Don't know why they lost the Michelin star lol because we enjoyed the food here so much! We requested bar seating so we could watch the chef at work, and the chef is seriously the funniest person ever The whole vibe is just perfect for a special occasion. I also love that they offer a petite menu on weekdays, so people on a tighter budget can give it a try at a more affordable price. read more

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How this place has high rating I'll never understand. I sat at the chefs counter and did the full omakase experience. All their soups were bland, their appetizer box was nasty - nothing tasted good so I didn't even finish it. I will say all the sushi I ate was incredible and I could've eaten that all night and been happy. Their dessert was a thimble of ice slushee. The service was good. Sushi chef was very nice but he barely spoke English and he kept trying to talk to me and I felt horrible because I couldn't understand him. For $300 I would expect a mind blowing experience and this wasn't it. Skip this spot and go somewhere else. read more

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Finally had the chance to dine at Kusakabe for my birthday. My boyfriend reserved us the omakase dinner with a sake flight for me and a wine flight for him. We really enjoyed our chef Mika who was attentive, skilled, and just over all added to our experience. The waiter/busser paid attention and maintained our area with cleanliness. The fish quality was amazing, fresh, and unique. There were a few items that were prepared uniquely and differently from what I've had at other places which I appreciated! My boyfriend who can eat the same meal 100x actually enjoyed the experience. Cannot wait to go back! read more

I tried Kusakabe again recently after trying them for the first time in 2017. It was good back then and remains just as good now. If you're new to omakase, I would recommend this as a good place to start. read more

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WOW!!! That's it, that's the review. No, but in all seriousness, I visited Kusakabe for the 18 course Omakase (my first) and it was such a fantastic experience. Our server was so attentive and thoughtful and really helped make the entire experience so much fun. This was also some of - if not the best - sushi I have ever had. Everything was extremely fresh and the fish melted like butter in my mouth. Every course was extremely flavorful and just truly deliberate; there was a story behind everything. They also have a really great sake list and our server recommended delicious pairings that went well with each course. I genuinely cannot wait to go back and experience another Omakase here! read more

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SUPERB FOOD, flawed reservation system... In terms of eats, this would be the best omakase experience that we've had in San Francisco - excellent cuts of high-quality fish, perfect neta-to-shari ratio, and outstanding presentation. Having said those, here's where the defect lies - bar seating is not guaranteed. They will decide on the day itself who goes where. Since my wife and I were going to celebrate my birthday, she had to plead her case so that we can be seated at the bar. Luckily, she got her way; otherwise, it would have been a hard pass. With emphasis on the principle of kaiseki cuisine, we were treated to an impressive array of seasonal ingredients. Sushi (12 pieces) was the highlight, but the complementary dishes (9 appetizers, 4 cooked items, and 1 dessert) stood out as well. The Otsumami (small dishes) appetizers alone may have already demonstrated the kaiseki techniques and skills as they were artfully presented to show "the balance in taste, texture, color, and appearance." Our cooked dishes consisted of Chawanmushi (savory egg custard), A5 Wagyu Sukiyaki, Iwashi Ume-Ni Somen (Japanese sardine somen noodle soup), and Miso Soup. The sukiyaki was Kansai-style where the beef was seared and seasoned instead of mixed directly with the broth. It had a very good flavor and tasted fantastic. As for the sushi... Jabara Toro - The fattiest section of the bluefin tuna belly. It's insanely rich and had that melt-in-your-mouth quality. Definitely worth the spotlight. Chutoro - Served with one end aburi-style (blowtorched), this had the best of both worlds. The contrast in texture and taste was terrific. Hirame Kobujime - All glory goes to the bluefin tuna, but this was my favorite of the night. Curing the halibut with kelp (kombu) enhanced its flavor and the chewiness was just splendid. Unagi - The eel was cut, seasoned, grilled over binchotan charcoal, basted, and then turned into a nigiri sushi in front of us. This put the thawed ready-made unagi kabayaki served in most sushi restaurants to shame. Hokkaido Hotate and Uni - The scallop was awesome in itself, but it was even better with a heap of uni on top. We were also served smoked meji maguro (young bluefin tuna), shima-aji (always a favorite), kasugo (young sea bream), kanburi (seasonal winter yellowtail), anago, more uni (Hokkaido and Santa Barbara), and negitoro. Everything we had was commendable. Kudos to Chef Patrick for giving us a phenomenal time that night. We were seated at the center section of the bar which had the right elevation for us to see all the food preparation. Kusakabe has been on the Michelin Guide and used to be one-starred, so the food is definitely top-shelf. I just hope they will consider fixing their reservation system. read more

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Came a little before our 8 pm reservation along with other guests for the same seating, and you could see the team prepping everything before dinner started. We were seated right on time, and the space felt really intimate. I'd definitely recommend sitting at the bar for the full experience. They run two seating times (5 pm and 8 pm), so everything felt very intentional and well-paced. Once seated, you get a clear view of each omakase chef at work and are introduced to your chef for the evening, who guides you through every course. We opted for the 18-course menu, and every piece felt thoughtful, unique and incredibly flavorful. The chawanmushi to start was warm, rich and deeply umami with fish roe which was such a comforting and memorable first course. The seasonal appetizer was also beautifully presented and fun to experience. Throughout the night, our chef Shinji was super kind, attentive and explained each piece while showcasing the fish. Everything was great but some standouts included the chutoro, engawa, uni with scallop, hokkaido uni, the Kyoto-style handroll, firefly squid and the wagyu shabu radish dish. After our meal, we even ordered an extra piece of o-toro, which was so rich and decadent. Highly recommend coming here for a special occasion or if you're looking for a memorable omakase experience, 10/10. read more

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Delicious omakase experience in the heart of San Francisco. Situated right next to the Transamerican building, the restaurant has a very cosy atmosphere. Be prepared to come hungry if you're going for the full 18 course experience. You're expected to arrive on the hour of reservation, not earlier. If you do end up around before, you can easily grab a drink next door at neighbouring cocktail bar High Horse. The staff was super friendly, dishes were served in perfect succession to one another, and the team proactively suggested replacements when they saw some of the guests did not finish a course (eg. the uni served in two of the courses). The sommelier was often hard to understand, which was a shame considering the both amazing sake and wine pairings (our table had a mixed selection) offered. read more

KUSAKABE - Sushi Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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One of the best omakases so far. It's a great mix of sushi omakase and kaiseki course menu. PETITE OMAKASE HIGHLIGHTS: - Early in the meal, in the Otsumami, you get a beautiful platter of appetizers. The tamago with the sesame was absolutely delicious, savory with a roasted flavor. It was such a good variety with refreshing seasonal veggies, which was daikon radish today. - Excellent cured and carefully crafted sushi nigiri bites. The flavors were so savory and delicious. Everything was so soft and tender. Loved the shima aji, chutoro, madai. - Hokkaido Scallop + Uni: Sweet tender texture of scallop. Also loved the uni, it felt nutty and smooth. - All the broths were so flavorful. Loved the umami dashi broth with chicken and the umami miso soup that's made with simmered fish bones! Yay collagen and omega 3's. We also added Star Butterfish Tatsuta-age, which was delicious but we accidentally ordered this thinking it was nigiri, not a fried dish. Double check the add-ons. For drinks, I got the sakura sencha tea which came in a pot that you could share with a friend. It went really well throughout the meal. Sakura tea is pretty unique and I appreciated that it wasn't salty too as the sakura tea I've had before were salt-cured. Also I was SO FULL by the end of the petite omakase!! Our sushi chefs and servers were all really kind. Loved the special quiet peaceful atmosphere at the sushi bar. Birthday meal here was so special. I loved the hojicha monaka ice cream - super flavorful. I took my happy birthday name tag and their bday present (Kimini Sparkling Apple Juice) home! read more

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Amazing experience! Reserved for 2 on 5pm on a Sunday. Bar seating is great! Service was quick and our servers were very attentive. The omakase was delicious! Huge fish portions, and it was 18 courses. I liked how the sushi was served with soup and other dishes in between. I was so full afterwards! Luckily, for the last half of our set, we were able to ask for less rice. It was me and my friend's birthday, and they gave us a lil gift, too. Overall, a great experience for an occasion! read more

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Don't eat here unless you're seated at the bar. To preface: the criticisms below apply exclusively to table service. We've had 5/5 experiences at the bar with Mika, whose skills could easily compete with the city's top sushi chefs. However, my overall experiences here have been hugely varied. At the bar, it offers a true, high-quality omakase and kaiseki-style meal. But at a table, the experience is absolutely disjointed and disappointing. Prior to this, I had only dined at the bar (with a chef friend, and with groups of four, three, and two). The restaurant has a relatively large bar and a handful of tables, manned by several people. Given the large staff, I assumed there wouldn't be many bottlenecks. I ordered sparkling water and genmaicha. The tea was quite good--kept hot in a heavy cast iron pot--though it felt odd to be given such a heavy pot but be required to pour it ourselves. They also charge per cup, regardless of the fact it's the same size teapot for all people served. First appetizer: Chawanmushi topped with a scoop of small ikura (likely sockeye). The chawanmushi had a perfect texture and the ikura had a nice smokiness, but the eggs were extremely tough--likely marinated too long and past their prime. 6/10. Next was the otsumami, probably the best course. Whoever is in charge of this should run the rest of the meal. Really tasty tuna, crab claw, castella tamago, and shrimp. 7/10. First nigiri set: This is where the table always proves to be a mistake. Plated as single pieces, each was awkwardly cold on the bottom, the rice was small and flat, and cuts were inconsistently sized and shaped. Neither rice nor fish was at a proper temperature, and nikiri was too light. Chutoro aburi - Chewy for a chutoro. 5/10. Hirame - Very slim. 3/10. Kinmadai - Crunchy texture. Fishy, maybe old. 2/10. Shima aji - Badly cut, thicker at one end, producing a crunch that felt frozen in the middle. The daikon/apple topping was delicious though. 2/10. Wanmono - Mitsuba, duck meatball, sea bream, mushroom, and goji berry in white miso chicken broth. Very good. Kitchen dishes seem much more consistent than the sushi. 7/10. Second set of nigiri: Hokkaido hottate with Hokkaido uni - Scallop was sweet but a little slimy. The uni felt briny, sour, and dry, as if sitting out in the air all day. 2/10. Kasugodai with cured shaved egg - One of the better pieces. Light flavor. 6/10. Sakura something - An unmemorable fish. Decent, but forgettable. Kyoto-style pressed anago - Crisp nori and tender anago, but better served slightly warm rather than fridge-cold. 7/10. Hot entree - A5 Wagyu yaki-shabu from Oita prefecture. Tender, served rare, slightly seared on one side with a light sauce. Very delicious. 8/10. Third set of nigiri: Otoro - The worst otoro I've ever had. Bizarrely described as "wild caught, farm raised." Incredibly chewy; easily the worst farm-raised tuna I've tasted. 1/10. Uni - Flavor profile matches Ogawa brand. Heavily peanut-forward and very sweet. One of my favorites ever. 10/10. Torotaku roll - Made using mixed tunas. Good, but I've had better. Nori was disappointingly soggy compared to the crisp anago earlier. 7/10. Unagi - Delicious and binchotan-grilled. Very crispy. Only complaint: slightly burnt. 9/10. Miso soup - Fish broth with red miso and aosa nori. Decent, though nori was sort of hairy. 8/10. Sweets - Uji matcha white chocolate daifuku. 9/10. Their bar seating policy is incredibly confusing and contradictory. The written policy states bar seats are for parties up to three and prioritizes early reservations (mine was a month out). Yet on arrival, we were asked to sit at a table and told the bar is strictly for couples/solos. I've dined here with groups of two, three, and four previously with no issue. They also claim you can prioritize a bar request with a $20/guest fee, and occasionally seat large parties there. They should simply make reservations for the bar separate from the tables at booking to avoid embarrassing bait-and-switch situations like this. read more

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Kusakabe creates the kind of dining experience that feels carefully designed from the moment you sit down. We walked into a refined but welcoming space where the sushi counter is the main focus, and the meal unfolds course by course in front of us. There is a sense of calm throughout the room, allowing the attention to stay on the chefs, the ingredients, and the details behind each dish without the distraction of a busy dining room. The omakase experience balances traditional sushi with more creative touches. Each course brings something different, from fresh sashimi and nigiri to warmer dishes like chawan mushi that add depth to the progression of the meal. The sushi highlights the quality of the fish while incorporating thoughtful flavor combinations, with dishes like scallop and the dry-aged fish courses standing out for their texture and seasoning. The sake pairing fits naturally into the experience, adding another layer without overpowering the food, and the sommelier's selections complement the progression of flavors across the meal. What makes Kusakabe memorable is the craftsmanship and pacing of the meal. The chefs take time to explain each course, making the experience feel personal rather than rushed. Sitting at the counter adds to the atmosphere because you get to see the precision and care that goes into every piece, from the way the rice is formed to the final brush of sauce on the fish. The pacing of the meal allows you to appreciate each course without feeling rushed, and the team's attention to detail creates a rhythm that keeps the meal engaging from start to finish. Kusakabe feels like a place made for special occasions, celebrations, or anyone looking for a more elevated Japanese dining experience. It combines technique, hospitality, and creativity in a way that makes the entire meal feel like an event rather than just a dinner. The balance of traditional and modern elements, along with the warmth of the service, leaves you with the sense of having experienced something complete and thoughtfully composed. read more

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Took my sister for her birthday meal for an 8PM dinner seating! Booking: book via tock...if you need to cancel, you can call them, I believe 1-2 days beforehand for a refund. Requested for bar seating (did mention it would be $20/pp to guarantee) but seems like since i booked early enough and had a bday, so they were willing to accommodate without me needing to pay additional. 2 omakase $185/ea asahi draft $9 genmai cha $8 sf mandate 5% My sister thoroughly enjoyed the meal. I personally, probably because I wasn't that hungry, overall thought it was ok. In my opinion, the chefs here do put more sauce/extra flavors on the fish, which isn't my preference, as I like the fish to be the main highlight. Chef Leo was friendly and attentive. They deduct the tock deposit from the final bill. 20% auto gratuity. Street parking only. read more

Kusakabe is another reason why I enjoy birthdays... not only are we celebrating life but we get to celebrate with great food! I am never disappointed in the quality of the fish, the service, the ambiance, the meal.... My #1 favorite Omakase place! read more

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What an experience! We were celebrating an anniversary and planned a bit last minute, but were able to snag a reservation here pretty easily. Immediately, the ambiance and service was quite nice. We were seated at the table, but typically I enjoy sitting at the bar to watch the chefs make our food. The service was amazing and they were very attentive. They also offered to take photos and gave us a little gift of hojicha tea since we were celebrating. We got the omakase, which was massive and had 18 courses. They gave us a menu so we knew what to expect for each course, and we ordered some sake. The omakase was delicious and more traditional than other places, each course was so beautiful and delicately made. This is definitely a lot of food, I would recommend the petite omakase in the future as I was stuffed, but it was a great experience if you come hungry! Courses: - Chawan-mushi - super tasty and every bite was delicious and umami forward! - Otsumami - 7 seasonal appetizers presented in a beautiful box, there was a stuffed crab claw in there that was delicious - 4 kinds of sushi - each piece came out one at a time, the first piece was my absolute favorite and blew me away, it was a seared chutoro that immediately melts in your mouth and tastes smokey - Hamachi soup - very tasty and warming soup with hamachi inside, was perfect in between the sushi course - 4 kinds of sushi - A5 Waguyu shabu - this course was extra $10 pp but was so delicious, the wagyu was melt in your mouth and had some grated daikon on top in a ponzu dashi, the toppings help balance the meat so it's overwhelming since it does melt in your mouth, one of my favorite bites! - 4 kind of sushi - they brought out some really great sushis, including more chutoro and an unagi handroll, but I was so stuffed at this point that I felt I couldn't enjoy it as much - miso soup - this soup was so tasty and kind of revived me after all that food, it felt comforting and a great way to end - dessert- I got the hojicha ice cream in a waffle like cookie and it was delicious! read more

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Overall, we had a great experience here. The fish is absolutely incredible - super fresh and clearly high quality. The service was great, the ambience was nice, and the restaurant itself is very clean. We also had an unfiltered sake that was really good. That said, in my opinion, the menu just isn't worth the price point. It's not your typical sushi spot. Some pieces weren't seasoned at all, and you don't use soy sauce with anything, which makes sense given the quality of the fish, but it's something to note for people who prefer a more traditional sushi experience. We had a good time, but personally, I wouldn't go back and spend this much on a sushi dinner again. Overpriced for what you get. read more

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It was my night off and I wanted to treat myself for an early birthday celebration so here I am lol. I setup a reservation for their late night 18 course traditional Kyoto Kaiseki style Omakase on a Sunday night. At the time of me making this review, the cost is $195 a person. I also opted to add the sweet sake flights ($40) (Yuzu, Plum, Matcha) to my omakase which I highly recommend if you have a sweet tooth. All of the courses in general were really good. My favorite was their Otsumnami (7 Japanese Appetizers). It's very aesthetically pleasing and it tasted as good as it looks. The service here is probably one of the best I've had at an omakase spot. Chef Leo is very knowledgeable on his craft and their servers are very nice. This restaurant is very upscale, very intimate, great for dates/special occasions. There is also a lot of parking garages available in this area which I find very convenient. Definitely recommend checking this spot out! Try it out if you like. :) read more

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Came here to celebrate our anniversary dinner and holy value! It's probably the most full I've been leaving omakase with 18 courses of deliciously prepared tastes of the land and sea. Everything from the service, ambiance, to the nigiri, and the cooked dishes made for such an amazing experience. Some particular standouts were the aburi chu-toro, unagi grilled over binchotan charcoal, and the scallop topped with uni, but every bite was thoughtfully prepared and thoroughly enjoyed. I got half rice on my nigiri after the halfway point, which was a nice option to have so I could still enjoy the rest of the courses. Definitely sit at the bar for the best experience and get to know your sushi chef. We had a nice crisp sake to enjoy with dinner, and it felt like our glasses were never empty and our plates always full. Without a doubt this spot should be on your list! read more

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Late review but had a memorable and delectable birthday omakase at this Michelin- star studded restaurant last year. First off make reservations in advance. Next, expect a bit of a splurge at $200 per person for a delicious 18-course meal. Lastly, plan to come early to find parking or take public transportation. Ambiance is very zen-like when walking in and the staff is super attentive and professional, explaining all of the courses to us. Each of the courses were unique and tasty and they even gave me a cute birthday dessert. Of course the toro was one of my faves but everything was really good! Highly recommend for a special occasion and the omakase addicts! read more

This was my third visit to Kusakabe, and it was just as excellent as the first two. Each time I've come here, the food has been consistently outstanding - fresh, beautifully presented, and prepared with such precision. The omakase flows perfectly, with each bite building on the last. On this most recent visit, we were given the best seats in the house, right at the counter with a perfect view of the chefs at work. It really elevated the whole experience, getting to watch the artistry and detail that goes into each piece. I didn't take photos of every dish, but everything we had was flawless! From the delicate starters to the rich, melt-in-your-mouth sushi. The balance of flavors, textures, and presentation was spot on. Kusakabe has become one of my favorite omakase experiences in the Bay Area. Every visit feels special, and the quality is unmatched. read more

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Another solid omakase spot in the city. My partner took me here for my birthday dinner, and it did not disappoint. The place feels nice and intimate. We were seated at the end of the counter but could still see a lot of the food preparation during the service. We did the 18 course omakase and I was absolutely stuffed by the end. My personal highlights were the uni spoon, toro nigiri and the star of the show - the wagyu. I would come back just for this melt-in-your-mouth wagyu bowl alone, it was that good. One thing I really liked was that the chef would ask our preferences towards the later part of the meal, such as whether we wanted less rice in our nigiri. This was perfect for me because I was really starting to struggle to finish, but having the option to have less rice helped. At the end, they brought out a little candle with dessert to celebrate my birthday and even gifted me a little soda to take home. Service was good, aside from the awkward few minutes of when we were first seated and no one came to check on us. But everything after that was great - they constantly filled our glasses, folded our napkins, etc. Now, I will say I think sushi quality isn't quite as outstanding as a few other sushi places I've tried but it was still good overall, especially for the amount of food you get. We spoke to the chef for a bit at the end of the meal, and he was so friendly! read more

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Delicious omakase place with good servers, good pacing, and a myriad of sushi and flavors. I only wish we could have more than one dessert!

We made a reservation for 8pm and had to wait in line outside until 8:20pm, even though the counter was completely empty. No apology from the staff, who took their time and didn't seem at all bothered that the diners who were leaving had to squeeze past the people waiting in their tiny entryway. Couldn't even pivot since the reservation required us to prepay in full for the omakase. The food was fine, but nothing outstanding. read more

Just amazing!!!! I love love this omakase spot and so happy we finally got to try it :) I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and it did not disappoint!! Everything was delicious and the service was attentive. I loved sitting at the sushi bar and had a fun experience. I also appreciated how there were two different options for omakase sizes. The fish was fresh and I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't just all sushi. An amazing variety. Definitely worth trying out and from what they told me this was one of the first omakase spots in SF. Thank you Kusakabe can't wait to come back! read more

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simply can not rave about this restaurant enough. It was my first time here and it defintetly not be my last! From the moment you walk in and get greeted by the staff and sushi chefs, to the servers meticuosly clearing dishes and plates, you feel very welcomed. The food was so well prepared, fresh, and simply delicious. It was definelty one of the best sushi i've eaten in San Francisco and the Bay Area! 18 dishes came out and i was very full. About 200 dollars for the omakaze but well worth every dollar! I can't wait to return! read more

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This was my first omakase experience, and I couldn't have chosen a better place. My boyfriend took me here to celebrate my birthday, and every single bite was incredible--from the sushi to the soup. Each course felt thoughtful and intentional, and the flavors were so clean, delicate, and perfectly balanced. Nothing felt rushed, and the experience truly felt special from start to finish. Even dishes I don't usually gravitate toward surprised me in the best way. The ambiance was intimate and calm, making it perfect for a celebration or a special night out. You can really tell how much care and craftsmanship goes into every dish. This set the bar very high for omakase, and I left already thinking about when I can come back. Highly recommend for anyone trying omakase for the first time or celebrating something meaningful. read more

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My friend and I enjoyed an outstanding dinner at Kusakabe. We both had the omakase. We started with a dash egg custard. Then seven kinds of seasonal appetizers. We had four kinds of sushi. Then a sea bream and duck meatball swimming in dash broth. Four more kinds of sushi. Then Wagyu beef with carrot and potato. Four kinds of sushi again. Red miso soup. Then we shared a yuzu sorbet and a mini ice cream sandwich. The whole service was wonderfully presented. The sushi were delicious, especially the toro and the uni. The restaurant is small and warm and inviting. We had a wonderful time! read more

Make your reservation online for a 10% off promotion for the Omakase set menu! This is my first Omakase spot in SF so I have nothing else to compare it to around the area but I had such a great experience. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious! read more

Kusakabe is the ceiling for omakase in the Bay Area!! The best of the best in my books. I have been here multiple times over the course of a couple years and it has never disappoint. First off, omakase here isn't cheap but it is definitely worth every penny. The quality and amount of food that you get is unbeatable. I'm always waddling out the restaurant because I'm stuff from all the delicious bites that they are feeding me. The menu changes each season so I feel like I am always getting something different when I dine here. Customer service is phenomenal. Servers will make sure that your water is never empty and that your tea pot is always filled with hot tea. Kusakabe offers counter and table seating but I highly recommend snagging a seat at the counter for the full experience and so that you can see all the action. Every chef that I've dined with was extremely friendly and always try to make small conversations with me and my party. The interior is simple and modern with relaxing music playing in the background. I've been to plenty of omakases around the world and Kusakabe always has a special place in my heart. You need to try Kusakabe's omakase at least once in your lifetime. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! read more

I don't even know where to start. Given that this restaurant has a reputation of high class dinning, it certainly exceeded my expectations. I was greeted with happy faces waiting to serve quality service. It is quite small inside the restaurant however, every seat was filled by 7pm. Not only was the service was amazing, the food was fresh and superb. It felt as if they had just gotten the fish right from the ocean, you can tell they take pride in the quality of the fish they have. Our chef was very informative when explaining what would be on the menu and also mindful of the allergies that we had made in the reservation. He was very detailed and it was great watching him master the craft of sushi. The other chefs around the table were also very friendly and was able to converse with us throughout the meal as well. I was pleasantly surprised that I was very full by the end of the 18 course meal. They even gave us a little gift as we did celebrate a birthday as well. What was even a nicer surprise is the option to take home some of the pieces we weren't able to finish. If you need fine dining in SF, KUSAKABE is the way to go! read more

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I had a wonderful time celebrating my anniversary here. I made a reservation for a Tuesday night, which happened to be the same night they offer their Petite Omakase which is 13 courses instead of the regular 18 courses. I originally booked the 18 course option, but the chef kindly gave us the choice to start with 13 and add more if we wanted, noting that once we committed to 18, we couldn't scale back. We appreciated the flexibility and went with the 13-course set. Everything was fantastic and paced out nicely. I ended up adding a 4 piece nigiri set. The chef let me know I'd need to wait a few minutes for the toro to come to room temperature, but when ge handed it to me, it was still pretty cold and didn't quite hit the mark. I wish he had waited a bit longer or offered something else in the meantime. I also swapped out my uni to try the seasonal squid which was definitely unique, but not something I'd get again. I really love my uni! The space itself is quite small, and with the Tuesday Petite Omakase special, the restaurant was packed. It was louder than I expected, which made it a bit harder to hear the servers describe each dish OR maybe I just have bad hearing hahaha All in all, this is a very popular omakase spot in San Francisco, and definitely worth checking out at least once! read more

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My favorite omakase experience in SF so far! Service was amazing, all the fish choices were delicious, and the chefs were very friendly and accommodating when we asked questions. I started to get full so they accommodated having less rice in my nigiri pieces. We celebrated my birthday and they provided dessert with a candle! read more

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I was surprised with a dinner here by my partner and we had the Omakase menu. For a sake order, three of us split two 8oz: Yaegaki "Select" Junmai Ginjo, Hyogo and the Yuki-tora "Snow Tiger" Nigori Aomori. The first one kind of tasted like a chocolate after taste. The second one was supposed to be sweeter but had a bit of a sharper taste at the end for me. My party of 5, not seated at the counter, despite the online reservations only offering counter seats, had a reservation at 5:15pm on a Saturday. We were promptly welcomed, seated and offered refreshments. The food came after pretty fast, the entire experience was around 2:15 hours. Honestly every single fish was amazingly soft and had great flavors. I especially love when there is kombu on top of the nigiri, that flavor is my favorite. The non-nigiri based dishes, including the umami dashi steamed egg and then otsumami appetizers consisting of crab, shrimp, tuna sashimi, squid, and a couple of others, were a hit as well. Definitely the otsumami is the best picture of the night! We also had a A5 Wagyu Beef with a burdock root inside which was not my favorite because it kind of took the attention away from the A5 in my opinion. The ocean trour in the soybeans umami dash soup was not bad, makes me appreciate trout as a fish. For desserts we had a choice of matcha ice cream in a biscuit, a hibiscus whiske over a yuzu sorbet, and a strawberry and mochi. All traditional flavors and nice to have been offered a choice. Overall, the experience was fantastic (I had this bookmarked in Yelp for a while but not sure where I had first heard about it). It is a Michelin Starred so just be aware before hand about the availability and the price :P read more

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Kusakabe had been on my list for a while, && after trying quite a bit of Omakase places in SF, I was more than excited to come here for dinner in HIGH HOPES that it would become one of my FAVES (...at which it def is!) My in-laws and I made reservations in advance for my bday and was hoping to sit at the bar seating, but instead we were seated at a table. Def. would have paid extra to sit at the bar, but oddly it wasn't an option when booking. Regardless of seating, I did appreciate that our experience and quality was still handled with the same experience (which was our main concern)...i.e. each nigiri piece was brought to us as a single to enjoy slowly VS. other places that would bring 4 pieces out on a plate and explain them all at one time (little lackluster of an experience and just TMI at one time). The ambiance of the restaurant was intimate, warm, and cozy (although outside was a bit sketch per the usual SF crazies lol). Given that there is actual table seating, the restaurant is def. a bit larger than others. Service was immaculate ofc, as expected, and it was a nice to see the head chef looking around and checking literally every dish before it went out. We opted for the 18 course which was about $200/pp ++ a bottle of sake. There was a printed menu which laid out the details of each dish, so we knew what was coming up which was also a nice touch. Food Breakdown: (1) Chawanmushi - this egg custard was soooooo velvety smooth and flavorful with a delish dashi broth, while the fish roe added the perf. popping texture. (2) Otsumami - these 7 bite size apps overall had a lot of interesting textures and flavors (although a bit too seasoned/saucy for my taste) - but a few of my faves was the tamago, eggplant, and crab claw. (3) Nigiri (12 pcs) - these came 1 beautiful piece at a time, but was broken up into 3 rounds within our course which was a nice balance. Each nigiri was super fresh and just very simple, not too much sauce or seasoning which really highlighted the flavor/texture of each fish. I'd have to say - this was ONE OF THE BEST authentic nigiris I've had so far, compared to other omakase places, that sometimes just OVER sauces, cures, or scorches their fish too much overall. (4) Wanmono cooked fish dish - the grilled fish was so flaky/tender, but still had such a beautiful crispy skin, while the dashi broth was clean yet flavorful. (5) Wagyu Jibu-Ni - I was a bit worried about the sauciness of this since I've read the reviews...BUT I thought it was tasty! The meat quality was very tender, while the poached egg and sauce was just straight up UMAMI. (6) Miso soup - simple and tasty, for a red miso it was not too salty which I appreciated. There were no toppings, just simple broth/soup, which was perfect to settle in all the goods, per my almost full belly. (7) Dessert options - Matcha ice cream/mochi, Yuzu whiskey sorbet, & Black Sesame pudding. Since we had 4 people we were able to try all 3, which were ALL SO GOOD in their own way! The matcha ice cream/red bean/mochi was a classic combination that was lightly sweet and hit every texture I liked. The Black sesame pudding was also tasty with a smooth texture, nutty flavor, and sweet crunch on top. And the Yuzu whiskey sorbet was unique, tart/sharp, and def. boozy. read more

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3.5 stars The pictures definitely look better than it was is the short way to describe my experience here. I booked an omakase dinner for my sister and I for her birthday through Open Table and the staff was nice to reach out to us about allergies and to see if we have any questions. I thought that was thoughtful. When we arrived for check in, our waiter asked about allergies again, which is fine. But then yet another lady asked us about allergies once again. So the workflow seems kind of disorganized. Our waiter was very nice but seems frazzled and lost a few times. We ordered the full omakase set which in December 2025 is $210 for 18 courses. Some of the fish were seasonable- my least favorite was the aburi (yellowtail) which was served on rice with no seasoning. A few pieces of sashimi were stringy and I had to spit out. The appetizers included a couple things I liked but the rest missed its mark from the bland pear puree to the dried up crab meat inside the claw (the outside was tasty). Puréed soup appeared a few times during the course and I thought it was boring and did not taste good. Our favorite nigiri piece had to be the hokkaido scallop and uni, some of the aged tuna ones and the amberjack were good too. The duck meatball chicken broth was okay. The wagyu entree was shocking- two pieces of shabu-like beef this was good but sat on top of their weird onion pureed cold soup. The other option which was butterfish is tiny as well but at least that looked more appetizing. It is hard to say if it was worth the price, there were many items on the course but it was not an amazing experience for us. read more

Every dish was a hit! Yoshiki helped our table and was such a blessing--he was incredibly knowledgeable and described each dish perfectly. My personal favorites were the lightly seared tuna and the wagyu. That light sear added a subtle smoky flavor, and the tuna just melted in my mouth. The same could be said about the wagyu--my god, it was to die for. So tender! The tofu was also a standout; it reminded me of mochi in Asian desserts, especially with the peanut pairing--absolutely delicious. The ambiance was more relaxed than expected, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. I would definitely come back here again. read more

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Hands down the best value for money omakase experience in San Francisco. I have been here twice, one for a family dinner and one for my birthday and both dining experiences were amazing. The interior is cozy with exposed brick walls and warm lighting. Service is top tier as well. Staff are welcoming, accommodating, and attentive. They always ensure our tea is hot and wait to serve the next course if one of the members of the party is in the restroom. The food itself is spectacular. I have never been disappointed by any of the 18 courses. From the beautiful presentation to the freshest fish that requires little to chew to a flavor and texture bomb in your mouth. Highly recommend everyone come dine at Kusakabe, this is one place that is worth spending. read more

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My complements to the entire staff at Kusakabe. The 18 courses were so delicious and I tried sea water eel for the first time. The meal ended with the most incredible mochi, matcha, white chocolate. The stars of the evening was the service staff. The attention to detail, the pace of the service was outstanding. I can't wait to dine again. read more

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Love the food, the service. First time experiencing omakaze and it was amazing. I celebrated my birthday here. The staffs are very attentive. read more

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Best experience overall -- quality food, delicious taste, beautiful presentation, great service, and a lovely environment! read more

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