Bay Area · Cuisine
Japanese
Mission and Berkeley izakaya, Russian Hill Japanese-American tasting menus, and Peninsula omakase counters.
Bay Area Japanese dining runs from walkable Japantown and Mission izakaya rooms to chef-driven tasting menus, destination Peninsula omakase counters, and South Bay ramen and sushi plazas. Format matters more than a single trophy street: charcoal yakitori and hand-rolled udon one night, Japanese-American fine dining or Edomae nigiri the next. The stops below mark Bib Gourmand izakaya rooms in the Mission and Berkeley, a one-star Russian Hill tasting room, and a San Mateo omakase long covered by Michelin and the Chronicle.
Focus areas: SF Chinatown & Mission, Downtown Berkeley, San Mateo, Millbrae & Daly City
Restaurants
Izakaya Rintaro
$$Mission
Mission District izakaya from Sylvan Mishima Brackett; house-made tofu, yakitori, and hand-rolled udon in a wood-forward room.
Ippuku
$$Downtown Berkeley
Michelin Bib Gourmand Berkeley izakaya from Christian Geidemann; binchotan yakitori, sake and shochu, and woodwork by Paul Discoe.
Nisei
$$$$Russian Hill
Russian Hill Michelin-starred tasting menu from David Yoshimura: Japanese-American cooking rooted in California produce, with sister cocktail bar Iris next door.
Sushi Yoshizumi
$$$$San Mateo
Eight-seat Edomae omakase in downtown San Mateo from chef Akira Yoshizumi; traditional nigiri without fusion garnishes.