06/08/09

True Japanese Sake & Tapas - Best in Town

by amyts

All organic ingredients. Great authentic cooking. Amazing menu. Unmatchable assortment of best Japanese Sake. The owner did everything to make this place have true Japanese spirit of cooking and food. It is all about ingredients. The cooking is done to draw the best flavor of the ingredients. And the portion is small with beautiful plating, and you can order 5-6 different things, and enjoy them with great Sake. What else can you ask for?

The owner is not Japanese, but he does everything to make sure to get the best ingredients. His wife is Japanese from Japan and she is the chef.

Really amazing!

• Pros: Best Japanese Sake & Tapas
• Cons: Can not find one

04/17/09

this japanese person cannot stand this place

by soggybiscotti

the people are just offensively horrible here ... i was ashamed; the food is not fresh; i really wanted to like this restaurant, but i was beyond disappointed.

• Pros: nothing
• Cons: service, food

04/17/09

Don't even bother!

by llee71

This place just made us angry by the time we were done. Service was SO terrible! They have NO idea what they are talking about! Food ... There is nothing impressive to say. It's tolerable at best ... just yuck.

• Pros: You can walk to other restaurants down the street
• Cons: Service, Service, Service

07/20/08

A San Francisco MUST! Sozai is great!

by mingo_mama

Inviting was my first reaction to this charming, cozy neighborhood gem. The sincerely warm greeting confirmed my feelings. The staff are so interested in your enjoying an educational experience as well as dining with delight! The amazing, eclectic menu made decisions difficult-we wanted everything! And the sake flytes! Who knew there were so many different varieties? We do now!! We had fun, learned some stuff and pigged out You MUST try the edamame hummus-it is beautiful and divine and will be the first thing on our menu when we return. (Don't forget to notice the amazing flower arrangement!)

• Pros: Friendly Staff, easy parking, great food, service, everything
• Cons: nothing

04/14/08

Finally! Real Japanese food!

by jessicakerns534

I went to this place expecting the regular sushi, and got exactly the opposite. THE MOST OUTSTANDING ORGANIC Japanese food I have ever eaten! The plates were beautifully decorated and the fish was the most fresh tasting in the bay area. The service was impeccable and the staff knowledge of Saki was very impressive. I can't wait to bring everyone I know to this restaurant. It is truly amazing!

04/12/08

A hidden gem. Sozai is great.

by rockngal

This place is a total gem. It is super cute and fun. The place has a very warm feeling. The food is very inventive and tasty. The flavors are comforting and exotic all at once. Some of my favorites are the whole grilled squid, the edemame hummus with homemade chips, and the tuna tar tar. They have a great sake menu. The staff knows there menu, both the food and drinks, they answered every question I had... it makes a big difference when the staff is knowledgeable about they serve, what sake goes with what dish.

• Pros: Great staff, super cozy corner location, great pairing

Cozy izakaya brings skillfully prepared small plates and an extensive sake list to a sleepy stretch of the Inner Sunset.

by Contributor

The Scene
While it seems beside the point to call any one block in the Sunset dead--other than the Ninth-and-Irving area, much of the neighborhood is quite sepulchral, after all--it's called for in pointing out just how much the district needs the light and warmth of a place like Sozai. The izakaya concept, which started with Japanese drink lounges that serve food to their customers, stresses the community experience of dining and imbibing with friends as well as with new acquaintances one meets there. In keeping with that, the atmosphere here is no-frills: Small tables sit close to one another, as do stools at the exhibition-kitchen counter, making it easy to strike up a conversation (and liberal samplings from the sake list, put together y True Sake owner Beau Timken, provide even more social lubrication). To that end, partner Gil Payne and his staff maintain an atmosphere of affability. Locals are grateful for a good congration spot, and those outside the neighborhood find that it's worth the trip.

The Food
Even if you don't meet new people among those seated next to you, the wide range of tasty options--both for the plate and in the glass--is sure to keep the conversation flowing at your own table. Edamame hummus is a must-have starter, as are the steamed mushrooms with soy butter and the marinated tuna won ton. The food-and-sake pairings are a surefire hit, with the traditional (sashimi, yakitori, kobe-beef-wrapped green onions with lotus root, shrimp-and-lotus-root ball in dashi broth) and the contemporary (curried scallops, filet katsu, bacon-wrapped prawns, lamb chop with shiso pesto) line-ups and their corresponding sake matches providing equally good options. For dessert, the macha affogato--hot macha (powdered green tea) over lychee ice cream is a solid effort, but the green tea panna cotta with organic strawberries is the one you'll still be talking about at home.

Hits: The knowledgeable servers are quick with the