Amazing service and amazing food…read more This was my second time visiting Kui Shin Bo and it's great every time. We received great service, constant water refills, and our food came out quick. I ordered the chicken katsu and beef teriyaki, which is served with rice, miso soup and salad--the perfect balance, and a bit of everything. The chicken was very crispy, the beefy teriyaki had a nice smoky flavor to it, the soup was nice and warm, the rice paired well and the salad was fresh and tasty. My sister ordered the Crispy Chicken Chili Creamy Ramen. I had some of her ramen and it was delicious as well! The overall, restaurant itself is a bit small but the food makes up for it. I would definitely return!

Okonomiyaki, Okonomiyaki, Okonomiyaki!!! Everybody screamed for Okonomiyaki!…read more I only hope they put this on an ad! Come here for the best service, most authentic atmosphere, and obviously, the tastiest Okonomiyaki in San Francisco! So fresh that the seafood is still moving! With vegetarian option! And hey, like the sign says, if you don't like Okonomiyaki, they have an enormous menu with other things like sushi, Ramen, and so much more! But really, the cute manager is definitely the one to come for. You know who you are.

It is such a fun place for the whole family. The restaurant itself is situated across the main…read moreJapan town mall. Once entered, you are greeted with a cute statue, great for little ones and adults. We got seated pretty quickly at a booth. Different from traditional sushi conveyor belt place, you don't see pre-made dishes around. Instead, each table/spot comes with a screen for placing orders. You can pick up to 4 dishes each time, then added to cart. When your dish is coming, you see the light flashing, then a nice train carries your happiness over. Once unloaded, you push a button and wave bye bye to the train departing. Yes. Super fun for kids. I ordered some sashimi, tofu salad and some sushi. They are super fresh! Service is fast, consistent and friendly. My kids enjoyed goyza, soup, onion rings and some cooked sushi's. We would love coming back again. I can see this to be our go to place in Japan town.

Katsu meal: 6/10 -- breading fell apart and lacked the classic panko crisp and flavor. i would have…read moreliked a little curry with it instead of the side salad Handrolls: 8/10 -- the sushi was really good and fresh. I liked the fun experience of our hand rolls arriving on the bullet train as well. We got the spicy salmon, deep fried tuna, and rainbow. Clean space and conveniently located near lots of shops in Japan Town. Service was minimal but good. Overall a unique and fun experience for those who have not been to bullet train sushi restaurant! my entree was kind of mid for the price though so I would probably recommend opting for the sushi or bento box combos.

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!

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

Yuji is hidden in plain sight - it's right along the main street of Japantown, upstairs of popular…read morespots like Fermentation Lab with little to no signage in front or around the store. The shop itself is clean and simple, accepting reservations only for its 9 seats. It's pretty cramped as the seats are wide and you may end up elbowing the party next to you, and it's almost like that Unblock-Me app when you need to reconfigure people when you get up to go to their tint restroom. There's several courses to keep you satisfied throughout the night, and they update their menu each season. Every was good but nothing really wow'd me as the flavors were balanced, but sort of one-note.

I was really craving sushi, so I decided to stop by Domo and it definitely did not disappoint! The…read morerestaurant was clean, organized and you could actually smell the fresh food before even walking through the door. They also offer both indoor and outdoor seating, which is a nice option. I started with the miso soup and it was delicious. For sushi, I ordered the Crunchy California Roll, Dragon Roll and the Domo Roll. Yes I was that hungry haha! Every roll was packed with fresh ingredients, the fish tasted incredibly fresh and the presentation was beautiful. My absolute favorite was the Domo Roll. Seriously no kidding, it was so good! To top it all off, the staff were friendly, welcoming and made the experience even better. I'll definitely be coming back.

Small sushi restaurant in Hayes Valley. I needed dinner before a show. As a party of one, they…read moreseated me at the sushi counter of this tiny place. Specials are on the mirror. I ordered the sashimi salad, charred salmon nigiri and the sea bass nigiri on special. Omg. The sashimi salad was beautiful. Thick pieces of sashimi were on top of the wonderful variety of greens. A generous portion for one person and I probably didn't need much else. Loved the nigiri especially the charred salmon. A bit of a kick with the shredded of pepper on top. And the sea bass had a hidden piece of perilla. My tummy was satisfied and happy. Can see why this place is so popular. I'll be back

Saw they had sushi belt and got so excited! We were quickly seated and started taking some plates…read moreof sushi available. There was a large variety of sushi so we tried a few different rolls and pieces. I also ordered the Devil mountain roll off of the menu. They told me it would take a while which was fine but I instantly regretted after how much sushi I got off the belt. I would stick to either sushi on the belt or sushi on the menu otherwise it's easy to get too full. Plus, the Devil mountain roll was massive! I was only able to eat 3 pieces and had to take the rest home. The one thing I wish they did was label the sushi on the belt with what type of fish or what the menu item is called. It was not always easy to tell what roll is what which made it confusing sometimes. Even simple tags in front of the rolls would be helpful.

Fun, efficient, simple. Nothing to add…read more I've been to a few conveyor belt, boat-sushi type spots in Japantown and I always end up back at Tenroku! Is it the best sushi ever? Not quite. I think expectations are usually low when going to these types of spots but given the quality and price, it's actually pretty surprising. I usually stop by for dinner on weeknights. It can get busy sometimes but I've never waited more than 10-15 minutes. Service is quick and friendly. The goal is to get you seated and taken care of right away. Once you sit down, it's game on. Chefs are busting out all different kinds of dishes for you to try. They also take requests if there's something on the menu you'd like to try. I love not having to commit to a roll and being able to try a ton of different things. Admittedly, I keep coming back for the seared walu. The plate color lets you know the price of what you're getting. Most plates come with 2-4 pieces and run from $3 - $8. I can make this dinner as cheap or expensive as I'd like!

Service: incredible. Our server was great and brought us sake shots as a kind way to say thank you…read morefor dining with us. The restaurant itself was beautiful and simple in design which I love! Less is more. The rolls were super unique and the fish were so fresh. It was a perfect evening

Service is excellent! Couldn't ask for more in this aspect. Staff was kind, respectful, and…read moreaccommodating! I came in on a Tuesday for happy hour and it was not very busy. Small thing, but I asked for warm water and they gave it to me at the perfect temp :) drinkable but enough to warm me up! A little chilly because they keep the door open, but not too bad. Quiet and nice. I ordered the salmon and tuna hand rolls and the salmon taco from the happy hour menu. I found all of it to be pretty average (more on the good side). Not bad but not anything crazy impressive. The taco is a bit smaller than anticipated and slightly messy but what can you expect from a taco? The wasabi is not spicy. I added it all to my soy sauce and felt nothing haha. Overall nice for a quick bite! Will be back for the actual menu some day!

Tucked away in the west entrance of Japantown, in an inconspicuous spot behind all the bustle of…read morethe stores is this hidden gem of an omakase experience. With only 8 seats, the experience is intimate, you get front views to the chefs preparing each of the 24 courses! The fish selections were fresh, delicious and the apps were amazing too. The reviews were great so wanted to come and check this place out for myself and it did not disappoint! Chef Au was friendly and talked to us about his life in Japan, we loved the interaction. All in all 10/10 experience, 10/10 quality of all the dishes and 10/10 ambiance! Definitely worthy of the Michelin accolades it's received!

Oma San Francisco Station is an omakase restaurant inside Japan Center in San Francisco Japantown…read more They offer 3 menus: Mizuho with 24 items, Sakura with 16, and Tsubame with 12. The location is unusual, as the restaurant is open to the mall, which is a bit disruptive. I came for the 8:30pm seating, but the previous guests were still finishing, so I had to wait until 8:45pm. The staff did not seem very concerned. Bad start. You could also hear the mall cleaning crew during dinner, which was not very pleasant. I ordered the 24-item Mizuho Menu, as did all the other guests. There were 5 guests in total (the restaurant can seat up to 8 people). Here is the menu I was served at the end of May: 1. starter: ama ebi cracker with caviar, pickled lotus root with shaved bonito, crab salad 2. nigiri 4x: isaki, iwana, myabi tai, kanpachi 3. sashimi: chutoro, hotate with caviar, umi masu, sawada 4. nigiri 8x: hirame, suzuki, inada, kurodai, shima aji, kamasu, otoro, aged A5 wagyu, kinmedai 5. hot dish: miso soup with inari and shrimp head, hokkaido uni with marinated ikura, black cod, umi masu with raw yellow egg and caviar 6. dessert: matcha ice cream with strawberry Frankly, the food was excellent. The starter was not very creative, but the nigiri were great. The sashimi selection was very nice, with some fish you do not see as often in omakase menus, such as isaki, iwana, and myabi tai, a kind of tai. Sawada was delicious and is always a good inclusion. We asked for some wasabi and received a small cup of kizami wasabi, a chopped wasabi with a slightly crunchy texture, which was a nice touch. For the nigiri, all the classics of a good omakase were present: otoro, kinmedai, shima aji, uni, hotate, and wagyu. Kamasu was also included, and it is one of my favorite fish. It is also worth noting that they age both their beef and their tuna, including the otoro that was served. A few pieces were torched, maybe a few too many. Overall, the service was not memorable, although chef Ron Au was friendly and nice. The place itself felt a bit questionable, and my expectations were not very high after the beginning of the meal. But the food was truly excellent, and for that reason I think it deserves 5 stars.