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Categories: French, Asian Fusion
132 The EmbarcaderoMon-Wed. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Wed. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thu-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Thu-Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"I am delighted to give South Park a 5* review because they earned it!!! I and 2 other people ate here last Thursday and I'm glad to write…" read more »
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Went here for happy hour, and I had the best blood orange drink, so I though I was super generous when my boyfriend spilled half of his drink and I gave him the rest of mine. The bartender had observed what happened, and was super nice and topped off the drink, which was unnecessary but greatly appreciated since it was our fault.
The seafood cigars super delicious as was the ahi tuna rice cake. Thankfully we were able to snag a seat at the bar, before the big crowd came in, b/c I hate standing in a crowded area when I'm eating and drinking
Of all of the happy hours in the downtown Embarcadero area, this place actually seems to know what… Read more »
Maybe we started the night off wrong. We both arrived into SF after 7pm and it seemed a lot of restaurants in the Financial District were already closed for the evening. After walking around aimlessly we found one that was open...Chaya Brasserie. With our stomachs grumbling we got our order in and were told the kitchen would be closing shortly. A drink in our hand and enjoying each others company our sushi arrived. For some reason the waiter got our order wrong. We had ordered sushimi and we got hand rolls. I'm not exactly sure how the mix up happened but we too hungry to send it back. The sushi itself was alright, I think we've both had better.
One thing that sticks out for me is the menu. It seemed like a chaotic mess to me. There was no rhyme or reason to how the sushi was organized...could be how our order got all screwed up.
I think next time I'll plan ahead and find something better suited to us.
I had seared foie gras (gross) and some americanized sushi roll in the same meal. Yatsuda would be throwing some Shinichi-handmade knives at the "some kind of Asian" chefs here.
This place only survives because it's on the Embarcadero.
Damn you the FL, I'm still hateraing everything in SF since you.
The place is a great happy hour location. The drinks are interesting and good. The location has a great view of the bay bridge.
Dinner was good, not great. Nice presentations and flavors. The main reason why we decided to come back to this place was the chocolate croissant bread pudding.
Do not leave this place without ordering this dessert! If you have never had it, you will thank me later.
My wife and I have eaten here a couple of times. This is one of our favorite restaurants in San Francisco. I had NY strip + short rib one time and really enjoyed it. My wife got the squab and also thought it was great; the brussel sprouts where amazing. Haven't tried the sushi yet, though I've been tempted both times.
Happy Hour Adventures!
What does $500 buy you during happy hour?
a night that is really hard to remember....
What do you get when you get a bunch of drunks in a city away from home? Well, you end up with a bunch of drunks in a city away from home? And this is their story....
I decided to drive up for a happy hour. And I brought a boat load of people with me. I take that back, perhaps I didn't bring them perse, but i had called a number of people to see who was down and as it turns out, there was quite a bit. And I suppose it was my good fortune that Armin was spinning that night bringing in another gang of people. All in all mad love to those that made it out (ali / jax / teena / jenn / fro / badri / jakob / vy / usi / and a bunch of other people that i'm too tired to remember right now because, well, cuz i'm tired). And I thought that it was a good opportunity to check out the happy hour at Chaya.
I was there a touch early and after getting less than stellar news from the doc, I decided to perk myself up with good conversation and a lot of things that would probably piss of my doctor. So, a lot of beer, wine, vodka drinks accompanied by generous amounts of fried carbs (fries/egg rolls/etc/etc). There was quite an extensive list of things on the happy hour menu. And all of it, I liked. Some more than others and some that they probably didn't imagine should go together. There was this spicy chipotle cream sauce of some sort that came with the egg rolls but went so well with everything else. I know some people, who shall remain nameless had ordered a train of wines by the glass that never ceased to keep coming.
Any who, people left, and there was left me, usi, and my cousin n her crew. We dashed off to a wine bar afterwards at which point will take more soul searching to remember. Oh, and btw, just in case you're reading this... the new girl who was working and finally caved in to enjoy Chaya's very own bread pudding (yes, get the bread pudding) which I had to order two of to get you to try... stay cute as you want to be!
;D
Good food, attentive service, great view, strong drinks....small portions...
I guess you can't always…
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I'm not usually a fan of bi-cultural restaurants...why be a halfer? Just pick one and be great at it! But Chaya is very unique...it's a mix between French and Japanese...how does that work??
Everything from the sushi menu to the french entree selections are very good. The quality of the fish for their sushi is top grade as well as the filet mignon w/foie grois and the fish entrees, with the pan roasted halibut being my fav.
And to top it off, the croissant bread pudding is out of this world...not your typical bread pudding but instead made with croissant! Need I say more??
One other important thing to note...GREAT happy hour deals! Half off sushi rolls and $5 drink specials...definitely the spot to be after a long day at work!
I chose the Chaya Corporate Lunch with the three dishes and lemonade.
The first dish was an endive, pear, blue cheese, and nut salad which was good, a standard combination that offered no real surprises.
The sea bass "entree" was really tasty. The fish was perfectly cooked with a ton of mushrooms and asparagus bites and just enough sauce. The portion would definitely be small for a man or a big appetite but for me it was just right.
The last component was sushi - which was pretty subpar. So much of the menu features sushi that I expected higher quality fish, but I was nonetheless happy.
Lemonade was great, tasted homemade and nicely tart and acidic.
I felt like I might have ordered the least interesting dish. Not the best showcase of their strengths but it was a good meal anyway and would return after doing more research on its menu.
OK. I have been to this resturant a couple of times but havent been for a wile.
EVERYTIME IS AMAZING.
This time we we the last to eat at 830p on a sunday, so i thought that we would be rushed or something.Nothing like that happened. everyone was fantastic and the food was delectible.
we started off with the sushi and had a roll and some sashimi. The macaril was the best.
Then had the foiegras that was very tasty, and the presentation was very pretty. Plus i love pomegranate, and they used some of that on the plate
My girlfrind had the duck witch was jucy and very tasty. I had the SeaBass, wich again was wonderful.
to top that all off i had the bread pudding. (oh my GOD)
The service was pleasent and the veiw of the bridge was spectacular.
A Must go Place
i love the franco-japonais concept. some people would look at really good food and say, "oh, it's so nicely put together, i don't want to ruin it by eating it". um, okay. chef tachibe dresses every dish like a work of art and flirts with your taste buds from the moment you lay your eyes on it til the moment you lick everything off your plate. i didn't really "lick" because that wouldn't have been very lady like. i had the rainbow sashimi, which was very fresh eventhough i would have prefered the pieces to be slightly thicker. the lobster salad was delishus. and the filet mignon with foie was divine. the creme brulee trio is an absolute must try. service was on point. great place to have a date or a small get together. chaya will certainly not disappoint.
ZOMG BREAD PUDDING!!! I'm not the usual fanatic, but this one takes the croissant. Thanks Randy L. for introducing us to one of your top 3 favorite desserts of all time.
Very mediocre Japanese-like food, a definite skip when there's so many other choices in the city. The sashimi wasn't fresh or generous enough, and something as simple as sushi rice was poorly executed.
Service is friendly, view is gorgeous. Happy Birthday Katherine!
This is actually one of my favorite San Francisco Restaurants... Original plans were to set up a small group for Happy Hour, but unfortunately no one was able to make it (planned too late). Being that this my Birthday weekend I wanted to start it off with a great meal and drinks, so I booked a sit down dinner with the Wife.
Opted to order a bunch of food from the appetizer list instead of from the entre' menu, there were so many delicious choices we wanted to try most of them.....
1) The "Special" Sushi Roll- This was indeed my favorite: In the roll- Lobster, wasabi mayo, cucumber, fish roe. On top- hamachi, avocado and caviar.... This was very well prepared, presented beautifully and tasted unlike any sushi I've had! $25, expensive but well worth it.
2) Salads: me- Poached lobster salad $18- (very good), wife- roamine salad $12 (good)
3) AhiTuna tartar: Cucumber, pinenuts, apple, sesame vinagarette & quayle egg- $16 (awesome)
4) Salmon Lovers Roll: Fresh $18 (good)
5) Pan Fried Gulf Prawn: 4 to 5 medium size prawns, salsa romesco, cilantro salad, spanish olives & a herband cheese flat bread(cracker)- I really didn't care for this dish- it left a funky after taste - I wouldn't order it again $15
6) Drinks: 2X deep purple (Martini), 5X Malbec wine (red, Argentina)
7) Dessert: NOT PURCHASED HERE- St. Honore Cake, from Patty
More than what we wanted to spend but well worth it... The service, ambiance, view, decor and food, is what I like about this place. Will try again for Happy hour next month!
Chaya has really great food.
I like that their menu changes to ensure the freshest ingredients. They have an amazing crab risotto that was one of the best I've had, also their chef's sushi sampler is REALLY good, it's all so fresh the fish melts in your mouth!
I hear they have a great happy hour, although I have yet to try. I just put that on my to do list! ;-).
I had a good happy hour experience here. My fatty friend is a pastry chef here so she informed me on what to order. The happy hour cocktails are actually really good. The bartender was friendly and easy to talk too. Most bartenders don't like talking to fat people. Racists. The tuna tar tar over a fried rice cake was awesome. The mussels here were actually really fresh. I am not a big fan of mussels because anthony bourdain told me not to be. The next time I come back I need to order the bread pudding.
You can practically smell the expensive suits, mesmerizing colognes, and gorgeous designer bags walking past all the infamous restaurants on the Embarcadero.
Chaya's friendly service, warm ambiance, and sweeping views of the Bay Bridge immediately beckons me more than any other locale down on this waterfront.
The reason for my mediocre 3 stars is 1) sashimi was not nearly cold enough to my liking 2) I want to have something to upgrade to once I return for some more rolls/dessert.
Bookmark this place as a stellar happy hour. Great variety of drinks on the cheap(er) during happy hour and you can experience their signature rolls in the bar area for nearly half price.
The view here is stellar for a patio lunch. Spanning view of the bay bridge and treasure Island. Waterfront is always nice. The Bay Bridge view is unsurpassed. Heaters outside-Big Plus. The food is really good. An array of various Sushi rolls-Sashimi-Seafood dishes as well as Soups Salads and an extensive bar. Here's what I had-
Chaya Business Lunch. 4 Quarter size entrees that make up one large dish: Sashimi-Hamachi & Salmon that was Fresh and Buttery-Link Cod in a Miso Lobster Buerre Blanc with grilled eggplant and baby oyster mushrooms-Grilled Chicken with a Blackberry Coulis with a parsnip puree with spring veggies-Crab cakes. Everything was Delicious. Sashimi was fresh and buttery.
I've also had the Chilean Sea bass here with the best Bread Pudding I've ever had.. The Chilean Sea Bass was perfect also.
Great happy hour drinks and appetizers. Am in love with the sliders. A hidden gem in terms of happy hour.
Chaya is really about a 4.5--but almost exclusively because our server, Suzanne. As someone who waited tables for years and likes to eat out, Suzanne is a top-notch server by any stretch of the imagination.
Ordered a series of rolls that were outstanding--the San Francisco and the Caterpillar were both outstanding--the Caterpillar in particular was a favorite--Eel wrapped with Avocado . . . yum. Main course was Hallibut, not something I get usually, but it was quite tasty. The bread pudding (as others have noted) is to die for.
Suzanne was the best part, though. Very attentive, and when some jerk was smoking cigars outside the front door so that you could smell him from the back other restaurant, where we were, she ran to the front of the restaurant, went outside, and shooed him off to the side. Note that the manager and the other wait staff (including those outside) all stood around and did nothing. Initiative and great service. She also made great recommendations all night and just generally was appropriately attentive. Both my dinner companion and I were very impressed.
Came here for my birthday on a Saturday night(08/15/09) with a couple of my closest friends ^ ^ We made reservations a few days in advance. Being a girl that Iam..I was running late so we had to call in to let them know we were running 30mins late. They held our reservation without a problem +1 ! Valet parking up front for only $10 !! scoreee~!!!
Two of my friends arrived early so they were just having a drink at the bar while waiting for me ^^ We were seated right away. Started off with a bottle of Mounts Family Zinfandel 2006, red wine with a fruit/slightly sweet taste. The wine was a bit bitter to my taste so my friend Alvin ordered me a glass of Moet & Chandon, champagne !! My favorite ^ ^
we ordered:
Rainbow Sashimi & Seaweed Salad (YUMMY~)
ahi tuna takai/hamachi/ scottish salmon/wasabi pickles/citrus dill/salmon caviar/ yuzu pepper garlic vinaigrette
Monterey Squid (YUMMY~)
escabenche/squick ink orecchiette/sun-dried tomato puttanesca sauce
Pan-Fried gulf Prawns(OKAY~)
salsa romesco/cilantro salad/spanish olives/ herb & cheese flat bread
King Salmon(YUMMY~)
shimeji & pea regout/serrano ham/dill goat yogurt/ red wine reduction
Filet Mignon Rossini(YUMMY~)
photato filled soba crepe/ forie gras/sauce perigueux
Grilled Lamb Chop & Roasted Lam Loin(OKAY~)
baked parmentier/asparagus/rosemary lamb jus
Nigiri - Uni (fresh,but small portion...)
sea urchin
Salmon Lover Roll (small roll,but fresh)
soy paper/spicy salmon/cucumber/tomato/wrapped w/ with white salmon/smoked salmon / avovado/ikura
Red Dragon Roll (okay~)
spicy tuna & snow cra/cucumber/layered tuna/avocado
I noticed that their Japanese portion of the dishes tend to be on the smaller size while their French dishes are reasonable size. Highly recommond ordering French dishes here instead of Japanese. Service was great, our server kepted on checking back on us to see how we were doing and if we needed anything else. After we finished out dinner and cleared most of the dishes they brought in a small little cake for my birthday ^ ^ so sweet !! Thank you Alvin !! and of course everyone else, Eddie,Pierce and Henry ^^ Yes...I was on the only girl at the table if you were wondering lol All in all had a fabulous night here ^^ Will come again for sure ^^
PICTURES ARE POSTED !! ^ ^
Every single bite is packed with amazing flavors. From apps to dessert you will not be disappointed. The crab cakes are excellent. The best I have ever had. Sword fish with lobster ravoli was so delicious. Perfectly cooked and amazing flavors. SF dining expectation fulfilled. The molten chocolate cake with raspberries absolutely sumptous...warm choc, topped with fresh fruit, mint leaves, vanilla ice cream and powdered sugar. Not too super rich for the palette. Portion size perfection!!! A diehard dessert lover I am... The wine selection was really nice. Had a light Spanish Chardonnay. Friends and I came here right after work at 6pm. Not for happy hour but for dinner. Our table had a uninhibited panoramic view of the Bay Bridge at night. Wonderful while chatting it up with old friends. The service from Sam our lady waiter was impeccable. The bus staff on it! Sam made a ton of suggestions and was extremely attentive and jovial. A three hour european like dining experience I will not forget.
I've eaten here a few times. Dinner was nice. I enjoyed the bar menu on happy hour. It's a nice place to have a few appetizers and drinks before dinner. The bar is tiny and gets really crowded after 5:30pm. The drinks are good and the bread pudding dessert is delish a must have.
My waitress was really nice, she gave me freebies because she forgot my order! I never got around to getting her name though, she's asian and has dyed hair (if that helps any lol). I came in late to a group event, I ordered my 2x Kirins, they came in good time.
However, after I ordered my sushi roll, she forgot about it because she was too busy splitting up checks 10 ways for another table. When I got around to her and mentioned my order about roughly 20 minutes later, she apologized and said that she'd pay for my sushi.
In addition she gave me this free dessert, it was a very hot circular banana pudding/pie with a scoop of ice cream on top. I had to say that made my day. Thank you!
-MC
The food is good. Nice atmosphere and awesome view of the Bay Bridge.
Great location for happy hour, since both food & drinks are cheap. It's located near FiDi. You're not going to get the most authentic Japanese food, but c'mon it's along the Embarcadero, therefore it caters towards tourists and working people who just want to grab a drink after work. Overall solid happy hour spot.
It's been almost month since I've been to Chaya, and I can still remember the food like I just ate there yesterday! That sure says a lot!
I've been wanting to try this restaurant for months after I heard they had Filet Mignon with Foie Gras. Too bad that wasn't on the lunch menu.
Came here on a Thursday during lunchtime after making same day reservations. Upon walking in to the restaurant, I expected it to be more sheek than it actually was since it was located at the Embarcadero. There are 2 separate rooms; the main room and the sushi bar area. We were seated in the main room.
On to the food, we ordered the following:
*Chaya Chopped Salad w/ Smoked Salmon: It was ok; nothing special. How can you possibly mess up a salad.
*Fried Calamari and Shrimp: You can't go wrong with anything fried. Both the calamari and shrimp were lightly fried with tempura batter. The dipping sauce (ponzu?) had just the right acidity to balance out the fried calamari and shrimp.
*Seared Kobe Beef Roll: Worth every penny of $24. The Kobe was seared rare and wrapped around a shrimp tempura roll. The combination of textures; richness and buttery ness of the kobe with the crunchiness and sweetness of the shrimp tempura was AMAZING! This is a MUST order!
*Papparadelle with Red Wine Braised Short Ribs: Another amazing dish! The papparadelle was handmade and was cooked al-dente. It was a perfect compliment to the fall-of-the-bone shortribs. I couldn't get enough of the red wine reduction either; it was rich and flavorful!
*Warm Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding with Caramel Ice Cream: OMG...believe the hype; it was TO-DIE-FOR!!! The bread pudding had a perfect crispy crust from the croissant's buttery content. And, when you dig your spoon into it, you will find pillowy soft layers amid oooeey goooeeey melted chocolate. That in combination with the cold rich caramel ice cream (little salty, sweet, cold, warm) = Mouth Orgasm!!!
*Drinks: Lychee Martini. Ummm, let me preface that I have a HIGH alkie tolerance. I can normally inhale 6-8 GG tonics within 1-1.5 hours and be fine. After 1 of their lychee martinis I was BUZZIN!!!! So, definitely good, strong drinks!
Service: Meh, it was pretentious and slow. We went during lunch and Chaya was about 30% full and took nearly 2 hours to complete our meal (keep in mind, we're fast eaters).
Crowd: FIDI business people
Ambiance/Décor: You can easily hold a conversation as the restaurant doesn't get too loud. As I mentioned, I wasn't too impressed with the décor. It was very simple; white tables, silver chairs, wood fixtures. It probably looks better at night as you can view the lighted bridge.
I would definitely come back for the food; and this time for dinner so I can try the Filet Mignon with Foie Gras! Yum Yum!
I've eaten here a handful of times for lunch and happy hour. I mainly have gone for business lunches so the sole focus wasn't on the food (at least it wasn't supposed to be).
Every time the service was good and the prices were fair for an "upscale" restaurant.
Although it's considered Asian fusion I have to recommend the Black Angus Beef Burger if you're there for lunch. Also, don't forget to tell them that you want the Molten Valrhona Chocolate Cake early (the have to prepare it).
For happy hour go for the sushi, apps and drinks.
Bottom line: Chaya has some stiff competition from Ozumo, Boulevard and Americano. Even so, it still holds its own by offering a strong lunch menu and great happy hour (goes until 8pm during the week).
Go for happy hour happiness! HH rates till 8pm on weekdays!!
I say it's cheap considering its location. Great food and drink specials. There's appetizers averaging between $6-8 and sushi rolls at $5, order a lot and share. Me and two girlfriends went and ordered about seven different dishes, no shame.. we like to eat! My favorite was the AHI TUNA ON A RICE CAKE. I will definitely go back to finish off the rest of that HH menu.
I like the ambiance, some brick walls with modern interior designing. Plus the view, of course, the beautifully lit Bay Bridge. If you want to go for dinner I'd make reservations so you can get away from the HH noise. They take you to a more secluded area but with the same beautiful view.
CHEERS!
Great ambiance and location. Food meh !! Prices typical for the location and type of cuisine! Ordered the halibut cost 28 dollars and it was ok. Not anything out of this world. Service efficient and accomodating but hey for the prices I would not expect less! Now for the negatives ... They charge you 120 dollars to cut and plate 17 servings of cake that we had brought for the birthday boy ? Oh well that's fine dining at it's finest!
Multiple times upon the years 2003-2007 I was a HUGE fan of the Chaya Happy Hour - $4-6 sushi, calamari, and depending on the evening a yummy cocktail on the cheap. It was a 4 star place to me and mine.
and though usually crowded, I always vied for the seat by the window with all the pillows and the view of the Bay Bridge.
Maybe I have gone to better sushi places and I have become more of a wine drinker, or maybe I have finally discovered other restaurants in the area with good happy hours... b/c these days the sushi is a little on the rubbery side and the servers a little snubby...so I'd give them 3 stars....
yet...
not too long ago I ended up in the restaurant to try their bread pudding. My cousin kept tellling me about it and so one night when I was in the area and he and his girl were too, we met up @ Chaya and I had the bread pudding.
OMG.
back up to 4 stars!
Only reviewing the bar/TV/music lounge area, since that is the only part I have ate in.
Decor:
Perhaps outdated, still relevant. Nice layout with bar/TV/music lounge area, restaurant area, and sushi bar area.
Service:
Average to perhaps below average. Cocktail waitress always seems busy with delays to get order in. Appetizers/Desert delivered quickly. Water takes a bit to get refilled.
Food:
Only reviewing appetizers and deserts. Appetizers are good, especially at happy hour prices. The Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding was excellent, highly recommend this. The desert cocktails are innovative, with quite a few selections of chocolate vodka or coffee liquer drinks. Desert wines also seem excellent.
Overall:
The bar / appetizers / desert receives four stars primary due to the good selection I have enjoyed.
You know a meal could be better when you're sad about the money being spent and not only is it not yours, but whoever's paying has plenty.
I've been here twice, most recently with a friend's parents (sent by a concierge who described Chaya as "casual and cheap" - wow what a world his must be) and once with clients. I was unimpressed both times - the food was totally fine, but nowhere near worth what you pay for it. Emily M. (review below) is exactly right that the ambiance is stuck in 1999, and unfortunately the food is too.
For a similarly fabulous view/location but with much, much better "Asian Fusion" - and a more knowledgable staff (our waiter at Chaya was dumbfounded by the idea of a gimlet made with vodka, which in a city where "mixologists" command more recognition than most chefs is pretty unacceptable at this price point) - head to Slanted Door.
Some bonus points:
*The staff is very accommodating in terms of reservations/waiting for your party at the bar.
*The Espresso Martini is the best I've had.
Chaya's happy hour-- half-priced drinks and sushi is what keeps my friends and I coming back, although it's still more than I want to/should pay as a broke college student.
After a long day of working and interning downtown, we like to congregate at Chaya, sitting outdoors around 5-6pm before it gets super chilly. The padded benches make for a comfy situation where we can enjoy delicious drinks such as their Bloody Clementine and Lychee Citrus Crush. They make a strong margarita as well.
Favorite appetizers include the calamari (modest serving with a mustard sauce) and french fries (it's a huge order for only $5, easily split between 2-3 people. Great dip too.)
I enjoyed my meal here.
Had a 630 PM dinner this past wendesday. we were late to go in because of the traffic. but once we were there, we were seated immediately. We got a while to look over the menu and talk about what each person would like to eat.
I got the Ahi for starters and then i had the filet migon. Both delectable delights. And of course i did savor the nice chocolate bread pudding. being that i wasn't a bread pudding fan, i was afraid but upon the first bite i fell in love.
there is nothing i can complain about this place. the views are spectacular even though we were just a couple tables away from the window. the lighting in the place is very romantic. the place is big so we didn't feel so crowded and hearing the next table's conversation. we were spread out and i don't get that in fancy restaurants.
i loved being able to eat a nice dinner with friends and hear what each person on the other side of the table was talking about. so the noise level on a wendesday night wasn't loud at all.
i did want to have the sushi but i had a feeling i'd be getting too much food. i left the restaurant satisfied.
dinner on a wendesday night... not bad at all.
I had an awesome time here. I went here for happy hour with a friend and ended up staying for longer then we planned. The view is amazing and i recommend sitting out front and watching the sunset over the bridge. Happy hour prices are pretty reasonable especially for the financial. I forget the name of the drink but its on the happy hour specials and its vodka and i this pom juice?? All I remember is they were like $6 and strong!! We paid our bill and after decided we needed one more for the road haha. Service was also good and the gm was walking around and asking every table how dinner was and actually made time to have a convo with us.
we came here for happy hour and we came out pretty happy. maybe it was because we were celebrating a friends bday but i think chayas happy hour is pretty worth it.
i had never been here before and always thought they served spanish/peruvian food since it says brasserie in neon lights outside. turns out its asin fusion. the decor is a bit confused. chinese opera pictures in gigantic sizes adorn the walls and the rhinestone chandeliers add a touch of glam. but the structural beams are also exposed which make the place look more rugged and industrial.
onto the food .. happy hour actually goes from 5 to 8. so pretty decent time frame. while the portions are not regular they are enough and priced very reasonable. i had the spicy tuna on crispy rice which was pretty good. i almost didnt share. i also requested the spicy scallop sushi roll non-spicy and they glady obliged which was nice. the steamed mussels were small but fresh.
the drinks. i had a minted mule, their take on the moscow mule. i then had the bloody clementine, also good. then the vitamin V with mango puree which is their pineapple infused vodka. and we had to ask the waitress for some extra mango puree because it was so strong. she said it was the strongest drink they had! drinks were about 6 so not too bad.
our waitress was super nice. we switched tables in the middle when our group got larger and she was ok with it. she also gave the bday girl a dessert even though we didnt eat there. she checked on us often to make sure we werent thirsty. cant ask for more than that!
Strictly for their Happy Hour, which is EVERYDAY! M-F 4-7, Sat 5:30-10:30, Sun 5-9 (I think it's 'till closed now).
We went on a Sunday a little before 6pm. The place was still relatively empty, which we like better. We had our choice of seats and picked the window corner table. I love bench seats w/ lots of throw pillows and of course, the Bay Bridge view is a nice touch.
Our server, Erik, was friendly and nice. The HH menu is pretty good, we tried a few items:
Beer and drinks special were $5.50. Hubby had Kirin draft. I started w/ the Lychee Citrus Crush - Svedka Citron Vodka w/ lychee puree, lemonade, and splash of soda. It was ok, a little sweet. Followed by a Chaya Vitamin V - vodka infused w/ fresh pineapple served w peach puree and garnered w/ slice of blood orange. This was even sweeter. I guess I wasn't in a girlie girl mood to have these sweet drinks.
For apps, we had the spicy ahi tuna over crispy rice cake - $6.50. This was very good and a much large portion than expected. The crispy rice cake reminds us of the crispy rice we get from clay pot rice. The
spicy scallop roll also at $6.50 was better than expected as well. It's not great sushi but it was good.
The bar and lounge area got busy within an hour.
Party of ten - business dinner, mid week, multiple changes to our reservation count, confirmation - reconfirmation process was solid.
Eye candy for the non native with the waterfront, bay bridge and if you sit in the sushi bar side of the room, they make the best use of the floor to ceiling mirrors to expand the view of the bay and bridge....after a few bottles of vintage you can swear they built a 2nd bay bridge!
Don't skip the appetizers and do ask about the sushi specials. DO order the kobe beef/tempura rolls if available...hamachi sashimi exceptionally fresh and crab cakes are great starters. Oh, the spider roll rounded out the appetizer session.
I also appreciated that our server ALWAYS asked if another bottle of wine was needed and offered a tasting glass for each bottle....a sign of solid training and experience from a service level.
Since appetizers were so satisfying, I decided to order the NY strip with short ribs (boneless) and Chaya was perfect in medium rare doneness and I also like the small dish on the plate to contain the short ribs on mash within the dish. Enjoyed every tender, tasty bite....at least 4 other did the same as I and all plates were clean and ready for the dishwasher without any rinsing.
I've hosted other dinner parties including holiday parties at Chaya and they remain consistent in food quality, selection and service.
For a chain, Chaya is definitely a great hit. The The place is huge and is crowded. The place is a mixture of suits and dates. It took them a while to seat us. Partly because there was no host up front for a good 4-5 mins. I had made a reservation on Open Table and requested a nicer table. We were seated right in front with a gorgeous view. Awesome service. Flat out awesome. Our waitress checked up on us a good amount of times during the meal. Our waters were filled often and plates were taken away when needed.
I had the halibut while my date had the filet. He said the filet had a lot of sauce on it which was unnecessary especially for steak. I had the halibut and could not eat it because it was so salty. The idea was good, the crispy fish on top of mashed potatoes with sauteed mushrooms, brussel sprouts and asparagus. But for some reason, could have been the sauce, it was salty.
The dessert was THE BEST part. We had a trio of creme brule. The trio consisted of green tea, chocolate, and sesame. The green tea and the sesame were so tasty! I would come back just for the dessert!
The service was fantastic, ambiance was soso a little loud, food was so soso, dessert was awesome!
The food and drink here are great for a happy hour and when we first went with a large group of friends the prices seemed reasonable. Last time we went with just the 2 of us however and while the quality of the food was great, the prices seemed a little jacked up (maybe they don't have happy hour on Fridays?).
I would definitely recommend the seafood cigars and the mini burgers. The cocktails are also great.
Chaya totally deserves a 5 star for having Happy Hour until 8pm, especially for people that doesn't necessary always gets off at a set time. They also have a good selection of Happy Hour appetizers and cocktails. We got here close to 8pm, was able to get our first round of food and drinks before Happy Hour was over and able to snag a table so that we could all sit and enjoy the food. Service was good. Don't be surprised to find a line in the women's restrooms.
Chaya has officially become my Happy Hour to go spot!
weekly drink & food specials
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
No Corkage Fee
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: American (New)
San Francisco, CA
Category: Restaurants
San Francisco, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: American (New)
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