R
Rintaro
Authentic Japanese izakaya in San Francisco, where seasonal flavors meet traditional craftsmanship.
4.6(5 reviews)
japanese
$$$
Authentic Japanese izakaya in San Francisco, where seasonal flavors meet traditional craftsmanship.
Rintaro is an upscale Japanese izakaya located in San Francisco, offering a cozy and beautifully designed dining experience. Specializing in seasonal set menus, yakitori, and handmade udon, we provide a blend of traditional Japanese cuisine with modern touches. Our attentive service and artfully prepared dishes, like sashimi samplers and hojicha panna cotta, ensure a memorable meal for food enthusiasts and special occasions. With a 4.5-star rating from over 1,300 reviews, we pride ourselves on quality ingredients and a warm atmosphere.
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Multi-course tasting menus featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients with seasonal themes like Winter Set Menu.
Charcoal-grilled skewers including chicken thigh, trumpet mushroom, and handmade tsukune, prepared at the counter.
Artfully presented sashimi samplers with bluefin tuna and fresh grated wasabi, paired with recommended accompaniments.
Freshly made udon noodles in savory broths, such as matsutake udon, served with perfectly cooked onsen eggs.
Japanese-inspired desserts like hojicha panna cotta and fruit jellies, offering a sweet finish to meals.
Curated sake list and specialty cocktails, including Umai Fizz, to complement the dining experience.
My husband and I had an amazing dinner at Rinatro. We ordered the set Winter menu. Everything was delicious. Total umami bomb! We both said it's the best dinner we've had in San Francisco. Will definitely be back for the next seasonal menu.
Finally tried Izakaya Rintaro! Week night dinner at the counter for two. We treated ourselves to the early winter set menu and a bottle of sake which paired nicely with our savory dishes. I left very full, yet not heavy. Staff were attentive the whole time, and I noticed the management runs a tight ship here, all the staff know the menu well along with the drink menu as well. This set menu was $90pp, definitely not a modest dinner. Let me break it down: - first course was the miso cod w/ sunomono. Light and refreshing. I liked the crispy cod skin. Good start but honestly forgettable. - Sashimi was next. Delicious delicious, and the accoutrements were artfully paired. They had fresh grated wasabi, pickled topping, and shiso, and recommended each for the three fish. My favorite was the bluefin tuna. Melt in your mouth quality. - hitokuchi oden was next. Oden is light and warm especially for a cold night so I appreciated it. They have handmade fishcakes which were alright, and my favorite was the daikon anyways. My friend was not a big fan of this one. - yakitori was prepared by the cook right in front of us at the counter so it came out super hot and fresh. It's more of a chicken sausage because they minced the chicken. Solid, can taste the charcoal flavors. - chicken katsu was delicious! Huge portion, I was pleasantly surprised they gave us all that katsu. There's surprise melted cheese inside too, and I thought it added another layer of flavor and texture. Crust was nicely crispy. Did not feel too greasy, the slaw definitely helped. - kake udon was our choice of main. The noodles has a great bite and even though I was already feeling full, I devoured this dish. The onsen egg here was stunningly prepared. Perfect, jammy consistency yet soft and delicate in texture. I'm still pondering how they made that. - dessert was the hojicha panna cotta and wow they did not disappoint. I loved the light hojicha flavors cutting through. The smooth panna cotta texture is so easy to eat, especially to top off a set meal. They also gave us some french pear jellies and meyer lemon jellies. These were nice and tart. My friend was obsessed with the french pear jellies. I was wowed by three of the courses. Enjoyed two others. And could have passed on two.
We got the Winter Set Menu we spent the extra $15 to get everything on thr set menu and it was worth it! Everything on the set menu was flavorful and will definitely come back. Since we were on our honeymoon we got complimentary Umai Fizz drink which was delicious, I had to order the full size. If in San Francisco this is a must go to place and getting the Winter Set Menu should be the first to try. Staff was amazing and explained every dish they served.
Got the tasting menu. Food is excellent! Especially the tsukune and katsu. Service leaves a lot to be desired. No checking in at all, wasn't offered a another round of cocktails, we had to flag someone down and when ordered it was forgotten. Will go back and sit at the sushi bar and hope for better service!
So cozy and delicious. From the exterior to the delightful interior to the restrooms, this is a beautiful restaurant. Wonderful service and the food was all delicious. We loved the ume welcome drink. We tried the sashimi sampler, the gyoza, duck mizuna salad, trumpet mushroom and chicken thigh sansho yakitori, matsutake udon and passionfruit profiterole. Our favorite was the mushroom yakitori. If we came back we'd try more yakitori and the whole fried fish. Tricia and our server were awesome. Excited to try recipes from the cookbook!
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