Izakaya Roku: San Francisco, CA, USA
My mum was visiting and we were actually pretty far from my house but got pretty hungry hiking around the city. Thankfully, I found this place as it was one of the true and better izakayas that I’ve discovered in SF. One of the things that I really enjoy about izakayas is the ability to share food. The things that my mum and I got to share include the following:
Bacon Wrapped Scallops
PROS:
– good quantity to share between two
– scallops were not overcooked
– bacon was not burnt
– good amount of bacon to scallop (not too salty)
CONS:
– could have maybe one more skewer for the price but then again, this is located on Market Street and it is SF.
Carpaccio
PROS:
– fresh fish
– lightly but evenly dressed: not too tasty with the dressing and not too light where it tastes like you’re eating sashimi
CONS:
– none but wasn’t blow-me-away amazing
Tamago (egg) sushi
PROS:
– good quantity
CONS:
– flavor was off, there wasn’t enough mirin or sugar added to the egg mixture before it was cooked.
– egg was too dry and over cooked on the outside
Chicken Skin Skewers
PROS:
– good flavor: not overly cooked or burnt
CONS:
– quantity is lacking: only two skewers!
Uni Bowl: served in a stone bowl where the rice is placed first so it becomes crispy, fresh uni is placed on top and served with a half-cooked egg.
PROS:
– good quantity, definitely shareable with other small plates
– good flavor: not overly seasoned so you can taste the uni and can add soy sauce or salt to each individual’s liking
CONS:
– Uni could have been more fresh. The color of this uni didn’t look quite right and it wasn’t because of soy sauce.
I’d definitely come back here. The service was pretty good, not amazing. The decoration and vibe was very nice. There are definitely a few things I’m not sure if I would order such as brussel sprouts. It’s not typical of Japanese food and I’d definitely stay away from dishes that aren’t necessarily part of what the typical “cuisine” of an establishment claims to do. There are some occasions where these places will surprise me, but better to be safe and then occasionally experiment with one or two dishes. For example, the tamago (egg) sushi was a fail and that is typical Japanese food. Again, it’s definitely worth expanding as I feel this place is worth coming back to on multiple occasions. In summary:
- bacon wrapped scallops: ***.65 (3.65 stars)
- carpaccio: ***.75 (3.75 stars)
- tamago (egg) sushi: **.85 (2.85 stars)
- chicken skin skewers: ***.75 (3.75 stars)
- uni bowl: ***.75 (3.75 stars)
You can find them here in the Mission:
1819 Market StSan Francisco, CA 94103
Mission
Definitely go, it’s worth checking out at least once for sure.
R/g
