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“

“Best Japanese Curry in town !“

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

“Overall I was happy with my visit, but I wasn't wowed either. The highlight here is the food, the fish is excellent, and the amberjack and spot prawn were exceptional. Be prepared to spend at least $50-60 here, realistically you're approaching the $100 mark to leave without needing some supplement. Service was very attentive, and the only negative part was being abruptly informed that our 90 minute booked slot had expired when we tried to order dessert, a warning about the 90 minute slot would have been appreciated.“

“Every item we ordered was magical. Absolutely loved all their small tapas style dishes, scallops, yam, pork belly, chicken, beef. Scallop and sweet shrimp (ebi) handrolls were great. Fine dessert choice as well. Get there early as there was quickly a line out the door with 20-30 minute waits throughout the night after we arrived.“

“Best authentic Japanese restaurant in town.“

“Best Omakase in town.“

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

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

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

“It’s easy to find sushi restaurants with high-quality fish these days, but good shari (the rice) is still hard to come by in San Francisco. The moment the chef told everyone to eat the sushi right away, I knew he really knew what he was doing. Sure enough, when he placed it on the plate, the shari gently sank - perfect texture. Saw someone complaining that the rice fell apart… you belong at a place that serves edamame and California rolls 👋 lol“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“Healthy, fresh meal. Filling, yet light. Felt kind of a splurge just for a casual lunch, so maybe come here with more dedicated time.

I finished the nabe just by myself. I got the pork one, and thought the meat was good quality. I wouldn’t say portions are big here. The flavors are also very light, even with the sauces. The mushrooms were not satisfying and we tasted more of the breading in each bite rather than the mushroom itself.

Our waiter was pleasant. Overall, the price of the meal was a bit higher than I expected for what we got (like $50pp). I feel like hot pot restaurants are cheaper and would offer ayce.“

“Delicious omakase! Really deserves to be a Michelin star again!! The ginger shoot was a cool touch and super tender. Great balance of nigiri and complementary appetizers and seared cod. Cute ambiance for our anniversary -- no reservation needed“

“A great, local izakaya that really shines with kushi (skewer) cuisine. In addition to kushi, they also have several other dishes that are delicious, but especially the chicken-skin gyoza and their karaage. They also have a solid sake selection. I’ve been here several times and am always eager to come back. Heads up that if you come hungry then leaving full will probably run you at least $50 per person without drinks.“

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

“One of the best restaurants in SF. Literally not even close. The fun you're going to have at this place is unparalleled. The food is unreal, you'll learn so much about Wagyu beef and also find yourself laughing with the cook who's cooking at your table. They also drink with you :)“

“Great place food is super salty tho.“

“Went for our wedding anniversary. The service was great. They took the time to introduce the menu items and explain the chef’s special for today. We got to try fish or parts of fish that we have never heard of before. Overall very good experience.“

“The sashimi here is so good! Really fresh, thick pieces. I tried the salmon, salmon toro, walu, yellowtail, toro, and ocean trout. My favorite as always is salmon but the ocean trout which was recommended by the server was super good. The walu was amazing too, they served it with some chili oil crisp which paired well! The toro which I got as nigiri was super fatty and melt in your mouth. I also got the hamachi kama appetizer which can be fishy tasting at some restaurants but the one here was not fishy at all and super fresh, very buttery and soft.

Overall definitely recommend this spot for their fish and I would 100% return.“

“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.“

“Watermelon 🍉 Roll; no rice, refreshingly good Fried seafood chips appetizer; I wanted it as a meal it’s a different yum 😋 Ice cream sandwich wow!“

“Our new favorite SF spot! Unbelievably delicious. We had the beef curry and udon. The couple who own the restaurant were so friendly and helpful. I cannot believe we paid so little for so much savory food! You can walk a quick block and sit in the nearby park. We will definitely come to Yo Yo's when in town!“

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

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

“I cannot say I had a bad experience. Everything was my favorite“

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

“The food smacks and the music they play always slaps.“

“We celebrated the Mother's Day here. Limited seating and only seating per night. I and my husband were so surprised by the very tasteful decoration of the restaurant, fantastic service and out of the world food. It is even better than the one in Toyko which we made reservation months ahead. The portion is just perfect for us. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. You have to try it to know what I meant.“

“Blown away! Sitting at the chef’s bar was an outstanding experience. The chef made recommendations; he is a true artist of his craft - what a delight to watch. The nigiri/sushi is classic with no frills, relying completely on the quality of the fish and the expertise of the chef. What a local gem!“

“friendly service and tasty food“

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

“Great place. Friendly staff. Beautiful fish selections and daily specials. Limited open time, but absolutely worth going to.

I had the chirashi, rice beer, and panacotta - good relaxing night.

Reccomended!“

“The ingredients, the flavors, they're all top-notch.“

“Emma ,Julio and staff great!“

“Came here for a dinner and tuna cutting and it was amazing. I didn't expect the tuna to be so large!

Good:
- Super cool explanation of how everything works and the chef adds some fun humor into it which makes it even more entertaining than the cutting already is.
- The buffet we had was so good, I loved the crepe cake dessert and grapes too, and there was shrimp, tuna, chicken, everything you could imagine
- The tuna was soooo fresh
- The staff were so kind and helpful!
- There was also a sake pairing and wine pairing which elevated the experience

Bad:
- Can be pricey!

Overall this was such a premium experience and so glad we got to experience it!“

“Good fresh comfort food, warm friendly family business“

“We had a great experience here! The tuna was fresh and buttery and everything we ordered was delicious. Prices were very good for the quality.

We also tried the chef’s Japanese sushi set. Not every type of fish was our favorite but it was a great way to try a variety of unique fish we hadn’t had before!

The eel hand rolls were another highlight absolutely delicious!

We came during Happy Hour so it was an even better value. The food came out quickly!
We made a reservation in advance. When we arrived there was a tablet to check in but we were seated before we even had a chance to use it haha. Fantastic experience and we’d definitely come back!“

“ALWAYS a fantastic and tasty dinner. ☺️“

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

“This place should have a line out the door every day. Incredible value. Excellent service. Delicious food. Warm and friendly staff. They greeted all their regulars by name like old friends. I can't wait to become a regular myself. I can't recommend enough. Coming back as often as I can.“

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

“This is my go to Shabu place in Sf. The meat quality is top notch and paired with their special green sauce is amazing! That sauce is so addicting. I always get the all you can eat which you get your choices of unlimited carbs, veggies, and meat! Then your choice of ice cream if you still have room. This place never disappoints my appetite and would recommend everyone come and try it out! You won’t be disappointed.“

“Tried some of their dishes, desserts and drinks.

For the main course we ordered Taiwanese fried pork chop noodle, clams & salmon in creamy mentaiko sauce, fried calamari and cucumber beef roll. My favorite was the creamy seafood spaghetti. I love white based sauce pasta in general so I knew I’d like this one off the bat. The salmon itself was cooked perfectly and I was surprised at how big of a piece they gave us! They definitely don’t skimp on their seafood!

For drinks we ordered passion fruit green tea, Teawood fruit tea and iced bear milk tea. My favorite is the milk tea! Always love a good Chinese style milk tea, it’s smooth and rich and slightly bitter from the tea. Yum!

For desserts we ordered grass jelly taro ball sundae and traditional tofu flake in bucket. My favorite had to be the tofu pudding dessert! It’s one of my favorite Chinese desserts, love eating it as is without any syrup. The taste is very light and delicate.“

“The server was so nice and the food came out after 10 mins of ordering and the food was good and good portions. Recommended to get a drink of you're ordering food and apps. Cozy place in Geary. Loved the flavor on the K.O. ramen and the Kobe Ramen. The Curry Lamb rice plate was also pretty delicious.“

“We had a wonderful meal at Cafe Okawari before the Giants game. It’s a great location that’s 1.5 blocks from the ballpark, and very close to the Caltrain station. The restaurant was full when we got there, but the food still came out soon after we ordered.

We had chicken katsu curry, korokke curry, and a menchi (fried ground chicken) sando. The chicken katsu was among the best I’ve ever had, super juicy inside and crunchy outside. One of the greatest quick bites I’ve had in recent memory.“

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