Xiao Yu’s Kitchen
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I thought we were goin to a schmack place given the ambiance. The floors were sticky, service was ok, and you can hear the deep fryer frying. All the variables for a bust down Asian restaurant The portions were A1 as we had left overs for a full other meal. The waiter was sick and he was kind enough to provide discounts for inconveniences. Though, quality of food brought it down. The salmon was dry and the katsu didn't taste like much. Good cool spot if we got the drunchies. Otherwise, meh
This place is small and a bit tight, with bright fluorescent lighting. The server was friendly and the food was reasonably priced. The only thing I didn't like was the hamachi, which was listed as a $1 upcharge, but was actually an extra 3. These were dry and hard. Everything else was good. There is free delivery on orders above 30 - perfect for their $30 dinner combo. Their canned beers are only 3 dollars, which is awesome. Another plus is that they actually stay open until the listed time - 11pm.
Solid late night Japanese food! They seem to be mostly geared for takeout food but we snagged a spot in the limited seating area. Great bang for your buck and service is excellent. We ordered the 2 item bento for ~17 (California roll and pork katsu) which was delicious and plenty of food for dinner. Came with hot miso soup and ample rice!
The 2-item Lunch Box $14 is a delicious special served Noon to 4:30 pm daily. We recommend the Saba Shioyaki/mackerel, Mixed Tempura, Dengaku, California Roll, Chicken Katsu, Salmon Teriyaki. Agedashi tofu Teriyaki. Tea is $4.
Great hole in the wall restaurant in the Inner Richmond District. The server doesn't speak a lot of English but food is a common language for all. I normally show pictures I see on Yelp and he knows what I'm looking for. The food is always fresh and during dinner time you get 20% off for dinning in. Items I've tried that were delicious: Bento boxes, chicken karrag, pot stickers, ramen, miso soup, taro milk tea. The teriyaki chicken and salmon were amazing. Ca sushi roll and the fried roll were delicious. The regular sushi roll was very fresh. Priced well for the area. Definitely recommend.
Heard this was a late night sushi spot so I had to stop by with my kids & try it out. For starters, restaurant itself is really small, they only had about 4 tables & I don't know what their occupancy was but at 15 people inside were already really crowded. We dined in. My kids and I all got our own dinner bento boxes ($17+). Lunchtime bento boxes are a tad bit cheaper but the options are all the same. Your choice of 2 or 3 items and the box came with house salad, rice and miso soup. The quality of food was definitely worth the price. Everything tasted great & was freshly prepared. Parking is mild to hard, gotta really keep an eye open. Definitely would return again!
This was an amazing late night find in San Francisco. My friend and I came here on a weekday after a long day of work. There was only one other couple in the restaurant, and there were around 10 seats. This is what we ordered: -Tonkatsu Curry: The curry was not too expensive and was greatly sized; I had enough for another meal worth of leftovers the next day. The ratio of fried pork cutlet to rice was perfect. -Bento Box with Beef Teriyaki and Fried Chicken Cutlet: The bento box was also greatly sized, and both our dishes came with miso soup. While the food tasted good when we were hungry, it also tasted just as good the next day. There was a discount towards the end of the day, so it was rather a cheaper meal that kept us full. I would love to come back to visit again!
Very small restaurant with a large menu, we got the 3 item dinner box and it was an immense amount of food for $20/box. The tonkatsu and chicken katsu were good, salmon teriyaki was flavorful, and the veggie tempura were very good. Each set also comes with a small salad and miso soup. The only disappointment were the kaki fry, the oysters weren't very good but I didn't expect much. We got takeout but I can tell the inside can seat 4-6 people, and the service was nothing special. We would come back for a cheap lunch / dinner in the future.
there's only like three tables so there's not a ton of places to sit but we came pretty late and with a large party even they were still able to seat us. bento box with tonkatsu california roll and chicken teriyaki (4/5): solid serving size, made a like bit more would have been nice. garlic edamame (5/5): seasoned edamame and it was actually really delicious sauce. chicken karaage (5/5:) good crunch, no problems here, a solid karaage. tonkatsu curry (2.5/5): the curry was very watery but the tonkatsu was good. this also took maybe 30 mins to cook so everyone was pretty much done with their meals by the time mine came out...would not recommend getting this if you are HUNGRY. tempura donburi (4/5): nice crisp tempura, good serving size as well. tonkatsu ramen: didn't try so i'm not sure how it was.
I did not have the pleasure of enjoying the food here, but the owner has such a generous and kind spirit, and I just know the food is a reflection of that. My husband and I were struggling with a delivery and he not only came out to help, but he also brought a dolly to assist us. People like this are rare, especially small business owners who jump in to help other small business owners outside of their industry. We plan to return soon, not only for the food, but to also properly thank the owner and his wife for their generosity!
The food there was so excellent. It was fresh and had a lot of flavor. Definitely recommend coming here if you're looking for a good late night spot. The service was super fast and they were somewhat attentive. The ambiance is what you would consider a family owned hole in the wall, which i actually like more in my opinion.
Reviews are generally positive. Diners highlight fresh, flavorful food, generous portions, and popular bento boxes. Staff are described as friendly, and pricing is seen as reasonable.
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What a delicious spot for food just outside the Japanese Botanical! The service was smooth, the staff were friendly and welcoming and well accommodating to vegetarian diets. We really liked getting the curry and bento dish, it was filling. read more
Ever read reviews and wondered if you went to the same restaurant as other people? Maybe we ordered wrong or came in on an off day but we didn't have the same food experience like some of the other reviewers. We got the Beef Donburi and the Oyakodon for pick up. The beef in the beef donburi was really tough. The Oyakodon was okay. Afterwards I wondered if maybe we should have ordered bento boxes instead since it seems to be more popular and therefore better? I do like that they open late and the service was friendly. Located on Balboa and 7th Ave. read more
The tennis team had a late match. We were hungry and wanted to hang and chat. Not many places were open when we left around 9:15pm but Xiaoyu's was until 11! Parking was hard on Balboa. It's heavily residential and most nearby businesses were closed when we got there. At first, it was empty. Then as the night went on, the place filled up--both with takeout orders, but also in-person groups eating! We thought this place was Chinese food when we picked it (based on the name...) We were fine with Japanese! Everyone got one of the combo boxes--$17 for 2 items or $20 for 3 items? A San Francisco steal!! You could pick various teriyakis, rolls, gyoza, agedashi tofu, and more! It also came with soup and salad. I opted for the $22 unagi Donburi (I love unagi!) It said it came with salad and soup but I only received soup. The vegetables in my bowl were 2 slices of tsunumono (pickled radish.) The unagi was very good! Prices are reasonable. Service is efficient. There's maybe 4 tables inside and 2 seats at a bar by the window. If you need late-night noms, this is the place! read more
1 year ago
I thought we were goin to a schmack place given the ambiance. The floors were sticky, service was ok, and you can hear the deep fryer frying. All the variables for a bust down Asian restaurant The portions were A1 as we had left overs for a full other meal. The waiter was sick and he was kind enough to provide discounts for inconveniences. Though, quality of food brought it down. The salmon was dry and the katsu didn't taste like much. Good cool spot if we got the drunchies. Otherwise, meh read more
1 year ago
This place is small and a bit tight, with bright fluorescent lighting. The server was friendly and the food was reasonably priced. The only thing I didn't like was the hamachi, which was listed as a $1 upcharge, but was actually an extra 3. These were dry and hard. Everything else was good. There is free delivery on orders above 30 - perfect for their $30 dinner combo. Their canned beers are only 3 dollars, which is awesome. Another plus is that they actually stay open until the listed time - 11pm. read more
Solid late night Japanese food! They seem to be mostly geared for takeout food but we snagged a spot in the limited seating area. Great bang for your buck and service is excellent. We ordered the 2 item bento for ~17 (California roll and pork katsu) which was delicious and plenty of food for dinner. Came with hot miso soup and ample rice! read more
The 2-item Lunch Box $14 is a delicious special served Noon to 4:30 pm daily. We recommend the Saba Shioyaki/mackerel, Mixed Tempura, Dengaku, California Roll, Chicken Katsu, Salmon Teriyaki. Agedashi tofu Teriyaki. Tea is $4. read more
9 months ago
Great hole in the wall restaurant in the Inner Richmond District. The server doesn't speak a lot of English but food is a common language for all. I normally show pictures I see on Yelp and he knows what I'm looking for. The food is always fresh and during dinner time you get 20% off for dinning in. Items I've tried that were delicious: Bento boxes, chicken karrag, pot stickers, ramen, miso soup, taro milk tea. The teriyaki chicken and salmon were amazing. Ca sushi roll and the fried roll were delicious. The regular sushi roll was very fresh. Priced well for the area. Definitely recommend. read more
1 year ago
Heard this was a late night sushi spot so I had to stop by with my kids & try it out. For starters, restaurant itself is really small, they only had about 4 tables & I don't know what their occupancy was but at 15 people inside were already really crowded. We dined in. My kids and I all got our own dinner bento boxes ($17+). Lunchtime bento boxes are a tad bit cheaper but the options are all the same. Your choice of 2 or 3 items and the box came with house salad, rice and miso soup. The quality of food was definitely worth the price. Everything tasted great & was freshly prepared. Parking is mild to hard, gotta really keep an eye open. Definitely would return again! read more
This was an amazing late night find in San Francisco. My friend and I came here on a weekday after a long day of work. There was only one other couple in the restaurant, and there were around 10 seats. This is what we ordered: -Tonkatsu Curry: The curry was not too expensive and was greatly sized; I had enough for another meal worth of leftovers the next day. The ratio of fried pork cutlet to rice was perfect. -Bento Box with Beef Teriyaki and Fried Chicken Cutlet: The bento box was also greatly sized, and both our dishes came with miso soup. While the food tasted good when we were hungry, it also tasted just as good the next day. There was a discount towards the end of the day, so it was rather a cheaper meal that kept us full. I would love to come back to visit again! read more
1 year ago
Cute little neighborhood spot! The prices were great for the portions they gave. We got the tonkotsu ramen and the curry tonkatsu. Both were delicious! Will definitely be coming back. *I unfortunately took the picture after we started eating!* read more
6 months ago
Super good place went here late at night would come here again. Chicken pierogi was really good for an appetizer and California rolls were amazing and my girlfriend got the Ramen and she loved it. read more
Very small restaurant with a large menu, we got the 3 item dinner box and it was an immense amount of food for $20/box. The tonkatsu and chicken katsu were good, salmon teriyaki was flavorful, and the veggie tempura were very good. Each set also comes with a small salad and miso soup. The only disappointment were the kaki fry, the oysters weren't very good but I didn't expect much. We got takeout but I can tell the inside can seat 4-6 people, and the service was nothing special. We would come back for a cheap lunch / dinner in the future. read more
there's only like three tables so there's not a ton of places to sit but we came pretty late and with a large party even they were still able to seat us. bento box with tonkatsu california roll and chicken teriyaki (4/5): solid serving size, made a like bit more would have been nice. garlic edamame (5/5): seasoned edamame and it was actually really delicious sauce. chicken karaage (5/5:) good crunch, no problems here, a solid karaage. tonkatsu curry (2.5/5): the curry was very watery but the tonkatsu was good. this also took maybe 30 mins to cook so everyone was pretty much done with their meals by the time mine came out...would not recommend getting this if you are HUNGRY. tempura donburi (4/5): nice crisp tempura, good serving size as well. tonkatsu ramen: didn't try so i'm not sure how it was. read more
1 year ago
I did not have the pleasure of enjoying the food here, but the owner has such a generous and kind spirit, and I just know the food is a reflection of that. My husband and I were struggling with a delivery and he not only came out to help, but he also brought a dolly to assist us. People like this are rare, especially small business owners who jump in to help other small business owners outside of their industry. We plan to return soon, not only for the food, but to also properly thank the owner and his wife for their generosity! read more
2 years ago
The food there was so excellent. It was fresh and had a lot of flavor. Definitely recommend coming here if you're looking for a good late night spot. The service was super fast and they were somewhat attentive. The ambiance is what you would consider a family owned hole in the wall, which i actually like more in my opinion. read more
We arrived at 3pm, and we thought the place was closed. The lights were turned off and so was the OPEN sign. We asked if they are open, and an employee said YES. The employee could show a little more enthusiam, but he didn't. Maybe he's a low energy person. This a small mom and pop restaurant. It seats around sixteen people. There's limited metered parking and very limited free parking spots around this restaurant. We ordered the three items bento box lunch special, seafood ramen, and spicy seafood ramen. The bento box came with miso soup and salad. The three items for the bento were teriyaki salmon, California roll, and saba shioyaki. The salmon and the saba shioyaki were moist in the inside and flavorful. The California Rolls were freshly made. The seafood ramen was flavorless. It was very bland. The spicy seafood ramen was lack of flavor as well. When I was eating half way through the ramen, I realized that there were lots of pepper flakes at the bottom of the bowl. I guess I was supposed to mix it before eating it. Regardless, they just can't do ramen right. However, they weren't stingy on the seafood and had various vegetables. read more
The chicken Katsu was good but otherwise was underwhelming. We tried: - Bento box with salmon teriyaki, chicken teriyaki, and chicken tonkatsu. Chicken tonkatsu was actually very good, really crisp, moist, and well seasoned. Unfortunately, that is all we really enjoyed. The chicken and salmon teriyaki were both pretty mediocre, a bit dry and under-seasoned. Teriyaki sauce was just okay, nothing special. - Pork katsu curry - this was really disappointing as the tonkatsu was smothered in lacklust curry. The pork was overcooked, dry, and lost any crispy texture it had. The breading was falling off of the cutlet because of how soggy it had gotten. The curry itself was very plain and not flavorful. On a positive note, they offer a discount for dinner and the portions we're pretty generous especially considering the price. Can't recommend this place overall read more
1 year ago
We are from Arizona and don't get the chance to indulge in authentic Asian cuisine often. This hole in the wall offers great food for an even better value. My partner and I ordered two dinner combos and paid under $40 for plenty of food. Friendly service, and food was delivered hot, fresh, and flavorful. We will definitely be back next time we are in town. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
*Delicious 3 item bentos for $17 *Wide variety of options to chose from on the menu *There is NO raw fish/nigiri/sashimi of any kind here I've been here 3 times and really enjoyed their bentos and sukiyaki (unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of it, but it was delicious and a generous portion)! At first, I was confused since this restaurant called Xiao Yu means little fish in Chinese, but looking at the extensive menu, it's a Japanese restaurant, no doubt. It's a small, cozy, and quiet restaurant good for eating alone on lunch breaks. Due to the amount of space indoors, it wouldn't be ideal for big groups. When it comes to service, the owner seems pretty chill and doesn't do small talk from my experience. He gets rights down to taking your order and bringing out the food asap. You may be asked to pay by the cashier stand immediately after ordering there. I usually do that since I was asked. It's to save them a trip back and forth to your table. After paying I just seat myself as well. In my photos I have the eggplant special and their 3 item bento. For the eggplant, think of a lion king roll, but make it eggplant! It really is quite a unique and tasty appetizer. For the 3 item lunch bento, the photo features salmon teriyaki, agedashi tofu, and saba shioyaki. As other Japanese places, the bentos come with a side salad and miso soup (as did the sukiyaki entree). Everything I've tried here has been quite tasty and I appreciate their large menu. It can definitely fit any of your Japanese food cravings (excluding raw fish since it's not available at this restaurant)! They also have plenty of milk tea flavors here, though I have yet to try it. read more
3 years ago
Exceptional quality. Fried food-- light, juicy, crunchy. Ramen-- Gingery and light, subtle flavor. I was blown away by the Saba-- perfectly oily and savory. Quiet place, relatively clean, yet table was a bit sticky. Server barely understood English, nevertheless provided everything we needed in professional manner. This fine restuarant has wonderful potential to be even better! In a heartbeat I would unequivocally dine here again. Yum!!!!! read more
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3 years ago
Customer service was HORRIBLE.said hi to the waiter and he completely ignored me.when ordering, we asked for adjustments and he laughed at me.i asked if there's any tea with no caffeine,(struggle with anxiety and caffeine isn't my friend) again mocked me.immediately left.don't laugh at your customers if they ask for preferences.they may be allergic? Have you thought of that? And now as a result of my honest experience,the business owner is accusing me of discrimination and yet again mocking.if anything we felt discriminated by the way we were treated from the moment we entered the premises.lying doesn't get you far. read more
Business owner information
Changyu Z.
I suspect you are discriminating against me. Do we need to cry and…
3 years ago
This little unassuming restaurant is a total hidden gem! You would never guess from the storefront or decor, that very tasty food awaits you on the inside from their kitchen. Each dish was served hot and all their ingredients seemed to of quality and fresh. Big points to their cook who is control of their deep fryer. From the mixed tempura appetizer, age-dashi, chicken karage, tonkatsu, etc were all very very good! Surprisingly so! Their tempura battered California roll was a surprise treat! We went to town and ordered 5 appetizers and 3 entrees. The tonkotsu curry was very home style with perfectly fried cutlets and chunky veges. My only tiny tiny critique is I wish there was more curry sauce. We pigged out! I am giving this place 5 stars for the entire experience of the surprise with the wonderfully prepared, tasty food. PLUS the bonus of 20% off for our dinner! We are def returning. read more
3 years ago
I live nearby and looking for a new place to try. I've driven past Xiao Yus Kitchen many times so decided to see what the yelp hype was about. They have 20% off dinners so i tried the 3 item combo -- beef teriyaki (+$3), veggie tempura, and tonkasu. First off, everything in my take out container was piping hot. The tonkasu was crispy but light batter with juicy pork. The tempura was also fresh temp hot and was great with the provided dipping sauce. The beef teriyaki had good flavor and neatly sliced. Came with a heaping scoop of white rice, light dressed salad (side container), and bowl of miso soup (side container) with seaweed and tofu. It was a lot of food!! Most importantly all the food tasted good and seemed like a great value. Don't be misled by the name of the place. This was very good family style Japanese food with a large menu. I'll be back to try other items. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
Strange to have japanese food under the umbrella of a Chinese name. At first I thought it was Chinese food, but it's actually serving Japanese food. We came for a quick lunch. 3 items for $17 lunchbox. Comes with small soup and salad. Ordered teriyaki chicken, gyoza, and agedashi tofu. Chicken was tender and tasty. Gyozas were fried and too hard, but eatable. The agedashi was hot, flavorful, and crunchy. Worth a stop if you are in the neighborhood. read more
1 year ago
Xiao Yu's is a very solid restaurant my boyfriend and I always do takeout to. The food is consistently great quality and the portions are large, especially for the price. The owner has always been kind to us. This is a no thrills restaurant, it is not fancy but the food is consistently delicious and flavors are always solid. My boyfriend always order the 3 item box and I have tried most of the items and they are all tasty! I highly recommend this spot! read more
2 years ago
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