Hotei

Hotei

Owner

Known for its amazing soups and sushi, Hotei has been a growing restaurant force in San Francisco's Sunset district.

Steve Fujii and his family have been in the restaurant industry for over 20 years. Hotei and its sister restaurant, Ebisu, have been rated among the top Bay area Japanese restaurants consistently in publications such as San Francisco Chronicle, SF Weekly, Bay Guardian and Citysearch.com.

Hotei offers a wide array of noodle selections including somen, udon, ramen and soba. As of 2002, Hotei added Ebisu sushi to its line-up of great tasting menu items.

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene
It's clear that Hotei is run by an experienced restaurateur. The Asian waitstaff is deferential and friendly, the simple Japanese-flavored decor is appropriately understated and the authentic food is priced to sell. But above all, amid the dark-orange dining room's noisy bustle, the place hums along at a hyper-efficient pace.

The Food
Don't expect updated flavors or fancy Asian fusion cuisine. Despite the inviting ambience, it's still just a solid, no-nonsense Japanese noodle house. Thirteen styles of udon--thick, gooey, neutral-tasting rice noodles--are served in a lightly salted broth or pan-fried and piled high on a large plate. The ramen noodles, thinner and firmer than the udon, come mixed with meat, vegetables or egg. The tori soba, perfect for cold winter nights, is a simple but pleasing noodle soup with chicken and green onion.