Moku Yakitori-Ya — Restaurant in San Francisco

This unassuming restaurant delivers well-priced, fresh grilled meat, seafood, and vegetables. There are only four seats at the bar, but tables further back. Some items are made with a blowtorch and some items are grilled with large fires, so sit at the bar if you want some excitement. Service was pleasant.

A few weeks ago, I saw a crowd lined up outside, so I knew I had to check it out. This evening, I had the Harami, Gyutan, Cherry Tomato, and Buta Bara yakitori. They're on skewers, so don't be afraid to get messy. I also had some tea, but that was just to wash the pork fat down. I thought the food was perfectly seasoned, but if you don't, they have three kinds of seasonings in little bottles: Two types of pepper and wasabi salt.

I highly recommend the Harami and Cherry Tomato yakitori. The Harami skewers are wagyu steak, being melt-in-your-mouth tender and the grilling enhances the beef flavor. The tomatoes are exponentially more flavorful than raw tomatoes, plump, and juicy. The Gyutan yakitori was pretty good; the beef tongue was tender and it was slightly spicy. The Buta Bara, which was pork belly, was my least favorite out of the food I had, but it was still good.

Overall, this is a magnificent place. You need to have the Harami yakitori. Will you be paying double digits for just two skewers? Yes, but you get what you pay for. My total before tip was $45.62 and to me, it was worth every penny. Also, they have boxes, but they're only...

Temp A hole in the wall Japanese BBQ place that focuses on skewers.

Food: 8/10, Ambience: 7/10, Service: 8/10, Price: 8/10.

Fave: tofu with chilli oil, scallops, eggplant, mochi and pork cheeks (though could use some salt)

We also got: beef tongue (half are way too chewy, one skewer was salted way too lightly) Okra (gf liked it, I never did) Chicken wings (smelled great, but heavily burnt so it’s bitter, prob good flavour but can’t tell) Bacon Tomato: tastes surprisingly good, but bacon ran out, so it’s just tomato - same price though Fried octopus legs: as expected - a bit oily with just mayo

Ambience: see pics for yourself. Yes those anime figures belong to the shop.

Price: the portion is fairly large for this kind of shop. Two of us (one girl and guy) were super full after, and it costed us $100 with tips included.

Service: as expected, they ain’t gonna come around like traditional western restaurants but it’s a izakaya/ yakitori style.

Last, their shop is small, seats are limited. No takeout or delivery. No phone or website.

Menu took as of...

Updating my prior five star review: Dont Bother--While once one of my favorite restaurants in the city, it is no more. Moku used to have the winning combination of affordable delicious food in a fun laid back atmosphere. However, it is a completely new restaurant now as of 04/2024, reviews before then no longer apply. They now fade into the overcrowded likes of the multitude of SF restaurants that take themselves too seriously and fail. Now, there is only a pre-fixe set chefs menu for around $100+. There are better omakase elsewhere. The food is expensive and no longer worth it, the fun laid back vibe is gone. This restaurant took away everything that made it special and all that's left is a skeleton of itself, one that its regulars can no longer stomach. If you're going to splurge on dinner, this is not the place. ———————— Feels like a real Tokyo izakaya! Some of the best yakitori made-to-order in a laid-back, no nonsense setting. Delicious food, great char on everything, juicy meats and flavorful items. Will...