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The blue-painted building with a red neon sign on Shattuck Avenue does not undersell what's inside. This is a sousaku izakaya, meaning the menu leans into New Japanese cooking, the kind you'd find in Tokyo or Osaka right now: hot pot, skewers, fried fish cakes, seasonal sashimi added only because regulars kept asking. The menu rotates constantly, which makes repeat visits feel less like loyalty and more like good sense.
The awards strongest first
- Esquire #38 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Berkeley restaurants
One number, weighted & current 75
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
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Kaisen don
“You can generally count on seeing the kaisen don, colorful sashimi fanned out over sushi rice ornamented with a slab of tamago.”
San Francisco Chronicle -
Basque cheesecake
“Keep an eye out for marinated, melty Wagyu, fresh sardines, potent stews and creamy Basque cheesecake for dessert.”
San Francisco Chronicle -
Anchovy nanban
“In practice, that means dishes like anchovy nanban, where the fish are deep-fried whole and served in a vinegar-laced sauce, or a tempura of local sea beans and corn ($16).”
San Francisco Chronicle -
Fried black cod fish cakes
“In practice, that means dishes like fried black cod fish cakes ($15), gooey from the cheese curds stuffed within.”
San Francisco Chronicle
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