KEN

Creative omakase experience. The restaurant is named after the chef. It's a pretty intimate setting where he only serves 6-7 people per time block. He caters the experience to maximize your flavor and carefully balances the flavors to give you a one-of-kind experience. For example, one of his Uni pieces was a combination of two pieces of Uni - one directly from Japan that had more of a fresh and rich taste and another from Canada that had more of a briny flavor. The two complimented each other well.He also takes time to consider the balance of temperatures between his dishes. You may get a series of cold dishes, so he will have an intervening warm dish to rejuvenate your palate and revitalize your senses. This is one of the more creative omakase experiences that I've had. Also one of the more humorous and educational ones.

Returning to KEN for the second time, I was blown away all over again. The experience is just next level. Chef Ken is the definition of a master at his craft, and the fact that this is a one-man show running out of a six-seat bar is nothing short of incredible.The fish? Flawless. Every piece is perfectly balanced--fatty but never heavy, expertly cured in his unique Edomae style. The progression of the meal is so thoughtful, with delicate first bites that ease you in and then perfectly interspersed hot and cold courses that keep your palate refreshed. He finishes the meal with a warm kamameshi rice dish that feels like the most comforting, soulful hug to wrap everything up.Chef Ken's attention to detail is insane. How one small kitchen can execute this level of precision while also curating a killer sake list (and yes, he's got off-menu sake if you ask) is beyond me. He's constantly innovating, traveling to Japan to learn from top chefs and bring back new ideas to refine his already incredible menu.And let's talk about Ken himself--he's not just an amazing chef but also such an engaging conversationalist. Whether he's explaining the intricacies of a particular piece or sharing stories, it adds so much depth to the experience.Yes, it's a splurge, but it's worth every penny. The food, the drinks, the atmosphere, and the chef--KEN is a gem in SF's dining scene, and if you can snag a reservation (they're tough, so plan ahead!), you're in for something truly special.

Chef Ken is such a funny and interactive chef who makes this intimate 6-7 person omakase dining experience enjoyable. Ken's omakase menu is nine course consisting of small bites, sashimi, two sushi dishes, steamed dish, hand roll, rice dish, soup, and dessert.Everything was very fresh and delicious. I'd say my favorite dish was the sashimi dish, which had bonito with dashi jelly, Hokkaido scallop with lime and cauliflower, and bluefin tuna with seaweed paste. The dashi jelly was interesting and unheard of, the scallop was sweet, and the seaweed paste brought some umami to the tuna. All the sushi were great as well, each bringing a different texture and taste. However, chef Ken used a lot of the same flavoring (sauce) on most of the sushi, so most had some baseline flavor similarity. The whole omakase experience is a mix of quality ingredients, balance of flavors, chef personality and interaction, and restaurant ambiance. Ken delivered all. As with most luxurious dining, Ken requires advanced online reservation (Resy) and has a 48 hour refundable cancellation policy. After 48 hours, it's a $150 charge per person.

The name speaks for itself. Ken- he's the man who's going to give you a memorable experience. Every piece of sushi is carefully handcrafted right in front of you, as it is a sushi bar seating area only. It's makes it better because Ken can relate to anyone. It's a little hard to find because there is no sign on the front but just be confident and walk in. The sake is amazing and Ken can give you the right advice on how to pair it with the sushi.

Stellar. If I had a friend or two visiting from out of town, and they wanted an SF omakase experience, then I would take them to KEN. I love his vibes. He isn't too serious but he clearly takes sushi making seriously. It was cool to hear from the other people dining how they had been recommended to dine at Ken's from other local sushi chefs. His mentor still works in the city and he seems to know all the nice sushi places in town. His helpers are super focused and service is very smooth.The fish and rice were so good. I also like that he doesn't focus too much on one type of preparation. I've been to other omakase experiences where the chef goes too crazy with flavored salts, preseasons the rice with too much soy sauce, or torches the fish like mad. Instead, Ken's personal style is very balanced and highlights the quality of the fish. We celebrated our anniversary here and he made it feel truly special. I still have the menu saved :)

Amazing service from the moment you enter the intimate restaurant to the moment you leave. We came on Sunday night at 5:30pm as that was their only seating for the night. The chef asked what we wanted to drink, any drink preferences, and if we had any questions. I let him know what flavor profile of sake I liked and he had his assistant bring two samples of two different sakes for me to try to decide which I liked best. We ended up going with the Kokuryu "Black Dragon" sake. Mildly sweet with notes of fruit, a clean and crisp sake. We appreciated being able to try a sample before deciding on a sake. Chef Ken checked in with each person to ask if we had any allergies before beginning the omakase. Throughout the courses, Ken thoroughly explained each dish in detail- the flavors, the way it was prepared, and how to indulge. His assistant made sure our tea cups were never empty or even close to empty throughout the meal. Ken let us know towards the start of the meal that if we feel like we're getting full, to let him know so that he can add less rice to our sushi. It was a nice touch because I was definitely getting full towards the latter half of the meal and asked for less rice. Love the customizability here. I also loved how intimate the restaurant felt, with only 7 seats total. It felt extra special knowing we were the only seating that day. On top of that, it happened to be Ken's birthday! How lucky were we to have chosen such a special night to dine at Ken. We were also there to celebrate my birthday and one other guest's birthday. Ken was decently talkative and made sure everyone felt comfortable and had fun. For our birthday, we got the special plum sake made by Ken which was absolutely delicious and a great way to end the meal. The meal was $225 per person and we thought it was worth it for how much food we got along with the impeccable service. Highly recommend!

I've sat in sushi bars, really fine ones, and I know how hard this guy worked, how proud he is. I know you don't need sauce. I know he doesn't even want you to pour sauce. And I've seen customers come in and do that, and I've seen him, as stoic as he tries to remain, I've seen him die a little inside -- Anthony BourdainPer his website: "Originally from Hong Kong, Chef Ken has over 20 years of experience as a sushi chef. In his early career, he worked in the restaurant scene in San Francisco including staging at multiple Michelin star restaurants. This led to his passion for sushi when he became a chef at Sushi Ran and then Sous Chef at Kusakabe, both working under Chef Mitsunori Kusakabe."This was an omakase experience second to none. Just six people, with Ken, eating for two hours course after course of wonderful and artful cuisine. The dishes will change of course, but this was a rare meal worth the hundreds of dollars that I paid for food, wine, sake, tip. I'd happily do this again, no questions asked. It's that good, that serene and calm, and yes, I never used sauce ;-) Highly recommended for a unique experience that is worth saving up for.

The food was exceptional and really creatively prepared. I've never had a scallop. I wanted to eat 1000 times, but I did last night. I really enjoyed talking to the chef asking questions and figuring out which sake was the right one for the meal. Just a really special and wonderful occasion with excellent food and great for a fairly adventurous eater and a huge amount of sushi.

I came here for my birthday dinner back in March. Having tried a good amount of the omakases in San Francisco, Ken is definitely among the top few here! The fish was fresh and we definitely were full by the end of the meal. The chef was friendly and made conversation with us through the meal. The restaurant itself is cute and intimate. It only has a handful of bar seating, so be sure to book a reservation in advance!

A top-tier omakase experience.Hidden behind an unassuming door, the restaurant felt intimate and inviting. There are an extremely limited number of seats, so reservations are required.All the ingredients were extremely high quality, and I tried several dishes that I would never have tried otherwise, including shirako. Chef Ken and his team are very friendly and knowledgeable. I had a great time, and would love to come back one day.