Came here to celebrate my husband's birthday and thoroughly enjoyed our Bar Kappo experience! This…read morehas definitely made my top 3 omakases I've tried in the Bay Area so far. The restaurant can be a little hidden, but it's pretty easy to find with the instructions they send before your reservation. It's located above Fermentation Lab. Just head up the stairs and you'll find it inside the old Ichi Pub space. The restaurant is small and intimate, with only 9 seats at the counter. When you arrive, walk through the Yuji curtain and check in directly with the chef since there is no host. My biggest concern with set menus is always whether I'll feel satisfied and full afterward, but that was definitely not an issue here. My husband and I were both very satisfied after the meal. Every dish was delicious, and you could really taste the quality of each ingredient. Highlights for me were the bluefin sashimi, which was so buttery and soft that it literally melted in your mouth. The skillfish was rich and decadent, and the citrus and ginger balanced the flavors. The fried fish was another favorite as it reminded me of the savory Japanese rice crackers I loved growing up. Since it's located in Japantown, parking can be challenging. We had to loop around several times looking for street parking and even had two cars take spots we were waiting for, so definitely give yourself extra time before your reservation. I would highly recommend this place! The chef changes the menu periodically based on what's in season, so it's a great excuse to come back and try something new in the future. Total spent for 2: $462

Really hidden spot with no signage -- we had to ask neighboring restaurants for directions, but it…read morewas absolutely worth finding. The chef was incredibly warm, smiley, welcoming, and attentive throughout the meal. Every ingredient tasted exceptionally fresh, with careful selection of only the best cuts and portions. Highlights included the otoro, wagyu beef, spot shrimp, caviar, green eye fish, and hotaru ika. The omakase was perfectly portioned and thoughtfully paced from start to finish. A truly memorable experience.

excellent, really authentic soba! we finally managed to snag some fresh noodles and around 5pm on a…read moretuesday -- previously they've always sold out when I tried to go later. it's a tiny space with 11 seats and is pretty much self-serve (pre-pay). the dishes are a bit pricey, but they are good. we got one hot and one cold: - Hot Yuzu-Scented Niku Soba ($25) - Cold Tenzaru Omakase Special Kakiage & Veg ($28) we couldn't really taste any yuzu in the former other than the yuzu strips, but I still liked the flavor and noodle textures. the cold dipping soba was paired well with some well-fried tempura. remember to polish off your dipping sauce with the free soba-yu!

Still the best cold soba in San Francisco, but I regret to update that the weight is still…read moreextremely long. 45 minutes on a weekday after arriving 15 minutes after opening. The food is still delicious, but didn't blow me away like it did the first time. Considering how inconvenient it is to dine here, I can't justify returning. I also wish there was more dining space, because you are cramped together with other tables and don't have enough privacy to have a conversation. I would think that by now this restaurant is successful enough that they could finally offer takeout or open up an additional larger location given their brands success.

So I go here so much. I used to live in Japantown and I was one of the first people to go when this…read moreopened. The prices have definitely gone up but it's still well worth it imo. The quality has stayed the same. Whenever friends visit this is one of the places I take them to! Also very comparable to the galbijjim from LA.

Hands down the best Kalbijjim in Bay Area ;) Japantown location is the first and best…read more Went around 11:30 AM on Saturday. We were seated immediately. The ambiance was bar type, dim lighting similar to ramen places. Service was friendly and fast moving. Explained the menu well. For a first time experience, the Premium Kalbijjim was incredible.

Rich ramen and crispy karaage done right…read more Stopped by Marufuku Ramen in San Francisco and ordered the Hakata tonkotsu pork belly ramen and karaage. The ramen was rich, comforting, and packed with flavor. The tonkotsu broth was creamy and savory without feeling overly heavy, and the noodles had a great texture. The pork belly was tender, flavorful, and melted in my mouth, making every bite satisfying. The buns were soft, fluffy, and a great addition to the meal. The filling was flavorful and paired perfectly with the pillowy bun, making them an easy favorite. The karaage was also a standout. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and perfectly seasoned, it made for a great side to pair with the ramen. Service was friendly and efficient, and the staff kept things moving smoothly despite the restaurant being busy. The vibe is lively and energetic, with the feel of a popular ramen shop that's always buzzing with customers. It's casual, welcoming, and a great place to enjoy a comforting bowl of ramen. Overall, a fantastic spot for authentic tonkotsu ramen and delicious Japanese comfort food. I'd happily return whenever I'm craving a rich bowl of ramen.

This was my first time at Marufuku and I loved the experience! Servers are so friendly and…read moreattentive. This location is inside a food court area and the restaurant itself is small, so expect long wait times when it's busy. I ordered the Hakata Tonkotsu Deluxe, which comes with an extra piece of thick pork belly and more veggies. I got mine with no spice, but next time I would get it mild to add more flavor, since it felt like the Tonkotsu broth fell a bit short of my expectations. However, everything else was really good, from the quality of the noodles to the tender pork.

o.m.g. the vegan creamy ramen was absolutely one of the top 5 most delicious things i've ever ate…read more sooooooo good!!! 10/10 would recommend trying this ramen! even if you aren't vegan. i'm vegetarian and my bf is a meat eater and he kept eating out of my bowl. the noodles were the most perfect texture ever and the broth is so creamy and delicious. the sweet tofu skin and the little bit of saltiness from the veggies was soooo perfect. i brought home a lot of leftovers. the portions are very generous! the next day i was so excited to eat my ramen that i ate it cold no microwaving needed and it was soo good the restaurant is clean and pretty and the service was great!!

My go to ramen spot in Japantown, I appreciate how they have plenty of both indoor and outdoor…read moreseating and minimal wait times every time I've been so far. Located right across from the Japan Center on a street with a number of other restaurants. I love their Hamaguri ramen (and adding the chili powder at the table to it), the serving of clams is always so satisfying and I love how it goes with the light dashi broth of the dish.

I really enjoyed the food, ambience, and service. The 11-course tasting menu was beautifully…read morepresented, tasty, and very creative. I could still taste authentic Thai flavors, but elevated with a different level of inventive preparation and cooking techniques. Overall, it was an excellent dining experience. I will definitely return, and I'm looking forward to trying their lunch menu next time.

My friend and I came here for a girl's lunch to enjoy their $45 special. I was pleased to see there…read morewas a vegan option here and was excited to try it. My friend ordered the duck. I ordered the Lion's Mane Mushroom. *A lovely note for the vegans and lactose-intolerant: there is a dairy-free option for the Thai iced tea (made with coconut milk). Given that this was a Michelin guide restaurant, we had certain expectations of the place and sadly we were disappointed. While the service was friendly and the server knowledgeable on the menu, the service itself was severely lacking in detail you'd expect from a $$$$ type of place. Our drinks came out first, followed by the appetizer, then came EVERYTHING ELSE all at once. Papaya Salad Daikon Soup Trio of rice (purple, brown, white) Curry + protein (duck for my friend, lion's mane mushroom for me) We tried to tackle the soup first. It came in an artsy looking bowl with undulated/rouged edges that was awkward to drink from but equally awkward to spoon the soup from. The daikon was VERY WOODY. Both my friend and I awkwardly spit out splintery fibers and left them on our plate. Some of my daikon chunks were fine but my poor friend had double the amount of woody mass collecting on her plate which was really unsightly, especially when you're supposed to be at a nice place. I can't say I've ever encountered this with daikon before at a restaurant. It's pretty easy to see which parts of the daikon are too mature to use. Next we tried to get on to our entree as that was cooling quickly. Unfortunately the curries were already somewhat congealed by the time we made our way to it. The vegan one was pretty good, but again, I had some woody bits in my food. I don't know if that's from the mushroom or if it was from another ingredient but the splintery clumps amassing on the side of our plates was not what we had imagined we'd be doing at a Michelin guide restaurant.... My friend's duck wasn't much better. She complained about the awkward texture and wound up spitting out half of that one her plate. -not to mention, her meal was served to her without a steak knife. After waiting for much too long, she got up to go request a knife and walked the knife back to the table like a psycho. I'm not trying to sound entitled here, but when a restaurant is supposed to be "nice" and has "$$$$", you sort of expect a certain caliber of service. Having to go ask for a knife when you ordered a chunk of meat does seem like a miss. For what it's worth, the curries for both of us had a unique blend of flavors. My friend had a penang currty sweetened with lychee. I don't remember what kind of curry mine was, but it was tasty with a kick in the end. Curry to rice ratio was perhaps 1:3. We had to ask for extra curry to accompany the protein and rice to balance everything out. It would have just been so pasty and dry otherwise (you know, since everything was already congealed...) By the time we got around to our papaya salad, it had gone from chilled to room temp. While it was tasty, it wasn't as refreshing as the salad could be. We're not sure why all courses were served at once, or if that's how this specific lunch service goes? The best course of the day was 100% the dessert. Order the vegan dessert! "Mango-sticky rice ice cream". It was a homemade mango ice cream with coconut milk base. It sounds basic but these ingredients were masterfully put together to create something truly unique. Not sure where the rice was in this whole situation, but who cares! This dessert was incredible! Lightly sweet, creamy and freshing. It arrived like a piece of art, like a glossy, glimmering mango sculture. The way that chilled mango puree spilled over, coating the ice cream underneath... It clung on to the ice cream layer just barely coating it for most perfect combination of sweet and creamy. It was unfortunate I got the last one for the day. My friend had the cheesecake which she said was tasty but not mindblowing like my mango ice cream. It also was... not so glorious. In fact, it looked small and flat, like a half used stack of mini post-it notes. All in all, it was a fun experience. The dishes were familiar favorites with a creative twist. For $45, it wasn't bad but I don't know about coming back for the $$$$ dinner experience based on this visit. Maybe we'll be back for the $40-$45 prefixe again in the future.

I've ordered from here twice and each time I'm so impressed. The food tastes amazing and like…read moresomething your mom would make with love. The portions are really big too. I always have a hard time finishing my stew.

Sick? Not sick? Want something "light"? Soupchu has you covered! I've had several soups here and…read morethey are all super yummy! I highly recommend the lentil soups...or...better yet, the TOMATO soup! it's truly a unique place for all your soup needs. All are in great portions and are fresh.

Great atmosphere, Udon was delicious and our server Janny was amazing…read more They have a kids menu option for only 10 usd.

Fast friendly service by server Janny. Enjoyed the Tonkotsu Delux Udon. The atmosphere is casual…read moreand can get busy. The restaurant stands out in San Francisco Japan Town for unique Udon.