Came here tonight for the restaurant week menu (the set dinner with 5 rolls and chocolate mousse dessert for ~$35 pre tax and tip) for the first time with a party of 2, and boy was it tasty!!! It did not disappoint. I also got a Hana G+T cocktail. The set menu included the cucumber sunomono starter, and the following 5 omaka-set (the OG): zuke maguro (tuna), negihama, salmon, black cod, and snow crab. Our total cost after tax and tip was $60 ish (cocktails are ~$12-15 each) Pros: - SUPER fast service. They had reservations for ~1 hour after we arrived but said if we ate quick we could sit and eat at a window table. The girl who served us also had very corny jokes which we enjoyed haha. - YUMMY HANDROLLS which are very worth it, the pieces of fish are pretty big. My ultimate favorite was the black cod with truffle oil, it was so unique and delicious! Each one was perfect, no cons. - I LOVE the pipet-able soy sauce!! It makes it very easy to get some soy sauce in your hand roll without having the whole thing fall apart when you try to dip it in a soy sauce dish - The Hana Gin and tonic had the perfect amount of alcohol in it (where you can taste it but it's not too strong), and it was such a beautiful looking purple drink too. Definitely a pleasant surprise - Great for parties of 2 since there's multiple tables that can seat 2, but if you have a bigger party it could be a longer wait - I thought the price was very appropriate, and the menu wasn't too overwhelming, very straightforward. Good bang for your buck - they give you way more fish than Kazu Nori in SoCal. - Decent amount of food in the set menu - I didn't feel stuffed, but I wasn't hungry after either. Honestly, no cons other than the fact that it may be hard to find parking nearby and you might have to walk a bit (but also very walkable from 19th st. BART). 10/10 will be back, what a great restaurant week intro! Everything was so beautifully presented too. I can't wait to come back and try the other omaka-sets.
Danielle Z.
It's yummy!! We did a walk in on a weeknight and were seated and served immediately. The flight is definitely enough to get full, my husband ordered a special one a la carte to try. Would come back
R L.
Great sushi, higher-end ambiance and food. Perfect for date night or special occasion. Love the unique handrolls with subtle flavor combinations. I'm not usually a handroll fan but they do it right here and make it into a great meal. I've had the OG prefix menu and the Yonsei and both were phenomenal. They also have a in-house brewed soy sauce. I love this place for big bites of good sushi.
Kiana L.
Big & tasty handrolls for an affordable price! The handrolls here are very worth it comparatively to other handroll bars! My favorite was between the seared albacore & the black cod with truffle oil. Each handroll is 3-4 bites & they are very generous with the fish! The only thing I have to say that is not positive is that the seaweed doesn't stay crisp for too long after they are served. Service was friendly, a bit slow if anything on trying to get the check. Once the rolls started to come out, it was like one after another. It was great! Would come back for deliciousness & affordability.
Erin
One of my favorite sushi spots ever!!! I love this place ?
Rain Hayes (miss rain)
They just get everything right here. The simple concept menu is thoughtful and delicious. Staff are super friendly, and the atmosphere feels nice but chill. Great place for date night and the pricing is a solid value. I loved the hamachi carpaccio on my most recent visit, and the new raspberry ice cream dessert was so fresh and light. I always leave Yonsei excited to come back again.
Stopped by to eat an early dinner and it was a great choice! They bring out each handroll one by one, so if you're looking to chow down quickly this isn't the place. Service is great though, so your orders come out relatively quickly once you finish your current roll. Their black cod and truffle butter is a can't miss!
Ashley L.
I came here several months ago when they were still doing a lunch menu/service. I was bummed to see that they didn't do lunch anymore but it was so good, I'll probably go for their dinner time one day. Overall, each handroll was really filling. The fish was fresh and the handroll combinations were really tasty! I appreciated the dropper bottles as dispensers for the shoyu since it made spilling sauce out of the handroll less of a possibility.
Jaimee H.
Fresh and beautiful hand rolls, amazing sake, kind and fast service. Very cozy spot perfect for a date night.
Kasey N.
we got the OG handroll set the ahi tuna and snow crab handrolls were great! you need a reservation for yonsei handrolls. the place is decorated very nicely and the staff is friendly!
Yonsei has a nice ambience for a date night. It's a little dark and moody. The staff is friendly. Most of the tables are comfortable and intimate. The window seats are a bit weird but not terrible. The handrolls are really delicious! I also love the dropper bottles of infused soy sauce, they're perfect for topping the sushi. The cocktails are fantastic -- the spiked lemonade and Yonsei-rita are particularly great. I'm not a whisky drinker myself, but the selection they offer is pretty impressive. I went for a reservation-only Valentine's Day event with Yonsei x Itani Ramen next door, and there were a few issues with wait times. However, the food was good and the staff were very apologetic. I might not have returned, but I feel very positively about how the manager handled everything-- they really went above and beyond. It definitely changed my mind about going back. I also think the crossover event was a cool idea that could be a lot of fun with the kinks worked out.
Stephanie L.
This place exceeded my expectations! The place feels a bit small with maybe only 10 tables and not bright lighting. The food/fish was fresh and mouthwatering. I personally love uni so I ordered 2 (~$18 each). It was really creamy and not bitter at all. Some of the rolls can add up to be a bit on the pricey side but there's also a good amount of other options that are less than $10 each. The service was great and our waitress was very attentive. I came here with 6 other friends and we all had a great time. We left happy and full!
Katy R.
The staff and the food here are both amazing. I've been twice when dining alone and at the last minute, and both times the host has been so gracious to squeeze me in between reservations. (October 2023 and February 2024). The sets are the perfect amount of food and they're delicious. I got the OG set minus the snow crab. GET THE OLIVE OIL CAKE. The hand rolls speak for themselves but I will keep coming back due to the friendly staff.
Yamina Merzoug
Food is delicious, service is great until tonight. We got there at 8.45 (they close at 9.30) and we were told there were no tables available until 9 but once we are seating we will have to order fast, we said we were ok with it and asked for the menu so we were ready. After waiting 10 min we were told by another waitress that they couldn't sit us but we were welcome to order from the take out menu, I wish they had told us that from the beginning if that was the case.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Sunil S.
Came here for my birthday dinner with my wife and our toddler! The waitress really looked after our little one and he had a great time (although we discovered he apparently also has expensive taste in handrolls). I enjoyed a sake flight and we each tried a different "set" menu of handrolls, with the optional extra roll. This plus a salad starter was a surprisingly filling meal. The handrolls are impeccably presented and the restaurant it self has a neat industrual/modern aesthetic. The bar menu is from the ramen shop next door - so that's now on our list to check out at some point!
Came here tonight for the restaurant week menu (the set dinner with 5 rolls and chocolate mousse dessert for ~$35 pre tax and tip) for the first time with a party of 2, and boy was it tasty!!! It did not disappoint. I also got a Hana G+T cocktail. The set menu included the cucumber sunomono starter, and the following 5 omaka-set (the OG): zuke maguro (tuna), negihama, salmon, black cod, and snow crab. Our total cost after tax and tip was $60 ish (cocktails are ~$12-15 each) Pros: - SUPER fast service. They had reservations for ~1 hour after we arrived but said if we ate quick we could sit and eat at a window table. The girl who served us also had very corny jokes which we enjoyed haha. - YUMMY HANDROLLS which are very worth it, the pieces of fish are pretty big. My ultimate favorite was the black cod with truffle oil, it was so unique and delicious! Each one was perfect, no cons. - I LOVE the pipet-able soy sauce!! It makes it very easy to get some soy sauce in your hand roll without having the whole thing fall apart when you try to dip it in a soy sauce dish - The Hana Gin and tonic had the perfect amount of alcohol in it (where you can taste it but it's not too strong), and it was such a beautiful looking purple drink too. Definitely a pleasant surprise - Great for parties of 2 since there's multiple tables that can seat 2, but if you have a bigger party it could be a longer wait - I thought the price was very appropriate, and the menu wasn't too overwhelming, very straightforward. Good bang for your buck - they give you way more fish than Kazu Nori in SoCal. - Decent amount of food in the set menu - I didn't feel stuffed, but I wasn't hungry after either. Honestly, no cons other than the fact that it may be hard to find parking nearby and you might have to walk a bit (but also very walkable from 19th st. BART). 10/10 will be back, what a great restaurant week intro! Everything was so beautifully presented too. I can't wait to come back and try the other omaka-sets.
It's yummy!! We did a walk in on a weeknight and were seated and served immediately. The flight is definitely enough to get full, my husband ordered a special one a la carte to try. Would come back
Great sushi, higher-end ambiance and food. Perfect for date night or special occasion. Love the unique handrolls with subtle flavor combinations. I'm not usually a handroll fan but they do it right here and make it into a great meal. I've had the OG prefix menu and the Yonsei and both were phenomenal. They also have a in-house brewed soy sauce. I love this place for big bites of good sushi.
Big & tasty handrolls for an affordable price! The handrolls here are very worth it comparatively to other handroll bars! My favorite was between the seared albacore & the black cod with truffle oil. Each handroll is 3-4 bites & they are very generous with the fish! The only thing I have to say that is not positive is that the seaweed doesn't stay crisp for too long after they are served. Service was friendly, a bit slow if anything on trying to get the check. Once the rolls started to come out, it was like one after another. It was great! Would come back for deliciousness & affordability.
One of my favorite sushi spots ever!!! I love this place ?
They just get everything right here. The simple concept menu is thoughtful and delicious. Staff are super friendly, and the atmosphere feels nice but chill. Great place for date night and the pricing is a solid value. I loved the hamachi carpaccio on my most recent visit, and the new raspberry ice cream dessert was so fresh and light. I always leave Yonsei excited to come back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soy Cured Ahi Tuna, Hamachi Carpaccio
Stopped by to eat an early dinner and it was a great choice! They bring out each handroll one by one, so if you're looking to chow down quickly this isn't the place. Service is great though, so your orders come out relatively quickly once you finish your current roll. Their black cod and truffle butter is a can't miss!
I came here several months ago when they were still doing a lunch menu/service. I was bummed to see that they didn't do lunch anymore but it was so good, I'll probably go for their dinner time one day. Overall, each handroll was really filling. The fish was fresh and the handroll combinations were really tasty! I appreciated the dropper bottles as dispensers for the shoyu since it made spilling sauce out of the handroll less of a possibility.
Fresh and beautiful hand rolls, amazing sake, kind and fast service. Very cozy spot perfect for a date night.
we got the OG handroll set the ahi tuna and snow crab handrolls were great! you need a reservation for yonsei handrolls. the place is decorated very nicely and the staff is friendly!
Restaurantji Recommends
Yonsei has a nice ambience for a date night. It's a little dark and moody. The staff is friendly. Most of the tables are comfortable and intimate. The window seats are a bit weird but not terrible. The handrolls are really delicious! I also love the dropper bottles of infused soy sauce, they're perfect for topping the sushi. The cocktails are fantastic -- the spiked lemonade and Yonsei-rita are particularly great. I'm not a whisky drinker myself, but the selection they offer is pretty impressive. I went for a reservation-only Valentine's Day event with Yonsei x Itani Ramen next door, and there were a few issues with wait times. However, the food was good and the staff were very apologetic. I might not have returned, but I feel very positively about how the manager handled everything-- they really went above and beyond. It definitely changed my mind about going back. I also think the crossover event was a cool idea that could be a lot of fun with the kinks worked out.
This place exceeded my expectations! The place feels a bit small with maybe only 10 tables and not bright lighting. The food/fish was fresh and mouthwatering. I personally love uni so I ordered 2 (~$18 each). It was really creamy and not bitter at all. Some of the rolls can add up to be a bit on the pricey side but there's also a good amount of other options that are less than $10 each. The service was great and our waitress was very attentive. I came here with 6 other friends and we all had a great time. We left happy and full!
The staff and the food here are both amazing. I've been twice when dining alone and at the last minute, and both times the host has been so gracious to squeeze me in between reservations. (October 2023 and February 2024). The sets are the perfect amount of food and they're delicious. I got the OG set minus the snow crab. GET THE OLIVE OIL CAKE. The hand rolls speak for themselves but I will keep coming back due to the friendly staff.
Food is delicious, service is great until tonight. We got there at 8.45 (they close at 9.30) and we were told there were no tables available until 9 but once we are seating we will have to order fast, we said we were ok with it and asked for the menu so we were ready. After waiting 10 min we were told by another waitress that they couldn't sit us but we were welcome to order from the take out menu, I wish they had told us that from the beginning if that was the case.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Came here for my birthday dinner with my wife and our toddler! The waitress really looked after our little one and he had a great time (although we discovered he apparently also has expensive taste in handrolls). I enjoyed a sake flight and we each tried a different "set" menu of handrolls, with the optional extra roll. This plus a salad starter was a surprisingly filling meal. The handrolls are impeccably presented and the restaurant it self has a neat industrual/modern aesthetic. The bar menu is from the ramen shop next door - so that's now on our list to check out at some point!