Sozai

Been back a few times since my first trip. This place is always fun, especially with a group of friends. The food is creative, fresh and Gil uses high quality ingredients. Add some good sake and it spells good times. I always leave full of great food and alcohol!
Haven’t been back since they reopened, I’ll have to check out the new place, it’s supposed to be even better:

CLOSED
I came here this past Friday, excited to try a new restaurant with the gift certificate we printed from
(a great idea and awesome way to try new spots) but alas, we were terribly disappointed upon discovering they’ve closed since Wednesday to open a bigger joint in the Mission (the name of the new spot was posted on a sign but I cannot remember although I vaguely remember it saying it was gonna be on 21^st street or thereabouts). I’m bummed I didn’t get to try this place and hope my gc will be honored at the new joint.
We walked across the street to this hole in the wall family owned japanese restaurant, the name which escapes me right now but I’m sure I’ll figure it out and write a review in a few mins here.

We were first introduced to Sozai at the Green Festival a couple of years ago when we tasted their edamame hummus with wonton chips. I love edamame and I love hummus. So this was just great together. It’s so creamy and the wonton chips provide the perfect crunch. I’ve actually tried making it at home but it just doesn’t taste the same. The texture is off too but maybe that’s just my stupid Magic Bullet.
Last Sunday, bf and I wanted an early dinner so we headed over to Sozai at 5:30pm and got parking RIGHT in front of the place. Gil the owner was there serving us and it was like we had rented the place out, great service. We got our usual hummus but we also tried their oysters which are $ 1 each with a purchase of an alcoholic drink from 5:30−7pm. I loved the fresh, delicious, briny oysters as I slurped them down my mouth.
Next we tried the Abalone Steak tapas which was small and forgettable but the Deluxe Sashimi (20 pieces) was so good! I’ve tried plenty of sashimi combos but they never include uni. Sozai’s fresh fishes of the day listed uni and it was also served in my Deluxe Sashimi! :) For dessert, I recommend the Green Tea Tiramisu.
Sozai is a great place to try unique Japanese tapas. They don’t serve sushi rolls but that won’t matter if you like raw fish. Their sashimi will fully satisfy you as will their selection of sakes.

Food: 4.5 stars
Service: 4.5 stars
Value: 4 stars
I found Sozai Restaurant through my Unilocal friend. It is a small family-​owned Japanese Izakaya style restaurant in the inner Sunset District. We arrived at 5;30 and there was only one table.
The waiter, who is the son-​in-​law of the owner, was polite and friendly. He patiently explained the food on the menu and showed us how the rice was processed differently to produce different types of sake. We ordered a set of sake flight ($ 13), which came with three different types of sake in three small shot glasses. Among the three, I liked the Tengumai Jikomi Junmai Yamahai the most because it was milder and less sharp taste. In the middle of the dinner, the waiter gave us two free glasses of sake. It tasted very mild comparing to those in our sake flight.
Since the restaurant is Izakaya, we got to try out varieties of small food. We started with two mild appetizers — Hamachi Belly Salad, Organic Citrus ($ 10) and Salmon Ceviche, Endive Cups ($ 7). The salmon ceviche was good and refreshing. Hamachi belly salad looked pretty but the taste was just average, a bit bland. We will skip it next time.
Then we ordered Roasted Garlic and Avocado Tempura, Green Tea Salt ($ 4.75) and Homemade Squid Legs, Shiokara ($ 3.50). Both dishes were yummy! Tempura is a very common dish in Japanese restaurants, but I have never tried garlic and avacado tempura. They didn’t disappoint me. The raw squid legs in the shot glass and its special salty sauce was also very unique. Since these two dishes had stronger flavors, they worked great with the sake.
After the starters, it was time for the grilled food. The Chicken Gizzard ($ 4) was good but it was a little tough to chew. Hamachi Kama ($ 12) is the dish that I always order at every Japanese restaurant. But I was a little disappointed of this one. It only came with one small piece which was way too expensive for that price. Even though it didn’t taste bad, I would not order again next time. The Eggplant, Sesame Miso ($ 4) was quite good but not enough to wow me. The Kurobuta Pork Belly, Shichimi ($ 7.75) was awesome and worked perfectly with the sake. The meat was tender and juicy. It is a must-​try!
The portion size in Izakaya are typically small. So after eating all the above, we were not quite full. So we ordered a bowl of the Salmon Skin and Garlic Fried Rice ($ 5) as an «after sake» dish. It was surprisingly good! The crispy salmon skin and the shoyu fried rice was a kick. We loved it and it ended our dinner perfectly!
Overall, we were very happy with Sozai although some of the dishes were quite expensive. It is a perfect place to grab small food and to try out different sake. It can be a great dinner restaurant too, but you have to order many dishes to fill you up and the bill will be quite expensive. There are many other small food on the menu that we want to try and we will definitely go back for another occasion.

My buddy and I went here around 9:30pm just because we were in the mood for some sake. When we got there, it was pretty quiet which was nice for a change of pace. We ordered two flights of sake and a variety of food. The sake was pretty good. I am far from an expert at sake but I must say I enjoyed being able to sample the different kinds that they offered. I must say though, that their best drink was the sparkling sake. It’s quite pricey but definitely worth it. The food was pretty average with some outstanding items. The kobe beef wrapped in enoki mushrooms was not good at all. The sashimi was average at best except for the salmon which was excellent. We ordered some fried chicken which went very well with the sake.
Overall, I don’t recommend this place for dinner but it’s a nice place to just grab some sake and small foods.

Came here on a Friday around 6pm and the place wasn’t too full, which was great because the place isn’t too big so at least we didn’t feel cramped. But there were a fair amount of people there for the happy hour.
The owner was very nice, attentive and willing to explain what’s on the menu and recommends what sake goes with what dish.
Since this is an izakaya, we were able to try many of the items. Some of the ones that stood out for us were the grilled squid legs, mozzarella stuffed jalapenos, edamame hummus with wonton chips, avocado and garlic tempura with green tea salt, curried scallops, sea bass with mango salsa and of course their oyster shooters. The kobe beef dish that we got was okay but it was a little on the chewy side.
The menu is huge so it’s hard to decide on what to get. Ask the owner for recommendations or just order the items with the stars since those are the recommended ones or their specialties.
After dinner, the owner came up to our table with a big ass bottle of sake (I think it was the Take no Tsuyu Junami) which we ordered earlier with our dinner from his recommendation and in my head I was like, «I think he’s gonna try to sell us that big ass bottle and it’s hella expensive», but he poured up 3 shot glasses and said it was on the house which I thought was really cool… especially the fact he took it with us! I was kinda hoping for the free glasses he was giving other customers but the shot was better anyways.
I’d give this place 4 stars for the food, but 5 stars because of the service.
…oh and don’t get too carried away with ordering a lot of dishes. It all adds up in the end and when the bill comes you’ll be like =0 …oops

Came here tonight for dinner with my co-​workers and enjoyed some delicious dishes: chicken meatballs, yakitori chicken with green onion, yakitori kobe beef, kobe beef koshiage, hummus and wonton chips, and tri-​color croquettes. All the tapas were good and interesting to try! Portions are small but perfect to share among a few people.
Service here was also friendly and the owner was a nice guy and definitely took care of our group.
Space in here is small but you can make reservations on Open table.
Would love to come back here soon, I am fortunate to work so close by!

Finally got around to trying this corner joint in the inner Sunset. They got some great stuff that fits the bill of an izakaya/​yakitori food establishment.
Sampling of:
Skewers (2 per order)
* Shishamo ($ 5) — Grilled smelt with their eggs busting out. Good, but a bit pricey for only two pieces.
* Chicken Hearts ($ 4)
* Chicken Gizzards ($ 4) — I’m a fan of the texture of gizzard.
* Yaki Pork Tenderloin ($ 4) — Grilled pork is always good, it’s grilled fat after all!
* Negi-​ma «Chicken & green onions» ($ 5)
Additional goodies:
* Tri-​color Croquettes «breaded, deep fried potatoes» ($ 7.75) — Served with a tonkatsu-​like sauce. It’s different because they use different kinds of potatoes.
* Roasted Garlic, Avocado Tempura, green tea salt ($ 4.75) — My absolute favorite of the bunch. I’ve had deep-​fried garlic before, but not with a batter. And the deep-​fried avocado is completely new to me too. So good, and so perfect with just a touch of the green tea salt. (Where can I get me some of that?!)
* Salmon Ceviche, Endive Cups ($ 7) — Comes in an order of three and beautifully presented with three types of caviar — black, orange, and yellow. There’s a bit of a sauce on it as well.
* Dynamite «Grilled scallops & mushrooms with masago aioli» ($ 7.75) It’s a tasty dish, but you definitely see the fat separating from the mayo. My friend thought it was good until I told him what the sauce was made of and he had to stop. Maybe he felt his arteries clogging.
* Tuna Carpaccio, Garlic Chips ($ 9) — A creamy sauce covers the tuna, which was something I enjoyed. The garlic chips, which are deep-​fried garlic slices add a nice crunch to it.
Overall, there were some exceptionally great dishes that are unique and worth checking out. And there are few that are typical and boring. The food was good though, but it was a bit expensive compared to other similar establishments I’ve been to. When I return, I’ll skip the skewers and go for the other small bites that are stand out as being different. And I’ll definitely get more of the deep-​fried avocado and garlic! Yum yum!
Service was good — our waiter routinely filled our water and tea, and was ‘extra’ friendly. Then again, he asked me if I was going to Unilocal them, so I think that might explain the extra attention. He also gave me his business card for his ‘other’ business.
They have an extensive sake list with suggested food pairings, but we were just there for the food only.
(Pics posted!)

Sozai has flavor, it also has variety. Sure, it’s a little on the spendy side, but that’s tapas for you. Bottom line, Sozai is a great spot for a date.
Why? I think it has something to do with the homey elegance it provides. There’s a selection of jazz playing from an iPod, ruffled blinds pulled up unevenly against the windows, a small bar seated directly across from the chefs. The extensive food and sake menus beg you to be adventurous, while providing convenient asterisked selections of specialties and favorite.
Still, there were both hits and misses. The standouts were the pork belly (super tender, juicy, crusted in char and dusted in spices), the lamb chops (two large chops, moist, tender, and full of flavor), and the japanese squash (with almost the consistency of boiled egg yolk, very rich, a great side dish).
The dishes we could do without were the kobe beef with onions (wasn’t as tender as I was expecting, a little dry) and the salmon ceviche (bitter, very small cuts of salmon, would rather have had salmon sashimi).
There’s also an issue of sticker shock. With a sake flight and six entrees between us, the bill came out to near $ 40 a head. Still, it was a great experience and I look forward to trying out other things on the menu. Being served by the owner is a charming plus.

A bunch of coworkers from out of town were in town, and they decided to go to this place with the help from some locals (I think). We went for the pre-​dinner izakaya menu.
I was really disappointed. We had like 16 people and so we ordered what seemed like the majority of the stuff on the menu. My wife and I just stared at each other politely as we tried each dish. They ranged from bad to average.
The service was pretty poor too, despite us being probably 50% of the people in the restaurant when we sat down.
I love izakaya style, but there’s a lot better places in town than this one.

The dishes were tasty but not mind blowing. I realize the format is small plates, however the portions appear inordinately tiny. Basically when I spend $ 30/​person on a meal, I don’t want to leave hungry. We actually stopped at an organic sausage place (Underdog) to satiate our hunger — we split a brat which was yummy!
Seaweed salad — same as everywhere else & small for $ 7.
Lamb chops — 2 chops for $ 11. Grilled well & tasty.
Mini unagi don — 1 piece of eel for $ 5 in a tiny bowl of rice.
Brown rice — tiny bowl for $ 1.50.
We had a couple other things but I can’t remember them nor the price.

We came to try this place for dinner on a previous weekend, but I neglected to write my review until now.
The co-​owner and waiter, Gil Payne (Mari Takahashi is his wife), was very friendly and attentive. He acknowledged us as soon as we came thru the door, while he was attending to another table. It’s amazing to me how he can manage the ‘front of the house service’ (welcoming guests, answering questions about the menu, taking the food orders, bringing drinks, servicing the tables, adding the bills, etc.) all by himself.
Anyways, let’s start the review of the food. We tried the following items:
Kushi-​yaki chicken sampler (6 grilled skewers):
— chicken, chicken & green onions, gizzards, hearts, liver, and meatball. no surprises, standard fare, all good.
Kushi-​age sampler (4 deep fried skewers):
— Kobe beef w/​green onion — nice flavor, but a little tough.
— Salmon — a moist square of fish, with a tartar sauce made w/​chopped egg whites. — It’s okay. The sauce was a little watery. The egg whites were chopped coarsely, so the few odd pieces were noticeable. A finer cut on the egg whites and a creamier sauce would’ve been ideal.
— Yellow onion with a cocktail sauce on top — sweet, perfectly cooked.
— Mozzarella and jalapeño with a sweet sauce — surprisingly not spicy, I liked this one.
Tri-​color croquettes (3 types of potato: regular, purple, & sweet potato) — very plain/​unremarkable, potato purée patties that have been deep fried. I prefer the ones served at many restaurants in Japantown.
Salmon ceviche served on endive leaves — 3 per order, each topped with different colored tobiko (green, orange, black) — I really liked this dish.
Sesame crusted seared tuna — sliced rare tuna, another good dish.
Edamame hummus (purée) with wonton chips — it’s a very nice starter, but for some reason it came out last. The «hummus» was delicious and the chips were hot (just made) & crisp.
2 bowls of miso soup, and a teapot of genmai cha.
The specials of the day included Japanese samosas ($ 3), which Gil was very nice to offer us a complimentary taste. These were dumplings using a Gyoza wrapper and filled with the familiar curry potato mixture.
We wanted to sample as much as possible, so our table was barely able to hold all the dishes that we had ordered. Afterwards, we were so full, that we decided to skip the dessert this time. It can get expensive after you add all the small plates. We’ll definitely be back one day, to try more dishes and the desserts.
Happy hour specials include $ 3 small plates (posted inside, written on a small blackboard with neon markers), and a pitcher of beer for $ 8.
Currently, there are several new Izakaya places in SF that are really good, like Halu. So, I’m giving Sozai 3.5 stars this time.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
I REALLY wanted to like this place!!!
FOOD
The food was pretty greasy, overly salty in some places, way under salty in others, fish was not so fresh, special flavoring (like Yuzu) was way too understated, and the meat was overcooked. :(
LiKeD
The one thing I liked was the breaded jalapeño with mozzarella and spicy sauce. The pepper was very juicy and the taste was excellent, though very spice (I like that though).
SAKE
No booze for me. However, they take Sake seriously here and is the thing to get… should make the food seem much better.
REST
Staff /​owner — really warm! Great people… which makes it more of a bummer to have to say the food was not so good.
COME BACK?
I hope this was a one off scenario, or that they chef was just drunk on Sake… the menu is engaging and I would love to see the product match up to expectations.

We signed up for Beginner Sushi class and showed up yesterday.
Mari is a great teacher, and taught us to make a bunch of different kinds of rolls. She explained to us everything that was involved, and threw in some interesting history as well.
I don’t eat seafood, so I made a bunch of veggie rolles. Mari snuck in a skewer of chicken and some other special stuff for me and it was Fing awesome! Thanks for accomodating!
At the end of the lesson, I had made like a dozen rolls, and I’m not sure if it’s me or what, but they tasted great.
Bring some tupperware to bring your food home in — saves paper. The class schedule said 2 hours, but after eating some of our stuff and some beers we were out in 3.

After almost an entire day of spring cleaning, Eugy and I agreed that we should treat ourselves to a really yummy meal. When he said «let’s go to an izakaya», I was hesitant. I wasn’t really in the mood for a lot of drinking and mediocre food, surrounded by a bunch of noisy people who had done a lot of drinking. I wanted really yummy, filling food. But after some thought, I gave in and we headed over to Sozai.
The best way I can describe this place is quaint restaurant serving really delicious izakaya type food. This place is by far what most would consider a true izakaya. This place is just too cute and clean to be an izakaya.
Apparently, Eugy has been here before, but said he was too drunk to remember what the food actually tasted like. So he was a bit excited to come here sober. hah…
We walked in and picked a table and sat down. Gil politely greeted us and started us off with some drinks. Echigo for Eugy. Choya umeshu on the rocks for me. A little chitty chat and then on to the ordering!
We ordered:
Negi-​ma — chicken and green onion were grilled to perfection
Kurobuta pork belly, shichimi — this one is definitely my favorite. You can’t go wrong with grilled pork belly
Tofu, Tare — simple grilled tofu. simple and delicious.
Kurobuta Pork Filet Katsu — I usually like really thin tonkatsu, but this was thick pieces and even though they were fried, the meat was still really juicy and delicious.
Roasted Garlic & Avocado Tempura, Green Tea Salt — Eugy LOVES green tea salt now. I love anything with green tea salt. The garlic tempura was awesome. Gonna try that at home.
Curried Scallops Masago Aioli — not really my thing. good, but over curried.
Sake Steamed Clams — REALLY awesome… The sake sauce was sooo good…
Steamed Buttery Mushrooms with soy sauce — who doesn’t love anything in butter and soy sauce? Come on. You know you do.
Gil was a pleasant host. His wife, Mari, the executive chef is adorably cute and what a great chef she is! Everything was yummy. Gil helped to guide us along the menu and made some great recommendations. Thanks Gil!
And at the end, he said, if you guys order dessert, I’ll give you a shot of shochu on the house. Normally, I don’t like green tea flavored desserts and that’s mostly what they had on the menu. But Eugy likes to drink so I thought I’d order the dessert and take one for the team. ;)
I ordered the matcha panna cotta. It came out with chopped kiwi on top. I am a new found lover of matcha flavored dessert. This panna cotta was so yummy. And the kiwi on top gave it a nice touch. Just wonderful. And at the very end, Mari sent out two of the biggest strawberries I’ve ever seen in my life. She said she picked them up from the Alemany farmers market. They were huge and very sweet. VERY VERY good. Thanks Mari!
This place is a definite rotator.

First izekaya, or whatever the hell that is, restaurant I’ve been to.
Restaurant is small and very close to the people sitting next to you. The food was tasty, but the service was really slow. I bumped it up to a 4 star because they provided us a few free dishes for the long wait. Can’t beat free food from a courtesy staff.

‘i really enjoyed this japanese sushi place, they had great spicy tuna rolls”
«i cant believe san tung didnt have spicy tuna rolls, thats my favorite asian food»
«i dont see what the hype about kappa is. when i asked them to make me a spicy tuna roll, they just glared at me and walked away.»
real people, real reviews. thats what Unilocal is. but like everything in life, you need to research the source of the information you are getting.
i have nothing againist spicy tuna rolls. i actually do like them. HAHAHHA *cough* bryan k *cough* but they do not belong in a high end sushi houses omakase…
and more importantly, sozai is not sushi. not all japanese restaurants are sushi houses.
koreans dont eat kalbi every night.
this is a great addition to the sunset. i can not say enough good things about this place. great food, great people behind the place.
though izakayas are not in my rotation enough, this place is definately gonna be one of my ‘set places.
the chicken hearts were to die for. wow, never had such good chicken heats before. and yes the fongerssss is right, the chicken with green onion. wow.
salmon skin, garlic, shoyu fried rice!!! yeah, it was good.
i must note, as i said to both mari and gil in my buzzed state, i came there after a few beers at park chalet and i know i eat spicier and saltier than most… soooo when i said i felt a few items were undersalted/​seasoned, namely the edamae hummus, you have to take it with a grain of… SALT !!!
meh… ok… but i can not stand behind this comment without going there 100% sober and trying everything again…
well, you dont have to twist my arms…
WHO WANTS TO JOIN ME!!!
4.5 rounded up cause gil and mari are just good folks. they dealt with my drunk ass!!! you know they good folks.

I first met the sweet and personable owner Mari at our event at Therapeia Spa where she personally prepared hand rolls and served edamame hummus to our Elite. With a successful catering company under her belt, she had just opened Sozai 2 months before. I finally got a chance to dine at Sozai with a group of 9 Unilocalers over the weekend and now I have a favorite Izakaya restaurant in SF!
A tiny and casual spot in the Inner Sunset, we were taken good care of by Mari and her partner Gil, both who served us throughout the night. We let Fong, the regular among us, order for our group and everything was tasty. The standouts were the Kobe beef tataki, kurobuta pork belly, sake steamed clams and kabocha chicken stew. These plates were superb. I really enjoyed the grilled skewered chicken hearts and gizzards — don’t be turned off, it tastes much better than it sounds. The sake we had went also well with our dishes. Though Mari intentionally lightly salts everything, I never felt the need to add any. Every bite was very flavorful.
The girls decided to order dessert — of course — but we were a little disappointed. The green tea panna cotta was too firm and the macha powder took away from its sweetness. Next time, I think I’d like to try the macha affogato with lychee ice cream.
A great spot for groups, so you can try many different dishes. Our bill came out to $ 26/​person, which was incredible. Just make sure you get reservations, because this is a popular spot, for good reason.

Easily the BEST IZAKAYA IN SF. O izakaya is good, and hime is ok, but this is the least pretentious, and MOST tasty of all of them. Izakayas, above all else, SHOULD NOT BE PRETENTIOUS. In japan, they’re the equivalent of pubs in london. and they have very good prices, esp for the sake.
Mari, the chef-​owner, knows what she’s doing, and makes super tasty food, true izakaya style. Gil, the manager is always friendly, honest, and well meaning. He is very willing and able to educate the uninitiated about the sake on their menu, as well as the delectable drinking food (read: true japanese tapas). I’ve never had a bad meal here. After some time working the kinks out of the service side of things, I have to say they have the system working now.
The uninitiated among you might wonder what an Izakaya is. Izakayas are the pubs in japan where you eat and drink with your friends. Typical izakaya food includes yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), skewered grilled food of all sorts (kushiyaki), chicken karaage (fried chicken), fried food of all sorts (agemono), and various other things. Most of the food is COOKED, so don’t think it’s gonna be sashimi, or raw fish sushi.
Things to order when you go:
1) Kurobuta Kakuni Kushiyaki (Stewed kurobuta pork belly, grilled on a skewer with shichimi chili pepper seasoning). This is fucking PHENOMENAL. The pork belly is made chinese style, so it’s at least fried (to reduce the fat), then stewed in a big chunk. Then put on a skewer and grilled to perfection. the thing tastes like marshmallow pork, with the fat melting in your mouth. One of the most amazing things I’ve ever eaten in the city. Very rich, very fatty, and VERY tasty. be forewarned.
2) kushiyaki (grilled skewers) of chicken hearts, chicken gizzards, chicken with green onions (negima). These are all very well marinated, and well flavored. THe chicken with green onions is way better than their standard yakitori, so I totally recommend it. THe chicken hearts are my favorite in the city (compared to Espetus’ chicken hearts), and I highly recommend them.
3) Kobe beef tataki. Straight up and tasty. Quality kobe style beef, seared on the outside only, and served raw on the inside, and cold. Sliced thin, with a ponzu sauce. The key here is beef quality, and it’s awesome here.
4) sake steamed clams. Fresh clams steamed with sake and onions. Simple fresh ingredients are the key, and it’s perfect.
5) chicken karaage. Well marinated dark chicken meat (thighs probably), fried perfectly. Another standard, perfectly done.
6) kurobuta tonkatsu. Not much to say here. perfecly breaded and fried kurobuta pork chop. you can’t lose with a kurobuta tonkatsu.
8) hamachi kama. Hamachi (yellowtail tuna) jaw. MARINATED hamachi really makes this dish stand out from others in the bay area. Not your typical hamachi-​kama shioyaki (Salt grilled) like you usually see. The marinade makes this go perfectly with sake or beer.
and if you’re not full by the end, they have japanese classic post-​sake food too, like Ochazuke (fresh green tea poured over steamed rice and fish), and some decent desserts.
As for sake, I have gotten the Dassai daiginjo twice, and it’s a very good price at only about $ 35 for a 750 mL. The Suigei (drunken whale) is a good standard, and cheaper, which Gil remembers fondly from older times (ask him about it).
They carry Sapporo beer on tap, and a few others I can’t remember (I always drink sapporo with izakaya food).
The menu changes, but the dishes I’ve mentioned here should always be on the menu. You guys HAVE to try this place out.

Great izakaya joint in the Sunset. The food is hit or miss, but taste is subjective. I wasn’t too fond of the «cheese» that tasted like a fried mochi. I wasn’t too fond of the grilled makarel either — too bony — but that’s just how it is. I loved the chazuke — you can’t get that at just any Japanese restaurants around here. Actually, you can’t get a lot of this stuff just anywhere. If you just want dessert, I recommend getting their sampler. Mine came with matcha affogato, green tea tiramisu, ginger cake and green tea panna cotta.
JONASAPPROVED!