Recommends

sanfranrocks

Joined 6 years ago

Wonderful Japanese restaurant!. My first Citysearch review, about one of my favorite restaurants! I've been going here about 26 years & have NEVER been disappointed. The food is great & the staff is efficient, friendly & courteous. The place is unpretentious & laid-back. The shiro maguro (albacore tuna) is a must-try. It's buttery & almost never has that white, stringy stuff that you usually find in it. (I've only come across a piece like that twice there -- in 26 years.) The tempura is delish - light & crispy batter, not heavy like other places. I'd go back just for the salad. I've never found anything like it. It has noodles with mayo & bits of kamaboko (fish cake) & cucumber in it. And I despise mayo, so what does that tell you? I've had many celebration dinners here. I've introduced others to this place & all of them loved it. The only "con" is parking, but that's all over. I've been to a couple of famous Japanese restaurants down here in LA, but I feel that Tanuki is better in terms of value, food & service. Enjoy!

Recommends

seamaiden

Joined 7 years ago

Best Sushi in the Universe!. I have been a regular customer at Tanuki for 16 years! In my estimation, it is by far the best sushi in San Francisco, if not the entire world.. I have been eating sushi for 25 years and am a particular, experienced and discerning judge. The fish is fresh and delicious, the rice perfectly cooked (which is hard to find), the atmosphere warm and comfortable. Aki - the owner/chef - is the absolute BEST! Charm and expertise galore. No need to dress your best. Not a fashionista in sight. Not a trendy, flash-in-the-pan outfit. This is the real deal. The restaurant has been in business for 30 years. Enjoy!

Recommends

beckersgirlfriend

Joined 7 years ago

my favorite sushi place in SF. Highly recommend to sit at sushi bar for the "fresh" sushi experience. Make sure to ask the owner (I think his name is Aki-san) for recommendation to try something that are off the menu. Reasonable price.

Recommends

twirlgrrl

Joined 11 years ago

Awesome fresh sushi!. This is my favorite sushi restaurant in SF. The sushi is always fresh, the sushi masters are friendly and can always suggest great things to try, even stuff that's not on the menu. Everything is reasonably priced, too. The atmosphere is friendly and mellow, not hyper or trendy. I highly recommend Tanuki to everyone!

Recommends

hkarahashi

Joined 10 years ago

The best Japanese restaurant in S.F.. I can tell you that Tanuki is the best restaurant in S.F. because I am a Japanese. Tanuki is not so Americanized and has a very friendly atmosphere. Aki-san makes great sushi, and his service is always excellent. There is also a very cute waitperson on weedend. Her service is excellent too. If you want to eat real sushi, you should go Tanuki.

Recommends

mello318

Joined 10 years ago

Yummy and Friendly. I've been going to Aki for more than 6 years and it's never a disappointment. While sitting at the bar, Aki always whip up something special not on the menu. The sushi is fresh and the atmosphere is definitely low-key. If you're looking for quality and variety, this is the place. Not to mention, very reasonable price.

Recommends

cranberry

Joined 11 years ago

Best Japanese Food In SF. This is my favorite Japanese restaurant. I've been going here for over 8 years! Aki-the head sushi chef is awesome.

Their sushi is always fresh and generous portions.

My favorite things to get there are:

salmon, tuna, tanuki roll (2 tempura shrimp wrapped in rice with eel, eggplant, and avocado on each of the 6 pieces), rock shrimp, crawfish handroll, soft-shell crab, and this special, you order it "white tuna half grilled" and Aki will know what to do...

Very homey place...crowded at times but well worth the wait.

Recommends

todd_harry

Joined 11 years ago

Shhh.... I am torn between keeping this place a secret and letting everyone know how great it is.

I've hardly ever had to wait and the sushi is always awesome.

Everytime I have out of town guest who want sushi, I bring them here--forget the long lines at Ebisu--this place is better and there is hardly a wait.

Try for yourself...