamachi Truffle special though. Think of a citrusy flavor from the ponzu, fresh fish, a bit of micro greens, and a thin slice of jalapeño that just ~works~ on a cute wooden spoon that you want to steal I could honestly eat like 5 spoons of this. I'd skip on the calamari as it was kind of skimpy to share with a large group. Only note was that their fried katsu curry was a bit underwhelming with having more slices of carrots than potato! Would love to come back if I am ever in the area.

Ganji is a solid spot for katsu in Japantown! The service was excellent--the staff were friendly,…read moreattentive, and quick to take our orders, which made for a great dining experience. The miso soup was a delicious way to start the meal, and when my katsu arrived, it looked amazing. The meat was hot, tender, and the portion was huge, so I definitely left full. My only suggestion is to ask for the curry on the side if you like your katsu extra crispy. I had the curry poured over it, and the breading got soggy pretty quickly. The only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five is the price. My dish was around $30, which felt a little expensive, although I can understand it given the quality of the meat and generous portions. Overall, it's a great place if you're craving katsu, and I'd definitely come back--just with the curry on the side next time!

I'm truly heartbroken to hear that this restaurant has closed and even more so that I didn't get a…read morechance to visit one last time in it's last days. I've dined here more than a handful of times and every visit was memorable. Sung and his team consistently delivered exceptional food, every dish was solid and clearly made with pride. You could taste the quality and it was consistent every single time. Beyond the food, what always stood out was the hospitality. Sung genuinely made an effort to connect with his guests, remembering faces, checking in at the table and ensuring everyone felt welcomed and valued. He made sure you had a good experience and you could tell he cared. One thing I've learned on my food journey is this: follow the chef. When you find someone who pours heart into their craft, you support them wherever they go next! Looking forward to whatever Sung does next. I already know it's for sure going to be just as good!

Kothai has been one of the Inner Sunset's most delicious and innovative spots for the past few…read moreyears, so it's truly bittersweet to be writing this farewell review as they head into their last day of service. Even before this most recent visit, I'd enjoyed intimate dinners here for its creative, Korean-Thai-inspired menu that always packed an impressive punch of flavor but, dare I say, the brunch might be even better. The steak sandwich was absolutely phenomenal, with the steak seasoned and cooked to perfection and pairing beautifully with the charred onion aioli, plus a side of expertly crisped smashed potatoes that were so addicting. The steamed mussels were sumptuous and packed with umami, and I loved the two large bricks of toasted sourdough focaccia that were perfect for sopping up every last bit of the delicious dashi broth. But the pièce de résistance was the custard French toast, which I can only describe as the love child of bread pudding and tres leches cake as it was crispy on the outside but uber moist on the inside, custardy, and simply divine. Kothai will be deeply missed in the neighborhood, but I'm excited to see what's next for chef/owner Sung Park and will be first in line for whatever future project comes next.

4.0 stars for breakfast--see dinner review below (5.0 stars)There are sooo many good brunch spots…read morein SF. In my opinion Lapisara ranks in the middle due to the other excellent options available. Seated immediately--had a reso but on a Wednesday morning not really necessary. It took a long time for the single employee to get to us but we weren't in a hurry. Cappuccino was very good in a cute "bear mug" and very reasonably priced. We shared a pacific omlet--not much crab, lots of shrimp, and nice swiss cheese/scallions but tasted kind of fishy--potatoes were only avg. Son said huevos rancheros were average. Price point good for SF and portions adequate to share. Location convenient so we will try dinner there tonight before a comedy show nearby. Dinner-5++ stars; 4 of us Had dinner last night-6pm-reso but not needed. only one other group dining. Single Waitress was great-we let her know we needed to leave in about an hour for a show and she timed everything perfectly--we even had time for dessert. we ordered so many items that she brought over an extra table--we shared everything family style. Most Yelp reviews only mention brunch but the dinner was awesome--service; food: taste/quality, presentation, portions, prices we phenomenally low for SF ($200 with a bottle of wine for 4 people). We started with the garlic butter clams-small but tasty. Tuna tartar was excellent quality and enough to share. Samosas were more like empanadas--very good with peanut sauce so good it rivaled my own home made. We continued our culinary adventure with crab fried rice-delicious, a large portion and my son who lives in SF and has tried dozens of crab fried rice ranked it in the top tier. The pacific catch rice noodles with crab was also excellent-big portion, lots of crab, tasty. Final entree was their specialty-Mussaman Curry. Wow, tender meat/potatoe "stew" with a very unique flavor from the star anise/cinnamon and peanut--to die for. Creme Brulee was very good with lots of fresh fruit accompaniment My only complaint was a very limited wine selection. Lapisaia will become one of our regular spots for dinner!!!

Came here on a Saturday for brunch…read more I got the Holy Chili Bomb Basil Omelette. It had ground chicken and veggies inside, and the chicken and basil were the flavors that stood out. I wouldn't call it spicy at all. The omelette felt small for the price and there wasn't much filling inside. It came with a side of potatoes that were really good. They had a nice crisp on the outside and were soft on the inside. I also got a regular coffee, and they do unlimited refills. The place was busy for brunch, and I liked the bear theme. Some of the coffees came in bear-shaped glasses, and some of the lattes had a decorative bear made out of ice.

Great choice! I was going back home last evening and... you…read moreknow when you want to treat yourself after a long day? Well, I decided to look for something different than my usual favorite food and I decided to go to try some Cambodian food and I picked this lovely little spot in Ocean Avenue, so far away from my house. It was my lucky day, the food was delicious, fresh and made from scratch with a glass of great white wine and , SO IMPORTANT to me a lovely service, starting with a warm welcome smile from the owner and then with the outstanding kind service at my table from the young gentleman named (I think) Ethan. Now this little gem became one of my destinations. Great job beautiful people at Megan's Table!

this cambodian-thai spot is best accessed via transit (K). it has a handful of tables and the…read moreambience is a cosy restaurant x bar vibe. service is fast. best of all, the prices are extremely reasonable and affordable for the portions and quality! we got the (ranked in order of my preference): 1. cha kroeung ($15): huge portions and the ground chicken was very flavorful 2. crab fried rice ($20): not bland like a lot of other fried rice, would have been my favorite if the crab wasn't cold 3. mango sticky rice ($8): delicious, I only wish there was more 4. pumpkin curry ($15): a little sweet for me and the pumpkin was kind of hard 5. khao soi with grilled beef ($20): not enough sauce, some parts of the beef were chewy

The service is great and the servers are awesome. The restaurant is really loud so if you're…read moreexpecting a quiet place to sit down, do not go here. They have MVs projecting on the wall too so that adds to the noise. As for the food, everything is great! The pajeon is flavorful, light and crispy. It had a lot of kimchi so that was yum. The army stew was not too salty and warmed us up! The soy garlic chicken was not overly sweet and was crispy too. The spicy pork was good but there were a few pieces that was chewy. It wasn't that spicy though but it still tasted good. The creamy pasta and tteok was good too and lived up to its name. I did find that the tteok was chewier than normally, but my partner said it was fine so to each their own. Will probably come back for a third visit!

Ollei does exactly what it sets out to do. It's a solid neighborhood spot with standard Korean bar…read morefood, a lively atmosphere, and straightforward, no-frills service. We stopped in after the Valkyries game based on the reviews, and it matched expectations. We ordered the seafood pancake, the half-and-half chicken wings, and the spicy pork belly. Portions were generous and easily enough food for three to four people. Banchan were negligible. One thing that stood out was how sweet many of the dishes were. If you're coming in expecting bold heat, just know the flavors lean noticeably sweeter than the menu descriptions might suggest. Overall, it was a perfectly decent meal at a fair price in a convenient part of Polk Street. I'd be happy to come back if I were in the area, though it probably wouldn't be my first choice if I were specifically craving Korean food.

The place is so cute! The food is delicious! Next time in San Francisco we will definitely come…read moreback!

fun and stylish interior, delicious and creative menu, professional and welcoming staff. I…read morerecommend the alcatraz escape omelette, the French onion soup and the voilà French toast !