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Kabuto Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
5121 Geary Blvd(between 15th Ave & 16th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
(415) 752-5652
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Tue-Sat 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
635 reviews for Kabuto Restaurant
Review Highlights
"My favorites are Hamachi Pear and Ceviche."
(in 96 reviews)
"The foie gras is absolutely decadent."
(in 112 reviews)
"Green tea creme brulee to end the night."
(in 20 reviews)
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635 reviews in English
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Review from Tammy C.
Recently came back to try the delicate sushi again. Items not to miss includ foie gras and live uni!! One will be banned in a few months while the other is seasonal.
Almost every item was as always mind-blowing sweet, nice and scrumptious. This is not something you casually eat just because, but something you want to spend an evening to enjoy to its fullest.
Other dishes that were beautifully prepared included 1849 oyster, albacore volcano
Toro with caviar and Wild buri (hamachi.)
The lovely dessert Zenzai was made with mochi wrapped red bean paste inside. It's actually quite similar to the Chinese dessert.
Service was always very nice and even the wait seemed to be forever, it's well worth it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/7/2009
(See pics)
So I meant to come to this sushi place for months, but one thing led to another including… Read more »
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Review from Vincent K.
San Francisco, CA
2/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
In a city where sushi joints turn up just about each city block like a Starbucks, its hard to pick out which ones to go to. Sure there are the a variety of sushi places with additional specialties, take for instance, Kitaro. Kitaro doesn't thrive off of creative sushi rolls or glorious fresh fish, it's more known for the bento boxes and chicken teriyaki.
And for true fresh sashimi and perhaps one with a thrill for exploring different kinds of fishes, theres Zushi Puzzle. And if you like your down to earth salmon and hamachi, trust in the hard to enter, Tekka.
But where creative meats freshness and where different kinds of flavors meld in ways you probably wouldn't imagine, there's Kabuto. Almost similar in the grade of Sushi Ran (although Sushi Ran, I must admit has the exotic fish like Zushi Puzzle, yet finds itself developing new flavors in the curing process to bring out natural flavors over others), Kabuto delivers just the tiny thrill of new flavors with a few of your recognizable ingredients.
Before selecting the what to order, the three of us acted like ADD children in a toy shop not being able to focus on a selective few items, but going all over the place. Luckily, some of our choices overlapped and found itself sitting smiling at us on the Omakase. Thus, the easy choice was right there. And to accompany the fine meal, we had a dry chalo sake, which was a bit dry but perfectly sweetened to go with the sushi pieces that came.
Dinner was delicious. Although a little bit on the pricey end, it was fairly justified in the satisfaction of the meal and taking in some of the unique selections and flavors of the sushi. We had the following:
-Tempura - average, probably not the smartest thing to get here as its just like the ones anywhere else
-Tasmania salmon - A personal favorite, it definitely didn't dissapoint
-Foie gras Sushi - In the last moments of this dying breed, I'd take it and enjoy every moment I could.
-Hamachi Pear - While simple, it was a merry mix of sweetness on the plump texture of the hamachi.
-1849 shot - The shot not nearly heard around the world, but definitely heard amongst SF resides in this pretty roe and quail egg mixture
-Waloo - another one of my newly found sashimi of chioce. It's also known as butterfish.
-Hamachi Toro - when you have toro from that of a well flavored and tender fish as hamachi, need I say more?
Will I come back? Perhaps...but not certain. -
Review from Barbara N.
San Francisco, CA
2/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Really interesting menu here. Not your run-of-the-mill rolls. I really liked the foie gras and ceviche a lot. Expensive, but unique and flavorful. Definitely worth trying at least once.
I was a little disappointed in the size of the shiro maguro and sake nigiri, and there was too much wasabi gluing the fish to the rice, but the fish was fresh. The negi hamachi and negi shiro maguro rolls were okay; size was as expected; didn't expect to taste wasabi in the rolls though (dislike). I don't use wasabi at all when I eat sushi because the flavor is distasteful to me. I don't like using soy sauce with sushi either, not because the flavor is distasteful; com'on, I'm Asian, so I love soy sauce! I just want to be able to taste the subtleties of the fish when I eat sushi, and soy sauce/wasabi crush those subtleties.
Dessert was okay. I had the anmitsu, and there were still chunks of ice in the green tea ice cream. The sweet red bean paste was yummy, but the little fruit bits were drowning in the thin liquid at the bottom - some type of sauce that was unnecessary and abundant.
I was one of 3 parties in the restaurant, so there were about 4 waitresses I could call on at any time. They were all friendly and attentive. The sushi chefs kept to themselves and weren't talkative, so there was no ordering from them when you sit at the bar, but they did say hello and goodbye to everyone.
For the amount of money I ended up spending here, I expected better. -
Review from Christina L.
San Francisco, CA
2/13/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Our current go-to sushi place in our hood. Solid assortment of fresh fish plus a variety of tasty yet interesting specials when you feel like venturing beyond nigiri.
Service is nice but can be a bit rough around the edges at times. I do wish we could order from the sushi chef directly (we usually sit at the bar) but that's not how it's done here. Still, we'll keep coming back for the fish. -
Review from Sabrina C.
Burlingame, CA
1/27/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Whenever I feel like nontraditional sushi, I go here. There's so many different kinds of sushi, but with a little kick to it. Worth the money for me.
I could write a list of what I have tried and liked or disliked, but honestly....I've tried almost everything and every other review here has it down already. :)
ps. at least try the 1984 oyster -
Review from M C.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/30/2012 12 photos
The was definitely one of the best place for sashimi. The fish was fresh. The food there was just different, not the traditional Japanese restaurant. Everything I tried was great.
Be prepared to spend more money than usual Japanese Restaurant. We paid about $80 for 2 people. -
Review from Michael L.
San Francisco, CA
From what I'm hearing, Foie Gras is going to be banned in California in six months. I never really had a problem with the process of making Foie Gras. Actually veal, shark fin or any other food for my consumption. My best friend is a (ahem) "animal reseacher" in fact. And no, I don't own any pets. Oh wait, I did have a Nemo (RIP). But don't get me wrong, I love animals...
So coming to Kabuto, I was looking at the sushi options and they make Foie Gras sushi. I thought to myself that I had to try it, who knows, maybe in six months this won't be available. The menu definitely has unique sushi, here's what I ended up ordering:
Foie Gras sushi: Seared marinated goose liver served with balsamic raspberry sauce. It's was delicious, too bad Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the ban of this item.
Sonoma Duck sushi: Duck served with Japanese Spicy Mustard. This one was ok, don't think I'd order it again.
For nigiri I ordered Uni, Kanpachi-Yellow Jack , and Hon Maguro-Blue Fin Tuna. These came in thick slices and very fresh. I could eat the nigiri here all day.
Service was ok. The presentation of the food was excellent. (see photos). I think Kabuto is a great place for quality sushi. Prepare to break bread here, 10 pieces came out to about $45. But at least I can say I had Foie Gras sushi in California before this delicacy is outlawed. -
Review from Rachel R.
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I just drooled thinking about Kabuto.
The fish here is amazing. All the nigiri we tried was super fresh and delicious, literally mouth-watering.
My favorite item was the most unexpected one.
MUST GET - Foie Gras Sushi, seared marinated goose liver served with balsamic raspberry sauce. Sounds random but trust me! The only downer is it's only two pieces, how I wish there was more of it.
I would totally give this place 5 stars except the service was a bit on the slow side. I'm more than willing to come back and give it another go for all 5 stars! -
Review from Dean W.
12/24/2011
For a few years, the gf has been saying she wants to eat here when we pass by it on Geary. She mentioned that it was a pricey place and I'm like really? From the outside it looks like another diner on Geary st and even when you go inside you may be thinking is this place going to be any good. When we walked in there was no one besides two sushi chefs (both Japanese) and a waitress. We sat down and the waitress came back quickly and said are you ready to order. We had to ask her to come back a couple of times because we weren't sure what to get. We ordered an assortment of food from something that you don't usually get such as foie gras sushi, toro tartare, live scallop, butterfish to something more ordinary such as sake chazuke (salmon, rice with green tea), omakase sushi set and age dashi tofu.
Let's start off with the negatives. Age dashi tofu, salmon rice with green tea and the 7 piece nigiri omakase were a disappointment. Tofu was bland, not enough sauce and portion was small. Salmon rice, over priced. Nigiri omakase set; it's as if the sushi chef thought this was not good enough dish for him to present it nicely that he just sliced the fish nonchalantly and put it over the rice. That was a combined $30 that I could have had another foie or toro tartare.
Now onto the good stuff. Foie gras sushi. $5 a piece, not a bad price considering the amount of work they put into it. Rice, foie, sauce and a piece of raspberry to balance out the flavor.; excellent. Butterfish and hamachi belly were both very fatty and delicious. The toro tartare at $2.50 per piece is a good deal. Very well put together, it is rice at the bottom with a slice of nori and on top of that toro tartare and a piece of shiso. There was also the oyster shots that had oyster, uni, ikura, caviar, golf flake all in an oyster shell eaten as an oyster shot.
Service was cold in the beginning but once we ordered food and ordered an abundant of food, the waitress quickly became friendly. The tea for whatever reason wasn't warm enough but other than that it was a good experience.
Why am I giving this four stars and not 3.5 or 3? Kabuto isn't a place you go in for teriyaki beef or tekka maki. It's a place where you try various different fishes and nigiris where you can't get at your regular Japanese restaurant. Yes it is pricier and yes their hot food and regular lunch special isn't that great but that's not what they're about. They excel in the spots where you can't find in other restaurants and that is why I am giving it four stars and why I'll be coming back. -
Review from Eric L.
San Francisco, CA
Best sushi in SF ... currently for me at least. Had a Yelp deal for Kabuto that was expiring so I trekked my way from FIDI over to the Richmond district during my lunch break. If my boss is reading this, I was able to teleport (meaning MUNI of course) from FIDI to Richmond making it back for an hour lunch.
The sushi at Kabuto is really fresh. The combinations of their sweet and savory sushi is a great compliment for each other. At first I was thinking, hamachi pear ... really? But after I finished the first piece I couldn't wait to finish the second. Also had a lot of other wonderful tasting dishes.
Go for their 1849 oysters. These things have a raw oyster, fresh uni, salmon roe, a quail egg, and to top it off, a gold flake. How much more extravagant can you get? You feel like you're eating a million bucks!
I like how the server was telling me which to eat without soy sauce. Made me feel like I was eating at the Tsukiji fish market again. I was able to ring up a tab of $66 by myself but I would do it all over again for the freshness of their ingredients. -
Review from Zack D.
San Francisco, CA
2/10/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
I like both traditional and Westernized takes on Japanese cuisine. This place is wayyy out of the box I would even go so far as to call it Japanese fusion. They make some really interesting dishes and the owners ARE Japanese, so don't you start complaining that they are destroying tradition! They can and do serve what they want! I've never had a dish here i didn't enjoy. Some of them are orgasmically tasty.
The fish selection is really good, exotic at times, and everything is super fresh. I've taken dates here, friends from out of town, I'm a repeat customer.
Yes I will admit the service is a bit slow sometimes (the place gets very busy and its fairly small, I hope they expand to a larger building eventually). It's worth it to call ahead and get a reservation. I like the fact that the servers are Japanese and have accents. How could reviewers complain about authentic servers?? It adds to the appeal for me. And they will tell you "don't put soy sauce on this, it's already served with a sauce, you silly american!" I think that's righteous. Tell me how to eat the dish you prepared for me. Would you put ketchup on a Fillet Mignon?
It isn't really that expensive. It's up there, but if you want a REALLY nice sushi dinner for two, you could walk out of there for less than $100, and you could likely get some drinks too for that price.
If you are a sushi nazi and only like traditional sushi, skip this one you will be offended.. If you are into Japanese "fusion" and you have a refined pallete for super fresh fish, this place knocks it out of the park. I like that they aren't cheesy like some of the other Westernized sushi places, they don't dump spicy mayo on everything, and they don't deep fry that many of their rolls. Thanks Kabuto! -
Review from Debbie Chiou S.
Los Angeles, CA
1/26/2012
table ordered a ton. some of the more memorable dishes:
ceviche - nice citrusy lime flavor, but i actually prefer real ceviche to this sushi version
foie gras - eh...
hamachi pear - hamachi was good, but crunchy pear texture didn't go well
toro - as toro should be
1984 oyster - crazy concoction of oyster, roe, caviar, and urchin; not for the faint heart or weak stomach
salmon crepe sushi - actually surprisingly good, very savory
overall, this place is creative, but i prefer the traditional stuff
service isn't the best either. it took forever to order and get our check. the waitress had a very heavy difficult to understand accent and was completely unapologetic about it. had a few orders missed and a few extra orders brought. yea, like i said.. not the best. she's just lucky we had a table of pretty easy going diners. -
Review from Tina C.
Pleasanton, CA
1/15/2012
I have had sushi at countless restaurants, and this is my ultimate favorite. The flavors are so original. you must try the Hamachi Pear.
Each roll is roughly $5, but they add up quick. Be prepared to dish out at lease $50 for two people. -
Review from Neal R.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2012
I never yelp....but this was the BEST SUSHI I have eaten in SF. I have eaten in over 15 different sushi restaurants in the city and this was the best. I mean you can't beat Okina on Arguello and Carbillo for the price, but if you want to treat yourself come here.
I ordered:
Spicy Scallop roll
Blue Fin Tuna Nigiri
Hamachi (Yellow Tail) Nigiri
Albacore Nigiri
What I got:
HUGE pieces of fresh, perfectly cut fish. Only the best parts of the fish. I can't say enough about this place. The only downfall to this place will be the hit to your wallet by eating here 5x a week!
Enjoy -
Review from Jocelyn L.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
This is a great sushi place for bold sushi connoisseurs. The menu is scattered with tons of different, unique, and crazy combinations of nigiri and rolls. I would really recommend this place for those who know great sushi and aren't afraid to try a roll with foie gras in it. However, this may not be the best place if you are a sushi noob and trying to impress on a first date (go to sister restaurant Ariake, located half a block away).
I'd recommend getting the unique rolls...you can't get them anywhere else! It's difficult when you have a budget though...which is why you can't go wrong with a chirashi. The nigiris that I remember most are the ones with foie gras....so delicious and so special. They are always beautifully presented, ready to take a picture!
Service can be slow though, so my tip to you is go when they open so you can guarantee a seat. The service is also slow when you're eating, when they're taking your order or giving you food. But be patient, because it's worth it! -
Review from Raquel Y.
I have never experienced sushi like I did at Kabuto. Sushi here was AMAZING! I've uploaded a picture of every single dish we had because well, so I can look at the pictures again and reminisce the best sushi I've ever had lol.
Dishes we had in order:
1. Foie Gras Roll - [http://s3-media2.ak.ye...] goose liver. Never had it, thought "goose liver" was gross, but omg this was amazing. With the balsamic raspberry sauce and berry on top, it felt like I've never tasted authentic sushi until this. A must get. It's popular on yelp, it was my favorite dish out of the 10 we got, so trust.
2. Hamachi Pear - [http://s3-media1.ak.ye...] this was also freakishly delicious, although it was difficult to pick up and eat. Again, the combination they choose to put in this tiny piece of roll, hamachi, pear, and a fruity mustard sauce, all went perfect together to kick in those taste buds and tell them, "wow, what have I been missing out of my whole life?!"
3. Live Scallop - [http://s3-media4.ak.ye...] [http://s3-media1.ak.ye...] take it as a shot, or dip the roll in the sauce. You won't believe how delicious this tastes!
4. Baby Main Lobster - [http://s3-media2.ak.ye...] they seared the lobster and made it a little burnt, but it still was good with the creamy sauce poured on top. Almost all the rolls were displayed beautifully, and this one especially with the lobster tail.
5. Katsunagi - [http://s3-media3.ak.ye...] unagi, avocado, and deep fried katsu. This sauce was interesting, raspberry miso sauce. Not as sweet as the first in balsamic raspberry, but went well with this fried roll.
6. Sunrise - [http://s3-media4.ak.ye...] fish eggs and yolk. You may want to add some soy sauce if you want if you want to add more flavor, but it was still good by itself.
7. Five Salmon Roll - [http://s3-media2.ak.ye...] Bigger roll compared to everything else, and even tasted like the typical sushi rolls you would find in other japanese restaurants. It was spicy with tiny jalapenos top of the salmon and a sprinkle of cavier. An OK roll if you want to add a spicy roll.
8. 1849 oysters - [http://s3-media4.ak.ye...] There's a party in my mouth!! There is so much going on with this oyster piece, egg yolk, edible gold, oyster, fish eggs, and cavier, all in one spoonful. Yum!
9. Toro Tartar - [http://s3-media2.ak.ye...] toro is "fat belly of tuna" (yes I looked it up haha) mixed with rakyo onion, avocado, and kabuto tartar sauce and a japanese mint (deep fried shiso). Delicious as well.
10. Deep fried green tea ice cream - [http://s3-media1.ak.ye...] so interesting!! It's pretty big so you can share. I've heard about this in many other places but never had it and can't compare, but it put the icing in the cake for our meal.
I kid you not, this was one nice & fancy dinner my date took me to. It was really amazing and a whole new experience of sushi. Makes a girl feel special (hint hint for you men out there ;)
The only reason why I gave it 4 instead of 5 was with the service and appearance of the menu. The waitresses weren't patient and friendly at all. If it's a fancy place, you have to have some hospitality and give people some time to look at the menu, eat, and talk! I also had to ask for a refill for my hot tea rather than them checking up on me to refill, not something I would expect at a nice restaurant like this. Also, the menu was old, cheap, and dirty with some food stains on it. Umm.. for the amount that you are charging for each sushi piece, I think you can afford nicer menus #imjustsayin.
Overall, a must-go-to-sushi place when you're in SF. Prices are crazy, $10-14 bucks for 2 pieces of sushi, but I guess you get what you pay for. Highly recommend Foie Gras, Hamachi Pear, and Live Scallop! Enjoy, and I hope my review helped :)Listed in: Sushi!!, Great Fine Dining in SF
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Review from Brady K.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2011
Simply awesome.
Incredibly fresh fish. Definitely on the pricier end of the sushi spectrum, but worth it if you're not in the mood for boats, rolls or sake bombs. The seaweed salad was unexpectedly different and amazing.
The only bummer during our meal was that you order all fish from the server and not directly the chef - even while seated at the bar.
Perhaps it's a little too quiet and subdued here - no one shouts hello when you enter. I guess sometimes it's not so bad to take your sushi eating very seriously. -
Review from Darren S.
San Jose, CA
11/6/2011
I gave a 5 star rating for the sushi at Kabuto. I think it's the best sushi I've ever had--EVER. That is saying something, when you consider that I lived in Japan for 15 years. I lived in an area of Japan known for its fresh fish. I've been eating sushi for a long time--way before it became popular in the U.S.
We had an assortment of nigiri--yellowtail, several different kinds of tuna, salmon, toro, and a list of others. It caught us by surprise. We read the reviews on yelp and they were very good, but not "off-the-chart-good". I was speechless for most of the meal, except for pleasurable groaning in between.
That said, the tempura udon my daughter ordered was not good. The broth was way off, and the tempura was OK, nothing to talk about.
The miso soup was just OK, I've had better, and I make it at home better.
The service started out pretty bad. We had reservations and they weren't ready for us. We got stuck at a table where you could barely move. But once I started eating the sushi, everything changed. The waitress could have seated us on the sidewalk outside and I wouldn't have complained, as long as I was eating that sushi.
I can't speak for anything else on the menu except for the nigiri-style sushi. If fresh sushi is your target, then you won't find better than this.
My wife and I were talking about the sushi all the way home in the car, and then even when we got home, my wife was asking when are we going back. Yeah, that's how good. -
Review from Rich C.
San Jose, CA
12/17/2011
Rolled in here on a Thursday night with the Hilo Wrecking Co. and immediately went for the for the good stuff: toro, hamachi, jalapeño hamachi, baby main lobster, 1849 oysters, and the fresh uni.
I'm a huge uni fan and had been eyeing the fresh uni as soon as we walked in. It was being served at almost every table. The presentation of the fresh uni was pretty cool, it comes served inside the actual urchin shell. This dish ended up being amazing! Nice and fatty, melted in my mouth. The oysters were also great, eye catching presentation and lots of flavor.
The others items were a let down though, not very fresh and overpriced. That brought down the overall rating. -
Review from Chelsey G.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012
The fish is good, fresh, they offer varieties I do not always see other places. Props on the Walu! The place is so tiny tho and a little too much madness inside because of it's popularity, so take out!!
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Review from K V.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2011
I've heard rave reviews and was very excited to finally try Kabuto. Boy was I disappointed. We ordered the tasting menu because it looked like a good deal and had both the oyster and foie gras sushi. Those were the only two good dishes. The sashimi was not fresh at all.
Service was good, but I would not drive the distance for mediocre sushi. The restaurant itself could use some updating as well. -
Review from Rita C.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2011
If you can't tell already by the 500 + reviews and all the other various outlets that feature this restaurant, it's good - correction: it's damn good! And there are just so many restaurants in our fair city where you can get deliciously fresh sushi, however, I don't need to go any further than 5 blocks from my apartment to find such delicious sushi... Am I lucky? OH HELL YES!
Kabuto is the type of restaurant that mixes traditional with modern, and I feel like that's one of the many reasons why I love Kabuto oh so much. If i want just a classic, simple spicy tuna roll, I can definitely order that without any problems. Now if you turn to their special roll list, you will find a list of unique and innovative rolls that make my taste buds tingle! For instance, the crunchy roll (tempura halibut served with Kabuto special curry sauce) - that curry sauce is so good and addictive! Another roll I must order every single time is the shrimp & crab tartar roll (chopped shrimp and crab mixed with Kabuto tartar sauce served with egg yolk, capers, anchovy, cilantro, and grape) - wowowowow, that roll was magical and beyond delicious!
And you see, Kabuto has a ginormous menu, so no matter how long I've been enjoying Kabuto, I still have so much to try. Yes, of course there are my typical stand-by rolls (see above), but I always want to try something different than what I had ordered the time before - and it doesn't necessarily mean only sushi; Kabuto's menu goes far beyond sushi! They have some of the most delicious gyoza that seems homemade (I cannot confirm this, but it sure as hell tastes fresh & homemade)... The gyoza is so wonderful and satisfying - rich pork stuffing with a thin, yet chewy pot sticker encasing it. It's really tasty, especially combined with the miso dipping sauce and spicy mustard!
Do you really need more convincing that this place is amazing? I don't think so, and honestly, I'm getting too hungry writing this review and thinking about my next visit to Kabuto... The sooner I go to this spot, the happier I will be (immediate happiness upon putting above mentioned sushi rolls in mouth).Listed in: Asian Foods..., The Outer Richmond..., I'm a creature of habit
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Review from Billy L.
Los Angeles, CA
10/16/2011
Warning: DO NOT ORDER OMAKASE. Sat at the sushi bar and before we were done with the first item, three other items were shoved in our face. Problematic because 1) hot food got cold 2) cold food got warm 3) we were being rushed. The omakase dishes are probably chillin in the back waiting to be served to get your ass out of the joint. Just horrible.
After asking the waitress (repeatedly) to slow down, she just blushed and kept stacking it on. Unreal! Ruined what should have been a decent meal. Two stars because some of it was tasty in spite of the train wreck service. But every real Japanese restaurant knows that temperature of the food, especially sushi, is paramount. Booo to this fake-ass heat lamp omakase.
Ceviche was a standout for me. -
Review from Monica S.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
This place is SOLID.. Such creative rolls, fish was soo fresh. Why am I just discovering Kabuto?
Foie gras nigiri was FANTASTIC! It was combined with a berry.. I loved it
The hamachi with pear and mustard was such an interesting combination. So unexpected, great!
ceviche was like a fresh fish taco, must order!
Toro tartar - fresh, delicious
Ono Nigiri - WOW, like butter
Thank you Yelp for the Yelp deal to this place, it allowed us to keep ordering more and more.. I'll definitely come back for MORE.. -
Review from Dilys S.
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I definitely had a mix feeling about this place.In terms of sushi quality it is a 5 star. In a scale of increasing tenderness and sweet lip: shima aji (amber jack), tai (red snapper), kanpachi (greater amberjack, and a personal all time favorite). Sophisticated sushi eaters deviate from Tuna eating seeking for the perfect texture. Note: albanoe was available on special menu
Diners are allowed to buy one piece of sashimi at a time - very affordable in this expensive restaurant. That makes Tai - red snapper $3 for a tasting / brief satisfaction.
And I got to try something very adventurous: Eihire nitsuke - slowly boiled, simmered stingray 'arm'. Wow, what an experience. The cooking is extremely well executed: thick savory soup to mask the naturally fishy taste, slow cook allow the meat to soften, and the 'bone' was crunchy and edible. But yes, the natural fishy taste will keep me away for a while
That being said Kabuto has other more tangible creative dishes: specialty sushis that you can't find anywhere else. Everyone talks about Cerviche, it was perfectly executed, the halibut was extremely tender and soft, with perfect light flavor of lime and salt
I thought about ranking it 3 stars, because the restaurant is rather shabby looking. There is no ambiance for the $$$ you are paying. The space is small and crammed, the wall bare except for a couple of odd decors. The waitresses are busy and less friendly, unlikely to engage in a passionate sushi discussion with us, because... maybe, and I strongly suggest so, it is the intensity trickling down from the sushi counter chefs.
The hierarchy in the restaurant space is apparent. Sushi chefs are tense and serious, lack of smile or communication even to those sitting at the counter. That is zero words, zero interaction. That really killed one of the best part of the dining experience. If you come here alone, you will be alone forever.And if you come here with a group, the restaurant can barely accommodate.
Very mixed feelings... -
Review from Nicole S.
23 dishes for 3 people? Yes indeed...
Two friends and I came here last Tuesday night around 8:30pm. We were lucky to walk in when we did because there was either a table or three seats at the bar left.
MUST TRY:
*Kani Kara (Deep Fried Softshell Crab)
*Live Shrimp
*Spicy Scallop
*Asari Sakamushi (Steamed clams in broth)
OKAY DISHES:
*Agedashi Tofu
*Lamb Apple Sushi
*Gyoza
*Tako Nigiri
*Chicken Karaage
PASS:
* Piri kara nasu (eggplant with spicy miso)
NOTE:
*Try some sushi out of the "Special Sushi" menu. Many may seem like oddly paired ingredients but they'll surprise you!
*Small dishes
*Most sushi orders are by pieces
*Prices are decently priced but if you see a coupon, buy it - our bill was $157 for 3 people,, but I had purchased a Yelp coupon so I saved some moolah
SERVICE:
Okay. Our waitress basically took our order and that's it. She didn't come around and check up on us regularly. When we wanted to order additional dishes, we had to wave down her attention. There was another woman working there who would clear our dishes. She was friendly, cleared our dishes regularly and made sure we were okay.
PARKING:
Street metered parking. If you're familiar with the area, you'd know that parking can be difficult at times here. -
Review from Winne L.
Daly City, CA
11/12/2011
I decided to treat my boyfriend out to sushi. After much yelping Kabuto seem to have the best review for "fresh fish" which is my bf's favorite type of sushi, unfortunately. With much anxiety, me being a raw fish hater, we sat down. It was 7pm on a rainy friday night, the place seemed rather slow. We got seats right away and started to order.
We got
6 - salmon
3- hamachi
3- wild hamachi
2 - live oysters
2 - uni
1 - dragon roll
1 - sf tsunami
2 - tamago
1 - halibut with salmon and quail egg roll
2 - foie gras sushi
that's about it, i think? My favorite is of course the only completely cooked sushi "dragon roll". but i must say, their fish is as fresh as it can be. I usually HATE raw fish, but Kabuto makes it heck of a better experience. Everything was extremely fresh and tasty. The SF tsunami was OKAY, nothing special. One warning to all, I felt super guilty eating foie gras sushi after finding out what it was. That in some farm, they force feed the geese in order to make their livers fatter. Hopefully, Kabuto uses organic geese, but there's no guarantee. So beware of eating foie gras sushi!
The wild hamachi is a lot more fatty and buttery than the regular hamachi. You can really taste the difference. The live oyster is a MUST TRY, it came with a very creamy oyster sauce. (although they look very much like scallops)very delicious. The tamago here aren't as great. they were very cold and i could barely taste all the flavors in the tamago.
Overall, the place is pretty neat! Their sushi is creative, fresh, and tasty. But good sushi comes with a very expensive price. The sushi are mostly sold by pieces, and the regular "fish sushi" avg about 2-3 dollars a piece. The special sushi, which comes in 2, avg around 6-8 dollars. Our total bill came out to be 108 dollars (excluding tip), and that's only TWO PEOPLE. Well, we did order a lot. . . This place really need more attention for their awesome sushi! I would definitely go back in the far future when i can afford it. haha. -
Review from Christine P.
Daly City, CA
Gosh, after reading all the wonderful Yelp reviews and building anticipation about this place, I was really disappointed.
Lamb dish - dry and overcooked
Foie gras - also dry and overcooked
1849 oyster - I'm not too much of a raw oyster fan. I actually just tried it for the novelty.
Hamachi jalapeno - actually pretty good
Toro nigiri - terrible. This was not good toro - wasn't very fresh and something seemed "off" about the flesh.
Maybe I'm spoiled by Jo's Sushi Bar in Pleasant Hill. Or maybe I came on an off day. I dunno. -
Review from Pauline L.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
I finally got to use my yelp coupon for a superb lunch!
I ordered myself a great big helping of their specials and am not ashamed to say that my nom nom belly got bigger after the meal.
Hamachi Pear: I wondered how I was going to eat this in a bite, but where there was hunger, there was a way. The sweetness of the pear and the fruity spice of the mustard blended well with the yellowtail.
Toro Tartar: I basically am a toro whore, so anything toro will make me happy. This roll was also kinda big, but the tartar mix of the toro and avocado, onions, shiso was awesome. I love the seasoned seawed for that bit of extra flavor that you savor at the top of your tongue.
Foie Gras Sushi: I've only eaten foie gras twice in my lifetime, so this third should complete the trilogy. I love the balsamic raspberry sauce over the foie gras. The sweet sauce and the richness of the liver flavor just melted together so well.
Katsunagi: I love this roll...I'd have this over again and again. The unagi, Avocado, and deep fried Shiso sauced with their housemade Raspberry Miso was DA BOMB!!! The fried cripsy flavors and the unagi flavor just socks you in the face and makes you drool bite after bite. I wish there were more than 2 on my plate, but I made it worth my time...Savor it people...it was yummers.
Dragon Roll: The tempura ebi was light and crispy...it was excellent, the unagi was fresh and the avocado was perfect. The teriyaki sauce covered the roll just enough to make me sublimely happy.
Finally I ended my Kabuto affair with a macha creme brulee. The green tea cream was light and the caramel glaze coating had that nice crunch when you tap it. It wasn't heavy and it was a good note ender to a worthy lunch.
The service was attentive, and since I was the first one in, I never felt like everyone was hovering over me. Parking is street and there's 2 hour free ones a block away if you can find some. Also meters around too.
Looks like I"m going to have to grab some of my outer Richmond foodies to come and gorge here again! -
Review from hen a.
straying from sushi norm...mix of fusion, flavors and creativity...gulp of large sapporo...wiping hands with hot towel and ready to begin...mix of sushi orders...amaebi fresh and heads fried to crispy perfection...toro little dry and not melting...slivers of fish flavored sweet and some tangy...table overwhelmed by each sushi pair served on individual large plating...pair of dried cranberries on each sushi plate...feeling a bit rushed to swallow to make room for more plates...a sushi break and sampling udon from a non-sushi eater...decent large pot of noodles...chicken teriyaki overcooked dry...washing down with beer...roughly $fifty per person for a forgettable sushi dinner...
Listed in: japanese eats...
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Review from Mike L.
Over the years, I've driven by Kabuto countless times. On some of those trips, I was even on my way to eat at other Japanese restaurants. Places that can't even compare to Kabuto. And to think, I wasted all that time and gas driving when really, I could have just pulled over, went inside, and eaten some of the best Japanese food I've found in SF. Dummy!
So what did fellow Yelp buddy Jenny K. and I order? Well, quite a bit. Yet, amazingly, it still felt like it wasn't enough because I wanted to try so much more!
- Toro Tartare - with avocado, pickled radish (?) and a crisp shiso leaf. I loved the creamy texture, and the flavors were spot on. Toro is always good, but it wasn't the sole reason why I liked the tartare. One of my faves of the night.
- Salmon Tartare - the toro was slightly better, but this one is still good. If you love salmon, don't like toro, or just want to try both, get it. For variety's sake though, no need to double up - get the Toro Tartare and enjoy!
- Ceviche - it's actually a piece of nigiri with a ceviche twist rather than just ceviche. I liked how it had that tart/acidic flavor, but was mild enough to not be harsh.
- Sunrise - raw quail egg on a bed of tobiko over a disk of rice, wrapped with salmon. Delicious, but be careful - it can break apart in your chopsticks, and you'll lose all the good stuff on the way to your mouth!
- Ankimo (monkfish liver) - good, but standard. Not really a "must order" like some of the other dishes since you can find comparable quality at other places in SF. Still, ankimo is always good.
- 1849 Oyster - "1849" because of the gold flakes on top (gold rush era), the oyster is topped with uni, quail egg, ikura, and tobiko. Just look at the picture though...it's gorgeous! Really good, but it's a splurge at $7 a pop.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
- Chawan Mushi (egg custard) - loaded with goodies, but it needed more of the sauce/broth. Pretty solid but next time, I might spend the money on something else and get the chawan mushi at Tanuki instead.
- Live Scallop - came with two spoons of a scallop chowder, along with four pieces of scallop nigiri. The bite of chowder was so flavorful, I wish they had given us a bowl of it instead. I liked the nigiri, but the chowder was the star.
- Grilled Sea Bass - the only cooked dish we had, and it was terrific. Perfectly cooked with that buttery flavor...it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I liked the "roll" of spinach on the dish too.
- Ono (Wahoo) Nigiri - I wanted to try it because I had never heard of Wahoo before. It was nice - fresh with a subtle flavor. Can't compare to a good cut of hamachi though.
As far as service goes, it was just as awesome as the food. I really appreciated how the waitress took the time to explain the Live Scallop dish too. The food can get pricey (we ended up paying about $50 each), but you certainly get what you pay for. Now that I know what to get though, at least I can be a bit more efficient with what I order! I just regret not getting on that Yelp deal they had a while ago. Oh well...not like that is going to stop me from coming back again...soon. -
Review from Erika C.
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's pretty good here. They have a few specialty items, but mostly, they have a HUGE menu. Service is not the best but they get the job done. I wouldn't hesitate to bring an out of towner here.
I'm a fan of their uni nigiri, foie gras sushi, and stingray dish. -
Review from Jessica P.
San Francisco, CA
10/27/2011
Hmmm by the first glance, I wasn't impressed.
Random dinner night!
As we sat down by the corner perusing through the menu, we decided to go with the prefix menu.
I have to say one of the most phenomenal sushi places that I've been to. I though every dish on the pre-fix was yummy
Oyster shooter - TO DIE FOR!!
Foie gras - Pretty amazing
Red Snapper - Fresh and citrusyyy
Nigiri pieces - Fresh, but not unique
Lobster with grilled pear
Shrimp tempura- typical
Mussels- Not a fan
ans a few others. If I didn't list it, I'm not crazy about it. :)
My favorite was the oyster shooter. The best that I've ever had in my life. We finished off with green tea ice cream with fruit chunks and a puree (can't remember the flavor).
I would definitely go back for the oyster shooters.
hahaha, just realized, never judge a book by its cover. -
Review from Bertina N.
San Jose, CA
9/29/2011
Kabuto is not the stereotypical hole in the wall - it's not inexpensive or divey, but it is tiny and a gem. This Japanese restaurant has an exquisite and creative "special sushi" menu which tantalizes my eyes and taste buds alike. Try the Foie Gras Sushi and Hamachi Pear. And from their blackboard menu the 1849 (Oysters, Quail Eggs, Caviar, and Uni).
Go to experience explosions of flavor, not fullness. It's pricey but well worth every satisfied taste bud. And remember to grab reservations - wait time can be pretty long without them as they have limited seating (45mins - 1.5hrs)! Bon appétit! -
Review from T. L.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Number 1 on my list of best sushi meals ever. Made a reservation and still had to wait for a table but you know what who cares when the food is that good! Stop what you are doing and go eat there.
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Review from Vanessa K.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2011
Make reservations, or you'll be waiting forever! Sushi is pretty good, and unique (not in the "douse-everything-with-sauce" manner).
Must get - and I recommend ending the meal on either one of these high notes:
Foie Gras Sushi - literally, whoa and orgasmic. $5 a piece.
1849 Oyster - so much swimming around in your mouth: oyster, quail egg, tobiko, gold foil, salmon roe, uni, chive). $7 each
Amebi - super fresh and legit to the point where they fry the head and serve it to you as well. Be careful when you get to the tail portion, it can be prickly. $3.50 a piece, decent price.
Okay - lacking in wow factor:
Futomaki - tamago egg was done right, that's about it
Unimpressed items:
Hamachi pear - meh, wasn't the greatest cut
Fire Salmon roll - double meh, one of those "white" people rolls where it's doused in sauce -
Review from Mona W.
It had been a long time since my last visit to Kabuto. I had really great experience in my previous visits. I have raved about their sushi. I have recommended them to a lot of people. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. It really pains me to say but restaurant is already passed its prime.
While their menu and decor remained pretty much the same (probably shouldn't), the sushi is merely a shadow of their former glory. For one, the sushi rice served during early dinner time was already slightly dried out. That was quite noticeable even with all the sauce and garnish. Not excusable.
The lamb on the lamb apple was tough. Sonoma Duck was underwhelming for reasons I can't comprehend. Sammy Roll, CeViChe, Shrimp and Crab Tartare and Ono Grape are still quite good. Valentine was interesting but could really use less sauce. Oh yes, the sashimi on the $20 chirashi really weren't that great in terms of both selection and quality. i would recommend just ordering from their special sushi roll menu. After all, that is what they are known for.
What I really like about Kabuto is their creativity and how they could make all those odd elements work together and still capture the essence of authentic sushi. The menu has a lot of potential and I really hope they won't fade away.
Service was not good. The bill was presented to me without even asking if I want dessert. I was not happy. The sushi counter, tables and chairs look like they have seen much better days.Listed in: Fusion and Western Style Sushi…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/7/2009
Kabuto Sushi serves what I believe to be the true fusion/inventive style sushi. You won't find the… Read more »
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Review from John W.
San Francisco, CA
10/16/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
My favorite place to get sushi.
Seems like there are things on the menu that others on Yelp aren't too impressed with but everything that I order is always awesome.
The Ono Grape is a favorite. I usually order off the specialty menu and love that they tell you which ones not to put in soy sauce. -
Review from mark r.
San Francisco, CA
10/15/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
I would rate this restaurant as just ok, especially given it's price..
Some of our rolls fell apart picking them up.
Some of the sushi pieces - could only taste the wasabi
We had asked for no avocado's on my wife's roll and specified that I liked avocado's on everything else.. apparently that meant no avocado's on anything..
Overall, might come back. but there's better places nearby. -
Review from Sarah K.
San Francisco, CA
12/23/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
This is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in the city. The ceviche sushi is a must! The fish is fresh, the service is excellent and the prices are good considering the high quality of the fish. I also love the green tea ice cream,
