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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

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

“Eating is a kind of happiness, taste is a kind of interest“

“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“

“Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! Perfection. The attention to detail and the warm service was great from the jump. The entire 17 course meal and sake pairing was one of the best meals that we've ever had. I don't say this lightly, it was flawless.“

“There's no place like Moku. You can come here to celebrate and/or to lighten your mood, the vibe is so versatile. The food always comes out hot; I love that the specials reflect seasonality and freshness. The service is also superb, you'll feel right at home :) Highlyyyy recommend <3“

“My favorite sushi spot in the city, and the service is fast and friendly!“

“Fantastic neighborhood spot. Food is great. Service is a bit brisk and can be curt but it’s not a bad attitude, just trying to take care of everyone. I went last weekend and it hit the spot so perfectly I went back this weekend with a different friend. Sweet server tonight. High quality food and the space has a very good sf neighborhood spot vibe - takes me back to the 90s. I’ll be back for sure.“

“I don’t mean to exaggerate, but when it comes to both the food and the service, exaggeration almost feels necessary. Chris was phenomenal, and the food exceeded anything I could have imagined. This place is truly unexpected in the best way—just trust the experience. There really aren’t enough words to describe how amazing it is.“

“The sashimi here is so good! Really fresh, thick pieces. I tried the salmon, salmon toro, walu, yellowtail, toro, and ocean trout. My favorite as always is salmon but the ocean trout which was recommended by the server was super good. The walu was amazing too, they served it with some chili oil crisp which paired well! The toro which I got as nigiri was super fatty and melt in your mouth. I also got the hamachi kama appetizer which can be fishy tasting at some restaurants but the one here was not fishy at all and super fresh, very buttery and soft.

Overall definitely recommend this spot for their fish and I would 100% return.“

“This is the place, but it’s mine you can’t come🤯😤. The happy hour is an awesome deal, the fish is great, and a good deal on hot sake too. Sunny is a great waitress and everyone is so friendly. Could not think of a place I’d rather take my partner!“

“Good takeout sushi option with reasonable prices. The restaurant closes pretty early and have a small staff, which can lead to longer waiting times- so have that in mind when ordering. The food was great and the ingredients had great quality.“

“I have dined at a fair number of sushi restaurants in America as well as some of the finest in Tokyo. Kuma distinguishes itself by having served me the best Chirashi Bowl (I had the Chirashi Deluxe), that I have had in my life. What made the bowl better than some good ones I’ve had was not only the excellent fish on top… but the thoughtfully composed bottom of purple rice with tasty nuggets of egg, soybeans, pickled cucumber, braised tofu, sliced lemon, and tobiko. It was SO GOOD. So if you love Chirashi, or just love thoughtfully prepared sushi, this is THE PLACE!“

“awesome service and amazingly fresh sushi! open from 4:30 to 9:30. on Geary near masonic“

“Exceptional service. Delicious, artfully presented omakase at a reasonable price point.“

“I genuinely don’t know how they make this profitable at this price point.

The quality of the food and the level of service are honestly surprising for what you pay. Every course feels thoughtful and refined, yet the atmosphere remains relaxed and comfortable rather than overly formal.

One thing I especially appreciated was the pacing. Tasting menus often suffer from long gaps between dishes, which can make the experience drag, but here the flow was smooth and efficient. It never felt rushed, but it also never felt slow or boring.

The portions were perfectly designed. Instead of a few heavy plates, they serve multiple smaller dishes, which keeps you engaged and comfortably satisfied from start to finish.

If there’s a sushi add-on option, absolutely get it. It was one of the highlights.

Even the smallest details are clearly intentional. The restroom is stocked with Le Labo hand wash, the amenities are meticulously curated, and the all-black aesthetic throughout the space shows how much care has gone into every element of the experience.

Right before the dessert course, the chef personally came out to greet the guests, which added a warm and memorable touch.

The only downside? It’s incredibly hard to get a reservation😅“

“Omg! The Ribs are amazing!“

“We’ve been hearing about teawood for a while and given our experiences in Taiwan, we’ve been really looking forward to eating there. It wasn’t crowded as we went early around 5:30 pm. I ordered the beef noodle soup and my wife ordered the minced pork over rice and added an egg. My soup was very large and had generous portions of beef and noodles.

The broth was dark and intense in a good way, I liked it very much but the minced pork with rice came out and the minced pork was cold!!! It had not been heated. We asked the waitress to fix it but she seeemed uncertain about what to do. Finally she went into the kitchen and brought out a new bowl of hot minced pork to put over the cold pork and the warm rice. That dish was surprisingly soupy in not a good way!

Later we ordered the durian tofu pudding from her and she went into the kitchen to make sure they had it. When she came out she indicated that it was available but that it’s COLD!!! Well of course it is!!! Generally we want our entrees hot and our desserts cold. I’m assuming after we asked for a hot entree, everything we ordered we’d wanted it hot? I can’t believe that level of incompetence and ignorance!!! So service is not a highlight of teawood. Now the durian tofu for $6.95 was sublime. Highly, highly recommended!!! We’ll be back to try more dishes and to make sure the staff gives us hot entrees and cold desserts!!!“

“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!“

“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.“

“friendly service and tasty food“

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

“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!“

“Came here for a dinner and tuna cutting and it was amazing. I didn't expect the tuna to be so large!

Good:
- Super cool explanation of how everything works and the chef adds some fun humor into it which makes it even more entertaining than the cutting already is.
- The buffet we had was so good, I loved the crepe cake dessert and grapes too, and there was shrimp, tuna, chicken, everything you could imagine
- The tuna was soooo fresh
- The staff were so kind and helpful!
- There was also a sake pairing and wine pairing which elevated the experience

Bad:
- Can be pricey!

Overall this was such a premium experience and so glad we got to experience it!“

“Really interesting take on Ramen broth. The beef broth is rich yet not too thick. I prefer a richer Paitan but this is also good. Black garlic oil also adds more depth to the soup.

The noodle is bouncy and chewy with a strong smell of egg noodle.

Crispy mushroom is good but can be a little too salty to finish by a single person. A touch of something citrusy would help cut through the greasiness after half a dish.“

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

“We went right at open and our group of 6 were almost seated immediately. We got the all you can eat package and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of meat that was offered. While the selection was basically lamb, beef and pork, all the meats were nice and tender.

However the staff seemed to have a problem with our table. They were not as friendly to us as they were to other tables. We don’t know if it was because of all the meat that we were eating but if we got the all you can eat, we will eat all that we can eat.

At the end of the meal we were given the option for ice cream which was a pleasant and tasty surprise.“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“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! :)“

“Jo's awesome. We had a great experience. Highly recommended for birthdays or just being together 👯‍♀️💯👍“

“Excellent food, excellent service. We loved it. We had Shrimp Tempura Roll, Sexy Roll, Edamame, Miso Soup, Kirin Beer. Can’t wait to go back again.“

“We just moved into the neighborhood and have been trying out new local restaurants — and wow, we’re so glad we found this place! This was our second time coming in, and it honestly reminded us why we couldn’t wait to come back.
The food is fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with quality ingredients. You can taste the difference — they even use real crab, which is one of the many reasons we love it here. Everything we’ve tried so far has been delicious and perfectly cooked.
The service makes the experience even better. Kyle and Jennifer were both so friendly, attentive, and full of great energy. They really made us feel welcome. In the kitchen, Chefs Gary and Jimmy bring not only amazing cooking skills but also great humor and personality — you can feel how much they care about what they do.
There’s something about this place that just feels like home — warm, relaxed, and full of good vibes. It’s definitely become one of our favorite restaurants in the neighborhood, and we can’t wait to come back again soon!“

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

“Best Omakase in town.“

“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.“

“The atmosphere and presentation of the food was extremely chic! The meal was delicious!!“

“My favorite Japanese restaurant in San Francisco! A couple doors down from a killer Chinese bakery as well!!“

“👍👍🍜🍜 good Udon place in SFO 👍👍“

“Delicious food and friendly staff“