NONO BARU

First time there. Can't wait to go back! Best hamachi I've ever had and every other dish was amazing. Layered egg dish and Kimchi Udon Carbonara are must-haves.

Loved the atmosphere! The sashimi were super fresh and the cocktails were awesome, while the prices were lower than downtown, esp happy hour :) Also, the service was fantastic! Would really recommend!

They were very packed during dinner. The place isn’t too big so come early. We sat outside to avoid line but we were also able to get better ventilation. The food were nice but portion are pretty small. It is typical izakaya price and I would suggest getting drinks while having food so you get filled up more easily.

Pricey but good!! The sashimi and fried shrimp were probably my two favorite items of the meal. Service was prompt and kind. As of Oct ‘23 It seems their menu changes from time to time so you can expect slightly different dishes each visit. It might also be because they opened recently and are experimenting a bit. All in all a great spot- the melon dessert is apparently the chefs favorite so go ahead and try it :-)

I like the shiitake mushroom skewer. They are juicy, flavory and soft. The waitress is very friendly, she even helped me charging my phone. The Gold camaro is also delicious, the flavor of egg yolk blends well with shrimp tempera. Fried eel also tastes good with crispy outside and tender inside, accompanying creamy white sauce.

Edit: The skewers I had in my recent visits weren’t as good as my first visit. Chicken hearts were a bit overcooked and chicken oysters were a bit dry. I guess it was a good night on my first visit. The food is still mighty tasty but it’s not always 5 stars it seems. Hope they can get consistent with quality. ——————————————- I loved the skewers at Nono. My friends and I especially loved the Chicken hearts skewers. They were very flavorful and tender. Whenever I get chicken heart dishes in other places, they tend to be underseasoned and a bit tough but Nono’s does theirs to perfection. We didn’t really try much of anything else apart from the skewers but they really were excellent! The skewers go really well with a glass of beer too. The ambiance of the place is also very lax and comfortable. Very much suited for hanging out and catching up with friends. The place is quite popular though so I think it would be best to get there early or if possible grab a reservation. Definitely a must try if you’re ever looking for a dining spot in San Francisco.

everything we ordered was so delicious and so worth it, especially if you come during happy hours at 5-6pm! loved the yuzu mimosa, salt and pepper chicken skin, and risotto! ambiance was also great and the inside was really cozy, I would definitely come back. happy birthday nono! 🎉

cozy and welcoming yakitori restaurant serving skewers and a variety of other dishes. although everything was good, i dont think the high prices were justified. service was great - prompt and friendly with complimentary hot towel to start. probably not coming back anytime soon, but enjoyed the place! chips and dip: pretty tasty and unique dish. thought portion size would be slightly bigger shiitake skewer: fav fish of the night, juicy and flavorful american wagyu: solid but a little chewy garlic nankotsu: would skip

The spicy scallop risotto is extremely rich and flavorful. However, I think the real star of the show was the jalapeno hamachi carpaccio. It was bursting with flavor. Seating is pretty limited, I called in advance to check availability but I don't think there is a promising amount of space for larger parties. The service was great; the food came out at random times whereas sometimes I wished all people's food came out together; but I find that expected of a busy restaurant. Overall would come back!

Nono canceled my order after over an hour of having it in their system. They asked the change out and item they were out of which I was happy to oblige as I know it's a busy night. Then they outright canceled.

Really good quality izakaya! This is a small little shop nestled on Fillmore street inc between Japantown/Pac Heights, and I stopped by randomly with a friend around 8pm one weekday. We weren't super hungry, so the small portion sizes were actually fine. We got two skewers - one chicken oyster (nice and tender meat and the onion was grilled to perfection) and one pork belly (good but nothing crazy). Then the tuna sashimi was great quality (not too salty and very fresh tasting). My fav was the scallop risotto -- WOW it was delicious, an amazing combo of creaminess (with some roe sprinkled on top) and savory goodness. I honestly would come back just to eat the scallop risotto over and over lol. I actually came during the soft opening a year ago, so a couple of menu items may have changed in the meantime. On that day the service was actually super slow and I think the waiters/kitchen were still trying to figure stuff out so it took like 30 min for the risotto to come out.... but even the wait staff felt bad so they gave us a free grilled corn cheese plate to eat while we were waiting (it was like elote, tasty) which was nice. It's pricy but pretty in line with other izakaya places in SF. Hopefully the service is better now that they've been around a little while :)

The new Nono is open and we are glad we got there on opening night. The food is imaginative and flavorful. My absolute favorites were the Dirty karaage, and the Age "dash" mochi and the Robata Maki American Wagyu rib. Go for the most creative sounding items and you will not be disappointed. Prices are so reasonable rn too! Just opened, and they are still working on the decor.

Came here with my coworker to check out NONO's Happy Hour menu. I don't believe we ordered too much from that menu but instead tried a few items from their regular menu! We ordered a bunch of skewers - particularly chicken and beef, Mushroom Tempura, and their Chips and Dip! My fave were the skewers - I don't remember which particular chicken skewers we got but I remember they were very flavorful! The Chips and Dip was unique and the uni was very fresh. I really enjoyed the Truffle Mayo Dip as a part of the Mushroom Tempura! The restaurant was a bit hidden and fairly small inside so there weren't too many tables/ seats available but luckily we didn't have to wait on a Wednesday. Servers were really attentive and helpful! Def recommend this place for more of a fancy dining experience :)

Really good izakaya. Prices are comparable to other izakayas though I feel the dishes offered here had a bit more creativity. They have a lot of tapas like dishes that can be enjoyed by just two people which is nice. They also have really good happy hour deals. I think the sashimi was kinda small, but the oysters and skewers are worth it! Food: Scallop Risotto - Scallop cooked perfectly and I really enjoyed the flavor of the risotto. It really hit the spot. Chip & Dip- This is like using one of those seaweed crackers at trader joes and the dip is negitoro and some uni. It was good but I prob wouldnt get again mainly due to the price and cause theres so many other things on the menu. Bacon-able skewer- bomb. you can taste a little bit of tomato flavor in the mochi even though there clearly isnt any tomato. Ebi Shitake- This is like a shrimp and shitake mushroom stuffed tempura. It was good. Overall, I def enjoyed my experience and would def come back.

Must try!! Food -- delicious (my third time here) and there are sooo many wonderful things to try. Small bites, appetizers, larger dishes. Service -- soo kind :) Ambiance -- a cozy warm vibe Go go go try it at least once

Came with a party of 3 on a breezy Saturday evening and were seated after about a 20 minute wait in their streetside outdoor patio. Intimately sized and traditionally decorated, NONO and their staff provide a pleasant izakaya experience. Although we had minor trouble flagging down waiters, our cups were always full and our bellies satisfied. Total bill was around $160, so not the cheapest but not out of character for izakaya. Garlic nankotsu skewer: none of us knew this was chicken cartilage and were surpried by the texture. Tasted incredible nonetheless, well seasoned and sauced. Pork belly skewer: solid classic. No complaints but not particularly interesting. Salt and Pepper Torikawa (free with check-in): fun to snack on, but wouldn't personally purchase. Hot sauce was average. Kaisen don: wonderful selection of seafood and even sauteed mushroom. Standouts were the spot prawns, scallops, and mushrooms. Chips and dip: one of my favorites. Both toro and uni were fresh and flavorful. Creme fraiche had less of a taste than I expected, but the addition of fresh wasabi more than made up for it. The chips, pieces of seaweed coated in fried tobiko, were pleasantly fishy and accentuated the dip well. Spicy Scallop Risotto: table favorite and one that I risked my peanut allergy to try. Scallops were seared well and cooked till just tender. Main flavor seems to come from chili oil, and the (questionable) presence of whole peanuts seems to corroborate this suspicion - think slightly angrier vodka sauce. Would absolutely get this again.

Food - Everything was tasty and we liked it! - We shared everything, and they were small portions. Which allowed us to order more to try. Service - Very kind waiter. - He took a wrong order for one dish and comped it for us while ordering us the correct dish. - Made suggestions and recommendations. Ambiance - Cute indoors decorations. - Seating was very close to the next table and we had to squeeze through to exit. - A bit dark inside. - Felt homy. I would come back to try other items on the menu.

Cute neighborhood izakaya that also offers happy hour! I went once for happy hour and once for regular dinner - they have a fun take on dishes, my favorite being the spicy scallop risotto

Had a fantastic experience at NONO. We went to the happy hour, which was between 5 to 6 PM. What a great deal on raw fish, raw octopus, and oysters. Particularly never had raw octopus before and the way they killed it in wasabi was delicious, it wasn't too spicy, but they had an almost addictive way of integrated wasabi into the flavoring. The sashimi was perfect as well melted in your mouth. While most of the regular menu items are more on the pricey side, the cheap prices of the happy hour can balance out the bill. I would give the desserts a try, the ube dessert was particularly delicious and unique. It had a blend of crème brûlée call Ube flavor, cheesecake, with Boba to add some texture. Nothing like I've had before!

Great izakaya place but on the pricey side, even with happy hour items (we spent ~$60/person after tip). Everything was delicious (all the raw fish we ordered tasted very fresh too), but I would recommend: -Scallop risotto -Chips and dip -chicken nanban Make sure to check in on Yelp; you get free chicken skin!

Delicious Japanese cuisine in a cozy atmosphere. We started off with Chips and Dip and this was easily the highlight of our meal. The uni was so fresh and flavourful and the deep fried seaweed was a nice touch. It was firm so it didn't break while scooping up the dip. For skewers we opted for the Unagi and Ribeye. The Ribeye was very juicy and tender while I found the Unagi to be a bit dry. For our entree, we ordered the Spicy Scallop Risotto. The scallop was cooked perfectly and so tender. The risotto had a nutty flavour and the chilli oil reminded me of Lao Gan Ma. We finished our meal with Happy Melon which was essentially just a regular melon that has been cut up aesthetically with a scoop of ice cream. Not the most worth in my opinion but it was fun. Note that the service was quite slow that day. There was a long line outside and when we were finally seated after waiting 1 hour, we were surprised to see that the restaurant was really empty inside. It seemed like it was understaffed. It took a while for the waitress to come to our table and give us water. However, once we placed our order, the food arrived promptly.

Decided on a whim to try Nono and it was the best decision we could've made! We walked in on a Thursday night around 8 PM. It was pretty full, but there was still a couple of tables available and we were sat immediately. They greeted us with hot towels to clean our hands, which is a really nice touch.. We decided to order a variety since it was the first time visiting. We ordered two separate beers one specifically caught my eye, which was a ale brewed with sweet potato and the second was a rice Pilsner. We ordered the chicken skewer flight, the sashimi sampler, the do do tofu, the Tekka on Fillmore roll and the salt and pepper torikawa. Everything came out at different times which I really enjoyed because we were able to really taste and develop flavors and I absolutely loved everything we had. The restaurant itself reminded us of having Izakaya in Japan. The sashimi was very fresh. The tofu was absolutely delicious. They give it to you in a mortar so that you can mix it together. it has a of heat, which I loved; the Tekka tuna roll was very well packed with tuna and the rice was very flavorful. The sashimi platter came with a fresh wasabi mix that was definitely something special. I can't wait to go back and try more items!

I came by for a late-ish dinner with some friends; we waited around 5 or 10 minutes for one of the outdoor tables to open up around 7:30 or so. It's an izakaya-style place so of course we ordered lots of skewers and small plates to share. Some highlights: - I really liked the ribeye cap beef skewer. It's a little pricey so I probably wouldn't get too many, but it was really well cooked, super savoury without being too fatty/oily - delicious all around. The pork belly and the chicken oyster were both fantastic, too - we got a lot more of these since the price point was great haha - Cheese crown wheel was pretty meh (pictured). It tasted fine but I feel like you can get corn like this pretty much anywhere honestly. - Spicy scallop risotto was kind of interesting. The scallops were very juicy and tasty, risotto was a little bit overcooked (too soggy for my taste). It was unexpectedly spicy (I mean, not *really* spicy, but more than we thought) and the flavours were a little heavy (we didn't end up finishing it). - Jaga bata was one of my favourite choices. The soy butter flavour was SO delicious and the potatoes were very soft and fluffy - just wonderfully cooked all around. Also if you check-in on Yelp, you get a free order of the salt & pepper torikawa (fried chicken skin). Eh, it was free, but I don't think it was ~that~ good (it would have been $10 ordinarily). Anyways, not bad overall, and while somewhat pricey, I think the price point was generally reasonable? -ish? for the amount and quality of the food. I think it's a good experience to try once, and while it seems like they have some other interesting dishes on their menu, I'm not particularly jumping at the chance to come back to try those out.

I initially wanted to come here for their happy hour, but even though we didn't make the timeframe, we still decided to come at around 8PM on a Sunday night for a late dinner. I was expecting a line since the space is rather small, just a block down from the main Japantown plaza, so I was happy to see that there were still one or two tables open, and we were seated immediately. The waitress came over with hot towels, which was a nice touch, as well as water as we looked through the menu. We decided to order two things to share and the chance to order dessert later because we saw somebody order the huge melon, and we were intrigued. The Kaisen Don came with fried nori (crackers) on the side as vessels to eat the dish with. Each sashimi (salmon, amaebi, negi toro, scallop, ikura) was already slightly marinated in a light and sweet soy sauce, so we didn't have to add anything extra. It was really good on its own over a generous bed of umami sushi rice, and the box was completely empty by the end of the meal. We tried the Unagi Furai which was unexpectedly really good - We just wanted a cooked starter, and this exceeded our expectations with the sauce and the perfect crisp. We ended our meal with the Happy melon, which was essentially balls of honeydew with ice cream, candied, almonds, and some jelly at the bottom. It was refreshing, pretty, but I'd love to try their other desserts next time - And the skewers! #cleared

Nono is a delightful gem tucked away in the heart of Japantown. This small izakaya restaurant left a lasting impression on our dining experience. My daughter was so smitten with the gyoza that she insisted on ordering it again - a true testament to its delectable taste. And the yakitori? It was nothing short of amazing. The chicken and steak skewers were amazing! The lamb rack stole the show. Nono's flavors left us craving for more, and it's safe to say that I'm definitely coming here on every trip to San Francisco. Say "yes, yes to Nono!"

* date visited: 08.28.24 * ordered: chips and dip, scallop risotto, happy hour items really good but expensive. portions enough for 2 people but would probably order different things in the future. chips and dip app is very good (uni, negitoro, wasabi, and rice chip thing) flavor fully and texturally so fun (soft fish, crispy chip) scallops in the risotto were super good but as it got cold,,,,,,,,, did not scale well. however, we finished the entire thing LOL (really creamy and addicting to eat). wish there was more roe. ambiance is super cute and the service was fast and efficient :)

A cute and intimate izakaya spot near Japantown! Seating is limited on the inside, so be prepared to wait for a bit, especially during peak times. I love how they separate their menu into different categories because it makes it super easy to order a few dishes from each and try a little bit of everything! The sashimi was incredibly fresh, and I am obsessed with their Kaisen Don, which has an unbelievable amount of uni and scallops, among other cuts. Don't skip out on their skewers, either; they are all extremely flavorful and tasty.

Great Izakaya place near japantown! They have a large menu selection which I like because you can try a bit of everything. My favorites are the mushroom tempura and pork belly. Their shareable dishes are great too. The staff are super friendly and the space is really cute. They also open really late which is a plus. Highly recommend coming here with friends!

Came here on a Sunday night for small bites thinking the wait would be long but surprisingly there was no wait at all which was great since I've heard the wait can be super long at times! The inside is such a clean and cozy izakaya spot with just a few tables. Server greets you with a warm towel for your hands also which was a plus. They have quite an assortment of different interesting dishes on their menu ranging from sushi to skewers and izakaya bites. We weren't really hungry so we ordered what we thought would be a few things but it ended up being more than expected and left pretty full. Everything we ordered was super good and had a great char to it. Shiitake mushroom (4/5): great umami flavor, juicy inside Shishito peppers (4/5): soft inside with a charred crunch Scallop (5/5): we saved this skewer for last (big mistake) because this would've been like a 7/5 if eaten warm still. Even though it cooled down still buttery and melts in your mouth Chicken hearts (5/5): 0 gameyness to it had really good meaty flavor Chicken liver (4/5): bit gamey but I don't might that taste at all, very as well. Bit rough if you don't eat it while it's still warm Chicken gizzard (4/5): same as liver Drinks: both looked super well made and they tasted very refreshing Kiwi mojito Passion tiki Overall I would def come back here to try the other skewers and dishes!

The menu of this restaurant is pretty big! They also have a happy hour 5-6pm everyday which I would come back to try, but for regular price it's a bit on the expensive side. I was looking forward especially to the spicy scallop risotto, & the scallops were AMAZING & super juicy, but the rest of the risotto was sub par. There were red chili flakes that were hard to chew & in my mouth felt like a shrimp shell or something. Overall the service is good with friendly waiters. K there's an outdoor area with tables next to heaters as well.

WAS IT WORTH A 2 HOUR WAIT............. h e c k y e a h, and you know I'd do it again. This is absolutely one of the best restaurants in Japantown, hands down. We wrote our name on the waitlist, walked off to explore peace plaza, then came back and waited another hour LOL. I imagine a group of 2 would get seated more quickly. Once inside, service was delightful-- so attentive and bubbly. Though dishes were rushing all around us, the atmosphere still felt inviting and cozy. Favorites would have to be: - Kaisen don (ok, the fish freshness is insane. And their rice is seasoned impeccably) - Mushroom tempura (ask what their seasonal picks are) - Finally we have a roll (FAT ASS roll with the sweetest, plumpest fish ever) One of our orders was misplaced-- though we were totally fine waiting, the staff comped a dish and gifted a set of chicken skewers on the house (!!!). Their customer service is beyond. Too late to get pictures of every single thing we ate... We tore into them immediately. Food here is fire. Our party of 4 ordered a table full of dishes and it was only about $200 (before tip)?????? Cue mutual shock. We were fully expecting it to be over $400. I would absolutely come back so we can try the few remaining dishes on their menu that we DIDN'T order. And then some.

It looked like a garage turned into a small Japanese restaurant in Japantown, Nono's quite a busy place. They both have an indoor and patio seating and with that you have to sign on their waitlist for your party to be called and be seated on a table. They don't have an extensive list of menu instead opt for small plates. Salt and Pepper torikawa- a mix of crispy chicken skin with scallions, jalapeno, onion that was paired with lime and truffle Tabasco Sriracha sauce. This was crispy salty and dipped in the sauce it comes with balanced it out. Spicy Scallop Risotto- it came with 3 jumbo pieces of scallops on a bed of Cauliflower puree risotto, ikura and shiitake. The risotto were creamy and the scallops were tender and cooked wonderfully. Kaisen Don- amebi, scallop, ikura, salmon and negi toro on bed of mushroom sushi rice. This also came with fried nori. You can tell that they use fresh ingredients by how the fish doesn't have that fishy smell and taste. It contained big portions of their seafood and they don't skimp on it. Skewers: Pork Cheek and Wagyu. The price difference between A5 wagyu and American wagyu were astronomical so we went with the latter. They have that nice char and scrumptious in every bite. Yuzu Mimosa to top off the night Will I come back here, maybe if I have the same company I went here with. This is not for anyone with big sushi appetite or looking for more sushi variety. This place for me seemed like a sit and chat with friends kind of atmosphere and food just come in second. They were friendly and attentive so that made our night pleasant.

Went for the happy hour 5-6 (available every day) and got a bunch of dishes to share with a friend. Pretty good overall but still kinda pricey for a happy hour menu. Hand rolls are still $7 (normally $10) and sashimi is $7 for 2 pc. The salmon sashimi was great -- slightly fatty and great flavor. The negi toro handroll was pretty good and had a slight truffle flavor with crunchy toppings which I liked. We also got the truffle wagyu handroll, which was surprisingly tender and quite flavorful (a little on the salty side though) but would recommend trying! The kimchi udon carbonara was my fav dish of the night. The shrimp is really good and the dish is super creamy! Definitely really filling so good to share. Service is great & super fast and friendly; we got water refills often. The place is really small so definitely come early! At 5 there was no wait but it started filling up soon after. Pro tip if you check in on yelp you can get a free chicken skin appetizer if you spend over $20 :)

Craving Izakaya Japanese food, we came to Nono at 5pm on a weekday and were seated right away. They have a Happy Hour menu that consisted of reasonably priced food and hot sake, along with their extensive regular menus. We ordered a bit of this and that. The oysters were fresh; handrolls were yum, and all skewers were top notch. What seemed to miss the mark was the spicy scallop risotto, which was heavy, not spicy, and too salty. Mango scallop carpaccio was a miss for me in terms of sweet/tangy/salty ratio. We loved the Happy melon dessert, but was very disappointed with the Crystal Hulu, as the sugar coating didn't crystallize. However, I loved the durian ice cream even though I'm not a fan of the fruit itself. Cute clean cozy place and completely unassuming on the outside, though there seems to always be people waiting outside to get in once the doors open!

Came in on a Wednesday night around 8:30p. Restaurant is pretty empty with 2 other parties dining. Service was pretty slow in the beginning but picked up after a little bit. It's a cute izakaya and has a variety of interesting selections. Been here a few time and the food is solid all around. Wanted to try some new things from the menus: I got the scallop carpaccio with mango sauce, miso braised tendon and some skewers. The appetizers I ordered is a hit or missed tho. The scallops carpaccio were a bit too sweet to my liking but has an interesting texture. (Just wished it's paired with a savory component). The spicy miso braised beef tendons with potatoes were incredible. They give you a generous amount of soft tendons that literally melts in your mouth. Definitely worth ordering considering its price point too!

nono has a great izakaya ambiance perfect for a date night or girlie dates. it's located off the main street in japantown, so i've actually never passed by it until now! for drinks, my friend got a matcha white chocolate strawberry and i got an asahi. the matcha strawberry is a must try! for food, we got the scallop risotto, mushroom tempura, and chicken heart skewers. they were all tasty and well seasoned, except the scallop risotto was a bit heavier taste wise. service was standard and friendly~~~ overall, highly recommend this spot!

Had a great time at nono for a birthday dinner, and it was such a lovely spot to hangout and celebrate in! It's on the smaller side, but feels really cozy with nice decor and nostalgic japanese music. The servers were super sweet, letting us store the birthday cake we brought and adding candles for us as well to bring it out with! We ordered a big assortment, but my favorites were the hamachi truffle, kimchi carbonara udon, chips and dip, and the chicken heart skewers. I probably wouldn't get the corn cheese wheels next time! Everything was super flavorful and delicious, but beware the portions are on the smaller size for the price, so be prepared to splurge!

3.5 stars, but rounding up bc the staff were nice. I came here for happy hour with my friend and we were surprised to see it nearly empty when we arrived at 515pm, though the cold dreary weather may have been a factor in people not wanting to go out. We were one of two parties and the music was so loud that we couldn't hear each other talk, but the staff were very accommodating when we asked if they could turn it down lol. My options on the happy hour menu were a bit limited as my tummy has been rejecting raw seafood lately :( so we mostly ordered off the regular menu. We also asked for the dessert menu at the end and ended up deciding not to order, but the manager was really nice when we told her that we changed our minds. - Spicy scallop risotto: I love scallops and this did not disappoint! They were sweet and tender, and the flavor profile overall was very balanced. It didn't taste spicy, but Japanese spicy tends to not be very strong imo. - Momo duck: this was sooo good! It was so tender and flavorful, and tbh I didn't even need the sauce that it came with. I could've eaten two plates of this. - Beef tongue skewer: my friend had tried the wagyu before and wasn't super impressed, so we decided to get the tongue this time, and this was definitely the right choice. - Bacon-able with mochi skewer: the mochi was perfectly chewy, and the bacon was the right texture to contrast. Eat this while it's still fresh and warm! - Chicken skewer combo (HH menu): this was probably my least favorite thing that we ordered LOL it was fine, but everything else was just better. (I also don't like gizzard so that eliminated 1/3 of the skewers I could eat.) - Shichimi Paloma: the grapefruit and lime flavors were a little too light for my taste :( Overall, I can see why this place is so popular, despite the misses for me, and the price point wasn't too bad either considering how much we ordered. It was a tad overhyped in my opinion, but that might also be because I wasn't able to eat any sushi dishes. I would come back to try more yakitori and a few other dishes from the rest of the menu, though it would be nice to expand the food options on the happy hour menu a bit more.

3.5/5 Make sure to Yelp checkin for a FREE Salt & Pepper Torikawa (crispy chicken skin)!!! A cute, pricey, and small Izakaya tucked away the main heart of Japantown! My friend and I came on a Friday night and waited about 45~ minutes. You can just put your name and number and take a walk around the Japantown center while you wait! We ordered: Spicy Scallop Risotto (4.5/5) $25 - Our favorite out of the things we ordered! Very yummy and unique! It felt like eating a creamy Japanese paella & the ikura really put the dish together! Chicken Flight (3/5) $38 - I've never had so many different parts of a chicken at once so it was definitely an experience. I liked maybe half the skewers but personally, I would've liked everything more if there was a sauce/stronger flavor. It feels like they just placed all of the meats on the grill with some oil and maybe a little bit of salt but also, I understand could be the vibe they're going for to emphasize the meat flavor but it just tasted so plain for us. Chips and Dip (3/5) $30 - Honestly, I regret this one. I'm not sure what I was expecting but the uni and negi toro portion was SO small. The pictures on Yelp are indeed deceiving. It was a couple bites max but I could've definitely gotten something better and filling so my fault. Service was ok; one of the waiters definitely more mean and standoffish. Their stuff is kinda pricey but I'd go back to try some of their other things & just wouldn't get the chicken flight or chip & dip again!

A cozy tiny little Japanese restaurant on Fillmore in SF. I didn't have a reservation and went alone on a Thursday night at around 6:30. Didn't need to wait at all. I ordered the Kaisen Don and it was a 5/5. All the ingredients were fresh. The uni and the scallops were very fresh and sweet. The shiso was a great touch as well. Brought out the flavors of each ingredient. Would visit again will try their drinks and desserts next time.

Updating my review since my recent visit (last week, early April 2024) with my sister, who is visiting. I think I might have hyped it up too much to her because I think both of our experiences were a bit mediocre or left us hoping for more. Not sure if it is because of the recent H5N1 avian flu virus outbreak that's affecting much of the poultry industry, but they did not have half of the chicken skewers options available even though we came right at 5pm when they opened for happy hour. Of the parts that they did have in stock, the flavors for these organ meats and textures were a bit off, and less enjoyable. They did also change their happy hour times to now be just 5-6pm.

Everything was so fresh and uniquely tasting! Wait wasn't too bad on a Saturday night and ambiance was great, just like what an izakaya would feel like. Try to make it there at 9 to catch HH, it's elite! Spicy Scallop risotto: 6/5! Perfectly cooked risotto with the right amount of creaminess-- i didn't feel like it was super heavy either Salt and pepper torikawa: 4/5 really crispy and light 7 skewers: 4/5, skewers were all really well flavored except for the mushroom one. The lamb and wagyu were the stand outs for me Chip and dip: 6/5, one of my favs! The contrast between the crispy salty flavor of the seaweed chip paired really well with the cold uni and toro. The ice holding the toro melts fast so it might get into the toro tray though Overall solid dinner experience and food (:

Came to NONO for dinner on a Friday around 6pm and it's a very popular spot so had to wait about 40m to be seated. You put your name and party size on a piece of paper at the entrance. The restaurant is pretty small and has cute Japanese decor. It was definitely worth the wait! I love Japanese izakaya and this spot does it so well. It's fun to try a lot of different dishes. I came with a friend and we ordered 4 dishes, 9 skewers and a dessert for a party of 2. We were very full! My favorites were the unagi furai and all the skewers! Everything was delicious. The skewers all had a good char on them. The only dish I didn't like that much was the scallop mango carpaccio. I love scallops and mangos but I thought this dish was too sweet. But the scallops were nice and fresh and I liked the seaweed it was served with. I will definitely come back to try more things on the menu!

Came here for happy hour (5-6pm) hoping to get oysters with my oyster loving bestie, only to be told 10 min after ordering that they were out :( We ended up trying a few other things off the happy hour menu, but they weren't really impressive or memorable to me. The only thing I loved and would get again was the spicy scallop risotto. The happy melon dessert was also nice if you're a melon fan, but we both agreed it would've been better if it had shaved ice or bingsu inside too instead of just balled melon and a few scoops of jelly. Also there was a yelp check in freebie for torikawa which I redeemed with the waiter, only to again be told 10 min later that they were out! Wish they would've informed from the start on things that were unavailable especially since they just opened and we wouldn't have assumed otherwise

Intimate izakaya with well-crafted dishes. Shout out yelp for the free appetizer--the fried chicken skin was delish. The kimchi udon carbonara and sushi were scrumptious. Definitely super high quality for the price.

Went as a party of 2 on a friday night. We got the spicy scallops risotto, negi toro handrolls, momo duck, cheese corn wheel, scallops skewers and beef tongue skewers. Service was really good and food came out fast. They also have a lot of interesting and creative menu items that we would love to try another time. Risotto - 10/10 must try! really flavorful, good to share since its on the heavier side Negi toro Handrolls - 8/10 really good but nothing too special Momo duck - 8/10 flavor is good but not sure it pairs the best with the sesame sauce on the side Cheese corn wheel - 8/10 really good for what it is, corn is juicy and the cheese and seasoning went really well with it Scallops, Beef tongue skewers - 9/10 really good quality, especially the scallops, which are really big Overall, the food quality exceeded expectations for the price point, and we left feeling pretty satisfied. Would definitely come back!

No wait, was immediately seated on a Sunday night. Definitely on the pricier side and small portions for 3 people. However, each dish was delicious and the bacon wrapped mochi was amazing - perfect consistency! The interior is small and cozy, reminds me of the small izakaya shops in Japan. Would come back again to try their happy hour menu.

Highly recommend coming here! It's a small izakaya right next to Japan town, and super convenient to park next to the garage and walk over. We tried: skewers(shishito, fresh eel, pork belly, ribeye cap, chicken flight consisting of heart, gizzard, wing, liver, skin, tail, nankotsu, and tsukune). we also ordered other dishes of chawanmushi, salt and pepper chicken skin, unagi + Uni hand roll, oyster and the iconic chips & dip. *My favorite item out of all is definitely chips and dip. I love the toro with the crispy seaweed chips and uni on top. This will for sure be my go-to order in the future if I come back again in the future. I would also highly recommend ordering the following skewers: chicken wing, fresh eel, chicken cartilage, the pork belly, and shishito peppers. Those are my top favorites but honestly, none of them disappoint depending on your preference. The melon dessert was delicious and was sweet even tho I thought it's off melon season. So I'm pleasantly surprised and would definitely order again in the future with a larger group of friends to share instead of just two of us. *TLDR: Nono is a wonderful experience and I will definitely be back again to try out other new dishes!

NONO was a no no for me. This is a super cute, intimate Japanese restaurant on Fillmore. A cozy spot with less than 10 tables to dine in and a small patio. Being a newer spot, my boyfriend and I were excited to try out the happy hour menu. While the food was good, it was insanely overpriced for the portion sizes (even by SF standards) and we unfortunately did not have great service. We tried a few different hand rolls, oysters, the cola chicken, hot sake, and a sapporo. Happy hour drinks were $5 and food items were $7. The hot sake cups were adorable but so small, one order was really only enough for one person. The hand rolls were tasty but a one bite type of situation. Oysters were also fresh and delicious. The cola chicken was 3 wings and nothing special. Our bill was pretty pricey and we definitely left hungry. We got a table for 2 right away on a Friday around 5pm. It was busy, busy. Every table was filled and food seemed to be coming out quick. I'm sure it was a one off situation but we just did not have good service. We sat down and got our order taken before multiple tables around us and those tables all got multiple food orders before we even got drinks. It was pretty wild. We asked our waiter what was going on, he just acted confused but it was very clear our order was never put in. Very annoying situation. Overall, food was pretty good but I'm not very interested in going back from our experience. Maybe I'll give them another shot in the new year when the grand opening hype is done.

We walked by this place on our way to Copra one night and we instantly thought "wow it's so cute, we need to try it." And we finally did! We came here at 5:40 pm on a Thursday for Happy Hour and the place was about 50% full so we were seated instantly. It's a relatively small izakaya restaurant, and I have seen people waiting outside on the weekends but they do take reservations for groups of six or more. We ordered quite a bit off the happy hour including hand rolls, oysters, sashimi and chicken skewers. The fish was so fresh and the negi toro hand roll was one of my favorites! The chicken skewers were also really tasty. Overall everything was delicious! Including the drinks! We'll definitely be back to try the other things on their menu.

This place is fantastic! Restaurant is a bit small but it's a great cozy ambience. Happy Hour deals from 5-6pm are great here too! $7 hand rolls/ sashimi, $5 drinks, Chicken Skewers half off, etc. Happy Hour is offered everyday, except for maybe holidays. Service is great, they offer hot hand towels before your meal. The kimchi carbonara pasta was delicious and creamy. 10/10 would come back here again!

The atmosphere here is incredibly cozy--I really love it. The food was decent, though nothing extraordinary. The kimchi udon was a little too sour for my liking. Considering the price, I had hoped to enjoy it more. On the bright side, the menu offers a fantastic selection with a variety of skewers and other dishes. I'd definitely return during happy hour to take advantage of the great deals!

My boyfriend and I came here to satisfy our sushi craving but unfortunately did not have the greatest experience. A lot of the menu pictures on yelp are out of date despite before only a few months old. The price of a few of the menu items had increased significantly. We ordered 3 handrolls set at $10 a piece. The taste was decently good but the portion size was insanely small. For a $40 meal, this didn't fill us up at all. I did enjoy the warm towel and the ambiance of the restaurant, but I don't think I will be back.

Wow! This place is a hidden gem a short walk from Japantown. Place is not very clear from outside, with a small sign that says "No No" right above the door. Since it was our first time here, we made reservations-- hindsight being 20/20, would recommend since the place can fill up fast, even on a rainy Friday evening. The place has a large selection, much bigger than many other izakayas. We ordered a huge chunk of the menu, and it was all pretty good. A couple of the skewers were more warm than hot, but overall the flavor and quality was some of the best in town. You can taste the umami and grille flavor on the yakitori--- so would consider it pretty authentic. We were really excited for the chicken skin, but it was sold out on this day. Which was a bummer, but we still stuffed ourselves silly, and still have more items to come back for in the future. Highlights include: Skewers (yakitori or others) - all very solid, good flavor, nice umami grilled taste. chips and dip - nice modern fusion appetizer grilled onigiri - small and easy to eat, with great flavor melon dessert - semi healthy being half a melon, but also has icecream and a popsicle. hand rolls - kind of like a nigiri in seaweed, highly recommend the wagyu handroll. Best part here was the small portion of rice.

We came during their soft opening and waited a solid hour in the chilly SF wind in hunger for this meal. It was really quite good. I'm really into skewers but something I didn't like about Rintaro was how oily the meats are, it gave me a tummy ache. These skewers were low on the oil and had good flavors. I actually ended up liking the non skewer dishes even more, esp the tofu dish. It's a nice and small space, worth trying again but I can't wait in line for an hour again.

A hidden gem in japantown, you could walk by it and hardly notice it. Which is what Is what I did when I met my friend for dinner. There's no obvious signage just a lantern and some benches on the outside. We are super early at 5, so there wasn't a line and not a whole lot of people inside. The interior is modern with lots of wood accents. The menu is pretty large but has a good selection of izakaya foods. We started off with the maitake mushroom tempura which was so crispy and delicious, it wasn't too heavy or greasy for the batter. We also got the beef tongue , chicken negi & chicken heart skewers. They were all seasoned pretty well and not overly cooked. We got a kaisen don which was actually a pretty decent size to share and had fresh scallops, shrimp, uni , salmon and tuna on top. Definitely on the pricier side but it was pretty good. Would definitely come back here in the future! Total for 2: $130

Came to NONO for their happy hour exactly at 5 and it did not disappoint! Skewers are $5 and hand rolls are $7. The hand rolls are on the smaller size but still so good! We also checked in on Yelp and got the salt and pepper skin for free and it was so crispy and good! Service is great and there was a line by the time we left.