Halu Restaurant

Absolutely love it here! We put our name on the list at about 7:45 on a Friday night and had a 30 min wait, which is fine because there are several bar near by and they keep you updated on timing via text. The place is a little cramped, but that really does add to the charm. The food is authentic, fast, and delicious, we ate tapas style and kept adding on to our order as we went. The 60’s background music is fun and the staff are really friendly too. Very reasonably priced, dinner for 2 including beer was $65

Shockingly delicious. I’ve been to other yakitori places in SF and Kyoto in Japan and this is the best. I can’t believe it. I was hopeful, but this place exceeds expectations. I’d recommend the beef belly for sure. The bacon wrapped tomatoes are also killer. Round it out with some mushrooms and the chicken as well as a nice sake. You will love it! Oh ya, the line can be quite long so put in your name and phone number and go across the street to Richmond Republic for a pint while you wait for a text that your table is ready.

This is my favorite restaurant in SF. The yakitori is super authentic, the service is incredible, the decor is delightfully kitschy. Every time I dine here it brings back memories of Tokyo.

A completely great experience. It has it all you can ask for! It is a small place, but color with decorations from top to bottom full of The Beatles merch. Don't expect to get a table right away, so I suggest coming when they open; otherwise, be prepared to wait. Good for a pair, bad for a group visit. What makes this place special is their skews; everything from their skews section is worth your time and money. I highly recommend an old fashion beef skew if you're looking for suggestion. Don't count skews as your only dish for they're quite pricey. The waitress will suggest you order their ramen with your skews, which are good ramen by the way. Waitress in particular is quite the good worker, she will be very helpful with new people in understanding the menu and give you a good time in your stay. She kind, patient, and attentive to the guests; plus, the place is small enough that you can just holler for her attention to your table. Great food, service, and environment; however, a small place so except waiting outside. There is beers to choose from, but I've encountered times where a certain beer is out. Great place, go check it out!

The food is okay and personally, a bit overpriced. The ambience is quaint and cozy, but don't think the food and drinks are worth the wait. Wasn't a huge fan of the service and the many hints to eat and leave.

The wait is worth it, put down your name and get a beer in the Richmond or High Treason down the road. Plum Chicken and Asparagus are particularly great! Can't wait to go back to this brilliant Rock n Roll themed yakitori restaurant

Very tasty Yakitori. Reminded me of Kyoto!

The foods are good and the price is reasonable. Cute place. Nice service.

We arrived on the first night of their full omakase offering and it was also our first time doing omakase meal (two prices: $90 or $110). It was a great time with April, Rich, and Alvin. We sat at the bar and felt like we walked through a portal and were in Japan just grabbing a beer and some delicious yakitori. My faves were the pork belly (marinaded and grilled to fatty perfection), chicken drumstick with the raw jadori egg dip (the chicken had refreshing herbs did I taste maybe lemongrass/galangal/lime leaves or something in there? Reminded me of Khmer cooking. And to finish the meal was an out of this world creamy, floating on a cloud but in a cup, goodness that was the Chamomile panacotta (made by April). But the SUPER highlights goes to the caviar atop uni atop crispy chicken skin. I tasted in that bite a different part of the ocean, I've never tasted before. And we got an extra taste of some DAMN good aged wagyu. Yooooo -- all of it was bomb and the ppl inside made it better. Come here for unpretentious and tasty grilled delectable. Go here with a few of your fave homies or a fun date night, you won't regret it. Sorry no photos bc I was too busy stuffing my face!

Cute and cozy yakitori place that mainly consists of a long bar and two tables that seat 6 each in the back. My friend and I ended up sharing a table with another party since we were 2 and 3 people. The food was good overall and very filling with just a few skewers, although some items seemed a bit too burnt. I did find that I kept wanting water, needing to flag down the waitress a few times to ask for more. I would just end up drinking the small cup of water in just one big gulp, so I wished they could offer a bottle to just refill on our own.

Really delicious food that tastes fresh! I wanted to try a new spot in SF and love Japanese skewers. With the good reviews and mentions of minimal wait, it was an easy choice. Upon arriving, it was explained to me that they only serve omakase-style and don't do a la carte ordering. I was a bit disappointed and almost left. However, we made it all the way to the city from the east bay so I stuck with it and we ordered the $110pp option. I was so pleasantly surprised by how great everything tasted and was glad I decided to stay. The highlights were non-skewer items for me. Very friendly service at the bar. I can't give a 5-star review though because though delicious, $110 per person did not feel like a good value for what we had. I'd like to return for sure, but probably for a more special occasion.

Came to Moku Yakitori-Ya at 7pm to celebrate a friend's birthday on a Thursday, and we were lucky to snag the last table at the very back of the restaurant. We've passed by many times in the past and have always wanted to come try it out because it always smells AMAZING just walking by the outside. It's really dimly lit inside and has a great neighborhood hole-in-the-wall atmosphere, and the walls and densely decorated with posters and art. The waiter was super friendly and you could tell that there were a lot of regulars that come often by the way he would recommend them new specials or ask about something they had mentioned before. He checked in often and service overall was great! We definitely wanted to try everything on the menu and started off with some beers; the lucky cat yuzu ipa, and a calpico rice lager that was on the specials menu. Each was $11, and both were delicious - I'd love to know where I could buy more of the calpico beer. Bincho Tataki ($19): smokey, a little fatty and melt in your mouth fish garnished with the perfect mix of chili crisp, green onion and white onion. Momo Chicken ($10), Buta Bara ($8), Hokkaido Scallop ($11), Sunagimo Gizzard ($9): all of these skewers were amazing in their own way, and seasoned to perfection. My favorite is definitely the hokkaido scallop, which was just so tender, sweet and flavorful. There's some seasonings at the table you can use to dip the skewers in too if you'd like, though they were all already so flavorful from the smoke and spices that it came with. Tako Wasabi ($9): we were curious; this is raw octopus cut up in to pretty small pieces that had an interesting mix of somewhat slimey exterior with chewy and chrunchy interior. The wasabi taste wasn't super strong or spicey, and the sweetness of the octopus really shines. Everything we had here was delicious, and I'd love to come back to celebrate another occasion! Definitely on the pricier end, but the atmosphere, service and food make it all worth it. Highly recommend checking it out!

Dont Bother--While once one of my favorite restaurants in the city, it is no more. Moku used to have the winning combination of affordable delicious food in a fun laid back atmosphere. However, it is a completely new restaurant now as of 04/2024, reviews before then no longer apply. They now fade into the overcrowded likes of the multitude of SF restaurants that take themselves too seriously and fail. Now, there is only a pre-fixe set chefs menu for around $100+. There are better omakase elsewhere. The food is expensive and no longer worth it, the fun laid back vibe is gone. This restaurant took away everything that made it special and all that's left is a skeleton of itself, one that its regulars can no longer stomach. If you're going to splurge on dinner, this is not the place.

Came here for dinner and its such a cozy spot, with the best Japanese skewers I've ever had!!! The space is small with bar seating and two small tables, but what a gem this place is. The interior is decorated with quirky stickers and retro Japanese posters, and they were playing some fun city pop-esque music. My friend and I got the kiri mochi (fried mochi with ponzu and yuzu chili) and 7 types of skewers- all of which came in pairs except for the tsukune (chicken meatball). Every skewer was good, like every single one. My favorites were probably the skirt steak and miso pork belly! We each paid about $60 for the meal, which left us feeling decently full. The waitress who helped us was super friendly and the chef also talked to us and let us know we could ask him any questions we had about the food. I did ask if they sold their yuzu chili since it was one of the best chili sauces I've ever had- it wasn't spicy at all but had all the aroma and deliciousness of the pepper and subtle yuzu. Soooo good! Definitely want to come back.

Takowasa was delicious here ! Would recommend asking for their house ponzu sauce paired great with the different skewers :) They have a nice selection of beer as well!

I like the chill ambiance. Peaceful solo dining, i like the chicken skin specially. It's also in a good area where it seems like there's plenty of parking

Always a fun neighborhood spot for yakitori! I was a little skeptic since the rebranding, but their menu has been slowly becoming its own greatness. Just get it all. You won't be disappointed. I took a friend here after his Japan trip and he also loved it, so that says something! My personal faves (because I don't eat meat) are the okra and trumpet mushrooms. I came here once for some raw fish, but don't come here FOR the sushi/sashimi. If you want some to jazz up your dining experience, cool, but I wouldn't suggest it. Service is cozy and direct and a very small staff, so come with patience and the vibes.

Spent two weeks in Japan earlier this year and two weeks after I got back to SF I couldn't help but wanting to keep living that magical skewer life. While I love Rintaro it's not really a place one can show up to last minute, so I've been on the lookout for another option. Thankfully, I was hanging out with Denise H.., catching up, and she suggested we head to Moku. We showed up a little late, no reservation, on a weeknight, and grabbed a seat at the bar. Looked at the menu and was immediately happy as it seemed like it was just the place I was looking for. We ordered a bunch of skewers, all were good, but the standout that was a special was the salmon belly. Top those skewers with Asahi draft beers and yeah, it was nice to feel like I've never left Japan. Fun fact, my two nieces visited me from North Carolina, and they live in a place that doesn't have a variety of food options. They heard about my Japan trip and I told them, HEY, I know a place. So after a good bit of day drinking we showed up at 4:55, 5 minutes before opening. We got to the front door and waited outside, but the server came out and insisted we come in! We sat at the bar and I was able to share with my nieces a culinary experience that I had in my travels. While this happened the staff, with it being early aka the restaurant still being mostly empty, were friendly and kind to my nieces who were having izakaya fare for their first time. So not only is this place a favorite of mine, but also a place I'd take out of town guests as well. How much do I like this spot? Well, this is my first yelp review in 6 years. So yeah, it's worth stopping by. Kanpai!

Takowasa was the star of the night! If you haven't tried this dish before, it's raw wasabi-marinated octopus. Texture is slimy, crunchy, and so addictive. Sashimi plate was a bit too overly fishy-tasting for my liking; meat skewers were room-temp by the time they arrived at the table; chicken karaage utilized cartilage pieces, which also wasn't my personal preference for this dish. Servers were a bit swamped as the restaurant was packed and there was a lot going on, but were friendly nonetheless. All-in-all, solid offering!

The food and overall experience was not that bad. We went on a Friday and they were doing omakase. I'm not too sure if the menu changes based on the day or not. The service was decent. We were seated at one of the tables towards the back. It wasn't too bad other than the bright light that was reflecting off the floor. We shared the Gakeusi since we weren't super hungry. My bf and I decided that it was good but it was difficult to justify the $90. I would recommend this for a going out event but definitely not the most affordable. The portion size fell more on the smaller size.

Possibly the best yakitori place in SF. Fiancée wanted to try out to this place, I guess she was craving yakitori, and Moku Yakitori-Ya did not disappoint. We tried the following: -Momo: sake chicken thigh w/ cilantro -Harami: wagyu koji steak w/ dashi bonito and negi -Gyutan: wagyu tongue w/ cilantro garlic tare -Buta Bara: pork belly w/ sesame soy salt and pepper -Pork Cheeks: tender cheek w/ sesame soy salt and pepper -Bacon Enoki: bacon wrapped mushrooms -Hotate: scallops w/ garlic butter -Eryngii: king oyster mushroom w/ garlic butter and chili -Agedashi Tofu: fried tofu w/bonito and negi in dashi soy -Kyoto White Yuzu Ale: To wash it down with. They were all equally delicious and satisfying, but the Hotate was THE ONE for me, SO good! I'm glad my fiancée started to get full by this time, so more scallops fo me! Haha. Only 1 waiter on a Saturday evening, but we didn't have any issues getting our orders in and used plates cleared from our table. Love the hole in the wall vibe. Really takes me back to Japan. With that said, I'd come here early, I can imagine this place getting packed or having a long wait when it gets busy or once word gets out about this place. Anime video playing on the TV is a plus +.

Inconspicuous hole in the wall yakitori joint run by locals for locals. On any given night you'll deal with a steady group of neighborhood regulars and food tourists alike with the crowd getting larger around happy hour. Sit on the grill counter side if you want to chat it up with the chefs or watch the magic happen on the grill. Love that smoky flavor and I don't have to deal with that whole mess around cooking it myself? Yes, please and thank you.

Tried this yakitori restaurant, not far from our house because we are headed to Japan soon. I was there with my kids and not with my husband so much of what I ordered was not that adventurous. I thought overall the food quality was quite good. The skewers were the best thing that we ate. We had the chicken Momo and beef skewers. I also tried the maitake tempura, chicken, Karaage and amberjack Crudo. They have quite a large selection of yakitori. The service was quite quick. The restaurant is small and cozy with only a few tables. It was not hard to get a table and they do have an online waitlist which I did not need to use. The beef had scallions and Bonita flakes which was quite yummy. The chicken Momo was also tasty and not over cooked. I thought the Maitake mushroom tempura was tasty, but the tempura was too thick. I was expecting some thing a bit later. The chicken Karaage was juicy and tasty. I thought the amberjack crudo pieces were a little thick for a "carpaccio". Semantics Overall I would really like to come back with my husband where I could try a lot of different skewers. They had a scallop one and an okra one which I would've liked to of tried. It was unfortunate that my kids would not have eaten those things and I would've ended up eating so much if I had ordered, we will plan to come back when my husband is in town

Arrived at around 6pm and there were open tables; however, started filling up about half an hour later. Only a few tables and some countertop seating. Yakitori comes 2 skewers per order. Ordered the Wagyu beef tongue, scallops, pork cheek, pork howl, unagi and pork belly. Like the char on the pork pieces. The jowls probably my fave piece. Scallops were tender and sweet. Can't go wrong with unagi. Also ordered fried oysters - arrived hot and plump oysters. Also liked the fried Maitake which were light. Service was attentive and friendly. Enjoyed our meal and will return.

One of the best skewers in the city, small but cute place by Clement St. Only had 1 waitress today who was very friendly. We ordered: - Sesame Shochu on the rocks: generous pour, can definitely taste the sesame in the after notes. 4/5 - Tamago sashimi: more dense than usual tamago. 3.5/5 - Saba shioyaki: fish was grilled well but lacking that char flavor and wished it was better seasoned. 4/5 - Sunagimo gizzard skewers: smaller gizzards than usual and not as "crunchy", still great 4/5 - Momo thigh skewers: good chicken thighs, would've been good with leeks 4/5 - Hokkaido scallop Yakitor: best skewers of the day, just bomb 5/5 - Unagi skewers: also very delicious, great flavoring and tender 5/5 - Eryngii mushrooms: love the chili sauce on these, very good 5/5 - Tsukemomo (pickled veges): so-so, can skip next time 3/5 - Gyutan (wagyu) tongue skewers: very fatty and fairly bland 2/5 Overall really enjoyed our meal. The place was very smoky so we left with clothing reeking of smoke. Will definitely be back to try their sushi and other skewers!

I had a great dinner here. No long wait on a Friday evening around 6:30pm. Every item we order is solicitous. Nice service. Small and cozy. Will definitely come back.

It's quite amazing that Moku quietly serves some of the most delicious food that you'll find in the area in a small restaurant with maybe enough room for a few dozen people. With that, the service here is very personal and you'll get your food super fresh from the grill, which is maybe only 10 feet away from where you are seating. For the quality and flavor of the food served, the prices are surprisingly reasonable as you'll definitely have a memorable experience. The kushiyaki is what most people will be going here for and the cuts are top quality while the portion sizes is fairly generous. I would definitely order the hotate which features melt-in-your-mouth tender scallops which are paired nicely with the garlic butter. The Buta Kashira and Pork Cheek both do a great job of highlighting the tenderness and intense flavor of these portions of the pig face, with minimal flavoring to avoid distracting from the flavor of the meet. The fish is also great here as well. The bincho tataki as a surprisingly flavorful preparation of white tuna with seared chili and ponzu that really helped to bring out the flavor of the fish which was offered in a generous portion size. In a future visit I'd definitely love to try more of these options as the flavor combinations sounded amazing. Overall, a must visit if you're in the area. You may have to wait in line for a bit, but the food is well worth the patience.

We came here on a whim one night when we were around the area and decided to pop in to check out the menu. Best idea ever because it was so delicious!! We were only planning to order one round of skewers, but we ordered a second and then a third. Everything we ordered was really good and you could really taste the flavor from the grill, so I don't think you can go wrong with whatever you choose. We were able to try a good assortment of both the meats and veggies. One stand out for us was the shiitake mushrooms; they were amazing and honestly, the veggie options were maybe even better than the meat. Don't ignore the matcha salt either! Definitely added a lil something to each bite. For drinks, I ordered a matcha cocktail, which had a sake base. Super unique and yummy, I haven't seen matcha cocktails on a menu anywhere else. They also had a matcha IPA that I'd love to try next time! It's a pretty tiny spot, but would be a fun place to go with a small group before going out.

Discovered this place while I was walking in the neighborhood. I was minding my business when I caught a glimpse of a tiny bar seating area with a huge plume of smoke coming out of the door. The air was filled with the aroma of binchōtan. It is rare to see a kushiyaki bar in SF, and so it kept living rent free in my head. Days passed and I still kept remembering the smell and the ambiance I saw from behind that 1/4 open front door. Wednesday, I got off work early, and I had this place set in my heart. We get there an hour before closing, we walk in, and David-San greets us and gets us seated. We order the shishito peppers and the smelt with a glass of sake, and they come out reasonably fast. They were exceptional. The smelt was the star in my book, and I'm no smelt fan. It also tasted amazing. We ask Daniel-San for his personal recommendations and was told that his favorites were: Harami(wagyu koji steak w/ dashi bonito & negi) Hotate(scallops w/ garlic butter) Nasu (eggplant w/ sweet saikyo Tokyo miso) We ordered those along with Sunagimo(gizzard w/ cilantro garlic tare Hatsu(chicken heart w/ cilantro garlic tare) All the kushiyaki made their way to the table in very little time. Tasting each one, I felt like I was in heaven. Everything was a standout, especially the ones that Daniel-San had recommended. The place is a breath of fresh air to SF. Hole in the wall, grungy, and to the point. No frills no fluff. It's the antithesis to $20 avocado toast and $30 burgers. No techies and trendy vegans here, I felt that this place is truly for SF locals, by SF locals. I will be back, as soon as I start to crave that scallop again...

First of all, the best thing is that it open every day from 5pm. That's why I were there when most of restaurants closed on Monday. It is a small place. Not suggest for the party bigger than 4. Sashimi moriawase is great although each piece is smaller than other places. I got four different fishes (4 pieces each). One of them is Abalone. $40. Service is good. Will come back to try different things.

Not worth the price. Small portions and avg food. We were not given an itemized receipt, tip was added and we were not told.

After visiting the yakitori alley in Shinjuku on a recent Tokyo trip, I've been craving some solid yakitori here in the city. I found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try. My bf and I shared 5 skewers and a beer. We ordered the grilled squid, okra, chicken, scallops, and shiitake mushrooms. Everything was honestly so good - perfectly grilled, juicy and flavorful. My favorites were the okra, chicken and scallop. I thought the squid was good but not worth the price while I missed the natural flavor of my shiitake when they added the bonito flakes on top. Paired with a Sapporo beer, the food really hit the spot and took me back to Tokyo. Space is quite small, probably seats at most 20 people comfortably. The guy serving us was super friendly and joked around a lot.

Yakitori in SF generally leaves more to be desired- but I'm happy to say that Moku breaks that mold. The selection of yakitori here is varied in terms of meats- chicken, beef, pork, seafood- so you won't find the rarer parts of chicken here if that's what you're after. That said, the limited menu is executed very well- with that characteristic charcoal char (alliteration anyone?). One thing to note- it's not well ventilated so you may come out smelling like a juicy skewer yourself! Skewers: -Chicken heart: (my favorite- and done better than most places I've been too) -Chicken thigh: solid -Scallops: delicious and sweet -Pork Belly: skip, I think this could have been more well done -Oyster mushrooms: delicious! It's small but not well known yet so there was no wait when we arrived around 5:30 on a weekday. Tip: if you're into squid, the grilled squid here is A+. My go-to place for yakitori in SF- and definitely reminiscent of Japan.

I really don't recommend this place, it's way way over priced $$$ and the food has no taste at all! It's the first time in my experience in restaurants that I'm very frustrated and seriously I saw some people sitting and looking at the menu and giving up and I really regret that I shouldn't do the same at first!

Excellent service but the food itself is just ok. Some dishes were better than others; loved their chicken heart skewers and eggplant. The Waygu beef was good but like many of their dishes loaded with sauce and extras. I like for fresh good meat and veggies to speak for itself rather than loaded with seasonings. It's a small place - hole in the wall with TV screen and music playing. Their deep fried dishes are topped with mayo and other sauces. Been there twice now - they get busy late night but on a Sunday at 3pm there was plenty of seats.

Cozy vibes, great music, and funny staff at Moku -- great experience all around! Yakitori menu is super extensive and quite unique but very much on the pricier end. - Okra: According to my partner who likes okra: "best okra he's ever had" -- add table seasoning to this if you want a bigger kick! - Chicken heart: Smoky and chewy. Not terrible but also not mind blowing. - Grilled mackerel: This was great and had a nice grilled texture but was also pretty standard. - Sliced whelk: Ordered this to be experimental and honestly not sure what we were expecting. There isn't a lot of flavor to this, but there is table seasoning to fix that! It likewise wasn't terrible but we wouldn't get it again. For the price, we weren't as satisfied or full as we hoped we would be. Okra was a standout, and maybe we'll come back to give the other skewers a try!

Came here for some skewers: chicken, scallop, pork belly, pork cheek, eggplant and the chicken. What stood out by far was the scallop and second would be the pork belly. That being said, this placed lacked a lot of flavor. The quality of meet was pretty good, but I can't say it hit the spot. The price was a bit steep for what you get so it's not necessarily a place I would recommend.

I didn't realize that a new yakitori place has opened at the old Halu spot until I came up on the corner of 8th and Clement. The hours on Yelp, Google and the restaurant's own website said they are now open for lunch between 12pm-2pm. I showed up at noon on Thursday (April 2024), but the door was closed. There is a light on, but no one obviously in there. I lingered for 5 minutes but didn't knock on the door. So I will be back again and hope that they are ACTUALLY open for lunch. I will update the rating then.

Omg we so excited to come here finally.saw Yelp pictures n looks good. Guess people zoom food pics often. We ordered n each shewer was tiny diced meat. Why are they being stingy with their meat ??? And over cooked too!! Chicken heart was sliced in half .. what it was served about 25 cents worth?? N gizzards too!! Beef tongue also diced up tooooo!! Normal size was unagi fish. Bad business.. sorry to say this Asian woman won't be coming again...come here for non Traditional yakitori meal..I rather go eat buffet...

The food is fine, not as good as Halu was, and I like the ambiance... but the prices just don't make sense. So expensive for tiny skewers, spent a bundle and left hungry.

Super easy walk up on a Friday evening. Beat the 8pm rush which was really convenient! I really enjoyed the intimate seating and sitting next to people on first dates and people ordering the full skewer menu! While I was jealous of them, we really enjoyed our smaller selection including the chicken, porkbelly, and bacon wrapped enoki and tofu! Great recommendations from the friendly server~ Would come back easily to try more of the menu!

The pork jowl & anago tempura were good, and service was attentive on a quiet evening back in early 2022. I had come by multiple times before trying to get into the old ramen spot, but this new (at the time) spot looked promising and it delivered!

Pretty good food overall, extra star for the atmosphere. The smoky and cozy interior transported me straight to an izakaya in Tokyo. Favorites: - Stir-fry ramen - Scallop skewer - Thigh skewer - Gizzard skewer - Fatty jewel skewer - Fried sea eel Decent: - Chicken karaage - Pork cheek skewer - Eggplant skewer - Grilled mackerel Friendly service. Will be back!

I sought out this restaurant because I saw they have mont blanc dessert. Moku is such a hole in the wall that I walked past it, oops! I arrived shortly after 5pm so all the tables were free. I ordered 3 skewers -- shrimp, chicken and pork cheek, plus a yaki ramen for some starch. Everything tasted fantastic -- the seasoning is just right and the grilled flavor is appetizing. I ended my meal with a wonderful Mont Blanc, a most underrated dessert. Two chefs work hard behind the counter to cook up each dish on order. My server was nice. The exhaust vent runs strongly but I still left the restaurant with a linger of smoke.

Amazing food! Went here for a girls night and had the best time. Amazing cocktail with jalapeno - highly recommend. We also got a variety of the yakitori, all of which were amazing. So fun to try a ton of different flavors. We got scallop, steak, fried enoki, and one other kind that I can't remember. Super cute place, cozy and small with great energy. Super friendly staff - a cute date spot or more casual place.

Moku is such a gem to have in our neighborhood. We often opt to go here when we're playing by ear. Lots of delicious grilled options - I always get the fried mochi and the grilled eggplant. Sometimes you have to wait a bit since it's a tiny spot. Great place to go with a group of 4 or less!

Love this casual hole in the wall! Perfect for every occasion whether it's a date, catching up with friends, or solo dining. I've done all three and made some friends sitting alone at the bar as well. Regular menu is solid, but don't sleep on their rotating specials! A bonus is that the owners Daniel and Richard are almost always there, don't be shy to chat them up!

small hole in the wall with minimal seating but big flavor and fun experience of japanese tapas. all the grilled skewers were tasty. they come in sets of two so you can order a lot of options if you have someone to share. the Wagu beef was melt in your mouth. I'd recommend seeking these guys out when in the hood.

One of my favorite Yakitori spots in the bay!! Great hole in the wall spot with good pricing and yummy yummy food. Food - Loved the gizzard, pork belly and scallops. Amazing binchotan smokey flavor! Ambiance - Loved that it was intimate and very hole in the wall. You might come home smelling smoky! ~ 20 seats in the restaurant so not recommended for large parties. Anime decor is also a plus Service - quick! but it could get busy sometimes. Our party of 2 was seated quickly ~6pm on a Saturday. Tried another yakitori spot in SF & instantly regretted not coming back here instead.

Tucked away right off of the busy part of Clement, Moku is somewhat hidden and perfectly placed for a small, intimate spot like this. I got there right around 5:30 on a Saturday night, and was immediately seated at the bar. FOOD: Tako Yaki. Always a classic. Done well here. Crispy on the outside, hot and soft on the inside with the balance of tangy katsu sauce and kewpie. Always a solid choice. Tako Wasa. High quality squid with a really nice salty, umami, and kick from the wasabi flavor. Nice bouncy, chewy squid. As long as your okay with the slimy texture, I highly recommend this for sharing. Yakitori. I pretty much ordered everything on the menu and everything was done well. Grilled to a nice char, but not burnt. All the meats were seasoned well and the preparation delivered great texture. While everything was good, highlights for me were: kurobuta, okra, and gyutan. All highly recommended. I was also able to sample some of their sushi menu, which was also solid. Overall, a great, small, intimate spot perfect to get your chow on and hang out. Friendly and personable staff that can help you order sake and give recommendations based on what's good that day. They did get busy around peak dinner time and had a line, but it may have just been that night. Either way it's worth it. Definitely recommend this place. I'll 100% be back.

Overpriced and rude. Please don't ask for white rice because that's not what Yakitori-Ya is about. In Roppongi Japan... I mean Richmond District of SF. If you want to pay $$$$ and wait in line for skewers, by all means but overpriced and overrated in my opinion.

Nice quaint little spot with excellent service. We ordered many dishes, but the chicken was the best. Not dry and has a nice charcoal flavor.

Came here for date night last night and this will be our new go-to yakitori spot on the west side of town! They have a really nice selection of skewers and other fare. Unfortunately I was too busy stuffing my face to note everything we had, or to take photos. Let's just say that we sampled a lot and might have overdone it, without having any regrets (I'm still full the next morning). Everything we had was delicious, with high quality ingredients, and they also had a delightful seasonal sake from Fukui. It was fun to watch the brothers/co-owners do their thing and chat with them here and there (we sat at the bar). They remodeled the space a bit so the bar has a more open feel. I lived in Japan for a couple of years and the vibe had me feeling really nostalgic for the smoky little yakitori-yas over there. Tips: * If you sit at the bar, it can be a bit drafty. They leave the door ajar due to the smoke from the grill. My hubbins was fine in a tshirt but I was glad to have my jacket. * Richard moves really fast, so if it's not crowded, your food will come out quick! We ordered a couple of things to start and then added more as we ate and that was a nice pacing for us. * They don't take reservations and the building has the typical narrow footprint of places on the west side. There are a few seats at the bar and only a few tables in the back. We got there on the early side on a Thursday night and were seated right away.

The meat is so flavorful and delicious, and the seasoning options on the side is the icing on the top - not literally. The food also comes out really quickly 10/10! Amazing that such a small, delicious restaurant exists and we didn't have to make reservations beforehand Definitely recommend the harami, the fried mochi dish, and other meats. The scallops were so-so though, so I'd skip that.

Moku is the closest thing I've found to my favorite snack shop in Osaka, in terms of food, service, and setting. The menu is full of thoughtfully executed, but unpretentious, Izakaya classics (do not miss the blistered shishitos).

A+ Grungy deliciousness in is back in SF; come for the charcoal smoke, leave with a new habit.

I love Japanese robata grill. For a while I have walked by this hidden spot off of Clement Street, so today decided to drop in for lunch. For my first visit, I went with a few basics to test it out: skewers of chicken gizzards, okra, and bacon-wrapped mushrooms. I was not disappointed: the food was very well executed. Delicious and wonderful! The menu has an unusual beverage selection and lots of interesting items--both grilled and not--that I look forward to trying on future visits. I wish the proprietor well and hope he finds great success!

Good good for sure but I experienced strange things from the staff a few times. Once a friend and I wanted to split the bill. And the bill came out as full price just printed twice. That felt sketchy. Another time there were a bunch of wait staff just hanging out and it took forever to get any service. Orders were forgotten and the general experience just wasn't there. I miss the old halu days.