Hands down best Hamachi sashimi I ever tasted. Love the ambiance in this space too. Only thing I wish for is an actual DJ to spin the vinyl!
wyatt Savarese
Amazing vibes in SF service was unparalleled and the Weiguo was unbearable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck, Shaved Ice
Steven A.
Eat beforehand. Food and drinks were way too overpriced for what you are served. Costco samples are bigger than this. And I've never been served a cocktail that only fills a quarter of the glass. That was wild. We left midway through to get something more filling. Also the ambiance could be better for the amount you're paying. The lights could have been dimmed more and music should be louder.
Terence T.
We entered without knowing it was influenced by a Japanese vinyl bar and our host as fiddling with a vinyl when we walked up! The whole decade and vibe here was very cool, their tables were also a funky shape which I enjoyed Food wise the focaccia was a great starter, salty on top and a good mouth feel. I can't believe I'm typing this about bread but here we are Nori chips and Tuna were flavourful and light, definitely recommend! Crab and asparagus was also very tasty, also a sight for the eyes The king salmon skewer took my mouth to a higher plane. I'm salivating writing this part it's that good GET IT Scallop dish was also good, I tanked the oxtail dish. While the volume of oxtail here was extremely satisfactory for a miser such as myself, the curry taste was a bit too sour for me. Unfortunately it did not elevate me as the king salmon did Overall, it was a pricey meal but I think the quality almost justified it. Barring the small oxtail disappointment this is a great place to come by, have a date, or after work, I think with a party of three or more it might be worth it as you can try bits of everything
C M
Was a bit concerned about the mixed reviews but I has a great dinner here! I came by myself and the service was attentive and the cocktail (toad and toadette) was quite lovely. I ordered the burger after reading oxtail wasn't too great, and the burger was really delicious! would love to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Yokai Burger
Yi Zhou
Really so so food with very salty seasoning doesn’t worth the price and mandatory 20% service fee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Marlene Flores
Step into Yokai SF, where culinary mastery and Japanese tradition converge to create an unforgettable dining experience. From the sleek, minimalist decor to the meticulous attention to detail in every dish, Yokai SF embodies the essence of high-fidelity Japanese dining.PS Order the Mexican Grand Prix, trust me
The concept of having this as a Japanese Vinyl Bar is pretty cool but I will say not sure if I was feeling the setup of the restaurant itself. Lighting was a bit too bright and the dining area felt more like a trendy office space for me. Food...3/5. We tasted most of the yakitori (skewers) which were the salmon, pork belly, potato w/ caviar, wagyu, scallop, and chicken and nothing stood out. I'm a big yakitori person and for me this was subpar. We also tried a few of their cold fish dishes and they were ok. Again, nothing stood out. Lastly we got the oxtail dish and paired it with rice and mushrooms. I enjoyed the flavor of the oxtail dish but the consistency of the oxtail needs work. The oxtail should be more tender where it can easy melt off the bone when cutting it. Because it was a bit tough, it was so hard to eat. I feel for the price that we paid for dinner and drinks ~$380 for two people, I would've rather have spent my money at a more low key Izakaya spot (ex: Noren) for top notch yakitori or an omakase spot for fresh fish. Don't think what we spent here was quite worth it.
Jim T.
Some of the worst fish I've ever had - rubbery and flavorless. Drinks are ok. Each of us spent $90. Don't go.
Halcyon C.
Idk why everyone is so harsh on the reviews. The service was fine. The ambiance was good and the food was the great! Ordered the oxtail curry and the ribs. The oxtail curry, although flavorful, was too fatty. It's very unique though and really is very flavorful! My favorite part about it were the pickled cabbage that's mixed with it. The ribs were good. The cucumber on the side tastes amazing! We also got the edemame and wow the cured butter was something else. For drinks we got the rice lager and it was pretty good!
The music and ambiance was great. The smoky drinks should be described properly in the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Justin Barker
Kinda mixed bag tbh. The vibes are incredible. Smells great and smokey with a wall of sound and Japanese whiskey. Everyone was so sweet but it felt like a couple of people called in sick or something. Service was not as attentive as I'd expect but each interaction was apologetic and knowledgeable. Cocktails were fire! Pretty much everything was awesome. Love the High ball selection. Gin tonics and martinis were lovely but the duck fat washed bourbon cocktail was Rich,deep, and smooth in the best way. On the large plates the ribs and oxtails were exceptional. Especially the curry on the oxtails. The oyster were dressed with a beet sauce that was tasty but vastly overpowered the salt I love in oysters and didn't have any acid. Focaccia and edamamme with cultured butter were rock stars. Jamon was... Fine. Mushrooms were more then good but not quite exceptional. Brussels were light and tasty. Dungeness crab salad was one of the standouts as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Focaccia, Broccolini and Dungeness Crab Salad, Varieties of Skewers, Wild Boar Barbecue Ribs, Steamed Edamame, Slow Cooked Oxtail
Charlie Liao
Kind of feels like corporate bait because of how expensive everything is, but the cocktails are fantastic and so are the appetizers. We loved the focaccia, wagyu gyoza and oxtail…
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Pete Rodway
Delicious. A splurge, for sure… but if you go into it knowing that, it’s dynamite!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gregg L.
Not 100% sure what to think of this place. On one hand it's a beautiful restaurant with a unique menu, but on the other our overall experience just wasn't that great. My true rating is a 3.5 overall. The 3 feels a little harsh, but it was not a 4 for me either. We arrived around 6PM on a weekday and the restaurant wasn't super full. It's a gorgeous and modern space with a ton of potential. We really appreciated the aesthetics and overall feel of dining here. The food is inventive, but wildly inconsistent. Our sashimi appetizer was extremely bland which set off an odd tone for the meal. The tuna tartar was very tasty, but the seaweed chips it came with were overly intense flavor-wise and way too flimsy. The crab dish had potential, but ventured a little too far into the weird side of flavors and mouthfeel. The wagyu potstickers, while delicious, didn't feel worth $6 each. The burger was cooked quite well, but felt out of place with the rest of the experimental menu. The skewers on the other hand were top notch, especially the scallops and king salmon which we ordered seconds of. The duck skewers were disappointing. The marble potatoes brought on some super unique flavors which we enjoyed, but they came out at the end of the meal by themselves which we found kind of odd timing wise. The cocktails and mocktails here were quite good. Shout out to the bartenders. The duck fat washed whiskey was probably the most memorable part of our meal. I wanted to love this spot, but the meal was just a little too over the place for the price. It felt a bit too casual for the prices and final product we received. With some small tweaks this spot could be fantastic, but it's not quite there.
Hands down best Hamachi sashimi I ever tasted. Love the ambiance in this space too. Only thing I wish for is an actual DJ to spin the vinyl!
Amazing vibes in SF service was unparalleled and the Weiguo was unbearable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck, Shaved Ice
Eat beforehand. Food and drinks were way too overpriced for what you are served. Costco samples are bigger than this. And I've never been served a cocktail that only fills a quarter of the glass. That was wild. We left midway through to get something more filling. Also the ambiance could be better for the amount you're paying. The lights could have been dimmed more and music should be louder.
We entered without knowing it was influenced by a Japanese vinyl bar and our host as fiddling with a vinyl when we walked up! The whole decade and vibe here was very cool, their tables were also a funky shape which I enjoyed Food wise the focaccia was a great starter, salty on top and a good mouth feel. I can't believe I'm typing this about bread but here we are Nori chips and Tuna were flavourful and light, definitely recommend! Crab and asparagus was also very tasty, also a sight for the eyes The king salmon skewer took my mouth to a higher plane. I'm salivating writing this part it's that good GET IT Scallop dish was also good, I tanked the oxtail dish. While the volume of oxtail here was extremely satisfactory for a miser such as myself, the curry taste was a bit too sour for me. Unfortunately it did not elevate me as the king salmon did Overall, it was a pricey meal but I think the quality almost justified it. Barring the small oxtail disappointment this is a great place to come by, have a date, or after work, I think with a party of three or more it might be worth it as you can try bits of everything
Was a bit concerned about the mixed reviews but I has a great dinner here! I came by myself and the service was attentive and the cocktail (toad and toadette) was quite lovely. I ordered the burger after reading oxtail wasn't too great, and the burger was really delicious! would love to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Yokai Burger
Really so so food with very salty seasoning doesn’t worth the price and mandatory 20% service fee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Step into Yokai SF, where culinary mastery and Japanese tradition converge to create an unforgettable dining experience. From the sleek, minimalist decor to the meticulous attention to detail in every dish, Yokai SF embodies the essence of high-fidelity Japanese dining.PS Order the Mexican Grand Prix, trust me
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Octopus Skewers, Shaved Ice, Yokai Burger
The concept of having this as a Japanese Vinyl Bar is pretty cool but I will say not sure if I was feeling the setup of the restaurant itself. Lighting was a bit too bright and the dining area felt more like a trendy office space for me. Food...3/5. We tasted most of the yakitori (skewers) which were the salmon, pork belly, potato w/ caviar, wagyu, scallop, and chicken and nothing stood out. I'm a big yakitori person and for me this was subpar. We also tried a few of their cold fish dishes and they were ok. Again, nothing stood out. Lastly we got the oxtail dish and paired it with rice and mushrooms. I enjoyed the flavor of the oxtail dish but the consistency of the oxtail needs work. The oxtail should be more tender where it can easy melt off the bone when cutting it. Because it was a bit tough, it was so hard to eat. I feel for the price that we paid for dinner and drinks ~$380 for two people, I would've rather have spent my money at a more low key Izakaya spot (ex: Noren) for top notch yakitori or an omakase spot for fresh fish. Don't think what we spent here was quite worth it.
Some of the worst fish I've ever had - rubbery and flavorless. Drinks are ok. Each of us spent $90. Don't go.
Idk why everyone is so harsh on the reviews. The service was fine. The ambiance was good and the food was the great! Ordered the oxtail curry and the ribs. The oxtail curry, although flavorful, was too fatty. It's very unique though and really is very flavorful! My favorite part about it were the pickled cabbage that's mixed with it. The ribs were good. The cucumber on the side tastes amazing! We also got the edemame and wow the cured butter was something else. For drinks we got the rice lager and it was pretty good!
Restaurantji Recommends
The music and ambiance was great. The smoky drinks should be described properly in the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kinda mixed bag tbh. The vibes are incredible. Smells great and smokey with a wall of sound and Japanese whiskey. Everyone was so sweet but it felt like a couple of people called in sick or something. Service was not as attentive as I'd expect but each interaction was apologetic and knowledgeable. Cocktails were fire! Pretty much everything was awesome. Love the High ball selection. Gin tonics and martinis were lovely but the duck fat washed bourbon cocktail was Rich,deep, and smooth in the best way. On the large plates the ribs and oxtails were exceptional. Especially the curry on the oxtails. The oyster were dressed with a beet sauce that was tasty but vastly overpowered the salt I love in oysters and didn't have any acid. Focaccia and edamamme with cultured butter were rock stars. Jamon was... Fine. Mushrooms were more then good but not quite exceptional. Brussels were light and tasty. Dungeness crab salad was one of the standouts as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Focaccia, Broccolini and Dungeness Crab Salad, Varieties of Skewers, Wild Boar Barbecue Ribs, Steamed Edamame, Slow Cooked Oxtail
Kind of feels like corporate bait because of how expensive everything is, but the cocktails are fantastic and so are the appetizers. We loved the focaccia, wagyu gyoza and oxtail…
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Delicious. A splurge, for sure… but if you go into it knowing that, it’s dynamite!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not 100% sure what to think of this place. On one hand it's a beautiful restaurant with a unique menu, but on the other our overall experience just wasn't that great. My true rating is a 3.5 overall. The 3 feels a little harsh, but it was not a 4 for me either. We arrived around 6PM on a weekday and the restaurant wasn't super full. It's a gorgeous and modern space with a ton of potential. We really appreciated the aesthetics and overall feel of dining here. The food is inventive, but wildly inconsistent. Our sashimi appetizer was extremely bland which set off an odd tone for the meal. The tuna tartar was very tasty, but the seaweed chips it came with were overly intense flavor-wise and way too flimsy. The crab dish had potential, but ventured a little too far into the weird side of flavors and mouthfeel. The wagyu potstickers, while delicious, didn't feel worth $6 each. The burger was cooked quite well, but felt out of place with the rest of the experimental menu. The skewers on the other hand were top notch, especially the scallops and king salmon which we ordered seconds of. The duck skewers were disappointing. The marble potatoes brought on some super unique flavors which we enjoyed, but they came out at the end of the meal by themselves which we found kind of odd timing wise. The cocktails and mocktails here were quite good. Shout out to the bartenders. The duck fat washed whiskey was probably the most memorable part of our meal. I wanted to love this spot, but the meal was just a little too over the place for the price. It felt a bit too casual for the prices and final product we received. With some small tweaks this spot could be fantastic, but it's not quite there.