Taniku Izakaya — Restaurant in San Francisco

The restaurant is very small with seating for no more than 30-35 maybe.

Staff is all great and eager. Very attentive and really cares about providing a good service while you dine.

Ambiance: bright lights, about the size of a large studio, 2-4 wait staff at any time, good for maybe 1-2 large groups, might not be great for a first date (you can literally hear every conversation because of the size of the restaurant), definitely a great spot of a few friends to grab a drink

Food: I’m no ramen expert so I’ll say that I don’t generally love very oily broth. I’ve had enough ramen across the world to know that excessively oily is not something I prefer. Some oil adds great flavor, but when you start tasting the fat, that’s usually where I draw the line (fat should enhance the flavor, not be the center of attention).

I think if the restaurant focused more on just allowing flavors to exist rather add an explosion of flavor (another example - the gyoza tastes great but it’s layered with kewpie mayo aioli of some kind which completely nullifies the other associated flavors with a gyoza itself). But that’s just my personal preference than anything else.

The restaurant is a nice, friendly hole in the wall that I’d definitely would enjoy grabbing a beer or two in the evening. Probably would skip majority of the food offerings...

Taniku truly lives up to its reputation. Despite the long line, the wait was surprisingly brief—just around 20 minutes. Once seated, we started with the Mekyabetsu, a perfectly roasted Brussels sprout dish drizzled with a tangy Karashi mustard that added just the right kick.

Next, we tried the Kobe (steak) skewer and the Tori Mo-Mo (chicken) skewer. The Kobe skewer was a standout for me, with its tender, melt-in-your-mouth quality that left a lasting impression.

For the main course, we indulged in two ramen dishes: the Niko Ramen, featuring sautéed beef, and the Hotate Miso Ramen with scallops. Both were exceptionally flavorful, with rich broths that perfectly complemented the high-quality ingredients.

To accompany our meal, we chose the Rose Lemonade and Yuzu Lemonade. The Rose Lemonade offered a delightful floral note, while the Yuzu Lemonade was refreshingly tart and just as enjoyable.

Staff were very welcoming when we walked in. They even wished us a good night with smiles and a wave after we got done.

Taniku delivers on every front, from appetizers to drinks, making it a must-visit spot for...

My husband and I have always enjoyed the food at this restaurant and have visited several times. The quality of the dishes has been consistently good, which keeps us coming back.

However, today’s service experience was quite disappointing. There was an Asian female server whom we seem to encounter almost every time we come here, and her attitude today felt noticeably cold. She never offered us water proactively, and when we were ordering, she seemed somewhat impatient, which made us feel a bit disrespected. I’m not sure if it’s because of my accent, but the sense of differential treatment was quite obvious.

What made it more upsetting was that we observed her being very friendly and smiling warmly to a white couple dining next to us, which made us feel overlooked and treated differently.

We still love the food here and hope this was just an isolated incident with this particular staff member. But we sincerely hope the restaurant pays more attention to consistent service quality and treats all customers fairly, as good service is an essential part of the overall...