Best Japanese Speciality Restaurants in Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

Lovely meal! Team were very attentive and kind. All the dishes were explained very well, clear the team know their stuff and really care. Chef came out many times to talk, was a great touch! One of the best fine dining experiences we have had in the US.

We went for my wife’s birthday and had a very nice time. The food was exceptional and the wait staff was an orchestrated ballet of impeccable service. Everything from the appetizers, the main courses and the desserts were all rock solid. I expected at least one of these categories to be a little weak (as they are with most restaurants) and I was continually pleasantly surprised by the dynamic flavors and incredibly well-prepared, and well-seasoned food overall. My only critique would be that the broccolini was undercooked for my taste and a little too heavy on the garlic, and the porterhouse rolls were slightly disappointing — they were made of some kind of wheat dough with an added aromatic that wasn’t needed in my opinion. I was hoping for the classic buttery white bread porterhouse rolls! But if you are looking for exotic flavors, and open to things being a little different than expected, there’s no shortage of that at Niku. The ambience was modern, tasteful and chic. The music was a little loud, but that helped to provide a very immersive experience. After a few drinks you don’t notice as much lol. They have three different seating options: bar, tables, and chefs counter. This was not as clearly explained as it could’ve been on their website or on OpenTable. The pictures I found online didn’t give a clear enough idea of what the different seating options would look like, so that made planning a special occasion a little difficult. Otherwise, I couldn’t recommend this place enough.

Everything is perfect here in every way except the table vs. tableware sizes. Their service plates are beautiful and of generous size. The tables are just barely large enough to seat either 2 or 4 persons. If you order more than 2 0r 3 items at once things get tight immediately. Item number 3 or 4 appears and if you find the food is so good that you have taken a little time to savor and appreciate each just a bit, the runner is not prepared to cope and just stands there, holding the new dish and looking non-plussed. Our runner was not prepared to move items around on existing plates to reduce density. So the diners had to do it and messy plates were produced. Clearly the space is already filled with tables, so larger ones are not an option. On our future visits, we will order only 2 items at a time and order new ones when service plates can be removed timely. BUT the great food is the thing, after all. We both judged this to be the best sushi meal we have eaten outside of Japan, so we are more than willing to drive in from Marin. FIVE STARS in every category that really matters! We shall return soon and often.

Best sashimi in the Bay Area, and best black cod. We just can’t go anywhere else for sushi in San Francisco and the East Bay, without being disappointed.

Have you ever dreamed about having a meal where everything was perfect? Have you ever thought, I would love to taste Waygu beef and have it melt in my mouth? Do you have someone special in your life who you want to have a once in a lifetime dining experience? You will have all these things happen, and more, when you choose Yakiniku Shodai. I can say without hesitation, this was one of the best, if not the best dinners I’ve ever experienced. Yes, there will be sticker shock, but this isn’t Sizzler. Go ahead and live life. You will never ever regret you did this for yourself and the person(s) you love. Thank you Shodai, for the meal, experience, evening of a lifetime.