Izumiya

It’s been 5 years since I last ate at this establishment. Unfortunately the 5 years has taken its toll.
We ordered Tonkatsu Curry and Mix Okonomiyaki. Both were «tired» in taste and appearance. The Tonkatsu actually looked like it was microwaved, without much appetizing appearance or aroma.
Looking back I should have returned it and asked for another dish but our conversation was on a roll. The Okonomiyaki was ok, but I thought it was slightly larger with more flavor the last time I was there.
The service was fine so no problems there. The atmosphere is quiet with soft pop music in the background.
Perhaps we caught them on a bad day, hope it’s a better result for others.

I ate the tuna roll and mackerel and now my stomach is hurting. I had to leave without eating 80% of my food. Everything taste rancid. I told the waitress that the food isn’t fresh but she looked at me all crazy so I paid and left. Do not eat here! I’ll be reporting this business to the health department.

Oh, SF first world problems… prior to living in SF, I would have been quite happy with Izumiya’s sushi staples and okonomikyaki novelties. But now that I take for granted all the artisan eateries of this bouge city, my opinion of Izumiya is reduced to disappointment over the mediocre sushi and smug, nonchalant approval of the okonomiyaki. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever eat like a normal person again. (The corallary: Izumiya’s simplicity is excellent for down-​to-​earth, decently priced food when you’re sick of breaking the bank for sustainable-​local-​organic-​gluten-​free, artistically plated fine dining.)
(-) Dragon roll ($ 13): Unfortunately, the rice killed the dragon. The texture was dismally soggy from all the over-​soaked rice, noticeably lacking the crisp of nori and tempura. The excessive rice vinegar also masked much of the unagi and avocado.
(+) Chicken modernyaki ($ 10): It was missing the standard bonito flakes; otherwise, the layers of okonomiyaki, yakisoba, egg, and dressing made a satisfying Osaka style okonomikayi. The yakisoba was nicely al dente and not too greasy, and the dressing was delicately balanced between sweet and savory.
The ambiance is homey, but if you are looking for something more flashy you would probably prefer dining On the Bridge or all the fireworks at Benihana. Service was quite friendly and efficient, with servers that checked on us every once in awhile.
The verdict? If you are from SF, Izumiya is that average place for a casual bite because it’s underwhelming; however if you are not from SF, Izumiya is likely sufficiently impressive for date night and the like.

As one of my favorite restaurants, I order the Okonomiyaki specifically because It it hella good.
The portion is good and not too much. the restaurant is quaint, you are welcomed by a podium and window full of their dishes displayed. Once you enter, the left is seating near a window and the right to a slightly darker and lounge feel. Turnover rate is good, though when it gets busy, it crazy lines galore man. Give this place a try, I give it a thumbs up! And «high five» if you go because you saw my review and like both the restaurant and my review!

Very small restaurant. Not good for large parties. Somewhat dingy. Sat at a table in the corner, up against a utility closet. Very crowded and busy on the weekend, but fast service. Food is standard and mediocre. Don’t expect anything spectacular. Not bad, just okay.

Came here last Thursday… order Salmon Nigiri and Tempura Udon… Salmon Nirgiri came first, took few bites. didnt taste that fresh… the ginger… taste like someone’s sweat… eewwww… omg… Tempura Udon came last. the soup was too salty… and Udon was over cooked…
Will never come back here again… this place are really dead. not busy at all…

There are some of us modern diners who are afflicted with an unspoken disease. Post-​prandial tristesse. The urge to immediately pay the bill and depart upon finishing your last bite. By the time I’ve rounded my last couple bites, I’ve already shifted my butt to chair position in order to better retrieve my wallet. One can imagine the effect this has on those who enjoy things after the meal, like coffee, talking, and digestion.
On those days where I’m treating myself, I therefore require the restaurant to satisfy two things. First is immediate seating. I don’t understand the motivation behind being hungry, and then placing an hour barrier between yourself and the food. If I wanted to torture myself I would be cooking. Second is timing. Once I’m done eating, I’m looking at the exit. The service here at Izumiya consistently does these two things.
Also the food is solid. I order the exact same thing every time. An appetizer of gyoza and tempura soba. They manage to crisp the gyoza equally on every visit, and the soba seems to have the same consistency and texture. I doubt it lives on anybody’s top lists of anything, but it does the job admirably and reliably.

The price is surprisingly low relatives to other Japanese restaurants in SF. But the food taste pretty good actually! I especially love the idea of «small portion» dishes. It’s a great portion for me.

There are many Japanese restaurant in Japan town which I had never try and Izumiya is 1 of them. I walked pass many time when I went to Kinokuniya. Today me and my friend decided to try Izumiya. My friend order Okonomiyaki which taste very good and she really like it. She ordered Mix seafood which come with a lot of scallop, shrimp and squid. My order was Bento box. I choose Gyoza, Chicken Karage and Pork Katsu. My bento set came with Miso soup, rice and small salad. For the Gyoza I think it was a little bit salty but not that bad. Chicken Karage was the kind of Japanese Karage that I expect, I like it. And the pork Katsu was my favourite! The juicy and crunchy crispy pork with the tonkatsu sauce is what I am searching for a long time in Japan town. I will give Izumiya’s pork Tonkatsu to be no.2 in my Katsu Rank.
Overall I like this place and will come back again :)

I have been coming to this place off and on for over 20 years. Never had a bad experience. Service is always friendly. The prices are affordable. The food is consistently pretty good. They even accommodate large groups which is a huge plus for me (you have to wait longer the later into the dinner rush you get).
It’s unfortunate to hear some people finding items like rubber bands and pennies in their food. I hope Izumiya cleans up their act. It would be a shame to see them gone.
Anyway, I mainly come here for the okonomiyaki. You have to wait a bit longer for it, but it’s worth it. Every time. My favorite when I’m famished is the mix modern yaki. Noodles in a Japanese pancake with veggies and protein. Sign me up. The sauce isn’t too salty. The noodles aren’t over cooked.
I appreciate that they offer some items in a smaller size. It’s perfect if you’re not as hungry, want to try a sampling of a few things, short on cash, or looking for kid size portions.

This place used to be decent but now the food is dad, ambient is bad, but the price is still overpriced. The one star is for the service, waitress are still nice and friendly.

I found not one, not two, but three blue rubber bands in my Chicken Teriyaki. The waitress denied that the restaurant used these rubber bands, insisting over and over again that it was impossible. Well how did they end up in my food?! Manager came over, canceled my order, and was overall nice. Still, never coming back.

A friend took me here after I mentioned my okonomiyaki craving. Glanced over the menu, they offer smaller portions of some of the menu so you can avoid over gorging yourself. Tempted, but opt for full sized modernyaki and dragon roll instead. (Yes, I am a closet fatty)
Modernyaki: Yakisoba on top of fluffy pork okonomiyaki. Nicely done, the right amount of sauce and dough. The cabbage was not soggy, giving it a slightly crunchy texture when you chew. This modernyaki has passed my palaye challenge. The only complaints were no katsuobushi and it was not steamy when it reached the table.
Dragon roll: I wouldn’t ordered it again. Found a bunch of small bones in the sushi. At least they were chewable, so no biggie. The rice could be done better. On their defense, the shrimp tempura was done nicely.
Service is good. I would be back to try okonomiyaki and other small menus. But most likely skip the sushi.

Introduced by a friend and gave it a try.
People there are nice and they say «thank you» in Japanese over 4 times after my friend and I have ordered our food. «Smiling is good, but over-​smiling makes me feel like. uhhh, perverted maybe?» Anyways, we got a chicken udon, beef udon, and 49ers roll. The udon itself were okay, the soup is kinda salty for my taste, nothing special. BUT the roll! OMG! I like how they put lime pieces on top to make the salmon taste freshyyy. As a sushi fan, I think more wasabi would be better LOL!
So far is 4 stars, will come back and try the other rolls and food, lets see whats gonna happen next time.

Very average food, not expensive.
The service is quick and friendly, but the food just didn’t wow me.
The sushi was not terribly fresh, even though it was a Saturday evening.
There are many better offerings in Japantown.
For me this is primarily a backup spot if you cannot get into one of the better places.

They cooked an old. dirty. brown PENNY right into my okonomiyaki. Small enough to stealthily make it into my mouth, and then get a few chews. Forever traumatized.
First of all, what kind of kitchen has cooks accidentally dropping things onto unsuspecting plates? What else fell in — nail clippings? boogers? I’ll never know, and I probably ate it all without knowing. The damage this place has done cannot be UNdone.
The worst dining experience I ever had. On my way out, they had the GUMPTION to say «Thank You».
No. F**k You.

Came here again twice recently. Some things have changed and some haven’t.
Menus are still huge with tons of combos you can have. But once you’ve decided, the food comes out pretty quickly and the staff were super consistent with clearing our plates and refilling our tea cups.
Overall it’s a great place for a quick lunch, and I finish off dessert at Sophie’s crepes next door haha.

I’ve only ever come here early afternoons on the weekend, never had a wait, was always seated right away and the food comes quick.
The food, well its o.k. its reasonably priced but the quality isn’t always the best. That being said, I’ve never had what they are famous for: their okonomiyaki.
I’ve seen it go by my table several times, went there with the intention of ordering it and each time just not ready for that gross, full, fatty feeling that I would undoubtedly have afterwards.
I’ve ordered the sashimi, the rolls, the tempura (which is awesome) and most recently tried the Oyako donburi (not bad).
I have to remember to pass on the sake here, they offer three different ones and the last two times I’ve ordered the wrong one (they have a carbonated one, pass).

Friendly staff & greeted us at the door. Felt almost kazoku.
Took our order quick & made ajustment to our order with a smile.

I’ve walked by this shop plenty of times when visiting jtowns sohpies crepes but never really went inside. So today the cousin and I decided we’ll give this place a try! Came in for a late lunch around 330pm so there was no crowd. We were actually the only ones there.
Notable points:
Price: affordable
Portion size: too big to eat alone but large enough to share
Service: pretty attentive
Atmosphere: casual. But AC please it was really hot in there!
Croquettes: the croquettes here were pretty yummy overall. It has pieces of pork in it which I found a little different from other places. But it was crispy and flavorful. They provide you with a small bottle of chilli flakes to go along with this dish and it does enhance the flavor of the croquette. If you’ve never had this before IRS basically an Asian styled hash brown, imagine a fried patty of mashed potato.
Nakeyaki-​udon: I had this and it was pretty tasty. Not sure if any msg was used. Came with a lot of veggies. Chinese cabbage.mushrooms…seaweed and etc. Served on a hot cauldron looking like bowl, probably straight from the stove since some of the udon was stuck to the bottom of the dish. Udon was cooked really really soft. I liked it.
Modern okonomiaki: the cousin ordered this and when the dish came we were struck by surprise of the portion size. I had ¹⁄₅ of this dish and it was fulfilling. Had soba in it. couldn’t really distinguish the other ingredients. besides the friend egg on top. I’ve had better and I prefer seafood okonomiaki:)
Overall experience here was simple and sweet. Left with a full tummy and will come back probably once in a blue moon:) worth a try tho if you’re in the area. Besides, you can get Sophie’s crepes next door as dessert!