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Kyo-ya
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
Palace Hotel2 New Montgomery St
San Francisco, CA 94105
Neighbourhood: SOMA
(415) 546-5090
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
155 reviews for Kyo-ya
Review Highlights
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"Dessert: One scoop of green tea ice cream." In 5 reviews -
"I will definitely be back for more sashimi." In 28 reviews -
"The sake selection is good, reasonable and delicious." In 19 reviews
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155 reviews in English
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Review from The O.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 5/4/2012
The thing about this restaurant is the genuinely welcoming atmosphere the entire staff offers you when you arrive. And that is a reflection of how everyone who works there must really cooperate, and really get along, and really care about what they are doing.
I had the Agedashi Tofu and Sake Nigiri-Sushi. The O-Cha was excellent.
And maybe it is not as expensive as I thought, not always. You CAN pay too much at Kyoya, I have to tell you, even though I like the place a lot. Some of the dishes are priced too high, and if I don't add $200 in sake, then the bill is lower! (Yuki no bosha) I almost fell off the wagon tonight, but I held on!
I really enjoyed eating there, and I can recommend it: 4 stars for authentic ambience without going over the top (the natural wood in the dining area, the reserved decor), and for delicious food. At dinner they had free appetizers.
And it is a very nice place to take refuge from New Montgomery for a while.
The only reason I'll be staying away is because of their excellent sake menu (I am trying to pull back a little). Eating there tonight was very nice. Come to think of it, the best way to characterize this restaurant is that some Japanese people decided to start a good restaurant in the States that would fit into the local area while remaining authentic to Japanese culinary and aesthetic demands.
Thanks Kyoya!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/5/2011
I lived in Tokyo for a couple years, and I appreciate Japanese food if it is done well, and love the… Read more »
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Review from Maile N.
2/24/2012
**Happy Hour only***
$7 cocktails (lychee martini was my choice), beer and sake too (I think they were $3 a glass/serving) and complimentary appetizers (chilled tofu, edamame, chicken and fruit) - nice! I tried not to eat all the edamame. :) Great, friendly service, nice relaxed environment, there's a TV or two, lovely lounge area. A big thumbs up!! -
Review from greg s.
Pleasanton, CA
1/24/2012
Would be zero stars except the service was fine. I should have read Paul M.'s review from 1/21/12 before going here. The 15 piece sushi plate a la carte is fifty bucks. Absurd for what you get and the quality of the salmon which is about the most basic fish you can get was average at best as the fish was not very firm.
I have not reviewed in a long time but felt compelled after this rip off. Don't punish yourself with so many other choices available.
The table was not even clean...there was a ring of dried up unagi sauce that must have been under a saucer that was not even wiped up.
Note - I am only assuming it was unagi sauce! -
Review from Anne K.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012 2 Check-ins Here
There is a wheelchair lift at the entrance. (I got stuck in it once. I'm willing to go back despite that, as they were really awesome about it and the hotel's maintenance guy got me out fairly quickly.) Bathroom is down another elevator in the depths of the Palace, but it's ADA. (And there's another way out down there, if the lift does break.) It's plenty bright enough to read a menu in there; no tripping over stuff. Tables are accessible (at least the ones in the back).
The food is average to good quality; sushi's pretty good if unimaginative and some of the other dishes are things I haven't seen elsewhere and are quite good. Prices are a little too high for what you get, but there is a little ambiance. There's be more without the TV.
The happy hour is a good deal, and the drinks are tasty. Bring well-behaved children when it isn't happy hour; I've seen several in there. Do dinner if you need classy Japanese in the area; the ambiance and bar are above average and you can hear your guests talking. -
Review from Rosie S.
San Francisco, CA
7/15/2011
Came here for lunch on my own. Sushi chef greeted me as I entered. I had cucumber seaweed salad. Not much cucumber. Small bowl. I paid $9 for this?? The seaweed tasted fishy also. Not to my liking at all...
I ordered the celebration roll which, at $16, seemed the most appealing roll on the menu....it had lobster, avocado, white fish, tuna. It was served on a beautiful platter with little rainbow colored dots which looked like candy. Interesting. There was also a creamy sauce. Nice presentation. Roll pieces were a little large so I had to eat some of the fish on top first. Very yummy, the fish was extremely fresh. The roll a little rich (the lobster was in a sauce like a Cali roll would be except instead of crab it was lobster).
All in all, nice place in the Palace Hotel but like most hotel restaurants, it fell short. At those prices (I paid $31 for my lunch) I would expect to be blown away and I wasn't. I can get much better cucumber/seaweed salad and rolls at a better price elsewhere....Listed in: FiDi Weekday Grind Lunch Spots, Sushi
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Review from Steve A.
West Newton, MA
4/9/2012
Average Sushi, above average price. Sat at the bar hoping to get the Sushi bar/chef experience only to find out that the waitress served all the food and the Chef didn't pay much attention to patrons.
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Review from Irene P.
Costa Mesa, CA
7/25/2011
This is by far the worst sushi I have ever had in my life. I came in by myself, ordered a beer. I proceeded to order a la carte - sake, toro, yellow tail, and amber jack. I was excited! for the prices I was paying, I was expecting melt in your mouth delicious top notch sushi.
The presentation was decent - nothing fancy. The soy sauce was the dark soy sauce, way too strong and over powering for fine sushi. The ginger was too strong - ginger should have the subtle taste, this ginger was extremely sweet and sharp.
The cut of the sashimi made my stomach lurch. As soon as the plate was put in front of me, I wanted to say "are you sure this is mine?" The each fish was cut in rectangular logs - with no attention to the grain of the meat. My fish looked nothing like the pictures on Yelp, which do not look that fantastic, but at least they were cut the right way. Because of the terrible cut, I had to chew into chunks of the fish, rather than enjoy it melt on my mouth. I explained to the manager that with cuts like this, I would expect to have it diced and thrown in a hand roll.
I've gotten into the habit of smelling my sushi before I eat it, because I was told that is how you can smell how fresh the fish is. I got nothing. I was so disappointed I could not even eat the second piece of sashimi. My stomach warned me not to continue.
Not only were the pieces way too small, they were not edible. I told the waiter I was extremely upset with the food - something I've never done in my life. What else - I've never, ever, left uneaten sushi. Not even at a sushi buffet. Especially not $25 Toro. I felt like if I forced myself to eat it, I would probably end up in the ER.
I came back to my hotel room - in the Palace - and proceeded to throw up until I was sure the disgusting, unworthy fish was out of my system.
What did I do wrong? Was it because I came on a Monday night? Perhaps they didn't get any fresh fish this week? Oh, I didn't check the Yelp reviews.
The manager gave me a 25% concession for my 50% eaten food. I didn't even want the concession, I just wanted to get out of there, away from the ugliest sushi I've ever seen in my life - and away from the chunky tiny cut pieces of flavorless fish.
I currently feel like curling up into a ball but I wanted to make sure that this Yelp review was posted in case I don't make it to see tomorrow. Really, I've never had such bad sushi in my life. -
Review from Richard M.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012
Best sushi I have ever had. Scallops were the very best. I had a toro roll with gold leaf....amazing visual experience. These chefs are the real deal....
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Review from Joe K.
3/19/2011
The "Hamachi Kama," Yellow Tail collar cooked over flame was memorable. Sorry to say the rest of dinner wasn't. The price of the evening was certainly worth remembering, but alas the food... not so much.
Maybe if the sushi was really terrific, and crazy good... then I probably wouldn't mind paying the price. OR... if the food was just okay, but they gave you a ton... then I wouldn't mind. But if it's simply Ho-Hum ( in my own humble opinion) for that size serving, and it costs that much.. I think it's better off forgotten.
I mean... isn't sushi supposed to be nicely packed and firm, so it'll be easy to pick up whole with chop sticks. Not only did they arrive in an untimely matter ( no COOKING needed) but they were falling apart and crumbly, my Financial Tower was falling like my mutual funds in the last recession. Six of eight Crunchy Spicy Tuna rolls were fine, but the last 2 were like Uncle Ben's minute rice sushi ...uhhh can we get two spoons please.
I really appreciated the Lychee Martinis, we were having, as it eased the pain later when we saw the bill... ouch! -
Review from Paul M.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
Probably worst sushi I've had. I even went back a second time to give it another chance. Way overpriced as well. And how does a chicken teriyaki meal warrant $22? There are so many better sushi restaurants in SF. I don't understand how this place stays in business. Wait...maybe all the hotel guests somehow support it?
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Review from Nancy B.
Rancho Cordova, CA
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
We stayed at the Palace and was looking for a close Happy Hour. The HH here was awesome. Drinks, including yummy martinis were 1/2 off ($7), Sapporo was $3. They served complimentary appetizers - appetizers, tofu and chicken. All very good. The service was excellent - the waiter was very attentive and helpful. They had a great little lounge where you could watch a game and relax in comfy leather couches.
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Review from M.E. T.
San Francisco, CA
4/29/2011
Really bad! Luckily, we had a gift certificate. We were quite excited as this restaurant is a part of the Palace Hotel - a memorable landmark in SF. It was more like a Denny's attached to a roadside motel.
First off, the food was just okay and not nearly as good as our neighborhood hole in the wall sushi bar. The worst part was the service and this is coming from someone who is quite sympathetic to restaurant workers, etc. having worked in several over the years. We started to feel as if we starring in a TV sit com or Candid Camera. Even trying to get someone to take our order required an act of Congress.
There are a million better restaurants in downtown SF. -
Review from Cemile A.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2011
I heard good things about this place. Being the sushi lover that i am, i wanted to check it out.
We ordered some sushi rolls and i got the chicken katsu curry.
Fish was fresh and sushi rolls were unique-good design, tastes good etc.
Chicken katsu curry was like an Indian dish more than Japanese..i personally am not a fan of it.
Nothing stood out for me. Small space. Quiet and very Japanese..well as expected, no complaints.
I am not going to go back, it was not bad.. just did not stand out comparing to my other favorite sushi places. -
Review from Akiko I.
- Locale destination -
It's right next to the entrance of "Palace Hotel". (Not inside of the hotel). Decor is very simple. OK service. Sushi bar is kinda slow - in terms of service. 2 Japanese sushi chefs at susi bar.
- Gluttony expedition -
Good: sweet shrimp - the head tempra wasn't good. Uni (from Hokkaido)
So so: Spanish Mackerel, yellowtail
Not Good: Otoro (chewy), Abalone, Halibut, Scallop
Some appetizers looked good but they were all like $18. They were APPETIZERS.... Entree price for appetizers?!?!?!
Cut roll - they tried to make it look fancy but meh...
- Conqueror's deduction -
It's very disappointing. Very very overpriced sushi for mediocre sushi. (Only 8 orders for $140 AND they weren't good ;()
I sat at sushi bar and NOTHING came out from sushi chef: He put everything on the plate and my server brought them all. I even had to order everything from the server. Sushi chef didn't even take the order. What's the purpose for me to sit at the bar???? It wasn't even busy.
Like I said, both sushi chefs were Japanese.
Hello, SF sushi lovers. This is NOT a typical Japanese traditional sushi, OK??? I'm Japanese from Tokyo. I love sushi, though I'm thinking to stop eating it by the movie "the Cove" and my support for the cause. I'll be much happier with sushi at supermarket - for what you pay ;p
Avoid here. You'll find a better sushi place somewhere else ;) -
Review from Madeline R.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
If miso soup is $6, it should be better than average. It wasn't. If a small plate of edamame is $6, it should be better than average. It wasn't. Both were good. But both were the same average miso soup and edamame you'd get for $2-$3 at a typical sushi restaurant.
I tried the hanabi roll and the financial tower. Now, the hanabi roll was outstanding and definitely worth the price, but the financial tower was barely average, the shrimp tempura in it wasn't even crispy.
I think people come here expecting outstanding sushi. If it were, then what you spend is worth it. But if you can get exactly the same sushi for 1/2 the price, and the ambiance isn't any difference, then why go here?
But the next time I feel like a yummy splurge, I'll get the hanabi roll to go. -
Review from Kristen S.
San Francisco, CA
7/15/2011
Reasonably good food. But my God can't the waitress spare a smile or two? Such a drab face when I only asked her ONE question - "does the lunch special come with miso soup?" No one needs to feel like they're being scolded by their mother when they dine out and pay $$$$. No thank you. That 15%? Poof. Gone to 10.
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Review from Bianca M.
Sunnyvale, CA
3/13/2011
This is a solid sushi place. It was pretty empty despite it being a Saturday night. The ambience is upscale but not too upscale, good for a casual business dinner with colleagues or first date.
I ordered the Salmon Twin for $14, it's a full plate of sushi with smoked salmon & avocado, topped with salmon sashimi and wasabi-flavored roe. The roe was really interesting, each little piece burst in my mouth with wasabi flavor. A filling meal for under $15 at a nice restaurant is a great deal.
There's not much parking around, but this place is very close to the Montgomery BART/Muni. -
Review from a z.
Granite Bay, CA
8/19/2010
Food is NOT good here. And very expensive. $160 for three people without drinks.
Terrible service, and the worst sushi I have ever had. And I have been to hundreds of sushi places. -
Review from Shannon M.
San Diego, CA
2/13/2012
Incredibly overpriced and terrible quality fish. Service was good enough but will never come back.
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Review from Chris A.
Irvine, CA
10/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
I sat at the bar an ordered the 10 piece omakase. It was not the experience I was expecting.
To begin with, the sushi chef did not speak to me. Odd, usually when one sits at the bar and orders omakase, the chef will get the ball rolling by asking what you like or usually get and use that as a guide. Not here.
I was expecting to be presented with one piece of sushi at a time. Sushi is best eaten as soon as it's made before the rice cools and the fish warms. Not here. The chef made all ten pieces at once and presented all ten to me at once. Bummer.
The fish was of good quality and tasted quite fresh. So far so good, but . . . . The pieces were on the small side, and the preparation was quite ordinary. The presence of soy sauce at each place on the bar should have clued me in to the fact that the chef was not going to season the sushi as part of his preparation. My go to sushi place doesn't even offer soy sauce because you don't need it.
The selection was pretty ordinary, too. Quite a few of my favorites were not on the menu, e.g., Opal Eye, Sea Bream, Sea Bass. . . .
The price was on the high side for what this place delivers. $40 for 10 pieces is a bit out of line for what was served. Oh, large Saporos were $10 each, by the way. -
Review from Meredith C.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2010
I was at the Palace Hotel all day and night working an event. Since I was done w/ hotel food (especially after traveling for days) I suggested to the team we order take-out from Kyo-ya around the corner.
We ordered about 8 different sushi rolls, a couple of salads, edamame, and a tempura dinner. For all that food - it came out to just over $200...as we were feeding 3 boys and 2 hungry girls. The order was done in 30 minutes and the presentation was pretty fab considering the time and the take-out factor. The service was good - they were nice & accommodating. The sushi was fresh but overall it was ok, not my new fave or anything. -
Review from Nobu K.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2010
Nigiri only review.
The sushi chef is 100% Japanese.
THE MOST OVER PRICED NIGIRI IN SF!
I feel really sorry writing this because the sushi chef was real good.
But, it's simply over priced.
OVER PRICED!!!!
I ordered,
Suzuki $6.50
Shime Saba $9.00
Maguro $12.00
Aji $7.00
Hirame $9.50
Ika $6.50
Anago $8.00
+tax=$64.06
I should be fair sayin' as "Nigiri only review", So, I have to say that the Nigiri was really good.
The Shari ( sushi rice) was perfect "al dente". 5 star Shari.
The Neta ( fish) were all perfect sliced. 5 star Neta.
And well trained 100% Japanese sushi chef.
So, What else do I want?
I'll tell you what i want.
I want reasonable sushi.
So, why should I go Kyo-Ya?
It's in the Palace Hotel for crying out loud.
The Palace Hotel lease must be really high.
But I don't think I am fit in the crowd anyway.
The serving was really odd. I was sitting the counter right front of the chef but I could not order direct to the chef. That's OK, but this is the funny part, the chef can not give me my order over the counter. He had to go around the counter, and find waitress, and give my order the waitress then she brought it over like other order from tables.
They treat counter order like table order.
What the Fxxx?
Something wrong in here.
Then I realized that the sushi chef wear tie.
Necktie?
I have never seen a sushi chef wear necktie before.
Something really wrong in here.
Palace Hotel was owned by Japanese for a while in late 80's.
I don't think Kyo-Ya own by Japanese any more.
i don't like the serving system.
I don't like seeing good sushi chef just working for someone.
He should have his own sushi place.
Then I'll be there.
But not for Kyo-Ya.
No Thanks.
I won't be back here again because I know some places that I can get the same quality sushi for about the half price.
forgot to mention, there was a white guy was sitting at the counter ordering waitress, I over heard him sayin', " Oh yeah, Can I get HOWMUCH-C'moh?"
The waitress was, "Excuse me?"
I was like, "Whatthe?".
He went on to say, " I'm from Texas. I don't know about you but You don't know how much I love Howmuch No C'mah. For me, it's like having a rib-eye-steak."
But soon after i said to myself, " I got it. The dumb ass sayin' Hamachi Kama!"
Btw, the dude was drinking a Nigori-Zake.
FXXX Man, That's a girl's stuff.Listed in: SUSHIT!, Authentic Japanese in SF, Japo-RipOff Sushi
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Review from Wakako U.
San Francisco, CA
11/28/2007
All wooden chopsticks should be like the ones provided at Kyo-ya. Smooth with no splinters, always splitting into two identical pieces.
Now, if you find yourself with cheap chopsticks which require filing, please don't do it in plain view. Very impolite. You are basically telling the restaurant that it couldn't afford nicer chopsticks. Well mannered people file chopsticks discreetly under the table. -
Review from Monica C.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2011
Went there for dinner, scored a lovely tucked away table and had the most wonderful service! Our host Sergio was VERY friendly and helpful. Service is a big deal for me, and very critical. He is an asset.
The sashimi we found very overpriced, ranging fro 3.50-5.50 per piece!
Thankfully we skipped as when we got the sashimi in the set 4 course meal, it was pretty average. The $45 set dinner we had was ok, but definitely not worth the price. We LOVE our sashimi and go a little crazy when ordering normally. If we had done this here, I think I would have been more upset.
Also, only having half a bottle of plum wine left in a Japanese restaurant? I found that a tad disappointing. However the cocktails were lovely and rather cheap and easily made up for that. Overall had a lovely night despite the overpriced food... however not sure if/when we will be back, More keen to try other Japanese restaurants first. -
Review from Nish N.
8/9/2006
I've always wanted to try Kyo-Ya, having heard a good many things about it, but always a little dismayed by the price range.
I finally had the chance to eat here, though, with a colleague of mine. It's inside the Palace Hotel, and at lunch the crowd is fairly sedate. But then again, you're here for the sushi.
I have to say that while not inexpensive, this is some of the freshest and more inventive raw fish I've come across. The rolls are large too, and despite complex ingredients, they all play off each other deliciously. Both the Volcano Ano Roll and the Financial Tower Roll are good examples of this, and you won't find rolls like this anywhere else.
We also tried some nigiri, very fresh, very flavorful - the yellowtail, salmon and tuna are all classic examples.
The real drawback here is the price, even by SF Sushi standards it's up there. But perhaps, for a special treat, and just to know what sushi perfection is really like, it's worth at least one visit. -
Review from Vincent K.
San Francisco, CA
7/15/2009
Deal: 15th of the Month is Lunch 15 pcs for $15 take out
5/5 for the proper packaging and presernation for my enjoyment while i find a park nearby to eat this at.
0/5 for even remotely trying to save the environment by giving lots of useless paper and plastics which will go in the garbage afterwards.
5/5 for the ONE single piece of portato croquet that I actually liked most.
but....2/5 for the overall enjoyment of the take out meal which componsed of a shrimp cream cheese roll, an unagi roll, cured pickled veggy and egg roll, mackeral, hamachi, and ebi. Although the variety was nice, the quality wasn't there. Sorry to the friends who recommended this place.....we need to redeem our sushi experience.
p.s. we even went to McDs to get a McChicken Sandwich and Parfait to make up for the loss. -
Review from John G.
1/26/2008 1 Check-in Here
Kyo~ya is always voted one of the best, pure and authentic Japanese Restaurant in San Francisco every year by Zagat reviews. True it's very expensive but the dishes here are like works of arts. It's a pure enjoyment on all your senses. The quality and freshness of the fish are top notch and they get them freshly shipped from Japan and Hawaii. The Butter Fish is to die for.
Master Sushi Chef Akifusa Tonai simply creates marvelous sushi and sashimi plates that are like Hokusai or Hirosuge woodblock paintings. Oh, and he also won the Silver Award for for Best Sushi Chef in California last year. Executive Chef Oshikawa provides the rest of the exquisite dishes. Try to take advantage of their lunch specials and Kaizeki Dinners. These are pure, wonderful Japanese treats.
The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and warm. They always greet you with a smile. Sergio the Bartender makes an excellent Green Tea Mojito that's so sublime it's intoxicatingly good. This place is like a piece of Japan, right in the heart of San Francisco. Try to visit every couple of months as they have different paintings and artworks as it also doubles as an art gallery. The Manager, Richard Graham always treats you like royalty whenever you step in this place; a piece of Japan in the heart of San Francisco.
They say that you eat with your eyes, if that's the case, this is like Picasso, Michelangelo and DaVinci all "rolled" into one. A true gem and a masterpiece. -
Review from David G.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2008
Best Nigiri Combo ever!
Was in the city the night of the Arctic Monkeys concert. Ended up scalping my tickets because my companion had to cancel and, after walking through the line, figured the crowd was too young for me, or I was too old for them. Either way, I ended up at Kyo-ya's door and ran off $40 of the scalp money. Oh man, best combo of 8 pieces of nigiri ever. Started with king crab and ended with toro. Don't really remember the inbetween, kinda blacked out between the first and the last bite. Even got a freebie bite of some combo nigiri from the chef. Guess closing your eyes on every bite and chewing with a smile from ear-to-ear hit a soft spot in his heart. Thank you chef!Listed in: Top Restaurants (2008 Jan 07), Most Memorable Dishes
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Review from Geoff K.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2007
You get what you pay for. While the prices here are high, the restaurant makes up for it with the caliber of the sushi and rolls. The atmosphere is quiet, which is unusual for a sushi bar, and detracts somewhat in my opinion. The servers know the menu backwards and forwards and fielded our inquiries without any touch of disdain, which is more than can be said for a lot of sushi restaurants.
I'm not a rolls guy (my Japanese stepdad calls it "roundeye sushi") but their rolls really were fantastic. Ever get that feeling that the fish in a roll consists of the scraps and not-so-fresh fish? You won't get that here. Our rolls had fresh toro, among other fresh fish, were perfectly presented, and were generously sized. Again, for $16 a roll, you get what you pay for.
The nigiri was fantastic and there were a number of uncommon things on the menu. We tried striped bass and striped jack, both of which were excellent. The fresh salmon sashimi was very good.
They also have a nice, and reasonably-priced, sake list. Three of us were just fine with two "carafes" of cold sake, at about $24 apiece.
Overall, it was a great dinner, but the price knocks this down to four stars. You can get sushi that isn't quite as good but comparable at half the price. -
Review from The Sock S.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2007
I think I suffered from high expectations. After reading such glowing reviews by a few people who's tastebuds I respect, I was expecting my socks to be blown off. It was all really good, but it wasn't mind blowing. Maybe if I hadn't read about it first, it would've *seemed* that much better. But if I didn't read about it, I would've just thought it was a bad hotel restaurant. Ah, the conundrum wrapped inside of an enigma that is yelp...
The service and atmosphere are very pleasant. For the most part the tables are spread apart, a rarity in the city. Their selection of sake is pretty good not just for depth, but in terms of quality. Whoever picked their selection is very good. Sampled a few, and all were excellent. For the price, the Kyo ya special sake is the best, in my opinion.
The sushi was presented beautifully, well 2 of the 3 rolls were. The third was presented nice enough, but just wasn't as eye popping as the others. More like a standard sushi roll, which isn't what I wanted coming here. Again, maybe I expected more seeing how well the first two were presented.
The fish was extremely fresh and high quality, something that I really haven't found much of in the bay area. The textures and combinations were wonderful. Some interesting flavors that you may not think go well together, but actually do.
Yes, the prices are high. I understand why, given the location, chef and quality of ingredients. I was slightly underwhelmed, again probably because I heard too many good things. It's dressy, but you can easily walk in with jeans and feel comfortable. I even saw some business travelers staying at the hotel come in with shorts on. They take reservations on opentable, so that's always a plus.Listed in: Fishy Fishy
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Review from Suzanne B.
San Francisco, CA
4/12/2008
My secret to survival in a sushi-loving world is to order udon.
I actually like several other japanese foods that don't fall into the sushi family (seaweed salad, most tempura, soba noodles) but udon has become my standby.
Kyo Ya's udon was not the best I've ever had. The broth was oddly sweet and the only 'seasonal vegetables' in the dish were cabbage, huge chunks of green onion and bamboo sprouts. I also specifically asked for the udon with chicken only, yet it arrived full of tofu and fish cakes, too.
My fellow diners seemed pretty happy with their rolls and sashimi choices, and the tempura was lovely, light and crisp, but at $20, the udon was not a steal - it was outright theft.Listed in: Surviving Sushi
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Review from Kioko O.
Unbearably slow service. We waited about 30 minutes for the food! Two servers and one bus boy for about six occupied tables ain't bad. The kitchen might have been short-handed which explains such a delay in our lunch.
The quality of food was decent, but ridiculously pricey. I ordered tonkatsu lunch, served with miso soup, white rice, seaweed salad, and otsukemono for $25. For that amount of money , I'd rather cook it home no matter how oily my kitchen may get.
If it weren't for my friend who gets corporate discount of 15%, we probably wouldn't have dined there... Yep, I've definitely experienced better. -
Review from audrey w.
New York, NY
7/30/2008
The $42 chirashi-sushi should entail a triple-decker bento box (does that imply four sides when in this case, it is a circular container) rather than their double-decker presentation.
Yes, this place is very pricey but we Americans are good at consumption - both economical and gastronomical.
The assortment of sashimi (in the second layer) included fresh scallops, ika, hirame, tai, maguro, kazunoko, ikura, and ebi. The wasabi is the high quality variety so it's potent!
However, I wouldn't consider this your traditional Japanese sushi establishment for two reasons. One, their cocktail list is way to chi-chi and fruity. Second, the rolls are total fusion creations and HUGE. It's something you'd have to share unless you want your meal to consist of one roll. Now, what fun would that be? -
Review from Michael V.
Castro Valley, CA
11/3/2007
I don't get all the 5 star reviews. I went here for lunch the other day, and had a very poor experience. To be fair I was with a large party but we informed them a week prior we would be coming. We didn't get the full menu instead had a choice of 'special 1' or 'special 2' of course I choose the 'special one'... So it seemed like a good idea until we arrived.
Lets just start subtracting the stars
Food - Over cooked yellow tail grossness, average sashimi, chilled tofu science project thing, kinda gross rice bowl with salmon chunks , whipped cold crab nastiness, and some other things i didn't eat and wouldn't describe as appetizing. (did i mention fish taste in my mouth and feeling nauseated all day?) minus 2 stars.
Service - Rude, and pushy. You would think that with their prices and a party of 16 that they would practically be offering happy endings for desert, but instead the head waitress mentioned that it would have been nice if we started earlier and that they would be closing soon. So hurry up and eat this horrible food...The food was brought to us with all the presentation of a prison cafeteria -2 stars
no wine list was offered but there where exotic drinks on the menu, i stuck with a sapporo.
If you want good Japanese go to Ozumo -
Review from jocelyn l.
San Francisco, CA
6/25/2010
I had take-out here the day when a business associate bought a bunch of sushi to the office for a meeting. I was surprised by how tasty the sushi was.
Here's a run-down:
- Hanabi Roll: HANDS Down, my Fave. Topped with fish roe (tobiko) of 4 different colors, it's Very colorful and super tasty. I ate half the roll (and i'm pretty sure i was a walking heart attack that day). The sushi is filled with albacore, avocado and is slightly spicy
- Financial Roll: YUMMY. Shrimp tempura rolled in rice ad furikake rice paper with dollops of wasabi mayo. So good
- Crunchy Spicy Tuna: YUM
- Hot Green: Salmon, jalapeno pepper. So good
- Spicy TUna CAli Roll: i can't get enough of tuna
There was nothing i didn't like. I didn't pay for the meal, but I Know it was expensive. It's too bad i can't make it a go-to sushi place unless someone is paying for it.
*sniff* -
Review from Lisa N.
8/9/2008
Grade: A
The only way to enjoy Kyo-ya is to ignore the prices. It is high-end sushi but oh-so-tasty, especially for Japanese sushi/sashimi purists. All of the sashimi just melted in my mouth like butter. I don't think I've had better sashimi. The striped bass and albacore tuna were my absolute favorites. The portions are very small, so don't expect to be full when you eat here. It is merely to enjoy for taste! :)
The ambiance was actually a bit cold, quite business-like, very quiet. So it is definitely not a fun, rowdy sushi house. But the sushi and sashimi were excellent. Very fresh and tasty. Very clean taste. If you like sushi that is covered in sauces and mayo, Kyo-ya is definitely NOT for you. But if you love clean, fresh, pure taste, Kyo-ya is worth a try. The striped bass and the albacore tuna were the best!
I haven't been there in over 6 years, so I will have to pay another visit and update my review.
For prices, the rating would slip to 4 stars (very pricey!), ambiance 3.5 stars (too quiet and stiff!), location - SF 4 stars, taste 5 stars!! Average is probably 4 stars, but taste alone trumps all the rest for this restaurant. -
Review from Deanna J.
Walnut Creek, CA
Updated - 7/27/2009
My new review:
I stopped by the Palace Hotel to visit my cousin and thought I would check this place out since it was happy hour and they had free bar bites.
It was FAB! The service was stellar! Sergio, Felicia, James, Lillian, and Marlond! - Kudos to you! If I had GOLD stars each of you would get three!! They were very attentive, courteous and friendly. I am HUGE on customer service and this place has the best.
I sat in a very comfortable corner and read my book while waiting on friends and munching on free food ( wings, edamame, and tofu....Oh! The sauces were YummY!)
I tried the $3 special sushi rolls and fell in LOVE! I would have ordered more but .....ya know - I gotta watch the waist line....
I was just planning on staying for one drink only but I was there way after hh ended and the service was just as fantastic as when I first walked in.
Definitely a place worth going!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/24/2008
This place was great! I went there for lunch. Here is my short but sweet review:
Ambiance: It was Zen… Read more »
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Review from Noah H.
San Francisco, CA
3/3/2008
Now, I grew up in the Bay Area, and I've eaten sushi at numerous restaurants, but the best I've seen is passable to decent sushi in Norcal. Why? I dunno.
Back in the days, they used to all get their fish by way of LA, so Norcal chefs had to essentially work with "sloppy seconds" after the LA sushi restaurants had gone through the good stuff. But I hear they now get their fish flown in directly to SF, so the fish should be near the same quality, if not the same.
So why is it that Bay Area sushi just can't compare with the stuff you can get in LA?
Actually, if you look at the average, I think SF sushi joints are about the same as your Joe Blow sushi restaurants in LA. It's just that LA has a couple amazing sushi restaurants that blow everyone else out of the water, so it makes other LA restaurants look good by proxy.
As for Kyo-ya, I happened to run across this place since I was staying at the Palace during a recent convention. Being too lazy to actually look for a place to eat, strolled into Kyo-ya to try out their sushi. I think Yelp played a factor in my selection as I haven't tried out a new sushi restaurant lately so I've had nothing to review in a while.
The restaurant was only half full, but the first thing the hostess told me is that the sushi orders are backed up, and we'd have to wait at least 30 minutes if we want sushi. I wasn't in the mood to go look for another place to eat so I smiled and said it was fine.
The first things I noticed on the menu were the prices. Wow, pricey. And this is even by LA standards. Most of the nigiri cost nine bucks or more, which is pretty darned expensive. But being located in a hotel, I guess you have to put up with those prices. Thank god for expense accounts! I was also put off by the funky American rolls they had on the menu, considering that this place supposedly won a sushi competition.
I ordered a couple of appetizers like the lobster salad and the spring roll, followed by a selection of sushi that was in season.
The appetizers came out about 40 minutes later. They weren't kidding about the sushi-bar running behind. It's interesting how far behind the service was considering that the restaurant still had plenty of empty tables. Are they always this slow?
The appetizers were OK, but nothing I haven't had before. A bit mayo-crazy, but I can live with that.
Another 40 minutes later, we get our nigiri, consisting of hirame, buri, maguro, toro, kohada, uni, ikura, and anago. Besides the fact that the hirame wasn't pressed with kombu, making it very bland, B-grade uni, and bland anago skin side up with overly sweet sauce, the remaining fish were solid, if not spectacular.
But the thing that absolutely ruined it for me was the rice. Talk about low grade rice! First of all, they use medium grain rice, which I could understand in the 80s, but come on, there's plenty of good short grain rice available nowadays. But on top of that, you could tell that the rice was cheap. I hate it when Japanese restaurants try to save money by peddling cheap rice. It's because they think Americans can't tell the difference anyway, and for the most part, they're right, but it just shows their lack of caring.
On top of the crap rice, the chef needs to learn how to make a proper nigiri. As soon as I picked up a piece I could tell that the nigiri was overly dense (meaning the guy packed the rice way too much). Good nigiri is supposed to be delicate--it's like walking on a tight rope, not too soft that it crumbles in your hand, but not too firm to the point the rice is tightly packed together. Good nigiri actually has a small pocket of air in the middle to help make the texture fluffy. Kyo-ya's nigiri definitely falls short here.
Bad rice and poor nigiri technique made for a disappointing sushi experience. If this place really won a sushi competition, the remaining competition must have been a joke, or the judges were completely clueless.
Oh SF, when will you get a good sushi restaurant? -
Review from Wayne K.
Mountain View, CA
5/10/2008
I probably haven't given Kyo-ya a fair shake, but the one time I was there a few years ago was a horrible experience. A group of friends and I went for Dine About Town, San Francisco's annual (now twice a year) event where a bunch of SF restaurants offer $30 three-course dinners for the month of January. Kyo-ya was one of the choices.
This was the menu when we went, I kid you not:
- Appetizer: Edamame
- Main course: Two pieces of nigiri
- Dessert: One scoop of green tea ice cream
Was starving after "dinner." All I have to do is mention "Kyo-ya" to my friends now and they shutter. Perhaps microscopic portions is normal for high-end sushi places, but if nothing else, I'd steer clear of Kyo-ya for Dine About Town. -
Review from Jessica B.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2008
Update - Oh. My. God! Next time you're in, just do yourself a favor and order the Volcano Roll! I have had dreams about it ever since. It's absolutely drowning in tobiko, and the real blood-red colored stuff, not the orange eggs like you usually get. AND they give you a whole dish of spicy tobiko on the side too! It's got a really wonderful sweet flavor at first crunch followed by a wonderful burn afterwards. You will love it, I insist!
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Yes, it is expensive. But I haven't had such a wonderful sushi experience in quite a long time. I got the lunch special ($25) and it came with:
1. a tempura shrimp roll with asparagus covered in huge chunks of spicy tuna mixed with Tobiko
2. three each of Torro Sashimi and Hamachi Sashimi
3. a huge chunk of grilled Torro with a hint of Teriyaki
4. Kani Sunumono
5. seaweed salad
6. spinach salad with Daikon radish
The Kani Sunumono and the spinach salad both had a bitter/briny flavor that I couldn't place, and wasn't terribly thrilled about, but I'm all about trying new things.
Overall, this is my new payday lunch spot. I think next time I'll get one roll and some miso though. I've never had food coma from sushi before, but Kyo-ya proved that it could be done!
