2.5 Stars from Michael Bauer of the SF Chronicle, 2014
Michelin Guide, Bib Gourmand Award - 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
“…with such an exquisite array of plates, not to mention outstanding organic sake and nutty buckwheat tea for sipping, it will transport you to Japan…” Michelin Guide
“At Yuzuki, when you order a donabe of salmon rice, the pot stays on the table. The rice itself is as perfect as it should be — firm but not al dente, not overly sticky and gloriously aromatic. The fish is mild and succulent, and translucent orange pearls of salmon roe are scattered throughout the rice, creating little pockets of sea-salty umami that season each bite. (The roe is an optional add-on, but unless you have some kind of aversion to deliciousness, you should order it.)” Chris Ying of the SF Chronicle, 2017
“This “real McCoy” Mission izakaya proffers “carefully” prepared Japanese comfort food with an “out-of-this-world” sake selection.” - Zagat
Best Restaurants near Dolores Park, -Zagat
“Anyone you ask will say that this is the most authentic Japanese cuisine in the city. That is also the only explanation for the delicious and delicate chawanmushi accompanied by saké that smells like a freshly mowed meadow.” Lufthansa Magazin
“In 2014, I wrote about Yuzuki Japanese Eatery at Zagat, raving about its complexity presented with simplicity and purity alongside thoughtful saké pairings… Yuzuki is still a special Japanese food gem in a region rich with excellent Japanese food.” Virginia Miller of Table8
“We have no idea what’s going on in the kitchen at Yuzuki, but it’s consistent and brilliant. This was one of the best end-to-end meals we’ve had, period.” - Max Child of The Infatuation
“Soul. It’s one of the most treasured qualities to see (and feel) in a restaurant, and sadly it’s also one of the most elusive. It’s a feeling that sneaks up on you—you don’t walk into a place, plunk down, and upon placing your napkin in your lap, proclaim, ‘Damn, this place has soul!’ It needs to unfold.” — Tablehopper
“The food at Yuzuki is the food of ancestors, and the result is a meal rich in attention and detail.” — SF Gate
“This is not a restaurant review, but a chef’s night out. It was such a unique experience that I felt that I should share it with others, because it would be a damned shame for any serious “foodie” to miss out on such a rare dining experience. I have a tremendous appreciation for restaurants that produce personal cuisine, especially when it is great.” — Dennis Lee at Num
“It’s striking how often we now rely on restaurants to provide us with a sense of the homemade. Not just “house-made” salumi or pasta, but base ingredients whose production has been industrialized so long we’ve lost the collective knowledge of how to prepare them at home. Pickles. Butter. Miso paste. Once chores our great-grandparents did throughout the year, now they’re professions of authenticity. The more effort the chef puts into each dish, the truer his or her food is.
By that measure, the fare at Izakaya Yuzuki, a 2-month-old restaurant in the Mission, are as true as Raymond Carver stories.” — SF Weekly
“As at other izakayas, you can down your share of chicken skewers and sake here, but this lovely, low-key restaurant provides much more than just another platform for getting stuffed and soused.” — San Francisco Magazine
“What sold us? Well, the pristine, delicate house-made tofu, for one, presented in a woven basket. “I tasted it against the stuff at Safeway,” says our server, cutely, “and ours is way better.” It tastes prominently of legumes, good on its own or gussied up with soy and filaments of scallion.” — Tasting Table
“This is a special place. The food is genuine Japanese cooking. The menu includes but does not stress raw fish. The appetizers and the grilled, fried, steamed and braised dishes give the overall meal a more hearth-like than shore-like feel. The ingredients are fresh and pure, and the chef’s touch is light. The presentation is artful, and tends more towards the serene than the fancy. The result is a cuisine that tastes refined but feels comfortable.” — Chowhound
