Fermentation Lab Japantown

A lot of great options, unfortunately they were out of the hangar steak on a Saturday night early. I can't recommend the beef tips as they were completely bland. Ferm burger was rich but very tasty. Overall a nice night.

10/10 recommend. Walked in Friday night, no reservation. We were seated right away. Had a pork/beef burger with the upgrade to duck fat fries (can’t miss!) and the uni pasta - both were stellar! We love eating out and it had been a while since we saw such an intriguing menu. Try it, you won’t regret it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Duck Fat Fries

Delicious food, great drinks, nice ambiance, outstanding service. Great for an intimate dinner or group of friends.

One of my go to places in Japantown. Always amazing food and great friendly service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Pretty cool vibe. There’s seating at couches for lounging with drinks. Food was very flavourful. Staff were nice

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Nice ambiance and excellent place for a date night. Food was salty and pasta was overcooked.

Service was good and standard. Food portions were okay but nothing outstanding about the dishes we got. The drinks were yummy though.

This was a fabulous resto find- me and my friends absolutely loved it! The 2 servers were attentive, the food was fabulous and the holiday decor was breathtaking. The happy hour was amazing as well, which we had before dinner. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in SF later in 2026!

I was surprised; little or nothing was fermented. Everything was pleasant, some things were rather too salty. It wasn't special.

Perfectly fine meal, with good service when we got it. The place is pretty, and it's a nice layout but there are tvs everywhere. It's a bit intense. Service was probably impacted by missing staff, they seemed a bit overwhelmed. Food was fine, neither my husband or I thought anything really stood out. We tried the deviled eggs, the onion dip, Brussels sprouts, mandu, and the kimchi clam soup. All fine but only the mandu was something we'd consider ordering again. Cocktails were pretty good. This is likely a good place for happy hour, but not a full meal.

I stumbled into this restaurant without doing much research—honestly, the name had me expecting some kind of fermented-food theme, which made the actual menu a funny surprise. The atmosphere is airy and inviting, and the staff couldn’t have been warmer or more attentive.

We opted for a shared-plates approach instead of individual entrées, and everything we tried was well-executed: thoughtful flavors, nicely balanced, and cooked with care. While there wasn’t a single dish that absolutely demanded a return trip, the overall experience was enjoyable enough that I’d happily come back and explore more of the menu.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Dinner was delicious. The atmosphere was great. The service was even better. I highly recommend this spot.

I love the food, the service, and style at Fermentation Lab. Jeannie and her team are lovely. The ambiance is the right vibe for Japantown. I have eaten there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and always leave full.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Nice vibe, helpful service, well presented dishes, creative cocktails. All around nice dinner experience before attending a Fillmore show!

I really enjoyed the burger.
Many other meals looks great too