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Sozai - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
1500 Irving St(between 16th Ave & 17th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
(415) 681-7150
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
P Z. said: "By far and away, the best sushi I've had in San Francisco. Everything was yummy and extremely fresh. Plus, the staff and decor made me feel like I was back in Japan. In short, this tiny place is huge on yummy." read more »
103 reviews for Sozai
103 reviews in English
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Review from Bryan D.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/7/2010
Been back a few times since my first trip. This place is always fun, especially with a group of friends. The food is creative, fresh and Gil uses high quality ingredients. Add some good sake and it spells good times. I always leave full of great food and alcohol!
Haven't been back since they reopened, I'll have to check out the new place, it's supposed to be even better:
http://www.yelp.com/bi...1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/15/2008
This was my first trip to Sozai and I have to say that I did have a bit of reservation based upon a… Read more »
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Review from euge l.
3/21/2008
'i really enjoyed this japanese sushi place, they had great spicy tuna rolls"
"i cant believe san tung didnt have spicy tuna rolls, thats my favorite asian food"
"i dont see what the hype about kappa is. when i asked them to make me a spicy tuna roll, they just glared at me and walked away."
real people, real reviews. thats what yelp is. but like everything in life, you need to research the source of the information you are getting.
i have nothing againist spicy tuna rolls. i actually do like them. HAHAHHA *cough* bryan k *cough* but they do not belong in a high end sushi houses omakase............
and more importantly, sozai is not sushi. not all japanese restaurants are sushi houses.
koreans dont eat kalbi every night.
this is a great addition to the sunset. i can not say enough good things about this place. great food, great people behind the place.
though izakayas are not in my rotation enough, this place is definately gonna be one of my 'set places.
the chicken hearts were to die for. wow, never had such good chicken heats before. and yes the fongerssss is right, the chicken with green onion. wow.
salmon skin, garlic, shoyu fried rice?!?! yeah, it was good.
i must note, as i said to both mari and gil in my buzzed state, i came there after a few beers at park chalet and i know i eat spicier and saltier than most..... soooo when i said i felt a few items were undersalted/seasoned, namely the edamae hummus, you have to take it with a grain of... SALT !!!!!
meh... ok...... but i can not stand behind this comment without going there 100% sober and trying everything again......
well, you dont have to twist my arms......
WHO WANTS TO JOIN ME!??!?!
4.5 rounded up cause gil and mari are just good folks. they dealt with my drunk ass?!?!?! you know they good folks. -
Review from Fong L.
3/8/2008
Easily the BEST IZAKAYA IN SF. O izakaya is good, and hime is ok, but this is the least pretentious, and MOST tasty of all of them. Izakayas, above all else, SHOULD NOT BE PRETENTIOUS. In japan, they're the equivalent of pubs in london. and they have very good prices, esp for the sake.
Mari, the chef-owner, knows what she's doing, and makes super tasty food, true izakaya style. Gil, the manager is always friendly, honest, and well meaning. He is very willing and able to educate the uninitiated about the sake on their menu, as well as the delectable drinking food (read: true japanese tapas). I've never had a bad meal here. After some time working the kinks out of the service side of things, I have to say they have the system working now.
The uninitiated among you might wonder what an Izakaya is. Izakayas are the pubs in japan where you eat and drink with your friends. Typical izakaya food includes yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), skewered grilled food of all sorts (kushiyaki), chicken karaage (fried chicken), fried food of all sorts (agemono), and various other things. Most of the food is COOKED, so don't think it's gonna be sashimi, or raw fish sushi.
Things to order when you go:
1) Kurobuta Kakuni Kushiyaki (Stewed kurobuta pork belly, grilled on a skewer with shichimi chili pepper seasoning). This is fucking PHENOMENAL. The pork belly is made chinese style, so it's at least fried (to reduce the fat), then stewed in a big chunk. Then put on a skewer and grilled to perfection. the thing tastes like marshmallow pork, with the fat melting in your mouth. One of the most amazing things I've ever eaten in the city. Very rich, very fatty, and VERY tasty. be forewarned.
2) kushiyaki (grilled skewers) of chicken hearts, chicken gizzards, chicken with green onions (negima). These are all very well marinated, and well flavored. THe chicken with green onions is way better than their standard yakitori, so I totally recommend it. THe chicken hearts are my favorite in the city (compared to Espetus' chicken hearts), and I highly recommend them.
3) Kobe beef tataki. Straight up and tasty. Quality kobe style beef, seared on the outside only, and served raw on the inside, and cold. Sliced thin, with a ponzu sauce. The key here is beef quality, and it's awesome here.
4) sake steamed clams. Fresh clams steamed with sake and onions. Simple fresh ingredients are the key, and it's perfect.
5) chicken karaage. Well marinated dark chicken meat (thighs probably), fried perfectly. Another standard, perfectly done.
6) kurobuta tonkatsu. Not much to say here. perfecly breaded and fried kurobuta pork chop. you can't lose with a kurobuta tonkatsu.
8) hamachi kama. Hamachi (yellowtail tuna) jaw. MARINATED hamachi really makes this dish stand out from others in the bay area. Not your typical hamachi-kama shioyaki (Salt grilled) like you usually see. The marinade makes this go perfectly with sake or beer.
and if you're not full by the end, they have japanese classic post-sake food too, like Ochazuke (fresh green tea poured over steamed rice and fish), and some decent desserts.
As for sake, I have gotten the Dassai daiginjo twice, and it's a very good price at only about $35 for a 750 mL. The Suigei (drunken whale) is a good standard, and cheaper, which Gil remembers fondly from older times (ask him about it).
They carry Sapporo beer on tap, and a few others I can't remember (I always drink sapporo with izakaya food).
The menu changes, but the dishes I've mentioned here should always be on the menu. You guys HAVE to try this place out. -
Review from Connie C.
San Jose, CA
3/12/2008
I first met the sweet and personable owner Mari at our event at Therapeia Spa where she personally prepared hand rolls and served edamame hummus to our Elite. With a successful catering company under her belt, she had just opened Sozai 2 months before. I finally got a chance to dine at Sozai with a group of 9 yelpers over the weekend and now I have a favorite Izakaya restaurant in SF!
A tiny and casual spot in the Inner Sunset, we were taken good care of by Mari and her partner Gil, both who served us throughout the night. We let Fong, the regular among us, order for our group and everything was tasty. The standouts were the Kobe beef tataki, kurobuta pork belly, sake steamed clams and kabocha chicken stew. These plates were superb. I really enjoyed the grilled skewered chicken hearts and gizzards - don't be turned off, it tastes much better than it sounds. The sake we had went also well with our dishes. Though Mari intentionally lightly salts everything, I never felt the need to add any. Every bite was very flavorful.
The girls decided to order dessert - of course - but we were a little disappointed. The green tea panna cotta was too firm and the macha powder took away from its sweetness. Next time, I think I'd like to try the macha affogato with lychee ice cream.
A great spot for groups, so you can try many different dishes. Our bill came out to $26/person, which was incredible. Just make sure you get reservations, because this is a popular spot, for good reason.Listed in: Bay Area Japanese Restaurants
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Review from Julia Z.
9/22/2009
We were first introduced to Sozai at the Green Festival a couple of years ago when we tasted their edamame hummus with wonton chips. I love edamame and I love hummus. So this was just great together. It's so creamy and the wonton chips provide the perfect crunch. I've actually tried making it at home but it just doesn't taste the same. The texture is off too but maybe that's just my stupid Magic Bullet.
Last Sunday, bf and I wanted an early dinner so we headed over to Sozai at 5:30pm and got parking RIGHT in front of the place. Gil the owner was there serving us and it was like we had rented the place out, great service. We got our usual hummus but we also tried their oysters which are $1 each with a purchase of an alcoholic drink from 5:30-7pm. I loved the fresh, delicious, briny oysters as I slurped them down my mouth.
Next we tried the Abalone Steak tapas which was small and forgettable but the Deluxe Sashimi (20 pieces) was so good! I've tried plenty of sashimi combos but they never include uni. Sozai's fresh fishes of the day listed uni and it was also served in my Deluxe Sashimi! :) For dessert, I recommend the Green Tea Tiramisu.
Sozai is a great place to try unique Japanese tapas. They don't serve sushi rolls but that won't matter if you like raw fish. Their sashimi will fully satisfy you as will their selection of sakes. -
Review from Jen D.
5/5/2008
After almost an entire day of spring cleaning, Eugy and I agreed that we should treat ourselves to a really yummy meal. When he said "let's go to an izakaya", I was hesitant. I wasn't really in the mood for a lot of drinking and mediocre food, surrounded by a bunch of noisy people who had done a lot of drinking. I wanted really yummy, filling food. But after some thought, I gave in and we headed over to Sozai.
The best way I can describe this place is quaint restaurant serving really delicious izakaya type food. This place is by far what most would consider a true izakaya. This place is just too cute and clean to be an izakaya.
Apparently, Eugy has been here before, but said he was too drunk to remember what the food actually tasted like. So he was a bit excited to come here sober. hah...
We walked in and picked a table and sat down. Gil politely greeted us and started us off with some drinks. Echigo for Eugy. Choya umeshu on the rocks for me. A little chitty chat and then on to the ordering!
We ordered:
Negi-ma - chicken and green onion were grilled to perfection
Kurobuta pork belly, shichimi - this one is definitely my favorite. You can't go wrong with grilled pork belly
Tofu, Tare - simple grilled tofu. simple and delicious.
Kurobuta Pork Filet Katsu - I usually like really thin tonkatsu, but this was thick pieces and even though they were fried, the meat was still really juicy and delicious.
Roasted Garlic & Avocado Tempura, Green Tea Salt - Eugy LOVES green tea salt now. I love anything with green tea salt. The garlic tempura was awesome. Gonna try that at home.
Curried Scallops Masago Aioli - not really my thing. good, but over curried.
Sake Steamed Clams - REALLY awesome... The sake sauce was sooo good...
Steamed Buttery Mushrooms with soy sauce - who doesn't love anything in butter and soy sauce? Come on.. You know you do.
Gil was a pleasant host. His wife, Mari, the executive chef is adorably cute and what a great chef she is!! Everything was yummy. Gil helped to guide us along the menu and made some great recommendations. Thanks Gil!
And at the end, he said, if you guys order dessert, I'll give you a shot of shochu on the house. Normally, I don't like green tea flavored desserts and that's mostly what they had on the menu. But Eugy likes to drink so I thought I'd order the dessert and take one for the team. ;)
I ordered the matcha panna cotta. It came out with chopped kiwi on top. I am a new found lover of matcha flavored dessert. This panna cotta was so yummy. And the kiwi on top gave it a nice touch. Just wonderful. And at the very end, Mari sent out two of the biggest strawberries I've ever seen in my life. She said she picked them up from the Alemany farmers market. They were huge and very sweet. VERY VERY good. Thanks Mari!
This place is a definite rotator.Listed in: Panty Melter
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Review from Teri C.
2/18/2009 10 photos
Finally got around to trying this corner joint in the inner Sunset. They got some great stuff that fits the bill of an izakaya/yakitori food establishment.
Sampling of:
Skewers (2 per order)
* Shishamo ($5) - Grilled smelt with their eggs busting out. Good, but a bit pricey for only two pieces.
* Chicken Hearts ($4)
* Chicken Gizzards ($4) - I'm a fan of the texture of gizzard.
* Yaki Pork Tenderloin ($4) - Grilled pork is always good, it's grilled fat after all!
* Negi-ma "Chicken & green onions" ($5)
Additional goodies:
* Tri-color Croquettes "breaded, deep fried potatoes" ($7.75) - Served with a tonkatsu-like sauce. It's different because they use different kinds of potatoes.
* Roasted Garlic, Avocado Tempura, green tea salt ($4.75) - My absolute favorite of the bunch. I've had deep-fried garlic before, but not with a batter. And the deep-fried avocado is completely new to me too. So good, and so perfect with just a touch of the green tea salt. (Where can I get me some of that?!)
* Salmon Ceviche, Endive Cups ($7) - Comes in an order of three and beautifully presented with three types of caviar - black, orange, and yellow. There's a bit of a sauce on it as well.
* Dynamite "Grilled scallops & mushrooms with masago aioli" ($7.75) It's a tasty dish, but you definitely see the fat separating from the mayo. My friend thought it was good until I told him what the sauce was made of and he had to stop. Maybe he felt his arteries clogging.
* Tuna Carpaccio, Garlic Chips ($9) - A creamy sauce covers the tuna, which was something I enjoyed. The garlic chips, which are deep-fried garlic slices add a nice crunch to it.
Overall, there were some exceptionally great dishes that are unique and worth checking out. And there are few that are typical and boring. The food was good though, but it was a bit expensive compared to other similar establishments I've been to. When I return, I'll skip the skewers and go for the other small bites that are stand out as being different. And I'll definitely get more of the deep-fried avocado and garlic! Yum yum!
Service was good - our waiter routinely filled our water and tea, and was 'extra' friendly. Then again, he asked me if I was going to yelp them, so I think that might explain the extra attention. He also gave me his business card for his 'other' business.
They have an extensive sake list with suggested food pairings, but we were just there for the food only.
(Pics posted!)Listed in: Sushi Fixings and Japanese…, My Hood, Izakayas and Yakitori!
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Review from dan m.
San Francisco, CA
9/21/2008
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!
I REALLY wanted to like this place!!!
FOOD
The food was pretty greasy, overly salty in some places, way under salty in others, fish was not so fresh, special flavoring (like Yuzu) was way too understated, and the meat was overcooked. :(
LiKeD
The one thing I liked was the breaded jalapeno with mozzarella and spicy sauce. The pepper was very juicy and the taste was excellent, though very spice (I like that though).
SAKE
No booze for me. However, they take Sake seriously here and is the thing to get... should make the food seem much better.
REST
Staff / owner - really warm! Great people... which makes it more of a bummer to have to say the food was not so good.
COME BACK?
I hope this was a one off scenario, or that they chef was just drunk on Sake... the menu is engaging and I would love to see the product match up to expectations. -
Review from Luis C.
9/22/2008
We came to try this place for dinner on a previous weekend, but I neglected to write my review until now.
The co-owner and waiter, Gil Payne (Mari Takahashi is his wife), was very friendly and attentive. He acknowledged us as soon as we came thru the door, while he was attending to another table. It's amazing to me how he can manage the 'front of the house service' (welcoming guests, answering questions about the menu, taking the food orders, bringing drinks, servicing the tables, adding the bills, etc.) all by himself.
Anyways, let's start the review of the food. We tried the following items:
Kushi-yaki chicken sampler (6 grilled skewers):
- chicken, chicken & green onions, gizzards, hearts, liver, and meatball. no surprises, standard fare, all good.
Kushi-age sampler (4 deep fried skewers):
- Kobe beef w/green onion - nice flavor, but a little tough.
- Salmon - a moist square of fish, with a tartar sauce made w/chopped egg whites. - It's okay. The sauce was a little watery. The egg whites were chopped coarsely, so the few odd pieces were noticeable. A finer cut on the egg whites and a creamier sauce would've been ideal.
- Yellow onion with a cocktail sauce on top - sweet, perfectly cooked.
- Mozzarella and jalapeno with a sweet sauce - surprisingly not spicy, I liked this one.
Tri-color croquettes (3 types of potato: regular, purple, & sweet potato) - very plain/ unremarkable, potato puree patties that have been deep fried. I prefer the ones served at many restaurants in Japantown.
Salmon ceviche served on endive leaves - 3 per order, each topped with different colored tobiko (green, orange, black) - I really liked this dish.
Sesame crusted seared tuna - sliced rare tuna, another good dish.
Edamame hummus (puree) with wonton chips - it's a very nice starter, but for some reason it came out last. The "hummus" was delicious and the chips were hot (just made) & crisp.
2 bowls of miso soup, and a teapot of genmai cha.
The specials of the day included Japanese samosas ($3), which Gil was very nice to offer us a complimentary taste. These were dumplings using a Gyoza wrapper and filled with the familiar curry potato mixture.
We wanted to sample as much as possible, so our table was barely able to hold all the dishes that we had ordered. Afterwards, we were so full, that we decided to skip the dessert this time. It can get expensive after you add all the small plates. We'll definitely be back one day, to try more dishes and the desserts.
Happy hour specials include $3 small plates (posted inside, written on a small blackboard with neon markers), and a pitcher of beer for $8.
Currently, there are several new Izakaya places in SF that are really good, like Halu. So, I'm giving Sozai 3.5 stars this time.Listed in: Japanese Food and Shops
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Review from Tony L.
11/30/2008
Sozai has flavor, it also has variety. Sure, it's a little on the spendy side, but that's tapas for you. Bottom line, Sozai is a great spot for a date.
Why? I think it has something to do with the homey elegance it provides. There's a selection of jazz playing from an iPod, ruffled blinds pulled up unevenly against the windows, a small bar seated directly across from the chefs. The extensive food and sake menus beg you to be adventurous, while providing convenient asterisked selections of specialties and favorite.
Still, there were both hits and misses. The standouts were the pork belly (super tender, juicy, crusted in char and dusted in spices), the lamb chops (two large chops, moist, tender, and full of flavor), and the japanese squash (with almost the consistency of boiled egg yolk, very rich, a great side dish).
The dishes we could do without were the kobe beef with onions (wasn't as tender as I was expecting, a little dry) and the salmon ceviche (bitter, very small cuts of salmon, would rather have had salmon sashimi).
There's also an issue of sticker shock. With a sake flight and six entrees between us, the bill came out to near $40 a head. Still, it was a great experience and I look forward to trying out other things on the menu. Being served by the owner is a charming plus. -
Review from y o M.
San Francisco, CA
3/2/2008
Good wine (sake) and beer. Food unmemorable.
I WOULD NOT recommend or repeat.
I stopped by after dinner out with friends just to see if it had possibilities for a group visit. I'm sorry to conclude that it doesn't offer much besides a good selection of draught beers and sakes. It isn't expensive, but it isn't particularly satisfying, either.
I sat at the counter with another couple sitting at a table. Mari and a couple men were cooking/prepping behind the counter, with one waiter not particularly familiar with the menu/sakes, and Gil who hovered and made his intrusive presence only too well known (he introduced himself and shook my hand twice).
I tried the aforementioned Edamame Hummus and was unimpressed. It might be worth another go solo, but is not worth trying with others and risking a poor experience. -
Review from Pelle Y.
San Francisco, CA
10/12/2007
Sozai feels like a long lost friend of mine. I love the izakayas in New York, where my friends and I can hang and chill over tons of small plates, some beer or sake. Surprisingly, SF is short on izakayas and Sozai is a very welcome addition to the dining scene for me. I made it a point to go the minute I spotted it on a Zagat's new openings list.
So it was fitting that I tried Sozai with J, my long lost high school friend. Until we bumped into each other at the gym a few months ago, J and I had not seen each other since senior year in NYC. To catch up, I suggested Sozai and it was the perfect place to go over 15 YEARS worth of news. The place was busy, but not crowded, and we were off to the side, so we could only hear each other.
In terms of the food, we started off with the infamous edamame hummus. It was quite delectable but the wontons were a bit greasy. We also tried some negima (chicken & green onion) and shitake kushiyaki/yakitori, which were perfectly perfectly grilled. We also had the salmon filled squash blossoms, which were quite tasty, and the potato croquettes, comforting for a chilly night. To accompany our dishes, I had a Sapporo and J tried the Lychee sake, which I had a taste. Despite my aversion to sake, it was quite delicious.
Sozai's space actually feels like someone's home and aside from the tables, you can also sit by the kitchen bar and chat with the chefs. Overall, service was pleasant and our waiter was quite attentive. -
Review from Johnny C.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2008
Izakayas are born out of Sake shops so it's a great sign that co-owner Gil Payne went to the dude who wrote the book for SF on the subject, Beau Timken (True Sake owner), to outfit him with an array of premium sake menu offerings. I'm a little gun-shy of new izakayas after a disappointing experience at J-Town's new, trendy, "over-inferior desecrated," O Izakaya Lounge, but have restored faith after a memorable experience at the understated Sozai. In fact, O Izakya should hire Gil and Mari to remake their joint.
First of all Gill and Mari are the best hosts, encouraging an intimate experience with a wood, soft-toned interior matched by interesting tapas-sized plates with vivacious tastes. No worries if an Izakaya newby, Gil will make you right at home by questioning what your tastes are for Sake, to which he will match with appropriate flights (three glasses with producer name). He'll give you a short history of Sake and then move on to offer you food suggestions. Quite often people make the mistake of confusing Izakayas for Sushi bars, and though it's about warmer, small plates, one can still get their hankering for fish with a sashimi plate. Or do a salt-lick.
Some of the highlights:
Tuna Tartar plate; the Wasabi Humus; asparu wrapped bacon; green bean fritters; oysters from Miyagi or Pt. Reyes drizzled lightly w/ yuzu; sake steamed clams; shiitake shoyu; and top everything off with the green tea panna cotta. Was expecting more from the vegi gyoza, a bolder flavor to balance the lightness of the vegetables-perhaps some chopped smoked tofu. But everything else was perfect. Grilled lamb chops with shiso pesto looked awesome. The grilled mackerel at the next table looked delicious. It was downed by a table of young hipsters in ten minutes.
I appreciate the fact Sozai emphasizes use of farm-fresh ingredients and shop local when they can. It's also nice that they took a space in a less-than-optimal area, overdone with restaurants, and with their own magical twist made Sozai a friendly, low-key, relaxing joint to hit. -
Review from Sasha M.
11/18/2007
One of those "I really wanted to like this place, but" reviews...
It doesn't look very good. Initially smooth-jazz sounds from a boombox added to disappointment (later on that changed to John Coltrane and things turned for much better.) Service was great, friendly and attentive, and we got a complimentary bottle of sake at the end.
The food was the weakest link, unfortunately: Sashimi was salmon tuna and mackerel and was neither fresh nor good. Pork belly was tender but nothing spectacular. The "traditional" four-dish four-sake pairing special basically wasn't memorable and of varying quality.
Conclusion: might pass as a neighborhood joint, but definitely not a destination. Oh well. -
Review from Matt P.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2008
This place really pissed me off. Really badly. When you walk in it's seems so cool, so hip, I was so down for it, and then the people who work there starting talking to me. Three different people, including the owner tried to take our orders at different times. They all recommended the edamame hummus which we didn't want but had to settle for because we went through three different menu items that we did want and for some reason they had run out of at 7pm on a Friday night. So we make do, order some sashimi, ask the owner jackass for a recommendation for sake (he recommends we get the most expensive bottle on the menu) and hope the food trumps the bizzareness of the place to this point.
The food: Edamame hummus looks like green hummus but tastes like nothing.
When our sashimi plate comes I eat a piece of hamachi and think to myself "WOW, thats the worst tasting sushi I've ever eaten" To be sure I checked with my lady who had a piece of shitty salmon and I tried a piece of the tuna which was also filmy/chewy/bitter. It was all bad and at $14 for the plate it was unacceptable. To make matters worse when we tried to send it back the jackass owner says "There is nothing wrong with that fish, we got it fresh today, I'll show you the receipt." I don't need to see a receipt for some crappy fish and I don't need some turdish owner to argue with me about the quality of his food. Where he could have graciously taken back our food which I know was bad, he decided to be a jerk. BE WARNED. It looks good from the outside but looks can be deceiving! -
Review from Raymond L.
San Francisco, CA
5/15/2009
Came here on a Friday around 6pm and the place wasn't too full, which was great because the place isn't too big so at least we didn't feel cramped. But there were a fair amount of people there for the happy hour.
The owner was very nice, attentive and willing to explain what's on the menu and recommends what sake goes with what dish.
Since this is an izakaya, we were able to try many of the items. Some of the ones that stood out for us were the grilled squid legs, mozzarella stuffed jalapenos, edamame hummus with wonton chips, avocado and garlic tempura with green tea salt, curried scallops, sea bass with mango salsa and of course their oyster shooters. The kobe beef dish that we got was okay but it was a little on the chewy side.
The menu is huge so it's hard to decide on what to get. Ask the owner for recommendations or just order the items with the stars since those are the recommended ones or their specialties.
After dinner, the owner came up to our table with a big ass bottle of sake (I think it was the Take no Tsuyu Junami) which we ordered earlier with our dinner from his recommendation and in my head I was like, "I think he's gonna try to sell us that big ass bottle and it's hella expensive", but he poured up 3 shot glasses and said it was on the house which I thought was really cool...especially the fact he took it with us! I was kinda hoping for the free glasses he was giving other customers but the shot was better anyways.
I'd give this place 4 stars for the food, but 5 stars because of the service.
...oh and don't get too carried away with ordering a lot of dishes. It all adds up in the end and when the bill comes you'll be like =0 ...oops -
Review from Dong T.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 7/7/2008
We signed up for Beginner Sushi class and showed up yesterday.
Mari is a great teacher, and taught us to make a bunch of different kinds of rolls. She explained to us everything that was involved, and threw in some interesting history as well.
I don't eat seafood, so I made a bunch of veggie rolles. Mari snuck in a skewer of chicken and some other special stuff for me and it was Fing awesome! Thanks for accomodating!
At the end of the lesson, I had made like a dozen rolls, and I'm not sure if it's me or what, but they tasted great.
Bring some tupperware to bring your food home in - saves paper. The class schedule said 2 hours, but after eating some of our stuff and some beers we were out in 3.
http://www.marisfood.com1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/9/2008
So I just ate here for the first time like 15 min ago.
These guys know their stuff. Funny we were… Read more »
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Review from Jonas T.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2008 12 photos
Great izakaya joint in the Sunset. The food is hit or miss, but taste is subjective. I wasn't too fond of the "cheese" that tasted like a fried mochi. I wasn't too fond of the grilled makarel either - too bony - but that's just how it is. I loved the chazuke - you can't get that at just any Japanese restaurants around here. Actually, you can't get a lot of this stuff just anywhere. If you just want dessert, I recommend getting their sampler. Mine came with matcha affogato, green tea tiramisu, ginger cake and green tea panna cotta.
JONASAPPROVED! -
Review from F T.
Bay Area
6/1/2009 9 photos
Food: 4.5 stars
Service: 4.5 stars
Value: 4 stars
I found Sozai Restaurant through my Yelp friend. It is a small family-owned Japanese Izakaya style restaurant in the inner Sunset District. We arrived at 5;30 and there was only one table.
The waiter, who is the son-in-law of the owner, was polite and friendly. He patiently explained the food on the menu and showed us how the rice was processed differently to produce different types of sake. We ordered a set of sake flight ($13), which came with three different types of sake in three small shot glasses. Among the three, I liked the Tengumai Jikomi Junmai Yamahai the most because it was milder and less sharp taste. In the middle of the dinner, the waiter gave us two free glasses of sake. It tasted very mild comparing to those in our sake flight.
Since the restaurant is Izakaya, we got to try out varieties of small food. We started with two mild appetizers - Hamachi Belly Salad, Organic Citrus ($10) and Salmon Ceviche, Endive Cups ($7). The salmon ceviche was good and refreshing. Hamachi belly salad looked pretty but the taste was just average, a bit bland. We will skip it next time.
Then we ordered Roasted Garlic and Avocado Tempura, Green Tea Salt ($4.75) and Homemade Squid Legs, Shiokara ($3.50). Both dishes were yummy! Tempura is a very common dish in Japanese restaurants, but I have never tried garlic and avacado tempura. They didn't disappoint me. The raw squid legs in the shot glass and its special salty sauce was also very unique. Since these two dishes had stronger flavors, they worked great with the sake.
After the starters, it was time for the grilled food. The Chicken Gizzard ($4) was good but it was a little tough to chew. Hamachi Kama ($12) is the dish that I always order at every Japanese restaurant. But I was a little disappointed of this one. It only came with one small piece which was way too expensive for that price. Even though it didn't taste bad, I would not order again next time. The Eggplant, Sesame Miso ($4) was quite good but not enough to wow me. The Kurobuta Pork Belly, Shichimi ($7.75) was awesome and worked perfectly with the sake. The meat was tender and juicy. It is a must-try!
The portion size in Izakaya are typically small. So after eating all the above, we were not quite full. So we ordered a bowl of the Salmon Skin and Garlic Fried Rice ($5) as an "after sake" dish. It was surprisingly good! The crispy salmon skin and the shoyu fried rice was a kick. We loved it and it ended our dinner perfectly!
Overall, we were very happy with Sozai although some of the dishes were quite expensive. It is a perfect place to grab small food and to try out different sake. It can be a great dinner restaurant too, but you have to order many dishes to fill you up and the bill will be quite expensive. There are many other small food on the menu that we want to try and we will definitely go back for another occasion. -
Review from David B.
San Francisco, CA
11/29/2008
A bunch of coworkers from out of town were in town, and they decided to go to this place with the help from some locals (I think). We went for the pre-dinner izakaya menu.
I was really disappointed. We had like 16 people and so we ordered what seemed like the majority of the stuff on the menu. My wife and I just stared at each other politely as we tried each dish. They ranged from bad to average.
The service was pretty poor too, despite us being probably 50% of the people in the restaurant when we sat down.
I love izakaya style, but there's a lot better places in town than this one. -
Review from uimuim b.
San Francisco, CA
10/7/2007
I'm always a champion for spaces that did not do well previously. Sozai is in one of those spaces. The decor is very modern and open. In every seat in the house, you can enjoy lounging with your sake while looking out unto 16th and Irving or at the kitchen intensely focusing on your meal.
My husband and I were wandering around the neighborhood looking for a bite and decided to check out Sozai. Wow, was it fun! But of course, what would one expect with libations in the mix. We had a lot more sake than we intended to for a Sunday night. Sozai has a wide selection of beverages, including beer, soju and sake.
The waiter was extremely attentive and helpful. This was our first experience at a izakaya. I'm not sure how other izakayas work, but the waiter was very nice and encouraged us to order as we go along. There was no pressure to over order. I enjoyed the experience - sake and small plates. We ordered sashimi hesitantly as this is not their specialty, but surprisingly, for a non-sushi restaurant, the sashimi was extremely fresh and tender. The grilled items were good, but I didn't get a wow out of it. It was rather bland and a little dried for my taste buds, but perhaps that's how skewers should be and that's why customers are encourage to season the food to their taste.
With that said, Sozai is still newly opened and may be working out the kinks. I would definitely go back to Sozai. -
Review from E M.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2007
Sozai provides a breath of fresh air in an "in-between" area in the Sunset. The decor is the first thing I noticed upon walking in; the place is sparsely but beautifully decorated, and the seating is cozy and comfortable. The staff were very congenial and spent a lot of time explain items with which we were not familiar. What fun to try so many different types of sake! It was a real education. The food was quite delicious. The edamame hummus is a must. We also enjoyed the delicious bacon-wrapped shrimp. The meatballs were exquisite; I tried to figure out how to stretch out each bite just so I didn't have to let it go. Finally, the garlic-fried rice was a delicious after sake.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this restaurant is that in addition to having great and innovative food and the opportunity to try new-to-me sake varieties, it was a relaxing EVENING. We didn't just order, eat, and run. We took our time over several hours. It's one of the nice thing about a good tapas restaurants.
We went again to Sozai in early November: it was HOPPING! Great fun for a larger group (we were 8 or 9), although I would recommend in such a situation not to "split" everything, since some of the appetizers are really tiny. -
Review from Jonathan L.
San Francisco, CA
5/26/2009
My buddy and I went here around 9:30pm just because we were in the mood for some sake. When we got there, it was pretty quiet which was nice for a change of pace. We ordered two flights of sake and a variety of food. The sake was pretty good. I am far from an expert at sake but I must say I enjoyed being able to sample the different kinds that they offered. I must say though, that their best drink was the sparkling sake. It's quite pricey but definitely worth it. The food was pretty average with some outstanding items. The kobe beef wrapped in enoki mushrooms was not good at all. The sashimi was average at best except for the salmon which was excellent. We ordered some fried chicken which went very well with the sake.
Overall, I don't recommend this place for dinner but it's a nice place to just grab some sake and small foods. -
Review from Robin S.
Walnut Creek, CA
3/14/2008
What to say?
THE PLACE: This place is a total gem. It is super cute and fun. The place has a very warm feeling with the interior. What's not to love about a place that pumps the tunes out using the co-owner's iPhone? BTW, he is a total music-junkie... very fun to shoot the sh!t with...
THE FOOD: Very inventive and tasty. The flavors are comforting and exotic all at once. Some of my favorites are the whole grilled squid, the edemame hummas with homemade chips, and the tuna tar tar.
THE DRINK: So much sake! Gil the co-owner will be more than happy to guide you through the dozens of choices. I also love the fact that they have Sapporo on tap (and offer pitchers of it).
THE DEAL: Dudes (and dudettes), they have one of the best happy hours around! 5:30-7 you have a choice of about 4 small plates for around $3. Also, they offer pitchers of beer for $8.
BONUS: They are only a block away from the 16th Ave N-Judah stop. Also, street parking is not very difficult in the area of the Inner Sunset. -
Review from Jan Z.
San Francisco, CA
8/10/2008
Wow...Oh My God...
So, you know when you go to a restaurant, and a dish impresses you so much that you dream of eating it again that night? You know when you go to a restaurant, and the service was so personable, so great, that you feel like you have a new friend?
That is what happened when I went to Sozai to celebrate a friend's birthday a couple of days ago.
First off, Gil and Mari who own the place are super nice, friendly, and knowlegable about sake. Who doesn't love sake? Especially cold sake? Oooh, try to sparkling sake! Gil was just superb and made our group feel so welcomed.
Second, the food was absolutely amazing. The dish that stood out for all of us was the Pork Belly. Oh My God. The pork belly was amazing - so much so, we probably had 12 orders of it for the table, and there were 9 only of us (well, they were appetizer size, so we had to order more!). The texture was soft and warm with flavors of grilled and pulled pork. We could not stop talking about it, even after we had dessert! In fact, you can not go wrong, if you order anything from the menu with an asterisk (**) as they are the restaurant's recommendations.
But, please don't go there looking for sushi. This place serves Japanese/fusion food appetizer style. Kind of like tapas for Spanish food, or dim sum for Chinese food. All the dishes are on the small side, so that you can try many of the different dishes.
The place was pricey, I'll admit. But the service and food deserved every dime. I'll recommend Sozai to everyone I know. -
Review from Hello K.
Fremont, CA
4/30/2009
Came here tonight for dinner with my co-workers and enjoyed some delicious dishes: chicken meatballs, yakitori chicken with green onion, yakitori kobe beef, kobe beef koshiage, hummus and wonton chips, and tri-color croquettes. All the tapas were good and interesting to try! Portions are small but perfect to share among a few people.
Service here was also friendly and the owner was a nice guy and definitely took care of our group.
Space in here is small but you can make reservations on Open table.
Would love to come back here soon, I am fortunate to work so close by! -
Review from Mai H.
San Francisco, CA
10/30/2008
Eh.
I don't think I will come back. Maybe its too different for my taste.
We had: a sake flight, crab cakes, salmon ceviche, lamb chops, udon.
~Sake flight was OK.
~Crab cakes were too doughy, too much batter, too fried, and i did not taste any crab. It was like eating a croquette.
~Salmon ceviche was super fishy. I never knew salmon could get that fishy. We ate less than half the order, and just left it.
~ Lamb chops were OK. The pesto dint taste like pesto.
~ Udon was OK. Soup was not that great. Just soy sauce soup.
I might have to go back to try other things. Either we ordered the wrong things, or this place is just too "different" for us. There were people enjoying themselves, but they did have tons of alcohol on their tables.
Eh -
Review from Ricky S.
Oakland, CA
11/15/2009
CLOSED
I came here this past Friday, excited to try a new restaurant with the gift certificate we printed from http://restaurant.com (a great idea and awesome way to try new spots) but alas, we were terribly disappointed upon discovering they've closed since Wednesday to open a bigger joint in the Mission (the name of the new spot was posted on a sign but I cannot remember although I vaguely remember it saying it was gonna be on 21st street or thereabouts). I'm bummed I didn't get to try this place and hope my gc will be honored at the new joint.
We walked across the street to this hole in the wall family owned japanese restaurant, the name which escapes me right now but I'm sure I'll figure it out and write a review in a few mins here. -
Review from Pete B.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2007
I invited a good friend of mine from Japan to Sozai, and we both really enjoyed the time there. She had mentioned to me that she had looked for a true Izakaya in SF before and was not able to find one.
The service was impeccable, and although they were out of a few things (Sunday night), they offered some suitable replacements. We were big fans of the edamame hummus, gyozas, meatballs, moshi, and especially the homemade green tea pannacota. They also played some dope jazz, compared to most of the boring nujazz I hear at most Japanese restaurants.
Now this is not a sushi spot, but the sashimi was good if you are not a total snob. I work downtown, and there is plenty of mediocre sashimi in this town. The sakes were also quite nice, and they had different recommendations depending upon what you order. We'll be back for sure. -
Review from cynthia a.
Berkeley, CA
5/17/2008
After walking by Sozai a bunch of times and thinking "we should really try that place" my husband and i finally stopped in a couple of weeks ago.
We were so glad that we did. The menu was really unusual, and there were tons of things we wanted to try. We finally narrowed it down to a few mostly seafood selections ( i can't remember them all now, but one was the cod poached in sake, and another was the raw scallop)
Everything was delicious, and the super nice owner/host gave great recommendations for sake pairings ( and free sake shots when we couldn't decide which to chose!)
All and all we had a great evening and our only regret was waiting so long to try Sozai. -
Review from Susan L.
Foster City, CA
10/6/2008
Cute place! Fun, casual place for a classy, tasty meal! If you like Izakaya style food you definitely gotta try this place. The manager, Gil, is so awesome - very nice, funny and friendly. His wife is the amazingly creative chef of this place. Gil speaks fluent japanese btw =)
I organized my friend's birthday here for a group of 8 and despite the small size of the restaurant, Gil was very accommodating, they had our table ready for us when we got there. We ordered a ton of small dishes and he threw in a few extra on the house. My favorites were the Salmon Seviche, Sashimi Scallop Carpaccio, Suzuki (Bass) Mango salsa. We also tried the kobe beef which was okay, not as "melts in your mouth" as it should be. If you like sweet drinks you definitely have to try the lychee sake, it was soooo good. They have a pretty good sake selection here.
Overall, the service was good and the food was fun to try. -
Review from Tiffany L.
San Francisco, CA
9/19/2008
I miss the Izakaya in Los Angeles and so we decided to hit up a Izakaya joint in SF. Recently we have been disappointed with the food in SF not living up to the places in LA and being way overpriced... until now.
We walked into Sozai on a Friday night and made easy reservations through OpenTable. We were greeted and seated promptly. We order our old favorites from So Cal and were very pleasantly surprised by all the flavor and execution. The owner was extremely gracious and informed us of an amazing sake and even let us sample it. YUM! We had the pork belly which is to be ordered by all and they have great grilled rice balls. The only thing that was missing was the tebi sake... what is izakaya without chicken wings? But that was the only disappointment of the night. I have become a believer and know that I will be giving Sozai a lot of business in the next few years. I can't wait to come back! -
Review from Kim S.
9/22/2008
The dishes were tasty but not mind blowing. I realize the format is small plates, however the portions appear inordinately tiny. Basically when I spend $30/person on a meal, I don't want to leave hungry. We actually stopped at an organic sausage place (Underdog) to satiate our hunger - we split a brat which was yummy!
Seaweed salad - same as everywhere else & small for $7.
Lamb chops - 2 chops for $11. Grilled well & tasty.
Mini unagi don - 1 piece of eel for $5 in a tiny bowl of rice.
Brown rice - tiny bowl for $1.50.
We had a couple other things but I can't remember them nor the price. -
Review from Catherine C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/29/2009
Not bad for what it's supposed to be: expensive Asian fusion. A nice once-in-a-while treat, but I always leave not feeling quite like I got the value I paid for...
FOOD: Quality was excellent, everything was made with the freshest ingredients, from the spinach gyoza to the avocado tempura to the miso-glazed roasted eggplant (drool). So yes, this place does offer lots of veggie options (yay!) but not to fear meat-eaters - my brother said the tonkatsu & kobe steak were pretty good too. Oh, and the green tea panna cotta is EXQUISITE. However, true to fine dining's stereotype, almost everything is also in painfully small portions (dessert came in a shotglass). Definitely not a go if you're a hefty eater.
PRICES: Hmmm upscale Japanese-ish fusion normally calls for a higher price tag, so I expected to shell out $75-$100 to have a decent-sized meal. However, since it was also my brother's birthday, and we were giving them quite a bit of business for just two people, I also expected that they would give us a little... shall we say incentive to come back? Like at least complimentary dessert (Roy's did that for us).
AMBIENCE: Much nicer on the inside than the outside. Wide windows lets all the passer-by's watch you while eating, which may be distracting for some people. The restaurant is definitely not very big, so I recommend bringing a date but not a big group.
PARKING: Actually not that bad around these parts. And if you're taking your lady on a date, rest assured that you won't need to make her walk too far... -
Review from Shabbir S.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2008
My wife and I went here recently and really enjoyed it. It's a husband and wife operation with the wife as the culinary brains behind the menu. The husband is serving as waiter right now and is extremely attentive. His taste in music is a little jarring but he's entirely pleasant and never failed to take away and empty dish or refill our glasses.
The food was delicious but as others have pointed out some items are subjective to your personal taste. The quality though is amazing. The sashimi I had was mind-numbingly fresh and I am an extremely accomplished sushi diner and can detect subtle changes in the age and care of the fish that other people just gloss over.
We did our best to work through the small plates menu but it's so big you can't really make a dent in just one trip. One great example of the subjective nature of the food was the pickled daikon. The pickle plate comes with daikon, and Mari (the wife and head chef) also brought us out a new recipe she was experimenting with. The standard recipe was fine, just not my style, but the new experiment was a yuzu-pickled version and blew us away.
Though I wasn't drinking that night I carefully screened the sake list and the paired menu and was impressed. Otokayama and two other premium sakes are a part of that special paired menu and it's hard to go wrong with them.
I would strongly recommend that you make this a stop in your Japanese cuisine adventure. It's one block off the N-Judah so you can take the Muni to it and drink your fill of sake. If you're in the mood for just raw fish, you'll be happy. But if you branch out a little bit you'll be very pleased.
Make sure you pick up the curry scallops, those were my hands down favorite!
[UPDATE: I revisited this place with friends while not driving so I could sample the sake list. I tried a flight of a special sake line they had brought in from the distributor but didn't really care for it. Constructing my own flight out of Otokayam, Suishin, and others would have been better.
The food, which we made an effort to not repeat from the first trip, was still awesome, and they were extremely attentive and accomodating to a friend's food allergy. My first positive experience was not a fluke.] -
Review from Geralyn Y.
San Francisco, CA
6/4/2008
My girlfriend recently celebrated her birthday here. We had a really big party (10+), but they accomodated us pretty well.
It being a Sake lounge, I'm glad to say that they have a really good Sake selection. Gil (the owner of the place, I think) hooked our table up with three bottles. He orders his stuff from Japan. Says it's more authentic. We had the usual lychee sake, dry sake, and white sake. All three went down smooth.
To go along with the sake lounge feel, it's also an appetizer only restaurant. Tasty tasty food, but why did it take so long for the chefs to get our orders out? I ordered kobe beef and it took half an hour! It took the same amount of time for our friend to get her chicken. They were small dishes too, it shouldn't have taken that long and it made a lot of the people in our party pretty tense.
four stars. I wanted to give it three, but Gil (the owner) was so sweet to our party that I'd overlook that one little imperfection. A cool place to go if you have a group of four and you want to enjoy light asian food and drinks to match. -
Review from kim w.
San Francisco, CA
6/14/2008
meh.
Ummmmmm.........its japanese, SAYS theyre authentic, so no sushi.
Everything is expensive!!!!!! GAHHhhhhhh even the tea!!
When I came here with my family, they asked us what we wanted to drink, my mom said oh just tea. So the waiter asks how many? Well DuH, there were 4 people so four.........
THE TEA COSTED $7 PER CUP, thats $28 there already!! I COULDVE HAD A PRIME RIB OR A RACK OF RIBS!!!!!!! and more!!!!!!!!!!
owell. they serve small dishes, like mini appetizers, and rice if you ask for it.
there are like rules or something here, you drink then eat some food then eat rice last, with NOTHING. weird huh? The owner is black, and his wife(japanese) is the head chef.
If youre looking to be full, dont count on it. some dishes were good. but not worth the price for some shitake mushrooms, I HAVE BAGS OF THAT AT HOME! -
Review from Jillian B.
San Francisco, CA
9/3/2008
Sozai ya is a cute Izakaya spot in the Sunset District. They have pretty good happy hour deals. Only hot sake and select beer is part of the happy hour but the food and price is very reasonable, especially for the quality of the food. Sozai-ya has a good list of cold sake, which I usually drink. The wait staff speaks fluent Japanese and English and are very friendly which help makes your experience all that much better.
If you are in the mood for Izakaya I would recommend checking out this place. -
Review from L J.
Boston, MA
7/5/2009
Great neighborhood spot. I live on the block so I had to give it a try.
Lots of Sake, lots of authentic japanese meals. I only got a plate of cheese and veggies, but the other people in the place looked satisfied.
This nice little spot provides a pleasant dining experience.
I like the music selection too, and the owner is a really friendly individual. -
Review from mary p.
Oakland, CA
2/9/2008
This place is HOT!!!
This is a typical Tokyo Izakaya style restaurant (http://en.wikipedia.or...)
These places are ABSOLUTELY wonderful because the food is dirt cheap. All small plates (Like 2 skewers of meat or fish) for like $3.50. This way you can try 3 or 4 or 5 things and walk out with a food bill under $20.00 and a very full stomach.
(To all you San Francisco Tapas restaurants, pull your head out of your you know where and wake up. THIS IS TRUE TAPAS. Small Plates and SMALL Prices. NOT your $10 and $12 offerings that you idiots have)
What really makes this a 5 star experience is they have teamed up with True Sake and have one of the largest selections of Sake's of almost any Japanese restaurant.
Give Gil and Mari your business - They are great!!
