Yokai SF

Came here on a Thursday night with a group of friends and wanted to try everything on the menu. The restaurant is located on a corner of a main street and an alley. Once you enter, you're greeted by a host to your left who can seat you but if you're waiting for your friends to arrive, there is a bar to the immediate right where you can order drinks as you wait. Service throughout the evening was impeccable. Hands down some of the most professional staff I have ever encountered at a restaurant and they were warm and considerate from the moment they greeted you until the moment they said goodbye. Decided to go for the Chef's Choice which requires everyone in the table to participate as well -- everyone agreed. I could describe every dish in detail but this would end up being a very lengthy review. My recommendations from the night are the broccolini and Dungeness crab salad, king salmon belly skewer, blue lake beans (side), and the kakigori. The salad was well seasoned and nicely dressed. There was a good balance of ingredients in that dish. The king salmon belly skewer is so delicious. The salmon belly melts on your tongue--completely dissolves (in the best way). The blue lake beans had a nice crunch and texture to them and the xo topping was so flavorful. The kakigori was a really fun dessert to end the night because of the pop rocks in them but also...who can say no to shaved ice? The restaurant is on the pricier side of things in San Francisco. I think this would be a great place to bring a date or maybe friends visiting from out of town after seeing the nearby sights.Looking forward to trying other items on the menu in the future.

Good food. Absolutely terrible service! There were a ton of people working and the restaurant was maybe half full. We had to flag down servers multiple times. Remind them about drink orders and they forgot my friend's drink twice. It was incredibly difficult to order what we wanted. When looking for the bathroom, I made eye contact with several employees and no one offered to help point me in the right direction.A creepy person who worked there who had never come to out table slowly approach behind my chair, breathing down my neck. I called him out, it was very strange.I will not be giving them a second chance.

Was excited to try out this place since the menu and food photos looked great but the reviews were really mixed.1) The food is pretty good! The menu is interesting, but not amazing considering the price.Some of the better food items for me were the:* Broccolini and Dungeness Crab Salad* Yellowtail Sashimi * Yuzu Kakigori Dessert2) But value is very subpar. Considering the price, the food is really just okay. For example, the $9 (tiny) handrolls, the seaweed was slightly soggy... not crisp...I just didn't like the duckbreast... not sure what it was, but this wasn't a great dish...Do NOT get the Chef Choice Menu!!! We ordered the Chef's Choice Menu x2 which is $200 total, and they just serve you regular items from their menu, nothing is specialized for this option. I calculated the value we got during the service and got $191 of value. We lost $9 ordering the Chef Choice Menu... and didn't get to choose, go with A la carte instead... I wouldn't been much happier.The chef choice also didn't come with any appetizers... sad I missed out on their Hokkaido Milk Buns.3) The service is subpar. The entire service was a bit strange from beginning to end. The servers just did not seem on point, the server went away before I finished giving my entire order, we had to ask for utensils, and a couple of the severs mixed up our food with another tables... since we ordered the Chef's choice, I had a sinking feeling they forgot some of our items but we had nothing to go by to check it against.They charge the regular SF 18% auto-gratitutity / service fee + 7% employee benefit fee. So any item you see, just increase it by 25%... With some drinks, our total was north of $300... OverallI feel like this restaurant had or still has great potential, but they really need to first hone in their service. It feels like the owner of the restaurant just isn't present and the staff is kind of left to figuring things out... things feels disjointed, and it really shows in the staff's service. It would be nice bonus if they really leaned into their Yokai / Japanese monster theme as part of their decor. Hope this place turns around but I couldn't recommend going as is.

I came across Yokai on Google and Yelp and decided to try it based on the glowing reviews and appealing food photos. Usually, we go for omakase for good Japanese food, but this time, we were in the mood for a simpler dining experience where we could select our own dishes and enjoy a more relaxed vibe.When we arrived, the stylish decor and record LPs immediately caught our attention, creating a cool ambiance. The host quickly checked us in, and while waiting for our table, we enjoyed drinks at the bar, which started the evening off well.Things took a turn when the host had to bus our table, a detail we didn't think much of at first but, in hindsight, was a sign of what was to come. We were given a very limited menu, resembling something closer to happy hour bites than a full dining experience. The salmon and scallop skewers shown in other reviews were disappointingly off the menu. Once seated, our friendly server explained that we needed to order everything at once. While we appreciated the explanation, it set the tone for what became a frustrating evening. It was clear the staff was overwhelmed, with the bartender and manager pitching in to help in the dining room. Despite this, we frequently had to wave someone down for assistance, which became the trend of the night. The menu was noticeably different from what reviewers had described. We ordered around 60-70% of the available options, but the portions were underwhelming--aside from the main course. One of the hand rolls, for example, was barely the size of my index finger, which was disappointing and odd. We ordered 6 oysters (2 per person) and yet received only 5 oysters. At the end of the meal, we were given the wrong bill. Initially, it showed $177, but when corrected, the total came to over $500 for 3 ppl including a mandatory 18% tip, even though we didn't order any alcohol. For us, omakase is worth the extra cost because it's a full experience. While we usually tip generously, we felt the included gratuity was sufficient given the lackluster experience.We don't enjoy leaving negative reviews, but unfortunately, this visit fell far short of expectations. While we hope the restaurant improves, we won't be returning or recommending to others until we see positive results.

Amazing Japanese shaved ice the foods great but it'll cost you to get full. The pie crust and pillowy topping on the shaved ice was so so good I loved it. The workers were very nice and the ambiance was great as well. Will go back for vibes and shaved ice.

I was excited to return to this restaurant but left disappointed. The menu changed, and the food quality declined. Some dishes were just okay, while others missed the mark--the hand roll's seaweed was soggy and chewy, and the uni toast lacked crispiness. The service felt indifferent, with little effort to make guests feel welcome. For the price, the experience fell short, and I wouldn't return unless things improve.

If you like Japanese vibes, good jazz music, amazing service and fusion Japanese food, this is the place to go! Pro tip: use the inKind app for 20% off! Sitting at the chef's table was also fun and you can request where to sit via phone call reservation.I think I had better Wagyu before (in Japan haha) so I would skip on the Wagyu skewer (pricey ). Instead, get a Wagyu uni toast for literally everyone on the table . The dessert is amazing. Recommend the yuzu kagigori shaved ice. It is a super fancy restaurant but I would come but just to order the dessert for $17.

This place from the moment you walked in is such vibe. The food is amazing but do keep in mind that the portion sizes are small.The only complain is that I wish I had more caviar in my dip. I love caviar and was willing to pay extra but didn't receive it.Amazing date night spot

Ambiance: industrial/rustic-ish -- pretty good for a group outing. I went during restaurant week with my bf and got that menu. Disclaimer: all parties must participate and they only give you ONE portion of everything (I think the skewers might only be half portion??). I do not think this restaurant week menu is worth it, better off just ordering a la carte. Food: Wagyu dumpling (3.5/5): they're fine i do think it is a waste of wagyu to stuff into dumplings lol but not bad. Dungeness crab salad (4/5): pretty good, i think it's a little too saucy, overpowering, and salty, i honestly would have loved it with just the kale, a drizzle of the sauce, and the crab meat. Skewers (5/5): duck was super crispy and succulent. A5 wagyu is always chefs kiss. Salmon belly was great, i'm not a big fan of dill so could have done without it. Miso cod (5/5): honestly can never go wrong with this dish. The sauce is sooo good especially if you pour it over rice :) Yuzu shaved ice (4/5): love the flavor profile, a little sweet, sour, kind of bitter with like "pop rocks" for some fun. I do think it's a little too icy for shaved ice? I love bingsoo and some of my favorite dessert cafes serve shaved ice in an almost creamy like, super fluffy texture - this isn't it. BUT the flavors are incredible.

I came here and walked away really hungry. Portion sizes are so little and pricey that you have to grab more food on the way out. The menu is really dry, with few options, and the portions are really little; I thought it was a joke, but it was truly reality.It's a really nice place for drinks and appetizers though