Kibatsu

Kibatsu's intimate ambiance and ambitious omakase drew us in, but the experience left us feeling like we had walked a tightrope - some moments exhilarating, others a little wobbly. One man show: Our entire restaurant relied on a single server. While her enthusiasm was undeniable, it stretched thin. Long waits between courses and forgotten requests detracted from the flow. It felt like a charming solo performance occasionally needing an understudy. Speed demons and sleepy snails: Dishes arrived at a puzzling pace. The melt-in-your-mouth tuna came swiftly, while the delicate wagyu languished. Some nigiri arrived lightning-fast, and others took ages, leaving us wondering if they'd gotten lost in the kitchen labyrinth. Fishy tales: The nigiri itself was a mixed bag. Some pieces were divine. Others, however, had a distinct fishiness and slightly chewy texture that left us wanting more freshness. Like a magic act, some bites disappeared in a delightful puff, while others required more chewing than anticipated. Wasabi woes: The liberal use of wasabi was another inconsistency. Some pieces had a perfect kiss of heat, while others were overpowered, drowning out the delicate flavors of the fish. Perhaps a lighter hand would allow the natural sweetness of the fish to shine through. Missed opportunity: All the uni dishes that were served missed the mark. Instead of highlighting the creamy and buttery uni flavors, the dishes were overpowered by other flavors. Course overload (in a good way): The $158 omakase was certainly generous, offering a plethora of dishes. The whole experience consisted of small plates, nigiri pieces, sashimi and a dessert. Cozy charm: Despite the service hiccups and inconsistencies, the intimate setting and warm lighting created a unique atmosphere. It's a place where you can easily get lost in conversation. Final verdict: With some attention to service consistency, pace, and flavor balance, Kibatsu has the potential to be a great dining experience. For now, it sits at a 3-star tightrope walk - charming, ambitious, but needing a few tweaks.

One of the best sushi spots in San Francisco, better than places several times more expensive. Would absolutely, happily go back again and again.

Got a recommendation to come to this place and have the omakase ($120pp). I don’t even know how to put into words how random this meal was. It’s as though the chef was on the show Chopped and had a random assortment of fish and ingredients to work with and was like hmmm I wonder how I can combine these. An omakase meal should be well thought out and move from delicate to more rich flavors. To the contrary, this meal was a total hodge podge, making it confusing. That being said, some dishes were outstanding — there was barracuda, flounder, and tuna that melt in your mouth. The rest of the dishes were so weird. There was a scallop with the tendon detached and set on top with a pinch of salt, a raw large squid, green tea ice cream with a fried wagyu donut, uni risotto (such mush that Italians and Japanese alike would be cringing), and wagyu wrapped scallop with a mushroom. Have I successfully conveyed how random this meal was? To top it off, we were served our dishes by the food runner who had no clue what he was serving us and unable to explain what was on the plate. This is totally inappropriate for an omakase meal. Perhaps this place is good for a regular sushi meal, I cannot speak to their a la carte menu but would highly not recommend their omakase experience.

Superb sushi, service, and ambiance. A hidden gem in SF

RESERVE ON YELP, NOT GOOGLE. The Google reservation system is broken for this restaurant. Before I went to Kibatsu tonight, I tried to make an online reservation. I called the restaurant directly when I noticed the Google online reservation system was not working (only allowed to book for a party of 1). When I arrived at the restaurant, I confirmed with the host (Chanel) that the restaurant was not fully booked and that they had reported the problem to Google. This is one of our favorite sushi restaurants in the city. It's a hidden gem. The fish is fresh and delicious, the quality is superb, the service is impeccable, (Chanel is the BEST), and the atmosphere is cozy. Once you go, it'll become your favorite spot too.