Yuki Japanese Restaurant

Cuisine Japanese
Price $$ (16-30)
Rating 7/10
Last Visit March 19, 2022
Location SFBA: East Bay (Other)
General Notes

When considering both cost and food, this is hands-down the best Japanese restaurant for lunch. The food is very good and reasonably priced, as long as you order the lunch/dinner special. No other place beats this lunch special. That being said, the customer service here is lackluster and is much of the reason for the low reviews for this restaurant. I would absolutely recommend giving this place a try for lunch sometime!

Positives

> The food is all-around incredible.
> Despite having come to this restaurant at least 20 times at this point, there's almost always something new. For their lunch/dinner combination special, they have a whiteboard that has specials for the day, which can range from katsu curry to maguro butteryaki. These specials are typically prepared very well and worth giving a try.
> You could also interpret this as a negative, but their menu is fairly concise. Their food is relatively traditional in nature. A lot of common dishes like ramen or tempura are not on their menu. They do a few things really well, which is something I like a lot.

Negatives

> The restaurant is consistently understaffed. Last time I went, there were two servers for the entire restaurant. While the restaurant is not large, this was simply not enough. The servers seemed like they simply didn't have enough time to give individual attention to each table. As a result, it would take a very long time for them to take our order, give us our check, etc. This is much of why so many reviews complain about customer service.
> Prices have been going up pretty quickly lately, especially their sushi. The combination lunch at $17 is still pretty reasonable though.

Dishes Tasted
  • ★★★★ Katsu Curry -- Excellent tonkatsu, curry is pretty solid and nicely flavorful as well.
  • ★★★★ Smoked Saba -- Incredibly tender and flavorful. The smokiness pairs well with the flavor of the saba.
  • ★★★☆ Agedashi Tofu
  • ★★★☆ Katsu-Ju
  • ★★★☆ Chef's Choice Sashimi
  • ★★★★ Salmon Misoyaki
  • ★★☆☆ Oyako-Ju
  • ★★★☆ Nabeyaki Udon -- Great texture on the noodles, and excellent broth
  • ★★★☆ Croquette -- Curry flavored
  • ★★★☆ Steamed Basa -- Very good, but ask for extra ponzu. It's a bit bland in of itself.
  • ★★★☆ Salmon Teriyaki
  • ★★★★ Tonkatsu -- Incredible. This is by far the most tender and savory tonkatsu that I've ever had in any restaurant.
  • ★★☆☆ Ginger Pork -- Served on a sizzling platter
  • ★★☆☆ Ginger Beef -- Served on a sizzling platter
  • ★☆☆☆ Chicken Teriyaki -- Dry
  • ★★★☆ Sushi
Katsu Curry
Smoked Saba