Eiji

The ceviche, poke roll, tuna belly steak(must have), sake nigiri and sake hand roll were so good I wasn’t able to take a pic but remembered I wanted to review at the eggplant, and desserts. Can’t wait to come back already and try the hand maid tofu

+1

Love this Japanese joint! It used to be my favorite but the wait was long. Surprisingly on a Friday night, the wait wasn't bad at all. Love their fresh tofu, black cod and desserts!

+3

Dropped by for an early dinner. Restaurant was small but the food was quite good. Ordered a number of rolls and nigiri and the fish was good. The ikura however didn't taste fresh but still was good. The homemade tofu was excellent and would get it again.

Delectable and fresh sushi at a great price. We each got the chef choice plate which consisted of a roll and 7 nigiris. One plate is only 25ish dollars! This is seriously THE best place to go if you’re looking for quality fish at a good price. I would much rather prefer this place over any “sushi restaurant” that fills their rolls with rice and sauce rather than fish. They charge 4% if you use credit card instead of cash.

It’s super good! Very tiny restaurant but it feels like home. The tofu and daifuku is a must and it is very unique. Rare gem in the city!

+6

Truly authentic Japanese izakaya — with a calm, peaceful feel. A more homey, but equally as high-quality experience as any other high-end omakase in San Francisco. Rare-find fish wonderfully prepared in classic sushi, sashimi, carpaccio and salad forms. Perfectly steamed rice, so expertly rolled that every maki has a noticeable bounce to every bite. Made-to-order fresh silken tofu, a house specialty — served cold, warm or sauced with 7 garnishes. Handmade Japanese desserts, near heaven. When in season, sakura (cherry blossom) mochi — a true gift.

+6

Amazing spot!!! Food was delicious, service was impeccable, and vibe was so warm. Family owned restaurant with the best sushi prices in the the area. Fish was really fresh. Tempura crispy. We can’t wait to go back!

+4

Small hole in the wall with great tofu! They have good sushi but the best things are their specials and tofu! There was a strange playlist but otherwise no other complaints

Absolute gem. This hole-in-the-wall Japanese spot has a small menu and even smaller space, but they certainly don’t let that stop them from creating one of my favorite restaurant experiences in SF. The space is super cozy and intimate, able to seat maybe 20 people max at a time. They don’t take reservations, so you just have to hope for the best with a walk-in. There tends to be decent availability for lunch, but it can get extremely crowded in the evening. The staff is also remarkably friendly and kind, really adding to the overall cozy atmosphere — it genuinely feels like I’m visiting someone’s house with how comfortable and intimate the space is. While Eiji is primarily a sushi restaurant (and has a great selection of super fresh and wonderfully prepared sushi), my favorite thing has to be their freshly made tofu. My friend and I split their oboro tofu, which was absolutely delightful; it was freshly made tofu order and perfectly silky, warm, and comforting. The tofu itself is plain but comes with a soy sauce-based sauce and tons of small toppings you can mix and match with each scoop. Everything about this place felt like a warm hug, and I can’t wait to come back and try more tofu.

Easy 5 stars. The food is outstanding and authentic. We had a few dishes (iwashi (sardine sushi), a roasted eggplant with miso and walnuts) you don’t often see on standard fare sushi restaurant menus. Salmon nigiri, unagi, ikura were also incredible. Very neat and cozy ambiance. About $175 for 2 of us, who ate a lot of food and shared 2 bottles of sake.

Cozy and delicious! Amazing tofu and daily specials options. The house made tofu (oboro) is a MUST, comes with sauces/toppings that enhances the flavors and is made when you order. It’s very soft and fresh!

Man, what a great place to have in the area. It's a tiny spot with only like 4 or 5 tables, so be prepared to wait for a spot to sit, but it's worth it. Walking into this place really brought me back to being in Kyoto/Osaka. Everything looks, feels, smells like Japan, so I enjoyed that hit of nostalgia. The food here is delicious. They have a very unique homemade "Ankake" (Tofu in sauce) that we devoured immediately. We also decided to get a couple of their rotating specials, which were awesome: the broiled black cod and the Fatty Tuna. After that we had the Chirashi bowl and Spicy Tuna Roll. (I made mine into Chazuke with the green tea I ordered and it slapped... so hot insider tip, do that) We were getting pretty full at this point but decided to also try their daifuku and Sweet Potato Yokan. That was good because they're pretty light desserts, and they were very tasty as well. I dont think you can go wrong here. The only con is there's not enough seating to meet demand!

If I could rate this place higher I would. Best Japanese food I’ve ever had seriously. If you are in the area it is more than worth the stop. Reasonably priced and so so tasty. Best tofu I have ever had. Raw fish is beyond fresh you’d expect it to still be breathing. Quality of not only food but the environment is CLEAN and zen… very very good vibes in here for date nights, birthday night, celebrations or even dining alone. I hope to be back soon as I’m from Pittsburgh pa but I dream of this restaurant every week 😌✨ Even the desert was so so epic. Amazing staff they were all so kind and patient and answers every one of my questions. The green tea is also so so good and earthy and woody. So authentic and lovely.

We went here on a date night. It was 8:30p on a Saturday, no wait and pretty empty. The staff were super friendly and nice, and the size of the pieces were all really great. We spent about $110 but got a good amount of food and both had a large glass of sake. The Chef's sushi special is a great bang for buck, and we definitely recommend the tofus

One of the best and most authentic japanese spots in the city! The service is great and the food is comforting and very home-style. We ordered the oboro tofu, okura beef, mackerel + bittermelon sunomono, yosenabe, chirashi don, purple sweet potato yukan and strawberry mochi. Everything was amazing and definitely would come back again to eat any of these dishes (especially the oboro tofu, strawberry mochi and mackerel+bittermelon sonomono)!

Food and drinks exp: Always love authentic food Love this place Food is always good and keep the standards high. This is not a first time and been here probably over 100 times already. Still love it here !!

Feels like stepping into my grandmother’s kitchen - the warmth and deliciousness of the food is unparalleled. The house made tofu is delicious and the strawberry mochi was perfect!

CHRISTINA TONG

Cozy and delicious! Amazing tofu and daily specials options. The house made tofu (oboro) is a MUST, comes with sauces/toppings that enhances the flavors and is made when you order. It’s very soft and fresh!

Benjamin Harms

Easy 5 stars. The food is outstanding and authentic. We had a few dishes (iwashi (sardine sushi), a roasted eggplant with miso and walnuts) you don’t often see on standard fare sushi restaurant menus. Salmon nigiri, unagi, ikura were also incredible. Very neat and cozy ambiance. About $175 for 2 of us, who ate a lot of food and shared 2 bottles of sake.

Lucas Meaux

Man, what a great place to have in the area. It's a tiny spot with only like 4 or 5 tables, so be prepared to wait for a spot to sit, but it's worth it. Walking into this place really brought me back to being in Kyoto/Osaka. Everything looks, feels, smells like Japan, so I enjoyed that hit of nostalgia. The food here is delicious. They have a very unique homemade "Ankake" (Tofu in sauce) that we devoured immediately. We also decided to get a couple of their rotating specials, which were awesome: the broiled black cod and the Fatty Tuna. After that we had the Chirashi bowl and Spicy Tuna Roll. (I made mine into Chazuke with the green tea I ordered and it slapped... so hot insider tip, do that) We were getting pretty full at this point but decided to also try their daifuku and Sweet Potato Yokan. That was good because they're pretty light desserts, and they were very tasty as well. I dont think you can go wrong here. The only con is there's not enough seating to meet demand!

Alyssa Cox

If I could rate this place higher I would. Best Japanese food I’ve ever had seriously. If you are in the area it is more than worth the stop. Reasonably priced and so so tasty. Best tofu I have ever had. Raw fish is beyond fresh you’d expect it to still be breathing. Quality of not only food but the environment is CLEAN and zen… very very good vibes in here for date nights, birthday night, celebrations or even dining alone. I hope to be back soon as I’m from Pittsburgh pa but I dream of this restaurant every week 😌✨ Even the desert was so so epic. Amazing staff they were all so kind and patient and answers every one of my questions. The green tea is also so so good and earthy and woody. So authentic and lovely.

Bryce Schaefer

We went here on a date night. It was 8:30p on a Saturday, no wait and pretty empty. The staff were super friendly and nice, and the size of the pieces were all really great. We spent about $110 but got a good amount of food and both had a large glass of sake. The Chef's sushi special is a great bang for buck, and we definitely recommend the tofus

Pasakorn Sangsak

Food and drinks exp: Always love authentic food Love this place Food is always good and keep the standards high. This is not a first time and been here probably over 100 times already. Still love it here !!

Leanne Wong

One of the best and most authentic japanese spots in the city! The service is great and the food is comforting and very home-style. We ordered the oboro tofu, okura beef, mackerel + bittermelon sunomono, yosenabe, chirashi don, purple sweet potato yukan and strawberry mochi. Everything was amazing and definitely would come back again to eat any of these dishes (especially the oboro tofu, strawberry mochi and mackerel+bittermelon sonomono)!

Matthew Sakumoto

Feels like stepping into my grandmother’s kitchen - the warmth and deliciousness of the food is unparalleled. The house made tofu is delicious and the strawberry mochi was perfect!

We’ve been here a few times now, and while it’s a mission to snag a seat, it’s always worth it! Our go-to is the ebi and the 'food of the day' special—and you cannot leave without the homemade mochi ice cream; it’s my absolute favorite. The space is super cozy, but a fair warning if you’re bringing a date: the acoustics are very intimate. Everyone in the room can hear your conversation—literally every single word—so keep your secrets for the walk home!

I want to make up for the unfair one star review here- you’ve been coming for years and now leave a one star review? That says more about you than about the restaurant! The food is great here- much more generous serving sizes for same prices elsewhere. No- the service isn’t over the top friendly, but it’s professional and gets the job done. It’s a tiny place, more of a cafe style than fine expensive dining - their business depends on things like all people in a group being ready to eat rather than parking for ten minutes and not having people on their computers for ages while others wait for a table. In many places these things would be common courtesy, it’s a shame for all of us that they aren’t here in SF and so the restaurant must post these preferences. I’m so happy they are in business here, one of the few truly local places left!!

Very authentic Japanese food. Cozy atmosphere. After being in Japan this felt very familiar. The house made tofu is awesome along with the miso soup. Excellent service!

Evan

We’ve been here a few times now, and while it’s a mission to snag a seat, it’s always worth it! Our go-to is the ebi and the 'food of the day' special—and you cannot leave without the homemade mochi ice cream; it’s my absolute favorite. The space is super cozy, but a fair warning if you’re bringing a date: the acoustics are very intimate. Everyone in the room can hear your conversation—literally every single word—so keep your secrets for the walk home!

Luke St Cloud

I want to make up for the unfair one star review here- you’ve been coming for years and now leave a one star review? That says more about you than about the restaurant! The food is great here- much more generous serving sizes for same prices elsewhere. No- the service isn’t over the top friendly, but it’s professional and gets the job done. It’s a tiny place, more of a cafe style than fine expensive dining - their business depends on things like all people in a group being ready to eat rather than parking for ten minutes and not having people on their computers for ages while others wait for a table. In many places these things would be common courtesy, it’s a shame for all of us that they aren’t here in SF and so the restaurant must post these preferences. I’m so happy they are in business here, one of the few truly local places left!!

Scott Hallman

Very authentic Japanese food. Cozy atmosphere. After being in Japan this felt very familiar. The house made tofu is awesome along with the miso soup. Excellent service!

Sonya Hu

Absolute gem. This hole-in-the-wall Japanese spot has a small menu and even smaller space, but they certainly don’t let that stop them from creating one of my favorite restaurant experiences in SF. The space is super cozy and intimate, able to seat maybe 20 people max at a time. They don’t take reservations, so you just have to hope for the best with a walk-in. There tends to be decent availability for lunch, but it can get extremely crowded in the evening. The staff is also remarkably friendly and kind, really adding to the overall cozy atmosphere — it genuinely feels like I’m visiting someone’s house with how comfortable and intimate the space is. While Eiji is primarily a sushi restaurant (and has a great selection of super fresh and wonderfully prepared sushi), my favorite thing has to be their freshly made tofu. My friend and I split their oboro tofu, which was absolutely delightful; it was freshly made tofu order and perfectly silky, warm, and comforting. The tofu itself is plain but comes with a soy sauce-based sauce and tons of small toppings you can mix and match with each scoop. Everything about this place felt like a warm hug, and I can’t wait to come back and try more tofu.

Fresh and high quality ingredients. However, I felt uncomfortable with the services. This place is pretty restricted and inflexible. The servers did not allow us to watch the video while we were waiting for the food. The charge you 3% if you pay by credit card. They did not serve or offer us any water. For the food, I felt that the hamachi cappacio was too overpriced compare with the quality.

I like the quality of their ingredients, but it's menu is really quite overpriced. I'm just knocking one star off though, since it IS San Francisco anyway, so overpriced is normal. Hahaha. For the tofu, youre really paying for the presentation, which is an experience, but if you've been to Asia the dish itself isn't that amazing.

Pretty fresh sushi and cozy place. But I don't understand the hype since I've been to a restaurant with similar food and vibe but less pricy. I did not take a picture of the popular tofu dish since it was plain to me. You can get that tofu in any supermarket and they taste the same. Also, the service was satisfactory.

Along with Ryoko, one of the favorite japanese restaurants for reasonable prices, Eiji serves a different kind of soft tofu called Oboro normally starting being cooked when ordering, which is really good. Most foods are good but i recommend getting this unique tofu if you are first here. Most foods served are not 100% authentic Japanese but quite similar with what i got in Japan.

+4

Nice local spot for sushi and house-made tofu. Can be a bit of a wait, and the hostess asked us to leave after she drought the check, but that was to seat others so sort of understandable. Tasty food though.

one of the most authentic japanese places in the city, if not the most i’ve ever been. it’s a small business owned by a japanese family (incl their chef and waitresses). loved the warmth and cozy size of the space their salmon skin handroll is hands down the best and I always go there for it. the cod, miso, and their unique tofu variants are also super highly recommended!

Moorissa Tjokro

one of the most authentic japanese places in the city, if not the most i’ve ever been. it’s a small business owned by a japanese family (incl their chef and waitresses). loved the warmth and cozy size of the space their salmon skin handroll is hands down the best and I always go there for it. the cod, miso, and their unique tofu variants are also super highly recommended!

Salmon sashimi was fresh and delicious. Alaskan roll was not made that well, as you can tell from photos, the roll is not wrapped tightly and is very loose. Taste of this roll was extremely avaerge. It is overpriced for what it is in my opinion, and would choose to go to nearby sushi restaurants over this one for next time! Additionally, the check price is if you pay in cash. If you pay credit, they actually add a fee to your total charge. This is rather unusual, and I didn't notice any signs about it.

Small little establishment that is well known for their tofu. We got the hot tofu and it was super smooth, like a Chinese tofu-fa. However the other dishes were just ok. The duck was dry and the sashimi was nothing special. The service was very nice and quick so a solid 3 stars.

Small restaurant but surprisingly empty on a weekend at 630. We were seated right away and after ordering our food came quickly. The tofu was homemade but small for its price and not as silky as I was hoping for. I found the sushi rice to be on the harder side and the ratio of rice to fish to be a bit high.

Food was good and the sashimi was fresh. We really enjoyed the homemade tofu and dishes that we ordered. But like other reviews, the server was really rude and service was weird. When we sat at the table, the restaurant was really warm so we wanted to have the beer first but the server refused to take the order and told us that we need to order drinks with food and left without taking orders. We got another server after her and she was okay but it was not a pleasant experience.

Came here and it’s quite small. Server told us to wait outside. As other reviews have said the service was quite lacklustre. The sushi was good but not anything super amazing.

E Lee

Small restaurant but surprisingly empty on a weekend at 630. We were seated right away and after ordering our food came quickly. The tofu was homemade but small for its price and not as silky as I was hoping for. I found the sushi rice to be on the harder side and the ratio of rice to fish to be a bit high.

Eunju Tae

Food was good and the sashimi was fresh. We really enjoyed the homemade tofu and dishes that we ordered. But like other reviews, the server was really rude and service was weird. When we sat at the table, the restaurant was really warm so we wanted to have the beer first but the server refused to take the order and told us that we need to order drinks with food and left without taking orders. We got another server after her and she was okay but it was not a pleasant experience.

Shawni Turner

Came here and it’s quite small. Server told us to wait outside. As other reviews have said the service was quite lacklustre. The sushi was good but not anything super amazing.

Great, no frills Japanese place. I would come here again for their tofu. So soft and silky! The fish is solid and good, but nothing to really write home about. Their white fish carpaccio appetizer was very good. The duck was so-so. There is a 4% surcharge on cc which is annoying but I get it. I would just raise my prices, though.

June Huang

Great, no frills Japanese place. I would come here again for their tofu. So soft and silky! The fish is solid and good, but nothing to really write home about. Their white fish carpaccio appetizer was very good. The duck was so-so. There is a 4% surcharge on cc which is annoying but I get it. I would just raise my prices, though.

Food was ok, not too special but not bad. Ordered edamame and it was cold and usually its steamed and hot. I suspect it was overnight and not fresh. Service was so bad and waitress was so rude!!! We asked to sit beside the window and she said no because we were two people and window table would take 4 people even though the shop was completely empty!!! So she could accommodate. I would never eat at this place again

it tasted good, wasn't much of it. pictured is the duck breast. it cost $12.48 for six slices. the whole thing was the size of an infant's fist. if you eat here, eat something at home, first. if that's not an option, order at least two sides of rice with your meal, or you will leave hungry.

Stopped in at 4:35pm just after they opened on a Thursday. The place was empty and I was directed to a seat, notably the only one without a place setting. I ordered a roll ($12) off the menu - just wanted a bite to tide me over until my dinner plans later in the evening. I specifically ordered it without avocado. The server snapped that there was an $18 minimum. I can understand that they don’t want people occupying tables in a small place if they aren’t ordering much, but it was 4:30 and I was literally the only person there. Seemed they should be grateful for the business at that hour. Nonetheless, I acquiesced and ordered some nigiri ($12 for 2 pcs). The order came 2 minutes later but the roll had avocado so I sent it back. The server apologized, told tue sushi chef and, within a minute returned the same roll minus the avocado. Thankfully I don’t have an allergy as it clearly wasn’t remade. The roll was very heavy on the rice, which was notably cold and hence probably not made today since they had just opened. There were remnants of skin on the albacore nigiri revealing a lack of knife skills. Overall the fish wasn’t super fresh. I can’t believe this place has 4.4 stars. This was worse than supermarket sushi.

Heather Noemi

Stopped in at 4:35pm just after they opened on a Thursday. The place was empty and I was directed to a seat, notably the only one without a place setting. I ordered a roll ($12) off the menu - just wanted a bite to tide me over until my dinner plans later in the evening. I specifically ordered it without avocado. The server snapped that there was an $18 minimum. I can understand that they don’t want people occupying tables in a small place if they aren’t ordering much, but it was 4:30 and I was literally the only person there. Seemed they should be grateful for the business at that hour. Nonetheless, I acquiesced and ordered some nigiri ($12 for 2 pcs). The order came 2 minutes later but the roll had avocado so I sent it back. The server apologized, told tue sushi chef and, within a minute returned the same roll minus the avocado. Thankfully I don’t have an allergy as it clearly wasn’t remade. The roll was very heavy on the rice, which was notably cold and hence probably not made today since they had just opened. There were remnants of skin on the albacore nigiri revealing a lack of knife skills. Overall the fish wasn’t super fresh. I can’t believe this place has 4.4 stars. This was worse than supermarket sushi.

I was really excited to try this restaurant! But something is wrong with management here, and they made it clear they didn't want our business. They are extremely rude and ultra-unaccomodating. It appears they are more focused on enforcing strict etiquette and laws than running a restaurant. We came in on a Thursday night and they had a sign that said cash only. Sure. I had my partner sit down and order first while I went to a nearby atm to get cash so that the food could be out by the time I got back and we could be in and out of their establishment as soon as possible. They kicked him out of the restaurant. When I came back he had to check something on his laptop for work. Immediately the waitress came and said there are no laptops allowed. Sure. He went outside. I am sitting at the table getting ready to order and a man comes and says we cannot serve you if your whole party is not here. I informed him that he is right outside. He insisted that they close soon, and I reassured him I want to order now so that we can get out before they close. He was adamant about his statement, and my partner came back immediately during the confrontation. We decided to leave because of the disgusting way we were treating the whole time. Be wary when coming here, they are not friendly.

Food was fine but service was actually shocking. The head server informed us that they closed - hard stop - at 9:30. We didn’t get our food until 9:10, check dropped at 9:20, and she in fact said “could you speed it up” at 9:25. It led to quite a few laughs with my friend, but this was one of the worst dining experiences i’ve had in a very long time. Couldn’t recommend less.

the staff was extremely rude on the phone and told us there was no wait time. when we got to the restaurant 4 minutes later, she told us the wait time was 30-40 minutes. she also refused to let us stand indoor when it was pouring outside. would not consider coming here again

We’ve been coming here for at least a decade, and sadly the place feels well past its prime. Today it’s pricey and notably unfriendly. On arrival, the tone is set by a cluster of posted rules and fees. There’s a 4% “check‑out fee” for paying by credit card, and the posted prices represent cash pricing. Seating is contingent on your entire party being present (“You will not be seated until every one of your party is available”), and there’s a firm no‑pets policy except for service animals. Policies are fine, but the way they’re presented and enforced comes across as rigid and discouraging rather than welcoming. Service matched the signage: whether by phone or in person, staff were curt and procedural. We felt more managed than hosted. That’s a shame, because the food is still good—the tofu is decent—and the kitchen can deliver. But comparable quality is easy to find elsewhere now, without the side dish of rudeness and extra fees.

Amazing food - if you can get it. Their homemade tofu is just as advertised, soft, fresh and hearty. Nabe is great and the sashimi is standard. However the waitress is ultra rude. Also, some time the Google Maps info says “open” but when you get there the sign says “Close”. Even though we can see diners sitting inside. Not sure what the deal is.

Viale M

We’ve been coming here for at least a decade, and sadly the place feels well past its prime. Today it’s pricey and notably unfriendly. On arrival, the tone is set by a cluster of posted rules and fees. There’s a 4% “check‑out fee” for paying by credit card, and the posted prices represent cash pricing. Seating is contingent on your entire party being present (“You will not be seated until every one of your party is available”), and there’s a firm no‑pets policy except for service animals. Policies are fine, but the way they’re presented and enforced comes across as rigid and discouraging rather than welcoming. Service matched the signage: whether by phone or in person, staff were curt and procedural. We felt more managed than hosted. That’s a shame, because the food is still good—the tofu is decent—and the kitchen can deliver. But comparable quality is easy to find elsewhere now, without the side dish of rudeness and extra fees.

Queenanie Nguyen

Amazing food - if you can get it. Their homemade tofu is just as advertised, soft, fresh and hearty. Nabe is great and the sashimi is standard. However the waitress is ultra rude. Also, some time the Google Maps info says “open” but when you get there the sign says “Close”. Even though we can see diners sitting inside. Not sure what the deal is.