Suzu — Restaurant in San Francisco

Came alone on a Sunday at 11:45 and the restaurant was 75% full. I was seated quickly, and was given an ice water. I ordered a shoyu ramen with a vegetable tempura, and an agedashi tofu.

The tofu was fresh, and hit my craving for this dish exactly. I liked how the pieces of tofu were smaller, so there was more surface area for the coating. The sauce was par for the course as well. For the price, I felt like there should've been a few more pieces, but I wasn't disappointed!

The ramen was okay. Nothing spectacular, but I also finished my order. The broth was a bit bland (although the spice at the table helps). The noodles could be a bit fresher, and the vegetable tempura topping was an odd texture (fluctuating between soggy, slimy, and crunchy). If I were to return, I'd probably try their Curry, or another broth.

Overall, a good option if you're hungry in that half hour between 11:30 when Suzu opens, and noon, when most other restaurants open in Japantown! I'll also note that the price point here is slightly cheaper than other places in the mall,so that helped to make the experience more...

*Chicken Veggie Ramen + Karaage Don combo: lots of veggies!!!! Karaage don is wonderful to split among 3 since there's only 3 chicken on top of the bowl of rice *Spicy Tofu Ramen: Kimchi is surprisingly close to the taste of Kimchi you'd eat from Korea (according to our parents), for the tofu and kimchi lover Chashu ramen: chasu is not overly fatty! That's what I consider high quality

There's three south broths you can choose from! We had originally come in as a family of five with our two dogs. The staff had let other people with smaller parties in first, so we had to follow up to ask if they can divide our party with us kiddos sitting separate from our parents and the dog. They quickly accommodated us. Service was quick, and when we asked for recommendations for soup broth combos and what they recommend in the menu, we really liked what we were recommended!

The portions are generous for ~$15...

Ok... you can get ramen anywhere... but you rarely can get ramen as authentic as this! It was like we walked into a little noodle shop in Tokyo.

We started off with some takoyaki and daikon salad. The octopus balls were soooo delicious! Hot fresh and oh so tasty! The salad was fresh, light and a great way to prepare us for the mains.

I ordered a miso ramen with curry and a side of karaage don. (Not pictured) The soup was piping hot and the curry was so flavorful! This was the first time trying this combination and I was very happy that I did!

Overall we had a fine meal and left stuffed to the gills! Suzu you have shown me how delicious Japanese cuisine can be and next time we are in San Francisco, you better believe we...