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Koo
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
408 Irving St(between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
(415) 731-7077
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-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:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
768 reviews for Koo
Review Highlights
"Spoonful of Happiness makes my husband drool."
(in 219 reviews)
"Miso Marinated Black Cod: It was succulent and tasty."
(in 26 reviews)
"Azteca Roll (this was friggin' AWEsome."
(in 40 reviews)
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768 reviews in English
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Review from Suzanne Carmen W.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2012
I booked my birthday dinner here last minute without a hitch. We started off with endame and an order of Best Rolls to wait for the rest of our party. Yum! - Always order the Best Rolls.
All of their fish is extremely fresh, the other ingredients as well, it is a small place with a nice warm feel with low lights and warm tea, nice Miso (some of the best Miso Soup in the city).
The sushi chefs exude a clarity, they are nestled over by the Sushi Bar, an area where walk ins are arranged.
The waitstaff is generous, sweet and lovely. I never saw the candle on the top of my Mount Fuji cake coming! - Thanks Koo!
(This was only my second visit. I will be back!) -
Review from Tiffany D.
San Francisco, CA
2/9/2012
lovely meal on a friday night when the bf and i couldn't decide where to eat. It's in the neighborhood and I mean to go back more often.
The first time we went maybe about a year ago I remember not being super impressed by it, especially because the bf got the vegetarian combo that turned out super bland.
This time we ordered a bunch of the vegetable small plates instead and he looooved the flavor of the eggplant and the tofu. I liked the sour and spicy green beans too.
Next time I gotta try the spoonful, but I had a scallop hand roll that was so flavorful and some awesome sashimi.
Service was great and because we ate early like around 630, no wait! -
Review from Nina Y.
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
So reading all these reviews on Yelp and the boy living so close and hearing some people on Muni talking about, I told the boy that we had to go to this place. LIKE HAD TO. So, we went. We went there right before 7..on like a Tuesday. No need for reservations. Although when we left, maybe around 8:30, the place was packed. We ordered things as per suggestions of people on Yelp.
Spoonful of Happiness: we ordered one for each of us. They were good, but the one with the quail egg was very overpowered by the egg. The other spoonful was much better.
Aztec Roll, Tokyo Crunch, Flying Kamikaze: all pretty good rolls. We were definitely very full after all these.
My suggestion: if you can, make it for happy hour. cheaper alcohol and not as many people. -
Review from Helen V.
2/2/2012
Another place to add to my One Hit Wonder list. The only thing I enjoyed here was their sashimi. The fish was so fresh, probably the freshest I've ever had in San Francisco. Two thumbs up for the sashimi. My friends and I should have each ordered one for ourselves because the rest of the meal was disappointing.
The rest of the dishes were either mediocre or borderline fail. I really wanted to like Koo but I was not impressed at all. We listened to the Yelp community and ordered the cod but the dish came out cold and tasted like bad milk. The sake in the sauce was terribly strong so the dish was hard to enjoy. We told the waitress and asked her about the dish but she didn't apologize about the cold fish or say much about the rotten taste. All three of us noticed something was off, so it wasn't just my tastebuds. We also tried the Azteca Roll. I knew it was going to be baked but I didn't expect the fish inside the roll to be cooked. The warm sushi roll threw me off. And lastly, the Tuna and Salmon Tartare was just okay.
Probably not coming back here unless I was really craving premium sashimi. -
Review from Karen T.
2/8/2012
U2 Roll!! no not at a concert had that for dinner tonight. It was not as exciting as going to a U2 concert so no clue why they named it after them. I was bummed about their special rolls, problems, mushy rice! No bueno! We also ordered raw oysters= very good, tuna, salmon tar tar= good, had a bite of I think sea bass, it was very tasty. I would give them another shot maybe I'll just order sashimi. Ohh and NO BUTTERFISH!!! WHAT!!
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Review from Elisa T.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012
Let me start off by saying I am a sushi snob. I am addicted to fresh fish.
My first experience was taking my mom here for her birthday. We tried the spoonful of delight and that was AMAZING.
I had such a pleasant experience there that I brought my other sushi snob friend to the place... and we went through tray after tray of sashimi and nigiri... and 2 bottles of nigori sake.
Service is good. We were never ignored, nor where we overly bothered. I've always made reservations because I don't like to wait to eat. and I've never had a problem having to wait either.
I think the bottom line of any sushi spot shouldn't depend on anything else but the quality of the food. Fish was the most fresh I've ever had. and the flavor palettes presented were DELISH. -
Review from Toni T.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012
Koo means happiness which also means they have the freshest sushi in San Francisco, hands down. As long as you make reservations you'll never have to wait nor will you ever be disappointed, the sushi is always top grade. If you wanna know what heaven is like, I suggest you try the spoon full of happiness. Its nothing short of magnificant. Koo is THE BEST SUSHI SAN FRANCISCO HAS TO OFFER!
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Review from Sherry L.
1/7/2012
My first time trekking out to the Sunset but it was totally worth it!
First impression was that there was a small and crowded sushi bar, but the main dining area was very roomy. The decor is modern, but the beams in the ceiling reminded me of Japan. Lighting was a sultry low, so this is a great place for a date if you can get one of the booths (tables are not as private).
As other reviewers have highlighted, the Spoonful of Happiness is a must. One spoon is uni, a quail egg, tobiko, and ponzu. This was amazing! You taste the uni first, because it's sweet and rich and just all around delicious. Then you taste the egg, which is rich and creamy and, well, eggy. The crunchy tobiko is a great addition to the smooth textures of the uni and egg. Ponzu adds slight acidity and saltiness to balance the sweet. I didn't have the other spoon, which was monkfish liver, sea bream, truffle oil, and ponzu. (I have bad experiences with monkfish liver.) But judging by the ingredients, I'd say the textures and flavors are very well balanced too. Great way to start off the meal!
We also got the black cod, which comes in a bowl with dashi, tofu, and bok choy. This dish has never been presented to me in a broth, it's always on a plate with some grated daikon. I didn't mind the dashi, but hoped it didn't make the fish too soggy. Although it wasn't the best preparation of miso black cod I've ever had, it was pretty good. The fish was fresh (rule #1) and it wasn't overcooked (rule #2). The result is buttery sweet flaky goodness!
Koo has a wide selection of sushi and crazy rolls. We didn't opt for any of the crazy stuff, but stuck with the spicy tuna instead. It was one of the best spicy tuna rolls I've ever had: chunky pieces of tuna, spicy mayo was not too spicy, and I liked the nice addition of a leaf of lettuce.
Definitely would come back to try some of the crazy rolls and fresh sushi! -
Review from Miss Bonnie B.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friend took me here a few weeks ago and I've been craving this place ever since... too bad they were closed for the holidays.
Extremely high quality and well balanced flavors. The spoonfuls of happiness, the Black Cod and the Tartar was scrumptious!
I can't wait to go back! -
Review from Michael L.
San Francisco, CA
Being highly recommended by Owen M., this past Saturday I took my girl and her parents to Koo.
I made reservations for 7:30 but arrived around 7:15. Koo had a full house so they weren't able to take us till about 7:35 or so. But while I waited, I never really paid much attention before to the chefs preparing the sushi. Watching them was like watching a potter sculpting clay. Not only is it important that it tastes good but I appreciate how important the appearance of each piece of sushi is to the chefs. It really is an art form. Even better an art form I can eat.
When we were seated the waitress took our drink orders. After bringing the tea and other drinks, here's what we ordered:
Spoonful full of Happiness: (Uni, Quail Egg, Tobiko Ponzu and Ankimo Wrapped with Whitefish, White Truffle Oil Ponzu and a Shot of Chilled Sugei Sake.). I know other yelpers really like this item at Koo. I probably don't know what im talking about but this was one item I could pass on here.
Hamachi Kama: this is one of my favorite dishes of all time now. So simple but so good. I've had Hamachi Kama at three restaurants in the past couple weeks. Koo makes the best one I've had. A nice portion, tender and smooth like butter.
We got quite a few rolls:
King Crab Roll, Azteca, Tokyo Crunch, U2, Spider, Dragon Rolls.
All were great but I think my favorite two was the Dragon Roll and the King Crab Hand Rolls. Along with that we tried the Fuji Apple Sake.
Service was good, reservations a must, and parking wasn't bad in the Corolla but if you're driving a Cadillac, Forget-About-It..
Sushi is ranked #4 in CNN's top 50 most delicious foods. Koo is "representing" #4 well. -
Review from carlie c.
Spoon Full of Happiness.
That is all you need to know and order. Uni and a quail egg in ponzu with fish roe and Ankimo in Suzuki sashimi with truffle oil. This was the most amazing dish of the night which is served with a small glass of sake has a palette cleanser.
Stick to their nigiri:
+Amber Jack
+Salmon
+Scallop
+HamachiListed in: Date Spots in SF
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Review from Owen M.
Pacifica, CA
* 4.5 Stars *
In my estimation, Koo is among the finest SF Japanese-run sushi places for "mixed" crowds, and by "mixed," I mean nigiri lovers breathing the same air at the same table as lovers of untraditional rolls.
For those of you who like details (bless you), know that Koo is owned/operated by Kiyoshi Hayakawa, who grew up & learned his craft in Tokyo. So, while it's not too surprising that he does the traditional raw stuff well, it does raise the eyebrows to see that the sushi menu boasts many things self-styled sushi connoisseurs think are sacrilegious. Those accoutrements are not my favorites, but when they are used w/a restrained hand & the raw (literally) materials are in top condition, I'll partake. I'll bet Hayakawa-san, when getting flack from his straight-laced sushi chef brethren about "breaking w/tradition," laughs all the way to the bank.
SPOONFULS OF HAPPINESS ($11) http://www.yelp.com/bi...
- 1 spoonful of uni w/a raw quail egg, tobiko & ponzu
- 1 spoonful of ankimo wrapped w/whitefish & drizzled w/white truffle oil-ponzu sauce
- 1 shot of chilled sake.
The SPOONFULS get mega-positive Yelp press. Cool idea if you're into single bites w/multiple tastes/textures. It's all good stuff, but I'd have liked less sauce. It overwhelmed the featured ankimo & obliterated the whitefish. Learning my lesson, I dumped out some of the ponzu from the uni spoon & loved it; I could have eaten 10 more. The sake (which you are instructed to sip before/after spoonfuls) is a nice little touch.
Two KUMAMOTO OYSTERS (no price, sorry) topped with spicy Daikon radish, green onion & ponzu sauce were lovely, fresh & briny. It's personal preference whether you think the toppings usurped the star. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
On to the sushi.
My wife is the Dragon Queen ... whoops! Umm, I mean, my wife is the Queen of the Dragon Roll. To see how good the roll action is at Koo, she ordered a DRAGON ROLL ($13.50) to judge it against the many others she's taken down elsewhere. For those of you who don't know, it comes with tempura shrimp & cucumber wrapped w/unagi & avocado. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
First off, it's gargantuan with massive slices of tender unagi & freshly-cut avocado. The coating on the shrimp actually smacked of real tempura, and only lightly applied at that, which is a nice change of pace from the clunky, sodden affairs one usually sees in such rolls. And the sauce was thinner & more palatable than the typical goop. In short, Koo is now my wife's second favorite dragon roll place ... ever!
On to the real deal - NIGIRI (two pieces each) http://www.yelp.com/bi...:
Wild Aji (Spanish Mackerel) from Japan - $7
Blue Amaebi (Raw Shrimp) from New Caledonia - $6
Kamasu (Barracuda) from Japan - $6.50
Saba (Marinated Mackerel) from Japan - $7
Kohada (Gizzard Shad) from Japan - $6.50
Uni (Sea Urchin) - $8.50
Wild Tombo (Albacore Tuna) from Hawaii - $5
Hotategai (Scallop) from Japan - $8
Hamachi Toro (Yellow Tail Belly) - $8
NIGIRI POSITIVES: *All* of the fish was fresh & delicious. Good knife skills. The uni was so fresh that it still showed grain even though I left one piece until my penultimate bite of the evening. The Kohada skin was so bright I had to shield my eyes. No overbearing quantities of wasabi were hiding between fish 'n rice to blow my head off, which often happens in lesser sushi bars that traffic heavily in untraditional rolls. The rice was suitably flavored & not too sweet.
POSSIBLE NIGIRI NEGATIVES: Some of the fish slices were quite thin & the pats of sushi rice were small. If you're a fan of big nigiri mouthfuls, this won't blow your hair back. The Hamachi Toro was borderline toro-worthy; it was fresh & delicious, but didn't have that mouth-filling "belly" richness. It's standard procedure to offer the deep-fried heads of sweet shrimp served as nigiri, but we did not receive them. These aren't "nigiri specific," but it's odd for a Japanese-run place not to offer oshibori & agari.
BEVERAGES: Koo has a nice, but short, selection of sake. I sampled a small bottle of Echigo Tsurukame. http://www.yelp.com/bi... My wife had the special DIY beverage of the evening, the Yuzu Chu-Hi, with a small carafe of *fresh* yuzu juice. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
SERVICE was quick, friendly & efficient. PARKING can be a challenge. Reservations & CCs accepted.
We'll definitely be back!Listed in: Did U Say Japanese Food?!
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Review from C. S.
Mercer Island, WA
1/27/2012
Went to Koo for the first time the other night and had an incredible time.
The fish was incredibly fresh. There were lots of fishes on the menu that were unusual and you don't see on most other Japanese restaurant menus in the Bay Area.
The staff were all Japanese and very attentive and gave us great service.
We asked for something special from the chef and they brought us two spoons. One had Ankimo with a piece of Hirame on the top. The other had Uni with a Quail Egg. Delicious and creative!
We will definitely be going back again! And again!
We walked in but next time we want to sit at the sushi bar. We will definitely have to call ahead, as there are only six seats. -
Review from Steve M.
Aubrey, TX
1/25/2012
My wife and I had dinner here on a recommendation from a friend of hers. We ordered an assortment of rolls and a few orders of sushi. The place wasn't busy when we arrived but got busy pretty fast. Our food took (seemed like forever) a long time to arrive but it all came at once. It's a small intimate place that doesn't seem very trendy (which I liked). There was a good mix of people from young to old and singles to families.
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Review from Jennifer W.
San Jose, CA
12/31/2011
I had dinner here on a Friday night. We had to wait a few minutes to get a table, but when we sat down we enjoyed the sushi rolls. We had three plates of rolls and sake. Service was alright, but reading the other yelp reviews I should have tried some other dishes. Next time...
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Review from Matt F.
Berkeley, CA
1/16/2012
Ichiban desu yo! I've been making the drive to Koo out near UCSF from Berkeley for a number of years now and have never been disappointed when I am in need of a large variety of the highest quality fish. It's always a good sign to see the owner working the sushi bar. I sit in front of him and his two hard working assistants while his well dressed wife keeps the beer and sake flowing.The prices are reasonable and the kitchen items are good too.
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Review from Peter D.
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Look, I don't know what's wrong with the other six people that I was with, but my dad was the only other person that was game to try the Spoonful of Happiness.
It was about $11, and it comes in a spoon. Believe me, it isn't often that Happiness is as easily obtained. When it is, you take it. That's my advice to you. Other things I'd advise you eat while at Koo:
The Godzilla Tofu.
The Kamikaze and Tokyo Crunch rolls.
The Sour Green Beans.
The Miso Marinated Black Cod (I would drink this broth).
Everything was served with a smile. I'm assuming because they dipped into the Happiness in the back.Listed in: san francisco treats., san francisco eats.
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Review from Alysha M.
One of my favorite to-go sushi places in the city (other than Ebisu). I love Love LOVE the Spoonful of Happiness, which comes with 2 spoons (one with uni, quail egg & the other with ankimo, fish) & a shot of sake.
Now, they have a happy hour menu til 7pm. All handrolls are $4. The tempura crawfish roll with spicy mayo is delish.
I always order the nigiri off of their specials menu. They ship their fish from Japan & Hawaii, always so fresh. The scallop two ways is unique too.
It can get pricey, but it's so worth it. Service is quick & amazing. -
Review from Sonny S.
Redwood City, CA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Spoon Full of Happiness , toro sushi, Hama hamachi,
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Review from Scott V.
Philadelphia, PA
1/11/2012 1 photo
Freshest sushi, the special sushi page cannot be beat. My favorite was the whitefish with monkfish pâté spoon
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Review from Heather M.
Oakland, CA
11/28/2011
We dined here in late October 2011, I'm just late on posting the review.
The Spoonful of Happiness (actually 2 spoonfuls per order) is a must - they're bursting with flavor and have a creative and attractive presentation. This was our first visit and we also tried the Dragon, Best, Spicy Tuna and U2 roll. They were all okay, but nothing special. We ordered the sweet and spicy green beans but they never came (didn't think to make sure they weren't on the bill until we were already home, but doubt it was included since the price was reasonable) and the green tea tasted burnt. We'd come back for the spoonful of happiness and a quick basic roll or two sometime if it was convenient. -
Review from Andy F.
10/17/2011
It took me a while to figure out the name of this place. I finally thought I had gotten it. "1600" Because the sign is a little cryptic.
I turned out to be wrong. It's called "Koo."
Well by any name this place smells sweetly and the menu is broad and interesting. The food was delivered promptly and it looked and tasted great. -
Review from Lisa Z.
San Francisco, CA
Arrived at 5:30 for happy hour and end up ordering off the happy hour menu. The spoonful of happiness ($12) was a delight! The sashimi is super fresh and buttery. I will be back for more..
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Review from Sabrina C.
Burlingame, CA
10/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I don't know what's the hype about this place...all I liked here was the spoonful of happiness, but even that didn't blow my mind like everyone else's.
the sashimi was alright. I've had much better...
and since everyone was raving about rolls( I don't really order rolls ), tried it and was bland. -
Review from Desmo K.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011
No wait on a weeknight (+), clean (+), friendly service (+), fast drink refills (+). However, the sushi was not super fresh, creative, or delicious. It didn't taste bad but not ultra fresh. 1-2 rolls tasted fishy (sign of fish past its prime). The roll with the salmon and thin lemon slices on the outside was easily the best. Probably won't be back because there are sooo many sushi places to try instead.
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Review from Cherylynn N.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/31/2011 7 photos
STILL MY FAVORITE SUSHI RESTAURANT IN SF!
After nearly two and a half years of trying to avoid Koo, I'm FINALLY back! You see, Koo brings back memories I rather not remember. For a year and a half, my ex and I use to go to Koo almost every Friday for dinner because we were boring creatures of habit. Though we tried other sushi restaurants, the quality of Koo's fish had us coming back time and time again. And, well after the breakup, I refused to go back. But I missed those Spoonfuls of Happiness so darn much that I couldn't resist anymore.
Yesterday, 8.30.11, my friends and I came to Koo for dinner at 6:30 PM with reservations. Just to note, Koo can be stringent about reservations so I highly recommend making them. The sushi bar is mainly reserved for Omakase (Chef's Tasting Menu) and you will not be seated there without having reservations. There's a $10 minimum charge per a person. I also suggest not coming here after "happy hour" like we did last night because we ended up spending $92/person. *sigh*
After dining here over 40 times, I've tried just about everything on the menu but I recommend sticking with the sashimi and sushi. The Chef/Owner use to part of the highly acclaimed Sushi Ran team so you know everything is top-notch! The sashimi is always extremely fresh and there are varieties from overseas that you won't be able to find at other sushi restaurants. Also, all their rolls are flawlessly made and extremely clean which is perfect for sushi purists.
FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS
(Note: There's Happy Hour Specials Sunday - Thursday from 5 PM-7 PM with $4 handrolls and $5 appetizers. However, it's only about $1 off which isn't really worth it.)
*SPOONFULS OF HAPPINESS - A spoonful of uni, quail egg, tobiko ponzu & a spoonful of ankimo wrapped with whitefish, white truffle-oil ponzu & a shot of chilled sake ($11)
ORGASMIC! The uni is silky smooth with a creamy decadence from the quail egg. Like foie gras of the sea, the akimo was luxuriously buttery especially when paired with the soft whitefish sashimi. A MUST GET!
*SALMON & TUNA TARTAR - Served with spicy guacamole and shrimp chips ($14)
Small soft tender chunks of silky salmon and tuna layered with buttery guacamole makes for a deliciously savory combo with a kick. The shrimp chips are thicker than your typical bagged shrimp chips and have a hearty crunch which is a nice texture contrast to the soft tartar.
*U2 ROLL - Tempura shrimp, avocado topped w/spicy tuna & tobiko ($13)
Warm crunchy shrimp tempura with buttery avocado with a spicy soft tenderness from the spicy tuna. A sure taste bud tickler!
*BEST ROLL - Tempura asparagus, avocado, wrapped in fresh salmon & lemon thin slice ($9)
Al-dente, crisp tempura asparagus with buttery fresh salmon with a lemon slice make for a rich yet refreshingly light roll.
*FLYING KAMIKAZE - Spicy tuna and asparagus wrapped w/albacore and topped with garlic ponzu and scallions ($13.50)
The spicy tuna is softened by the mild albacore and the garlic ponzu gives it a tangy garlicky kick.
SERVICE
Depending on who's working that night, service can sometimes be spotty and unfortunately curt which was the case last night. However, the owner's wife who's normally there on weekends is very sweet and accommodating. Nonetheless, the food is always consistently good so I plan to become a regular again.
AMBIANCE/DÉCOR
Very clean and zen like but very dark. It's good for small parties no more than 4 people.
PARKING
Easy street parking before 6 PM.
Koo and I finally reunited again and it FEELS SO GOOD....Listed in: Give it to me RAW!, Why SF is a Foodie's Gourmet…, My TOP Asian Finds!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/20/2008
I LOVE U KOO!!!
Koo is by far the best Japanese Resturant I've tried. I've been on my search for a… Read more »
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Review from Dilys S.
spoiled by small family authentic japanese sushi bars in orange county, I have been on a quest to search for San Francisco jewels. Living so close to Japantown, I found none that are worth the price and delivers values above and beyond.
Venturing into Irvine street food scenario changed my view. Koo is the true Japanese style bar + small cozy restaurant experience with authentic Japanese chefs and waitresses.
Happy hour menu is so worthwhile - 5 dollar J vineyard pinot gris, (or try the grand sake selections for regular price), 5 dollar asahi beer, and appetizer, then 4 dollar hand rolls. My favorite is the melt-in-your-mouth catch-of-theday SUSHI nigiri's - local albacore (rightfully recommended by the waitress), kanpachi (my favorite favorite, melts in the mouth, gently chewie), and of course the chu-toro (medium toro) and the tai (snappers are a personal favorite)... I would definitely send sushi lovers this way. Note you won't get your everyday udon, soba here, so here's not a place for vegetarians and noodle lovers.
After 4 nigiri's, one 7-herb roasted artichoke, seaweed salad, beeftataki, two hand rolls (dynamite and spicy tuna) shared with just one other person. I am still feeling light as a bird (this is what i expect from years of travel in japan. Real high quaility japanese food should be light on the body afterwards, even if you have been munching on fish all the time)
Finally michelin recommended restaurant... don't be daunted by the big boy, this restaurant is recommended for its value on price! I.e. good food for a reasonable price! -
Review from Anji W.
San Francisco, CA
Spoonful of happiness, Rolls, sashimi, and LOTS of HOT SAKE!!! I am a total sushi gal and I LOVE to go try out new spots. The spoonful of happiness with the cold sake was absolutely heavenly!!! A MUST HAVE HERE! We also tried the sashimi and some rolls. The sashimi was okay. It wasn't as good as other places I have tried. The rolls were okay as well. We also tried the crab hand roll. It was good, but no wow factor to make me crave for more. The hot sake was sizzlin hot... Perfect for the cold weather. This place is overall average and looking for parking was a bit long, but I would definitely come back for the spoons of yumminess! =P
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Review from Christine M.
San Francisco, CA
10/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
YUM!
I came with two others right when they opened, so the place was empty.
They had HH $4 handrolls, $5 appetizers, beer and sake.
I ordered the
Rock and roll- unagi and avocado, pretty good, nice big unagi
hamachi avocado- really fresh fishies
we tried the spoonful of happiness, pricey for two little spoons but SO GOOD! I liked the monk fish? the first spoon the best. the uni....sea urchin, not as much, it was slimey and smushy. you get a shot of sake to drink with it.
they had kumamoto oysters! my favorite! so we each got that, yum. small but fresh and tasty.
the fruity yuzu alcholic drink was very freshing and good, light taste, great with dinner.
we had some very yummy complimentary dishes, which i wish I knew the name of, but oh so good.
shrimp dumplings...very interesting! not the dumplings we were thinking of, but good.
the jalepeno stuffer....it was okay, a weird taste to me.
and the hawaiian....something with mango...very good, love the combination of flavors
I THINK that's everything....we did order a lot....
oh but dessert! we ordered the chocolate cake with green tea gelato and mochi ice cream. Not spectacular but a good ending to our meal.
everything tasted how it should, raw fish with enhancing flavors. For 3 it was $125, so around $50 each.
pricey yes, but a great date place or chit chat. really nice waitress. -
Review from natalie y.
San Francisco, CA
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Daaaaaaamn. The fish and quailty was soooooo good!!! Came here with my brother a few Wednesdays ago and took him cuz he appreciates sashimi the way I do. We had a few handrolls for happy hour and those were good. Tried the Spoonful of Happiness and it was soooo worth it. I love ankimo and uni and both spoons had that, Plus, a shot of Sugei sake that comes with the spoonful of happiness!!!
We had just about every fish: sea bream, scallop from Japan (the best scallop I ever had), aji, blue fin toro, hamachi, maguro, and many other types that other restaurants don't serve. I can't remember the names of the fish. We ate (just the 2 of us) $150 worth of sashimi. It was perfect. We had dessert...mango and strawberry mochi ice cream which was great. My brother had the black sesame panna cotta which he said he enjoyed.
The only thing I ordered from the hot menu was grilled baby octopus that came over a bed of mixed greens. Perfectly grilled and had a nice char on the octopus.
I only wish they offered more things on the hot menu, such as a nabe or maybe more items. I will definitely go back soon. -
Review from Lady L.
San Francisco, CA
12/12/2011
Great. Spoonful of Happiness was really fantastic. I would go back just for this. Five stars for that.
3 stars for the roll selection. I didnt like the salmon, lemon, asparagus roll. Wish they had more options. Stick to the nigiri.
We did order some of the fresh scallop and uni, and both were 5 stars.
I'll be back. -
Review from Jen N.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 7/28/2011
Just to close out the controversy, I will say that perhaps my rant about restaurants and ego was reactionary to feeling belittled. The owner obviously values customer input, which is admirable in itself. Thank you, Kiyoshi, for reading my review and offering your input. Miscommunication happens. If I would have known there was a minimum, I would have been happy to order more because I wouldn't have felt unwelcome. Really, my review had nothing to do with not being served on account of our unacceptable order-- who wants to serve someone asking for tea and beans? My review was for the attitude, for the quickness of dismissal rather than treating a customer as a guest. I hope no other customers experience the same treatment.
Yelp drama!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/26/2011
I apologize in advance to those who love this restaurant and rave about it's food. I also love food,… Read more »
Comment from Kiyoshi H. of Koo 7/28/2011
I am the owner of the restaurant who seated you on that… More » -
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Review from Zoey S.
8/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Definitely great sushi but not worth counting down the days for.
I've always ordered the sashimi platter and been happy with it. We've also ordered some of the rolls and really liked them as well. Got the soft shell crab one (Tokyo Crunch) and then just a simple salmon avocado one last time and thought both were excellent.
The service was just fine. We didn't need to ask for anything nor was our waiter overbearing. Excellent!
The crowd is generally well-dressed though I wouldn't call the place particularly fancy. So don't stress about heels or a tie but maybe consider showering beforehand. -
Review from Coco V.
Los Angeles, CA
7/29/2011
Apparently, I have been going to really slow restaurants lately. After 15 minutes of waiting, I had to flag a waitress down so she would get someone to take our order. The 3 of us ordered: spoonful of happiness, sashimi combo, dynamite handroll, hamachi handroll, salmon handroll, fried tofu, chicken teriyaki, and a bowl of rice. I asked for no wasabi in the dynamite roll and the waitress kinda looked at me crazy. I couldn't understand her until finally I realized she was trying to say that if I don't want wasabi, I can't have tobiko too cause they're together. Weird, but okay, as long as there isn't wasabi.
Food came out one by one, as if we were having a # course tasting meal. It took quite awhile for everything to come out. And they forgot the rice, so the chicken teriyaki was getting cold as we waited for the rice.
There's really not much to say about the food. It was very forgettable. The total came out to be just under $70. Totally not worth it because it felt like I just had an appetizer and was ready for the main course! We left hungry!! -
Review from Irina S.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2011
I can't understand what everybody is raving about. Their rolls are fine, nothing creative or exciting, and they don't resemble Japanese home-style or traditional rolls either. Their fish is nothing special either. If the fish was spectacular I could understand their lack of effort.
The worst part of eating here, was finding scales in my food. I think that is entirely unacceptable for a place with these prices.
Last thing, and this might just be a personal problem, but I don't like that their sink and mirror is outside in the hallway, separate from the toilet. What if there is something in my teeth and I need to floss? I don't want to do it in front of people eating their food. Kind of ridiculous. -
Review from Jack W.
San Francisco, CA
9/25/2011
My two friends and I really, really enjoyed our experience here. We ordered so many items that I can't recall everything we've had. But the most memorable dishes are the Spoonful of Happiness, the black cod, and the dynamite. We also had their special sake.
Terrific food, but one point deducted for the ambiance. It was pretty cramped and noisy.
Price: $60/person after tax and tip -
Review from Greg M.
Berkeley, CA
9/24/2011
Koo is an exceptional place. The food is fresh, the service is excellent, and the experience won't leave you disappointed
Located in San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood, Koo may otherwise be missed in its residential surroundings. That just leaves more for the rest of us who know about Koo's exceptional Japanese cuisine.
I highly recommend the sashimi platter, "spoonful of happiness," and marinated black cod. Many of the hot entrees, like the black cod, are excellent, but the sushi is truly exceptional.
Be sure to get a reservation in advance. It's not too hard to get one, but I'd suggest calling at least a day or two in advance. -
Review from Christina T.
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
After reading several reviews from my friends and hearing about their awesome Happy Hour specials, the bf and I decided to give it a go.
At first glance, Koo is almost very easily missed if you just drove by and wasn't looking for it. It's centered on its block and hidden behind a couple of trees.
As I stepped into the restaurant, I noticed the lighting and decor. It was very different from what I had expected. The lights were slightly dim and the hangings on their walls were kind of a traditional Japanese with a modernized twist. It was simple and not too over the top elegant, so dressing casually won't make you feel out of place.
Maybe since it was a Tuesday, it wasn't crowded and we were seated right away. We were given the HH menu along with the regular dinner menu. We aren't big on handrolls, so we passed on those on the HH menu. We did order the large house hot sake for $5, the wakame salad $5, and another salad, forgot the name of it....also $5. Good deal.
For the main dishes, we decided on the Azteca, Tokyo Crunch & Dragon Rolls. The bf got the beef spareribs with butter lettuce wraps and I got the miso marinated black cod. Of all the rolls, my favorite was the Azteca. It had a "punch" of spicy ness to it that was not over powering. The fish was fresh and they didn't make it with a ton of rice. The butter lettuce wraps were very refreshing and definitely something different that was very worth trying. My miso black cod tasted good, but it was floating in a bowl of soy sauce soup....it made it a bit too salty.
Of course, as everyone recommends, we had to order the "spoonful of happiness" ....amazingly, it was delicious. I'm not a huge fan of uni...but with the addition of a quail egg, it made it less fishy and more buttery. Not bad. The spoon with the sashimi was so yummy! the shot of sake that same along with this dish really added on to the experience. It definitely is a must try....at least once!
For the service, this is where they lost a star....sadly, I have to agree to with gf Natalie...who also yelped about their slow and inattentive service. We had to ask the waitresses twice for ginger, and when they asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu, we said sure. After about 15 mins, they never even came back to see what we decided for dessert. We got very impatient and just changed our minds and asked for the check instead. That was about the downfall of our experience tonight. The place wasn't even busy, so they don't really have any other reason to forget or not follow through.
Good sushi spot, but not the only one out there...if you do come, try the HH specials and must get the "spoonful of happiness". -
Review from Lorrie M.
6/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have to give this place 5 stars simply because of the amazing food that they serve here. I felt a little bit misguided by Yelp at first because when I arrived here, it looked very little like the picturesque first view on Yelp but I settled in anyway and figured this many people can't be wrong.
I suppose I was expecting it to be a little nicer, or a little shabbier because usually really great sushi places are either fancy or really hole in the wall. This place was sort of an inbetween. The crowd definitely threw me off as well since most of the very excellent sushi spots I've been to you seldom see folks of non-Asian descent. (I hope this doesn't offend anyone :) it's just an observation). I had similar negative feelings as nobu k. had mentioned due to the decor as well.
Either way, I was wrong on so many accounts on this place because it was absolutely delicious! Before I walked in, I told the bf I was so hungry I wanted to order everything on the menu. I actually did! The spoonful of happiness was definitely well worth it, even at $11 bucks a serving because they were well made and the flavors coordinated with one another very well.
We ordered all of their fresh catches of the day and snuck in a few favorites of ours like the marinated sea bass and some hand rolls. It was all so fresh, delicious and good! The bill reflected our gluttony but I don't think we regretted it at all. I actually think I like this place a bit better than Sushi Sam's in San Mateo because they don't sauce everything, in fact they don't really sauce anything so you can truly taste what the fish is supposed to be like. Love love love, love. Cannot say enough good things about this place if you're a raw fish lover! -
Review from Cece Y.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2011
Spoonful of happiness! (what a name..hahaha). My first reaction was how the hell am I going to gulp down that raw quail egg. Happiness starts kicking in after that one shot of sake.
Happy hours! I had a couple of handrolls. The salmon and hamachi were fresh. "Stuffed Jalapeno" goes perfect after finishing the spoonful of happiness. Stuffed Jalapeno was small and medium spicy. Great service, clean, food was above-average for the price.
