If you’ve been defaulting to the same sushi counter on repeat, the city has a quieter, more interesting Japanese dining scene waiting for you. These seven spots lean into soba, yakitori, shojin, izakaya craft, and one very new Italian-Japanese hybrid. Go hungry, go early, and go ready to order something unfamiliar.
1. Izakaya Rintaro (Mission) — At 82 14th Street, chef-owner Sylvan Mishima Brackett cooks “Japanese food from an izakaya in California” inside a restored 1906 earthquake cottage built out by his father with 100-year-old redwood wine-cask booths and a hinoki cedar bar.
Expect hand-rolled Kama Tama udon (around $16), binchotan-grilled yakitori, tsukune with egg yolk, and a rotating seasonal menu with many vegetarian plates. Michelin-recommended since 2016, and worth the reservation push. The Infatuation calls dinner here “an escape from the outside world.”
2. Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese (Mission Dolores) — A 100% vegan kitchen at 762 Valencia St inspired by Shojin Ryori, the Buddhist temple cuisine tradition.
The 40-plus-item menu runs from stuffed eggplant tempura to vegan sukiyaki to all-vegan sushi, with soba and udon soups built for plant-forward eaters. Closed Tuesdays; dinner nightly plus weekend lunch…