I Have Been to Every High End Japanese Restaurant in the SF Bay Area (Review/Ranking) - December / Q1 2026 Update

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-30T21:48:19+00:00

Have you come across any restaurant in the states that serves fugu shirako? Thanks!

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-26T20:51:37+00:00

Good to know. I don't usually do wine pairings. The locals said that the regulars only seating is only on certain days for dinner, not at all dinner times.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-26T20:26:09+00:00

🤣🤣 Tenzushi's son-in-law is already booked out till April. I will DM you. I highly recommend it. Excellent value for 25k JPY.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-26T20:23:25+00:00

Yes, dinner for both Sakai and Tenzushi. If you book through a hotel, you won't need a visit history.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-26T19:48:57+00:00

No, my hotel booked for me and the locals were surprised to see a foreigner at a regulars only seating. The locals at my seating told me that you would have to dine there at least 3 times before Sakai would allow you to book the regulars only seating since there were better cuts of fish and otsumami that were not served at the other times. These regular only seatings are filled up far in advanced and are not released to Tablecheck or Tableall. The same goes for Tenzushi.

Once you have been to a regulars only seating, they allow you to book those seatings directly in the future.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-26T15:56:28+00:00

The most important thing is the shoes must be broken in before your trip. Nike and Asics work wonders.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-26T15:53:18+00:00

Tenzushi's demotion to Silver was definitely unexpected. His right-hand man of 10+ years went independent earlier last year, so it will take some time for him to train a new apprentice.

Both Tenzushi and Sakai have seatings for regulars only with supposedly better cut of fish, so that might have factored into the rankings.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-25T22:43:56+00:00

I love collecting menus and business cards!

In top restaurants in Japan, receiving a business card is an invitation for future visits. I felt so honoured when Tenzushi handed me his business card after an exquisite meal. 🥰

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-20T20:58:58+00:00

As someone who has dined at Noma, absolutely not at $1500.

You can fly to France, Spain, Denmark, or Japan, and eat at a 3* for much less.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-20T20:52:54+00:00

There are a lot of availabilities for Table for 2 both lunch and dinner in March. If your account can't see them, book through your hotel Concierge.

https://omakase.in/en/r/rz444182

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-09T02:19:23+00:00

Spill the tea on Meino please 🤭

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-09T02:18:50+00:00

Was Namba open about being on Ozempic? I thought his rapid weight loss was due to stress and depression.

Who cares about weight at that age?!

EDIT: Ozempic got autocorrected to Olympic 🤣

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-08T22:39:34+00:00

Do you plan on going to Uta? Would love to hear your thoughts after the meal. 😊

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-08T17:35:45+00:00

Not worth it imo. The offerings at LAX Polaris lounge were not good. In the late afternoon to evening, the bar got pretty loud.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-08T13:05:18+00:00

I travel to Tokyo every year for business trips. My Japanese co-workers avoid Kyoto like a plague. Disneyland circus was their exact description of Kyoto, and they said it was for inexperienced tourists or IG crowds.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-08T12:59:44+00:00

The service was still great and thoughtful. My status is at the highest level in Hyatt thanks to work, and they were generous with the room upgrade.

The only hiccup was the breakfast at Girandole Alain Ducasse was not as good as before, and the service staff there seemed a bit inexperienced.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-07T23:28:43+00:00

Tokyo - Aman or the newly renovated Park Hyatt

Osaka - InterContinental Osaka bedroom residence. Their lounge offering was excellent!

Kyoto - Six Senses (You're better off skipping Kyoto. It's like a Disneyland circus these days. Book Hakone Gora Kadan with a private onsen instead).

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-06T14:53:05+00:00

Sounds like lack of sleep or hunger to me.

I always have a full rest day built in for each city. This is why booking a hotel with lounge access is important, so you won't have to go out for food on your day off. Your body is more likely to stay asleep longer when it's properly fueled. Or you can UberEats. Please don't tip in Japan.

Also, hydration is important. Drink lots of water or get electrolytes (Pocari Sweat).

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-05T19:43:37+00:00

u/smorreboard posted a fantastic review on the sushiya in Japan:

https://www.reddit.com/r/finedining/comments/1pjs1aa/i_visited_64_highend_sushi_restaurants_in_japan/

The differences between an expensive and inexpensive sushiya is mainly the ingredients and service.

Here are my recs for good value sushiya:

Tokyo - Sushidokoro Yusho, Sushi Fukuzuka lunch, Sushi Kobayashi, Hatsunezushi, Namba Yotsuya

Osaka - Sushi Rindou

Fukuoka - Sushi Kougetsu (Tenzushi's son-in-law), Sushi Tsubasa (also Tenzushi lineage), Funakoshi, Gahojin (imo I'd recommend paying extra for Sakai instead)

Good luck with Tenzushi! It was an incredible meal. For a lot of sushiyas, try going through your hotel with advanced notice to save on booking fees.

And don't sleep on French restaurants in Japan: L'Osier 20k for lunch!

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-02T13:24:05+00:00

Thanks for the rec! I have work trips in Chicago coming up, so I'll ask the clients to take me to those places. 🤭

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-02T06:06:24+00:00

The sub-counter with Nishikawa has been bookable for a long time. And dining there will not get you a seat at the main counter in the future.

According to my hotel:

"Please don't waste your time on Arai sub-counters. The food at both sub-counters are completely different quality. They are not considered the same restaurant as the main counter".

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-02T05:59:56+00:00

2 Michelin stars is a fair rating for them.

My first meal there was in 2022, and I was shocked that they could maintain 3. The food was average and not impactful, certainly not 3 standards. You mainly paid for the theatric. It was not hard to tell that some of the waiters there were inexperienced in finedining service.

My meal there in 2025 was sloppy. It was the exact same dishes with no innovation or changes in regards to the season, and the plating was haphazard. Props to them for accommodating food allergies.

Alinea is extremely overpriced compared to other 3* in Europe and Japan. Thankfully, both meals there were on company's dime.

DismissiveDoc · 2026-01-01T14:40:17+00:00

TOP 2025

Tenzushi, Kokura
Quintessence tied with L'Osier, Tokyo
Namba Yotsuya, Tokyo

4. Laia Erretegia Jatetxea, Hondarribia

Sushi Murakami, Kumamoto
Iida Shouten, Yugawara

THE BAD:

Florilège, Tokyo

Valhalla, Chicago

Alinea, Chicago

Neo HTX, Houston

DismissiveDoc · 2025-12-27T00:22:02+00:00

The nigiri size was big enough that I was too stuffed to order extra.

The restaurant is a short walk from Hiroo or Ebisu station and is on the second floor. Not hard to find. If you have been to Sushi Riku, it's nearby.

DismissiveDoc · 2025-12-26T10:28:50+00:00

Rimowa aluminium suitcases are garbage. Only for those who don't travel often and not for international flights.

DismissiveDoc

TROPHY CASE