Nojo Ramen Tavern — Restaurant in San Francisco

SUPERB EXAMPLE OF IZAKAYA IN SF Nojo is on my 'Best of SF' list, even for being as young a restaurant as they are.

Situated in Hayes Valley, around the corner from the Opera House, Nojo is a modern take on Japanese Izakaya cuisine. All of the dishes are prepared in a kitchen in plain view of the restaurant, which is modernly decorated in step with the neighborhood. The atmosphere is somewhat loud, mainly due to the group-oriented nature of the dining space.

The chef/owners are in attendance at all times, constantly checking on the food cooking process, the product, as well as the diner's opinions. Very friendly and passionate about what they do - really good, simple Japanese pub grub.

The best feature of this restaurant, however, is the exotic side of the menu, which includes things like chicken heart, liver, and other uniquely Nojo dishes. Of course, the standard 'chicken on a stick' is available for the feint of heart, but for a foodie, the menu is a challenge. In particular, they serve PORK JOWEL on a stick - which is like a blast of concentrated bacon, in a bite. In a word - amazing, and a must try. Also recently featured on the menu (as of the date of this review) - FRIED PIG TAIL. Needless to say, this had my NAME written all over it. If I liked the pork jowel, I loved the fried pig tails. The best way to describe this dish is to liken it to a bacon lollipop. Concentrated bacon flavor on a bone. Another amazing dish, and one well worth trying.

Overall, I give this place a five-out-of-five stars. Amazing food, amazing passion, amazing service = an amazing experience, and one not to be missed...

I was craving ramen yesterday around 12pm. Then I went to Japan town for it but for some reason JP town was really crowded, so I decided to give this place a try. The street parking was quite suck bc the ramen shop is located in a busy area and it's like a white neighborhood. However there's no waiting and I was able to be seated as I walked in. In order to look at menu, you have to scan the QR code. Sorry no pictures taken on menu or food. The prices of ramen seem to be in the standard range which is around 20 bucks per bowl. I wanted an appetizer and did not know what to get... I saw 3pcs chicken wings for 10 bucks... I was like you must be dreaming. No matter how good quality of the cooking and chicken, to me it's overpriced. The one I felt kinda comfortable with the price of fried calamari which was 9 bucks. Of course I didn't expect the portion to be big or decent. Haha. I give this 3 out of 5. I couldn't taste the freshness of it but it's nicely fried. My girlfriend had miso soup ramen and I had spicy Tan Tan ramen. The miso soup and Tan Tan ramen didn't stand out to me, the chashu was overly cooked and chewy. There is nothing more I can say more besides mediocrity. I was thirsty after eating it. The other thing I didn't like was you had to pay first when playing an order and you had to pay tips in advance. The services were quite standard but asking customers to tip in advance was quite unacceptable and it would not be fair to servers because people usually don't feel comfortable and would tend to pay minimal tips. To me, personally speaking, this ramen place is like a white washed ramen. Lol. If you know what I mean. I rate this...

I've been to Nojo a variety of times for full dinners, lighter snacks, just dessert and drinks, and occasionally even for 'second dinner'. It has never disappointed and I am always eager to dine at Nojo, especially as the menu changes frequently and I've never had a dish I didn't like. The aesthetics of place are quite minimalist which melds very well with the food and the overall atmosphere. The palette of just a few materials translates in a mellow experience that allows you to focus on the lovely food and sake. If you are going to Nojo for the first time, I highly recommend aiming for a seat at the bar and watching Greg Dunmore grill up some perfect yakitori to compliment the other izakaya dishes. Don't be shy, the waitstaff and the chefs can usually direct you towards some exquisite dishes that you might be a bit too tame to try on your own!

The best recommendation I can offer is from my visiting friends from New York, who came to meet me for a few nibbles after they had already eaten dinner with another friend. I ordered a number of skewers (including chicken liver, skin and hearts, as well as beef tongue, bacon wrapped mochi and pork jowl). Soon after our Chawanmushi arrived along with a few other other non-stick plates. After a few little nibbles, my skinny NYC friends couldn't say no, and they ended up turning the 'nibbles' invitation into a glorious 'second dinner' or 'savory dessert'. Truly a high compliment from these visiting foodies from...