Sushi Hakko — Restaurant in San Francisco

A short visit to San Francisco from NYC yielded a reservation here. Blindly, and solely from posted reviews on line, a dinner for two transcended any prior omikase sushi dinner experienced by this writer. A small space occupied by attentive staff armed with broad sake offerings introduced us to the chef’s menu (printed on a small paper centered at the table) which included an omikase course for $105, and an optional $40 add-on of three exquisite sushi offerings well worth the extra cost. All I can say is this: I was fortunate to have experienced this restaurant before Michelin makes a reservation impossible to come by. The omikase was anything but ordinary. It included cold and hot broth offerings, as well as vegetable dishes—-almost like palate cleansers in between fish courses. There were four standouts worth discussion here: 1) the tuna tartare on a crispy cracker was heavenly rich in taste and captivating in texture; 2) the uni sushi was served ingeniously and with profound effect in that the crispy seaweed wrap was not attached to the moist uni; you folded up and experienced the crispy vs moist uni that simply danced in the mouth; 3) the final omikase offering before dessert was beef with white truffle oil and sea salt, the ultimate fortissimo ending to the savory component of the dinner. You have to taste the extraction of flavor to experience yourself what I am describing; and lastly 4) the dessert. I do not eat dessert in a restaurant. Ever. But here a small glass bowl arrived for the finale and I reluctantly dug in. I’m glad I did. It was a light cream-based almost sweet center topped with super crunchy cocoa and salt. Last evening I described the taste as “sex in a glass”. The texture and salt/sweet contrast was for me the best dinner ending in a dessert that I had ever experienced. We also had a phenomenal bottle of cold sake: Heiwa Shuzou “Kid” Junmai Ginjo Shiboritate. Crisp clean and breathtaking. The take away for anyone interested in sushi without peer: the extraction of flavor, contrast in textures and inventive courses makes this restaurant the most unique and different sushi experience especially for well-travelled sushi aficionados. The chef came over to speak with us. Next time we are there, I will request sitting at the sushi bar as close to him as possible! Most highly...

I've actually been here 3 times in 2022. This is... the best bang for your buck omakase that I've had in the bay area. Omakase is like 170 or 180 pp pre-tip/tax I believe, and so you're looking to drop about 210 or 220ish when you come here.

Hakko = Ferment in Japanese ... and it makes a lot of sense given the amount of care and love Chef Alex puts towards the ingredients he uses. Ask him about it when you get here. You'll be pleasantly amazed by it. Whether or not you can detect the value in the taste is based on yourself, but I can assure you that your tastebuds won't be offended at all. Everything tastes great here, and he mixes things up with the omakase by serving actual dishes in between the nigiri pieces as well.

Sushi rice here is chef's kiss. Fish quality is chef's kiss.

Where Hakko shines the best is actually not any of the above though - to me, it's actually his signature miso panna cotta dessert. You will taste it and understand. It is the most delicately sweet dessert with balanced flavors and sublime texture play. Ugh. I'd order 10x of these if I could, but they do take a lot of work so you can only get them via the omakase. His other signature is his toro tartare, which is also quite good, but if it had some citrus or a little more salt then it'd be even better.

The only criticism I have of Hakko, which I've only noticed bc I've gone so frequently, is that the nigiri seasoning can be inconsistent. There are times when the fish is slightly too salty or underseasoned (like 1 piece out of the 10 of them), and because everything else is so good, the one flaw stands out even more. In a way I'm glad this occurs though... because I'm selfish. It's really only a matter of time till this place gets a Michelin star, and I'm dreading that day because the prices will likely increase as a result or the place will just be extremely hard to book.

9/10, would definitely come again (obviously) and definitely recommend to a friend. In fact, one of the reviewers on this place came as a recommendation from myself already and she enjoyed it quite a...

Sushi Hakko offers a delightful omakase experience, though it's worth noting that the bar omakase, while priced higher than the standard table omakase, isn't always worth the premium. If you're seated at the far left side of the bar, you might find yourself at a lower level, hindering your view of the chef's artistry.

The menu thoughtfully highlights wine pairings for each course, making it easy to enhance your dining experience. However, be prepared for a 20% service charge, regardless of your party size.

The omakase at the sushi bar comprises an impressive 19 courses, starting with edamame tofu and progressing through highlights like the flavorful suma katsu, the rich red crab soup, the melt-in-your-mouth chu toro, the sweet and delicate hotate, the luxurious uni, the satisfying toro tartare, the buttery king salmon, and the exquisite panna cotta.

Our 19 course omakase included- edamame tofu, medai, suma katsu, red crab soup, hirame, tsuri aji, chu toro, kinmedai, hotate, ankimo, miso black cod, king salmon, toro, o-toro, masaba, uni, toro tartare, red miso soup and miso panna cotta.

While the fish was undeniably fresh, some early nigiri pieces, such as the medai (chewy due to the skin) and the tsuri aji (with a stronger fishy taste than usual), didn't quite impress.

However, the second set of nigiri showcased greater depth of flavor. The panna cotta, with its silky smooth texture, was a perfect finale.

The service was consistently excellent, with a friendly chef adding to the positive atmosphere. The ginger on the side was a delicious touch, and the ambiance was inviting.

Overall, Sushi Hakko offers a memorable omakase experience, but be careful when considering the...