Amazing food AND excellent customer service! It's rare that places have both; we have been overly impressed with the quality and taste of their sushi! Their fish always tastes extremely fresh, even when we order to go. Their rice dishes & appetizers are really good too! It feels like a family owned business that never skimps on quality and always make you feel welcome. Everyone is genuinely kind. During our first visit the gentleman helping us took the time to go over rolls with us and make recommendations that he thought we would like. The roll he recommended (the ariake roll) is now our favorite roll! We always order that with the 49er roll. We highly recommend this restaurant for great food and customer service!!! read more

Meh. Fresh sushi and good service but the price is not worth the admission. Me and a some friends split the Bob, moondog, ariake, live scallops, and the ankimo. I also tried some of my friend's tempura udon. The food was nice and fresh and my favorite part of the meal was the flavorful monkfish liver. But the same food can be had at any other decent Japanese restaurant. Here it was a bit pricey for it's quality. The staff was nice and attentive(small restaurant), I reccomend the Moon Dog and Ankimo. read more

Awesome sushi spot and totally worth the drive if you don't live nearby. Service is lovely. One of the best bowls of miso I've ever had (there needs to be a perfect balance of miso and salty - they mastered it). I loved the Hamachi Mango and Double Albacore rolls. Apparently the Moon Dog is *the best* but the good lord gave me shellfish allergies. Tons of awesome shellfish rolls on the menu, too. Everything else we had was super fresh; yummy Maguro and Toro sashimi. Note: He's currently getting his fish from Greece which says something about his conscience and his concern for the health consequences of his customers. Kudos to him for thinking about this during a time when most people wouldn't realize why this is so important... read more

The unagi don here is amazinggggggg. Highly reccommend it. This restaurant is family owned and they are the nicest people ever. The nigiri and sashimi is fresh and delicious and have the fancy stuff like otoro and amaebi. If you live nearby, this place should be one of your regular go-tos. They will treat you well and quality is consistent. read more

Best deals are the sushi dinner - skip the "Kiss" or "Faith" and go directly for the "Love sushi/sashimi combo". The restaurant probably hates me for telling you this since you will only spend $30/person instead of higher amount (for 2 people). For me & my girlfriends, the dinner is enough to feed 3 gals, since it includes: sashimi combo 4-5 kinds of nigiri (2 pieces each) 2 rolls (dragon & ariake rolls) soup & salad for 2 people Yes, the other yelpers are correct - you get the 2nd citizen look/treatment if you don't blow more money away. It doesn't bother me much since I know I'm getting a good deal. The service is not consistent and I'm not a regular who gets special treatment...sometimes, the waitress is good, other times, sucks...just depends on your "luck". I notice sushi-bar people get free edamame but not the people at the table - weird. read more

yum yum yum yum... all i can say is it was delicious... yummy beyond yum yum... it was so good... I wish I can eat more and more! I had their special the ariake roll and I had the 49er, and the oyster,although it was some tiny oyster, I commend them for good authentic japanese food... yummmmmmmmmmmmmy! Def, will come bak read more

I would've given this place four stars in the past, but here's why they only deserve three now: The seasonal live scallops are tiny. Seriously, tiny. Like, babies. And $25! I expected so much better. I could've had a few portions of the hotate nigiri for that price. The soft shell crab comes with more greens than crab and is too burned. The calamari, which I had had before, are good. The hamachi and mango roll disappointed me a bit this time. The presentation is sloppy. Why not at least take care to include both hamachi and mango on each piece? read more

Ariake - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

came here on a random father-daughter day outing. Dad was craving some solid sushi and decided to meet up with his only daughter in the City. ordered: edamame hidden treasure - a chef special with some fresh raw fish and shrimp and shizo leaves and with a simple clean taste. I would have loved some heat added but then it would have been a ceviche and totally different Ariake roll - a 3 spicy tuna combo covered in seaweed salad - spicy tuna and seaweed salad can't go wrong Dragon roll - crab meat and prawn tempura w/ cucumber and eel - solid! inside out roll - tuna inside and out - solid! and tempura - solid Overall very attentive service, everything tasted fresh and clean and I will def be back! read more

Ariake - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We just arrived from a week in Tokyo, and what's the first thing we crave upon return?More sushi! One can never have enough! While it's tough to top an omakase meal at Tokyo's famous Tsukiji market, Ariake does a pretty decent job of satiating our craving. Got some oysters, ankimo, uni, blue fin, amaebi and toro nigiri -- very happy with my selection! The quality of the fish was superb -- it's a cut above the other Richmond area sushi restaurants we've tried. Our kids also enjoyed their tempura shrimp udon and agedashi tofu. By the way, it's a small restaurant but quite popular, so come early to find parking and get your name on the wait list. It's worth the wait! read more

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Was randomly in this neighborhood and this sushi restaurant came highly recommended! Called for a reservation for 2 around 6:30 pm. When I called back to inform them we were running a bit late, the woman on the phone was so friendly and understanding about it. When we finally arrived 20 min later, they already had 2 spots at the bar waiting for us. The restaurant is small and very cozy. We were greeted by the sushi chefs and treated as if we were family. Started with some house hot sake, complimentary edamame and white tuna tataki. Everything was so fresh and delicious. We also shared 3 more rolls - ariake, cherry blossom and double albacore. Of the 3, my least favorite was the ariake roll, but it was still a very fresh and above average sushi roll. The prices are reasonable, portions are very generous and extremely hospitable staff that made us feel like family. I could definitely tell that this place is a local favorite. Can't wait to come back and try some more of the special rolls and nigiri. read more

Ariake - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friend and I dropped by Ariake after we got a good beating at kendo practice. Excitement overtook my weary body as my eyes spied cooked and fried sushi rolls: my favorites. Could they be as good as the ones at my favorite sushi place: Cha Cha in San Jose? The rolls we got were a mixed bag. I really enjoyed their Lion King Roll (crab, avocado, wrapped in salmon and baked with special sauce). The roll had a little tangy kick towards the end of each bite that I couldn't really put my finger on, so I figured the special sauce was just doing its thing. On the other hand, the Godzilla Roll (fried yellowtail topped with sweet and spicy sauce) was totally disappointing. Some pieces of this roll had barely any fish in them. Dessert was again a mixed bag. The Green Tea Cheese Cake should actually be called Green Tea Ice Cream Shaped Like a Cake. It looked like what I'd imagine green tea cheese cake looks like, but it was FROZEN. I want my cheesecake to be soft and creamy, not hard. The Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream was good, but nothing mind-blowing. Service was friendly, yet we had to repeatedly ask for refills. We had just spent 2 hours in heavy armor beating each other with wooden swords so we were pretty parched. Even after we kindly asked, explaining to the waitress that we were pretty thirsty, it still took a while to get our refills. read more

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Ariake is my go to sushi spot. Their food is always fresh and the service is always prompt and kind. It's a small space but warm and well lit. Highly recommend. read more

This eatery was fabulous. People were friendly . David our server brought us a birthday drink. Live oysters tasted Devine. Sushi ummmmm. We are going back. read more

I've passed Ariake plenty of times going up and down Geary, but never gave it a chance until last night. The restaurant is very small, with a bar and 4-6 tables. Although small, it's very nice and gives off a more authentic feel. For a Saturday night, they were packed but we arrived just as a table cleared so no wait, yay! Because it was a full house, it took 30 minutes before our first dish came. They gave us free edamame as we waited, so all is forgiven. We ordered the Tataki - small, Maguro Maguro, Double Albacore, and the Rainbow roll. The Tataki was delicious and the small was more than enough for our party of 3. I definitely recommend it! The rolls were good, but the Maguro Mango was a little too sweet due to the creamy sauce. Oh, we also got half a dozen of the Kumamoto oysters and they were amazinggggg! They're 2.50 each and very small, but so good! Definitely try them! Because it was busy, it did take a while before our tea was refilled and we had to ask twice before we got the check. Overall a great experience and I hope to be back soon. read more

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It has been way too long since I have had good sushi! The fish was SUPER fresh like melt in my mouth fresh. Delicious. The rolls were good and savory and I recommend the Moon Dog Roll! Soo good! Some people on yelp seem to be saying stuff because it's Korean owned, but guys almost all sushi restaurants are Korean owned & it doesn't even matter cuz the food is good! Highly recommend! read more

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I would give this place 4 stars for the sushi. Yes, sushi and sashimi were good. Portions were good. The chef was nice. I came in late at night and sat at the bar. I was confused because the waiter came by once to give me a drink menu. She didn't offer me any water or tea. Just a drink menu which had wine, beer, tea, and soda. Then she left for a good 5 minutes (at the time, there were only one table and another person at the bar eating). I decided to order to green tea, $3.50. It wasn't hot green tea in a pretty cup. It was just a bottle of "iced" tea that I could just pick up at Walgreens. The chef then asked me to order which hit me that the "menu" were the rolls written on a chalk board behind the chef with no price tag anywhere to be seen. That's it, just about 8 rolls and some nigiri hanging on the wall. Fine. I ordered a cherry blossom roll and some sweet shrimp. Those tasted delicious, by the way. The bill came out to be $27 for one roll, one order of sweet shrimp, and one bottle of tea. I would say my experience there was a confusing one but the food was good. read more

Ariake - Cherry blossom roll - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's very tasty here. Large portions. Very friendly staff. On the TV showed football 2018 without sound. The cafe's disadvantages are that they do not have the calorie content of the dishes. The situation in the cafe is quiet. Everywhere is clean :) read more

Ariake - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Intimate setting. I was with one other, but we got seated pretty quickly at the bar. Extensive menu selection. Nigiri was phenomenal - very fresh fish and speedy chefs. Sake selection is... shall I say, long. They bring out edamame when you order a bottle of sake. Friendly staff. Will definitely come back! read more

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As a sushi connoisseur, this place ranked the top spot in my sushi list in the City. Chef carefully hand prepare every nigiri and roll they offer. A must try is their hamachi mango roll. You wont regret it. Fish is always fresh and I've been here for takeout while the pandemic is on going and the food still does not disappoint. read more

Went there to grab a quick lunch. Everything was good. Nothing extremely spectacular that would make me go head over heels with this place but you cannot fully judge the restaurant by one lunch. What you can see though is the cleanness of the bathrooms, tables and utensils, attention from the staff (although I was the only one there, so all attention went to me), and timely manner of service. Prices are a little too high for a city full of sushi joints, but the quality is decent. Will come there again, if I remember where it's at. read more

Ariake - Some pretentious photo with the joint's address on the chopsticks. - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I'm going to Ariake tonight (I estimate this will be my 235th face-stuffing session) and I thought I'd write a shiny review. I would be happy eating exclusively at this place for the rest of my life. Not only is it a lovely, cozy place to go either with your family, friends or on some kind of date situation, the wait staff is super friendly and accommodating, the chefs are very friendly and quick, and they remember us every time we go! Not that you'll have any trouble ordering (everything is delicious), these are some of my favorites: Firecraker Moon Dog Roll Spider Roll Salmon Sashimi Bonito (the large plate with the ponzu sauce) Toro Nigiri Shima Aji Wash it all down with some hot sake and you're one satisfied fatty. Get ready to roll out of this place. read more

This place is delicious. We love their sushi & the unagi donburi particularly -- it's so fresh. We've been ordering takeout more regularly since covid to break the monotony and to support small businesses and am thrilled they're open and part of our rotation. read more

small place off geary in between the presidio and golden gate park sushi is high quality, very tasty. family owned and operated. service was fast, attentive, and food was delicious. highly recommend read more

Came here this past Tuesday evening and the room was just filled enough that we had to wait for a few minutes but quickly got our seat. I usually order rolls when I go to sushi restaurants, and especially salmon rolls, and so I got the 49er roll, Island roll, and the Cherry blossom roll. Food, the rolls were decent, not the best I ever had, but I did like the Salmon. The amount of fish on the rolls were just right and they were good. The cherry blossom was a tuna roll, and although I usually like Tuna, I was a little taken aback by some of the flavor, and not sure if they had the freshest tuna on hand. Service was ok. The first waitress that was helping us was not very helpful. She first gave us our drinks and then asked if we were ready, which we were still trying to make a decision, and then basically never came back. The second waitress was very attentive and started helping us through the ordering, getting us the free small plate of edamame that comes with the meal, and then getting additional wasabi and ginger, which they don't seem to give a lot of with the rolls themselves. Overall, I would come again, but maybe avoid the Tuna here. read more

Uh, Derrick... That "weird herb" was shiso leaf. It's a Japanese thing. Welcome to your first quality sushi restaurant. Ariake is easily one of my favorite sushi haunts, and though all of the fish is generally very high quality, I'd recommend trying some of the house specialties, like the superior tuna tataki, live scallop, firecracker, Bob roll, and definitely try the aji and shima aji, which you don't find everywhere. Great sake selections, too. I only wish they'd improve the music played in the restaurant. read more

Jin and his staff are wonderful and make some deliciously fresh sushi! I have been going to Ariake for many years and the quality is always excellent. The 49er roll is my personal favorite as they cover the salmon with a paper thin slice of lemon (unlike other restaurants that put a slab of lemon) that brings out the best in the salmon and the hint of lemon is perfect! They still make some of the best sushi but my only complaint is that they used to put the biggest pieces of fish in their Sashimi and Nigiri and now they are closer to what most sushi restaurants in SF offer- smaller portioned fish presumably as the price of fish goes up they are trying to keep their prices reasonable read more

Ariake - My favorite- 49er roll with paper-thin sliced lemon on top - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Hands down the best sushi I have had in the Bay Area. The Bay Area has sub par food but this place was high quality and really very good!! I would come here again. Honestly, decent prices and the servings and service was really great. read more

Great sushi. I recommend ordering from the nigiri lust on the wall. Cold Sapporo and good edamame. Don't bother with mochi or rolls.

Love this place. Not only is the fish excellent but the most difficult part is rice melts in a warm good way read more

Ariake - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This neighborhood Japanese restaurant does everything competently - and sometimes surprises. The decor is predictable for a neighborhood sushi haven: an intimate sushi bar, a seated area opposite, a flat-screen TV playing silently. The staff is attentive and informal. Miso soup was hot, but quite ordinary, as was the tea. Veggie tempura was very crisp and flavorful, with nary a hint of greasiness. The dipping sauce, however, lacked much flavor at all. Unagi nigiri was delicious - warm and appetizing. I can see why some might find a dish like Unagi Don so appealing. The Crunch 13 roll had shrimp and crab meat, deep fried. The texture was appetizing, but the flavor was a bit bland; I probably should have had one of their more colorful, inventive rolls, instead. The price was around $35. Ariake seems to be one of those places that requires more research to find the really great dishes. This time around, the food was simply...good. read more

Great quality fish. Fantastic miso soup. Friendly and competent staff. I am always a little nervous trying out sushi places that are new to me, but we will definitely be back. read more

Lovely local joint in the Richmond. I live literally steps away, and walked in per recommendation from friends. My biggest gripe with sushi places is the fish quality and Ariake doesn't disappoint. In fact, it's one of the best I've had in SF. The portions are generous, the 49er roll and salmon avocado rolls have a fresh, complimentary flavor and the rice is to perfection. read more

Asked for omakase sashimi for two and they end up charging us $90 dollars for that alone on top of everything else we ordered (party of 2). We complaint to them because it was a lot of sashimi for two people and normally it's not that much. The bill was over $250 and they refuse to admit any wrong doing. There was nothing fancy in omakase to justify the price either so we felt ripped off. We're never coming back again. read more

This is one of the best sushi restaurants in the entire city. The fish is fresh, the rolls are flavorful, the service is excellent and the chefs are talented! I come to Ariake at least once a week and am a huge fan of their Lion King and Dragon rolls, among others. It's a small place and fills up fast (busy times are 6-8pm), but worth the wait. read more

Came in to grab a late lunch. Our waiter was great but I found the dishes over priced for what was served. They didn't offer any lunch specials over the weekend, which was a disappointment as that looked the most interesting. read more

Ariake - Tonkatsu - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We wandered in here because we happened to be walking through the area at lunch time, and were surprised at the quality of our sushi! We ordered the cherry blossom, 49'er, and fireman rolls, and it was some of the best sushi we've had in SF. I wish we lived closer, because this would be our three-times-a-week go-to sushi joint! read more

Ariake - Cherry Blossom - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food is pretty great, but the staff makes it even better. This trickles down to the users who return often and really have a great time visiting. I've had fellow guests share their sake, or generally strike up conversation just because the overall atmosphere is so awesome. Definite visit. read more

This is my favorite sushi place ever. Their sushi is so fresh, and well made. I love all the salmon nigiris. Highly recommend it!

Sometimes you have to put your foot down. Sometimes you have to realize it is someone else's birthday (happy birthday again, Stanley!) and try not to put your foot in your mouth. Sometimes you have to go with the flow. I am democratic when I want to be, so I gave up my want for the place I hadn't tried up the street, which is supposed to have really good sushi, to go somewhere at the request of more spicy this and creative that and deep fried the other. I sucked it up and tried to go back to the frou frou sushi. I mean, hell, after 7 months of unemployment I was able to go back to well gin without too much pain and suffering. How hard could it be to apply this philosophy to a funky roll that has teiyaki sauce, deep-fried crab and eel abed a plate of spicy mayo? Hard. Very hard. They do have fresh fish, a clean place and efficient service, but mango does not belong in a sushi roll with spicy hamachi. I am so damaged by the thought of that one that I might have to go back to the expensive gin, and just when I was getting used to the cheap stuff. read more

This place own by Korean, kitchen and waitress are Korean but Japanese Sushi Chef. This chef was good but there was something wrong goin' on, seriously. He was such a bad mood, pissed off, constipation, mid age crisis, menopause or having a period of guy version, etc.. I don't know. I don't know what the fxxx was goin' on. I was in the neighborhood for hair cut at Ricks'. So, I just walked in for a nice lunch, it was a nice Saturday afternoon. There were about half full, chef was working hard, non stop. I wasn't in a hurry so I was lookin' around. But this chef never smiled until he asked me and found out I am Japanese. He started to talk to me, in Japanese, and began to bitching about his customers, out loud, in Japanese, with smile. He was just laughing at out loud about his customer how rude they are. I was like, "?!?!?". Frankly, I found he was a hella funny in the very negative way. We all do and very funny sometimes, insult the others as a joke in some degrees. But insult the other people, there is a line you just shouldn't step over. And he was on the border line. But I think I know where the come from. He might be a just frustrating guy who is miss communicating with his boss, co-workers and customers. But talking about the lack of understanding of mixed culture in SF. How authentic he wants? How does he like to be Authentic sushi chef? Do I want to pay a lot to get Authentic sushi? Don't I mind to pay more for French but Japanese? How about Chinese? I think it's all for "Satisfaction". If I satisfied, include food, service, people, parking, presentations,bathroom, etc, in any different way, I'll give you 5. I wasn't so comfortable hearing bad-mouthing his custmer's "Rude" table manner. It was very funny in the begining but in some point, I got very tied. I don't know who is really "rude" in his story. I don't think I like to take my friends to come here. It's too bad, really, because 2 reasons: 1, This Owner gets good fresh fish. 2, This Chef has good technique. read more