50 Best Japanese Restaurants in San Francisco

“I went to KEN for my birthday and it was absolutely phenomenal. The fish was delicious; so many new flavors and combinations; the chef was superb - talented and entertaining, with great attention to detail. The service was impeccable. I cannot say enough good things!“

“What a treat! Highly recommend“

“I love Yoma cafe, the food is amazing, great price, the owner is always so welcoming and nice to everyone.“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

“This place has officially ruined ramen for me. Because if I go somewhere else, I’ll compare it to this place, and just be like, “Damn, I should’ve just gone to Taniku Izakaya instead.”
Perfectly cooked noodles in a flavorful broth, both the crab and the pork that I have gotten have been amazing. They can adjust the spiciness on the broth if you can’t handle too much spice, which is nice. The portions are generous, but not so huge that there ends up being a huge bowl of broth even after you finish your noodles. Delicious gyoza, as well.
It’s a nice, cozy, hole in the wall spot.“

“The best omakase and multi-course dinner I’ve ever had. We came to celebrate our anniversary here and a great time. The atmosphere was perfect and the food/fish were literally hands down the best I’ve ever had. If you want high quality omakase where every bite is the perfect blend and diversity of textures and flavors you must go here.“

“Quality is key with any meal. Roger-San is all about quality. Sit at the bar if you can!“

“Excellent Japanese cuisine, service and staff are wonderful and helpful“

“awesome a must try, this is a hidden gem“

“If you want the freshest fish downtown has to offer.... go to Sanraku“

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

“Eating is a kind of happiness, taste is a kind of interest“

“Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! Perfection. The attention to detail and the warm service was great from the jump. The entire 17 course meal and sake pairing was one of the best meals that we've ever had. I don't say this lightly, it was flawless.“

“There's no place like Moku. You can come here to celebrate and/or to lighten your mood, the vibe is so versatile. The food always comes out hot; I love that the specials reflect seasonality and freshness. The service is also superb, you'll feel right at home :) Highlyyyy recommend <3“

“My favorite sushi spot in the city, and the service is fast and friendly!“

“had a great experience here at the counter with a group of 6. not too busy, and they cooked the meats for you to perfection. i thought the meal was done well, would’ve preferred more seafood / seasoning, and definitely greasy so had to replenish the banchans a few times.“

“One of the most delightful spots in SF. Given how incredible the quality of their food is, they could charge more if they wanted to, but they keep it cozy. The Toro Uni Ikura mini-don is worth flying across the country for. The nigiri omakase is massively underpriced and incredible. The tri-tip katsu is light tapas fare (instead of a huge filling portion) that tastes better than what I had in Tokyo. Strong recommend.“

“Phenomenal nigiri 🍣. Exceptional in freshness and flavor. Left me feeling very energized. My girlfriend got the two piece bento box with agedashi tofu and saba; it came with rice, miso soup and a small salad that was crispy but she said the dressing could be better. The bento was hot and fresh. We also got the sesame chicken, battered in tempura with a slight sesame glaze… crunchy and fresh. I’m already dreaming of returning to eat more of that nigiri. Great service! Cozy ambiance with cool aesthetic details.“

“Good takeout sushi option with reasonable prices. The restaurant closes pretty early and have a small staff, which can lead to longer waiting times- so have that in mind when ordering. The food was great and the ingredients had great quality.“

“We had such a wonderful time! The atmosphere was very friendly, and the chef was incredibly outgoing and engaging. He gave vivid, detailed explanations of each piece of sushi — including which part of the fish it came from and how it was prepared — which made the experience feel extra special and educational.

One unique touch was the in-house special drink designed to transition between the appetizer and the sushi course — such a thoughtful detail! Since it was our birthday, the restaurant even surprised us with a hand-drawn birthday card. Super cute and such a lovely gesture!

Constructive feedback:
1. It would be great if the reservation time could be extended to 2.5 hours. Things felt a little rushed toward the end.
2. It would also be nice to have a choice between water and hot tea as a default beverage option.

Overall, a fantastic experience — we’d definitely come back!“

“Great sushi place on Polk. Nice bar counter seating. A few other tables. Intimate setting. Food is fresh and innovative. Great wide selection of different fish to choose from. Sushi chefs are informative and friendly. Only downside is parking is difficult in the area. Take Uber!“

“awesome service and amazingly fresh sushi! open from 4:30 to 9:30. on Geary near masonic“

“Reservations were a little hard to get, but the experience itself is great. Good food, although a bit heavy (as one would expect from fried food, with several meat dishes). The food is aiming to give an authentic japanese experience, and the staff were extremely nice and friendly.“

“Good for lunch. Really value for your money. I had the sashimi lunch set and my wife had the chicken wing and salmon sushi set and both were really fresh and good. Will definitely come again ! Weekdays - reservations not really needed, but I've come by on weekends and you should make reservations.“

“I have been meaning to write this review for years. Apologies for Jimmy and Ron for not writing it sooner.

First, I have to write about the people because they are the reason I love and will always love Kibatsu. Then, I'll write about my favorite dishes and the food.

The People:
I have been going to Kibatsu since 2014 so 12 years now. Before Kibastu, they were Sugoi Sushi in the Mission. I discovered them because they did catering for University of San Francisco. My college roommate and I befriended the young sushi chefs that came to the university, hung out with them once the sushi bar had officially closed and they encouraged us to come visit their Sugoi Sushi location.

Eventually we did and it became our Friday or Saturday night routine. Sometimes, we would splurge and go during the week (which for us as college students was a lot). But we loved them. Calvin, Ronald, (so sorry, I am totally blanking on the third guy's name but I see his face in my mind!) and Jimmy. The first three were the sushi chefs and Jimmy was the waiter - he always made room for us and always saved us our favorite booth in the front of the restaurant, closest to the windows. He remembered our classes and asked us how school was going. He always treated us to on the house mochi ice cream after each dinner. We would spend hours and hours there, camping out and chatting or doing our homework in the mood-lit, rustic, tastefully interior-decorated intimate setting, amid the hubbub of conversations and people enjoying the sushi. I remember Sugoi and those times really fondly - it was our safe space, our home away from home (dorm). Other times, we'd bring our friends. I can't even count how many people I and my roommate recommended this place to or brought there.

Then after we graduated, in 2018, they moved to the Haight and invited me to their opening night omakase which was a gift to everyone they invited. How sweet, thoughtful and amazing is that? Between Sugoi and Kibatsu, my partner and I met and Jimmy always remembers my partner and his two boys and asks about them when they're not with me. The boys love it here because of the large portions and how nice everyone is.

On my birthday this year, I decided I wanted to spend it at Kibatsu and Jimmy (who is now a sushi chef!!) and company went out and got me a birthday cake and brought it out before the rest of the dessert as a surprise. I almost cried. This is why I love Kibatsu and those who work there.

The Food:
The starter we always go for is the tataki dish which is albacore with delicious fried onion. The gyoza is always also a great way to go. We always get the omakase which is a true omakase with the different small plates, sashimi and nigiri. I love the salmon and umimasu nigiri as well as the negi salmon. Something special that Kibatsu does is they always surprise you with little gifts from the sushi chefs. For this past new year's they surprised us with a whole tray of steak and jumbo shrimp - a gift on the house. Their kindness never ceases to surprise us!

So there are some of our top favorites food wise and why Kibatsu has a special place in my heart. I hope you go and I hope you love it as much as I do. They work really hard, are so extremely kind and deserve the best.“

“these purple rice yogurts are SO GOOD. We tried the original one first and then loved it so much we ordered 4 more - one more original, two mango, and one matcha. They taste a little sweet, a little sour, and have the perfect about of chewy texture served cold. Comes in a cute reusable container with a straw. Definitely coming back here for these again 😍“

“Excellent Japanese cuisine, service and staff are wonderful and helpful“

“What a great evening we had at this wonderful restaurant! The food is so fresh and tasty and the staff are kind and welcoming and really nice to chat with. Everything we had was great, but I loved my Gold Rush roll - soooooo delicious! Can’t wait to come back next time I’m in SF!“

“Jo's awesome. We had a great experience. Highly recommended for birthdays or just being together 👯‍♀️💯👍“

“Akari’s fixed seafood and meat menu is incredible. The fish is fresh, featuring Hokkaido scallops and uni directly from Japan. Pacing and portions were perfect. While the decor could be warmer and more curated, the food quality is amazing. A must-visit—we will definitely be back soon!“

“Great food & ambiance! Ron & Jennifer have done it again! ❤️“

“Exceptional service. Delicious, artfully presented omakase at a reasonable price point.“

“Definitely food to be enjoyed with good company. Service was fast considering how busy it was. If I had company, I suspect it would have been perfect. The uni I had was smooth and buttery. All the sashimi and sushi had clean and distinct flavors.“

“It has a very interesting menu, I really enjoy the food.“

“This is the BEST Shabu restaurant I’ve ever been to. I traveled all the way from the East Coast to go here. The meat quality = unmatched. The ponzu dipping sauce = fire. This place is basically a mouth orgasm. Go here. You won’t regret it!“

“Great food and great ambience � � love it so much“

“Sushi was great and Ti the owner was very generous.“

“I just moved back to the city not too long ago and the vivid memory of having bone marrow ramen popped up in my head. Before I went to the location over in the Sunset district. When I went to Google the spot, found out there was on SOMA. Went over there on my lunch break and it was just as amazing as before. I didn't grab the bone marrow add-on this time. Huge regret. However, still delicious. This is one of the ramen spots I'd recommend to friends to go to. Now that I know the SOMA location is a choice, I will stop by every so often to get my fix.“

“It has been so long since I’ve had a sushi dinner this great. Every cut of fish was so fresh and tasty. The service was incredible. I loved how knowledgeable and tasteful the staff and chefs were. I absolutely recommend coming here if you love nigiri and sake. All the food items were great. The sake flight was such a fun experience. Definitely will be coming back!“

“Excellent food, excellent service. We loved it. We had Shrimp Tempura Roll, Sexy Roll, Edamame, Miso Soup, Kirin Beer. Can’t wait to go back again.“

“9 items 🍱 bento & udon are awesome 👏“

“The best sushi meal you can get for around $100 for two people in sf! The staff is so nice and welcoming and you can’t go wrong with any of the nigiri - the salmon, ocean trout, soy marinated tuna and scallop are my faves. The double tuna roll and baked scallop rolls are also unreal“

“The atmosphere and presentation of the food was extremely chic! The meal was delicious!!“

“friendly service and tasty food“

“Best Omakase in town.“

“Fast and kids favorite ever things delicious“

“Delicious food and friendly staff“

“The ramen tastes very good, the soup base is rich and the noodles taste great“

“Outdoor patio seating is available for all dog-lovers to enjoy their Sushi 🍣/ Ramen🍤🍜. And please ask staff for some water for the lovely ones🐶🐱 if they are exhausted from their walk. 😘“

“I was actually jonesing for some good Japanese curry when we were searching for a place to eat.. I decided on Fumi because the Japanese curry before the ramen lol must be good if it’s first right? It was perfect and the ramen was really good too. I definitely recommend this place for doing “simply” delicious.“