Izakaya Restaurants in San Francisco, CA

“Best vegan meal I’ve ever had, went twice in a four days it was that good ❤️“

“Amazing food and service! Sake is the best!“

“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.“

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

“My favorite ramen in the area! The mushroom broth is packed with incredible umami that is special rather than an afterthought. The noodles are perfectly bouncy and chewy. I crave this place all the time. Absolutely delicious every visit. 🍜❤“

“This was phenomenal. The soup broth was SO flavorful and the egg looked like it was birthed by a golden chicken. Seriously incredible. My only qualm is that they don’t let you adjust the toppings. I personally don’t like pork but was unable to switch it out for another type of meat. Other than that, seriously great ramen. Server was super nice as well and the vibes were great.“

“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.“

“死んで天国に行った気分だ。
(Shinde tengoku ni itta kibun da.)
“I feel like I died and went to heaven.”

Try the Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce ramen—hands down the best ramen I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. The balance of flavors is absolutely perfect. I went to bed without brushing my teeth just so I could savor them all night 🤪“

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

“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.“

“Phenomenal hospitality, food and drinks from Derrick and Vicky for my 40-person private event! What a San Francisco GEM. The wines and cocktails were excellent, the sushi delicious and fresh, and our community delighted in finding this local neighborhood winner.

I will be back to try the ube cocktail and the karaoke room next time. So glad I found this place!“

“The food here was definitely the highlight. Everything tasted pretty fresh and flavorful, and overall I would rate the food about 4/5. The ingredients seemed good quality and the dishes were enjoyable.

However, the service was a bit disappointing. The staff did their job, but they didn’t feel very welcoming or friendly. There wasn’t much interaction beyond the basics, and with the price point here, I expected a more warm and attentive experience.

The atmosphere was also just okay. It wasn’t fancy or fine dining, but it also didn’t really give a strong Japanese vibe either. The environment felt a bit mixed and not very memorable.

Overall, I’m giving 4 stars mainly because the food was good. If I rated the experience as a whole (food + service + atmosphere), it would probably be closer to 3/5. Still worth trying if you care mostly about the food.“

“Right at the edge of China town. Tried a lotus vegetable with mayo it was not good a bit too raw for me, also the squid legs which was good but a bit greasy. However we tried two different Ramen and they were delicious. Broth was very flavorful and heavy. Half egg 🥚 a nice touch usually you pay extra for the egg so it was nice to have it come in the dish. Service was nice and fast. Overall we had a great meal. There is allot of seating areas. I say check it out.“

“Super satisfied, excellent soup with unlimited of meat & everything ! Will recommend to my friends & family ! Staff so nice & approachable ! Thank you Jin Pot, all of us are full & contented !“

“The sushi was very mid. The lemon flavour on the 49er was too strong and overpowering.

The Fiery Wagyu’s flavour was far from a traditional ramen flavour, but I really enjoyed it! And that’s the only reason I’m giving this place four stars instead of three.“

“在美國的日本味道，這是算不錯的“

“reasonably priced ramen. The food was really good. The tonkatsu broth was excellent and went well with the pork. My daughter had the chicken ramen which was a little overcooked but still tasty. My other daughter had the veggie tofu with mild spice. Mild was still pretty spicy so avoid if your sensitive to spicy food. Overall we were pleased and will return.“

“Only stopped by this place for a quick drink, but it definitely left a great impression. Looking forward to coming back and trying more from the menu next time. The drink menu features plenty of options including those from Japan.

The edamame ended up being the highlight of our visit, which was done really well!

Service was great throughout, and we really enjoyed the overall vibe of the place. It had a relaxed atmosphere that made it easy to settle in, even for a short stop.

Would definitely return and recommend checking it out!“

“I had lightly seared A5 wagyu nigiri which was heavenly! Also spicy black garlic ramen with a huge tasty tender piece of pork belly. Both highly recommended!“

“Beyond the best Ramen in SF. It’s no wonder it’s always on the top 100 for the Chronicle. Michelin needs to review“

“We had the most wonderful dinner tonight at Noren Izakaya! Everything was fantastic from start to finish! From the service to the cocktails to the variety of food, to the dessert! Japanese yakitori and grilled street food and even sashimi! My new favorite! A must if you live or are visiting San Francisco! Oh! And tonight is not the night to skip dessert! 😘“

“Bento boxes were great, so many options to chose from. Would definitely go back.“

“I came here on my own for a solo dining experience.

Good:
The miso soup was super refreshing, and I was really tired, so it gave me a lot of energy, and the cup is pretty big.
The place has a really fun energy. It reminds me of dining in Japan, where you can watch the chefs cut really fresh fish right in front of you. Even sitting there solo, it's still quite nice.

Bad:
It takes a while to get service. I had to find a waiter myself.
I thought that the kimchi udon carbonara is good. It was just a little weird, the flavor profile, so I couldn't actually finish the whole thing.

Overall would suggest if you want to pop by for a quick meal!“