Best Omakase experience we've ever had! Place had a familiar feeling and service was incredible. Each meal was its own experience. Highly recommend. read more

Kibatsu is a lovely Japanese-forward establishment in the heart of Lower Haight. My fiancé & I came here on a night out to celebrate our recent engagement, and it was lovely romantic vibes at the counter. :3 What we ordered: + Dynamite Roll (5/5): Lives up to its name -- the warmest, spiciest, crunchiest, and most "dynamite" presentation of a dynamite roll I've ever had! I really enjoyed the creativity of this roll, though I thought that the ratio of fish could be better. + Hamachi Jalapeño Sashimi (5/5): Sooo yummy. Hamachi is my favorite cut of fish and Kibatsu definitely does it justice! The sauce was divine. I thought the temperature of the fish was a little strange since it was kind of lukewarm-- I'd definitely prefer a strong commitment to either cold/warm for sashimi slices. + Wagyu & Mushroom Skewer (6/5 - would highly recommend!): Expensive but so worth it. We both agreed it was the best wagyu we've tried-- the whole chunk just melts in your mouth like nothing we've had before. + Complimentary Salmon + Tomato Bite (5/5): The chefs gave everyone a free little poke taco that was really creative! There is ice-cold shaved tomato on top that plays with a unique temperature & texture. Service was a little hard to flag down at times and the establishment does feel a little loud and crowded if you're not at one of the big group tables or the sushi counter. Overall, a pleasant experience for us! read more

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I had high expectations for Kibatsu's $180 omakase, but unfortunately it didn't feel like a $180 experience. While the quality of the fish was good, the overall meal lacked the pacing and attention to detail that make omakase special. Some courses were served all at once, while others had long gaps in between, making the experience feel inconsistent. For this price point, I expected a more curated and immersive dining experience. The food itself was enjoyable, but it didn't feel like we got our money's worth. If I return, I'd skip the omakase and order à la carte instead. It seems like a better value and would let us choose the dishes we enjoyed most. read more

Excellent sushi spot! I was in the mood for rolls so my boyfriend and I shared the golden mountain, super crunch and dynamite rolls. In summary, these all tasted fresh, had great proportions of fish to toppings, and we both loved the balance of salty, sweet and spicy. These hit the spot and we couldn't decide how to rank the three! The staff were friendly, especially one of the sushi chefs behind the counter, and the service was quick. This definitely feels like an intimate, quiet neighborhood spot. Can't wait to come back to try sashimi and nigiri pieces, as well as other small plates! read more

Kibatsu - Dynamite roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

A pretty disappointing experience for what it was. The place is incredibly small and cramped, the tables you get seated at are next to others that are only divided by a thin clear plastic and the seats are so uncomfortable especially if you sit by the wall. They include pillows which are soft but provide no sitting space, so I had to sit at the edge of my seat the entire time dining. We had to wait 15 minutes to get seated when there was an empty table waiting beside us and by the time we did get seated the waitress asked if we wanted any drinks and when we asked for just water she left without taking our order and me and my boyfriend had to wait for so long to get our order of 2 items taken..... the menu is not long consisting only of 2 pages with many subsections so if you know what you're coming for you get approximately 10 things to choose from and saying 10 is being generous. the food we ordered was good dont get me wrong but the size is so incredibly small for the price. I swear I could get a bigger roll size going to safeway! The food quality does not amount for everything else. Maybe instead of serving heavy fancy rocks we could get a decent portion instead??? good lord... read more

Kibatsu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Get a reservation. Small cozy restaurant. The most uncomfortable seating ever however. The non-bar seats have a table with an extremely thick base so your knees hit the base. The wall seats are a thin ledge so your legs fall asleep. Plus, all the seats are EXTREMELY CLOSE together, only separated by a plastic barrier. read more

Our favorite neighborhood spot! Great service and quality of fish. The environment is cozy and the staff is so kind and attentive.

Kibatsu is a cute, little Japanese restaurant in the Haight. It has been on my list of restaurants to visit for some time now. Sadly my recent experience only resulted in this being an average meal for me. I made reservations for two on a Saturday night. Upon arriving before our reservation time, we were seated promptly. The first thing we were told by our server was that they don't accept credit cards. Payment is only accepted in the form of cash, PayPal, Venmo or Zelle. That was definitely a new for me. What higher price restaurant that advertises they accept credit cards actually don't? We were given the a la carte menu. I asked about the omakase menu and was given two menus, one for $120 and the other for $180. We opted for the $120 menu and sadly I didn't snap a photo of what came with the omakase before the server took away all the menus. I wish I took a pic as I didn't catch every dish the server quickly shouted out as she dropped it off at our table. The $120 omakase came with about 10 different courses. All of the dishes were fresh and average, but nothing stood out as amazing. All in all, the total bill with a bottle of junmai daijingo, tax and tip came to $440. This is a steep price for the experience and the food we got. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was anything I ate something I dream about having again? No. Sadly, the hype and anticipation of Kibatsu did not live up to my expectations of what I thought it would be. read more

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A neighborhood gem! This is the coziest friendliest sushi spot I can recall, from the decor to the service. We were able to get reservations only a few days in advance (my boo is not a planner) so great for casual or short notice outings. We came for my birthday and splurged on the omakase as a treat. We had maybe 9 courses including a large nigiri course with appreciated all the different preparations. All was incredible. The wagyu on the ice cream took the boo by surprise (because he didn't hear the server as she put it down) and bit into what he thought was a brownie and it was a very savory piece of Wagyu instead. SO GOOD. We'll definitely be back for another omakase as well as a la carte menu which is super reasonable. We can tell some others were regulars as well. I'm not sure how this spot has remained relatively hidden but they're killing it! I believe they weren't taking credit card but Zelle/venmo which for us was fine but would have been disastrous for folks like my parents. read more

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First things first, the taste of the food is amazing and everything I ate here was delicious. The interior is cute and homey, with good vibes and a cool sushi counter setup. I would rate this a 4.5 if I could, with 0.5 being taken off only for the following: (1) They get BUSY so expect to wait a bit for the food. While our initial orders came out pretty promptly, we ended up waiting 25 minutes for our last dish (which we ordered later) to come out. (2) Payment is in venmo/zelle so make sure you have one of those apps. On venmo, you are sending money to an individual which seems a little strange but you can see the history of everybody paying for their sushi to this one individual read more

Kibatsu - Golden Mountain Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

My favorite sushi in San Francisco, hands down. I walked in with a friend on a Friday night around 7 pm and waited about 20 minutes. Amazing service then when they allowed us to sit in the couch and gave us water while waiting, but also throughout the meal. Everyone was just so attentive and kind. I've been here many times and the omakase is delicious but this time we opted for à la carte and it was great too. My favorite was the seared o toro which literally melted in my mouth. I'm going back just for this. We also got a few rolls, Wagyu skewers, miso soup, and edamame. No complaints on anything. It's so cute in the restaurant too, it's like a piece of Japan in SF. Throughout our meal we also received complimentary sushi bites and ice cream! read more

Kibatsu - Edamame, O Toro seared sashimi, Wagyu skewer - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food was great and our reservation was even seated early. Losing a star because service was slow. Highly recommend getting a reservation since we saw multiple parties get turned away or added to a wait list. read more

This is hands down my favorite restaurant in SF. Their sushi is equivalent if not BETTER to sushi I've had in Japan. Chanel is amazing and always takes great care of me and my friends. It's a gorgeous and cozy atmosphere. read more

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The location was perfect for a quick bite before a concert at the Faight Collective. If you like sashimi and sushi, the food does not disappoint. We got a mix of different dishes to share and they were all very yummy. The blue fin sashimi was well balanced, moist, not super salty. The unagi was perfectly flavored. Everything paired so well with the Japanese beer. The service was good. The wait staff came over with food almost perfectly timed. The restaurant itself had a super cool chill vibe with warm wood and lights. It felt very homey to eat there. We got to sit by the window and look out while maintaining our privacy. Very cool spot. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because we had to pay for the meal via venmo. I never did that before so that was odd to me. That's a me thing though. Overall great food and great experience. read more

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Went back to Kibatsu this past weekend, and it didn't disappoint! We kinda decided last minute to go, so we had no reservation, but we were able to snag a seat at the sushi bar which honestly our favorite seat in the restaurant. Why do we love sitting at the sushi bar? Honestly it's because of two things, the guys behind the making the sushi are so incredibly nice and it allows us to see a variety of dishes made that we ultimately end up ordering lol During our dinner we saw them making a seared toro sashimi dish, and we ended up ordering it ourselves. For $35 you get a generous portion on toro and it was so buttery and melt in your mouth, it's something I could eat everyday! It was on special that night, so hopefully it'll be there on our next visit. Another new thing we tried was their walu nigiri, which we asked to be seared, and it was so damn good. Those are the two menu items I'll never skip. The lady in restaurant is also the sweetest. Always remember my girlfriend and I and the service here is always 10/10. Kibatsu is our go-to sushi spot because of the amazing food and service. Definitely a place where we'd feel comfortable taking anyone who is craving sushi! read more

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We did a walk-in this evening, but I think it wasn't because people left the city for the holiday weekend. We were promptly seated and chose bar seating. Everyone was very attentive to us even when the restaurant started to fill up as the evening went on. | f o o d | We decided to order a la carte. Here's what we ordered: - 49er roll: a classic roll! Love the salmon and lemon for some citrus. - golden mountain roll: A MUST. This roll is loaded, but all the components work together very well. It's very rich but not overwhelming. - hamachi sashimi: the sashimi was worth it because the slices were THICK. So incredibly fresh! They - toro nigiri: we know toro is always a hit and yup this was delicious. Because of the holiday, the sushi chefs threw in some items on the house for us. We were so grateful and left even fuller than expected. - albacore with crispy onions: the fish was seared which paired well with the crispy onions. - wahakamachi: whoa an explosion of flavor and textures! I would gladly order this next time. We enjoyed each item we had and appreciated their creativity. Thank you to our chefs Roy and Jimmy for the dinner service! | t l ; d r | A cozy neighborhood sushi place with amazing service and quality fish. We will definitely be coming back! read more

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Super nice cozy vibes, love the decor of this place! Mid to low light, great for a romantic dinner with good food! Although it is not the best sushi in town, for a little above average price you're getting some good stuff! read more

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Food was very good but not what you'd expect from a $180 omaskase. I would say this was very good neighborhood sushi. That price point you expect dishes to be a bit elevated and service staff to tell you about the food. Portions were good and neither of us left hungry but something really missed the mark in overall execution. For the two of us it was $510 including a tea and a beer and tip. The strangest part of the whole thing was that you can only pay by Venmo. Neither of us was prepared for this. I only had my work phone and my partner doesn't use Venmo. They refused to take a credit card. Super weird. read more

Best sushi restaurant in San Francisco, definitely worth the visit. Would recommend making a reservation! read more

Kibatsu - Seaweed salad, Tataki of Albacore - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food is good But be CAREFUL This place only takes Venmo, PayPal or Zelle We were told after we sat down so all patrons be aware. It wasn't easy to pay them. They gave me some persons name to pay. They gave us some complimentary foods also which were nice but found the payment process complex. It didn't work for PayPal and only Venmo. Seems like they don't want to take credit cards anymore. read more

Came here with my sister yesterday to treat her out early for her birthday and she wanted to go here so here we are. My sister and I both ordered the 13 course omakase which is $180 a person at the time of me making this review. Note, one of the courses contained a 5 piece nigiri and another course w/a 3 piece nigiri. Most of the courses were plated on a neat bark. The highlight for me were the 5 piece nigiri course. Each piece of nigiri tasted good and had its own flavor/texture. I also found the ice cream dessert w/wagyu on top unique and enjoyable as well. My sister had the yuzu sorbet while I had the green tea. It's the perfect combo of savory and sweet. The restaurant has a nice minimalistic earthy woody design to it. The restaurant is also small so I'd recommend getting a reservation ahead. Overall, I would honestly give them a 4.5 if it was an option. The one thing that I feel like this place can improve on just a little bit is the service. But I would say in fairness, they only had one server in a packed restaurant so it's kinda understandable. Anyways... try it out if you like. :) read more

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Superb intimate sushi spot for our catch up dinner. The tableware was eye catching, it matched very nicely with the decor. Loved the dim lighting! Not a huge space so be mindful of making reservations ahead of time. I would recommend this place for small close groups, and for date nights. We ordered the edamame, three rolls, the salmon sashimi, and two carafes of the hot sake. The price was extremely reasonable and worth my penny. The staff even gave us each this complimentary salmon tostada. The sashimi was incredibly buttery, there was no chew or tug, it just melted in your mouth. Fish felt very fresh overall. Will be back! read more

Kibatsu - Salmon sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Took a group here just before New Year's and Kibatsu continues to deliver. Excellent "new style" sashimi and amazing classics. Uni was perfection in addition to a host of other delicacies. Chanel and Chef Roy make this place super friendly, definitely a neighborhood jewel. read more

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tried kibatsu tn and overall it was solid, not mind-blowing, but definitely a chill little spot. we got the golden mountain roll (3/5), dragon roll (4/5), and super crunch (4/5). dragon roll flavor was on point, but it was so loosely rolled it just kinda fell apart every time i picked it up- like i probably should've just used a fork. ended up as a little deconstructed sushi situation. service was excellent. super friendly, fast, but not hovering. and the ambience was actually my favorite part- felt super homey. they've got this couch + coffee table area up front that just looks like the coziest waiting spot or a place to sip tea and hang. kinda wanna go back just to sit there. overall, decent rolls, excellent service and ambience. good for a date! read more

Kibatsu - Golden Mountain Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Phenomenal omakase experience! Fish was super fresh, tastefully prepared, and beautifully displayed. I left feeling satisfied but not stuffed, I could have eaten more. Service was to the point, I wish it was more attentive but they seemed understaffed. Super charming ambiance and decor, very intimate space (a table meant for 4 is split with a clear plastic divider). I would rather sit at the bar next time A few notes: - Uni with rice was absolutely delicious; salty, creamy, warm and cool. The tableware was mindfully picked, I appreciated the experience of the spoon and bowl this course was served with - Fish and kimchi soup was delightful, the soup had a nice kick while still being mild - Wagyu and ice cream for dessert was super interesting and unexpected, a pleasantly sweet savory combo Omakase was $168 per person and worth it! I will be back read more

Kibatsu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here to try the omakase "bad bunny" edition, and it lived up to the hype. The fish was fresh and high quality, buttery and you got a good amount of food for the price. I will be coming back to try the rolls also on the menu. The servers were very nice and catered to any requests. The space is small but it creates a "homey" vibe which I appreciate. Highly recommend! read more

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Ordered the rainbow, golden mountain, hot and cold tuna and the 49er roll. Everything was really fresh and came out quickly. I don't usually order the fried rolls but hot and cold tuna was still really good. Rainbow roll was my top favorite of the 4. A little expensive but really good quality. read more

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Food was standard and not memorable, especially at this price point. The ambiance was pleasant, but that is where the positives end. I was seated directly next to a ventilation outlet blowing constant hot air. Everything on the table -- plates, water glass, even my phone -- became hot. There was barely space for belongings, and sitting normally meant being blasted with heat. I asked twice to change seats while other tables were available and was refused both times without explanation. This seat should not be assigned to reservation guests at all. The service was equally disappointing. The server repeatedly pushed omakase and additional dishes despite the obvious discomfort caused by the heat. It felt like aggressive upselling rather than genuine hospitality. What made it worse was the inconsistency in service. No one offered to hang my coat upon arrival. I only realized coat service existed when the same server immediately offered it to the white guests seated next to me. I do not make accusations lightly, but the contrast was difficult to ignore and came across as discriminatory. I left in under 30 minutes because the situation was physically unbearable. Very poor seating management and unprofessional service. 热得我受不了，我从来没想过我吃着吃着饭会开始羡慕冰柜里的鱼，空间小到我甚至没办法在碗前面放个手机看视频麻痹自己，对顾客的态度也是相当神秘，别人家都是顾客就是上帝你们家服务生感觉特别无神论者啊！ read more

Kibatsu - The sashimi can turn into grilled salmon within five minutes - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Overall a solid meal for a reasonable price. I came here to celebrate a birthday this past weekend and had the omakase for $168 per person. It came with 14 courses (one of which was 6 pieces of nigiri) - most were solid, a few were misses. The fish quality was excellent and they included many nice ingredients throughout the meal (toro, uni, caviar, truffle, crab, etc.). The nigiri was probably my favorite course. A couple of the plates were overly salty (soft shell crab and tiger shrimp), and a few just "didn't work" (for example, the toro/caviar/uni roll was very rich but didn't really have a focused flavor profile). Overall, it was an incredible amount of food for the price you were paying! The plates come at you very quickly, so pace yourself if you want to enjoy your food more slowly. The service was attentive and friendly. The ambiance is cozy and intimate. Not the best omakase I've had, but a solid meal especially for the price (considering we're in SF). read more

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I had high expectations for the omakase. It was sadly very slow. It took away from the fish and food. We were just sitting there hungry. Very nice staff though! They work hard but just trying to be honest read more

Reasonably priced sushi in SF? Say no more. If it's good enough for... em... Bad Bunny (!) then it's good enough for you. But no, the sushi is excellent and it won't break the bank either. Make sure to order the hot and cold tuna, as well as the rock shrimp from the Omakase menu. read more

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Avid sushi lover sayin this is A true unicorn omakase - will return asap I LEFT MY TASTEBUDS HERE, BEST OMAKASE YOU COULD ASK FOR UNFORGETTABLE FIVE STAR WORTHY EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE Everything was perfect IF THEY RUN OUT OF RESERVATIONS ONLINE JUST CALL THE PLACE ASAP- we got sooooo lucky with same day which I feel like once this place is discovered will no longer ever be possible. I want to gatekeep so badly but the chefs and the team deserve a solid review. I'm so in my feels that I know this is undiscovered gem and when they get popular I'll be a little heartbroken that it wasn't just for those who discover it lol Food Service Experience Ambiance Chef interaction Menu Ingredients THEY WERE ALL A 10 - do you know how rare that is! A Unicorn experience I tell you, it was perfection I've had omakase in Beverly Hills, I've had fresh chirashi bowls from the right neighborhoods that source from the fish markets that serve fresh not frozen, I've had fish cut straight from the tuna body, I prefer to sit at the sushi bar and this experience has far surpassed any experience I've ever had. Chefs are seasoned and serve perfectly hefty portioned fresh fish, the rice is seasoned well without being overwhelming and the type of rice they use is a cherry on top, I own a Zojirushi rice maker so I feel qualified to say that lol they also have an excellent rice to sushi ratio, While not necessary - as not everyone partakes in drinks - Our chef drank with us which is a cultural plus - love how he interacted with us and told us the history of his location. We sat next to 13 year long patrons and saw local customers hugging the woman who sat us. When you cater to your loyalists you do succeed. They take care of their people and it shows and they truly return. As will I. THE TEMPERATURES -cold shaved mango ice over A1 Waygu!! And more have u seen the ice cream combo??!! Go see the pics!!! They plated hot courses and cold ones and the service was so impeccable it was straight from the kitchen delivery, they work as a team here and we were checked on immediately when being delivered a plate and after and we are kind of quicker than your average so service was impeccable. Sometimes you will wait at other omakases as they serve everyone at the bar. No here there are so many people involved, someone asking if it's good or if you need drinks, someone giving and removing a plate, and the chef was a 1 chef to 1 party of 2 ratio, It gave celebrity experience. We were also not rushed - the timing was perfect. We did opt for the latest time slot for that. PURISTS AND CONTEMPORARY SUSHI GOERS will be pleased - they marry both concepts, and do each individually sooooo well. WE HAD HOT DISHES (they gave us more than 2 - like I lost count tbh which is less commonly seen unless at the beginning or end of omakase). The ingredients ugh I still think about them, they do umami soooo correct. We had imported melt in your mouth uni And all cuts of fish were memorable. They treated my husband - his first time there with patience and respect if he had questions. It felt like I transported to Ginza for the night - the string lights, an opened second story window, the decor - it feels intimate and romantic but also friendly, comfortable and feels like I'm in Tokyo / New York Adventurous as well as New omakase goers will leave VERY VERY pleased. I feel like some of the menu items were customized I feel like they were listening because they created my dream menu and made it reality on the fly. I'm forever grateful to Kibatsu's team for making my first year anniversary the most special date of my life. I love you guys and can't wait to see you again. (I'll have to travel from far but I'll do it just for you) I have nothing but good things to say - a true fine dining experience that's completely worth your time, you'll regret not going. Nothing else compares read more

Kibatsu never disappoints - food, service and atmosphere. Even though we've moved from the Bay Area, we always make the time to visit Kibatsu when we're in town. read more

Wow what an incredible experience. We found this restaurant sort of on a whim/quick search but it did not disappoint. The inside ambience is cozy and intimate with just a handful of tables, bar seating. We ordered a few maki rolls, a specialty nigiri, seaweed salad, and fried gyoza. Everything was absolutely delicious - my mouth is watering as I reminisce on the meal! I would 100% recommend this to anyone visiting and looking for good sushi read more

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Service was amazing! Super friendly and offered great recommendations. Ambiance was very cozy and inviting. Perfect date spot! The dynamite roll was our favorite, but the tuna tataki was a close second! Everything was delicious. read more

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Truly, one of the best sushi spots to go in San Francisco if you want a great experience in great even better food, the entire staff is phenomenal and very down to earth and this has been my go to spot forever!! Great spot to take a special date! read more

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The uni here is good! As for the rolls, my favorite was the dragon roll. The eel was perfectly done and is placed on top of the sushi. The rolls in general here are filling. I also liked the negi toro roll. As for the spicy scallop and the sayonara roll I thought it was ok. They sauce the rolls too much. The hot and cold tuna roll tasted well separately meaning if you eat the tuna and the deep fried sushi by itself vs having all the ingredients together since it didn't really mesh well to me. The seaweed salad on it didn't have much taste. The super crunch roll was decent. Not sure if I would return here since it's decent but wasn't super memorable. Also, instead of having a couch in the middle of the restaurant they should have more seating in place of it for dining. read more

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My favorite sushi restaurant in SF True gem in every way! Elevated sushi experience, in a casual, bohemian atmosphere. A neighborhood favorite, as well as a destination spot. read more

Pros: The interior was very cute and cozy and the service was excellent. We got several dishes to try such as butter fish prepared 2 ways, and several rolls to share. All of the dishes were delicious. We noticed that several of the dishes we ordered only come with 3 pieces (per menu description), but they provided 4 pieces for our party. This was very thoughtful and very much appreciated! Areas of improvement: We made reservations for a group of 4 on a Friday night, but our table was not ready when we arrived and we were asked to wait a half hour. I was disappointed that some of their more interesting dishes mentioned on Yelp are not part of their regular menu. Like one of the other reviewers mentioned, I'm not sure why they charge a cleaning fee. Overall, some hits and misses as mentioned above. For the price, there was nothing that stood out enough for me to come back with the plethora of sushi restaurants in SF. read more

Kibatsu - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Must try! Came here for a birthday, party of 6. Reso recommended! Our server was attentive and nice! We ordered ALOT of food. We double ordered the dragon roll because eat roll came with its own unagi which is rare and it was so good! They use a lot of avocado on all their rolls, I'm not an avocado girl so I didn't like that but I'm sure everyone who loves avocado would love the rolls. We also had the super crunch roll which was really really good! I had the hamachi Kama which was a great portion!! It was delicious! The dipping sauce was a great pair. I also got the sweet shrimp nigiri which was so fresh and good. We also got the hamachi sashimi 6 pc which was the best hamachi I ever had!! read more

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