When you find yourself in SOMA you have to check out Salt House! It's easily one of the best restaurant atmospheres in the area! The food is awesome and they just changed the menu not long ago and it's still awesome! You can now get crazy good appetizer 'bites' served on an Asian soup spoon, very good! Can't go wrong at the Salt House!
The food was excellent and the service amazing. Our waiter did not rush us and was invisible but took care of our every need. Best service I have had in a long time. ���
Wanted to share my experience because reviews have been mixed. We came for restaurant week and had a great time. Service was very prompt and the music wasn’t too loud (we were seated in front of the kitchen which probably helped). Food was really good on the whole - I think the pricing per skewer is largely what’s causing others to say the food is overpriced but everything else seemed about right for a night out in SF. Some of the cocktails were very unique and very worth trying.
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Salt House was an iconic FiDi location as it was within walking distance of the Big 4 firms and a frequent place for corporate lunches/dinners/events. However, fast forward several years in its wake comes Yokai which recently opened and the Glow-up is breathtaking. Wow what a vibe. What was formerly a stuffy hot as an oven dining experience now greets you with a sleek airy jazz themed decor, complete with 2 front desk turntables playing vinyl on specialized vintage speakers. Directly across are about 4 bar stools where you can enjoy great Japanese whiskey while waiting for your table. We rolled the dice on a Saturday night and tried our luck with a walk-in. Eric the manager was gracious enough to accommodate and seat us after a short wait--thanks Eric! We had a table upstairs with an excellent view. Ordered the yellowtail and striped jack sashimi which were both interestingly served in olive oil. The skewered scallops and salmon belly were ridiculously good. But the star was the wild boar ribs. I am not one to rave about ribs of any kind but this is a must try. Super tender fall off the bone and packed with flavor without any gaminess. A side of thinly sliced green apple was a great balance to the ribs. Such a well thought out and elegantly executed menu. Cannot wait to return for more. Yokai wins the award for our favorite and best new sf restaurant.
The place has just opened, they are now doing their soft launch. The food was really good. They offer small bites, meat and seafood skewers, and larger plates. We ordered ~3-4 small plates per person (they're pretty small, some can be shared and some are individual portions), and a couple of the larger plates to share (as a group of 4). Our favorites were the wagyu gyoza, the scallops large dish, and the saffron octopus skewers. Their signature drinks are focused on whisky and gin, though they also have a full bar. Overall, a bit pricier than I expected, but would recommend!
I'm torn about this restaurant. On one hand the service and food are good, but on the other the portions are pretty small and its expensive. Glad to have new options in downtown and I hope they make it but some of the dishes need improvement. Overall its good and some small changes could make it way better.
Great to see the old Salt House get new life as a listening bar. Love to see the records spinning right at the front of the restaurant. Plates are a bit small for the price, but this is a nice place to spend a little time listening to great jazz. Service is great as well.
Yokai is going for a special upscale hip angle of approach. Positioned as a Japanese hifi bar - and yes, they had some fabulous jazz going on with great speaker systems - but also serve awesome food. Typically I'm used to a whiskey bar, and both myself and friend weren't expecting to eat.
The atmosphere is hip, woody, modern, clean, and has plenty of music-themed decor that brings you into a Japanese-style high-end bar. It almost feels like you'd be under-dressed if you don't dress to flaunt.
I only had the Yokai burger and they stayed truthful for it being a "Japanese" style burger. It's all about that lettuce and the sauce - they got it perfectly right (for those of you who know what a Japanese burger, you know what I mean).
I'll definitely have to return to do a proper food review. But Yokai was a serendipitous surpise with oozing potential. I'm excited for it!
The food was delicious and the wagyu gyoza is the best ever we’ve tasted! The interior was on the plainer side but food was the star of the evening. The desserts were excellent as well
Loved the Mexican Grand Prix! I drank 3 of them. Loved the dining experience all around, everyone was so nice! Music selections was excellent…although I was a little frustrated, I brought in my favorite vinyl (Kiss From a Rose by Seal) and they refused to play it because they thought it would be inappropriate to the rest of the guests experience.
Definitely a little frustrating and I was a little shocked that a restaurant of that caliber couldn’t accommodate my request to play Seal. However! They were very polite in regards to the situation and I enjoyed my cocktail as I listened to Love Supreme (not as good as “Kiss from a Rose” in my opinion).
Despite that minor snaffu I left very happy and the staff was very friendly. I hope they update they’re vinyl collection to include more modern classics such as Seal but I will be back! Happy to have them in the neighborhood !
A great place that combines food, service, ambiance and audiophile stereo hifi bar. Sitting at the bar, looking at Jbl classic speaker and McIntosh tube amp is actually a great way to start an evening of great culinary experience. Who would have thought of that!! So unique. We had faccacia with caviar sauce, duck and rib eye along with their wines. Exquisite. End the evening with a cake and colheite port. It was an evening to remember for sure!
Had a lovely dinner here a couple of weeks ago - the ambience is great, and it's clear a lot of thought was put into the aesthetic and sound system. Food was delicious - highly recommend the mackerel in particular. Service was spot on despite it being a very busy Saturday night, and our party was taken care of well. Will definitely become a new go-to spot, welcome to the neighborhood!
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