Kibatsu

  4.5 – 232 reviews   • Japanese restaurant

Social Profile:

✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in Kibatsu 94117

Hours

Friday5:30–9:30 PM
Saturday5:30–9:30 PM
SundayClosed
MondayClosed
TuesdayClosed
Wednesday5:30–9:30 PM
Thursday5:30–9:30 PM

Address and Contact Information

Address: 400 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Phone: (415) 872-9636

Website: https://www.kibatsusushi.com/

Menu Photos

Order and Reservations

Order: Order online

Photo Gallery

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Reviews

May Bresler Herzog
I’m still not sure what to think about Kibatsu. Fantastic atmosphere, and it serves some unique dishes (like shark skin), some high quality fish dishes, and some basic dishes along with some (somewhat weird…) fusion Japanese. It is very inconsistent in quality and feels like it keeps some of its true gems only available in the expensive Omakase route ($120 or $150). The regular menu is limited, and is almost entirely fish based, yet some things that are only being served as part of the Omakase menu (like the wagyu dish, or the crab soup), are true gems and would be incredible if were included in the menu. I also have to call out that this place let us know, well into the meal (so too late to change our minds) that their credit card machine is not working that evening, yet somehow they had a pre-printed paper with their owners personal venmo info available, which felt very pre-planned…
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Drew Hinkson
Decent omakase experience. Some of the best bites included the king crab, scallop, tiger prawn, uni fried rice and toro with caviar and uni. They also have a selection of sake to go with your food. The place is rather small but you are able to make reservations online. Be careful though because they tried to refuse payment by credit card and were only accepting Venmo or third party apps. Just seemed strange since we held our reservation with a credit card and we weren’t informed of the payment policy until after our meal. We also weren’t offered anything à la carte after the meal and I was curious about the fried ice cream dessert. Kind of ruined the experience, but the food was otherwise good, just not sure about the price point
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Daniel Johnson
This was my first time here. A friend who lives in the neighborhood recommended it and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Very cute dark intimate atmosphere, unique plating, great quality flavor and really friendly staff. The chef even gifted us a tasty special piece of sushi. Highly recommend!
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Douglas and Anita Scribner
The other night, we had a wonderful dinner, at Kibatsu. I don’t know when I’ve had such an amazing omakase set!

The restaurant is tastefully decorated and the lovely lighting lends to a feeling of intimacy! Table settings were unique for each dish presented and the staff were warm and attentive!

Roy was fabulous in creating innovative and unusual dishes for us on our Omakase, though we added a few items! The selection of seafood was delicious and aesthetically beautiful! It included many types of fish that are rare for sushi restaurants to serve outside of Japan. The crab broth was absolutely delicious and the steak and cloud mushrooms, followed by caviar embellished ice cream cones were a fabulous ending to a delectable seafood meal!

Will definitely be back to this restaurant when I am in town!!!
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Cynthia Wu
Kibatsu is a really special place, one of SF’s best sushi restaurants. We’ve come here multiple times now and the food is always spectacular with overflowing pieces of fresh fish. Some of their dishes are super creative – most recently we had a skewer with tempura lion’s mane mushroom that tasted like steak! Chanel (the owner) is SO kind. We can’t wait to come back!
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Charlotte Lopp
I have been meaning to write this review for years. Apologies for Jimmy and Ron for not writing it sooner.

First, I have to write about the people because they are the reason I love and will always love Kibatsu. Then, I’ll write about my favorite dishes and the food.

The People:
I have been going to Kibatsu since 2014 so 12 years now. Before Kibastu, they were Sugoi Sushi in the Mission. I discovered them because they did catering for University of San Francisco. My college roommate and I befriended the young sushi chefs that came to the university, hung out with them once the sushi bar had officially closed and they encouraged us to come visit their Sugoi Sushi location.

Eventually we did and it became our Friday or Saturday night routine. Sometimes, we would splurge and go during the week (which for us as college students was a lot). But we loved them. Calvin, Ronald, (so sorry, I am totally blanking on the third guy’s name but I see his face in my mind!) and Jimmy. The first three were the sushi chefs and Jimmy was the waiter – he always made room for us and always saved us our favorite booth in the front of the restaurant, closest to the windows. He remembered our classes and asked us how school was going. He always treated us to on the house mochi ice cream after each dinner. We would spend hours and hours there, camping out and chatting or doing our homework in the mood-lit, rustic, tastefully interior-decorated intimate setting, amid the hubbub of conversations and people enjoying the sushi. I remember Sugoi and those times really fondly – it was our safe space, our home away from home (dorm). Other times, we’d bring our friends. I can’t even count how many people I and my roommate recommended this place to or brought there.

Then after we graduated, in 2018, they moved to the Haight and invited me to their opening night omakase which was a gift to everyone they invited. How sweet, thoughtful and amazing is that? Between Sugoi and Kibatsu, my partner and I met and Jimmy always remembers my partner and his two boys and asks about them when they’re not with me. The boys love it here because of the large portions and how nice everyone is.

On my birthday this year, I decided I wanted to spend it at Kibatsu and Jimmy (who is now a sushi chef!!) and company went out and got me a birthday cake and brought it out before the rest of the dessert as a surprise. I almost cried. This is why I love Kibatsu and those who work there.

The Food:
The starter we always go for is the tataki dish which is albacore with delicious fried onion. The gyoza is always also a great way to go. We always get the omakase which is a true omakase with the different small plates, sashimi and nigiri. I love the salmon and umimasu nigiri as well as the negi salmon. Something special that Kibatsu does is they always surprise you with little gifts from the sushi chefs. For this past new year’s they surprised us with a whole tray of steak and jumbo shrimp – a gift on the house. Their kindness never ceases to surprise us!

So there are some of our top favorites food wise and why Kibatsu has a special place in my heart. I hope you go and I hope you love it as much as I do. They work really hard, are so extremely kind and deserve the best.
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Christina DLC
I have been following Kibatsu since their 1st location on Valencia called Sugoi! 3 Locations and 12yrs later their food never disappoints. If you don’t know what to order try the Omakase, you will thank me. My favorites are Ponzu Walu, Walu, Amaebi, Wagyu, Uni, Umimatsu, Kimedai, and soooo much more. You want fish go here!
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Jamie Li
We did the omakase experience and it was great! Some unique dishes, all were delicious though and we left VERY full. The pace is kind of strange, they were replacing our dishes with the next course quite quickly at first (we were one of the few ones there) and then there were some lulls later when it got more crowded. However the ambience is easygoing and we enjoyed good conversation while we waited- I also appreciate the intimate setting and that you don’t have to yell to talk to your company. The most unique part was that when we got our ice cream dessert, it game with a piece of seared wagyu which was random but fun! Will definitely be back.
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ayush kalani
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.
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S Kim
Excellent sushi quality esp for its price.
Highly recommend sake sushi and toro temaki.

Friendly and attentive staff.
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