Need recos for Japenese lunch on Friday in SF

[vinecal]

Hi all looking to take a japenese client to lunch of Friday. Would like a casual place that has great Ramen, Yakitori and or Sushi. If possible would like a recos for place in Japantown and outside.

[Pei]

There really isn't great Japanese of the kind you request anywhere in SF.

For a Japanese client, I'd suggest one of two places, both more French-Japanese than traditional Japanese, and both Japanese owned.

Ame--very high end, more items that tend toward Japanese, like amazing chawan mushi and fish, raw and cooked

Bushi-Tei--mid end for lunch, the menu items sound quite American (beef sandwich, pork cutlet) but have a definite Japanese sensibility to them.

[Keesey]

Katana-Ya for ramen.

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Katana-Ya
430 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102

[doubledeuce80]

ebisue on 9th/irving is open for lunch and fairly nice. of course not in japantown but is an option.

[pauliface]

Isn't maki open for lunch? They don't have the food you ask for but I at least think of them as high quality and refined. They specialize I believe in wappa meshi, and it's very tasty.

In japantown, but not outside.

[ML8000]

Maki isn't open for lunch on the weekdays, if I recall.

[shellshock24]

I know you didn't say curry, but my favorite Japanese lunch place is Muracci's Japanese Curry on Kearny. Like wolfe said, there really isn't any great Japanese lunch spots. San Mateo would probably provide you with some better options.

[Windy]

Muracci's is delicious, but it's takeout, so not right for a business meeting. Did they ever end up opening for dinner?

I'll recommend Skool, a modern Japanese restaurant with easy parking on the Potrero/SOMA border. It's a beautiful space with delicious fish and good service; innovative rather than traditional.

I like Takara, but it's not very upscale.

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Skool
1725 Alameda St, San Francisco, CA 94103

[shellshock24]

Ooops, I completely glossed over the "client" part of the request!

[vinecal]

Great recs hounders!

[wolfe]

Perhaps the problem is that there is nothing open for lunch that is great for those things you mentioned, especially for a Japanese visitor.

[CarrieWas218]

San Francisco is woefully in need of ANY yakitori restaurant. We have none of worth in the city.

The best sushi bar that is open for lunch is Takara behind Hotel Kabuki in the mall. There are few other sushi restaurants open for lunch of any merit.

For Ramen, I would recommend Mifune near the bridge in J-town but it pales in comparison to Tanpopo which is only open for dinner.

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Tanpopo
1740 Buchanan St, San Francisco, CA

Mifune Restaurant
1737 Post St Ste 375, San Francisco, CA 94115