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.“

“Best authentic Japanese restaurant in town.“

“Taniku Izakaya is a great spot for skewers and a solid casual night out. I really liked the spicy scallop hand rolls and the takoyaki, and the food overall was worth the wait. It does get busy, and there was a line since reservations are only for a couple tables, but we only waited about 20–30 minutes. The vibe was lively, and everything felt well worth it.“

“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.“

“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!“

“friendly service and tasty food“

“Great place food is super salty tho.“

“Its Order to Go. No seating inside but a nice bench sitting area outside for anyone worked well for us. Checked the menu..its ONLY what is available nothing more..nothing less. Fresh sushi done well. Would love more options but what we had was good. Would not hesitate to eat here again when I am in the area and like a quick bite. Liked all my orders of Hamachi Donburi and mixed sushi..salmon aka saki which I hardly eat these days was fresh and on point. I really enjoyed the scallops hand rolls.“

“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.“

“A small, family-run spot tucked between Broadway and the Transamerica Pyramid delivers the kind of honest, soul-warming lunch that’s increasingly rare in the city. Run by a lovely older couple who treat every customer like a regular, this no-frills counter serves up comfort food at prices that feel like a time capsule.

Cash/venmo only so you know it's fire“

“First time.
Friendly staff in a casual spot. Table and booth seating.
Lots of options and we chose 2 rolls (Toro & Scallop) and a bento 3 item option (Salmon, Shaba, and Kaki).
For the rolls, the tuna and scallop was fresh and melts in your mouth. The bento fishes were moist and good portioned. The kaki (oyster) was plump and nicely fried.
Overall, a wonderful meal and a place that we will visit again. A solid option for all.“

“1000/10. This place is hard to get a table at because it only seats 20 people. They only do one serving, but this was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in all of San Francisco. The menu constantly changes so you get a new experience every time you would come. We’ll be going back.“

“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!“

“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“

“Beautiful food and excellent service – went for my husband's birthday and it was a special meal. Servers were super attentive and explained the various cuts of meat and preparation, and everything is cooked right in front of you, which makes for a cool experience. Every bite was delicious!“

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

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

“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!“

“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.“

“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!“

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

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

“Good fresh comfort food, warm friendly family business“

“Fantastic atmosphere & fantastic food. We had the bento for dinner (not an option on the dinner menu, you have to ask for it). The sashimi is especially stellar and is honestly better than a number of omakase sushi I have had at much more expensive places. Portion was great - We came in very hungry and left very satisfied!“

“Emma ,Julio and staff great!“

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

“OK, this is my very first Shabu experience. I’m a little scared sometimes to try new foods. Although I am quite a foodie and love eating all kinds of things. This is an excellent place to go on your first Shabu journey. The broth are delicious. The vegetables they bring you are fresh high-quality. I tried both the Ramen and the udon noodles prefer the udon. We did the all you can eat $46 meal. It was beyond fabulous. You get to try all the different kinds of meat. That green sauce made with the cilantro. I swear I could put it in a glass and drink it!! we had a birthday party with 11 people, and they were so accommodating to us. They even helped us serve our cake with candles. By the way, the meal comes with either red bean or green tea, ice cream.“

“Abby was super kind and gave great service!! Unagi skewer was insanely good, but a lil on the sweet side but that’s just my prefance. The Yuzu lager was refreshing, could definitely taste the yuzu, its on the rotating draft menu though.“

“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.“

“Food was good but a bit more pricey than other Japanese sushi restaurants in terms of quantity and price. The service is good. The waitress is very attentive. We were seated at the section separating from the main seating area which is close to the door, so it was a bit cold because of the wind on that day. Overall is good but not great but will come back once in a while! :)“

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

“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.“

“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.“