We had a wonderful omakase experience. The chef, Mika, was very friendly and welcoming, taking the time to introduce each dish. The nigiri was absolutely delicious, the sashimi was fresh. My favorite was the scallop. Overall, the service was excellent, and we had a very enjoyable and memorable dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erik
Food is what you would expect from a restaurant of this caliber, phenomenal. Service was stellar, warm and welcoming and non intrusive. Sake list was reasonably priced they had my favorite sake on the list, not many places carry it.
Alex
I was really looking forward to this but the food taste just didn't live up to the hype. The chef was super personable but there wasn't much creativity in the courses and some were bland. There were a few that were great but overall the food just isn't worth the cost.
Alexandre
Outstanding. A memorable experience in terms of flavors, service and ambiance. Highly recommend!
courtney
I don't write critical reviews, however, since the bill for two Omakases and one bottle of sake ($300) was $800, I feel that I ought to. I will first say that I have a tremendous amount of respect for Japanese restaurants that aim to deliver this level of quality and work in their product. I love Omakase and so I have eaten at quite a few expensive Japanese restaurants. I took my friend to Kusakabe for her birthday, we pick a new Omakase place together each year for her bday. I picked it because it appeared to serve a high level Omakase, the atmosphere seemed fancy enough to get dressy for, but casual enough that there would be a more bustling atmosphere which we both prefer. I booked two classic Omakases, but there wasn't a mention of seating. When we arrived we requested to be sat at the bar as there were many open seats, but they refused us saying that the list for bar seating was booked out months in advanced. My girlfriend thought they were saying it was members only to sit at the bar? this remains unclear. Not huge deal, just slightly off-putting to start. The food was very pretty and there were lots of cooked dishes in the omakase that had strong umami and oceanic flavors, not only the uni. though I'm also particular about my uni. It's a sliding scale and everyone prefers something different when it comes to that flavor profile, but I have low preference for it. In cooked dishes or otherwise, it was a very prevalent taste profile throughout the whole Omakase which didn't suit me or my friend. So if you don't like Umami taste I would caution that this Omakase leans much more in this regard than others. This is more of a preference issue, however aside one life changing piece of chu-toro (and it was outstanding) the rest of the nigiri we enjoyed their wasn't very fresh tasting. They were wonderful cuts, that just didn't taste fresh. For that price we expected a bit more. Note that the customer service was wonderful and treated my bday friend very sweetly.
Olivia Harmon
Visited for my birthday this past weekend! Kusakabe did not disappoint. We had heard lots of great things about the food and everything exceeded our expectations. The sake pairing was generous and delicious. My only hope is that next time I can sit at the sushi bar! Can’t wait to come back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Evan
This is another neighborhood Japanese favorite! They offer an Omakase menu, which makes the experience very easy to manage. As foodies, we know there are so many Japanese restaurants in the city and the competition is fierce, but this place easily earns a spot in our Top 5. The space is very small and intimate, so I recommend picking an early dining time to avoid the crowds!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ellen K
We continued our anniversary omakase tradition at Kusakabe - the restaurant that was the first to introduce SF to omakase only. While I can't believe this was our first visit here, we're lucky enough to have a bevy of omakase restaurants in the Bay Area now. So what makes this one stand out, a good 11 years after opening? First, I have to say - the price of $210 for 18 courses (if you count 2 pieces of sushi as one course) is beyond reasonable. I can't remember ever feeling this fully sasfied after omakase. Usually we and up asking for more uni. But at Kusakabe, they bed us a scallop with uni, and later an uni on top of uni nigiri with 2 different varieties of uni. We were well and truly uni'd out, and so very pleasantly full. Second, we definitely tasted Japanese dishes here that we have not had at any other omakase restaurant. The presentation was exquisite. Every piece of fish was prepared to perfection. I could have wept, honestly. Seriously considering coming back here sooner rather than later.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
William
Kusakabe was absolutely amazing. From the prep, service, presentation and food... amazing! Thank you to everyone for making our christmas dinner special!
Krystal
Ugh, really really wanted to love this place. This was my fifth omakase (not at this restaurant); the staff were super friendly and attentive but the sushi and flavors were lack luster to off. I also got very very sick as soon as I walked out….that has never happened to me before with sushi and like I said I have sushi from a wide range of places often (and I actually had sushi 3 times this very week already). The space is really small and it doesn’t feel like there’s any special effort to make it fit the price tag…just dim lights, wood chairs, not even a minimalist edge or anything chic. This would not be a place to dress up. The super high rating is a bit confusing. I paid $400/pp for the sushi and sake pairing, which I was happy to do but I do wish the sushi had been worth it . The sake pairing was excellently selected, the flavors went together very well. Altogether, a bit disappointed and very confused as to why I essentially threw up most of it up upon leaving. I’m typically an easy sell and I wish this had been great so I could come back often. I parked in a garage pretty close by, there were a few.
Second time dining here for my partner and I's anniversary! Service was amazing, fish was delicious and all the little dishes in between were excellent. This is 100% worth the price!
Christy
They were very attentive to my party, and they served the most delicious food. It's my second time back and it does not disappoint!
Kaitlyn
Absolute heaven! We did the 18 course dinner and it was just the right amount of food- full but not stuffed. In all my years of fine dining, never have a I had such an amazing explosion of tastes in my mouth, plus a visual feast! Each course is either one piece of exquisite sushi or appetizer etc. and made and presented by your sushi chef, placed on your dish. No soy sauce and wasabi here! You pick it up with your hands and he says “One bite” for all except one sushi course. When it hit our tongues it was an explosion of such taste we didn't chew for the longest time, literally letting it melt- I honestly started laughing with delight at tasting every new course. We tried two kinds of sake and loved the second one. Our server was exceptional and the service was impeccable. Stunning presentation, gracious chef asking for feedback, and a preparation I've never experienced before. To say this food is delicious doesn't do it service. I'd recommend the sushi bar for a more interactive experience. Sushi at the highest level outside of Japan. Reservations essential, even on a weeknight. Will be back eleven back in SF. Highly highly recommended!
Krista Reyes
Had the petite omakase with the sake pairing. Everything was amazing and the chef was very friendly and explained every serving well. Highly recommend the sake pairing. Definitely will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Opentable Diner
Every single course was thoughtfully curated and delicious. For my first omakase it was a lovely experience. The staff was also extremely nice
We had a wonderful omakase experience. The chef, Mika, was very friendly and welcoming, taking the time to introduce each dish. The nigiri was absolutely delicious, the sashimi was fresh. My favorite was the scallop. Overall, the service was excellent, and we had a very enjoyable and memorable dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is what you would expect from a restaurant of this caliber, phenomenal. Service was stellar, warm and welcoming and non intrusive. Sake list was reasonably priced they had my favorite sake on the list, not many places carry it.
I was really looking forward to this but the food taste just didn't live up to the hype. The chef was super personable but there wasn't much creativity in the courses and some were bland. There were a few that were great but overall the food just isn't worth the cost.
Outstanding. A memorable experience in terms of flavors, service and ambiance. Highly recommend!
I don't write critical reviews, however, since the bill for two Omakases and one bottle of sake ($300) was $800, I feel that I ought to. I will first say that I have a tremendous amount of respect for Japanese restaurants that aim to deliver this level of quality and work in their product. I love Omakase and so I have eaten at quite a few expensive Japanese restaurants. I took my friend to Kusakabe for her birthday, we pick a new Omakase place together each year for her bday. I picked it because it appeared to serve a high level Omakase, the atmosphere seemed fancy enough to get dressy for, but casual enough that there would be a more bustling atmosphere which we both prefer. I booked two classic Omakases, but there wasn't a mention of seating. When we arrived we requested to be sat at the bar as there were many open seats, but they refused us saying that the list for bar seating was booked out months in advanced. My girlfriend thought they were saying it was members only to sit at the bar? this remains unclear. Not huge deal, just slightly off-putting to start. The food was very pretty and there were lots of cooked dishes in the omakase that had strong umami and oceanic flavors, not only the uni. though I'm also particular about my uni. It's a sliding scale and everyone prefers something different when it comes to that flavor profile, but I have low preference for it. In cooked dishes or otherwise, it was a very prevalent taste profile throughout the whole Omakase which didn't suit me or my friend. So if you don't like Umami taste I would caution that this Omakase leans much more in this regard than others. This is more of a preference issue, however aside one life changing piece of chu-toro (and it was outstanding) the rest of the nigiri we enjoyed their wasn't very fresh tasting. They were wonderful cuts, that just didn't taste fresh. For that price we expected a bit more. Note that the customer service was wonderful and treated my bday friend very sweetly.
Visited for my birthday this past weekend! Kusakabe did not disappoint. We had heard lots of great things about the food and everything exceeded our expectations. The sake pairing was generous and delicious. My only hope is that next time I can sit at the sushi bar! Can’t wait to come back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is another neighborhood Japanese favorite! They offer an Omakase menu, which makes the experience very easy to manage. As foodies, we know there are so many Japanese restaurants in the city and the competition is fierce, but this place easily earns a spot in our Top 5. The space is very small and intimate, so I recommend picking an early dining time to avoid the crowds!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We continued our anniversary omakase tradition at Kusakabe - the restaurant that was the first to introduce SF to omakase only. While I can't believe this was our first visit here, we're lucky enough to have a bevy of omakase restaurants in the Bay Area now. So what makes this one stand out, a good 11 years after opening?
First, I have to say - the price of $210 for 18 courses (if you count 2 pieces of sushi as one course) is beyond reasonable. I can't remember ever feeling this fully sasfied after omakase. Usually we and up asking for more uni. But at Kusakabe, they bed us a scallop with uni, and later an uni on top of uni nigiri with 2 different varieties of uni. We were well and truly uni'd out, and so very pleasantly full. Second, we definitely tasted Japanese dishes here that we have not had at any other omakase restaurant. The presentation was exquisite. Every piece of fish was prepared to perfection. I could have wept, honestly. Seriously considering coming back here sooner rather than later.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kusakabe was absolutely amazing. From the prep, service, presentation and food... amazing! Thank you to everyone for making our christmas dinner special!
Ugh, really really wanted to love this place. This was my fifth omakase (not at this restaurant); the staff were super friendly and attentive but the sushi and flavors were lack luster to off. I also got very very sick as soon as I walked out….that has never happened to me before with sushi and like I said I have sushi from a wide range of places often (and I actually had sushi 3 times this very week already). The space is really small and it doesn’t feel like there’s any special effort to make it fit the price tag…just dim lights, wood chairs, not even a minimalist edge or anything chic. This would not be a place to dress up. The super high rating is a bit confusing. I paid $400/pp for the sushi and sake pairing, which I was happy to do but I do wish the sushi had been worth it . The sake pairing was excellently selected, the flavors went together very well. Altogether, a bit disappointed and very confused as to why I essentially threw up most of it up upon leaving. I’m typically an easy sell and I wish this had been great so I could come back often. I parked in a garage pretty close by, there were a few.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Second time dining here for my partner and I's anniversary! Service was amazing, fish was delicious and all the little dishes in between were excellent. This is 100% worth the price!
They were very attentive to my party, and they served the most delicious food. It's my second time back and it does not disappoint!
Absolute heaven! We did the 18 course dinner and it was just the right amount of food- full but not stuffed. In all my years of fine dining, never have a I had such an amazing explosion of tastes in my mouth, plus a visual feast! Each course is either one piece of exquisite sushi or appetizer etc. and made and presented by your sushi chef, placed on your dish. No soy sauce and wasabi here! You pick it up with your hands and he says “One bite” for all except one sushi course. When it hit our tongues it was an explosion of such taste we didn't chew for the longest time, literally letting it melt- I honestly started laughing with delight at tasting every new course. We tried two kinds of sake and loved the second one. Our server was exceptional and the service was impeccable. Stunning presentation, gracious chef asking for feedback, and a preparation I've never experienced before. To say this food is delicious doesn't do it service. I'd recommend the sushi bar for a more interactive experience. Sushi at the highest level outside of Japan. Reservations essential, even on a weeknight. Will be back eleven back in SF. Highly highly recommended!
Had the petite omakase with the sake pairing. Everything was amazing and the chef was very friendly and explained every serving well. Highly recommend the sake pairing. Definitely will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Every single course was thoughtfully curated and delicious. For my first omakase it was a lovely experience. The staff was also extremely nice
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