Finally San Francisco is getting some handroll spots! Loved the fun atmosphere, so many handroll options to choose from. The Aji Gillina Croquettes were so good too! Can't wait to come back and try! read more

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New Kaiyo spot is so cute, especially the semi-outdoor area. My favorite dishes of the night were the scallop udon and the classic ceviche, honorable mention for the duck handroll! Also really liked the Chuhai drink, tasted similar to a mojito but more fun. Would highly recommend! read more

this was our first time trying peruvian-japanese cuisine, and it was truly a treat! the food, service, and comfy outdoor seating were superb. we ordered the ceviche de conchas, oysters nikkei, two hand rolls, and a couple alcoholic refreshments. everything, and i mean EVERYTHING, tasted incredibly fresh and crisp. and, not to sound freaky, tantalized our tastebuds. if we were to implore you to order one thing off the menu, it would have to be the ceviche de conchas. 10/10 recommend. the service was great, too. there was a little bit of a wait between dishes, but the servers were very communicative regarding when our food would arrive and apologized for the delays. they were also very knowledgeable about each dish being served and even the history of japanese-peruvian cuisine. if you're in the city on a 10-mile drunken stroll and need some fuel that'll refresh and revive you, this is the spot. even if you're sober, i still highly advise you to check out this restaurant. read more

Kaiyō Handroll Bar - ceviche de conchas - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We ordered papas fritas (a bit too spicy), lomo saltado (delish), tiradito (tasty but small), and a series of handrolls! A bit overpriced for the portions here. Yes, it's tasty but not much for a hefty price! Our servers were lovely and checked in on us frequently. read more

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We stopped by for the Fleet Week happy hour menu for some cocktails & hand rolls but weren't too hungry since we went after brunch. We decided to sit outside on their patio because it was a little warm in the restaurant. I forgot which cocktail I had because I'm so focused on food. I started with the salmon avocado hand roll & my friend had the negi-hama hand roll with caviar add on. I had a nice surprise and had caviar on my hand roll too, which was nice. The salmon avocado hand roll is pretty standard but very fresh & the caviar was a nice touch. My second roll was hamachi & my friend had the spicy tuna. Both were good. We shared the boozy soft serve which is not too sweet & has a boozy finish. Service was pretty helpful. I'm glad to see them reopen. read more

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I was so excited to try this new spot on Union! I went on a Tuesday night and there was plenty of space for walk ins. Their menu is robust and has something for everyone. I had their version of a manhattan which was a little lighter in taste with the addition of tea. Food was fresh and really tasty! Definitely worth a try ! read more

Kaiyō Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

3.5 STARS Kaiyō Handroll Bar is SO girl dinner coded... Start with a fruity cocktail, devour a few handrolls, and end with booze infused matcha soft serve. Film a cutesy reel/tiktok and there goes $100. Lol! Except this heffah would need a trip to Jack in the Crack on the way home. Having been to this KAIYŌ location before, I was excited to check out their newest concept: a Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) handroll bar and the first of its kind on the West Coast. There's a full bar. 4% SF mandate added to all checks. Indoor and outdoor seating. Rezzies highly recommended on the weekends. D R I N K S * Katakana: Gin w/ tomato, mango, black pepper, lime, cilantro ($19) I was told this was more a savory cocktail but it tasted more like a light, not too sweet gina mango nectar. It was good and easy to drink but I was hoping for the black pepper, lime, and cilantro to come through more. F O O D * Papas Fritas w/ aji amarillo sauce ($8) Your basic shoestring fries but served with a creamy Peruvian chili sauce that ran more salty than fruity and tangy. * HANDROLLS EAT ASAP!!! Cuz, the nori gets soggy hella fast. I'm not sure if it's intentional but the sushi rice seems to be unseasoned. Also, similar to what I've experienced at their former iteration, I found some of their protein fillings to be pretty skimpy for the price. -- A5 Wagyu Lomo Saltado ($14) One of Peru's most popular chifa dishes....a beef stir-fry made into a bougie handroll. You can never go wrong with incredibly rich, melt in yo mouff A5. Just wish there was more crispy potato for crunch and salty tang to better capture the flavors of the traditional dish. -- Crab a la Huancaína ($8) I appreciate that they use real crab but I would have liked more potato and ají amarillo to bring out the creamy, savory flavors of Peruvian causa, a savory layered potato app. -- Torotaku: Otoro w/ takuan, shiso ($8 x2) Served negitoro style, buttery minced fatty tuna belly with a nice crunch, and peppery tang from pickled radish + shiso. -- Hamachi Ceviche ($8) Was given the Hotate Ceviche instead ($10). Not mine so didn't try. -- Salmon Avocado ($6) Ordinary salmon and avocado, very little salmon. * Anticucho: Beef Skewers w/ smokey chimichurri, crispy potato, choclo, aji amarillo sauce, spicy onion ($22) - Requested medium rare Playing it safe, they used tenderloin (?) instead of corazón (heart). It was fine - tender and flavorful served with baby potatoes and starchy Peruvian corn. * Braised Short Ribs w/ aji amarillo, aji panca, tomato, carrot, choclo, edamame, cancha ($42) If braised short ribs are on the menu, I'm ordering them. These were rich and tender in a savory-sweet, soy-based sauce. The highlight tho? The miso butter corn ribs...so addictive with that perfect sweet and umami rich combo. S E R V I C E Staff was wonderful - very friendly and attentive (early dinner, not busy at the time). Being brand new, there's def kinks to work out; e.g. orders were getting delivered to the wrong tables. A M B I A N C E Chic and trendy with Osaka night market vibes - red neon lighting and colorful wagasa umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. Odd that there was no background music. Small indoor dining area with lively bar. Multiple outdoor seating options: covered front patio, sidewalk, and parklet. Overall, Kaiyō Handroll Bar feels like a great fit for the Marina esp for those new to Peruvian flavors. Personally, I just wish those flavors came through more in the Nikkei handrolls and that the protein fillings were a bit more generous for the price. read more

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Kaiyo's newest spot in Cow Hollow! I wanted to rate it higher... but with the grand opening, there's definitely more tweaks that need to make it better. We made a reservation and got seated right away. It's a small restaurant with bar & outside seating as well. Outside seating does have heaters! I'm not too sure this place would be good for big groups unless they have some kind of back room or the back corner, but definitely great for dates or to catch up with a friend. For drinks - I got the Katakana which is a gin based drink & has tomato, mango, black pepper, lime & cilantro. I really loved this drink. I'm not a fan of micheladas or bloody marys but this drink was really refreshing & tasty with a light mouthfeel. My bf got the chuhai which is japanese whisky based & has asian basil, green apple, honey, coconut & lime. At first he wasn't a fan bc you really cant taste the japanese whisky, but overtime it grew on him. It was sweet & creamy with well balanced flavors, but did feel a little heavy. I personally liked it tho. Now on to the food... For small bites we got the miso butter corn which was sooooo good & so flavorful. We also got the Tuna Tataki Tiradito - this was good! My bf described it like a different take on chilaquiles. Kinda sucked bc this came out right after they gave us our handrolls. For the handrolls - we ordered the hamachi ceviche, lomo salatado, a5 wagyu, & salmon sumiso. We wanted to like them so bad, but I'm not sure if it was sitting for a while or what bc they were pretty soggy.... Which I believe per the name of this Kaiyo restaurants is that handrolls should be star of the show??? The hamachi ceviche was pretty basic did have a burst of flavor but didn't taste anything too special. If you get the lomo saltado, no need for the a5 wagyu bc they use a5 wagyu in the lomo & the lomo is tastier. Salmon sumiso was good & different, creamy flavor! The best thing we had was the scallop udon in mentaiko sauce. I've had many mentaiko udons & this was really good. Noodles were cooked well & there was soooo much flavor in this dish. Wasn't aware it was spicy, but not too spicy, but definitely a little kick. The scallops were big & yummy, helped balance the flavor of the creamy mentaiko to put the dish together. Lastly, we got the bread pudding to try for the dessert. Couldn't make out what fruit was on there, maybe peaches? but it was kinda sour. And for a bread pudding it felt more like mochi cake or bread, which I guess on the menu it does say that they use Japanese milk bread. The bread pudding taste was there but it was just okay for us. Service was pleasant, but it did get slower over time compared to the table next to us. But we didn't expect to much during a grand opening, they have time to progress & get better. We'd definitely come back for the miso butter corn, the scalloped udon, & the katakana drink! Just my super honest review, I hope i can come back & rate it differently. read more

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We didn't intend to try this location but are so happy that we walked past it and went in! The food was all so delicious and we can't wait to come back! Our waiter Jack was extremely friendly and walked us through the entire menu to help us find good options. He also went through all the drinks and explained them so we chose the right ones. We didn't go inside but the parklet was really cozy. You should definitely give this new location a try! read more

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I love handrolls...they were fine here. Not great...if anything they are overcomplicating additions and flavors. The one with grilled wagyu was far superior to the raw wagyu one btw. The space and ambiance is lovely both inside and in the parklet. The drinks are as innovative as you'd find at the other Kaiyō branded establishments. The staff was pretty friendly when they spoke with us. We came on their second day...clearly things are still in the works because we were seated promptly with a reservation then kinda forgotten about for 15-20 minutes if not more. We had to flag people all the time to get attention. The first food dropped probably 15 mins after that. I won't ding the rating here for that...second day so I get it. Now there's more here than just handrolls so it's a good place for a lot of tastes if you're in the area. read more

Kaiyō Handroll Bar - Hana No Manhattan - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I really wanted to love this place cause it's so close to home, but unfortunately our experience on their second day open was a complete operational mess from start to finish. We first tried to visit on opening night around 9pm. There were plenty of visibly open tables, but the host told us they weren't accepting any more walk-ins for the night. Fair enough. I went home and made a reservation for 4pm the following day. Throughout the day, I received reminders about our 4pm reservation and confirmed that we would be there. Then, about 30 minutes before the reservation, I received a text saying, "As a reminder, the kitchen will be closed until 5pm, but you can come at 4pm to enjoy the bar before then." As a reminder? This was the first I had heard of it. I specifically made a reservation to eat, not to sit at the bar drinking for an hour while waiting for the kitchen to open. I had also saved my appetite for our 4pm reservation. I looked everywhere afterward to see if I had somehow missed something stating that food service didn't begin until 5pm, and I couldn't find it. If the kitchen normally doesn't open until 5pm, why offer 4pm dining reservations in the first place? We still arrived at 4 hoping there had been some mistake. We were told the kitchen was indeed closed, but we were welcome to sit outside and order drinks. At that point I asked for a manager because I wanted to understand what was happening and whether we would even be guaranteed a table if we waited until 5. The manager explained that there had been an unexpected issue with the kitchen hood and that they had sent a Resy text informing guests that the kitchen wouldn't open until 5. Apparently, several of us waiting outside never received that initial message--we only received the later text saying "as a reminder." To his credit, the manager was kind and clearly trying to put out fires. He offered everyone waiting a complimentary first round while the kitchen got going and said they might actually be able to start around 4:30. They also served glasses of bubbly to the guests waiting outside, which was appreciated. About 15 minutes later, they invited us inside and told us our table was ready, so naturally we assumed things were sorted out. We sat down around 4:30... only to be told again that the kitchen wouldn't be open until 5 and they were only taking cocktail orders. By about 4:45, I asked if we could at least put our food order in with the understanding that nothing would come out until after 5. They eventually took it. We ordered five handrolls, and unfortunately the confusion continued from there. Our order was mixed up multiple times. At one point, someone who wasn't our server came over and asked us to remind them what we had ordered. Thankfully, I had written it down. We were also brought an extra wagyu roll, which I immediately pointed out because I didn't want to be charged for something we hadn't ordered. They took it away, only for the manager to eventually bring it back to us. Sad thing is, the rolls were just okay and a disappointing unsatisfying meal was $50+. It was a shitshow. I understand this was only their second day open, and new restaurants absolutely need time to work out the kinks. I also want to emphasize that the manager was kind and seemed genuinely focused on trying to make things right. But there's a difference between normal opening-week hiccups and accepting reservations for a time when you cannot actually provide the experience people reserved. The communication was confusing, the reservation process made no sense given the kitchen situation, and once we finally sat down, the service and ordering process were still disorganized. Another couple who had been waiting with us ultimately walked out in frustration, and we came pretty close ourselves. There is clearly potential here, and I hope they succeed, but they seriously need to get their operations and guest communication together. A reservation should mean something, especially when guests are planning their evening and meals around it. Hopefully this was just second-day chaos and they get things running smoothly soon, because this was a really disappointing first experience. read more

Kaiyō Handroll Bar - Free drink to accommodate the reservation error - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We made reservations a week back just in case. Loved the ambiance at Kaiyo Handroll Bar! We got to sit outside on the cutest patio, and everything we ordered was delicious. We started with the tuna tataki tiradito a must try! We also tried a few different hand rolls, and ended with the Lomo Saltado..so good! So happy they're open again right down the street from us. Delicious food, great service, and such a fun neighborhood spot. We'll definitely be back! read more

Kaiyō Handroll Bar - Limo saltado - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I usually go to their rooftop on the way to a giants or warriors game, this time we decided to try their Cow hollow spot and glad we did. It was a different menu with more handrolls option but they kept the Lomo saltado and Miso Cod from the old location which we ordered and were all great. The service was attentive but you could see they were still trying to figure it out and the atmosphere was lively and colorful just like Okinawa. The cocktails were creative and tasty even though I ordered a dirty martini myself but my friends ordered The Kin and Chuhai We will be back soon to try some of the items we didn't and the Rum soft serve. Overall the experience was very pleasant even though I read different reviews on yelp and google, so give it a try and support locals read more

I dined there recently and looooved the revamped space. It is such a vibe, great music and great art. My favorite dish was the wagyu handroll and the scallop udon - both things I've never had anywhere else. The matcha soft serve was also outstanding!!! I sat at the bar and the staff was super helpful and overall very welcoming. Will definitely be back! read more

Kaiyō Handroll Bar - Salmon and scallop udon! - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A nice re-addition to the neighborhood! Drinks were really good and appetizers were excellent. I thought the hand rolls could use a bit more variety. read more

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we got there with a reservation and waited a while to order. we only ordered 2 dishes one was an appetizer and a drink. we waited 30 minutes to get appetizer then we asked the waiters where our other dish was. they said 2 minutes... 15 minutes later no dish. then we like let's get the check it's cool we don't have to wait. and then they brought the dish but we had to turn it down since we had to leave for a res id give them some props since they comped the meal and we didn't ask them too just the check. the scallop ceviche not good. flavor profile is bland and not very in the spirit of what a ceviche dish is. drink was normal we went to shake shack after read more

Kaiyō Handroll Bar - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I came to KAIYŌ last week and genuinely had such a great experience. I've been to their rooftop location before, and I had heard that the Cow Hollow location would have more of a family-friendly, neighborhood vibe--and it really does. It feels welcoming and relaxed without sacrificing the quality of the food or drinks. I went with a girlfriend and we sat at the bar. We ordered the half-dozen caviar oysters, shishito peppers, and a couple of hand rolls. Everything was incredibly flavorful and delicious and honestly did not disappoint. One little tip: eat the hand rolls quickly, because they can get soggy pretty fast! The real star of the show, though, was our bartender, Mikey. He was super informative and made fabulous drinks. And lucky for us, he also happened to be easy on the eyes! What I especially appreciated was how attentive he was without ever overstepping. He chatted with us, answered our questions, and was genuinely engaging, but he also gave us the space to enjoy our time and catch up. It's surprisingly hard to sit at a restaurant bar and have a bartender who knows how to strike that perfect balance--you either get someone who is overly chatty or someone who makes you feel like they're listening to every conversation you have. Mikey was fabulous. He made the whole experience that much better, and I'll definitely be back! Next time the matcha soft serve is on my list of things to try! read more

Great service as well as delicious food! We got hand rolls, the appetizer platter and cocktails. Everything was a 10/10! Would recommend anyone to come here. read more

Love this place! It's only been open 1 week and I've been back 3 times! Get the oysters, corn, scallop ceviche, udon, and cocktails. The negihama handroll is fantastic. I had 4 of them. The bartenders are very skilled and have an amazing selection of spirits to work with. Can't wait to go back. read more

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A handroll bar but not your average handroll bar! They have super creative and fun menu items with a cocktail menu to match. Add in the insanely fun decor and we couldn't help but have the best time. Staff were extremely helpful picking through all the menu options and I can't wait to come back and try more. read more

Kaiyō Handroll Bar is an awesome addition to the neighborhood! The new decor gave a good vibe & ambiance to my meal & drinks. I definitely recommend the miso corn ribs tuna tiradito. I had the A5 Wagyu Handroll & Negi-Hama Handroll - both outstanding! I had a few of the cocktails - the Chuhai really stood out & I'll definitely order again! Service was on point. My server, Jack, was very warm & knowledgeable. I'll be going back tonight with my baby (they can accommodate lil ones & even brought out some complimentary fruit for him). read more

Such an incredible dinner at Kaiyo! Jack was our server and provided us the most wonderful experience, answering all of our questions and giving the greatest, friendliest, most professional service. The menu is to die for - was struck with such decision anxiety. Everything we ordered was delicious, from the miso butter corn, halibut ceviche, and beef empanadas to the hand rolls. The tuna tataki and A5 Wagyu handroll were excellent. The ambience was fun and inspired - loved all the decor. read more

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Beautiful interiors, thoughtful menu items, and creative execution. Great addition to the neighborhood!

i think they're going through some growing pains with being new and just opening. the service made no sense. food was not bad, will try other dishes next time! read more

I missed this spot when the original version closed, but was happy to visit the rooftop and restaurant on 2nd St, and now super extatic that Union St has returned and even better. Top notch ambiance, hospitality and service, and the food was OUTSTANDING. Glad to be one of the first to check it out and will be one of the first to return read more