- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Tataki South
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese
1740 Church St(between 29th St & Day St)
San Francisco, CA 94131
Neighbourhood: Noe Valley
(415) 282-1889
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
129 reviews for Tataki South
Review Highlights
-
"The garlic edamame is the best I've had in town." In 13 reviews -
"Albacore Tuna Poke -- I could eat a dozen plates." In 2 reviews -
"shrimp tempura and double-double rolls are awesome." In 6 reviews
Loading...
129 reviews in English
-
Review from Randall J.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2012
Our new favorite for sushi. We've been coming here for about a year now and when we think about sushi we notice that we stopped thinking about going anywhere else (except maybe their other establishment in Glen Park: Tataki Canyon).
The food is always fresh and perfectly prepared. Best lightest fried calamari I've ever had with great sauce, great endamame, always delicious fish. Everything feels prepared with care and attention. Never has a dish arrived where it felt like a formula. Some sushi places seem to phone it in, you know? Not here.
Also admirable that it's only sustainable seafood that is used. One of the owners was helping out one night and answered our questions about a particular fish. We got a really good feeling from him that he loves what he's doing. -
Review from Moraia W.
San Francisco, CA
5/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very cute sushi place right at the edge of Church St. Got the Sashimi Deluxe, the Hotate, Arctic char roll, Tataki roll, and the Russian Roulette. The fish in the sashimi platter was very fresh and delicious. Love that they do not skimp on the pickled ginger!
The hotate (farmed Hokkaido scallops, citrus aioli, rice crackers, lemon zest, masago) was very interesting. The rice crackers added a smokiness that I wasn't really feeling in combination with the scallop. I definitely liked the scallops in the sashimi platter better.
Tataki roll is like your standard rainbow roll. Can't really go wrong. They dye the tobiko (or at least I think they dye it) so that it comes in different colors like red and green.
Russian Roulette is a fun little dish. The roll itself consists of crawfish, cucumber, asparagus, topped with scallops and served with a cooling shot of nigori sake. But the real fun is that one of the pieces is laced with a spicy sauce, so whoever in your party gets that one has to take the shot.
They also have another dish called the fire extinguisher that comes out with a flame on the plate. Stunning presentation if you want to impress your date (wink wink), and all the other people in the restaurant too.
Service is a bit slow as it took them at least 5 minutes to clean the table for us, but our server was very nice and helpful. -
Review from Natasha R.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2012
The best part about Tataki is their happy hour. And if you have ever tried to operate chopsticks with a fractured right arm, you will really appreciate their three dollar hand rolls. The Artic Char and avocado is bursting with fresh fish, and who could turn down spicy crunchy tuna or sweet potato tempura? Another six bucks will get you a large hot sake and a Sapporo. From 5pm-7pm, you really can't go wrong.
(Side note: This location is FAR less crowded than California and Divis) -
Review from Zoellen Z.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Mediocre sushi, over priced for the quality. I wouldn't ever go back unless it was for a quick beer on my way to Bart or something... even then there are about 50 other places in the surrounding area I would choose for a beer over this place..
-
Review from Mark S.
5/12/2012
Wow! This place is a winner. Wonderfully fresh sushi, creative rolls, and totally sustainable. What's not to love?!
-
Review from Owen M.
Pacifica, CA
TS's bold mission is worthy of 5 stars. Our actual dining experience? Call it 3 stars. I'm going with 4 stars, overall.
TS is a sustainable sushi bar, which isn't exactly a common sight. Anywhere on Earth.
They're setting incredibly lofty goals, way beyond the usual "let's make enough money to pay off investors & stay in business while we build a loyal clientele" objectives most restaurants necessarily cling to early on. When you check them out, you hear things like "safeguarding the health and biodiversity of our oceans" and "respecting the sanctity and fragility of our environment."
That's not exactly typical restaurant owner speak.
One thing that makes TS's mission so tough is that they aren't really competing with other sustainable sushi bars offering similarly limited fish choices; there just aren't enough of those places to matter. They're fighting for your rice-and-raw-fish bucks against sushi bars that happily serve up delectable goodies like bluefin tuna, freshwater eel, yellowtail, monkfish liver, farmed salmon, octopus, etc., all of which are not sustainable. This kind of self-imposed limitation can be the restaurant equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot b/c today's ravenous diners tend to want what they want when they want it.
Also, you have to factor in difficulties inherent in making sound sustainability choices & finding reliable purveyors to supply seafood making the cut w/out obliterating your food cost constraints. Determining what's sustainable isn't easy. With many sea creatures, we lack sufficient data to determine whether stocks are healthy & so TS must play it safe and refuse to serve such fish. Even fishing techniques & locations matter. One species might be a perfectly sustainable choice if pole-caught in a certain location, but TS will refuse to serve the same fish if caught with a longline (b/c of by-catch) or in a different place.
Talk about complicating your life!
OK, I know. How'd it taste, right? Here's our list & some specific comments. General remarks are at the bottom.
KATSUO TATAKI $13
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
OK, but may have been overly-marinated b/c the pole-caught skipjack's texture was off.
NIGIRI $5.50-$8 per pair
Shiro Maguro - pole-caught North Pacific albacore
Kanpachi - farmed amberjack from Hawaii
Kodai - wild tai snapper from New Zealand
Aji - wild horse mackerel from Japan
Amaebi - trap-caught shrimp from British Columbia
Hotate - suspension-farmed scallops from Japan
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Uni - wild, diver-caught sea urchin from CA
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Nice uni, kodai & kanpachi. Very small pats of rice. Some too-large fish. A few pieces had the mush factor going on where it shouldn't be (the aji, for one). Terrible fry job on the shrimp heads. No wasabi or pickled ginger on the plate.
GREEN DRAGON ROLL $15
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Over-priced. Unagi's not sustainable so they substitute seared sablefish. Much to Mrs. M's dismay, it was dull & had some unnamed, unpalatable goop inside (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
HAPPY HOUR ROLLS $4.50 each
Arctic Char & Avocado Roll
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Sweet Potato Tempura Roll
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The rice was so bad that I was embarrassed for them.
TEBASAKI $6.50
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Juicy & well-seasoned, but they won't please crispy skin lovers.
GRILLED SHISHITO $4
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Long in the tooth, but I still love 'em.
The sushi rice was the biggest problem. Some of it was like baby food. None of it was well-seasoned. I usually look the other way when it comes to rice at non-Japanese-run neighborhood places (TS is run by 2 guys from Hong Kong) as long as the rice is cooked to the right degree. But TS is striving to "showcase the beauty and delicacy of Japanese cuisine." Not to sound snarky, but if you're going to say that, your sushi rice should be perfect. More importantly, TS wants to win over diehard traditional sushi lovers to its sustainability cause. That's a pipe dream w/out proper rice.
The nigiri list is very finfish heavy & non-roll enthusiasts like me love textural contrast. I know seasonality can be an issue, but options like squid, abalone & geoduck can be fine sustainable choices.
* The dining room & bar are clean and service is very efficient, friendly & helpful.
* If you favor veggies over fish, you won't feel left out here.
* HH rolls & booze 5-7 every day.Listed in: Did U Say Japanese Food?!
-
Review from J M.
San Francisco, CA
5/1/2012 1 photo
Came here with a scoutmob coupon last week. The sushi was tasty and made into small, conveniently bite-sized pieces. This would have been awesome except that you still only get 8 pieces in a roll, which means you get a lot less fish for your money. Even with 50% off it was a terrible deal. I ended up paying $12 for 7 pieces of food, AFTER 50% off. At full price it would have been $24! That's just ridiculous.
The biggest disappointment was the oyster for $2.50 - they brought me one that was like 1 inch long. 1 inch!! What a rip off (there was a sign out front saying there'd be $1 oysters during happy hour, but it turns out that's only twice a week, not on our day. misleading....)
But the baked mussels were crazy spicy so you might like them if you're into that sort of thing. -
Review from Sallie J.
San Francisco, CA
4/18/2012
Most definitely some of the best sushi I have had in a while. Please note, I've been to Ozumo, Ichi, Ebisu, and Blowfish in a quest for fresh sushi with good service and a nice atmosphere.
So we arrived and were greeted and sat immediately. The decor is comprised of natural woods, modern lighting and overall the whole look creates a snazzy atmosphere. ( great music playing )
As we started to look over the menu, my date mentioned the varieties of fish offered were different than most sushi spots, and then I remembered Tataki makes it a point to serve only sustainable fish, mostly locally sourced. So not only were the rolls beautiful, but I felt great eating them. We ordered two of the specialty rolls, and a Cali Roll, some Garlic Edamame, and a carafe of Sake, I think it was called Mu, delicious!
So, not only was the food great but the service was efficient and friendly. It's also the kind of sushi joint that won't break your pocket book!
Im so happy to have found this place and will be going back often! -
Review from J L.
San Francisco, CA
5/8/2012
Our favorite place for sushi, and pretty much the only place we eat sushi anymore.
The fish options are sustainable so you don't have to feel bad about what you are eating. The food is fresh and delicious. Prices are reasonable, especially during happy hour. Service can be a bit slow because they are sometimes understaffed to handle a crowd, but so be it. The Noe location also has a disproportionate amount of young children and strollers at dinner, so be forewarned if you go early. I guess the sustainable sushi trend must be doing well since they now have three SF restaurants! -
Review from Denny P.
Daly City, CA
4/7/2012
Probably the best sushi i've had, at least for a long time.
Pros:
*Friendly waitstaff and sushi chef, they'll check in now and then but not so much that they're imposing, just attentive
*Really high quality dishes
*Great ambiance - suitable for a playful date night
*The pork belly
Cons:
*Portions were pretty small. For two guys (180lbs each) we spent 60 bucks fast and were still hungry. Price per dish is agreeable with the neighborhood, but the portions of each dish wasn't extensive.
I did catch a glimpse of the happy hour menu and prices, most likely be back for that next time. -
Review from Jeniece P.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2012
Delicious sushi, fairly priced and sustainable to boot? I'm kinda obsessed. If only they delivered...
-
Review from Tala D.
3/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good happy hour here... $2.50 draft beers & $5 rolls until 7PM. I am a bigger fan of their nigiri sushi, they get some pretty interesting sustainable fish to fill out their menu. Everything is always fresh & tasty.
There is sometimes a wait if you come during happy hour but it's worth it. If you come on the early side, it's not uncommon to see people here with their young kids.
Overall a great spot if you're in the neighborhood. -
Review from Elizabeth R.
San Francisco, CA
3/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
No, this is not one of the best sushi places in the world, but the overall vibe combined with delicious sushi, makes for one of our favorite spots in SF.
Pros:
1) Delicious sushi! Seriously, the double double is fantastic!
2) Cute date spot.
3) Great happy hour (decent priced rolls, calamari and beer)
Cons:
PARKING is hard is in Noe.
Overall we LOVE Tataki South (even more than Tataki)! -
Review from Lisa R.
3/14/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I carry one of those Monterey Bay Aquarium fish cards in my wallet, because I want to be green and sustainable. However, when I go out, I always forget to check it or I guiltily ignore to indulge in my favorites (I can't say no to you mr. octopus....)
At Tataki South, environmental responsibility is key. In addition to having the sushi cards on every table as a "nudge nudge", they have small signs listing current fish and how it was caught or farmed. They may not have octopus, but there are lots of other tasty sea creatures on the menu, and you can feel real good about eating them.
My favorite time to go is during happy hour. Just recently we had the arctic char/avocado roll and sweet potato tempura roll. The crunchy california roll is divine, and everything is under $5. Pair with a house hot sake for $3.5 and life is feeling pretty good. Lots of good stuff on the regular menu too. We usually indulge in a chef choice sashimi platter and a seaweed salad, but there is plenty of others to try! -
Review from Eric S.
San Francisco, CA
This is my favorite sushi place in San Francisco. Tataki manages to hit all my sushi pleasure buttons:
1. Good variety of rolls, both simple and complex without being too clever
2. The nigiri is always great
3. Fish is sustainably procured
4. They have a very nice happy hour EVERY DAY of the week (cheap-ish rolls and apps and drink specials)
5. Friendly, helpful staff
I've been here so many times now I've fallen into a bit of an ordering routine. For two people, we get: garlic edamame, nigiri enthusiast, arctic char and avocado roll and and the Golden State roll. If we're mixing it up, sometimes we'll do the Extinguisher, the 49er, or a Hot Potato roll. Drinks: house hot sake and maybe a beer, if I'm feeling saucy.
If there is a downside to Tataki it's that everyone seems to agree that it's great so it does get crowded. Get there early or late to avoid the madness. -
Review from Jillian Y.
San Francisco, CA
3/7/2012
Deeeeeeelicious, sustainable sushi! I couldn't believe how tasty their salmon, how delectable their crab, how spicy their garlic edamame. I also couldn't believe I hadn't found this place sooner (though, to be fair, it's really in a dead zone).
Bonus points for the fab Extinguisher maki.
Highly recommended! -
Review from Niniane W.
Mountain View, CA
4/9/2012
Happy hour sushi on Sunday! The rolls tasted very good, and were only $4.50. I also like the lychee sangria. Win!
-
Review from Allison B.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2012
My sushi guy in Seattle (yes, I have a sushi guy) suggested that I check out Tataki when I moved to SF. I live in the Mission, so I decided to try Tataki South since it's walking distance from my apartment.
Upon entering, we were greeted kindly by our server who sat us at a window table. The space is small and intimate, and not at all pretentious. We arrived just in time to take advantage of happy hour (ends at 7), and grabbed some $1 oysters, the sweet potato tempura, and the house hot sake. For our meal we had the albacore tuna poke, a seared scallop tataki, and the golden state specialty roll. The presentation was beautiful and the food top notch. Our scallop dish was slightly more seared than I usually prefer, but it was still good.
All in all, a great find. Bonus points for being sustainable and not serving that which isn't great for the environment. Can't wait to check out Tataki itself. -
Review from Miley M.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2012
If you like medium to bad service, paying $9.50 for a 4oz glass of cheap wine, telling your server that part of your meal was completely undercooked, then having them look at you and ask- "what do you want me to do about it??" then you should for sure go here.
As for us, we were regulars for a while, took a time-out, then went back last night and it sucked. There are so many better places that serve much better tasting fish while not bending you over for seriously the most overpriced wine in the entire city.
Yup - I am angry and not apologizing. -
Review from David G.
San Francisco, CA
2/9/2012
Two Saturday dinners in January 2012.
Nigiri Enthusiast = $19 for 9 pieces of sustainable fish. Everything tasted fresh. Rice could've been better, but the fact that sustainable fish was used more than makes up.
Grilled Saba = Yes please!
VERDICT = Best sushi option near home. -
Review from Mary L.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2012
I had to rate it a 3 because the service was not great at all. There was an empty table and also openings at the bar and the waitress can't seem to understand that they need to seat people that are waiting before they do something else. Had to wait another 20 minutes after waiting for half an hour for them to seat us. The waitress was not friendly at all until we finished eating. I must admit the sushi is good but then again I can get great service and authentic sushi at Murasaki!
-
Review from amber k.
11/30/2011
MMMM SUSHI nom nom nom.
Tataki South is the second sustainable restaurant in this mini empire, including Tataki and Ki at Temple SF. I wholeheartedly recommend all of them.
I happen to love Tataki South because of their bar and party booth in the back of the restaurant - perfect for birthdays and parties. More importantly though, I love the food. They have inventive, delicious vegetarian rolls. I hear the fish is good too, but you'll have to ask someone else what to order ;)
Here is a list of my favorite foods here!
Garlic edamame
Fried tofu
Ratatouille roll
Reggae roll
TRUST. -
Review from Tiffany W.
Union City, CA
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
First, THIS PLACE IS GREAT FOR VEGETARIANS. Huge selection of rolls and other treats that are fish free. For those of you who love protein-- i dare you to try some of these veggie rolls-- they do not leave you wanting and were some of the best of what we ordered, fish included.
Second, do not miss the garlic edamame! An amazing and surprising twist on your normal Japanese appetizer. Super yummy-- finger-licking good.
Third, I tried sea urchin here for the first time in my life and did not regret it. Super fresh, so unlike anything I have ever tasted so delicious and would definitely get it here or elsewhere again. To those adventurous eaters, I hope to inspire you!
Fourth, great selection of cold Sake, only one warm Sake to choose from.
We had a variety of other rolls and the grilled sampler of fish, chicken, pork, and veggies. Not much else was memorable except for what I already mentioned. For a sushi place, the menu was a bit smaller than I like, but they seem to really care about quality.
They need to get a heater in the back room though! Frigid! -
Review from Liane T.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here on a whim through yelp searching since I was in the Glen Park area. It wasn't too hard to miss, although the sign was rather small. Parking sucks but thats the usual SF, so that's not really new.
My friend and I did the HH (happy hour) from 5-7pm (everyday I think). FYI -- "sweet potato tempura" is totally not what I imagined. I thought they would deep fry sweet potato and serve it like other tempura (vegetables etc), but it ended being in a roll, chopped up and deep fried. A little weird if you ask me.
Other than that their happy hour menu is limited to about five items which wasn't that appealing. The fish however was pretty fresh and I thought that for the quality, taste, price, and size, the sushi was pretty good. And like someone had mentioned before me, certain things aren't worth trying on the menu.
Eco-friendly sushi, fresh, mediocre service, and not too expensive. Not too impressed the first time, but we'll see if a future visit changes my mind. -
Review from Lisa C.
San Francisco, CA
4/8/2012
I gave this place 4 stars...i go there often. But after a few negative experiences...I am reluctantly reducing the rating. The inconsistency - in the food quality, in the waitstaff
( one waitress is grumpy, the other amazing for instance) is just way too much to give it a higher rating. Either you can have a great time here or below average. To me, that is not the sign of a good restaurant. -
Review from Katy M.
San Francisco, CA
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good food, so-so atmosphere.
Really like that they have robata. Some decent rolls, nice sake list. LOVE the big nod to sustainability (pole-caught, seasonal fish, etc).
This would definitely be a four-star place if the aesthetic weren't so god-awful. Dark tomato walls in a room with dim lighting, creepy looking bamboo-esque linoleum tile that just looks really grotty; a cacophony of design elements; and an unwieldy back room that doesn't lend itself to any kind of comfortable configuration of tables all adds up to a design disaster.
Doesn't mean I won't return, especially for the reasonably-priced happy hour, but I'll probably wait until better weather so I can sit outside on the minimalist, soothing back patio. -
Review from Lisa C.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2012
solid, definitely solid. i liked that it was a very small cute restaurant in noe valley with delicious food. we were a party of 2 and the restaurant was not crowded, but they still asked us to sit at the bar. I didn't love that, but given the size of the restaurant i guess it was understandable.
we ordered a TON of food and were pretty happy with it all. we got the skipjack tuna tataki which i thought was really delicious and fresh, the artic char and avocado roll which was soooo good, the chicken wing robata which was ok (tasty but nothing special and kinda fatty), the eggplant robata which was good because it was sort of a unique flavor, and garlic edamame which were SO GOOD.
oh yeah, prices were decent and service was good. -
Review from David S.
I really like a place that does a good job at getting sustainable fish. More so I like a place that has a nice happy hour that's on 7 days a week. They also have a fair set of grilled items to make non-sushi eaters happy. I've been here and eaten about 10 times, never really disappointed with the food...occasionally upset by the price.
However, good greif, what is up with the seating service here? It's like its their first day almost every time I've gone in here. On my most recent attempt, I came by at 6:30 on a Sunday to grab some eats with a friend. There was a line (not surprising, the happy hour draws a crowd). In front of me was one group of 3 and a group of 2. The place was almost packed, but there were 2 empty 2 tops and a few scattered bar spots. We sign up and stand, crammed in the front of the shop.
So...we wait ignored by the service (there was a sign up yourself sheet) for about 10 mins. More people come in and tack on the list. The two tables are still empty and the bar still has a few seats on it. We ventured across the street to say hi to a friend who works at a dress shop. 10 minutes later, we go back over to Tataki South. Same people, still in line, new people added to the line. Same two tables empty. Same wait staff floating around the restaurant, looking as if they are not really sure what to do. My friend and I leave.
If you do manage to get a table, they are friendly and the sushi bar does get food out fast. But if you don't get seated within 5 minutes of arriving, go eat somewhere else. -
Review from Bonita K.
San Francisco, CA
12/31/2011 1 photo
Some things aren't worth trying on this menu.
But if you want to "try" the menu, I'd recommend the "Tasters" per category. I came here with my boyfriend after wandering Noe Valley and Mission, in search for a nice place for a Friday night dinner. I ordered the Robata Taster, of which included five skewers of the Chef's choice, accompanied with fresh lemon and mayo. I was so glad two skewers included vegetables of some sort, as I like to have as balanced of a meal as possible. The fish (I believe, mackerel) skewer was rather salty and slightly off-putting. However, the chicken, pork, and vegetable skewers were delicious.
If you order any other robata as is, you only get two skewers at an average price of $7; not really worth it. The waitresses were very kind and helpful in regards to providing recommendations and hospitality.
Despite the overly-salty fish, I had a nice experience here and am eager to come back some time in the future to try their sushi. I just loved the chic interior! -
Review from Erika D.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011 1 photo
The food was pretty good, but def not the best sushi I've ever had.
We waited about 25 minutes for a table and had to do that outside because the restaurant is quite small. We didn't mind, though, because we'd heard good things. The atmosphere in this neighborhood was a bit dull, though, so we just hung around the sidewalk right outside until it was our turn.
I probably won't be back. This is only due to my not being close to the place and the fact that I know better sushi places.
Enjoyed my meal, though. :) -
Review from Leesh C.
San Francisco, CA
12/12/2011
The happy hour at this little hidden Noe Valley gem is awesome and very easy on the pocketbook.
I could not get over just how delish the kin-sangria was! It's a sake-riesling concoction with fresh lychee and strawberries for $5.00 and it comes in a giant glass! Right up my alley!!
The artic char and avocado cut rolls were yummy and at $4.50, we ordered several. Freshest sashimi I've had in a long time! Order the deluxe and every single piece will melt in your mouth.
Great service, cozy atmosphere, & STELLAR sushi all in my hood! My magic 8 ball told me, "I see many Tataki South happy hours in your future." I'm super stoked about that ;-) -
Review from Grace C.
Los Angeles, CA
Amazing.
My new favorite sushi spot in San Francisco. The fish is super fresh & delicious & you don't feel bad about eating it.
My older sis recommended this place since it's a few blocks away from her apartment, so my bf & I decided to give is a try when we were craving sushi.
They have happy hour every night between 5-7. The happy hour menu is pretty small. We ordered 2 of the crunchy spicy tuna rolls & one of the sweet potato rolls. Delish.
We also had:
- the Sashimi Regular
- the Extinguisher Roll - complete with flames (awesome!), great if you like spice. They use habanero masago.
- chicken wings from the robata grill
- one of the tataki specials with seared tuna & ponzu sauce (so delicious)
For a sushi restaurant in San Francisco, Tataki South is relatively affordable. It was a little over $80 including tax & tip for the two of us. -
Review from Trip H.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2011
Best Sushi in my life. Fun atmosphere, outstanding plates and a sweet server. Nice job Casson, your crew rocks. The "roulette" was fantastic, the double double was great and the simple quality of every piece of fish was out of this world. And of course bacon, bacon and more bacon.
Thank you for a wonderful night. -
Review from Jade W.
I am stuffed as I write this.
The Calamari with the sarachia aoli dip was amazing!
The artic char roll (of which I accidentally got two of, yes!) was a great happy hour deal. Fresh & plentiful with the fish.
The mix it up roll! Hands down my favorite. Great spicy flavor of tuna and sarcicha.
I tried my friends tataki south which was fresh and sweet. A great sauce on top that wasn't overwhelming.
The extinguisher was just fun! It was on fiiirreee and by the time we got it we were stuffed. But what I remember of that one bite was that it was good.
The waitress was amazing because the place is small they only had one server for the evening but she had that room under control. Props to her!
I enjoyed the vibe of the place, the music (yelle), the buzz was great, the prices were good at happy hour, the sushi chef was personable and we had a blast. I'll def be back!! -
Review from Cavin T.
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is amazing hands down.
I love their fusion sushi rolls, its just divine and pretty to look at! Okay so I came here with my sister at 5 pm which was the happy hour!(phew) I got a Hot sake for $3!! Thats an awesome deal.
For food I got
-2 Saba nigiri
-1 Uni nigiri
-1 Ikura nigiri
-Tataki Specialty Roll
-Albacore Tuna Poke
My favorite are the Uni, Tataki and Albacore Tuna Poke. OMG i had FOOD-GASM. It was that good. The Uni nigiri was sweet savory and light! Very easy to eat....Then the Tataki(Which is five kinds of seared fish, cucumber,avocado, tobiko and tataki sauce)...YUM YUM YUM really good and the Albacore Poke was so addicting. It was just to die for! My recommendation is just come and try this place! Super good and friendly too! The service is prompt and the waitress seems to know their stuff...One word though the place is quite small so I suggest dont bring large parties it gets pretty crowded during the weekends:) -
Review from Ivan L.
8/30/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Tataki South is thus far my favorite sushi place in SF. It has quite a bit going for it:
* Great location with plenty of parking.
* Laid back atmosphere and friendly enough service.
* Easy to get a table on a week night.
* SUSTAINABLE SUSHI. That's super critical and the original Tataki is the first sustainable sushi house in the US. Avoid the guilt, the hate, and the raping of the oceans - eat sustainable.
A few favorites:
* Robata - grilled meat & veggies on sticks. Get the chef's choice of 5 skewers.
* Hotate Tataki - a beautiful plate of lightly cooked scallops.
* Chirashi Sushi - a bowl of sushi rice with sashimi on top. It's not on the menu but don't let that stop you.
* Expanding fish menu - a sustainable sushi chef told me that when you go sustainable your menu either gets real big with new items or real small when you don't find something to replace non-sustainable standards. Tataki used to be small but it looks like they're getting a larger menu. Yum! -
Review from Jay P.
San Francisco, CA
9/1/2011
I went here on a whim with a friend who found the reviews on yelp. I honestly did a quick glance, saw the overall ratings and said, sure why not! The atmosphere is awesome and SUPER small/intimate so be prepared to wait (especially around 6:30-7pm). But it makes so that you're not yelling over other people and are able to have a great conversation.
We tried to make it for happy hour, but alas, time wasn't with us. BUT definitely going to try to make it again. The sushi is a steal and a decent variety for the prices. I honestly was going to give this place 3 stars until I read the reviews only to find out about the sustainability piece. That's what bumped it up to 4 stars. I love, love, love my sushi, but the sustainability issue always leaves me torn. Going to Tataki South takes that worry away for me and allows me to be comfortable in the fact that I am not contributing to the over-fishing issue. They are inventive with their flavors and true to the earth... you can't get any better than that... oh and their backed mussels are to die for. -
Review from Julie W.
San Francisco, CA
7/30/2011
I LOVE THIS PLACE. I love sushi and this is hands down my favorite spot in the bay (although minako on Mission is also delish). I used to have to go all the way up to divis and california for tataki, but now theyve opened this one 5 blocks from my house and I'm taking full advantage... wish i could eat here every day.
Love that the soy is organic and the fish is sustainably harvested.
The golden state roll with scallop and apple and yuzu= SO good.
My favorite though is dessert: crepe with fried banana, nutella, rolled up and sliced like sushi with strawberry slices on top and whipped cream... def not usual sushi fare, but words cannot express: Heavenly. -
Review from Andrew K.
1/25/2012
Really nice spot. Modern, clean, good genmai tea, and yummy grilled things - esp. the chicken. Good stuff!
-
Review from M G.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2011
After reading about Tataki's commitment to sustainable sushi, I was intrigued. Tataki on California has been on our to-try list, but this location is a lot closer, with easier parking.
Loved everything we ordered tonight - deluxe sashimi, fried tofu, edamame, poki appetizer, the seared tataki roll, and happy hour cut rolls (sweet potato tempura and char/avo). The sashimi was beautifully plated and the char is very similar to salmon, esp. in color and texture. Highly recommend! Happy hour is 5-7p! The Kin-San-Gria was a refreshing blend of fresh fruit, sake and riesling.
Service was great and I appreciated that they spaced out our order since there was limited table space. The toddler ate her share too. The umbrella and double straws in her "drink" (water) made her night.
Can't wait to eat our way down their menu. Keep up the great work!
