I’ve always had good meals here. Tried the chicken tsukumen today and it was seasoned well and the soup was very brothy! Quite exceptional izakaya style food in the neighborhood at a reasonable price. Their bar snacks are amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Tsukemen, Yakitori
Ellen K
I can't believe I haven't been to this place in about a decade! That's only a testament to the fact that we have so much great food in the city and not a reflection upon this restaurant because it's still fantastic. A great mix of food to share, including raw bar, yakitori, salads and vegetables, and ramen. Tried a little bit of almost everything but sadly our eyes were bigger than our mouths. We'll just have to come back again soon!
We’ve been here loads of times and have always loved the vibe and food. Tonight was way different. We had an 8:30 reservation, which I understand is the last available reservation. We were hustled to pay and close well before 9pm. As industry for over 15 years, I understand wanting to close, but don’t post 8:30 reservations if that is a problem for the kitchen/staff. All orders from the kitchen were well before close, but we were brought the bill before half our food arrived. Our plates were cleared seconds after finishing them and staff ignored our goodbyes/thanks when we left at 9:05. This is the first negative review I have ever left any establishment.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Gerald Soo
All good stuff. Parking is a different
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Raymond Kim
Step right up, my fellow food aficionados! Let me spill the soy sauce on Izakaya Sozai – a culinary gem still reigning supreme in the Bay Area. Picture this: tantalizing tastes that transcend ordinary izakaya fare, from their celestial ramen to a parade of palate-pleasers. With each bite, you're dancing on a cloud of flavor, and let's not forget the sake – it's so good, it's practically a spiritual experience! At Sozai, it's not just about the food; it's a whole vibe – the kind of place where good friends dive into great food, excellent service, and awesome sake converge in a harmonious symphony of culinary delight.
Unfortunately I didn’t have a good experience. My wife and I got food poisoning shortly after eating here. Food was bland and undercooked stay away from the miso cod!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
max rosgen
Delicious food. Went with my dad and got a bunch of different things, all the skewers we got (3 different ones) were amazing. We also ordered a special (deep fried baby octopus) and they said they had none left so we ordered fried squid (tasted great) and then about 15 minutes later they brought out some of the octopus that they managed to find and comped it! I live close by and this place is always busy and for good reason!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jaime N.
The restaurant is a tight fit, so it's very cozy and loud. The door is kept open, so make sure you dress warm.I had the red snapper ramen. Very light and mellow. The only protein in here is a scant portion of ikura and an egg. The salt and pepper I was provided wasn't enough to give the broth that flavor I was accustomed to such as in the beef/chicken broths. I wasn't a fan except for their egg and ramen noodles. Will stick to the other ramen in the future.
Ivy N.
Now I have to say, for a small joint like Izakaya Sozai, they can sure serve up mini courses that will absolutely get your eyes wide open. Most of the dishes were very delicious and for a very decent price. Izakaya style, of course. My top favorite dishes were the Tako Wasabi, bacon wrapped enoki mushroom and mochi, and Ankimo pate. If you are a foodie like me and are adventurous, I recommend you come here to try it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Andrew “Fae” LD
This was a really fun destination for a birthday party. The atmosphere is lively and the servers are helpful. I recommend ordering tapas-style for a table of ~4 people. Prices are high but the food is excellent. The strawberry pate wasn't a great flavor combination for any of us, and we wish there was more bread to enjoy it with. The noodle bowls were solid but not exceptional.
This was a really fun destination for a birthday party. The atmosphere is lively and the servers are helpful. I recommend ordering tapas-style for a table of ~4 people. Prices are high but the food is excellent. The strawberry pate wasn't a great flavor combination for any of us, and we wish there was more bread to enjoy it with. The noodle bowls were solid but not exceptional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Catherine W.
We had a lot of things and the ramen was the best! I enjoyed the Takoyaki, crispy rice with spicy tuna, and pork jowl skewers! The service wasn't so good - my friend had some allergies and they forgot! They were so busy also that they ran out of plates! I would go back tho because the ramen was so good!
Julie W.
Easy to get a reservation late Sunday and it seemed like there was plenty of seating for walk ins as well. We were craving ramen and love the tonkotsu here. Also splurged on a bunch of sides-- beef tongue skewer was our favorite. We also had the miso eggplant which I would also recommend. The other two we got was the okonomiyaki which was tasty but I probably wouldn't order again and agedashi mochi also tasty but I definitely would still prefer the agedashi tofu.
I’ve always had good meals here. Tried the chicken tsukumen today and it was seasoned well and the soup was very brothy! Quite exceptional izakaya style food in the neighborhood at a reasonable price. Their bar snacks are amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Tsukemen, Yakitori
I can't believe I haven't been to this place in about a decade! That's only a testament to the fact that we have so much great food in the city and not a reflection upon this restaurant because it's still fantastic. A great mix of food to share, including raw bar, yakitori, salads and vegetables, and ramen. Tried a little bit of almost everything but sadly our eyes were bigger than our mouths. We'll just have to come back again soon!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Maitake Fritters, Nankotsu Karaage Chicken Cartilage, Chicken Wing, Duck Skewer, Yakitori
We’ve been here loads of times and have always loved the vibe and food. Tonight was way different. We had an 8:30 reservation, which I understand is the last available reservation. We were hustled to pay and close well before 9pm. As industry for over 15 years, I understand wanting to close, but don’t post 8:30 reservations if that is a problem for the kitchen/staff. All orders from the kitchen were well before close, but we were brought the bill before half our food arrived. Our plates were cleared seconds after finishing them and staff ignored our goodbyes/thanks when we left at 9:05. This is the first negative review I have ever left any establishment.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
All good stuff. Parking is a different
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Step right up, my fellow food aficionados! Let me spill the soy sauce on Izakaya Sozai – a culinary gem still reigning supreme in the Bay Area. Picture this: tantalizing tastes that transcend ordinary izakaya fare, from their celestial ramen to a parade of palate-pleasers. With each bite, you're dancing on a cloud of flavor, and let's not forget the sake – it's so good, it's practically a spiritual experience! At Sozai, it's not just about the food; it's a whole vibe – the kind of place where good friends dive into great food, excellent service, and awesome sake converge in a harmonious symphony of culinary delight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ritsu Tonkotsu Ramen, Tuna Tartar Wasabi Guzca'Nole Lotus Root Chips, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, Maitake Fritters, Braised Pork Belly Kakuni, Hamachi Carpaccio, Chicken Heart Skewer
Unfortunately I didn’t have a good experience. My wife and I got food poisoning shortly after eating here. Food was bland and undercooked stay away from the miso cod!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Delicious food. Went with my dad and got a bunch of different things, all the skewers we got (3 different ones) were amazing. We also ordered a special (deep fried baby octopus) and they said they had none left so we ordered fried squid (tasted great) and then about 15 minutes later they brought out some of the octopus that they managed to find and comped it! I live close by and this place is always busy and for good reason!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The restaurant is a tight fit, so it's very cozy and loud. The door is kept open, so make sure you dress warm.I had the red snapper ramen. Very light and mellow. The only protein in here is a scant portion of ikura and an egg. The salt and pepper I was provided wasn't enough to give the broth that flavor I was accustomed to such as in the beef/chicken broths. I wasn't a fan except for their egg and ramen noodles. Will stick to the other ramen in the future.
Now I have to say, for a small joint like Izakaya Sozai, they can sure serve up mini courses that will absolutely get your eyes wide open. Most of the dishes were very delicious and for a very decent price. Izakaya style, of course. My top favorite dishes were the Tako Wasabi, bacon wrapped enoki mushroom and mochi, and Ankimo pate. If you are a foodie like me and are adventurous, I recommend you come here to try it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
This was a really fun destination for a birthday party. The atmosphere is lively and the servers are helpful. I recommend ordering tapas-style for a table of ~4 people. Prices are high but the food is excellent. The strawberry pate wasn't a great flavor combination for any of us, and we wish there was more bread to enjoy it with. The noodle bowls were solid but not exceptional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
It was gone. The ramen was exceptionally good. The rest was just fine. If I lived near there I'd go back maybe but would make a trip out
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
This is a great little spot with fantastic food and service.Get the Sweet Potato Truffle Fries, You won't be sorry. Promise.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ritsu Tonkotsu Ramen, Chicken Tsukemen
This was a really fun destination for a birthday party. The atmosphere is lively and the servers are helpful. I recommend ordering tapas-style for a table of ~4 people. Prices are high but the food is excellent. The strawberry pate wasn't a great flavor combination for any of us, and we wish there was more bread to enjoy it with. The noodle bowls were solid but not exceptional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a lot of things and the ramen was the best! I enjoyed the Takoyaki, crispy rice with spicy tuna, and pork jowl skewers! The service wasn't so good - my friend had some allergies and they forgot! They were so busy also that they ran out of plates! I would go back tho because the ramen was so good!
Easy to get a reservation late Sunday and it seemed like there was plenty of seating for walk ins as well. We were craving ramen and love the tonkotsu here. Also splurged on a bunch of sides-- beef tongue skewer was our favorite. We also had the miso eggplant which I would also recommend. The other two we got was the okonomiyaki which was tasty but I probably wouldn't order again and agedashi mochi also tasty but I definitely would still prefer the agedashi tofu.