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✔️Breakfast ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out ✔️Delivery
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PABU is a culinary delight created by Chef Ken Tominaga, of the famed Hana Japanese restaurant, and Chef Michael Mina. This unique take on the classic Japanese izakaya has been modernized by Tominaga and Mina as a celebration of world-class sashimi, sushi, grilled meats from the robata, and a modern, seasonal cocktail menu. PABU features the finest locally and globally sourced jet-fresh seafood flown in daily from Japan’s famed Tsukiji Market accented by its signature selection of A4 and A5 Japanese Wagyu.
A sleek space with a buzzy ambiance, this high-end spot offers classic Japanese cuisine in style.
Hours
| Friday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–9 PM |
| Saturday | 4–9 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 4–9 PM |
| Tuesday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–9 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–9 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 101 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 535-0184
Website: https://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/pabu-san-francisco/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: tripleseat.com
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
Kimberly Do
I’ve been here twice now. The servers are friendly and polite, but service is noticeably slow, especially considering the price point. This is definitely on the expensive side.
We ordered à la carte and overall the food was good. Highlights included the tuna poke with tobiko, negi, and crisp wontons, and the house made duck gyoza with scallion, pickled ginger, and chili rayu. The butter lettuce and hearts of palm salad with radish, grapefruit, avocado, and carrot ginger dressing was fresh and well balanced.
The miso broiled black cod was good, though a bit sweet for my preference, likely from the kabocha squash. The triple seared American wagyu strip steak with fondant daikon and grilled maitake mushroom was nicely cooked and flavorful. We also had a good selection of sushi, including fatty bluefin tuna o toro, yellowtail hamachi, Michael’s negitoro, and the rainbow roll, all of which were fresh and enjoyable.
We had three cocktails and sake as well. The ambience is warm and relaxing, making it a nice place to sit and unwind. Overall, good food and atmosphere, but the slow service and high prices make it a place I’d visit occasionally rather than regularly.
… moreWe ordered à la carte and overall the food was good. Highlights included the tuna poke with tobiko, negi, and crisp wontons, and the house made duck gyoza with scallion, pickled ginger, and chili rayu. The butter lettuce and hearts of palm salad with radish, grapefruit, avocado, and carrot ginger dressing was fresh and well balanced.
The miso broiled black cod was good, though a bit sweet for my preference, likely from the kabocha squash. The triple seared American wagyu strip steak with fondant daikon and grilled maitake mushroom was nicely cooked and flavorful. We also had a good selection of sushi, including fatty bluefin tuna o toro, yellowtail hamachi, Michael’s negitoro, and the rainbow roll, all of which were fresh and enjoyable.
We had three cocktails and sake as well. The ambience is warm and relaxing, making it a nice place to sit and unwind. Overall, good food and atmosphere, but the slow service and high prices make it a place I’d visit occasionally rather than regularly.
Harry
Had our team holiday lunch here. Service was exemplary, props to the team for that. As for the food… It was a bit of a mix. The nigiri was high quality and was probably my favorite. The karaage were a bit too dry, but I still enjoyed it. Flavor profile reminds me of Taiwanese popcorn chicken. As for my kastu, I was pretty disappointed. I’ve had better katsu for half the price. The meat was so tough too.
Overall great restaurant. Probably not one I’d go to on my own budget, but it’s definitely the experience that makes things worthwhile!
… moreOverall great restaurant. Probably not one I’d go to on my own budget, but it’s definitely the experience that makes things worthwhile!
Stelios Serghiou
Not recommended. Prices are in Nobu territory, but the food is barely average. The tuna carpaccio was unremarkable. The duck gyoza tasted indistinguishable from Trader Joe’s frozen gyoza. The miso cod was genuinely delicious, but the portion was comically small for the price. The Ken roll was good, but overly salty. The nigiri was the biggest disappointment. The kampachi in particular was among the worst I’ve had. They aim for a modern izakaya vibe, but the execution falls flat. The music is too loud, and the overall ambience feels forced rather than refined. Save your money and get far better sushi at Nakama, Eiji, or Okane. Very disappointed and won’t be returning.
… moreConstance Shi
Came here 4 years ago and loved it. Came back and… wow. What happened??
This turned into the worst dinner I’ve had all year—in a so-bad-we-could-only-laugh way.
Honestly, this place has probably survived this long with such high prices only because companies in the Financial District keep expensing fancy dinners. It’s far from a good izakaya.
Highlights of the chaos:
• Restaurant 1/5 full on a Friday night, yet we were told to sit at the bar. On uncomfortable stools. For almost two hours.
• It took nearly two hours to serve six dishes—the kind of timing you’d expect from a tiny 7-seat omakase where the chef performs every course right in front of you… except here, there was no performance, no chef interaction, and honestly, barely any food.
• Sushi chefs in front of us had no idea we ordered sushi until they casually asked, “Did you guys order?”
• Staff vanished constantly, and when I finally complained, the “manager” showed up with zero apologies. Not even a fake one.
We spent over $300 for 2 and left hungry, confused, and laughing hysterically at how surreal the whole night was.
The grand finale:
The “Wagyu on Hot Stone” that took nearly 2 hours to appear was… two tiny pieces of beef, gone in one bite each (though I have to admit it was one actually good dish, just very far from justifying its price and the crazy wait). Our waitress insisted we “needed rice” with it when we ordered it. We refused. They brought COLD rice that’s enough to feed 2 anyway as an “apology.”
Not sure what we were supposed to eat it with—our memories of the beef?
And when the bill came, the manager STILL didn’t apologize. Instead he asked—twice—
“You’ll come back, right?”
We didn’t answer. I mean, isn’t it obvious?
… moreThis turned into the worst dinner I’ve had all year—in a so-bad-we-could-only-laugh way.
Honestly, this place has probably survived this long with such high prices only because companies in the Financial District keep expensing fancy dinners. It’s far from a good izakaya.
Highlights of the chaos:
• Restaurant 1/5 full on a Friday night, yet we were told to sit at the bar. On uncomfortable stools. For almost two hours.
• It took nearly two hours to serve six dishes—the kind of timing you’d expect from a tiny 7-seat omakase where the chef performs every course right in front of you… except here, there was no performance, no chef interaction, and honestly, barely any food.
• Sushi chefs in front of us had no idea we ordered sushi until they casually asked, “Did you guys order?”
• Staff vanished constantly, and when I finally complained, the “manager” showed up with zero apologies. Not even a fake one.
We spent over $300 for 2 and left hungry, confused, and laughing hysterically at how surreal the whole night was.
The grand finale:
The “Wagyu on Hot Stone” that took nearly 2 hours to appear was… two tiny pieces of beef, gone in one bite each (though I have to admit it was one actually good dish, just very far from justifying its price and the crazy wait). Our waitress insisted we “needed rice” with it when we ordered it. We refused. They brought COLD rice that’s enough to feed 2 anyway as an “apology.”
Not sure what we were supposed to eat it with—our memories of the beef?
And when the bill came, the manager STILL didn’t apologize. Instead he asked—twice—
“You’ll come back, right?”
We didn’t answer. I mean, isn’t it obvious?
Arjun
First time here – had some great food and great service on our anniversary! Really appreciate staff going above and beyond for our special evening. The salmon (sake) nigiri and the pork belly fried rice were standouts.
… morePaul Mur
An Unforgettable Birthday Celebration at Pabu
Pabu is, without a doubt, the best Japanese restaurant in San Francisco, and my recent birthday celebration there proved it. From they moment we walked in, we were treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. The staff went above and beyond to make the evening special, providing attentive, thoughtful service that made us feel genuinely cared for. It’s a level of hospitality that is truly rare and made a huge difference to our experience.
The food was the highlight of the night. Every dish was an exquisite masterpiece, showcasing flavors that were both delicate and profound. The quality was simply unmatched. Knowing that they fly in ingredients from Japan several times a week, I can now understand why the seafood and other components tasted so incredibly fresh.
If you’re looking for a top-tier Japanese dining experience, whether for a special occasion or just a fantastic meal, Pabu is the only place to go. I can’t recommend it enough.
… morePabu is, without a doubt, the best Japanese restaurant in San Francisco, and my recent birthday celebration there proved it. From they moment we walked in, we were treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. The staff went above and beyond to make the evening special, providing attentive, thoughtful service that made us feel genuinely cared for. It’s a level of hospitality that is truly rare and made a huge difference to our experience.
The food was the highlight of the night. Every dish was an exquisite masterpiece, showcasing flavors that were both delicate and profound. The quality was simply unmatched. Knowing that they fly in ingredients from Japan several times a week, I can now understand why the seafood and other components tasted so incredibly fresh.
If you’re looking for a top-tier Japanese dining experience, whether for a special occasion or just a fantastic meal, Pabu is the only place to go. I can’t recommend it enough.
Wong Jace
frozen food restaurant- at least most items. A real joke serving customers frozen gyoza but charge Michelin level restaurant price. Quality of food is like a franchise sushi restaurant- way below the price charged.
… moreScott
The food, service, and atmosphere were all stellar! Bobby and Brad took the time to explain the decor was themed after the “kill bill” movies. The service was impeccable for a Friday night(or any night). Our waiter Sergio was on top of every little detail from clearing our empty dishes, filling our water and drinks, to explaining each dish. Brad was very knowledgeable about all the wines and Bobby checked in on us to make sure everything was perfect! We will definitely be back and bring all our friends from Sacramento! Thank you Bobby and staff!
… moreSarah R
We LOVE the happy hour here, we’ve been 3 times in the past year and always get the same thing – salmon hand roll, the fried chicken, and the Kanpai drinks.
Our servers have always been friendly and the restaurant has great decor. Perfect place for a date night and highly recommend paying with InKind for a discount.
… moreOur servers have always been friendly and the restaurant has great decor. Perfect place for a date night and highly recommend paying with InKind for a discount.
W T
$150 for two people and left still hungry. Had to walk down the block to Turtle Tower to top off 😉 Food is delicate, delicious and well prepared. Service is well intended. Very nice hand written card for our celebration!
… more