Kasumi

This ramen and yakitori shop has CLOSED. I’ve been here several times, but forgot to post my review.
They also own Shabu House on Geary, and the interior layout
was similar to that restaurant.
Service was very friendly, although one time they turned me away when I arrived for lunch (@2:25pm), because the kitchen decided it was closing half hour earlier than the hours posted on the door (3pm). I was not happy, because i had already put money in the parking meter.
In the past they had ramen for lunch only, and yakitori for dinner.
I hated that separate setup. Then a few months later they discontinued lunch service and were only open for dinner (with both ramen & yakitori).
The lack of foot traffic was not their main problem. All these sudden changes only helped alienate the few customers they had, and were signs that the restaurant was already in trouble.
About the food, everything I ordered was well prepared. I didn’t experience any of the problems mentioned by other reviews. Worthy of 4 stars.
Every table had several assorted condiments, in addition to soy sauce,
there was yuzu pepper (not many places have this), white pepper, black pepper, and togarashi. The empty cup is meant for used skewers.
My favorite item was the chawan mushi ($ 6) appetizer,
which was topped with fresh uni. Decadent and delicious!
Nobody else in the city does that.
The tonkotsu ramen ($ 9.75) I got was good — decent flavor, firm noodles, with affordable toppings: kakuni ($ 1.50), choice of veggies ($ 1), side order of gyoza ($ 3), etc.
And all the yakitori I tried
were pretty good too: tsukune (meatball),
hatu (chicken heart),
tontoro (pork cheek) and others.
I had no complaints about the food.

My friend and I came by on a Thursday evening, the place was pretty empty.
We ordered the beef tataki, and a bunch of yakitori skewers.
My favorite was definitely the beef tataki, the beef was nice and tender. The ponzu sauce had just the right amount of acidity and what I believe were fried shallots, gave a nice crunch. My friend wasn’t too fond of the cilantro, but I felt as if it gave the dish a nice freshness.
As for the yakitori, we ordered the chicken thigh, beef tongue, chicken gizzards, pork cheek and asparagus/​tomato skewer. The skewers were pretty mediocre, except the beef tongue and pork cheek. The tongue was nice and beefy, yet tender. The pork cheek was to die for, nice and crispy with a slight chew, it was VERY good!
Overall the experience was decent, but was overly priced for what we ordered and how full I was at the end of the night…

Disappointed during second visit. Was really looking forward to ramen menu, but most of the choices were deleted-​especially the spicy miso ramen i was looking forward to eatting.
On my first visit, the restaurant choose to have ramen lunchtime only and then izakaya dinnertime only. Now they only open for dinner time and reduced to two ramen choices a.) tonkatsu ramen or b.) shoyu ramen.
Tried the following items.
SEAFOOD CHAWAN MUSHI — Egg Custard $ 6. Too simple, I don’t taste the seafood juice in the egg custard. I don’t recommend this dish.
SPICY TUNA w/​Tobiko on Crispy Rice $ 5. Concept is good, because you place raw spicy tuna chunks on a solid surface — fried rice cake. However, the rice cake is too thick and makes the appetizer too clunky. You can try it, but it doesn’t have wow factor.
POKI SALAD $ 6. Was hoping for something tasty. Except, it was too bland. It didn’t have that full flavor I was hoping for that I remember tasting in Hawaii. I don’t recommend this dish either.
TONKATSU RAMEN $ 10.95. Was hoping for full pork flavor in soup. It didn’t happen.
Very disappointed. At first, I was so happy to finally find a real good ramen place in the Parkside, but after this second visit, I don’t plan to return until they change their menu back to ramen.

My friends and I were fortunate enough to come here when they just opened and they had unlimited sake and beer for $ 10! How can you say no to that? We put down our iphone with a timer set for 2hrs of unlimited beer and sake and let me just say, we did not make it to the end.
Now onto the food. Kasumi serves yakitori and tapas style dishes. They have a see through grilling station so that the patrons can see the chef grilling their food. I also got to try a new dish I never tried before which was Shishito Peppers! The story is that generally, one out of eight shishito peppers are spicy so everyone started eating it as fast as they could, hoping to get one of the spicy ones. They sprinkle salt, pepper, miso glaze and lemon juice on it and is served as an appetizer.
Food Highlight: Shishito Peppers!

I came here a few of months ago to try the cha-​shu ramen. I just thought it was on the lower side of the okay. To me, they tasted a bit undercooked. The meat was thin. The soup base was alright too. There wasn’t much flavor, it is even more bland than Suzu (for those people who think Suzu is bland).
The spoon of power is the size of a regular asian soup spoon. I honestly don’t know what it tastes like or what is in it. It isn’t something I’d eat but my boyfriend did — in one gulp. He said it was «interesting.»
The appetizers were alright too. Nothing spectacular. I wish I could remember what I had.
The floor is pretty cool.
Servers were pretty attentive given there were only 2 other parties.
Happy Hour 5−6pm.

After trying it once during their opening month, I decided to give it another shot to see if it was any better. The ramen still terrible… which I guess is why they aren’t open for their ramen only lunches anymore. Ramen is now available during dinner, but there’s no option of adding additional toppings into the ramen (or at least listed on their menu).
The soup is bland and tastes salty, the ramen noodles aren’t great… I still wonder if they’re using instant noodles because of how squiggly the noodles are, the bambo shoots are still crunchy, the roast pork is still chewy, the soft-​boiled egg is done right… can’t really screw that up now, and corn is corn.
Aside from the ramen, I had the «kalbi» (American style kobe beef)… last time I checked kalbi was a korean style spare rib. It tasted like regular beef on a stick. A bit too overpriced for what’s it worth.
I’ll have to admit that the nagaimo fries are awesome. 4 star just for these fries. These fries are big and crunchy and goes well with the special sauce they have.
Kasumi is totally not a ramen place even if they originally tried to be. Yakitori-​wise, I would say this is a pretty good place. They have a great selection on alcohol and yakitori.

TAPANESE PLEASE!
Kasumi’s menu centers on Yakitori Skewers grilled on a Robata Grill and Izakaya (Japanese Tapas) dishes. Currently, they don’t have the $ 10 «All-​you-​can-​drink» Beer & Sake option. However, they do have a Happy Hour special: 15% off your entire bill between 5 PM — 6 PM.
On Sunday, 6.12.11, my friends and I (party of 3) came to Kasumi at around 7 PM and were promptly seated without reservations. Upon walking in, I was pleasantly surprised at Kasumi’s ambiance and décor; it was much nicer than I had anticipated. It had a very modern Zen feel to it with neutral toned colors, a glass encased open kitchen, glass tiled walls and an ocean flooring.
F O O D
*TONTORO — Pork Cheek ($ 4): 5 STARS!
Deliciously crunchy on the outside and moist, tender on the inside. The pork cheek was similar to pork belly and had an rich, intense flavor.
*BACON WRAPPED SCALLOPS ($ 6.25): 4 STARS!
The tender scallops were sweet and the crispy bacon added a nice rich smokiness.
*SHISHITO PEPPERS w/​Sweet Miso Glaze ($ 6.25): 4 STARS!
Soft, tender and smoky with a mild spice and a hint of nutty sweetness from the miso glaze.
*SEAFOOD CHAWAN MUSHI — Egg Custard ($ 6): 4 STARS!
The seafood chawan mushi is normally topped with Uni so I was sorely disappointed when they had ran out of uni. Nonetheless, this dish was comforting. The custard was like silken tofu with seafood essence that literally melted in my mouth. There were sweet, tender bits of shrimp, meaty shitake mushrooms and fresh scallion slices which added a simple, yet complex layers of flavor.
*NAGAIMO FRIES — Japanese Mountain Potato Fries w/​Spicy Aioli ($ 6.50): 4 STARS!
The nagaimo potato fries were perfectly fried creating a crispy crust throughout with a moist and fluffy center. The accompanying aioli added a creamy and fiery punch.
*CHAZUKE — Crispy Rice, Salmon, Salmon Roe & Tea Broth ($ 6): 3.5 STARS!
Similar to Chinese sizzling rice soup, once the tea broth was poured on top, the crispy rice slightly crackled. The rice was crunchy and moist at the same time and the salmon and salmon roe gave each bite a burst of saltiness.
*SUNAZURI — Chicken Gizzard ($ 3.25): 3.5 STARS!
Savory, smoky and tender with a chewy bite to it. I prefer my gizzards on the crunchier side though.
*SPICY TUNA w/​Tobiko on Crispy Rice ($ 5): 3.5 STARS!
The soft, tender tuna was fresh with the perfect amount of spice. The black tobiko added just a hint of saltiness. The crispy rice, however, took a lot of effort to chew. I think using toasted rice instead would have made it more manageable to eat.
*HATU — Chicken Hearts ($ 3.25): 3 STARS! (In the same pic as the Sunazuri)
Savory, smoky, slight irony with a tender bite. It was a little dry though.
*GYUANTAN — Beef Tongue ($ 4): 3 STARS!
As one of my favorite offal meat, the beef tongue was disappointing. Although it had great rich beefy flavor, it was chewy.
*BACON WRAPPED ENOKI MUSHROOMS ($ 4): 2 STARS!
Although everything is better with bacon, not with the enoki mushrooms; they were very chewy.
*COFFEE TARTUFO — Cappuccino Gelato & Espresso Heart Covered w/​Coffee Meringue ($ 6.25): 4.5 STARS!
Inside the rich, creamy gelato dome was a oooey goeey chocolate espresso filling which was divinely sweet with a hint of bitterness. The meringue crust added a light, fluffy texture to the dessert.
*HOUSE MADE SESAME FLAN: ($ 5.75): 3.5 STARS!
The silky smooth flan topped a thick layer of sesame custard that was smooth with a touch of graininess from the sesame. The caramel sauce gave a layer of sweetness that complemented the flan without making it too sweet.
S E R V I C E
Friendly and attentive. Unlike most Asian restaurants, we were checked on numerous times. The food came out quickly and there wasn’t much wait time between dishes.
Kasumi is no Izakaya Sozai, however, it’s a good alternative if you’re in Parkside and craving some Tapanese cuisine!

The food here is pretty average. The ramen was alright, the broth wasn’t flavorful enough.
The yakitori was what I came here for, and they weren’t very special. Every skewer came out pretty much tasting the same, although the beef tongue and kobe beef was very good.
Dessert was the highlight. Green tea crème brûlée and Sesame flan were all delicious and flavorful.

Came here for dinner once and had the Tonkatsu Ramen. It was alright but not up to par with Himawari. The one thing that would have helped would be having it piping hot. It was only warm and I felt like the toppings are better at Himawari and ramen dojo
I also had uni with quail egg in a spoon with ponzu sauce. Nothing special, felt like I could make this at home myself.
I will come back for yakitori but will be comparing it to Izakaya sozai.

I came here with a group of friends. There was plenty of street parking. We ordered a bunch of Yakitori and shared. You can watch them cook your Yakitori over the open flames. The restaurant has a nice modern décor.
The ramen was good. The broth had a nice flavor and the noodles tender. The chicken thigh, pork cheek, and duck breast were all tender. I liked the spicy tuna on crispy rice. The soft tuna and crispy rice went well together. The kobe beef was really tender and went well with the sauce. The Enoki wrapped in bacon was really good. The bacon was soft while the Enoki was crunchy.
For dessert we had coffee tartufo, green tea crème brulee, and sesame flan. The coffee tartufo had a really nice coffee flavor. The green tea added a nice flavor to the crème brulee. The sesame flan was just ok.

Had a bad day so Mr. W. decided to perk my mood up by going out to eat. I was feeling a bit adventurous and wanted to try somewhere not only new to us but to all our friends too!
Kasumi was on my bookmark list simply because it’s a sister restaurant of Shabu House and we absolutely love Shabu House. I’ve always loved yakitori so I was super excited to introduce Mr. W. to it!
We ordered quite a bit since everything on the menu looked really good! We had:
Agedashi tofu– I’ve been obsessed with this since my friend introduced me to it. It’s not exactly like Sabu House’s tofu. the skin is crispier but equally delicious.
Spicy tuna on crispy rice– I always love cripsy rice and I especially liked it that the spicy tuna wasn’t too spicy.
Shoyu ramen– I’m not usually a big fan of ramen but for some reason I really like the ramen here! I like the taste of the broth and the texture of the noodles!
Beef tataki– Not the best I’ve ever had but I’m definitely not complaining either.
Chicken hearts– Deeeelicious! I fell in love with chicken hearts after my first try with them at Agora and I fell in love all over again at Kasumi!
Deep fried chicken skin– Took them an awful long time to bring this out. Wish we got it before we finished our ramen, would’ve been the perfect thing to dunk these crispy little strips into the broth. Nonetheless, the chicken skin was yummy. Reminds me a lot of deep fried fish skin, but without the fishy taste!
Chicken breast– This is the only thing I could’ve done without. Tasted straight up like chicken terriyaki but in a teeny portion with a heavy price tag.
Bacon wrapped asparagus– Always my favorite thing to order at any yakitori restaurant and didn’t disappoint at Kasumi! The bacon was flavorful and the asparagus was cooked to perfection– slightly crunchy but not hard!
I’m already craving for more Kasumi and can’t wait to go back!

I have a friend that knows I am so into ramen especially spicy Ramen. With a distinctive palate and an open mind to trying new things, he introduced me to Kasumi. An interesting name for a ramen place.
We came on a rainy afternoon, so it seemed a perfect time to have a bowl of ramen. The place is a very good size for ramen and no wait might I add. Nice. I ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen. My friend ordered the soy sauce Ramen and like always with extra noodles.
It took them sometimes before our orders came through. The wait was awfully long but bareable. I was pretty amazed how big the portion were. It had all the essence of a good sized ramen bowl. However, I was disappointed with the broth. Unflavorful to what I am accustomed to. Not spicy and pipping hot like I would have like. Not bad though.
Overall, the ramen here wasn’t that bad but I have eaten better and will not make too much of an effort to return unless it is free again. hehe…

Ive been to Kasumi twice… and we pretty much have ordered everything on the menu. Nothing they served disappointed us. Even as simple as mushroom yakitori had a really nice flavor.
This will be one of my to go places when Im craving yakitori. Also try their fries and spicy tuna on crispy rice cakes.
Desserts are also worth mentioning. Their Chocolate Soufflé was oozing with chocolate, Mango Panna Cotta and Sesame Flan are my favorites.

Dinner here was quite nice.
Ambiance is dim but nice.
Tonkatsu ramen was good. I liked the noodles and the pork. They actually did not skimp on the pork which was quite nice. The broth was good too.
The kobe beek skewer was yummm…
The chawan mushi was pretty good. Very soft. A think a bit too salty for me. But it was do-​able.
The hamachi kama was ok. Normal. Nothing crazy.
The adegashi mochi was interesting. Have never had it before but it was good.
The dessert was my FAV!!! I like flan and love sesame and Kasumi brought the two together. The dessert was awesome!!! I will def come back for that!
$ 10 all you can drink beer isnt too shabby either. The hubby if def a fan of that.

02.17.11
Deep down inside I knew it was a bad idea to go to a yakitori place with four hungry boys. But I went anyways. Oh well, I was full afterwards. Definitely not sure about the rest.
We each got a bowl of ramen [
. Then nine orders of various yakitoris.
Chicken thigh [
— juicy, meaty and delicious.
Bacon wrapped asparagus and quail egg [
. Really, need I say more?
Beef [
. We were convinced out of the beef tongue, so be wary if you do decide to order it.
Scallop [
. A bit overcooked and not enough flavor, so not my favorite.
They have many, many more choices on the menu, and even more for their specials. If you have the time, go early (before 6:00) for 15% off your bill.
Total damage for five: $ 125

I can’t help but think of Icebee, the former tenant, when I see the same blue underwater looking floor. The crêpe making area is now the yakitori area — not that anyone was in there during lunch.
The lunch menu is short — 4 types of ramen and the option to add extra toppings. Ramen is only available during lunch.
It took awhile to get my ramen even though they weren’t busy. They have a bar, very loud music, and TVs to keep entertained. Complimentary green tea was quite weak. I also received complimentary edamame.
* Spicy miso ramen ($ 8.25) with add on stewed pork rib ($ 1.50)
: the bowl seemed larger than average and the portions are generous — plenty of broth, toppings, and noodles. The broth was rich and porky, a little oily. The stewed pork was dark and fatty, the marinade had penetrated the meat well, it was sweet but also a bit too salty, not as tender as it could be (not fatty enough?) but still satisfying. The cha su pieces were very thin and massive, on the bland side. The ramen also had ground pork, corn, nori, bamboo shoots, scallions, and half a soft boiled egg. Noodles were just right — not soggy. Spicy ramen is never that spicy. Overall, I enjoyed their ramen and may come back the next time it’s foggy or rainy.

+: Ramen with good broth and all the fixings (bamboo, egg, corn, chashu, green onions), the chashu was good and flavorful
-: Only half of a marinated soft boiled egg and is a bit more pricey than the other ramen around
=: I have been looking for some good ramen in the city besides Izakaya Sozai and so that I don’t have to go all the way down to south bay and get it from Orenchi. This place though the broth is better than most of the places in the city, still isn’t has rich tasting as the one from Izakaya Sozai.
The ramen here is comparable to Santouka in San Jose but comes with only the thinly sliced chashu unless you get the extra braised pork rib. Overall I was happy with finding a place that was a lot closer without a lot wait. Will need to try out their dinner dishes next time

Happened to notice this place upon going to work. The neighborhood is pretty much a retirement community. The only place that is fairly lively around here is Anderson Bakery.
Kasumi is kind of pricey for this area. A standard bowl of noodles for $ 7 – 8, with tax and tip that’s $ 10. And this is lunch prices.

That’s right, original Shabu House fans — HARRY’S BACK!!!
Jeff L. says it all in his review — Kasumi Yakitori is SF’s newest «it» spot for skewered little bites of goodness. The yakitori menu (two sticks per order) is extensive: you have your choice between various chicken parts, beef, beef tongue, pork cheeks, pork belly, duck breast, fish, ebi, bacon wrapped enoki, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus, and several vegetables. What might be even better than the skewers, however, are the Chazuke and Seafood Chawan-​Mushi. I love the broth and crunch of rice in the Chazuke and the Seafood Chawan-​Mushi is like the gift that keeps on giving — little nuggets of shrimp, scallop, mushroom, and even uni! I am also super excited to try the ramen, which is only available for lunch (every day except Sundays) in four broths!
I’ll be back to visit Kasumi soon. clean space, friendly service, and familiar faces. Solid five stars in my book!

Do you like meat? Do you like beer? Then you’re going to love Kasumi a brand new Yakitori themed restaurant. Luis & Co (of Shabu House) are embarking on another adventure and it is legit. I had the privilege of going to their soft opening last night (their grand opening is today ¹²⁄₁₇) and we thought the food was really solid. Unlike other restaurants which may only feature a couple yakitori items, yakitori is Kasumi’s main focus. Here are some of our favorite items that came on a stick:
Bacon wrapped cherry tomatoes
Bacon wrapped enoki mushrooms
Wagyu beef
Pork jowl (this is the cut used for guancialle)
Pork belly
Chicken thighs
But, yakitori isn’t the only thing they do. You must try the yaki-​onigiri ochazuke. Which is a grilled rice ball sitting inside of a bowl with seaweed shreds and salmon flakes sprinkled on top. Next to the bowl is a steaming hot tea pot filled with green tea infused dashi. The broth gets poured on top of the rice ball right before it gets devoured. It’s like a little taste of heaven. After my last bite, I closed my eyes, tilted my head to the sky and gave god a fist pump.
Bottom-​line, check this place out!