KUSAKABE

I just had the pleasure of dining at this gem of a restaurant, and I must say it was the best Omakase experience I’ve ever had. The dishes were not just fresh; they were a burst of flavors, each one meticulously crafted. I’d give it 10 stars if I could! One thing to note, they exclusively offer Omakase, an 18-course culinary journey (you can do a paring of wine or sake) While it might seem high-priced at first glance, when you consider the quality and artistry that goes into each dish, it’s worth every penny. If you’re a true food enthusiast seeking a memorable dining experience, don’t miss out on this culinary masterpiece! ;) (I got too excited and forgot the good pictures)

I was able to visit Kusakabe a couple weeks ago for their 8PM seating. There were a total of 18 courses (see pictures for courses, ordered from first to last). Each course is prepared by one of the sushi chefs at the counter, and placed in front of you. Each course was unique in presentation and taste, and the wait staff and chefs were enthusiastic in describing the fish used in each course, where they came from, and other such info. There are two options for seating - either at the sushi counter, or at one of the tables. The counter seating is my preference, but was on a first-come, first-served seating (which we were lucky enough to get). Unlike some other omakase restaurants, parties were served their courses when they arrived and were ready, so there was no need to wait on other diners to finish a course. This gave the whole experience a much more relaxed feeling, as you were able to progress through the menu at your own pace, without feeling rushed or pressured. Overall, this was an incredible experience, and well worth the price, in my opinion. Their menu changes once per season, so I'll look forward to seeing the differences whenever I next have a chance to visit.

Service was very good, all the servers that brought out the dishes and sushi described everything that was being served. After you finish with your current course they clear your table expeditiously and serve the next course soon after so you’re not sitting very long without any food. Before our meal the server recommend a few sakes based on your personal flavor preference and let us sample some before we finalized what we wanted to drink for our meal. Atmosphere was your typical high end modern omakase interior that primarily comprises of wood. We were seated at a table and it didn’t feel as intimate as other omakase restaurants where you get to converse with the chef. The server told us that counter seating was booked two months out so plan ahead if that’s the option you want to go for. Food was good overall, they serve more non-sushi dishes than other omakase restaurants which reminded me of kaiseki style cuisine in Japan where they prepare dishes based on seasonality. The course where they bring you a plate of 9 different sides was plated really well and most of them were good and the ocean trout was my favorite. The zuke chutoro piece that came out first for the sushi portion was my favorite, all the others were good but I had better quality and flavor at other restaurants like Omakase or Hinata. Overall I would give this restaurant a 4.2/5 and I did appreciate that they incorporated more Japanese dishes throughout the course if the meal.

Always glad to be back at Kusakabe, bar seats this time, makes it better to chat with our chef and watch him in action. We enjoyed every tuna nigiri, chutoro or otoro, smoked or not. Uni has always been one of our favorites, and the two uni nigiri from Kusakabe are excellent. The first one was presented with Hokkaido scallop, the texture of scallop and umami from uni makes a perfect pair. And the second one with double stacked uni from different regions is just pure joy. The flavor of a single uni is already luxurious, to have two uni that enhance one another while slightly different in both flavor and texture, is simply unforgettable. Worth noting its fish to rice proportion, it is one of the omakase places with less rice in all nigiris. Last but not least, Kusakabe can always nail a nice wagyu dish, both the Sukiyaki from last time and the charcoal grilled wagyu this time feel so satisfying from those amazing marbles. As a non-traditional Kaiseki style omakase restaurant, Kusakabe makes San Francisco a better place for us Japanese cuisine lovers. Follow my food account in Instagram: @bamboobone_food