the omakase was incredible, each piece of fish was buttery and perfectly seasoned. the chef explained every course with genuine passion. intimate counter seating only, felt like a front row seat to something special. read more

This review is for my Jan 2025 visit. While there are several excellent omakase restaurants in SF, The Shota is the only one left with a Michelin star. It's located in the Financial District and has a sleek, modern decor in white tones. The atmosphere is nice and intimate. Special mention for the beautiful dishware. They serve traditional Edomae sushi made with top-quality ingredients. The menu includes 16 courses, starting with a seasonal assortment, followed by chawanmushi, sashimi, a selection of nigiri, and ending with miso soup, tamago, ice cream, and Japanese sweets. 1. seasonal assortment: mategai (razorclam), kabocha (Japanese squash), tako sakurani (octopus) 2. chawanmushi with seiko gani (female snow crab), crab roe and shirako (cod milt) 3. sashimi: sawara (Spanish mackerel), kanburi (wintertime yellowtail), shiro ika (white squid) 4. kasugodai (sea bream) 5. Hokkaido hotate 6. Hokkaido uni 7. kamasu (barracuda) 8. amadai (tilefish) 9. honmaguro akami 10. honmaguro toro 11. ma saba (Japanese mackerel) 12. anago 13. honmaguro temaki 14. akadashi (aged miso soup) 15. tamago, hojicha (roasted green tea ice cream) 16. yokan (Japanese sweets) One downside: instead of a printed menu, you have to download it using a QR code. A bit underwhelming for a Michelin-star restaurant. After the seasonal assortment, a chawanmushi with crab and shirako (cod milt) was served. I've always avoided shirako, but decided to try it since it was cooked. Still a bit strange for me. The nigiri selection was classic. The quality was excellent and it was perfectly prepared. I appreciated that uni was included in the menu, especially since it's becoming more common to only offer it as a supplement. They also serve two kinds of gari (ginger) on the side. In the middle of the nigiri courses, a piece of cooked fish (amadai) was served, nicely done. A hot dish is always appreciated in the middle of an omakase menu. At the end of the meal, you can order a few supplements like uni, caviar, or Alba white truffle. Drinks: They have a solid sake list. I tried one of their seasonal specials (Matsuse Matsunotsukasa Angels Wing from Shiga.) It's a sparkling, light sake, but I didn't enjoy it. It reminded me of a basic sparkling white wine. That's on me, I should've asked to taste it first. Service was excellent. My sushi chef was Seth Ridgway: professional, friendly, and a pleasure to interact with throughout the meal. In conclusion it was a great dining experience. The Shota is definitely one of the top 3 omakase restaurants in SF. read more

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I was so excited to come here and celebrate my birthday last year! Seating is at the bar only, and the entire meal is an interactive experience where you see them create all of your small plates. Some dishes were winners, and some not so much... I still remember this odd dish that they served that had fish scales in it. It was like small hard pieces of bendable plastic, and well the entire section was not a fan. The ambience is very sterile, grey concrete, and the entire space is consumed by the massive bar. The service and presentation was lovely. Hitting on all the notes of customer care and enchanted visualization. For me, I am glad I experience it but didn't think the price tag justified the food. Kusakabe is still my number one Japanese tasting menu and it's been hard to beat. read more

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It was a little confusing finding The Shota, but once we got inside, we were pleasantly surprised. We had excellent service and wonderful food! Everything was crafted with so much detail! I think this is the best omakase service I've ever had! I came here for my birthday and truly enjoyed my time here. The food was fresh and delicious and clearly served with pride. I would absolutely come back for an occasion. read more

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Great food, amazing service, but location could be better. This place shares a building with other businesses which could impact your experience. The restaurant also does not have its own bathroom so you have to use a common bathroom outside which cheapens the experience. Food wise, ingredients were fresh and the flavors were clean. They presented and explained all the ingredients well. However the price was very high and it's hard to justify it; this place has a Michelin star but the difference between this and a slightly lower tiered restaurant is not significant enough for the price. We came here to celebrate a special occasion so for us we didn't mind the splurge. But do keep that in mind. We have personally had comparable omakase experience that costed much less. Overall, we had a great experience. Chef Seth was very friendly and interactive, and the staff were very attentive. Out of all the other omakeses we have done, this place definitely by far had the best service and staff. read more

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San Francisco, Financial District. December 2023. A swanky high end west coast sushi omakase experience in the FiDi. That means the omakase is in the same league as very good sushi in Tokyo but at a higher price. The formality is more American than Japanese and similar to what you might experience in Los Angeles. If you are a laggard in showing up they will try to get you caught up. The clean lines and comforting light and color means you are not distracted from the food placed in front of you. The music jumps around and sometimes distracts with volume and tempo but otherwise stays in the background. Service is precise from the time you are seated until your departure. The omakase is only reserved through Tock, which means pre-paid. However, beverages and alcohol are additional, as are the upcharge supplements and any additional nigiri you might desire near the end of service. Your itamae will show you some of the neta to be served in a cedar box display - not everything you see will be in your omakase. Down the line they may bring out the head of the maguro they've broken down that day - it's strictly a show. The meals starts with otsumami in a kaiseki procession. A hassun sets the season. The tsukuri is sashimi and served with a separate ball of the shari so you can see and taste the quality of the rice. Another otsumami will break up the monotony of nigiri. In the fashion of a good omakase the meal will wind down after the anago nigiri and a final handroll - with a dessert and tamagoyaki. Before you leave another sweet bite may be offered. This is a worthwhile omakase if you are willing to splurge but it is not for sushi novices. read more

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This restaurant really earns its amazing reputation with its service. My favorite thing was how attentive they were with our water. Within a minute or two my partially empty glass would be back full. The crew is very attentive and I loved the chemistry they have with each other. They had a large sake menu but i went with their beers which were pretty special. Both the yuzus and matcha beers had really strong flavors that tasted better than ones i've had in japan. The presentation for the courses was amazing. fair warning the courses lean on the rich and creamy side. fatty tuna, uni, raw shrimp. another side thing i loved was the mini lesson on tuna. our chef gave a lil lecture with a cute model of a bluefin tuna. it was unfortunate that the restroom is outside the restaurant but that is what it is. for sushi lovers id say it's a great place to try atleast once read more

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I've been to the Shota before in 2021 and I loved it so much I came back this year for an anniversary. It is a very intimate setting with about 10-12 chairs that are nicely spaced out between the groups that have reserved. It has a very clean and elegant look which is also very nice and doesn't distract you from the food. The chefs do an amazing job explaining each thing you eat and they show you the fish and talk about it before your meal as well. Every piece of fish was great and so tasty and different from the next. You could taste the freshness and also see it because they made everything right in front of you. It is pricy but for the quality and amount of food you get I would do it again. And again. Also a big shout out because they gave me a rose and congratulated us for our anniversary. read more

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I had high expectations for this Michelin Omakase. @theshotasf From the moment I walked in, I loved the white curtain decor. The long drive from South Bay and the tough parking were quickly forgotten. Reservations and full payment are required in advance. 115 Sansome St, San Francisco The ambiance, plating, and ingredients were impressive. A small gem in the Financial District. Unlike Shin's focus on premium ingredients, this place shines with its presentation. 18-course Omakase Pro tip: Definitely get the Supplements. The Wagyu and caviar nigiri were the stars. After the 10-piece nigiri course, there are additional options. The Uni in the Supplements is not worth it--melts too fast and loses flavor. Pumpkin pudding, octopus, and clams: A stunning opener! Beautifully presented in a delicate basket with flowers. Snow crab chawanmushi: The most unique chawanmushi I've ever had. Cold sashimi platter: The creamy Uni sauce is fantastic. Enjoy it with the sashimi or finish it with a spoon. 10-piece Nigiri: Favorites were Uni, Scallop, and Toro. The standout was the Saba roll with oysters; the others were just okay. Soup and dessert: The aged miso soup was ordinary, and dessert was a tamago egg roll with ice cream. Additional dessert: Strawberry and gummy candy, perfect for photos. Overall, the service felt rushed towards the end. They kept pushing the additional menu while my friend and I were chatting, I understand they have another seating at 8:30 but it dampened my mood. However, the beautiful presentation balanced things out. read more

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Cannot say enough good things about this place. Food: we came for my birthday and every bite was solid. If I absolutely have to nitpick the miso soup at the end was a lil under seasoned and I wasn't expecting the kinmedai to be cooked dish. The a5 wagyu nigiri add-on might be the best of my life so far. Service: excellent, excellent attention to detail. 1) You sit in your counter seat and the staff push you in to make sure you don't need to do the awkward scooching yourself. If you leave your seat and come back there are staff waiting for you to come back so they can assist with seating you again. 2) I ordered the ensui uni add-on and chef Seth gave me a triple decker uni nigiri for my birthday as he saw how much I love uni . 3) special shout out to Tida, super knowledgeable somm and michelin insta hubby of my dreams thank you for taking so many pictures of us! Ambiance: It's located on the first floor of a beaux arts style office building. Inside the restaurant it's bright and minimalist. They deserve their star, I will absolutely be back. read more

The Shota - wagyu nigiri - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Bougie Omakase done right - dining at the Shota was quite an experience. I've had their special boxes for takeout during COVID and was blown away by the quality. So when everything reopened - I knew I had to dine here on our next special occasion. The restaurant is located in an older building, but once you enter the ambiance is airy, light, clean, and modern. Service was immaculate as expected, but what I surprisingly obsessed over was the beautiful dinner ware - the glass sake cups were amazing (handblown in Japan) and every cute plate and bowl had hand painted detailing or craftsmanship making them art displays all on their own. The menu is prefix per omakase standards, but they do have some supplements like caviar and or extra uni. Also a great wine and sake list - we ended up getting a bottle which was poured in those beautiful sake cups. Now to be very clear the style here is 100% NOT traditional style Omakase (which I do also LOVE) - this is a very modern take with some fusion touches. And although the nigiri portion stays true in focusing on the fish - I will honestly say that there were a lot sauces (which my MIL did not enjoy as much) but I felt like it was something they specialize in to either change the bite or enhance the fresh fish taste overall. They also did a great job at deconstructing items into different textures like foam or dehydration, which really made the experience here so unique and memorable as well. Let's Dig In: (1) Appetizer Trio - Razor Clams had nice crunch and sat on an interesting jam like base, Eel was uniquely refreshing, & Japanese Octopus was tender and delish in a yummy dashi broth. (2) Little Neck Clams & Fava Beans Chawanmushi - this was unique and delish! The clams were cooked perfectly and the Fava Beans egg custard had such a fresh taste. (3) Amber, Cherry Trout, & White Squid - this was also very tasty, you were able to eat some pieces without sauce if preferred, but I enjoyed the sauces - esp. the UNI cream with dehydrated egg yolk on top = creamy & heavenly. (4) Nigiri (9 Pieces + 1 Whole small fish dish) - *Young Sea Bream was amazing, cut in a unique way + topped with yuzu bits. *Hokkaido Scallop was fresh & also loved the way they cut this, gave it a bit more texture. *Uni/Sea Urchin was super rich and creamy. *Barracuda was one of my faves here, with a little pickled radish and sauce to soften the smokiness. *The SWEETFISH was a whole large dish on its own, sooo tasty and super fried so even the bones were easily edible - the sauce was also herby and refreshing. *Lean Bluefin Tuna was silky and smooth. *Fatty Bluefin Tuna was even more beautiful with it's richness, literally melts in your mouth. *Mackerel was unique and done in a roll style, great texture. *Eel was good, but just a tad bit too saucy. *Bluefin Tuna Handroll - sooooo delish, perfect size and right amount of sauce all wrapped up into 2 beautiful big bites. (5) Aged Miso Soup - simple and tasty. (6) Dessert (2) - the standard tamago egg custard was delish, lightly sweet and almost cake like with its texture. But the real star of the show was the house ice cream with fresh roasted chestnut topping - they legit grate a whole roasted chestnut in front of you...then everything you smell is eventually in your mouth, and it's freakn beautiful....I legit still dream about this at night. (7) House comp. Jellies - these were like palette cleansers, they were mango and berry with some ginger and herbal touches. Great texture and very refreshing. read more

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SHOTA Order: * Omakase Menu Pros: * Ambiance and service all refined, professional, yet friendly. The vibe is relaxing, yet not so quiet and stuffy. * The dishes are clearly very refined, fresh and tasty. Cons: * While high quality, I found the dishes a bit too familiar for the price and my preference. I would have preferred to experience a couple surprises or unique offerings. Comments: * If you're looking for high quality, mostly traditional omakase, in a fairly refined atmosphere, this should satisfy you. read more

Absolutely a 5/5. If I could give them more stars I would. I was so lucky to be able to have dinner here for my birthday last month and now I can't stop thinking about this place. Everything was so delicious and thoughtful!!! The restaurant is tucked away inside a building along with other businesses and they only have bar seating. But the inside is absolutely beautiful. The decor is minimal, simple, and clean. My favorite part besides the food was the dish ware!! They have the cutest spoons, plates, bowls, and cups. It's really the little things. On to the fish!!! Everything was sooo fresh and delicious. Every piece of sushi we had was a 10/10. They also have some well thought out appetizers and also in between dishes so it's not just sushi and sashimi. We also really enjoyed our conversation with our sushi chef, he was so entertaining and enthusiastic. Wish we got his name! We were able to snag a reservation the day before on tock so it seems like the hype for sure has died down for this place. Definitely a perfect place to celebrate a special occasion and it's definitely a treat! :) happy I got to try it and can't wait until the next time I get to go back!! read more

The Shota - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Beautiful presentation and delicious food. The servers and chef were very friendly and accommodating. We had a fantastic time at The Shota! Also I noticed the music they were playing were instrumentals to gaming music - cute touch. read more

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Although I will say the price is a bit outrageous (although the last time I had omakase was in Japan, so forgot how much omakase could be in the US), the quality of the fish is absolutely there The space is small and intimate, tucked in the lobby of a building. Service was extremely fast and we were in and out before 2 hours were up. Some of my favorite pieces of the night included the young sea bream, tuna hand roll, barracuda, and sweet fish (a hot lightly fried fish). We also added on the golden eye snapper which was delicious. All the pieces were extremely soft and melty, and we ended the meal with delicious desserts -- egg custard and hojicha ice cream! Overall a very well rounded meal leaving me feeling satiated. read more

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Best omakase I've had in a while: 18 courses of sustained excellence. Loved the attention to detail: there's one guy whose only job is to wipe away any excess shoyu on your plate. The chef assigned to me that night was super friendly and love talking sushi with me and great sushi restaurants in the US. Standouts included the razor clam, conger eel and tako; clam chawenmushi with Davao bean, shiso flower, and smoked trout roe; amberjack, cherry trout, white squid, and Hokkaido uni; sweetfish with dandelion vinaigrette; chutoro; and the dessert of green tea ice cream with grated chestnut and tamago with banana. The A5 Wagyu topped with Hokkaido uni is to die for. The Hokkaido uni supplement is worth it, too. The combination of quality and creativity is off the charts. They pickle their own ginger in-house, included a unique young ginger preparation. The brought out a mini bluefin-tuna model to explaine the where otoro and chutoro come froma. The beverage pairing was solid- the sakes were particularly good, but the only room for improvement was the wine pairings: the Champagne (Legras & Haas- I would have preferred a Krug cuvee or another blanc de blancs) and dessert wine (an obscure Sauternes from Le Tertre de Bosquet; a Chateau Guiraud, for example, would have been perfect). Overall, however, this is a superb omakase experience worthy of at least the one Michelin star they already have- they probably merit a second one soon. read more

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Great experience. Every dish was beautifully curated. We had a glass of white wine the sommelier recommended. My favorite was the uni wagyu! I could've probably had ten pieces of that. The fatty tuna was melt in your mouth delicious. The ambiance was peaceful and relaxing. The service was top notch. Def recommend! read more

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How have I not reviewed this one? We've been to Shota since its inception and are pleasantly surprised to see how it has grown. The sushi and other dishes are well thought of (changes each season), but the staff and service is what really brings it home for us. We really enjoy the hospitality here - they treat us like old friends. It's great to see some of the staff members have stayed and grown with the restaurant: says something about the management and that the staffers are happy here :) Not stuffy as some one-starred places, but come dressed up for a night out of fun! read more

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Wowww this place was amazing! Each dish was unique and tasty. I don't think I have anything I didn't like from this dinner. From the moment you walk in, you're greated with great service. The place feels and looks clean and minimalistic. They mainly have bar seating as they focus on the experience. You can really notice the attention to detail they put into each piece and dish. From the plates and glassware they use, to the way they cut each piece of fish, it really added to the overall experience. I added on the a5 waygu with uni and that was seriously one perfect bite. I'm dreaming of the next time we visit again as my moth is watering thinking about and writing this review! read more

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One of the best meals of the year so far. Food, service, and attention to detail were clicking on all cylinders, and I will fondly remember this evening for a long time. My random Friday solo dinner while traveling seemed more like a once-in-a-decade celebration with close family and friends. I live in Tokyo but spent many years in San Francisco and have been watching The Shota evolve since their opening in 2018. I saw their potential early on and am happy to see them succeeding so well. I eat a lot of sushi and can confidently say The Shota has carved its own niche that makes a meal there different than a traditional meal in Tokyo. I love how they are doing their own thing with the utmost confidence. Some dishes and neta preparations rival the top sushi restaurants in Japan. I'm excited to watch the team learn, and grow, and I can't wait to visit the new opening once that happens. read more

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The restaurant is located next to a building entrance and is easy to spot. The decor looked nice was my initial thought. I've dined at many sushiya in Japan and ranging from Ginza to the smaller cities like Ehime. Therefore I was a bit excited to see if there was something close to that type of experience in the Bay Area. The presentation was there, the flavors were there, and service also. I liked the talk given for each dish and the origin. I did the supplements and they were definitely a good option. I was already pretty full by the time they told me about the Al La Carte. Bummer. They showed the fish head, and was allowed to touch. It was a fun little touch, and they have a bottle of sanitizer ready for each set of guest to use. Their staff were trained well to be attentive. I wish I could've ordered more dessert as La carte haha. read more

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I loved everything about coming here! Even though it's small, the interior has a pretty and clean design. In addition, the chefs were friendly and great to talk to. The presentation of the dishes was nice, and we liked the food of course. The experience felt intimate with the small total number of people who are seated and because our chef was attending to only us and one other couple right next to us. It was a great experience! read more

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Food: 5 Service: 5 Ambiance: 5 I really can't think of anything negative to say about this place, or the sushi. The staff here take care of you like you're visiting their home, and every ingredient is showcased carefully with detailed explanations of what you are eating. Will be coming back again and again. read more

The Shota - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

This was our Nov 10,2023 experience. We had a 5:15pm reservation, and were seated right away. We were served by the owner and everything was amazing! Interior is elegant and classy. Food is absolutely delicious and beautiful! Highly recommend! read more

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Ok so usually I'm slightly wary of omakase spots that have a Michelin Star because I think it's hard to find exceptional ones - but The Shota blew me away. Came here to celebrate my partner's birthday and they DELIVERED. I typically prefer more traditional style omakase but seriously enjoyed the modern spin here and the sauces that accompanied the bites. Also the service here was impeccable. Loved how the meal was very interactive and dynamic compared to other omakase places I've been to. Big shoutout to Chef Seth and Jason for all the little extras and explanations! And Tita for the perfect sake recommendations and energy :) read more

The Shota - Japanese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food 10/10 Service 10/10 Ambiance 10/10 Came here during a work trip December 2023, and will definitely be coming back to share this amazing dining experience with my bf and friends. My favorite omakase and one of my favorite Michelin dining experiences! There is an option to add on extra caviar, uni, and truffle to certain dishes. So glad we did, but the dishes themselves were amazing without the add ons. We also ordered an extra wagyu uni piece and that was also fantastic! Everything was fresh and beautifully presented. read more

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Probably my favorite omakase place in SF. My favorite dishes were the young sea bream, the hokkaido sea urchin, the fatty bluefin tuna, the mackerel, the bluefin tuna handroll, and the sea water eel. Like seriously idk what they did to that sea water eel but it was insane. I came here for a special event, for which they'll definitely make it known with like a mini-celebratory thing complete with sparklers and stuff. I requested they don't do this for me, so I was relieved that they were able to accommodate lol The dining room is gorgeous, and I loved the background music. I swear I remember them mentioning they had a Spotify playlist for their dining room music (which was like, instrumental covers of some of my favorite songs actually), but I wasn't able to find it lol Overall, it was a pretty unforgettable experience. read more

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Fish from Japan, Pol Roger champ...can anybody so much as doubt this isn't a recipe for a spectacular meal? Starting from the moment you're greeted, the experience is inviting but injected with professionalism and true hospitality in spades. Not only that, the chefs are equally as professional in both their warmth as well as their skill in executing the meal. I probably won't bore everyone with details of all the fish being served because it's inevitable that it would change with the season anyway. Just take a glance at the pictures I added if you want to get an idea. Nothing was less than perfect. However, if your question is whether it's worth it to get the uni supplement, then yes. You're there already, it's a special occasion, so treat yourself or your dining companion accordingly. I found this especially well paired with the Pol Roger Brut I alluded to earlier. This was from a earlier bottling so it had some subtle signs of aging that made it pair especially well with the delicate nature of the fish while still maintaining the vigor and acidity that people love between sushi and champagne. As for the big elephant in the room (QPR) yes there are others that do the same, maybe don't charge as much. But they don't do it like Shota...and I will leave it at that. The real question is: if you win the lottery, would you eat here every night? And that would also be a definitive "Yes!" read more

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Great atmosphere and great food. The Shota offered a very diverse, surprising arrangement of food. In between pieces of sushi, we were given other dishes/delicacies like soup. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole dining finish from start to finish, thanks to the exceptional food and friendly staff. read more

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Ambience 10/10 Service 10/10 Food 10/10 My girl and I visited Shota in early January and have been meaning to share my experience. We landed in SF with a craving for omakase, we were fortunate to find an available spot at Shota. They greeted and welcomed us and even pulled out and pulled in our chair for us! Their nigiri dishes were *chef kiss*, melted in our mouths!!!We got the delicious uni supplement (which I finished with one inhale, sooo gooood) and the side dishes had a fantastic flavor. Among them, the crab, the uni rice and the fried skin fish (forgot the name) stood out as my favorites. Overall, my girlfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed our time at Shota and plan to return. read more

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I was able to make a reservation a month in advance for my boyfriend's birthday in March. When we arrived exactly at 5:30pm, we noticed that everyone was already seated at the bar. The host escorted us to the end of the bar and made us feel welcomed. I loved our seat because we were able to see what the staff was making. Their attention to detail was out of this world. We had a prefixed meal but they also had a QR code that we were able to scan if we wanted to order drinks. Note: they do charge for sparkling water. The staff explained every item that was presented to us. Everyone there was very knowledgeable and was able to answer questions that we had (e.g., how often they get their fish sourced). The one thing that I didn't like was the fact that one customer had their camera light on every time they took a picture of their food. This made our experience very unpleasant. Maybe the staff could be a little more attentive to things like this? I mean this is a Michelin star restaurant so I was expecting the staff to be aware of what's going on with customers. It turns out they only take two groups each night. One at 5:30pm and the second group at 8:30pm. Each group is only allowed 12 at a time. Parking is somewhat difficult in that area. You can either park on the street, which we did and it was a 10 min walk to the restaurant, or find a nearby garage. The experience overall was great. I would definitely recommend going here if you've never tried omakase. It's on the pricier side of course since it's a Michelin restaurant. read more

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The Shota offers an Edomae-style omakase sushi and a Kaiseki-inspired dishes. Using seasonal seafood items sourced and jet-flown from the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan to maintain the highest quality. We had a delightful evening celebrating a very special occasion and glad we picked the shota to celebrate! Enter the minimalistic relaxing dining room greeted with warm welcome from the chefs and staffs. We were seated right away after checking in. The staffs even helped us push our chairs in! There's convenient hangers for purse below the table. QR code scans for menus and drink menu during this time. We were greeted by Chef Shota and the delightful magic began! I won't go in details of each dishes because it changes seasonally. The whole dining experience was personalized and very informative as Chef Shota shared the processes and ingredients of the dishes. I highly recommend the beverage pairing as I enjoyed all the sake pairings and learned about different type of sake. We will be coming back soon with friends for a fun celebratory night out! Big kudos to Chef Shota, chef Adrian, chef Seth, GM Shar and all the staff for their michllen star! Well deserved! read more

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My boyfriend and I had the best time here at the Shota. Chef Shota has perfectly put together the BEST omakase in San Francisco! Not only is the food delightful, but the service is amazing and all the servers are fun to talk to. I highly recommend this place! read more

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I'm a big omakase fan and have been eating my way through the Bay Area slowly over the past few years. This is my current favourite omakase place so far. I think what sets them apart is the plating and the staff. Every appetizer is so beautifully plated and the staff are super friendly and explain everything in a lot of detail. I love the model tuna they use to explain the different parts of the fish. At the beginning of the meal, they give you a description of the supplement add ons and we chose the ensui uni which we hadn't tried before but I highly recommend it. I am not a die hard uni fan like some people but this was like the dessert of unis. It was very sweet subtle flavour without overwhelmingly funkiness. For their nigiri courses, everything was really fresh and tasty. I can't wait to come back again! The only downside to the resto is that they don't have their own bathroom. You have to exit the resto and use the bathroom in the lobby of the building. read more

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The experience and attention to detail from beginning to end was absolutely phenomenal! We made reservations about a month in advance for their Sunday 8:30pm seating. Plenty of street parking right in front. The entrance of The Shota was inside of a bigger building. We were provided with our personal hand sanitizers and hot wipes for our hands. The dish ware and utensils were beautiful! We ordered the beverage pairing, caviar add on, as well as a couple additional dishes a la carte at the end, so our check was pretty expensive. Each dish was carefully assembled and thoroughly explained by Chef Shota himself or one of his staff. The dishes itself were so delicious and well thought out. Fish was all melt in your mouth. The beverage pairings were very generous pours. read more

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The food was incredible and the service was above and beyond. Nice atmosphere, a perfect spot for a date (just went for valentine's day and they gave my date and I a little card with a polaroid picture us). Hands down my favorite sushi place of all time. The fish is so beautifully savory that each piece felt like it was made of a magical delicate butter melting in my mouth. Friends of mine have come back from Michelin star trips to Japan and said that they prefer Shota. Always fresh and seasonal, always comforting and familiar yet always innovating with delightful surprises. read more

Context: sushi is my favorite food and I've eaten at many of the best places in New York, California, and Japan. The shota is priced very high - as a very premier tier 1 spot, but it under delivers on that price point / expectation. read more

Came here to dine in person for their 5:15 PM seating. I had made reservations about a month in advance online. The decor and music inside was tranquil. I would describe it as modern, glamorous zen. We were greeted immediately when we arrived and welcomed to our seats. Our dining experience from start to finish was nothing short of special. Seth was our chef. His knife skills and sushi making skills were impressive and fun to watch. Every dish was amazing. My first bite of the Kasugodai (baby sea bream) literally was a euphoric experience. I like that they explain where the ingredients are from, how it's made/prepared, and how to eat. I also liked that they brought out the tuna model to show the various cuts of tuna that they use. Very informative and educational. There's an automatic 20% gratuity but service was impeccable. My water glass was never more than half empty. My placemat was wiped after every course. Never even had to push in my own chair. Overall, omakase at the Shota is a pricey treat but definitely worth every penny! The only downside is that parking is a bit of a pain (but that's SF for ya), so definitely plan accordingly. read more

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I remember when this was a lunch spot in the FiDi and now it's a fancy sushi spot. It's still very minimalist and white, just more upscale now, and even more minimalist with the variety of ceramic pots on the shelves being one of the only decorative elements in the space. We came to celebrate our anniversary and indulged in a $275 omakase. We were greeted with friendly smiles and they pushed our chairs in once we were seated in the padded bar stools, something I've always appreciated because there is no graceful way to scooch yourself in on a high chair. There was not only a hot towel, but also a towel ball for the sushi courses. To start, the appetizer trio was beautifully presented in a woven basket and adorned with golden mesh leaves. Chawanmushi - steamed egg: Great! silky, custardy egg soup with mushrooms and meaty fish Sawara - Spanish mackerel: Great! succulent and plump Hotate - scallop: Excellent! sliced into a checkerboard and topped with a bit of sea salt Ji Kinmedai - golden big eye snapper: Great! meaty and toped with a dollop of chive seasoning Katsuo & Shiro Ika - seared tuna with dip, squid noodles with uni sauce: Good! Three pieces of tuna were browned outside and red on the inside, went well with the katsuobushi and chive dip. The squid and carved radish on the side wasn't necessary, but presented nicely. The squid noodles in uni sauce were delicious. After we finished the noodles, the chef offers a ball of seasoned rice to help polish off the uni sauce. Next we were presented with a trio of beautiful tuna, as well as the giant tuna head. Apparently the guy was 300 pounds, and then was aged for 3 weeks. I tried my best to refrain from naming the tuna. Honmaguro Akami - lean tuna: Good! delicious, shiny and blood red Honmaguro Toro - belly fat tuna: Great! can't go wrong with fatty tuna Honmaguro Temaki - tuna handroll: Great! tasty tuna mix with perfectly crisp seaweed. Mine unraveled a bit when I put it on the plate to take a photo of it, so chef put the next handroll directly on my plate as long as I promised to give one handroll to Mr. Joy. What a fun chef! Ebi & Uni - shrimp & sea urchin: Good! crispy fried shrimp with a side of shiso leaf and lemon wedge The uni nigiri was on a bed of salmon roe. I could have used a little more rice to balance out the salty roe. Kohada - gizzard shad: Great! meaty silver skinned fish Anago - saltwater eel: Great! very tender teriyaki eel Akadashi & Inari - miso soup & sushi in tofu skin: Okay! soy broth and sweet tofu skin to taper off the savory dishes Hojicha - roasted green tea ice cream: Good: refreshing and cool green tea flavor with chestnut shavings Our chef concluded the meal with a toast in green jade goblets and a single candle on the side. Lastly, our bill arrived in a Japanese comic about a dude named Shota. The sushi was great, and the service might have been even better. When I was hopping off my stool, our waitress was actually hurrying over to give me a hand. Everyone was not only accommodating, but also very entertaining. read more

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The Shota was the birthday meal this year and wow, what an experience! We splurged for the caviar and uni supplement and man oh man, no regrets. The uni supplement gave us each our own little uni treasure box and it was truly the best uni we've ever had - never tasted anything like it! We made sure to take it slow so that it lasted through the whole meal, but it really felt like the box was bottomless. All the courses were amazing but beyond that, we seriously had so much fun with Chef Seth and Shar! I always say that it's the interactions at the bar that make the meal and this was no different. There were a lot of laughs and jokes and we left that night with full bellies and happy memories. Thank you to all the Chefs and Shar for a good time and thank you for the extra birthday uni bump at the end! read more

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